Pick up your Sunday Oxford Citizen at locations throughout Lafayette County Volume 3 | Issue 100
POSTAL CUSTOMER PRSRT STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID OXFORD MS PERMIT # 30
Oxfordcitizen.com
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Inside 2 News
OHA has rehoused most Riverside residents
13 Business
PHOTO BY CHANING GREEN
The Ole Miss Chapter of Active Minds, an organization dedicated to promoting mental health awareness, worked with the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society Monday morning to provide a puppy and kitten petting station for students.
Mental Health Awareness UM students work to promote culture of healthy conersation BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER
This week, the University of Mississippi is holding several events to promote mental health awareness and spark conversations about a major issues that so many keep quite about. The week is being coordinated with the Ole Miss Chapter of Active Minds.
Founder and co-chair Kathryn Forbes has been working with her team to make sure everything goes smoothly this week. Forbes is a junior studying psychology, neuroscience and public policy. Active Minds is a national organization with chapters on college campuses all across the country that works to promote mental health
awareness and conversations within college communities. According to Active Minds, one in four college students has a diagnosable mental health disorder. More than half of college students have had suicidal thoughts, and half of those students never seek treatment. When TURN TO HEALTH, 11
Local lawn service built on trust
18 Sports
All-Citizen Girls: Hard work defined players of 2016-2017 team
PAGE 2
OXFORD CITIZEN
ThURsdAy, APRil 6, 2017
OHA has rehoused most Riverside residents BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER
The Oxford Housing Authority’s Section 8 contraction with the Riverside housing development was officially terminated on February 28. Last February, a notice was issued to the residents notifying them that the development would be closing in a year. There were 86 families or residents living in Riverside. Of those 86, 55 have secured housing elsewhere. Five more have housing selected, but, as of Tuesday afternoon, are still awaiting paperwork. Currently, there are 26 residents looking to secure housing. Of those 26, several have locations picked out, but move-in dates have not official been set, so the housing authority has not classified them as officially rehoused. In order to pay for other living arrangements, residents of Riverside were given what are known as protection vouchers. These vouchers ensure that the residents will be able to pay rent at any location willing to accept the vouchers. The vouchers can be used anywhere in the United States for as long as the person or family using the voucher qualifies for Section 8 housing. Vouchers pay for up to $701 for a one-bedroom unit, $832 for a two-bedroom, and $1109 for a
PHOTO BY CHANING GREEN
The Oxford Housing Authority’s Section 8 housing contract with the Riverside housing development was officially terminated on February 28. The OHA has been working to find new living arrangements for Riverside residents. three-bedroom. The housing authority has worked with community organizations over the past year to recruit landlords who would be willing to accept the vouchers on their property. Interfiath Compassion Ministries and the City have raised money to pay for the full cost of the security deposits residents will be required to pay at their new residences. Teasha Sanders oversees occupancy for the Oxford Housing Authority and has been helping
see to it that everything is being properly handled in the closing. The housing authority was not legally required to help Riverside residents find other living arrangements. Their only obligation was to provide the vouchers and adequate notice, but that wasn’t enough for Sanders or her colleagues. “It’s our duty,” Sanders said when asked why this rehousing effort was important to her. “These families need our help. We are in a position to help
them, and that is what we need to do. We were not obligated to raise money or got to different organizations to raise money for the deposits, and we didn’t have to go out and recruit so many landlords, but we did all that because it was the right thing to do. A lot of housing authorities will issue the vouchers and just tell people that they have 120 days to find new living arrangements. We didn’t want to do that. I wanted to make sure these people had options. If they want to stay
in Lafayette County, we’re committed to making that happen.” The housing authority has no intentions of evicting anyone from Riverside who is still seeking secured housing. They emphasized they have no date as to when all residents must be out of the building. Any property owners interested in accepting the vouchers are encouraged to contact the Oxford Housing Authority. A men’s Sunday school group from St. Peter’s
Episcopal Church constructed the original housing units at Riverside in the late 1960s. These remained operational until the late 80s before being shut down and boarded up. In the early 90s, the city of Oxford took over the property, constructed what is currently Riverside and handed it over to be managed by the Oxford Housing Authority and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen
AN ACCOUNT OF THE MANY JOYS Y ANN ANDCONNELL TRIALS ’S LIFEOF ASMAR A WIFE, MOTHER, AND PIONEERING WYER INWOMAN OXFORD, LAMS. •Hair • Nails • Waxing • Spray Tans
D OW N
LOAD
OUR APP!
15% OFF
of one visit per person Must Present Coupon
1112 North Lamar | Oxford, MS 38655 Call and book with us today 662-380-5097
MARY ANN CONNELL signs
FRE
gift foEr 1st time clients!
AN UNFORESEEN LIFE (NAUTILUS, HD. 24.95)
TUESDAY, APRIL 11 5 PM AT OFF SQUARE BOOKS On the Square in Oxford • 662-236-2262 • www.squarebooks.com
OXFORD CITIZEN
ThURsdAy, APRil 6, 2017
PAGE 3
Addy wants to continue serving the public BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER
Rick Addy has held the seat of Ward 1 alderman for the past year and two months. He was elected to the job in a special election where he beat out Jordan Bankhead after Jay Hughes left the seat for a position in the Mississippi House of Representatives. This summer, Addy will be facing off against newcomer Patrick Herbert in an election to hold the seat for the next four years. This time of year, Addy can usually be found taking school photos all over North Mississippi with his business Addy Photography. Last week, he took time out of his schedule to sit down with Oxford Citizen reporter Chaning Green to discuss his last year as alderman and the upcoming election. CHANING GREEN: How has the past year been for you? RICK ADDY: It’s been very educational. Thankfully, I’ve got six great aldermen who I can feed questions to and a great staff who, when I don’t know the answer, know that I will ask and ask and ask until I get the answers I feel that I need. I really didn’t realize how much there is to government and how these things really work once you get down to it. I was extremely surprised
at just how many layers there are that go into it all. Being the sole proprietor of a business, you make a decision and you move forward. In government, you can make a decision and then years later something might happen. Might. GREEN: Have you enjoyed it? ADDY: I have. I’ve enjoyed being in touch with constituents and neighbors as well as seeing and speaking with everyone on a daily basis. When I work in my business, I get to speak with people, but I’m not in Oxford very much on business. I’m usually in another place in North Mississippi. So I’ve gotten more in touch with COURTESY OF RICK ADDY Oxford and my neighbors. Ward 1 Alderman Rick Addy is seeing reelection this summer as he faces off against newcomer Patrick Hebert. Addy has held the seat of Ward 1 alderman for more than a year GREEN: What’s one thing now. you really like about Oxford? ADDY: Everywhere I go, people are speaking about how great our services are in this town. Just last night, someone was telling me how great they care of things. Our sanitation department is always on top of things all the time; there’s never trash lying around. I could go on and on with the police department, fire department and so on. It’s amazing. Someone told me today how great Northeast Power was after a limb fell on one of their power lines. Less than two hours
later, it was fixed and taken care of. County wide, we’ve got great services. I really believe we lived in a blessed town. GREEN: What are some things that have become more important to you over the course of being in this position? ADDY: Information. I really thought we had a good system of getting information to people through newspapers, emails and social media. But the more I speak with people, the more I realize that we’re not getting everything out. We’re trying
to work on ways to figure out ways to get that out. Social media helps. Newspapers help. But, I don’t think it’s enough. I think we’ve got to somehow come up with a way to get more information on our website, more information from the planning department and on the development side of town. We just really have to get more information out there. Yes, it’s not the biggest issue, and it’s not necessarily a negative, but it’s something I have realized. I do everything I can. I send newsletters out in emails and hopefully that helps. I’m out, and I speak to people pretty much every day. GREEN: So you do hear from people a lot? ADDY: A lot. First two or three months on the job, I thought, “This is kinda weird, I never get phone calls.” The last eight months on the job, it’s constant. That’s what I signed up for. This is a service job. I am here, and I return calls and emails as fast as possible. When people reach out to me, I
usually respond when I’m riding back from a school photo shoot with my staff. GREEN: What are some things that are really important to you as Oxford grows and moves forward? ADDY: We have to work on our infrastructure. We’re working on roads, and we have new roads opening as we speak. We have new roads being planned. We’re working on new infrastructure all the way around as we’re talking, but we’ve got to continue that. We’ve got to look into the future, and make sure we’re not being a reactionary force. It’s about planning for good, smart growth. We’re gonna grow. There’s not doubt it’s happening. Everyone I speak to, people at the university to people from out of town, all over the country, people who want to move back to Oxford – they can all see it.
zations, and you’ve done that. How many have you contributed to so far? ADDY: We’ve done nine through December, and we’ve already donated to two so far this year. I’m not doing this just because I became alderman. My family has always supported all of our town’s community organizations and nonprofits. That’s something my wife and I have always done, since we were first married. GREEN: Why is that something that’s important to you? ADDY: It’s giving back to your neighborhood. If you read the Bible, it teaches us to give back. I think this is something important for our family to know too. Our children know that we give a good bit back to our community. We donate time and resources, and it’s something they have learned and do as well. They make us help that choice of where we send that check every month.
GREEN: What’s it like being an alderman? ADDY: You’re always on the job. Anytime I go anywhere, someone is going to have a question for me. Anytime I go for a walk, I’m going to get asked a question. I get asked questions at church. And they might not always be questions, they’re often opinions, but everyone has something to say. I get some rude opinions, but I take all opinions. I study every decision I have to make extremely carefully. And sometimes, we have to make a hard decision that not everyone will like. But if I feel like I’ve studied it enough and made the right decision, I can go to bed that night and not lose any sleep. And so far, I haven’t had to make a GREEN: Whenever you decision that’s interruptwere first campaigning, ed a night of sleep. you promised to give each paycheck to differchaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen ent community organi-
PAGE 4
OXFORD CITIZEN
ThURsdAy, APRil 6, 2017
OBITUARIES Linda Matthews Rogers TIPLERSVILLE, MS – Linda Matthews Rogers, 68, passed away Sunday, April 02, 2017, at Magnolia Regional Health Care in Corinth. Services will be on Wednesday April 5, 2017 1:00PM at McBride Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be on Tuesday April 4, 2017 5PM-8PM at McBride Funeral Home.
David Minyard
David Minyard, 67, died at his home in Oxford, MS, Monday, April 3, 2017. Visitation will be held at Coleman Funeral Home Thursday, April 6, 2017, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. A memorial service will immediately follow at 6:00 p.m. Bro. Lendy Bartlett will officiate. Donations and memorials are to be made to The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, P.O. Box 1380, Wiggins, MS 39577.
