Profile 2021: 24 Hours by The Daily Leader

HOURS

in Lincoln County THE DAILY LEADER | PROFILE 2021

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WENTY-FOUR HOURS IN LINCOLN COUNTY is an idea we think should interest everyone. What does a sheriff ’s deputy have to do in the middle of the night? What are food service workers doing at “odd” hours? What goes on behind the closed doors of an academy where people go to learn how to play an instrument? What kind of work do public utilities workers have to perform daily? We took the idea of what we might see if we were to pull back the curtain on the lives of ordinary people in ordinary jobs for just an hour of their day — or night. As you read these stories, maybe you’ll discover something new you didn’t know. Maybe you’ll appreciate a job a bit more, and the people who work it. Maybe you’ll find that some of these ordinary people in ordinary jobs aren’t quite so ordinary, after all. We hope you enjoy reading this magazine as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you.

BRETT CAMPBELL, EDITOR

brett.campbell@dailyleader.com

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PROFILE 2021

1 AM

8 14 21 25 29 42 45

AMBULANCE SERVICE

CONTENTS

6 AM SCHOOL BUS DRIVER

NOON ANIMAL SHELTER

2 PM THE BANK

4 PM MUSIC ACADEMY

10 PM LAW ENFORCEMENT

MIDNIGHT STUDYING SLEEP

THE DAILY LEADER

1 A.M.

AMBULANCE SERVICE

“We have moments where it can get a little hectic.”

Story and photos by Gracie Byrne

At the King’s Daughters Emergency Medical Service Center, 1 a.m. is a quiet time mostly. Krystal Conn, a KDMC paramedic, said that the one o’clock hour can sometimes get busy. “At 1 a.m. we have moments where it can get a little hectic,” Conn said. “At night we run two ambulances and three during the day, so we are down a unit. But we tend to handle it pretty well.” Conn said that in Lincoln County, paramedics never know what they’re going to get. Some nights are calm and collected while others involve them getting out and saving lives. “It’s a hit or miss, you never know,” Conn said. The night shift spends a lot of time cleaning, especially due to the pandemic. “We’re very serious about cleanliness on our unit,” Conn said. At night it’s a lot more relaxed than during the day so the paramedics can sit back and hang out when not on a call. Other times they assist in the emergency room. During the pandemic, calls have been pretty steady, according to Conn. Many calls have come after midnight. “Lately it’s been pretty steady, we’ve had quite a few calls,” Conn said. “After midnight we’ve been rolling.” A typical day for Conn isn’t a day, but rather a night. She usually wakes up around 4 p.m. and goes to work at 6:30. She works from then until 7 a.m. “I work nights,” Conn said. “We usually don’t get a lot of family time, us night folks. We get home in the mornings and we’re exhausted.” When the shift starts, the paramedics go through their unit, make sure the day shift has restocked on what they use and makes sure they have fresh batteries. Their trucks have to be ready to go in the case of a call. For Conn, some positives about her night including interacting with her patients. “I really enjoy patient care,” Conn said. “There are some days where it can get a little tough, like where we’ve had those calls where our officers are injured. I’ve ran quite a few of those and they’re always pretty tough.” 8

PROFILE 2021

She said being able to get out in the community and make a difference is important to her. “I feel like I get a lot of joy from this job,” Conn said. “I have a different day every day. Every day it’s something different. It’s a great feeling when you get to the scene and someone says ‘thank God the paramedics are here.’ That’s something you’ll never take for granted.” Some negatives for Conn would be when things get too busy and she feels like the unit can’t keep up. “When the calls keep coming in and they’re back to back up and you feel like you’re getting behind a little bit, but we’re trained to handle that,” Conn said. “We all work together, that’s something great about my team. When someone’s pulling more of the weight, we really help each other out.” One way Conn feels like her job impacts the bigger picture is that she can take what she learns on the job to her students. “I’m a paramedic instructor at Copiah-Lincoln Community College, and I take a lot of that back to my students so they can learn about things that happened,” Conn said. “Being able to share that experience with my students is so important. I like to give back in that way.” Being a paramedic has a deep effect on the individuals who wear that hat. It’s something that can’t just be left on the job when they go home. “It can definitely affect us,” Conn said. “It can take a big emotional toll, like when you’ve lost patients and when you’ve lost people that you know. Most of us are from here, so when you run a call with someone you know, you’ll never get over that. And seeing children get hurt, that’s something we never get used to. It’s rough, like when the deputies got injured. You’ll always have that with you and on your heart. We all tend to share with each other, we try not to take it home with our families. Everyone here is really open. they know how hard it can be.” Conn wants the community to know that KDMC’s paramedics are there to help. “I want them to feel secure if something happens, we’ll be there no matter at,” Conn said. “We’re all trained well and we’re all prepared for whatever occurs.”

2 A.M.

EARLY-MORNING EATERY Smothered, chunked, topped and ... clean Story and photo by Brett Campbell

It’s 2 a.m. on a Saturday morning and a small crowd is about to exit Waffle House in Brookhaven with their to-go drinks and boxed-up leftovers. They are a college-age group, laughing and talking as they make their way to separate vehicles and say goodbye to one another. They are the last customers for at least the next hour — it’s time to perform some deep cleaning. Such is the world in the age of a pandemic. The night manager explains to a couple of potential customers who have just arrived that no new orders can be taken until the cleaning is completed. Customers are still arriving, leaving their vehicles running in the small lot as they rush in to pick up their loaded hash browns with gravy on the side, eggs and toast and the 24-hour eatery’s namesake — waffles. Soft drinks are the beverage of choice this morning — no one has ordered coffee. The waffle guy takes a quick break to eat a waffle himself as the manager bags up an order for the lone man still standing in the dining room.

Another customer steps in and picks up his multi-plate order to take home, or to work or wherever he’s headed. And another takes his, about to go home after a long day, tired and hungry. He pays with eyelids half open and carries his fare to his truck. When the restaurant is empty of customers and the last of the to-go orders is filled, it’s full-on cleaning time. The grill is scraped and washed, tables and countertops sprayed and wiped. Two customers stride in, conversing loudly and energetically, but exit just as quickly when told they’ll have to wait a while to order. The employees know their roles here — they work quietly cleaning, taking out trash, sweeping the floors. For a few minutes the only sounds are those of restaurant sanitation. When the cleaning is complete, it will be back to work as usual taking and filling orders, calling out requests from the red tile or “mark” on the floor in the lingo only heard in diners or Waffle Houses in particular — smothered, chunked and topped. There’ll be Texas Melts, steak and eggs and All-Star Specials all day.

