SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2011 INSIDE Celebrate Graduation 2011 with the students from all the schools in Marion County. Section B “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do VOLUME 109 • NUMBER 39 ESTABLISHED 1882 count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” —Philippians 3:7-8 Suspect dies in gunfight Polk By Mark Rogers continued Managing Editor northbound and MCSO A Columbia man died units joined early Wednesday morning in near the exchanging gunfire with intersection Marion County Sheriff's of Missis- POLK Deputies after a pursuit. sippi 13 and Howard Earl Polk Jr. died Mississippi of gunshot wounds suffered 35. “Our units intercepted after officers tried to stop them at the city limits,” Hall him to take him into custody said. The pursuit continued on a drug warrant. At around through the intersection and 1 a.m., Columbia police Polk allegedly slammed on officers attempted to stop the breaks causing the deputy Polk’s vehicle to take him to strike the vehicle. Polk into custody on the warrant. then lost control of his Polk refused to stop and the vehicle. As the vehicle came pursuit began. Marion to a stop, there was an County Sheriff Berkley Hall exchange of gunfire between said city units began the Polk and the deputies. Polk pursuit around Lafayette was fatally wounded. Street. See ‘Shooting’ Page 3A Investigators from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation search the scene Wednesday. photo by Lori Watts Benny Joe Stevens executed Kathy Pounds speaks about the Convicted killer Benny Joe Stevens (inset) was put to death Tuesday at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. execution of her son’s killer, at left photos by Mark Rogers is MDOC Commissioner Chris Epps. Stevens ‘emotional’ in hours before death his daughter. Stevens was convicted of four Families By Mark Rogers counts of capital murder on December 4, Managing Editor 1999, and sentenced to death on all four counts. He was also convicted of aggravated struggle Inmate Benny Joe Stevens was assault and received a 20 year sentence for “emotional” and “very talkative” just hours this charge. before his execution by lethal injection at The murders of Wesley Reid. Glynda to begin Parchman State Penitentiary according the Reid, Heath Pounds and Dylan Lee, and the Mississippi Department of Corrections aggravated assault of Erica Stevens took Commissioner Christopher Epps. place on Oct. 18, 1998, near Foxworth. Stevens,. 52, was charged with the Epps spoke to the media assembled at healing shooting deaths of his ex-wife, her husband Parchman and briefed them on Stevens’ MDOC Commissioner Chris Epps and two children and aggravated assault of addresses the media. See ‘Emotional’ Page 8A photo by Mark Rogers By Mark Rogers Managing Editor Less than a half hour after the Final hours ended with execution execution of the man who killed their loved ones, the families of his victims times during his last few hours was writing his daughter a letter. said Stevens hadn’t shown any spoke and issued statements about the By Mark Rogers and spoke with him. He also He was into the second page. I remorse or offered any death of Benny Joe Stevens. Managing Editor listened to observations of the thought it was a good letter.” apologies. In the end, he did. Many had witnessed the execution. The guards and others around Epps said the letter told During the mid-afternoon, list of those who went to the chamber As the time of execution drew Stevens in the final hours. daughter Erica Stevens (who Stevens told Prison Chaplain included Kathy Pounds and Stanley closer, Benny Joe Stevens By 6:22 p.m., it was over. The was shot during the murders) James Whisnant “he was sorry Pounds, mother and father of Heath prepared for his death. cocktail of lethal drugs had several things Benny Joe he killed the kids.” Epps said Pounds; Martha Chambliss, sister of Mississippi Department of ended his life just eight minutes Stevens hoped she’d follow. “He Stevens said ‘none of them Glynda Reid and Mike Lee, Glynda's Corrections Commissioner after the process began. was saying she needed to be in deserved what I did, even my ex- brother; Erica Stevens and Angela Toney, Christopher Epps visited with “He was very nervous,” Epps church and read the Bible.” sisters of Dylan Lee (and children of the condemned man several said of one of the last visits. “He During an earlier visit, Epps See ‘Final’ Page 8A See ‘Families’ Page 3A SATURDAY 2A www.columbianprogress.com May 14, 2011 Prom King Ryan Ellis and Prom Queen Senior Kaelin Putnam and her date Senior Zaterika Fortenberry and her Laurie Beth Boutwell accompanied Adina Washington. Jonathon Boyd. date Keundrae Williams. senior