CARLEY ANNE TUCKER AND GILES DENTON LANGSTON
Tucker - Langston
BRIEFING Oxford High School Theatre Program Presents “CLUE: The Musical” The award-winning Oxford High School (O HS) Theatre Program presents “CLUE: The Musical”, a musical with 216 possible en dings. The internationally popular game is now a funfilled musical which brings the world’s best know suspects to life and invites the audi ence to help solve the mystery: who killed Mr. Boddy, in what room and with what weapon? With performances set for April 13-15 at Kayla Sue Mize Auditorium, the audience receives forms to help them deduce the solution from clues given throughout the entertaining evening. The season closer to the 2016-2017 OHS theatre season offers 7:30 p.m. performances daily
Bunny Business hiding eggs for a good cause BY CALLIE DANIELS SPECIAL TO OXFORD CITIZEN
Imagine the night before Easter, and all is quiet through blooming gardens and sprawling backyards. Then one bright Easter morning the children in Oxford and Lafayette County awaken to find 50 to 100 candy-filled eggs! The American Cancer Society Colleges Against Cancer at University of Mississippi is making this magic happen to benefit American Cancer Society. Its chapter president at University of Mississippi, Mallory Maier, said, “The
Ole Miss chapter is relatively new. Our chapter hosts many fundraisers throughout the year, our biggest event being Relay for Life, an international event that brings communities together to raise awareness and money for many programs and research American Cancer Society funds.” Last year, the Ole Miss chapter hosted several fundraisers including Strike Out Cancer, a bowling tournament and Chug for Jugs, a bar crawl. Maier noted both of those fundraisers “were very successful.” “This is our first year to
host the Bunny Business fundraiser, and we are very excited about it! All of the proceeds go to American Cancer Society,” Maier said. For $25, one can buy 50 eggs and for $50, a hundred. The Ole Miss chapter began with 2,000 eggs and has sold 175 eggs so far. It is taking orders until April 12. The fundraiser is limited to residents of Lafayette County only. To place an order, visit www.relayforlife.org/ bunnybusiness. Maier said, “We also ask all registrants to give diTURN TO BUNNY, 7
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tucker of Oxford announce the engagement of their daughter, Carley Anne to Giles Denton Langston. Giles is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Judson Davis Langston, Jr. of Brookhaven, Mississippi. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bobby W. Chism of Tupelo and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Tucker of Union, Mississippi. Miss Tucker graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2009 from Briarcrest Christian School in Eads, Tennessee. She is a 2013 Summa Cum Laude graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science. Carley will graduate in May 2017 with a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine and will begin work as a veterinarian at The Mannsdale Animal Clinic in Madison, Mississippi, in June 2017. The groom is the grandson of Mrs. Marjorie Giles Helmick and Mrs. Betty Denton Langston and the late Mr. Judson Davis Langston, all of Brookhaven. Mr. Langston is a 2005 honor graduate of Brookhaven High School. In 2009, he received his Bachelor’s Degree in International Business from the University of Southern Mississippi. Giles received his MD from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi in 2016 and is currently in residency at UMMC in Emergency Medicine. The couple will exchange vows on May 20 at First Baptist Church in Oxford, Mississippi. A reception will follow at the Powerhouse in Oxford. After a honeymoon in St. Lucia, the Doctors Langston will reside in Jackson, Mississippi.
OXFORD CITIZEN
Thursday, april 6, 2017
paGE 5
CUSTOMER APPRECIATION SALE!
SATURDAY APRIL 8!
Hamburgers & Hotdogs Served 11AM - 2PM
DOOR PRIZES!
New Holland Grill Demonstration! New Can Cooker Grills Demonstration!
HAVE YOU BEEN TO MOORE’S YET? 375,000 Square Feet UNDER ONE ROOF! WELDED WIRE, RED BRAND FIELD FENCE, CHAIN LINK AND CAR SHOW! POULTRY WIRE LIVESTOCK PANELS, TUBE GATES AND LIVESTOCK HANDLING PENS. WE HAVE ALL SIZES! Call for Pricing.
WE NOW STOCK LUMBER, WINDOWS, DOORS AND ROOFING. CALL OR COME BUY!
Need a Trailer Part? From an Axle, to a Fender, or Tires... We stock it all!
FREE QUOTE ON METAL 26 GA OR 28 GA.
SATURDAY APRIL 8th
BUY WHERE THE CONTRACTORS BUY!
Bee Keeping Equipment
POULTRY NEEDS? WE HAVE IT ALL!
SCRATCH FEEDS, CHICK STARTER, LAYING FEED, FEEDERS, WATERERS, ETC.
We have hives, beekeeper clothing... we have it all!
REFRIGERATORS, WASHER & DRYERS
D!
ICE R P E C N A LEAR
C
KNIVES LIKE YOUR MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER HAD. LIFETIME GUARANTEE!
$10.00 OFF
$10 OFF BOOTS
G6352 (steel toe) .$65 G4972 (steel toe) .$75
SATURDAY ONLY!
LARGE SELECTION OF BASEBALL ITEMS! EASTON - WILSON - DEMARINA - WORTH
40% OFF
WINTER CLOTHING ONE DAY ONLY! MENS, WOMENS, & CHILDRENS
Excludes Old Tom, Carhartt, or Any Spring Item.
THE BEST! WITH THIS COUPON
GEORGIA G7443 & G7433 . .$50
BOOTS Special Price
Corinthian Wind Chimes
WE STOCK ALL SIZES!
With This Coupon - Good April 8th Only
CALL FOR PRICING.
FROM OUR ALREADY LOW PRICES!
Mens - Ladies - Childrens ONE DAY ONLY SALE !!! APRIL 8th
AUTO PARTS & AUTO PAINT WE NOW STOCK ANYTHING YOU NEED OR CAN GET OVERNIGHT, CALL US!
LAWN CHAIRS
BELLAIRE
20% OFF ALL YETI ITEMS!
Hopperl Specia Lodge Cast Iron Cook Ware 8” Skillet $12.99 Largest Selection in Northeast MS!
40% – 50%OFF Markdowns in All Departments! Through Out the Store! CLOTHING SPECIALS NAME BRANDS ARAIT, CARHARTT, WOMENS, UMGEE, AND OTHERS!
“GET MORE AT MOORE’S”
$100 OFF OUR PRICE
LARGEST SELECTION IN NORTHEAST MS
COME VISIT OUR LADIES BOUTIQUE INSIDE MOORE'S. Big Buddha, Bandanna,Umgee, Cruel, Arait, Rock 47, Wrangler, Rock & Roll, Outback, Davinci jewelry, Montana Silver Smith and many more!
IN-HOUSE FINANCING AVAILABLE!
3261 HWY 15 N • PONTOTOC, MS 662-489-1411 STORE HOURS: MONDAY - SATURDAY 7AM - 6PM
PAGE 6
OXFORD CITIZEN
ThURsdAy, APRil 6, 2017
Ride for the Veterans coming this month BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER
Several Oxford citizens and local businesses are banding together this month the help raise money to benefit the residents of the Mississippi State Veterans Home of Oxford. This is the second year that Joe Dickey and Tony Deal have worked to put a fundraiser together for the residents of the Veterans Home. Deal approached Dickey last year and after throwing together an event in just a few weeks, they were able to raise a substantial amount of money. The fundraiser was based around what is called a Poker Run. The way it worked is that there were certain businesses in Oxford that the motorcyclists would ride to. Once there, they would draw a card, and then proceed to another business and do the same thing. This was done until the riders had a full hand, they would drive back to the meeting point and play their hand in a round of poker. The event was sponsored by businesses and individuals and those participating had to pay a fee to participate. They also held a silent auction. This year, the ride and auction will still be happening, but they’ve added an on-foot option to the Poker Run. Organizers will be headquartered at Locals
on the northern part of the Square. The restaurant will be having food and drink specials throughout the event and donating a portion of the proceeds.. For the pedestrian part of the Poker Run, participants will be able to travel to different Square businesses on foot, draw their hand and then return to Locals to play a round. Radio station Bullseye 95.5 FM will be providing music. In addition to the silent auction, there will be raffles and prizes, including a 50’ zero-turn riding mower. Major sponsors for the event this year include Deal’s Auto Repair, Rocky Kennedy, End 2 End Solutions, Hat Boy Software and others. All of the proceeds from the event will be going to benefit the residents of the Veterans Home. Dickey himself is a retired colonel with the army and his father, a World War II vet, is a resident at the facility. “A lot of those guys out there do have families who look out for them, but a lot of them don’t,” Dickey said, speaking about the residents of the Veterans Home. “Besides that, the home itself is limited on their budget. This allows us to do for the residents what the home isn’t always able to. I’m not saying that families don’t care about their relatives in there, a lot of them just don’t live very close by. In some cases,
their family just isn’t able to help them.” Dickey is at the Veterans Home nearly every day visiting his father. He has been able to develop a relationship with many of the staff members who operate the retirement home as well as many of the residents. It’s given him an insight into what exactly the men there would appreciate having and how their time there could be improved, even in the smallest of ways. Dickey brings by different body washes for the men to use. With the help
• Masters in Cosmetology • Nationally Certified Cosmetologist • Member of MS Cosmetology Association Education Committee • Recent inductee to MS Cosmetology Hall of Fame • Committed to all various aspects of the trade, including: new trend updates, chemical techniques, salon business, sales, and customer service. Walk-Ins Welcome
609 South Lamar | 662-234-0101 | www.amaraoxford.com
of the Lafayette County Law Enforcement Association, he was able to donate several pairs of sweatpants and sweatshirts for residents to wear while lounging around. It’s the small details that can make the most difference. The big things are fun too, however. After last year’s fundraiser, Deal and Dickey were able to purchase a state-of-theart karaoke machine with all the bells and whistles. The large machine can bee wheeled from room to room and the residents
have a really good time with it. One of the big things they’d like to purchase after this year’s fundraiser is a projector and a sound system to set up so that residents can watch and listen to different sporting events together. It’s all about making every comfortable, Dickey said. “The Veteran’s Home is a nice place, it really is, but it’s still tough on those guys to be out there,” Dickey said. “Those guys live their whole lives being independent, and then they have to
move somewhere. You can have the nicest house in the world, but if you can’t leave it, you’re gonna get bored. We’re just trying to do anything we can to alleviate that.” The Ride the Veterans will be taking place at Locals on the Square from 2 to 6 p.m. on April 22. For more information about the fundraiser or to find out how to contribute, contact the organizers at 662-8324417 or 601-896-3817. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen
OXFORD CITIZEN
ThURsdAy, APRil 6, 2017
PAGE 7
Bunny FROM 4
rections to location of delivery in Event Preferences section if their address does not show up on GPS. If the house cannot be found and the purchaser is unavailable by phone, the eggs can be picked up the following Monday. ” She adds that those with specific delivery instructions need to mention in Event Preferences section when registering. The deliveries will take place between 7:30 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. Maier promises the Easter Bunny and his helpers will be discreet. The eggs are plastic and will be stuffed with individually packaged and assorted candy. The orders are not customizable, but children are sure to enjoy a sweet tooth for a good cause. “Our biggest goal is to increase our presence in the community, and get the community involved in our fundraisers. And of course to raise money for American Cancer Society as well,” Maier said. She invites those interested to also visit her chapter’s Relay for Life event which will be held April 21 from 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. in the Lyceum Circle on university campus. The event is free and open to community. To register for Relay for Life, visit relayforlife.org/ olemiss. To learn more about American Cancer Society’s Colleges Against Cancer and its Ole Miss chapter, visit it on Facebook.com/Colleges Against Cancer: Ole Miss Chapter. It can be also reached at (731) 607-6411.
COURTESY
Members of The American Cancer Society Colleges Against Cancer at University of Mississippi are (front) Mallory Maier, Summer Jefferson, Jordan Healy (back) Emily Robison, Lindsey Miller, Karmen McMinn, Amanda Honeycutt, and Brandon McDaniel, Kaitlyn Gex.