DONUTS

The public appreciates it all. Story and photo by Brett Campbell

3 A.M.

The lights are on and a couple of people are “home” in the kitchen of Donut Palace at 3 a.m. The popular fried pastry shop is just beginning to prep for the morning sales at the Y-intersection of Brookway Boulevard and West Monticello Street. In 2.5 hours, the drive-through window will start to get busy, and before long a line of SUVs, trucks and cars will be stretched out into West Monticello. Commuters on their way to work or school will be stopping for sugary treats. Glazed rings of dough, old fashioned doughnuts with their raised crispy crowns, blueberry cake rings, lemon-filled orbs and elongated éclairs, kolaches and pigs in blankets — none will have to wait long before someone trades cash or card to take them from their trays and consume them. Some may make their way to offices or homes to be shared, but others won’t make it out of the Palace’s parking lot. But this early in the dark night, the donuts are being made in the 60-some-foot-long kitchen and prep area, and the cooler for milk and soft drinks is being refilled. It’s a lot of work every morning, but the quick and repeated sales demonstrate just how much the public appreciates it all. Tomorrow morning, they’ll be back in the kitchen doing it all over again, and many of the same fried dough addicts will return, little flakes of glaze still in their vehicles from where they fell this morning.

4 A.M.

TRUCK STOP

Truck drivers are filtering in, getting fuel for their trucks and themselves. Story and photo by Brett Campbell

The coffee is fresh and hot at one of the few places open for business in Brookhaven at 4 a.m. 84 Chevron isn't overly busy, but a half dozen passenger cars are pulled up to gas pumps and a tractor-trailer rig sits at the edge of the lot, engine rumbling and running lights twinkling in the light mist of rain. A woman dressed as if she's the guest of honor at a state event takes her boxed biscuit breakfast back to her freshly washed SUV. The beats and lyrics of classic pop hits overlap the how-to video narration playing on the mustachioed security guard's tablet at one of the tables spaced near the truck stop's rear entrance. He scrolls through video options, the tablet propped on a flashlight, his coffee and face mask close at hand. The cashier greets each customer as they make fuel purchases or buy bottles of soda. The voices of Tina Turner and George Michael say they knew the other was waiting, even when the valley was deep. No one is waiting long here, though. Truck drivers are filtering in, getting fuel for their trucks and themselves. Many say hello to the guard. A man in a Carhartt jacket stirs his coffee as he says he's happy to be back at work. He's heading south to a job in Louisiana. Most people coming in this morning are dressed in jackets and caps, some with company logos. A man fuels up his pickup and readjusts something inside his fishing boat before stepping inside to see what’s available to stick in his cooler. The mood and sound are the stirring of the morning as muscles are stretched, joints popped and coffee sipped, and oft repeated are the words, "Have a good one," with the refrain coming as the automatic doors open — "You, too."

THE DAILY LEADER

5 A.M. GETTING THE WORKOUT IN A judgment-free zone Story and photos by Gracie Byrne

PROFILE 2020

At 5 a.m., Sweat Transformation Center is generally quiet. Rico Sorrell, the owner of the gym, begins teaching classes at that time. “It’s pretty laid back because people are just getting up,” Sorrell said. “News is on the tv. And treadmills and ellipticals are going. Workout starts at 5:10, and then its chaos after that. The 5 o’clock class are my guinea pigs. It’s whatever I come up with that day.” While things start out quiet, they don’t stay that way. “Once you hear the music crank up, it’s go time,” Sorrell said. A typical day for him starts at 4 a.m. He wakes up and gets to the gym at five o’clock so class can start. He teaches class at 5 and 6 a.m. Then he takes a break from seven to eight before teaching class at 8 and 9 a.m. He does personal training with clients until noon.

After a break, he gets back to work at two o’clock. Personal training starts back up until four o’clock. Class starts back up at four, with a class following at 5:30 p.m. Once 6:30 rolls around, Sorrell’s day begins to wind down. “That’s when I get to go home and decompress,” Sorrell said. One positive throughout his day is the interactions he has with those in his gym. “I get to work with a lot of different people and a lot of different personalities,” Sorrell said. “I get to help people for the most part. Everybody’s got a problem, so I get to listen to that kind of stuff and give solutions.” For Sorrell, it’s more than just brief interactions, he enjoys getting to know his clients. “It’s the personal relationships between me and my clients,” Sorrell said. While Sorrell may have some negatives during his day, he says he tries not to focus on them. “I try to block them out, I try to keep moving for the most part,” Sorrell said. “If it’s not beneficial I put it past me. I try to make a positive out of a negative.” The only negative that really shows itself in Sorrell’s day is any tech-

nical issues he sees within his gym. “It’s not a whole lot of drama,” Sorrell said. “Speakers not working right, or other technical difficulties.” The biggest thing about Sorrell’s day is seeing clients in his gym meet their goals. “It’s rewarding seeing people make progress and meet their goals,” Sorrell said. “When people give you shout outs and seeing new members come in. Maybe they heard a positive story from someone else, that’s always rewarding. In the personal training business, you want people to know you, like you, and refer you. Referrals are big. Those are the three things I live by. I like to get to know people, I want everyone to like me for the most part.” He wants the community to know that his gym is a judgment-free zone. “We can all come here with the same common goal and put our differences aside,” Sorrell said. “When you come here, all judgment stops because we’re all striving for the same things. “I want people to know we’re here for the most part and try to make people mentally, spiritually and intellectually stronger. I feel like if you focus on those things, you can have a productive life.”

THE DAILY LEADER

6 A.M.

SCHOOL

BUS DRIVER

“I choose to do this.”

For Loyd Star school bus driver Jimmy Moak, the six o’clock hour is incredibly quiet. His route starts at 6:30, and in the morning the students getting on his bus aren’t awake enough to engage in heavy conversation with him or other kids on the bus. His route lasts around 45 minutes, and once the bus arrives to the school, the students can’t get off the bus to start their day until 7:20. Once the students all get off the bus, their day starts. For Moak, his day has already started. “After dropping the kids off, I have to walk the bus and make sure all of the kids are off,” Moak said. “I pick up any trash that may be on the bus and then I have to spray all of the seats with disinfectant.” After his route, he goes home and completes any tasks he needs to around his house, such as yard work. He also makes time for helping others in his neighborhood. “It’s whatever the day brings,” Moak said. The afternoon sees more students on the bus than in the morning. Moak gets to the school by 2:30 to start the afternoon route. Once school lets out at three, the kids load the buses and then the afternoon route starts. For Moak, a positive from his day would be his interactions with the kids who ride his bus. 14

PROFILE 2021

Story and photo by Gracie Byrne

“I enjoy seeing the kids during the day,” Moak said. “That’s the best part about my day.” The most important thing for Moak about his job is making sure everyone gets where they need to go safely. “It’s when the kids have gotten off the bus safely and made it to their destination. Whether that’s to school in the morning or to their homes in the afternoon,” Moak said. He said he doesn’t have a part of the day he doesn’t like. “There’s other jobs I could be doing, but I choose to do this,” Moak said. “I had good bus drivers, and I really liked my bus drivers.” Moak has driven a school bus full-time for more than 11 years now. Before that, he worked at Delphi. “Kids can try you, there can be a difference in buses,” Moak said. “I’ve driver just about every bus at Loyd Star. It’s different each route.” Moak said the biggest lesson for anyone to learn about the job is how to deal with the kids. “Each of us are different in our own way,” Moak said. “You have to deal with each child differently, they’re not all the same. I try each day to speak to the children by name. I speak directly to the children every time they get on the bus, and I think they appreciate that.”