Ben Sanford to the prom. Columbia High Prom Columbia High School seniors celebrated King, a CHS graduate. Prom King and the end of their senior year with a prom in Queen were Ryan Ellis and Adina the CHS gymnasium on Friday, May 6. The Washington. Q students danced to tunes provided by Don Photos by Chris Turnage CHS seniors danced to music provided by CHS alum Don King. Senior P.J. Pace enters the prom exhuberently with his date, CHS student Samara Toney. Senior DePaul Foxworth and his date Tiara Foster accompanied senior CHS student Chelsea Brumfield. Dominique Tovell to the prom. From left, senior Jimmy Pierce, CHS student Mandy James, senior April Leming and CHS student Alex Carter. Some seniors gathered for photos before prom time. They are from left, front, Meredith Ratcliff, Victoria Yoder, Abbie Gray, Kaelin Putnam, Elizabeth Winton and Hannah Smith. Back row, Van Morris, Robert Hoffmeier, Forrest Dungan, Senior Dion Jefferson escorted senior Senior Rashad Sims and his date Jonathon Boyd, Kent Saucier and William Sanford. Bailey Montgomery. Tabitha Hendricks. Senior John Silas was accompanied by his brother, Deionshai Stepney accompanied senior Darius Seniors Victoria Yoder and Bailey Montgomery at the former CHS student Rodney Silas. Quinn. prom. SATURDAY May 14, 2011 www.columbianprogress.com 3A B U S I N E S S FE A T U R E SOUTHLAND FARMS HOMEGROWN PRODUCE 522 Lumberton Road, Columbia (601) 731-8755 Southland Farms will have many other seasonal By Lori Watts fruit and vegetables, which are grown locally. Staff Writer “There are a lot of places where you can go and buy things to sell, but I don’t know where or how Southland Farms Homegrown Produce is they are grown, so I grow almost everything I building a new main location in Columbia, at 522 sell,” said Bryant. “I want it to be fresh and folks Lumberton Road, where customers can purchase can’t get it any fresher around here except by locally-grown fresh produce daily. growing it themselves,” he said. Frankie Bryant, owner and operator of Bryant, who is also the pastor of Blessed Hope Southland Farms, has supplied fresh vegetables in Baptist Church near his home, grows many of his District Attorney Hal Kittrell speaks with an investigator at the season to people of Columbia for more than 15 plants from seed, transplanting the seedlings and scene, at left is Assistant DA Morris Sweatt. photo by Mark Rogers years. For many of those years, he delivered the nurturing the crops from beginning to harvest. “We produce he harvested from his farm just south of will even have some mushmelons this year that we Shooting Pine Burr to banks, restaurants and other locations. grew from heirloom seeds. We only had enough continued from Page 1A “A total reconstruction is being weapon and multiple shots were done by the MBI (Mississippi fired,” Hall said. Bureau of Investigation),” Hall Hall said that Polk was no said. Crews spent several hours at stranger to local law enforcement. the scene Wednesday, which was “He’s always been pretty laid back, about 120 yards north of the I’ve never seen that side of him,” intersection. he said. Polk’s warrant was part of “The vehicles made contact, and a massive drug sweep that included he was firing from inside the car,” 15 arrests last week. Hall said. Hall said the shots Twenty-two years ago this week, exchanged between the deputies Polk’s family was involved in and Polk were fired at close range. another shooting incident. On May “The deputy in the first car is lucky 8, 1989, Howard Polk Sr. shot and he wasn’t struck.” killed two Columbia Police Hall said the deputies, who have Officers near the courthouse. not been named, have been placed Officers Wayne Henebry and Billy on administrative leave and offered Patterson were serving a warrant on counseling. Polk Sr. Polk was shot to death by “The MBI is here interviewing his son Howard, when he returned my deputies today,” Hall said home. The shooting was considered Thursday. A Mississippi Highway self defense and Polk Jr. was not Patrol reconstruction artist came to charged. Hall said investigators are study the accident scene. still sorting things out from An autopsy was done on Polk Wednesday’s incident. “Why he Thursday as well. Hall did not chose to do what he did, nobody know how many times Polk was knows. I hate that anybody had to hit. “We know he brandished a die.” Frankie Bryant looks over some of the fresh produce at his stand on Lumberton Road. Families photos by Lori Watts About four years ago, for 22 hills, but I’ll save continued from Page 1A he decided to start setting the seed and next year Benny Stevens); and John Reid, up tents at different we’ll have more,” he Wesley Reid's father, and Dora locations, in addition to said.