PAGE 8
OXFORD CITIZEN
ThURsdAy, APRil 6, 2017
LCSD seeks District 4 board member BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER
The Lafayette County School District is now looking into purchasing modular classrooms to deal with the dramatic population increase facing their elementary schools. During the regularly scheduled meeting of the board on April 3, they received official requests from Lafayette Elementary School Principal Paula Gibbs and Lafayette Upper Elementary School Principal Thomas Tillman for modular classroom units. These units would be self-contained classrooms apart from the main school buildings. Gibbs and Tillman believe that the units will be necessary in order to properly house the number of students enrolling in the 2017-2018 school year. Several board members vocally stated their agreement with this sentiment. In order to keep the student to teacher ratio at an acceptable level during this enrollment in-
crease, the district will also be looking to higher more teachers. Lafayette County and Oxford are the fastest growing municipality in the state, and with that influx of population and birthrate increases come issues like this one. Lafayette, like Oxford, is currently in the planning stages for the construction a new elementary school. This is a complicated issue for the Lafayette County School District because they are landlocked on their current campus, which houses all of the districts facilities. For more information on this issue, the modular units and what the district is hoping to do about it, pick up a copy of next Thursday’s Citizen. Also at the meeting, the board officially hired and entered into contract with Shea Scott of the law firm Daniel, Coker, Horton & Bell. Scott is now the county’s school board attorney, a position formerly held by local attorney and Mississippi Senator Gray Tollison whose contract was not renewed with the district earlier
this year. He had been with the district for 17 years. Shortly after the board voted not to renew Tollison’s contract, District 4 board member Ken Hewlett resigned his position from the board. The school board is now required to fill that
*Free Checking with Unlimited Cashback *Terms and Conditions apply 1101 Jackson Ave. W • Oxford, MS 38655 • (662) 236-9099
seat by appointment. In order to be considered for the position, an individual must live in District 4 and be a registered voter. District 4 for the school district has different borders than those of District 4 for the County Board of Supervisors. For the
school district, District 4 fully encompasses the Taylor community and goes around the outskirts of the Oxford School District, up to Sardis Lake and near the College Hill community. District 3 encompasses the College Hill community. Now through April 21, the superintendent’s office is accepting letters of interest from those living in District 4. The letter must contain a brief statement about the applicant, information regarding their background and why they are interested in the position. Letters of interested should be addressed to Dr. Adam Pugh at the Superintendent’s Office on the LCSD Campus 100 Commodore Drive, Oxford, MS, 38655. They can also be sent directly to the superintendent by email at adam. pugh@lafayetteschool.net. The school board is required by law to have the position filled within 60 days of its vacancy. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen
OXFORD CITIZEN
ThURsdAy, APRil 6, 2017
Supervisors address road, construction projects BY CODY FUTRELL NEWS WRITER
Estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau have showed Lafayette County is the fastest growing county in the state of Mississippi. At the regular business meeting of the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors Monday, the board spent much of the time either approving or tabling road and construction projects that will bring much more housing and roads to the city of Oxford as well as adding to the abundance of storage building facilities already in place showing that region is holding true to its recent billing. The board approved several commercial property plats on Monday. A plat – or plan or map set by developers getting approval to develop a piece of land – must first be approved by the Board of Supervisors before it construction can move forward in Lafayette County with housing units such as condominiums and apartment complexes. Combining lots 31-33 in the Wellsgate Subdivision, Change in the plat of lot lines 37 and 50 in the Tara Subdivision, final plat for Clay Canvas, change of lots 1 and 2 in the Pine Needle Subdivision, approval for The Heights subdivision phase 17 were all ap-
proved by the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors. The Heights subdivision has received water and sewer approval for its 10 lots. The board also approved plans for the construction of storage units by Ken Ash Construction Storage. The board did not approve final plat for a development known as The Cottages at The Highlands. County engineer Larry Britt spoke on behalf of developer John McCurdy who have not gotten paper work through for a development bond and disturbance bond. “The development bond is there to make sure they are not going to start and then abandon the project,” Britt said. “We will get them (both bonds) and be sure those are in place before anything is filed.” David O’Donnell, attorney for the Lafayette County Board of Supervisor, was curious as to whether there should also be a road construction bond if the group decides not to dedicate the roads to the county as is part of current plans. “Why not require a road construction bond?” O’Donnell asked. The Board of Supervisors also approved a mutual agreement with the Oxford and Lafayette County School districts to fund a new position
for a Early Childhood Literacy Director. “They will go out to into any and all daycares,” Supervisors president Jeff Busby said. Busby read a letter from Lafayette County School District Superintendent Adam Pugh in favor of adding the position. County Administrator Lisa Carwyle said the program would work with the local daycares to see that children are prepared to enter kindergarten. Each side will contribute $25,000 toward salary, benefits and other costs for the position. Bramlett Elementary principal Suzanne Ryals has been offered the position. Also of note, the Board of Supervisors approved a request from the Oxford-Lafayette County Public Library to establish Little Free Libraries at volunteer fire stations on Highway 30 and Paris. Lafayette County Fire Coordinator Wes Anderson said the free libraries would not hinder daily operations of the fire station. “They would be in the front of the fire station,” Anderson said. “The public library would supply the books.” The board also set a hearing for May 1 at its regular 5 p.m. meeting for discussion on entering private property on County Road 123 to dispose of a burned and abandoned trailer.
“The development bond is there to make sure they are not going to start and then abandon the project. We will get them (both bonds) and be sure those are in place before anything is filed.”
PAGE 9
PAGE 10
OXFORD CITIZEN
BRIEFING Free Admission to Regions Bank Grove Bowl on Saturday
“Free State of Jones” to be Remembered at Overby Center
Fans can get an early glimpse of the 2017 Ole Miss football team this Saturday at the Regions Bank Grove Bowl. Admission is free for the Rebels’ annual spring game, which will kick off at 11 a.m. at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. It will also be televised by SEC Network with a broadcast team of Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy and Laura Rutledge. Free parking will be available at the garage adjacent to The Pavilion, as well as the Tad Smith Coliseum and Ole Miss Track lots. Normal baseball parking lots will be reserved for those with baseball parking passes. Fan Fest will open at 10 a.m. in front of The Pavilion.
A rebellion against the Confederacy by poor white farmers in Jones County loyal to the Union, joined by a few former slaves, led to the establishment of the “Free State of Jones” during the Civil War, and the episode will be the focus of a discussion next Monday, April 10, by two prominent Jones County natives, retired U.S. District Judge Charles Pickering and Jones County Junior College history instructor Wyatt Moulds, and Charles Overby, chairman of the host Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics at Ole Miss. The program, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 6 p.m. in the Overby Center
Auditorium. A reception will be held following the event. The uprising in Jones County has been the subject of several books and was dramatized last year in a movie, “The Free State of Jones,” starring Matthew McConaughey in the role of Newton Knight, the leader of a guerrilla operation that succeeded in seizing control of part of the county. The breakaway movement eventually failed, but with the defeat of the Confederacy and the implementation of Reconstruction in the South, Knight continued to led an interracial struggle in the southeast Mississippi county. The review of these events more than a century and a half ago is the latest in a series this year at the Overby Center in connection with the 200th anniversary of Mississippi’s statehood.
Specializing in Employee Benefits for 27 Years
MorganWhite
Insurance
Experts in INSURANCE Ask us how our
PREMIUM SAVER PLAN
ObamaCare is Here Now. Employers, Are You Ready? I can Help!
can help cut your premium increases by half! Brad Camp - Agent
Chamber of Commerce Discount Program • • • • • • • •
Group Health Insurance Group HSA’s, HRA’s, FSA’s Group Medical Gap Plans Group & Individual Disability Self-Funded Medical Plans Individual Health Insurance Group Dental 401K Administration
• • • • • •
Group Vision Group Life P.O.P. Plans Cafeteria Plans Cancer Payroll & Electronic Benefit Administration
Call Brad Camp today to discuss how the Obamacare Mandatory Reporting Requirements are going to affect your company! I can guarantee you that we will help ease a lot of your pain. Please call 662-234-3224 or email
brad.camp@morganwhite.com
ThURsdAy, APRil 6, 2017
Some say more regulations or designated bike paths are needed BY TRICIA WILLIAMS SPECIAL TO OXFORD CITIZEN
University of Mississippi students have considerable ground to traverse while making their cross-campus commutes to class. Many find it convenient to use a bike to reduce travel time and the amount of physical exertion. However, some say campus bikers may have taken their sidewalk rights too far. The University Police Department reports that bikers are to abide by all traffic laws, especially on the road. There are currently no restrictions that prohibit cyclists from biking on pedestrian walkways, such as sidewalks and other designated areas on campus. However, they are expected to uphold the laws of common sense while maneuvering a bicycle through a crowded space. Sophomore Associated Student Body Senator Megan Krynen said there has been ASB discussion about creating cyclist restrictions in public spaces. “There has been ongoing conversation with the infrastructure committee, but no legislation has been drafted as a result of this discussion,” Krynen said. Wilson Benton, a junior, agrees with efforts to instate more beneficial programs for bikers, such as designated biker lanes. With a mile commute each way to the university campus, Benton
is well-educated in the laws of the road. “I try to make sure I drive as cautiously as I can,” Benton said, “and I make sure I use hand signals as well, which not many people know how to use.” Benton said the more threatening issue to student safety is not cyclists, but the danger of vehicular traffic. “The more pressing threat to students are cars on campus,” said Benton. “The problem is that cars don’t respect the right-ofway for pedestrians or bikers.” One student reported accidently running into another student while riding his bike on campus. Mack Hubbell, a sophomore, said the greatest issue facing sidewalk safety is the magnitude of unaware pedestrians. Typically with heads bent toward their phones, students attempt to traipse along the sidewalk paying no attention to their surroundings. “She was walking toward me as I was biking, and she was looking down at her phone,” said Hubbell, “and when she looked up, she tried to move out of the way, but she accidentally walked the way I went, and we collided.” Hubbell frequents campus walkways regularly, riding his bike to class each day. He claims the most difficult time to travel by bike is during the 10-minute
intervals before and after classes. UM senior Reid Santa Cruz reported seeing a near-collision with a student and cyclist near Farley Hall. “A guy with crutches was crossing the road, and he stopped at the side walk to take a rest,” said Santa Cruz.” Then out-of-nowhere, a guy on a bike barreled around the corner and nearly knocked him and myself over.” Sophomore Mattie Huey believes bikers are becoming an increasingly prevalent problem to pedestrian safety on campus. She attributes the congested pavements to the ever-expanding student population at Ole Miss. “I think that if the biker population continues to increase, then more regulations or designated bike paths should definitely be implemented,” said Huey. Huey has also noticed a the biker population’s male-dominated presence. Benton said this coincidence is due to the indifference he believes many girls have to riding a bike on campus. “I think they think that they might get made fun of,” commented Benton, “but it’s honestly a great way to get around on campus despite the troubles some may have had in the past.”
BRIEFING Singing to Keep Us Alive Hometown Pizza Cafe Saturday, April 15 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Hometown Pizza Café in Water Valley will be
holding a fundraiser to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The fundraiser is called “Singing to Keep Us Alive” and features Johnny & Katie Arnold “Young at Heart” kara-
oke. It will cost $1 per song requested at the event. People are welcome to donate more if they wish. For more information, contact the event coordinator Pam Smith at 662-607-3703
OXFORD CITIZEN
ThURsdAy, APRil 6, 2017
PAGE 11
0
$ PHOTO BY CHANING GREEN
All of the animals at the event are currently available for adoption at the humane society. This event was just the first in a week of different activities planned to promote mental health awareness on campus.
Health FROM 1
surveyed, only 2 percent of college students indicated that they would feel comfortable seeking advice or guidance from a mental health professional or faculty member in a time of need. A statistic from 2014 says that 1,100 college students commit suicide every year, and that number only growing. “I have personally suffered from anxiety and depression significantly during my sophomore year,” said Forbes. “This is something that I’ve always been open about. I thought Active Minds would be a great thing to have here, so a few friends and I got together and got it going.” The final planning the week has come together in the last month or so. Forbes said that the Associated Student Body has been really supportive in Active Minds’ effort of a campus-wide conversation about mental health. “I want people to know they are not the only ones who are going through something,” Forbes said. “It’s okay to speak about
it. It is so normal. What I have found from being open about my own story and my suffering from anxiety and depression, is that people receive it so well. No one has come up to me and criticized me for what I have been through. The only thing people come up to me and say is, ‘I thought I was the only one.’ I want us to shift to norm where it’s okay to talk about mental heath. If your body is sick, you go to the doctor. You should be doing the same for your mind and taking care of yourself.” Events for the week began Monday morning with a station set up by the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society where students could come up and pet and play with puppies and kittens available for adoption. This event was hugely popular and dozens of students came to play with the animals and learn more about the week of events being planned. There were information sessions, profit sharing events and even yoga in the Gove. Tonight, Thursday, at 5:30, a gathering is being held Farley room 202 with featured speaker
Lauren McGraw. McGraw’s son Rivers was an Ole Miss student who committed suicide last semester. McGraw is now and advocate for suicide awareness and is working to promote an open dialog about mental health issues. That’s what it all comes down to for Forbes. She wants people to be comfortable speaking about these issues. Normalizing mental heath conversations and encouraging people to be honest with themselves and their peers break down these stigmas and allow for more people to get the help they need. “Most importantly, I hope that people learn to speak up and that it’s okay not to be okay,” Forbes said. “I hope that they can truly look around at these events and see people who have experienced and are experiencing the same things. We can all experience the ups and downs of college together. If one person shows up to an event and hears a message they need to hear, we have done our jobs.” chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen
• DOWN PAYMENT • FIRST PAYMENT • SECURITY DEPOSIT • DUE @ LEASE SIGNING
2017 Honda
CIVIC LX
Automatic
219 mo
$
*
LEASE
2017 Honda
ACCORD LX
229
$
Automatic
mo*
LEASE
OR 0% 60 mo*
OR 1.9% 72 mo*
2017 Honda Accord
2016 Honda
HYBRID
Automatic
279 mo
$
*
LEASE
FIT EX Automatic
$AVE BIG!