A.M.

CITY WORKERS

The crew works quickly and without fanfare

Story and photos by Brett Campbell

It’s just after 7 a.m. on a cool, clear morning, and a crew of seven men from the City of Brookhaven Water and Sewer Department leave the fenced-in yard on Willard Street. They roll in a three-pickup convoy to Northpark Lane NE, just off Industrial Park Road, where they will address the problem of a drainage ditch that isn’t draining properly. The men unload from their trucks, dressed almost to the man in orange sweatshirts, and begin to inspect the ditch between the Lincoln County Health Department and Show Stoppers Studio of Dance, at the front edge of a small plot that has been cleared for new construction. Two men take a standard tape measure and begin to measure the length of the work area as others catch up with each other and wait for instructions. “We’re going to lay some pipe this morning,” one of them says, and after brief discussion they leave to pick up needed tools and supplies. Elsewhere, a small three-man crew drives through downtown in the Home Seekers Paradise, picking up litter and emptying public trash cans. Usually dispatched once a week and after special events downtown, the crew works quickly and without fanfare to ensure the city’s streets and sidewalks stay clean.

THE DAILY LEADER

Before long back at the Northpark location, a John Deere 310L backhoe/front loader tractor rumbles up the lane and the driver positions it at one end of the ditch. The other returning workers unload with gloves and shovels and get ready. Sections of plastic corrugated pipe are laid out on the pavement. The tractor uses its 4-foot-wide backhoe bucket to smooth out the ditch, four feet at a time, repositioning as it moves slowly down the length of the work area. It’s a slow-moving process as the men use shovels and get ready to lay down the pipe. No one calls Public Works Director Keith Lewis’ office to tell him how wonderfully their ditches and sewers work. A city’s citizens normally think about those things only when there are problems. The job may not move fast, but it is done correctly, with precision by men who have many years of experience making sure the city’s drains and sewers work correctly. When this project is done later in the morning, these men will head to another part of town and take care of other issues. They are the reason most people can go through their days without thinking about their drains and sewers — because men like these have done their job well.

THE DAILY LEADER

8 A.M. GROCERY STORE “How can I help you?”

Story and photo by Brett Campbell

More employees than shoppers are in Sullivan’s Grocery on Hwy. 51 at 8 a.m. this morning. While some customers are pushing shopping carts and picking out dairy products and eggs, a store employee is straightening items in the cooler nearby. Two others are loading cardboard flats of canned soups and vegetables into carts from a pallet parked at the end of an aisle. They’ll distribute the products into their shelf homes before returning to the pallet for another load and another destination. A woman breaks down a cardboard box after emptying its contents into the frozen foods section. An aproned man arranges butchered meats on an angled shelf across the store’s back wall. A lot of activity is going on under the large panoramic photograph murals on the walls, and the floors look shiny under the multiple feet of busy people. Soft pop rock from the ’80s floats down from ceiling speakers, asking, “Can’t we try just a little bit harder?” Maybe the employees are listening, or maybe it’s just perception, but they seem to put a little extra pep in their step to get products where they can be easily found and purchased by the shoppers of Lincoln County looking to fill their fridges and pantries. There is a man in an island of sorts, making fresh sushi rolls and asking a customer, “How can I help you?” Another man places produce carefully in their appropriate bins. There is a smell wafting across the front of the store — bacon and biscuits and other edible offerings from the Bakery & Deli. A bakery employee explains breakfast plate options to an elderly man who wants sausage with his grits. As shoppers take their purchases to the registers and check out, nods and words of greeting are exchanged. A woman paying for her groceries is thanked by name and encouraged to come back soon.

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PROFILE 2021

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HARDWARE & HOME

Employees walk quickly, purposefully Story and photo by Brett Campbell

It is 9 o’clock in the morning in Lincoln Plaza on Hwy. 51 N, and the parking lot at Perkins Hardware is populated with vehicles. Many are trucks with public departments or private contractor logos on their doors. An employee in a vest and cap trades out an empty propane cylinder for a full one from the wire cage on the sidewalk as the customer waits inside to pay. Inside, employees in red shirts or aprons walk quickly, purposefully up and down aisles, double-checking info, getting a price for a customer on the phone or on their way to help a shopper in the store. “Beautiful morning! Can I help you with anything sir?” is said often, followed by, “Let us know if you need anything.” During a lull in activity, four employees pause briefly together near the paint counter. They are discussing face shields and masks. “I saw one the other day that came down right on the side of the guy’s face to his nose, like this,” he says, gesturing. “Like what?” “Like this,” he says, gesturing again. “Well, I saw a shield I like that covered the man’s whole face,” another said. “I like that. I wouldn’t have to worry about my glasses fogging up.” A voice comes over the intercom — “I need a salesman to pick up line 2.” “Pick up line 2,” two of the employees echo and the small crowd separates once again to answer phones and help customers with fastener selections and questions about lawn mowers. “Finding what you need? OK, let us know if you need anything.” The morning progresses, with customers buying rakes and cleaning supplies, carrying a single item or multiple paper sacks of supplies to their vehicles. Shoppers are given time to browse and make their selections, but are also approached occasionally with polite offers of assistance. And time and again as people make their purchases and head out to employ whatever they’ve just bought, they hear, “Thank you! Have a nice day.”