OR 1.9% 72 mo* OR 1.9% 72 mo*
712 SOUTH GLOSTER / TUPELO CALL 842-4162 or 1-888-892-4162 www.houseofhondatupelo.com All payments plus tax and title. With approved credit. 36 month lease through American Honda Finance. 12,000 miles per year.
PAGE 12
OXFORD CITIZEN
City Board votes on new education position BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER
Tuesday night, during their regular scheduled board meeting, the City Board of Oxford approved their contribution to the creation of a new position that would promote reading and early childhood development across Lafayette County. The position is officially titled Director of Early Childhood and Reading Development and is under the department of curriculum within the Oxford School District. This position is being filled by Suzanne Ryals, who is currently the principal of Bramlett Elementary School. Ryals will be working directly with the LOU Reads Coalition as their chair to promote literacy among preschools and daycares across the entire county, including the city. The position is a cross-agency effort of sorts and is being financially supported in equal parts by the City and County. The County Board of Supervisors, County school board, City Board of Aldermen and County school board will each be contributing $25,000 to go toward the salary of the position.
The position was created to promote literacy and early childhood learning so that children would be more prepared upon entering kindergarten. Ryals will be personally working with daycares and preschools in the county, as well as parents and families, to make sure children have all the tools they need to proper develop during those crucial first 5 years of life. The different departments agreed to fund the position for one year. April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month and the City Board voted to recognize the holiday. Mayor Pat Patterson took a moment to discuss how the s Ward 3 Alderman Janice Antonow also took the time to mention this weekend’s production of the 2013 Tony Award Winning play “Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike” by the Theatre Oxford at the Powerhouse. Theatre Oxford is joining forces with Team Fox, a division of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, to raise money to find a cure for the disease. There will be a silent auction held throughout the production and
close after the Sunday matinee. The items that were donated from the auction range from artwork to business packages. Retailers in Memphis donated, Oxford artists donated, tickets to the Memphis Redbirds baseball team were donated as were two series tickets for the Ole Miss versus Missouri baseball weekend and so much more. All money raised from the auction will go toward Team Fox’s mission of funding Parkinson’s research. The show opens tonight at the Powerhouse at 7:30. The aldermen and mayor also heard the second reading of an ordinance that would require major event organizers to pay a 25 percent deposit on events that would require extra police presence. There are still many details to be worked out regarding thisordinances, but it would only apply in cases where the City would have to employee off-duty police officers to assist with an event. This ordinance will be voted on at the next regularly scheduled board meeting in two weeks. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen
ThURsdAy, APRil 6, 2017
Business
Thursday, april 6, 2017
paGE 13
JOEY BRENT
MasterCuts is a full-service lawn and landscape company that was started in 2016.
Local lawn service built on trust BY CODY FUTRELL NEWS WRITER
Local business owner Chris Blackwell felt like he was in a rut. He was not enjoying life working in the financial industry and developing properties in Lafayette County. Blackwell bought a weed eater that day to do yard work on one of his properties in the spring of 2016 and the smile has rarely left his face since. “I was out there weedeating for hours,” Black-
well recalled. “It was the best day I had had in forever.” After a chance meeting with a friend that evening, Blackwell got others on board with his vision for a new lawn care service in Oxford. MasterCuts Lawn Management was born. Starting with just a couple of men and one truck, the business now employees seven people and has top-grade equipment to handle services including fall and spring cleanup,
pressure washing, lawn core aeration, holiday lighting, mulching and pine straw services, turf fertilization, weed management, tree services, shrub pruning, mowing, and landscaping for both residential and commercial. “We are humbled and very grateful for how it has grown,” Blackwell said. “We brought Braden (McCaley) on. I had known him for years. He has been a great asset. I can’t micromanage the whole situa-
tion. (McCauley) runs the crews. He tells them what needs to be done at each site.” “I was in the restaurant industry,” McCauley said. “I have loved (working for MasterCuts).” As thunderstorms clamored in the background, Blackwell stated that the weather is a tough part of the job. “The weather can shut you down for days,” Blackwell said. “That is one of the toughest factors to our job.” Blackwell said he
learned through his professional life that the top priority for his company will always be keeping its word. “Our top priority is doing what we say we are going to do,” Blackwell said. “We find it is so rare that people now days do what they say they are going to do. Open and honest communication is what this business is built on. If we can’t accomplish something, we are going to let the customer know why we could not do it and al-
ways stand by what we say. We try to always do the right thing at a fair price. And, every job is different. You won’t have a set price for a service because one place will have a different level of accessibility and what equipment is needed (compared to another job).” Visit the MasterCuts Lawn Management Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MasterCutsLawnManagement/ and for more details call 662607-7773.
PAGE 14
OXFORD CITIZEN
ThursdAy, APril 6, 2017
“
“ I am ... Oxford.
I am ... a Tommy Morgan Realtor®.
Let me put my experience and knowledge of this market the perfect home or property.
Paula Crum, Realtor
662-701-7789
paulacrum.com
OXFORD| TUPELO 2092 Old Taylor Rd., Oxford, 662.234.5344 210 East Main St., Tupelo, 662.842.3844 tmhomes.com
602 Bickerstaff
$495,000
WALK TO OLE MISS EVENTS or ENTERTAIN AT HOME! Custom Luxury Townhouse, 3 BR, 3.5 BA, outstanding KITCHEN with BUILT-IN VIKING PROFESSIONAL Refrigerator, Oven/Warming Oven & Ventahood, Wine Cooler, Wet Bar with mini-frig; surround sound, gas fireplace, all heart pine hardwood, plantation shutters, private balcony off Master & Guest bedrooms, NEW marble & granite countertops, 3rd floor plumbed and wired, Security System, Private Courtyard, professional landscaping, brick accent beds, wrought-iron fence & custom lighting, sprinkler. Too much to list. Over 20 upgrades. A MUST SEE! MLS#137956. Call Paula Crum – 662.701.7789.
103 Woodland Hills
$347,500
WOODLAND HILLS - TWO MASTER BEDROOMs (up & down), 4BR/3.5BA , 1.5 acres, kitchen w/double oven, built-in desk, breakfast area with picturesque view, laundry room, separate dining room, large family rm w/gas fireplace and bookshelves, BR upstairs can be used as Playroom or Media Rm, MBR is comfortably spacious w/Master Bath w/two sinks, jetted tub, shower; detached brick garage/workroom; storage galore, hardwood floors all downstairs, except tiled kitchen and Laundry Rm, 1/2 bath off garage for easy cleanup. Lovely front porch to enjoy view of trees & private patio off family room for those cookouts. Freshly painted interior and outside dormers new siding. MLS# 137450. Call Paula Crum – 662.701.7789.
Garden Terrace Sold in 1 Day!
L’Acadian Sold
Alister Cove at the Highlands$129,000-$159,000 Come live in the Highlands of Oxford, MS where nature is always present. Select your Highlands’ Lot NOW before they are all taken! No time restrictions to start. You can begin your custom home when you are ready to build, but immediately begin taking advantage of the private ~80 Acre spring fed Trophy Lake and all the numerous amenities of Braemar Park right away. (Minimum required (heated/cooled) space is a minimum of 2500 square feet.). MLS# 136853. Call Paula Crum – 662.701.7789.
3018 Highlands Circle
$550,000
THE HIGHLANDS - Professionally decorated, custom built home w/ open floorplan (City of Oxford Schools); every BR has a bath, 4BR, 4BA (2 down & 2 up), stainless appliance pkg, hardwood floors, 10’ smooth ceilings, 8’ solid wood doors, kitchen opens to the Keeping Room, built-in bookcases, stone fireplace, Wet Bar, breakfast area and large screened porch that includes a fireplace for those chilly nights for roasting marshmallows. House is encapsulated with foam insulation; backyard has an iron-type fence. Access to ~80-acre Trophy Lake & ~30-acre Park. MLS#136645. Call Paula Crum- 662-701-7789.
Woodland Hills Sold in 3 Weeks!
Oxford Sold in 1 Month!
303 Downing
$374,660
COBBLESTONE PARK - Spacious home with a view of the large pond and very affordably priced! 4BR/3BA, huge kitchen, granite countertops, double walk-in pantries, eat in kitchen, dining room, family room completes the Main Floor. Upstairs, another BR and Bath with a huge finished bonus room utilized at the Home Theater complete with Cotton Candy and Popcorn Machine! Storage room galore! MLS# 136466. Call Paula Crum- 662-701-7789.
Magnolia Grove Sold in 1 Week!
802 Butler Twelve Oaks Sold in 3 Days
OXFORD CITIZEN
Thursday, april 6, 2017
Tommy Morgan
Betty Wiseman
Blake Thompson
Caroline Felker
Danny Flowers
Eileen Saunders
Nicole Cain-Wright
Paula Crum
Polina Wheeler
paGE 15
Kaye Ladd
Sean Hettinger
Shaun Hudson
Stan Abel
Weesie Biedenharn
Vic Sullivan
PAGE 16
12004 Water Ridge Dr.
OXFORD CITIZEN
$600,000
WELLSGATE - Beautiful 4BR/4.5BA home with inground pool overlooking lake. Open floorplan with large 2 story living room highlighted by a stone fireplace. Home features wooden beams, columns and bead board ceilings. The large kitchen/keeping room combination was a brick hearth over the gas cooktop. Large master suite is on main level with a sitting area.Screened porch on the back leads to a large patio and inground pool. Professionally landscaped with irrigation system. Agent is related to the sellers. MLS# 137214. Call Meredith Martin662-401-0811.
112 Cedar Hill
$389,900
317 Windsor Dr. N
$325,000
802 Butler Dr.
ThursdAy, APril 6, 2017
$258,900
172 Chickasaw, Pope
WINDSOR FALLS - Beautiful 4 bedroom/3 bath in popular neighborhood. Customized Indianola plan includes a slightly larger kitchen, 4th bedroom (full bath and closet) upstairs that could also be used as a bonus room, office or guest room. Built-in cabinets surrounding fireplace. Covered patio accessible to master bedroom and kitchen. Fenced yard for privacy. Community pool access for an extra $300/year. Approx. 2 miles to Baptist Memorial, 3 miles to the Square. MLS# 136673. Call Eileen Saunders- 662-404-0816.
An Immaculate, open floor plan that includes 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, an office/study, sunroom, kitchen with tile backsplash and large granite top, bay window breakfast area, family room with gas fireplace, storage space galore, 2 car garage with ample driveway parking for visitors. Grill outside on the patio under the protective pergola and watch the hummingbirds zip/zap around you. A must see! MLS#R137975A. Call Paula Crum-662.701.7789
Wonderful custom built house on 17.2 fenced acres. Close to the Chickasaw Hill Campgrounds and boat ramps. Owner is ready to Sell. MLS# 137014. Call Danny Flowers – 662-816-7294
115 CR 471
303 Downing
2115 W. Wellsgate
$380,000
$374,660
$399,500
$366,000
TARA - This 4 bed/4.5 bath home sits on over-sized 1.8 acre lot in one of Oxford's most distinguished and well-established neighborhoods. Property includes a stand alone mother-in-law building (with kitchenette and full bathroom; with attached garage fitted for AC/heating to allow for expanding the space). Elegance and charm flow throughout dining room and living room that leads to screened-in porch with serene view over private fishing pond. Cathedral ceilings in foyer. Gas fire-place. Gorgeous hardwood floors on main level. MLS# 137895. Call Polina Wheeler- 662-401-4632.