A. 10 a.m. M. SERVICE STATION

This is a full-service gas station. Story and photo by Brett Campbell

Two men have the hood folded forward on an RB Wall Oil Company gas delivery truck, trying to get it working as it should on this chilly morning. Two other employees are manning the pumps as passenger vehicles and tractor-trailers pull into the lot to fuel up. This is a full-service gas station. Drivers tell the employees what fuel and what grade they want, as well as how much. Payment is handed out their windows to the workers, who swipe cards or make change and pump the gas. It’s not too busy here mid-morning — the most active times are about 6 a.m. and 5 p.m., on the way to work or back home from it — so the driver of a crew cab pickup takes the opportunity to catch up with the employee who’s pumped his gas. The driver of an empty log truck takes a few minutes to catch up on paperwork in the cab of his truck. An employee motions for a passenger vehicle to pull on ahead to the next pump, then leans down to ask what grade of gas they would like this morning. Employee Greg Marlow jokes with another employee and greets the driver of a tanker truck. The bay door on the side the building is raised, and pallets of fuel transfer pumps, bags of absorbent and boxes filled with 15W-40 motor oil are just to the side where they can be easily accessed for any interested customer. Several 55-gallon drums of hydraulic oil also sit at the ready, a well-worn steel dolly pushed under the edge of one, ready to roll it onto the bed of the next waiting truck. Two men wearing masks agree on whatever they’re discussing in the office area and hands are shaken — a sure sign of trust in a COVID world. THE DAILY LEADER

11 a.m. LUNCH RUSH

“There’s not a lot of down time or slow time.”

At 11 a.m., Broma’s Deli assistant manager Rikky Rutland’s day is incredibly busy. With the restaurant opening at 10:30, the lunch rush is imminent. “By 11 we’re already pretty busy and that’s pretty much when your lunch rush starts,” Rutland said. “We have deliveries going out already at 11 and then the regular lunch rush is going.” Rutland said her job is fast paced, and comes with a lot of moving and running around. “There’s a lot of figuring out to set things up and getting them done,” Rutland said. Rutland said a typical day at Broma’s keeps her busy. “You’re pretty much full speed from the time you walk in to the time you walk out,” Rutland said. “There’s not a lot of down time or slow time.” As assistant manager, Rutland does a little bit of everything. “My main job during lunch is the register, but I do handle some kitchen things, I’m more of the front-end manager,” Rutland said. “If it deals with the front end, it’s me.” Some positives about her day are the interactions she has with their customers. “I love the customers, I love the work,” Rutland said. “Our repeat customers are the best. Then when the newer ones come in and they say they’ll be back. It’s meeting the people, that’s just the best.” Rutland said she doesn’t really have any negatives about her day. But sometimes things get overwhelming when the restaurant is too busy. “Some days the business gets overwhelming, with dealing with deliveries getting out, food getting out and keeping customers happy, a lot falls on me. I do have others that come in behind me. But it’s just a constant go.” Her job keeps Rutland on her toes and teaches her things. “You have to learn to be patient and helpful,” Rutland said. “It’s just constant new things every day. It keeps me more alert and more in tune to people and what they need.”

Story and photos by Gracie Byrne

PROFILE 2021

NOON ANIMAL SHELTER

To promote the human-animal bond The dogs and cats temporarily housed at Brookhaven Animal Rescue League’s facility are typically calm and quiet. Unless, of course, there’s anyone around. When the voices of two dozen dogs get going, things can get pretty noisy. Even then, though, most of the barking only comes when new vehicles crunch in on the gravel drive. By the time noon arrives on the average day at BARL on North Park Lane, kennels have been washed out; litter boxes cleaned; food and water bowls filled; and the level of busy-ness is anywhere on the scale from nothing happening other than volunteers attending to chores all the way to the parking lot packed, and families walking dogs, stroking kittens, pointing at puppies or asking questions about the adoption process. Today, two teen volunteers wearing rubber boots and toting plastic buckets are headed for the isolation building to do some work. Employee Rita Acy is talking about a dog she rescued when she coaxed him out of the woods with hot dogs. He’s just been adopted. Administrator Julie Montalvo is in the office with a woman who is filling out paperwork to adopt an animal.

Story and photos by Brett Campbell

Sonya Littlefield — another volunteer — is leaving the medical room with a couple and a puppy they’re considering taking into their family. All of the people who donate their time and skills to BARL — including area veterinarians who stop by in the afternoons on “house” calls — take their responsibilities seriously, but do their jobs with positive attitudes. Julie said the shelter’s mission “is to humanely care for shelter animals while contributing to community activities that reduce pet overpopulation, encourage responsible pet ownership, protect public health and safety, and promote the human-animal bond.”

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Story and photos by Gracie Byrne

1 P.M.

EDUCATOR “You have to care.”

Story and photo by Gracie Byrne

For Loyd Star teacher Sherry Davis, the one o’clock hour is busy, but not too busy. Fifth period is winding down, and sixth period will be starting soon. Davis’ day starts at 5 a.m. each morning. After getting ready, she has to be in her classroom by 7:20 a.m. because students have to go straight to first period due to pandemic restrictions. “Kids get breakfast and bring it to the classroom,” Davis said. “I kind of like it — it’s very different.” For her and other teachers, the pandemic has changed everything. “We have to spray everything between classes; kids are masked up,” Davis said. “We have traditional learners, hybrid learners, athome learners and those who are in quarantine. I have four different lesson plans for each course due to that. It’s like stepping in the middle of an ant bed. But the day goes back super fast.” Davis said some days she doesn’t feel like going through the motions, but she knows if she can make it to school then everything will be OK. “I know if I can get up and get myself to school, I’ll be fine,” Davis said.

PROFILE 2021

The positive in her day is being with her students. “My bright spot of my day is interacting with my students,” Davis said. One negative is her spraying her classroom. With all of the computer equipment she has, things can’t just dry, they have to be wiped down. Another negative for Davis is that there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. “I never feel like I can catch up,” Davis said. She hopes she is able to impact her students in a positive way. “I hope the things that I teach will relate to the real world,”Davis said. “When we do an assignment, I want to tell them why we’re doing it. It makes them feel better. I think that it’s making them better citizens. I hope that the way I affect it better prepares them for the real world. I just want my students to be who they are.” Davis wants the community to know that even on bad days, you still have to be able to go about your day. “I want others to know that you have to care,” Davis said. “Even on your days when you’re disillusioned and you don’t want to do it, you have to. It’s not about me, more people depend on me than just me.”

Story and p

THE BANK

“I want them to feel the friendliness here.”