OXFORD - Wonderful secluded house with guest house, pond, workshop on 14 wooded acres minutes from the square. MLS#137517. Call Danny Flowers- 662-816-7294.
COBBLESTONE PARK - Spacious home with a view of the large pond and very affordably priced! 4BR/3BA, huge kitchen, granite countertops, double walk-in pantries, eat in kitchen, dining room, family room completes the Main Floor. Upstairs, another BR and Bath with a huge finished bonus room utilized at the Home Theater complete with Cotton Candy and Popcorn Machine! Storage room galore! MLS# 136466. Call Paula Crum- 662-701-7789.
WELLSGATE - Come be a part of one of Oxford's most prestigious neighborhoods in this custom built home! This great home sits in the back of Wellsgate & backs up to one of Wellsgate's natural lakes where you can enjoy beautiful sunsets. Kitchen with custom oak cabinets and stainless appliances features solid granite counter tops. Hardwood, ceramic, and carpeted floors throughout the home. Family room with a fireplace on lower level. Two pantries for storing your goods. Breakfast area looks out to the lake. Jetted tubs in the bathrooms. Sellers giving $1k allowances for both carpet and appliances. MLS# 137482. Call Blake Thompson 662-801-7014.
301 Wishing Tree
506 CR 210, Oxford $350,500
103 Woodland Hills
1017 CR 251, Oxford $339,000
Quiet country living with acreage less than 10 miles from town. Even the walls are insulated to make it more quiet. Home also features a storm shelter. MLS# 137041 Call Danny Flowers – 662-816-7294.
WOODLAND HILLS - TWO MASTER BEDROOMS (up & down), 4BR/3.5BA , 1.5 acres, kitchen w/double oven, built-in desk, breakfast area with picturesque view, laundry room, separate dining room, large family rm w/gas fireplace and bookshelves, BR upstairs can be used as Playroom or Media Rm, MBR is comfortably spacious w/Master Bath w/two sinks, jetted tub, shower; detached brick garage/workroom; storage galore, hardwood floors all downstairs, except tiled kitchen and Laundry Rm, 1/2 bath off garage for easy clean-up. Lovely front porch to enjoy view of trees & private patio off family room for those cookouts. Freshly painted interior and outside dormers new siding. MLS# 137450. Call Paula Crum – 662.701.7789.
Property includes a 3BD/3BA home and 47 acres. Approximately half pasture and half wooded, storm shelter, fenced pasture, deer stands, cleared shooting lanes, horse barn, ATV storage, other storage building, pond, and heated tile floor in master bath are just some of the amenities. Not far from town but quiet country living or just a get away. Little Q quail preserve is across the street. MLS# 136965. Call Danny Flowers – 662-816-7294.
206 Avalon Lane
36 First Ave. S
$360,000
TARA ESTATES - Gorgeous lakefront home in Tara Estates. 4BR/3BA all on one level. Family room with hardwood floors, large kitchen with island, study, formal dining, huge master suite with soaking tub and separate shower. Professionally landscaped yard, sprinkler system. Brick patio with arbor. All on over 2 acres! MLS# 137996. Call Jenny Decker- 662-871-7653
404 Taylor Ridge Lane$285,000 480 Cotton Rd., Taylor $279,500 Taylor-Greene - Proposed construction starting soon. Should be available before Christmas 2016. Open floor plan, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths with a formal living room. Still time to pick your finishings. Please Builder is a licensed Mississippi real estate agent and listing agent. MLS# 136748. Call Stan Abel- 662-816-9363.
24 +/- acres with ranch style home with some remodeling. Property has a pond and 4-5 acres of cleared pasture for horses. Approximate 1 mile to Taylor Grocery and less than a mile to Plain Air. MLS# 137277. Call Danny Flowers- 662-8167294.
$347,500
$194,500
The Gables - Beautiful 3 bed, 2 bath home with an open floor plan just 3.5 miles from the Oxford Square. Easy access to shopping, schools and entertainment. This charming home is low maintenance and perfect for a busy lifestyle. Nine foot ceilings throughout the home with a cathedral ceiling in the Master. Master bath has double vanities, a jetted tub and a walk-in shower. Hardwood floors in the living area and carpets in the bed rooms with tile in the baths. MLS# 137553. Call Vic Sullivan - 662-228-6025.
$219,000
ABBEVILLE - Very well maintained home and yard on 1.8 acres. Possibility that seller will add an additional .43 acres at no additional cost. No carpet in the house. Beautiful screen porch to enjoy the well landscaped yard. Also has a deck and gazebo. Storage shed. Septic treatment plant and many more features. Window World windows with a transferable warranty. This home has been treated with tender loving care. Sellers are the original owners and have maintained everything about the home in a good manner. If you are looking for a home in this area you need to see this one.MLS#138036. Call Danny Flowers- 662-816-7294.
OXFORD CITIZEN
Thursday, april 6, 2017
2100 Old Taylor Rd. #322$189,900
TURNBERRY - 3 bedroom 2 bath condo close to Ole Miss campus. MLS# 137505. Call Sadie Smith- 662-678-3033.
231 PR 3049
$165,900
THE SOLEIL - Very popular unit. Freestanding 3 bedroom, 2 .5 bathroom cottage style condo. Front door parking, lots of green space, gated community. MLS# 137010. Call Martin Mesecke- 662-715-1111.
405 CR 102
$95,000
PITTSBORO - This 4 Bedroom 2 bath has plenty of space for a growing family. Enjoy the peace and quiet on any of the three porches. Beautiful mature landscaping and shade trees. Storage buildings and playhouse on the property. MLS# 136540. Call Nicole Cain Wright – 662-617-5744.
951 Frontage Rd. #29$182,900
327 E. Countiss St.
AUTUMN RIDGE - LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION...plus this home has been well cared for. Centrally located to the Square, UM and NWCC campuses and the hospital. Standalone townhouse/condo has vented fireplace in the living room with gas logs, kitchen appliances have been upgraded. Dining area opens to a large private deck. Ceramic in the kitchen and beautiful hardwood floors throughout. Two large bedrooms upstairs, each with their own bath and walk-in closets. MLS#138008. Call Eileen Saunders- 662-404-0816.
BRUCE - Located in town but feels like you are in the country. 4 bedroom, 3 full baths, large den and a wet bar. 3 car carport and oversized garage for large RV with storage. MLS# 135840. Call Nicole Cain Wright – 662-617-5744.
135 Yancy
1305 PR 3097
$165,000
paGE 17
$180,000
741 Hwy 6E
$173,500
OXFORD - Only 6.5 miles from Oxford city limits out Hwy 6 affording country living but a straight shot to town. Yard is fenced front and back and situated up a hill way back from highway. Very nice covered back patio. Master bedroom was extended to add a large bath with Jacuzzi tub, double lavatories, tiled shower, and a large walk in closet (a very nice extension). Wood burning stove (real chimney), Built-in book shelves. Laminate, carpet, and ceramic tile flooring. Great view through windows in living area. Outside shed for storage of lawn equipment. A total of 3.80 acres. MLS# 137807. Call Betty Wiseman- 662-234-4573.
$159,900
900 Battle Lane
$132,000
BRUCE - Country Living at its finest. this lovely wood and stone home is located in one of Bruce's nicest neighborhoods boasting wood floors throughout, Open floor plan on main level and tons of closet space. the lower level offers a cozy family room with a gas fireplace. the wooded lot is located on a stunning lake with lots of deck space to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. Another amazing feature is the access to the neighborhood pool. MLS# 136109. Call Nicole Cain Wright- 662-617-5744.
High Point Condos Immaculate 3 bedrooms/3 full bath attached condo in West Oxford with gated entry in a premium location. Perfect for roommates or a ballgame weekend getaway. Large bedrooms, open kitchen & living area, appliances included, and a covered back patio with storage room. Hardwood flooring upgrades, lots of cabinets and great closets. Move-in ready! MLS# 137560. Call Amanda Miller- 662-213-2764.
SHILOH PLACE - Very endearing three bedroom home in Shiloh place on a sizable, corner lot with a fenced in back yard. Home features THREE bedrooms and two baths with all ceramic tiled floors and vaulted ceilings. Recently repainted and in nice condition for you to move into soon! MLS# 137891. Call Blake Thompson - 662-801-7014.
167 Keenum
118 E. Spratlin
854 Askew Rd.
Calhoun City - 3 bedroom 2 bath home on 2 acres. storage building on the property stays, home is currently rented Perfect for a family or a rental property. MLS# 136746. Call Nicole Cain Wright – 662-6175744.
$88,000
BRUCE - 4BD/2BA home with a master suite. Act fast before it's gone. With 2230 square feet there is lots of room for a growing family! Spacious laundry room, storage room, and a walk in closet in the master suite. MLS# 136560. Call Nicole Cain Wright – 662-617-5744.
$78,500
$35,000
CRENSHAW - Three acres of land with a fixer-upper. Property includes a shed and several large shade trees. Being sold in its current condition. Potential rental income as it is. Central to Tunica, Senatobia and Como. Just north of downtown Crenshaw. MLS# 136657. Call Eileen Saunders662-404-0816.
SportS
PAGE 18
ThursdAy, APril 6, 2017
Ben Mikell Sports Writer
Timely hits, pitching proved pivotal against crosstown rivals for Chargers Editor’s Note: This is the No. 20 Oxford story in a 40-part series highlighting the 20 most memorable moments in Oxford Athletics and in Lafayette Athletics since the turn of the century.
Back in 2004, the first round of the baseball playoffs was a four team double-elimination tournament where the last team remaining advanced to the next round. The first round was meant to be played at Callaway down in Jackson, but when Callaway was eliminated and both Oxford and Lafayette having to travel a long way just to play each other, the host team didn’t feel it was worth it and allowed the rivals to decide on a place to play. The potential double-header was played at Swayze Field where Oxford had to win twice in order to advance. Oxford lost to Lafayette earlier in the first round of the 4A playoffs to force the Chargers to make their way through the loser’s bracket for the rematch. Oxford used a big fourth inning to overcome an early 4-0 deficit in the first game to win 11-5 and force a winner-takesall second game that Oxford also won to eliminate the Commodores and advance to the next round. “It was the first year that we had the four team tournament where we came together and we played it at Smith-Wills Stadium,” Brian Harvey said, who was the baseball coach for Oxford back in 2004 and is now the Oxford Superintendent. “We went down there and Justin Woodall pitched against us the first game and beat us. That put us in the hole in that tournament. In order to go to the next round, we had to win the tournament which meant we had to beat Lafayette twice. Callaway didn’t want to host it, they got beat and didn’t want to host it. We hosted the last two games at Swayze Field. It was a neutral site.” As Harvey recalled his memories of the game, the one that stuck out was during the TurN TO CHARGERS, 24
JOEY BRENT
The 2017 All-Citizen team is comprised of (L-R) Shaniyah Buford, Mariah Holland, Jordan Freeze, Orianna Shaw and Azariah Buford.