2 PM

Story and photo by Gracie Byrne

At Bank of Brookhaven, the two o’clock hour is fairly busy. For head teller Karen Sterling, the day moves smoothly. “We come in and do night depository bags and work deposits,” Sterling said. “Once the bank opens, we service the customers.” Sterling spends the majority of her time on the job taking deposits and cashing checks, along with other duties she has as head teller. The customers are especially steady in the drive through during that time. A positive of Sterling’s day would be meeting people and interacting with them. “Our elderly customers like to chit chat, but we don’t see them as much with the pandemic.” Sterling said. “I enjoy conversating with the customers. There’s a saying that bankers know things first.” A negative of her day would be not being able to help a customer who isn’t happy. “You see the bad side of people, but that’s with anything,” Sterling said. “Negatives are those who come in and have money issues. Sometimes they take it out on us but we’re just doing our jobs. Sometimes we can’t help them. Sometimes customers come and have very large checks and we don’t know if the funds are good or not.” Her and the other tellers’ jobs have a large part in the daily operations of the bank. “It affects the bank in a large way,” Sterling said. “The tellers seem to be the first people customers come in contact with. Our mood flows over onto the customers.” She tells her tellers to try and treat people how they would want to be treated. “It goes a long way,” Sterling said. “The tellers are the main line.” Sterling said her job affects her in a positive way because she is excited to come to work each day. “It’s very fulfilling, this environment is like no other to me,” Sterling said. “It’s a very different establishment. It’s a Christian environment, it’s not a stressful place to work. I enjoy coming to work each day. If I’m happy coming to work, then I’ll be happy during the day.” Sterling wants people in the community to know that Bank of Brookhaven cares about the community. “I want them to feel the friendliness here,” Sterling said.

THE DAILY LEADER

P.M.

DOCTOR’S OFFICE “I feel like my work makes me a better person.”

Story and photo by Gracie Byrne

Depending on the day, 3 o’clock can be busy for King’s Daughters Medical Clinic nurse practitioner Cathe Knott. Patients are in and out of the clinic where she works, whether they’ve made an appointment or if they’ve just walked in. It’s not loud, but it’s not quiet either. Patients sit in the front lobby and wait for their name to be called. They occupy themselves with conversation or checking their phones. Other employees are moving and running around getting their tasks done. Knott has a pretty normal routine, despite seeing different patients every day. “Usually when I get here, I log into my computer and check my schedule,” Knott said.

PROFILE 2021

“I see how many patients I have for the day and I have tasks I have to complete in the morning.” Once she finishes up with general housekeeping, she gets started seeing patients. “I check them, diagnose them, treat them and then it’s patient after patient,” Knott said. For Knott, a positive about her day is seeing her patients. “I enjoy getting to interact with the patients and getting them to feeling better,” Knott said. “Even when they come in sick, I try to give them some positive information to help them feel better.” A negative of Knott’s job would be that she has a hard time catching up.

THE DAILY LEADER

S E

“Negatives would be that sometimes it can be overwhelming,” Knott said. “And there’s a lot of work that can be done, you just have to stop and take a deep breath and keep on going.” The biggest part of her day is seeing her patients. She says that the pandemic has affected how she interacts with them. “I try to spend as much time as I can in the room,” Knott said. “I try to interact more with the patient compared to computer work.” Knott hopes that she is able to positively affect the bigger picture that is the hospital. “I like to think I am impacting people’s lives in a positive way,” Knott said. “I try to treat them not only as a patient, but as a person. I try to give them good news when I can.” Knott feels that her work teaches her and makes her better as an individual. “I feel like my work makes me a better person,” Knott said. “I do feel that nurse practitioners do a good job, especially as primary care providers. I feel like we filled the gap. It helps me to see people of all different backgrounds and what they’re going through. Overall, it makes me appreciative of what I have and it makes me open my eyes. It makes me thankful for my health.”

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PROFILE 2020

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P. M.

MUSIC ACADEMY ALL MELODIES AND SMILES Story and photos by Brett Campbell

Violin, drumsticks and piano books going out the door and more about to come in — that’s what it looks like at Downtown Music Academy this afternoon. Most students are elementary or secondary school age and still in their school clothes. Not a single one looks like he or she does not want to be here. Down the hallway of DMA, past the creative music-themed paintings by Brookhaven artist Derek Covington Smith and the Elton John-themed upright piano painted by Ole Brook native artist/musician Don Jacobs, muffled music can be heard as students take lessons behind closed doors. Loyd Star eighth grader Ronnie Smith has been thumping the skins of the DMA drum kit with tapered hickory sticks, keeping an eye on his sheet music and the other on his instructor, Steven Carithers. Carithers is playing drums in the air with his sticks, both demonstrating technique and acting as a human metronome as Smith jams along to a guitar-crunching audio track.

“Remember, do it like this,” Carithers says and makes quick motions with his drumsticks. Smith smiles and nods in understanding as he mimics the movements. Carithers stops the track, smiles and says, “Good. Let’s do that again.” And they do. Further down the hall, voice and piano instructor Vidalia Sanders is encouraging 9-year-old Ava Watts. The fourthgrade Brookhaven Academy student is concentrating on the wide pages of her instruction book as she moves her fingers over a few of the 88 ebony and ivory keys of the piano. She plays through the song twice as Sanders nods and smiles. “Very good,” Sanders says. “Let’s move on …” Watts smiles and turns the page. In the back room of the building, 10-year-old Zoe Emory, also a BA fourth-grader, removes her violin and bow from their case as teacher Rona Barrett-Herring — who is also a voice and basic guitar instructor — opens Emory’s book to the song they are about to go over. Emory says she likes this one, and smiles wide as she strokes the strings with her bow and glides the fingers of her left hand up and down the fretless neck of the classic instrument. After a few minutes, Barrett-Herring produces her own instrument and asks if she can play along with Emory on the next song. The slow, steady rhythmic notes layer each other with a musical warmth that can only be produced by a bow on strings. Both student and teacher are still smiling.

PROFILE 2020

THE DAILY LEADER

5 p.m. Story and photos by Gracie Byrne

DANCE STUDIO Discipline and fun, too At five p.m. at Showstoppers Studio of Dance, classes are changing out. Girls of various ages and skill levels are running around, whether they’re about to have class or about to go home. Girls are changing into dance clothes and getting waters from the vending machine in the waiting room. They’re putting on their shoes and zipping up their bags so they can get in the studio and stretch.

Five o’clock is often when many people are leaving work and going home to be with their families. For Showstoppers dance instructor Holly Moore, her day is just getting started. “I’m not a morning person at all, which is great because I normally get done teaching until after nine o’clock,” Moore said. “So by the time we get home and I have something to eat it’s close to midnight.”

Her mornings consist of going to the studio and taking care of the business side of things. She also has physical therapy three times a week, so that takes up her time as well. Class starts in the afternoon when her students get out of school. “We normally start between 3:30 and 4:00 depending on the age,” Moore said. “Most of our classes are four and after. We run until about 9 to 9:15.” Moore said the older the student, the more dance time they need. “Little ones usually just come once a week,” Moore said. Moore teaches all of her classes except hip-hop, which her daughter Kennedy teaches. “I still teach even with my knee, unless it hurts too bad,” Moore said. A positive about her day is seeing her students. “I love the kids, I love listening to what they have to say,” Moore said. “Some have had a bad day and when they come in here, I want it to be a positive environment. I want them to feel comfortable. If they want to come and tell me about their day, I hope I can make them feel better.” Moore said she enjoys spending time with her students and watching them grow and learn. “I love the kids,” Moore said. “I love the high school girls because they’ve always got something they’ve been doing. All of my staff is high school juniors and seniors. I love working with my daughter. I love watching them learn. I’ve had some students I’ve had since they were three, and now they’re eighteen and getting ready to graduate. I see the progression and I love that.”

PROFILE 2021

One negative that Moore has dealt with since the start of the pandemic is not having parents in the waiting room watching their children. “Sometimes I have to deal with people that are unhappy with something at the studio such as not being able to sit and watch during class,” Moore said. “Or I have to deal with parents not wanting to have to buy recital tickets. I’m just doing the best I can for my students.” Moore hopes the art of dance and her teaching affects her students in a positive way. “I hope that it gives them confidence and makes them feel good about themselves,” Moore said. “I hope it gives them an outlet. Some of them have lots of energy. I took dance from the time I was little until I graduated, and today I still adore my dance teacher.” Moore takes pride in having returning students come back as parents. “I have second-generation children (that dance) in my studio and compete for me,” Moore said. “It’s just really cool to see the generations.” Moore wants the community to know that her and Kennedy want nothing more than to teach children to dance and have fun while they’re doing it. “We’re going to try to teach the art of dance to your child so if you move to another community, your child will still understand what’s going on,” Moore said. “Dance is a discipline. If you want to learn it, you have to come to class and pay attention. We’re both trained and we’re going to do the best we can to teach your child, but we want them to have fun too. I want them to have fun, but I want them to know that they’re here to learn too.”

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6 PM

COACH Putting the team first

Story and photos by Brett Campbell

At 6 p.m. sharp, the sizeable crowd rises to its feet in the basketball gym at Enterprise Attendance Center. Parents, grandparents, siblings, students, friends and general Yellow Jackets fans turn toward the west end of the gym with hands over hearts as the national anthem plays over the loudspeakers. As the final C note fades, there is a smattering of applause and most fans take their seats in the bleachers, though some make mad dashes to the concession stand, hoping not to miss much of the beginning of this matchup. Tonight the Jackets fans are in their typical seats on the north side of the polished court, visitors on the south. Tonight the visitors are from just across the county at Loyd Star. It’s a battle of female winged, stinging insects — Lady Yellow Jackets vs. Lady Hornets. Enterprise head coach Shane Adams — clad in khakis, striped shirt and facemask — stands by his players’ padded folding chairs as the team’s starters are introduced on the court. 36

PROFILE 2020

Cheerleaders are positioned at either end of the play area near the walls, and the three referees have their facemasks pulled down enough to allow them to blow their whistles as they move their starting spots. The whistle is blown and there’s the tip-off. Teenagers in white and maroon or white and red move quickly and aggressively back-and-forth on the wood floor, the sound of thumping ball and squeaking soles unmistakable. Coach Adams, who sat for a mere 30 seconds as the first period began, is walking courtside with arms crossed, occasionally holding up a finger, signaling. This is the third school where he’s coached basketball. He’s been at EAC since 2013 and has been head basketball coach since 2016, after assisting in baseball and football. At the end of the first eight-minute period, his student athletes are behind 14-6.

They huddle up with him briefly at the court’s edge before the whistle blows and the second period begins. After a few minutes, Adams gestures to a ref who shakes his head. When the ball is dead after a failed basket attempt, the ref nods to Adams who makes his intended substitution, sending one player in for another. The period is characterized by Adams pulling the loop of his mask from his left ear to be heard as he yells instruction to his players, then putting the mask back in place. His arms are crossed, hanging, gesturing and then crossed again. At 6:32 it’s halftime and Adams follows his girls to the locker room, urging on two stragglers as they enter doors that have the following on each in large black print: “If you are not prepared to put the team first TURN AROUND.” Barely eight minutes later and the teams are back on the court. Adams jogs out to towel up a spot on the court where a player has fallen and left a pool of sweat. This period is a flurry of arm movement for the coach once again, with more hand signals than before, until the period ends with his team falling further behind. But Adams is encouraging his players, clapping and calling out to them. They may not be the victors on the board tonight, but he wants them to play well and all the way until it’s over. Three minutes into the last period and the ball is traded out for a fresh one, this time by Adams, as well. More mask pulling, more hand gestures. Just after 7 p.m., the game is over. The final buzzer sounds with a 49-21 final score and one third of the bleacher sitters head for bathrooms and nachos. Adams’ Lady Jackets have not gotten the higher number on the scoreboard, but they move off the court with heads high. He follows them to give them one last word of encouragement before it’s time to head back to the court with the boys’ team. He steps into the locker room and the door swings behind him, reminding those who would enter to put the good of the team ahead of themselves.

THE DAILY LEADER

7 P.M.

FIRE DEPARTMENT

“We’re here to help.” At 7 p.m., things are winding down at the Central Fire Station. Firefighter Christopher Hester and the other men on shift are cleaning up the station and getting ready to turn in for the night. The crew works a 24-hour shift, from 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. “We’re always ready for anything that may happen,” Hester said. “As part of our daily duties, we try to be wrapped up by that time.” For Hester, a positive would be hanging out with the guys he works with. But a bigger positive is not getting called out. For them, it means no one is having a bad day. “Helping people is a positive,” Hester said. “But no news is good news.” A negative would be showing up and seeing someone in their worst moment. Another negative is showing up to the scene of a crash, which their crew does more often than one would think. Either way, the biggest part about Hester’s day is being able to get

through his shift and go home safe to his family. His work is part of the collective effort. For Hester and his fellow crew members, they see themselves as a team. “Everyone has a job,” Hester said. “If one person isn’t doing their job, it affects everyone.” Hester said one thing the job teaches them is how to work together as a team and as one unit. “Just because I think one way would work, doesn’t mean someone else’s way wouldn’t work,” Hester said. “You have to learn how to listen to your team.” Hester wants the community to know that Brookhaven Fire Department is here. “(I want them to know) is that we’re here to help,” Hester said. “A lot of people look at us like we don’t do anything, but we’re the ones there on their worst days. We’re here.”

Story and photo by Gracie Byrne

PROFILE 2021

at HOME “My kids bring a ton of joy to me.”