All-Citizen Girls
Hard work defined players of 2016-2017 team BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS WRITER
It has been a month since Shayne Linzy helped guide the Lafayette Lady Commodores to the MHSAA Class 4A basketball title. He knew the girls had a good chance way back in the summer when worked started for the season. The things that the team did well, they did better. And the things they didn’t do as well, they improved on. Four players – Shaniyah Buford, Orianna Shaw, Azariah Buford and Mariah Holland – from that team earned spots on the 2017 All-Citizen team. The four offered great leadership, but also a fantastic work ethic along the way. Joining the Lady Commodores on the team was Oxford’s Jordan Freeze, who led the Lady Chargers in scoring this season. Linzie said that Buford, who led Lafayette in scoring with 18.8 points per game, and Shaw were two senior players that a coach dreams about having. “They are girls who are leaders on the court, leaders off the court. They work hard in practice, they play hard in the game. They are very selfless,” Linzy said. “Both of them at times sacrificed scoring or something to that effect to play a different role on the team. Shaniyah led us in scoring and she was our lead-
er, but there were nights where Azariah led us in scoring or Mariah. It was because we needed Shaniyah to be more of a distributor and the other team was really focused on stopping her.” Shaw has always been known for her rebounding, and defense. Her overall rebounds were down compared to last season, but Linzy had her guarding the opposing team’s best player every single night. “We didn’t ask her to score but do her best to shut down the other team’s best player,” Linzy said. “That can take a lot out of you but when you have players like that, it can make the season easier on you.” When the summer started, Linzy wanted to make sure that depth wasn’t an issue and that he could pull someone off the bench and the rhythm would not be lost. “I always thought that we would have a good chance of getting to Jackson. I’m a firm believer that when you get to Jackson, it’s anybody’s ballgame,” Linzy said. “In some areas, I thought we were better than I thought we would be and then in other areas, we were as good as I thought we would be. I think the girls bought in to the fact that we have something special if we will work. As the season went along, they began to work even harder at practice. It almost looked
like a different team. They had smiles on their faces and were looking forward to it. They also had that confidence. They knew it was the playoffs and knew they had a chance to do something like Coach Linzy said. After every win, you could see that energy level and enthusiasm really pick up at the practices. They really worked and made themselves better at the little things.” The Lady Commodores finished the season with a 30-3 record overall. Holland averaged 8.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, while Azariah Buford averaged 7.7 and 5.2. She also led the team in steals per game (3.9). The title won for the Lady Commodores was the first since 1982, and just the second in school history. Freeze, a junior guard, averaged 11.2 points per game to top the team, and was the leading 3-point shooter for the Lady Chargers. Freeze also averaged 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.4 steals per game. “Teams actually had to work to take that away from her and it made her work a lot harder. She actually more 3s this year than she did last year and was actually guarded different,” OHS coach Cliff Ormon said. “We saw some the extra work that she may not have thought TurN TO ALL-CITIZEN, 20
OXFORD CITIZEN
ThursdAy, APril 6, 2017
PAGE 19
Lafayette soccer program got things going with Class of 2015 Note: This is a series that includes the top moments in Lafayette High athletics involving all sports. This week’s edition focuses on the boys’ soccer team.
record for that specific senior class was 31-10-2. Both teams went undefeated in the division to make it into the playoffs. “The kids that were on that team, that was really the first big group of seventh graders I had come through. The year they were in seventh and eighth grade, we weren’t very good,” Anderson recalled. “They got a lot of playing time, and it was nice to see how much they grew. That group got beat by a lot older teams when they were younger because they were middle schoolers playing against varsity squads. I kept telling them to stay positive and that it was going to pay off for them when they got to high school.”
By the time the players did get into high school, there wasn’t a lot of coaching Anderson actually had to do. “It was fun to actually sit down and watch them,” he added. “The 14-15 team I think was better than the 13-14 one. The 13-14 team went further and just caught on fire at the right time. The 14-15 team peaked in December and early January. We beat Oxford and then we beat a really good Southaven team and just really went on a roll. I think they may have gotten a little burnt out towards the end.” Lafayette was playing well before they defeated the Chargers in 2014. By the Dec. 9 meeting, the
Commodores had already earned wins over Pontotoc and New Hope and Grenada, and played competitively against Starkville and New Albany. “The Oxford and Southaven games really gave us the confidence that we could beat anybody we came across,” Anderson said. “Those were two teams that we maybe didn’t anticipate beating. We did want to play them well and ended up beating both, so the combination of those really did a lot for us.” Fikes ended up scoring 30 goals his senior season, while another senior, Nathan Hollis, had eight. The team finished with 62 goals scored. There are times
when the players will just pop up at games or at practices, Anderson added. Ever since those seasons, the Commodores have been able to sustain a certain level of success, even if they haven’t won as many games. “We have been able to get a good number of kids coming out for tryouts since we have become successful,” Anderson said. “It started really the year before that in 2012-13 because they had a moderate level of success, but the numbers really catapulted after that. The numbers have grown since then because of the success of those two teams. We’re getting a good dozen or so sixth graders each year
for tryouts, which is what I love to see. If you keep getting that number out, by the time they’re seniors, you have five or six really solid players.” Another memory that Anderson has of those teams wasn’t playing for the north half title but that they defeated Pontotoc, which was the defending champions in 4A. “It was a really good game and just back and forth. Neither team had a lot of opportunities to score, but when they did, they were real quality,” Anderson said. “That was a really fun game to coach. We beat them 2-0 and the year before, they beat us 8-0 and that was being merciful.”
overall game was about improvement and we’re lookFROM 18 ing forward to her taking she was doing differently another step in the offseapay off for us. Her rebounds son. We want her and all of went up tremendously. Her her teammates to take an-
other jump going into the next season.” Ormon was expecting Freeze, and other seniors in next year’s class, to learn from the tough lessons of
this past season and make next year better. “We had a chance to come out of that firstround playoff game at Lanier. It wasn’t because we
were great offensively or defensively, it was because we had kids who would just compete,” Ormon said. “Jordan was one of those girls who had to do more
of that this year, find a way to win a game. It wasn’t a great season but there are a lot of things to build on. I like the work we’re putting in now.”
BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS WRITER
Lafayette soccer coach Gene Anderson got the band back together not too long ago to play an alumni match. A portion of the players that took part were seniors on the 2014-2015 team, one that won a second straight division title. The senior Commodores that made up that roster included Austin Fikes, Addison Roush and Garrett Reed. All of them were battle tested and bonded. A year before, the Commodores also won the division title and the two-year
All-Citizen
2014 FORD F-150 XLT 4X4
2015 FORD FUSION TITANIUM
STK# UV8487
29,900
$
$
2007 HUMMER H2
STK# UV8503
22,900 2008 JEEP WRANGLER X $
2014 FORD TAURUS
STK# UV8396
15,500
2012 HONDA CRV EXL
$
IN PROGRESS! 2ND QUARTER
STK# UV8329
16,500
2009 CADILLAC SRX
2009 TOYOTA COROLLA
STK# UV8475
STK# UV8334
13,900
9,988
$
$
2016 CHEVROLET IMPALA
2002 BMW 325CI
6,750
$
$
STK# UV8366
11,550
$
2016 VW JETTA
STK# UV8361
STK# UV8230
17,550 2011 NISSAN MURANO LE
2009 BUICK ENLCAVE CXL
STK# UV8312
16,990
76,000 MILES, STK# UV8275
11,880
$
LOADED, STK# UV8456
14,500
$
DOSSETT BIG 4
www.DossettBig4.com
2011 CHEVY CRUZE
$
STK# UV8400
7,990
2015 INFINITI QX60
STK# UV8410
33,990
$
2014 HONDA ACCORD
STK# UV8499
$
13,550
2014 FORD EXPEDITION XLT 2014 CHEVY SONIC LTZ
$
STK# UV8479
22,985
$
STK# UV8403
13,550
$
2011 TOYOTA 4RUNNER SR5
LEATHER, STK# UV8338
$
26,500
STK# UV8335
11,990
$
2015 CHEVY IMPALA LT STK# UV7095
13,895
$
2015 GMC SIERRA SLT Z71 LEATHER, NAVIGATION, STK# UV8037
38,800
$
Call 662-842-4162 or 888-892-4162
SOUTH GLOSTER TUPELO PRE-OWNED SALE PRICES ARE PLUS TAX, TITLE, AND FEES. SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS.
2015 CHEVY CRUZE LT STK# UV7880
14,400
$
PAGE 20
OXFORD CITIZEN
ThursdAy, APril 6, 2017
OHS Chargers are doing their part on the links BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS WRITER
Steve Herring doesn’t mince words. He never has and likely never will. So, when the Oxford High golf coach praises his Chargers to the point of saying they were the best collective group he’s been around, it’s more than a side note. The Chargers returned to action today in their annual invitational tournament held here locally. They are led by a fantastic trio in CJ Easley, Wilson Baker and Matt Sink. Easley, who is committed to play at Auburn in the future, said the start of the season has gone well. “We’ve been practicing a lot and just ready for May 7, 8 and 9 to come,” Easley said referring to the dates for the state championships. “We started off this year trying to keep up with where we left off last year. We finished pretty strong, second, in state and everybody but one on our team returned,” Sink said. “We got a really strong replace-
ment in Mark McManus so I think we were all excited about coming into this year and so far, we’re keeping up with our expectations.” Baker thought the team started slow but as the weather warmed up, they were able to get in more practice, and thought the team would get better as the year goes on. The Chargers most recently at the Big Blue Classic at Lake Caroline. The Chargers shot a 299, which was just behind Madison Central’s 290 and Jackson Prep’s 292. Germantown, which defeated the Chargers last season in Class 5A, shot a 311. Easley and Baker each shot a 70 to lead the way. Beau Ryals was third with a 76. Germantown, the team that beat the Chargers in the 5A state tournament, were 12 strokes behind Oxford at Big Blue. Finishing second was a motivating factor for the team. “It definitely stings. We knew last year was going to be super competitive. We had high hopes, but second definitely stings for sure,” Sink said.
COURTESY
The Oxford High golf team has been playing well this season, looking to really be in good shape as they look to win a fifth state title in school history. “Last year was the year we wanted to win, but Germantown was super good with a lot of seniors,” Wilson added. There is greater chemistry and bond among the team this year. The game is still about individual results that help bring the team along. “As a team, we’re all playing really well. We’re not putting or chipping as well as we would like. It’s good enough right now, but it
could be better,” Easley said. “The putting is getting us right now, but if we get better with that, our scores will get better.” The thing the Chargers have done the best as a team is ball striking, tee to green. “I think all of us as individuals are doing the best with ball striking. All golfers do this all the time going back and forth with short game,” Sink added. “One guy may get hot with the
putter, but if the rest of the team isn’t right there with them, the scores don’t always balance out. I think all of us getting on the same page will really improve our scores.” In the 12 years that Herring has been leading the program, this was the best bunch because of their consistency and their ability to play out of trouble. Herring recalled Easley dropping a ball in the pond on one shot and even
though he was mad, he put a ball on the tee, took a bogey and went on to the next hole. “I just call it developing amnesia. They do a great job of going on to the next shot, the next hole even more focused and they will charge ahead,” Herring said. “I’m a lot older and I’ve never been able to recover. These five guys are course rats. If you ever want to find them, go out to the golf course, you can find them all day long.” Oxford has been invited to tournaments they haven’t in the past because of their success the past five seasons. The Chargers won titles in 2012 and 2013 and have four overall. Things are progressing well for a chance to win a fifth this year. Herring has been trying for years to get into the Big Blue, and he felt like getting in showed that they are one of the top teams in the state. “That’s a testament to them and what they’re doing. They just work at it and the love to do it,” Herring said.
Oxford pounds West Point to clinch playoff berth BY BEN MIKELL SPORTS WRITER
If Oxford coach Chris Baughman was at all worried that his team wouldn’t take the West Point Green Wave seriously, he can breathe a sigh of relief. The Chargers blitzed the Green Wave for 13 runs in the first inning en route to a 19-2 rout over West Point in five innings at Edwin Moak Field Tuesday night. The win clinches a playoff berth for Oxford and thanks to Saltillo’s 4-2 win over New Hope Tuesday, the Chargers can win the Division 2-5A title on Friday with another win at West Point. “That was reminiscent
of Lewisburg three years ago,” Baughman said, referring to Oxford’s 13run first inning back in the 2014 playoffs against the Patriots. “You always worry after coming off a three week span where we’ve had to play every game. We always talk about the next game being the most important. Friday we have a chance to play for a one seed.” Baughman was worried that his team was going to get caught in a trap game and not play well, but not only did Oxford play well, the Chargers effectively ended the game in the first inning. “Not taking anything away from West Point, but you always worry they’re going to pull what
they did two weeks ago at Saltillo,” Baughman said regarding West Point’s 6-4 win over the Tigers earlier in the season. “You try to coach against that. Ultimately, the kids have to be ready to come out and play. They helped us some in the first inning, but we put a lot of pressure on them and started barreling up a lot of balls.” Eighteen different players for Oxford (20-2 overall, 5-0 in Division 2-5A) had a plate appearance in the contest with 12 different Chargers each recording at least one hit. CJ Terrell and Preston Perkins each recorded three RBI in the first inning as Oxford sent 17 men to the plate.