P.M.

At the Brown residence, 8 p.m. is intended to be a quiet hour. Mom Courtney is attempting to put daughter Ainsley and son Landry to bed. The problem is that they sleep in the bed with her and husband Layne. Fussing is inevitable and so is bribery. The difference in sound when the kids are finally asleep is akin to a sigh in relief. Brown, a stay-at-home mom, spends all of her time with her children. Each day is different, so she doesn’t exactly have a typical day. But Brown said they have fun each day no matter what they do. Every morning, Brown wakes up and fixes breakfast for her kids. After breakfast, the kids are able to watch cartoons while Brown cleans up the kitchen. Once everything with breakfast is wrapped up, the day can begin. “It really just depends on the day as to what we’re doing,” Brown said. On Mondays, Ainsley has tumble class. Other than that, Brown’s work as a photographer keeps her busy. Her kids go with her to sessions, along with anywhere else she needs to go. “I either have sessions or we spend time with my mom,” Brown said. “I probably annoy my mom.” A big positive about Brown’s day is that she’s able to spend all of her time with her children.

“Since Layne works off, I get to spend that quality time with them and raise them,” Brown said. A negative about her day would be the toll taking care of two small kids brings. “(For me) it’s the stress it takes to take care of two toddlers day in and day out,” Brown said. “But they’re amazing, so I can’t complain too much.” The biggest thing about Brown’s day would be spending time outdoors with her kids. “Playing outside with them (is big), because they love playing outside,” Brown said. Her role in their family unit is vital to their success. “Our life would probably be total chaos (if I didn’t do what I do),” Brown said. “Our days would kind of run together.” Being a stay at home mom deeply affects Brown, both good and bad. “It takes a really big toll on my mental health. But it has good days and its bad days,” Brown said. “My kids bring a ton of joy to me.” Brown wants the community to know that taking care of children and a household is important work. “Do not take stay-at-home moms for granted,” Brown said. “We care a load daily, between chores, taking care of kids and making sure the bills are paid.” Story and photo by Gracie Byrne

THE DAILY LEADER

9 p.m. PIZZA

Expand your palette in your mind Story and photo by Gracie Byrne

While many would expect 9 p.m. to be a calm hour at Serio’s Pizzeria, that isn’t quite the case. Night manager Gavin Games said the restaurant is still pretty busy at that time. “Usually we’re selling the last of our slices, making quick orders and making the last of the deliveries. We like to have everything tidy and prepared so that it’s capped before closing.” For Games and his night crew, their shifts tend to be enjoyable. He enjoys meeting new customers and welcoming in returners. “Typical shifts are very fun,” Games said. “A lot of people haven’t been here yet, but then we have people who have come back each week or even every day. It’s fun to see new faces.” Games said a positive for him would be getting to cook every day. “(A positive would be) teaching other people the ins and outs of composition and how it affects artfully, but how someone tastes something can depend on what ingredients you add,” Games said. A negative for Games would be not being able to make all of their customers happy. “Not being able to withstand the absolute responsibility that is giving pizza to everyone in a timely manner,” Games said. “For the most part, it’s all great. I’ve never worked in a smoother kitchen in my life. And that includes my kitchen at home.” Games believes the work him and his crew do is a collective effort. “Hopefully it can create a bigger picture,” Games said. “I don’t think that anyone’s labor is more or less important. There are people that can find a way to gauge themselves in that manner, but I haven’t felt any true striking difference. If I have to learn something and teach it to my employees, it feels more like a conversation.” For Games, his work helps him stay grounded and keeps him in tune with how restaurants operate. “I think it’s good to have a sense of stability as well as a schedule,” Games said. “I’m able to notice things when I eat in other restaurants I wouldn’t notice before. At restaurant’s like Magnolia Blues, Betty’s or Chism’s, you know you’re getting good food and that it was made with someone’s hands. Sometimes you can’t always appreciate every little detail.”

PROFILE 2021

Working in a restaurant helps Games learn more not only about food, but about himself. “Being surrounded by so many ingredients helps to not only expand your food palette, but your palette in your mind,” Games said. Games hopes that Serio’s Pizzeria can help expand the community’s palette as well. “I truly just want to add to the options ,” Games said. “Not only expanding the general palette of the community, but also add a farm to table establishment. We really pride ourselves on having fresh ingredients. The meat on your pizzas is cooked here. The peppers were either farmed here or somewhere semi locally.”

10 PM

LAW ENFORCEMENT “I’m all for helping people out.” Story and photo by Gracie Byrne

For Lincoln County deputy sheriff Travis Bonham, 10 o’clock at night is eventful. While many people are sleeping, he is out patrolling the streets. At night, things are quiet, but not too quiet. Depending on the neighborhood, a nightly patrol could be silent. Other times, calls come in and require fast response times. Responding to a call can mean sirens and flashing lights and possibly an ugly situation. While things aren’t always busy, Bonham has to be prepared for anything. A typical night for him includes patrolling and responding to any calls that come through — like DUIs, drug calls and domestic calls. The biggest thing is patrolling in areas where calls come in concerning suspicious people or vehicles. “It’s a lot of hitting the areas and making sure we’re seen, so people know we’re out and about patrolling,” Bonham said. His shift is 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., so he spends his days sleeping to prepare for the night. He generally wakes up around 4:45 p.m. and is in his patrol car by 5:30. Once he’s on the clock, he begins setting up his camera and laptop in the car. “We help a lot of people who are lost or broke down,” Bonham said. “We also do courtesy rides. I’m all for helping people out when they need it.” A negative for those who work nights would be living backwards, but Bonham says he enjoys working at night. One negative he faces as a sheriff ’s deputy are some reactions he receives from individuals he’s trying to help. “These days and times everybody has their opinion about the police,” Bonham said. “You may get on a call and the person is immediately hostile. But

someone called and needed help.” For him, the positives tend to weigh out the negatives. Bonham enjoys the shift he works and considers the work to be a team effort. “We’ve got a really good shift here — three of us that work 6-6,” Bonham said. “Our shift is really tight. We work together. I feel like we do a solid job here. I say it’s more of a team effort between the LCSO and the PD. Everybody’s individual efforts kind of build up.” He says the job doesn’t affect him as much as someone who has been a deputy for longer. “I’m still kind of new in this, only three years in,” Bonham said. “The stuff that I see does affect me, but when I go to wrecks or suicides, I guess it hasn’t affected me in a negative way yet. Even 20 years from now, I hope it still doesn’t really affect me like it does other people.” Bonham said his job has taught him the importance of safety and those around him. “It makes me more mindful about safety,” Bonham said. “Before I got into law enforcement, I wouldn’t tell my friends to wear their seatbelts or to let me know when they get there. Something serious could happen to someone you love. You look at safety as a bigger deal.” He wants the community to know law enforcement cares. “We’re not bad people, and I don’t think the community here sees us as that,” Bonham said. “We’re not trying to take people to jail for nothing. We would rather solve a problem any other way. I just want people to know we’re human, too. We have families just like everyone else.”

PASTOR

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip — he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” — Psalm 121:1-4 On the average night at 11 o’clock, the Rev. Zach Kilpatrick hopes to be at his home, in his bed and fast asleep. But as a pastor, Kilpatrick knows that’s not always the place he can be. Kilpatrick has been at the spiritual helm of Mt. Zion Baptist Church for just over three years, but has been a minister full-time for about a dozen years. He planned to use his bachelor’s degree in biology from Mississippi State University and his master’s degree in teaching from the University of West Alabama to impart scientific knowledge to high schoolers. He got to do that for a while at a private school in Macon before Bethel Baptist Church in Monticello reached out to him, asking him to consider coming on board as their youth pastor. “I laughed,” he said. “But I told them I’d pray about it.” So he did. He was teaching Sunday school at his home church and had recently taught on the biblical book of Ecclesiastes. “It had really hit home for me that the things we do for ourselves are vain, but the things we do for the Lord are meaningful and lasting,” he said. So he accepted the ministry position with the understanding that his focus would be on teaching rather than just fun and games. After about four years in youth ministry, Kilpatrick took a senior pastor position in Polkville, where he pastored four years. Over all those years, ministry happened when it happened — people’s problems and unexpected events did not keep themselves relegated to the daylight hours. And there are the needs of his own family to consider, as well. “Often, a member of the congregation who gets neglected is the wife of the pastor — the one person we’re called to love the deepest, the fullest,” he said. His wife of 13 years, Amanda, homeschools their four children — three boys and a girl who range in age from 2 to 8 years old — and Kilpatrick keeps normal office hours on weekdays. During that time late at night, the pastor and his wife can sometimes be found sitting in their living room recliners just talking. “Some days I’ve been very busy, but she hasn’t spoken to anyone over the age of our children. We need each other and those conversations are very valuable.” Other nights a child is having trouble going to sleep, or is awake again, possibly from a nightmare, and needs their daddy. That one-on-one time is special, Kilpatrick said, and he can spend some extra time with just that child as he comforts them. But other nights are harder.

“When you’re shepherding, you don’t have set hours.”

Story and photo by Brett Campbell

He was in the emergency room in a Jackson hospital one night in the hour before midnight because one his youth group members had bad seizures and had to be rushed for medical help. He’s spent multiple nights in hospital waiting rooms and at bedsides with those who needed the presence of their pastor and friend. He has gotten out of bed to pray with families whose loved one has died. And though the times he’s not at home with family at 11 p.m. are the most common, the majority of those atypical nights

involve prayers for and with someone who has called, anxious and worried, distressed and unsure — sheep needing their shepherd’s calm assurance and intercession. “When you’re shepherding, you don’t have set hours,” he said. “You do it when the people need you.” But he’ll rest when he can, because one of his favorite Scripture passages tells him God never slumbers. “I can rest because I know the God that I serve never will.”

THE DAILY LEADER

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PROFILE 2020

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MIDNIGHT

Story and photos by Brett Campbell

STUDYING SLEEP

“We’re very passionate about what we do.”

The hallway of the King’s Daughters Medical Center Sleep Center is quiet at midnight. So quiet, in fact, that if you didn’t know better you’d never suspect important medical work is going on behind closed doors just off this hallway. Every night the clinic operates, both patient rooms are occupied for at least half the night. The rooms look like comfortable guest rooms or hotel rooms, minus televisions or other distracting devices. What’s done here is called polysomnography — or sleep studies. A sleep study is a comprehensive test used to diagnose sleep disorders. The test records a patient’s brain waves, blood oxygen level, heart rate, breathing, eye movement and leg movement. The goal is to identify any sleep disorder the person has and the best way to treat it specifically for that person. Across the hallway in another closed-door room, a sleep technician pays close attention to computers that are constantly receiving data from small wires attached to the patients skin, pulled neatly off to the side in a pigtail array so as not to bother the patient as he or she sleeps. These in-patient studies are the most accurate way to diagnose someone’s difficulty. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, approximately 50% of all sleep studies are conducted at home now. These at-home tests are simple and safe for the patient to operate and can very accurately diagnose obstructive sleep apnea.

The only problem is it cannot diagnose other types of sleep apnea, of which there are 88 different disorders, according to clinical lead technologist Geoff Eade. Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. It is often characterized by loud snoring and not feeling rested even after a full night’s sleep. The main types of sleep apnea are obstructive — the most common, in which throat muscles relax — central and complex. Central sleep apnea occurs when a person’s brain does not send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. Complex sleep apnea syndrome occurs when someone has both obstructive and central apnea. Ellanie Bessonette is an acute care nurse practitioner. Between her, Eade, Zelline Lafleur (who handles registration and payment arrangements), the other techs and the front office personnel of the Sleep Center, they work hard to help anyone who comes in with problems they suspect may be linked to their rest, or lack of it. Out-of-control blood pressure, diabetes and other physical problems are often related to a lack of sleep, Bessonette says. During the sleep tests, techs look for “events” — periods of paused breathing, etc. — lasting anywhere from 10 to 90 seconds. At least five events in an hour indicates a problem. As events and patterns are observed, equipment can be adjusted so that the patient begins to sleep well, with the

introduction of a continuous positive airway pressure machine, better known as a CPAP. When the person is resting well, their symptoms are considered “captured” and a system of CPAP therapy can be ordered for them at home. “We can all tell you stories of people coming back in here and telling us how getting their sleep figured out saved their lives, saved their marriages,” said Eade. “It’s very rewarding.” During the midnight hour, if all has gone well, the sleep study patient has had two or more hours of observed sleep and the tech has been able to capture their diagnosis. Then a CPAP can be introduced and adjusted to fit the patient comfortably, so that the next few hours will be spent in restful sleep. When the person awakes refreshed, he or she is fully aware of their need for the CPAP and leaves equipped with everything they need to know, and expecting follow-up to get them their needed home supplies. Then every non-disposable part of the room and equipment is cleaned with ozone technology — the same cleaning utilized in KDMC’s emergency room. “KMDC is a great place to be seen,” said Eade. “Our goal is to improve a person’s overall health by starting with sleep.” “We’re very passionate about what we do,” Bessonette said.

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