After a dominating win over West Point (7-12, 1-4), Baughman is always worried regardless of opponent that his team will hit the cruise button. The same holds true when his Chargers travel to the Green Wave on Friday. “I always have that worry no matter who we are playing,” Baughman said. “This bunch has done a really good job all year of coming out and playing. There are times that we haven’t played well defensively or haven’t played well offensively. We’ve done a really good job of finding ways to win.” “They are going to play different at West Point Friday night,” Baughman continued. “We’ve got
to come out and make sure we understand that. We are going to take the time and try to drill that in them. Hopefully we’ll come out and play like we did (Tuesday) night. Will we get the same outcome? Probably not. That doesn’t happen very often. We need to come out and play well.” The Chargers had tworun home runs each from brothers Drew and Ben Bianco. Drew hit his during the big first inning while Ben hit his during the third inning. Oxford had multiple hit games from Carson Stinnett, Drew Bianco, and Perkins. The Chargers had extra-base hits from Perkins, Clark Stovall, Reed Markle, and John Reece
McClure. Oxford had 15 total hits in the contest. West Point’s lone player with a multi-hit performance came from the bat of Seth Edwards who was 2-for-3 on the night and scored one of the two runs the Green Wave had. Reed Markle got the win on the mound going four innings allowing two runs on five hits, one walk, one hit batter, and two strikeouts. Bobby Woodard took the loss for West Point going 2/3 of an inning allowing 13 runs, but thanks to Green Wave errors only one of the 13 runs was an earned run. Woodard also allowed nine hits, one walk, two hit batters, and had no strikeouts.
OXFORD CITIZEN
ThursdAy, APril 6, 2017
PAGE 21
NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS
WINTER AND SPRING SPORTS AWARDS BANQUET JUNE 5, 2017 BANCORPSOUTH ARENA CONFERENCE CENTER TUPELO, MS JOHN DAVIS
Oxford High senior Maggee Hobson, right, signed a scholarship to play volleyball for Tennessee Wesleyan Tuesday morning. Joining her were OHS coach Tara Ross (top) and her mother Chris.
SPONSORED BY:
NORTH MISSISSIPPI
Hobson’s decision turns into a chance to play college volleyball BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS WRITER
A decision to play club volleyball, and not basketball this winter for the Oxford High Lady Chargers, turned out to be a beneficial decision for Maggee Hobson. The senior wrapped up a fantastic final season on the volleyball court, one in which she helped lead the Lady Chargers to the MHSAA Class 5A title, with a chance to play in college. Hobson signed on with Tennessee Wesleyan Tuesday morning, a school located in Athens, just north and east of Chattanooga. Hobson said playing club volleyball, roughly two weeks after her high school season ended, and not making open 3-pointers this year in basketball gave her an open view of the game at a higher, faster pace. “It may not be the college game, but it helped prepare me for what it’s like. The exposure, ev-
ery tournament, there were 10 coaches watching me or a teammate or somebody from the other team,” Hobson said. “I thought that was a big, big thing. They had tryouts two weeks after the season and the coach asked me where I was from and if I would be at the practices because it’s an hour and a half away.” The rest is history as Hobson not only made a team, but she used it to attract Tennessee Wesleyan, coached by Ashley Harris. “I’m in love with Coach Harris. She is phenomenal. The first time I met her, she was like my mom, just heartwarming and welcoming to her team,” Hobson said. “She was always texting me nice things. The surroundings, it’s a really small environment. It’s a change, but it’s a good change. I’m ready.” At OHS, Hobson was an outside hitter. She will do the same thing for the
Bulldogs, which is another reason she was attracted to the program. “That’s what really pulled me in, to do what I love. The game of volleyball, for me, isn’t a game without me hitting,” Hobson said. “To be an outside hitter and play back row, that was it when she said I could be an allaround player. She said she liked my work ethic and attitude on the court. She said that they really needed that at TW.” Former OHS coach Tara Ross was very proud for Hobson, and excited for her future. She agreed that club volleyball really made a difference in getting the offer. “This has been her dream. She has always wanted to play college and I’m just so excited that she has found a place for her,” Ross said. “She is going to do great, and grow, not only in the game of volleyball, but emotionally and mentally. It’s going to be great for her.”
AWARDS SPONSOR:
Nominations are now being accepted for Team of the Year and Player of the Year in the following Sports: • Girls and Boys Basketball • Girls and Boys Bowling • Girls and Boys Soccer • Archery • Girls and Boys Track
• Girls and Boys Tennis • Girls and Boys Golf • Girls and Boys Powerlifting • Softball • Baseball
Also accepting nominations for
Outstanding Scholar-Athletes from Northeast Mississippi's High Schools
Two Scholar-Athlete Winners Will Receive Scholarships Nominations accepted at:
www.djournal.com/hs/springsports ENTRY DEADLINE IS MAY 1, 2017.
PAGE 22
OXFORD CITIZEN
ThursdAy, APril 6, 2017
Ole Miss DL Out to Regain Form BY BEN GARRETT SPECIAL TO OXFORD CITIZEN
First-year Ole Miss defensive line coach Freddie Roach is keeping an open mind. The Rebel defense struggled mightily in 2016. They ranked No. 100 or lower nationally in every major statistical category except one (No. 66 in pass efficiency defense). Ole Miss was 5-7 overall as a result. The defensive line was widely regarded as a strong group, even when things were at their worst. But it’s hard to shake the ugliness of the numbers, and gone are a pair of starters in defensive tackle D.J. Jones and defensive end John Youngblood. Ole Miss did receive positive news in the return of Marquis Haynes, who opted to hold off on NFL Draft entree and play out his senior season. “He’s doing well,” Roach said of Haynes. “Not just to single him out, but all those defensive ends, it’s been a transition for them. We’re teaching them different things. These kids have been remarkable. They’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do to continue to improve. I’m proud of that. We’ve got to keep chopping wood. It’s been good. They’ve taken on this challenge and done well. We’ve got to keep working and know there’s a big picture in mind that we’re all trying to accomplish.” Roach has plenty of options as Ole Miss attempts to rebuild its defense from the inside out. It starts with Haynes, an All-SEC third team selection as a junior who currently ranks third in school history with 24.5 career sacks. He’s fourth with 36.5 tackles for loss. Haynes led Ole Miss in
tackles for loss, sacks, forced fumbles and sacks a year ago. Roach said Haynes’ abilities as a pass rusher are well-established. However, he believes Haynes can improve on run defense. “Obviously he can rush the passer,” Roach said. “That’s a known fact across the league. But most importantly is stopping the run. We’ve got to be better at stopping the run. With him, of course a great athlete, a great kid and a great competitor. I think it’s a little different. It’s kind of like Shaquille O’Neal. He’s a really good dunker, but where he struggles at is shooting free throws. So we’ve got to shoot more free throws, and that means stopping the run and work on stopping the run. The other stuff will come natural. That’s natural, God-given ability. Obviously we can tune some stuff up, but we’ve got to be able to stop the run. If we don’t stop the run, they’re never going to throw the ball.” Redshirt junior Victor Evans and redshirt sophomore and Syracuse transfer Qaadir Sheappard are competing to start opposite Haynes. Roach has liked what he’s seen from the battle. “There’s no dropoff between the two,” he said. “They’re both great players and great competitors and really good kids. For me to say that one’s ahead of the other, I don’t think that’s fair to say. We still have practices left. Maybe one pulls ahead of the other, but right now, they’re both working hard, they’re both learning the system and they’re both doing what we need them to do to play winning football.” Breeland Speaks was thought to be a breakout
PETRE THOMAS | OLE MISS ATHLETICS
Freddie Roach is exploring his options on the Rebel defense. candidate as a redshirt sophomore. However, consistency was an issue. He appeared in 12 games, registering 28 total tackles. He had 32 total tackles in but one additional game played in 2015. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Speaks sits atop the depth chart at defensive tackle with spring football practices in their final week. Ole Miss will host the Grove Bowl Saturday at 11 a.m. in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. “He needed a new start,” Roach said. “Not saying anything negative about who’s been here before, but sometimes we need a fresh beginning. I had expectations as a freshman. You come in as a sophomore and it doesn’t go according to what others may think. I’ve been in that position as a player. For the most part, to him, he probably let himself down more than anything. I told him, look,
you need to have a higher standard for yourself than anybody else can, and you know if you’re wrong or right. I think he’s got a fresh start. We all need it. I was in the same position. I get it. I understand where he’s coming from. He’s had a smile on his face every day he’s walked into my office or in that meeting room. I’m proud of him. We’re going to keep working. He’ll be great on Saturday; there’s no doubt in my mind.” Speaks is flanked by sophomore Benito Jones. Jones saw action in every game of his true freshman season. He totaled 39 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss. “I thought I was country. That may be one of the countriest kids I’ve ever met in my life,” Roach said. “Good kid, great energy, always has a smile on his face, doesn’t mind working. That room I’ve got, we’ve got some good kids. We’ve got some
good kids that are hungry and want to win. They want to reestablish what ‘Landshark’ defense is about. That’s a good thing. They’re willing to work and they want to be great. It’s our job to guide them and push them every day. We’re in this thing together.” In the end, Roach is simply looking for solid effort and enthusiastic approach, because his group has talent. Five of his defensive linemen were four-star-or-better prospects coming out of high school. It’s on Roach to maximize the abilities of the guys in his room. “Charles (Wiley) has done good,” he said. “He’s progressed and continued to work hard. Usually when they’re coming out of high school and maybe they don’t get the reps they would have had they played as freshman, there’s a lot of bad habits. For the most part it’s
just breaking bad habits like looking in the wrong place or trying to make plays that’s not your play to be made. I think that’s the most overrated thing in football, is go make a play. Not necessarily. Don’t make the play that’s not your play to make. Do your job, and then get to the ball. It’s just breaking those habits from high school. Charles has professed and done a good job. Ryder (Anderson) continues to work. He’s gained some weight. Doing real well. You can see him growing. “The progression we’ve made from day one to now has been really, really good. It’s only going to get better. We’ve got to continue to demand perfection and keep the standard high. It’s all about playing to a standard. If it’s not to the standard of what we think is winning football, then it’s not acceptable and we’ll do it until it gets right.”
OXFORD CITIZEN
ThursdAy, APril 6, 2017
PAGE 23
PETRE THOMAS | OLE MISS ATHLETICS
Former Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly makes some throws Monday before a recent wrist injury flared up.
Kelly’s Pro Day Cut Short BY BEN GARRETT SPECIAL TO OXFORD CITIZEN
Ole Miss Pro Day was supposed to be an NFL Draft showcase for former Rebel quarterback Chad Kelly. Forty-eight scouts from 31 NFL teams descended on the Manning Center Monday to get a look at Kelly and his fellow draft-eligible Rebels. While Kelly didn’t run a 40-yard dash or record a vertical jump, he went through passing drills … if only for a few minutes. Kelly hurt the wrist of his throwing arm some 12 or 13 passes into the session. Fortunately for Kelly, the injury appears minor. He’ll workout again
for scouts at the Manning Center April 22, all of five days before the start of the three-day NFL Draft. “They just said a sprained wrist,” he said. “It happened earlier – last week. I tried pushing through it this whole week and it felt good. And then I just kind of threw one, turning my wrist over pretty hard and it felt weird. And then I threw one in the flat, and it just didn’t feel the same. The guys decided to call it quits for the day and hopefully come back in a week or two and see how it is.” Kelly suffered a season-ending knee injury against Georgia Southern in November. He’s been
sidelined pretty much ever since, and the weeks and months that have followed have brought, seemingly, nothing but bad news. From an October video showing Kelly storming the high school field of his brother, to his Clemson past and an unfortunate photo, Kelly has weathered a public relations storm, of sorts. His draft stock has taken a significant hit as a result. Kelly even saw his NFL Combine invitation rescinded due to off-the-field issues. “You know, not only Clemson, but even in high school it still follows me,” Kelly said of the off-thefield stuff. “Every decision and everything you do is
going to be put in a microscope. One bad thing can blow up just like that. I’ve just got to be smart with everything I do and of course the past is going to come up.” Kelly said he never got an explanation as to why his NFL Combine invite was rescinded. “It gave me an extra week to work out in Pensacola, Florida,” he said, “so I wasn’t too worried about that. I was just trying to come out here today and show what I could do.” Ole Miss Pro Day was his first real opportunity to put his best foot forward and show why he was so highly thought of entering his senior season
at Ole Miss. Kelly accounted for an SEC-high 3,090 yards of offense in 2016. In his first season, he earned AllSEC second-team honors after breaking or tying 14 Ole Miss single-season records, including total yards (4,542), passing yards (4,042), passing touchdowns (31), touchdowns responsible for (41) and 300-yard passing games (eight). Kelly is currently projected to be a day-three selection, meaning rounds 4-7. But where he goes is less important than if he can stay on the field at all, as well as if he can put some more film on his resume for NFL talent evaluators.
Because he can’t do anything about his past. All he can control is how he plays. But he’s got to play. His wrist wouldn’t let him Monday. “Of course they bring up the past, but you try to let them know you’re not the same person,” Kelly said. “I just had my 23rd birthday last week. You’ve got to be a more mature person. Me and my brother talk all the time. He had kids two weeks ago trying to fight him, like 10 of them, talking crap about me and he was more mature to walk away from that situation and not get involved. If my 16-yearold brother is able to walk from situations, I should be able to if I’m 23.”
PAGE 24
OXFORD CITIZEN
Chargers FROM 18
winner-take-all game. Harvey sent Jake Gibbs to the mound in a tight moment late in the game and used his breaking pitch that the Lafayette hitters never figured out. “There were a couple of moments, and one of them was Jake Gibbs came in a save situation and really just shut them down,” Harvey said. “He was throwing breaking ball after breaking ball and they just could not hit it. And then of course I remember Cade (Hoggard) and Chad (Cregar) getting some big hits and getting that triple to clear the bases. It was a big time.” With the bases loaded, two strikes, two outs, and with Oxford trailing 4-2 in the fourth inning, Hoggard completely shifted momentum with a bases-clearing triple to the right-center field wall, giving the Chargers a 5-4 lead. The Chargers proceeded to add four more runs in the inning that
allowed Oxford to finish off the first game and force a second game against Lafayette. Hoggard recalled facing Woodall on the mound as Lafayette tried to close it out in the first game and not see a second game. “Justin Woodall was on the mound, you knew he had a good fastball,” Hoggard said, who is now the head baseball coach at Olive Branch. “If I remember correctly, he threw me a fastball. I made good contact with it, right-center gap I believe.” “One thing I really remember about that game was coach Harvey took me out at some point because I was in the dugout for most of it and I wasn’t too happy about that. Anytime you get to play on a field like that in high school at Swayze and you are under the lights, that’s a different atmosphere than what you have in a high school game. You’re playing your rival, you are playing for a chance to keep playing. It was an awesome time to be a high school kid.”
ThursdAy, APril 6, 2017
SCHOLARSHIP SIGNED
BEN MIKELL
Oxford High senior Cole Calhoon, front, signed a scholarship to play soccer for Mississippi College Tuesday afternoon. Joining him were OHS coaches and his family.
OXFORD CITIZEN
Thursday, april 6, 2017
paGE 25
Citizen OXFORD
toll free • 800.270.2622 p • 662.842.2622 f • 662.620.8301
classifieds@journalinc.com oxfordcitizen.com Ask About our Enhancements for Single-Column Ads. We have a variety of ways to customize your ad to get the action and results you want! Call today to place your Oxford Local Values classified ad! 1-800-270-2622 Fax: 662-620-8301 E-mail: classifieds@journalinc.com
NOTICE
Game Tickets • Sports Lessons • Sporting Goods Team Jerseys • Memorabilia • Collectibles • & more!
Have tickets to sell?
YARD SALE
Advertise in the Classifieds and reach hundreds of fans!
Call 662-842-2622
The Daily Journal Classifieds www.djournal.com
In Print & Online!
SERVICES Contractors
JOBS Drivers
BIGGER PAYCHECKS!
BETTER OPPORTUNITIES! Become a new driver for
STEVENS TRANSPORT! FREE TRAINING NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED
CDL & JOBREADY IN 3 WEEKS!
CALL FOR DETAILS!
18885407364
CARRIERS WANTED Route
Hours per day (approx.)
Gross per month (approx.)
Area
Boon 6....2.75.....$828......Jumpertown/Pisgah Okol 4.......3.0....$1,116................. Okolona Haml 1......4.0....$1,308....Aberdeen/Hamilton Belm 2......3.5......$1,224............S. Belmont Ripl 9.......3.5......$1,196.... W.Ripley/Ashland Whel 1/2....3.5....$1,116..... Baldwyn/Wheeler Pont 2.......3.......$1,171........SE Pontotoc Co. Ccity.........3.......$1,496............Calhoun City Bald 3.......4.......$1,503...E. Baldwyn/Marietta $100 signing bonus after one month of good service. If you have a dependable car, insurance, and a good driving record
call 662-678-1526
Journal DAILY
NEWSPAPER DELIVERY
Early morning hours • 7 days a week Work is done before deadlines. (Mon. - Sat. 5:30am; Sun. 6:00am)
HELP!! If you need help in getting rid of those extra items around the house, advertise in the OXFORD CITIZEN CLASSIFIEDS! Call today to place a classified ad that gets results FAST! 1-800-270-2622 Fax: 662-620-8301 E-mail: classifieds@journalinc.com
Be A BOLD Advertiser
Draw special attention to your ad by using larger bold print! Call today to place your classified ad. 1-800-270-2622 Oxford Citizen Classifieds
PAGE 26
OXFORD CITIZEN
General Employment
General Employment
General Employment
General Employment
Due to record business growth United Furniture Industries has immediate openings! We are offering the following to qualified individuals:
$500 signon bonus New higher pay rates
!
!
!
Production pay opportunity of $21+ per hour We are looking for experienced:
ThursdAy, APril 6, 2017 Ask About our Enhancements for Single-Column Ads. We have a variety of ways to customize your ad to get the action and results you want! Call today to place your Oxford Citizen classified ad! 1-800-270-2622 Fax: 662-620-8301 E-mail: classifieds@journalinc.com ***
HELP!! If you need help in getting rid of those extra items around the house, advertise in the OXFORD CITIZEN CLASSIFIEDS! Call today to place a classified ad that gets results FAST! 1-800-270-2622 Fax: 662-620-8301 E-mail: classifieds@journalinc.com
PART-TIME BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY * * *
IMMEDIATE
OPENINGS We are looking for individuals who would like to operate their own business. Must have excellent people and customer service skills.
Good record-keeping ability is essential.
RELIABLE VEHICLE A MUST.
Framers Springers Upholsterers
SUBSTITUTE CARRIER Ripley ....................................Call Penny 662-882-0290 Thaxton Area ......................Call Robert 662-486-8417 Plantersville ......................Call Terence 662-231-0034 Shannon ..............................Call Vinson 662-401-3568
Highly experienced people will be placed in production paid positions ASAP! We have 100+ positons available, and are hiring for Amory, Okolona, Nettleton, and Verona facilities. United Furniture offers a 401K, Health, Dental and a full range of ancillary benefits including Vision insurance. Apply on line at www.ufijobs.com. Kiosk are set up at each facility to access on line application. Hours for applying are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. United Furniture Industries is an equal opportunity employer.
S. Okolona ........................Call Kimberly 662-448-0374 Saltillo......................................Call Gary 662-213-6446
Journal DAILY
Newspaper Delivery Early morning hours 7 days a week
Work is done before deadlines. (Mon. - Sat. 5:30am; Sun. 6:00am)
Business Directory Asphalt
Blinds
TRI-LAKES ASPHALT, LLC.
Newspaper • Magazine • Interactive • Commerical Print
SERVING LAFAYETTE AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES
KRYSTAL BLACK
Residential & Commercial
Multimedia/Inside Sales Consultant
Streets, Driveways, & Parking Lots
krystal.black@journalinc.com
Call 662-234-4129
PO Box 909 Tupelo, MS | 38802-0909 1242 South Green Street Tupelo, MS | 38804
FREE ESTIMATES! Real Estate Thinking of Selling Your Home or Property? We Have Six EACH MOSSY OAK PROPERTIES OFFICE IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED Full-Time Agents Who Call Call Us Today Pontotoc Home. 662-489-2848
Journal, Inc.
Technology
Achieve greater network performance with less. It's time to get more performance from your network with far less. As in less bandwidth utilization, fewer resources, and less cost.
Phone 662.678.1532 or 1.800.270.2614 ext.532 Fax 662.620.8301
Journal, Inc. Newspaper • Magazine • Interactive • Commerical Print
PHILLIP WILBURN
Multimedia/Inside Sales Consultant phillip.wilburn@journalinc.com
CIRCADENCE R&D FACILITY CDF BUILDING • 398 EAST MAIN ST., 2ND FLOOR • TUPELO, MS 38804 662-821-2500 • www.circadence.com
PO Box 909 Tupelo, MS | 38802-0909 1242 South Green Street Tupelo, MS | 38804
Phone 662.678.1530 or 1.800.270.2614 ext.530 Fax 662.620.8301
OXFORD CITIZEN
Thursday, april 6, 2017
paGE 27
Employment Services
REAL ESTATE
STUFF
AUTO
Manufactured Housing For Sale
Electronics
Cars
Desk top Computer Tupelo or New Albany pickup
Oxford Citizen Classifieds are here to serve your needs.
HIGHLIGHT Your Ad with
REAL ESTATE
All Real Estate advertising here in is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any prefer ence, limitation or discrimina tion based on race, color, reli gion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preferences, limitations or dis crimination. We will not know ingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are here by informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. If you believe that you may have been discriminated against in connection with the sale, rental or financing of housing, call The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at 18006699777.
REVERSE PRINT
For Just $1.00 a Day The Oxford Citizen Classifieds offers a highlight of black background with white letters (Reverse Print). Put a black background with white letters on your ad and make it stand out on the page! Call 1-800-270-2622
PETS Pet For Sale
PERSIANS CFA REGISTERED April Easter Special $500 each plus spay or neuter passionpurrs.com 6627150129
Completely rebuilt, extremely nice. Complete daily tasks, explore the internet, download & view photos, download music, burn dvds/cds, 3gb memory, $175 firm. (662)2660437
Home Furnishings
You need answers. You need to reach the right audience. You need results. Oxford Citizen Classified Ad-Visors are as close as the nearest phone, well-versed and ready to assist you. We have a variety of ways to customize your ad to get the action and results you want! Call today to place your classified ad! 1-800-270-2622 Fax: 662-620-8301 E-mail: classifieds@journalinc.com
our ads work.
79% of adults have taken action as a result of reading or seeing an ad in the newspaper. Put us to work for your business. Call (662) 842-2614 for ad information.
TOYOTA CAMRY TSS 2008
Miscellaneous
Silver. Good mechanical condi tion, needs body work. $2,000 or best offer. Call or text for more details, 6623973763.
Make It Bold & Beautiful!
Use boldface type in your ad! Oxford Citizen Classifieds It Works 1-800-270-2622 Fax: 662-620-8301 E-mail: classifieds@journalinc.com
your journal. your connection.
662-234-7711 2128 W. Jackson Ave. • Oxford, MS 38655 www.johnsonsfurnitureonline.com
PAGE 28
OXFORD CITIZEN
ThursdAy, APril 6, 2017