Hometown Madison - July & August 2016

Volume 2 Number 5 

july/aug 2016 

SUMMER ROAD TRIP 

______________________ 

A PAtriot remembered 

______________________ 

Her Name is Nellie 

______________________ 

A Look Back In Time

FULL DIMENSIONAL STEREO 

THE BEST OF JEA 

01 COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAMS 

02 LASIK 

03 CATARACT SURGERY 

04 CONTACT LENS EXAMS 

05 OPTICAL BOUTIQUE 

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©2016 JEA 

We have it covered. 

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Neck and Back Specialists Shoulder and Elbow Specialists Hip Arthroscopy & Knee Specialists Hip & Knee Total Joint Specialists 

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Walter R. Shelton, M.D. 

Brian P. Johnson, M.D. 

James W. Woodall, M.D. 

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James W. O’Mara, M.D. 

Jeff D. Almand, M.D. 

E. Rhett Hobgood, M.D. 

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Trevor R. Pickering, M.D. 

Austin M. Barrett, M.D. 

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Foot and Ankle Specialists 

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Hand and Wrist Specialist 

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Toll Free: (800) 624.9168 or (601) 354.4488 

www.mississippisportsmedicine.com 

2 • July/August 2016

publisher & Editor 

Tahya A. Dobbs 

CFO 

Kevin W. Dobbs 

Consulting editor 

Mary Ann Kirby 

Account Executives 

Rachel Lombardo 

Contributing Writers 

Camille Anding 


Amanda Markow 

Susan Marquez 

Elise Sears 

Abigail Walker 

staff Photographer 

Othel Anding 

Contributing Photographer 

Elise Sears 

Administrative Assistants 

Alisha Floyd 

Brenda McCall 

Layout Design 

Daniel Thomas / 3dt 

Missy Donaldson / MAD Designs 

• • • 

“In the good ole summertime,” we salute July with its patriotic themes, family vacations, and those 

taste-pleasing farmer’s markets flooded with choice selections. 

August brings more heat and humidity, but the month still holds a few more vacation days and lots of 

grilled hamburgers around the swimming pool. 

I have warm and sweating memories of shucking fresh corn from my granddaddy’s garden and shelling 

peas on the eden couch with a reward of homemade ice-cream when we finished. 

All of us can share stories from our past- whatever the season. In this special issue we feature stirring 

chronicles of WWII veterans along with histories of the Flora Train Depot and The Home Place. 

Are you familiar with the Webster Animal Shelter? We can catch you up 

on it in this issue and hope it makes you want to go visit. You’ll also enjoy 

pictures of friends, family, and neighbors at some of the fun happenings in 

Madison County. One special event celebrated a wonderful lady’s life and her 

memory after her battle with cancer. 

With each completed issue, I say “this is my favorite” because each issue 

features the remarkable people that make up our hometown and the wonderful 

advertisers that publicize their businesses. 

Enjoy your summer. Escape the heat when possible and 

indulge in seconds of homemade ice cream if offered! 

www.facebook.com 

/hometownmadisonmagazine 

For subscription information 

visit www.htmags.com 

Contact us at info@HTMags.com 

601.706.4059 

26 Eastgate Drive, Suite F 

Brandon MS 39042 

• • • 

All rights reserved. No portion of Hometown Madison 

may be reproduced without written permission from 

the publisher. The management of Hometown Madison 

is not responsible for opinions expressed by its 

writers or editors. Hometown Madison maintains the 

unrestricted right to edit or refuse all submitted 

material. All advertisements are subject to approval by 

the publisher. The production of Hometown Madison 

is funded by advertising. 

In this issue Summer Road Trip ....................... 6 

A Patriot Remembered .................. 10 

Her Name is Nellie. .................... 14 

A Look Back in Time ................. 20 

A WWII Love Story ...........26 

The New Mannsdale ......................30 

Summer Memories ................... 36 

More Than Just Hot Air. ............... 40 

Webster Animal Shelter. .............. 44 

There’s No Place Like Home Place ...... 46 

Hometown madison • 3

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SUMMER 

ROAD 

TRIP 

Summertime is often when 

we pack our families into the 

car and strike out on memorymaking 

vacations. So we 

asked some of our readers, 

“What’s your favorite 

vacation memory 

and what made it 

so special?” 


Lu Poole 

A week in the Frisco/Breckenridge, Colorado area was right up 

my alley, as I LOVE cold weather. I took skiing lessons but failed 

miserably, and had bruises for weeks. Did some cross country skiing, 

which was much easier. What made the vacation special was the 

scenery and the unique shops, but most importantly, my boyfriend 

being with me on the trip! 

Patton Wilson 

My favorite memory is when we went to Disney World. 

I love that memory because it’s the first ride we all 

rode together ever at Disneyworld! 

Judge Will Longwitz 

My favorite vacation memory is getting buried in the 

sand by my daughters June and Sophie at the beach. 

Their laughter and total satisfaction at a job well done 

was captured in this photo taken by my wife Leigh Ann. 

Maggie Mangum 

I have lots of favorite vacation memories, 

but my favorite was going to New York City 

and seeing the Statue of Liberty and 

Aladdin and Lion King on Broadway! 

Kennedy High 

My first time going to Disney World because I was 

experiencing it and meeting new princesses. 

Ryan Houston 

My most memorable vacation was when I was living 

in Arkansas. My aunt enjoyed going to the casino in 

Mississippi and one day she decided to pile me and my 

cousins in her car for a road trip to one of the casinos. 

The day before we were to leave, her dog had puppies 

and it turned out that we had to take one of the puppies 

with us on our trip. We all took turns taking care of the 

puppy, but right before we reached our destination, sadly, 

the puppy died. We pulled over on the side of the road, 

had a funeral for the puppy and buried it. That experience 

left a lasting impression on me. It taught me a lot about 

the circle of life. We were there for the birth and we 

there for the death. It made me realize never to 

take one day for granted. 


Mariane & Earl Stegall 

Hope Mooney, Robin Scott 

Lisa Shaldra, Elise Ros 

Sonya Summerlin, Lynett McBrayer, 

Anna Grace McBrayer 

The American Cancer Society 

Tennis Classic 

presented by St. Dominic’s 

in Memory of Becky Taylor 

in Honor of Anna Hill 

April 22 / The Club at Township 

Jennie Mullen, Sabrina Sutherland 

Jamie & Lee Crifler, Laura Taylor 

Suzanne Leber, Angi Ricketts, Christine Kelley 

Tina & Hunter Arnold 

Robert & Carolyn Varner 

Jeff & Melissa Lewis, Jerry Newcomb 

Shelbey Taylor, Delaney Taylor 

Sister Mary Trinta, Jennifer Spong, Julia Morgan Sandifer 

8 • July/August 2016 

Patti Daily, Jeff Taylor, Laurie Nobel 

Byron & Kent Edgecombe

Pam Howarth, Jimmy Dukes, Bill Schmigh 

Esha Rosk, Foster Phillips, Delaney Taylor, Alayna Curtis 

Natalie Nicholes, Kelsey Carroll, Jon Carroll 

Emily Skeen, Lauren Keen, Anna Nuzzo, Emily Robertson 

Sister Dorthea Sondgeroth 

John Martin Pozzak, Austin Stuart, Trey Randall 

Elizabeth Brassard, Betsy Wicholoson, Jodi Maughhon 

Miriam Prince & Kevin Prince 

Joel Cushing, Caleb Cushing 

Emily Sham & Michael Sham, Sonya Milner & Michael Milner 

Rick Adams from Miss 103 

Jennifer Bowman, Pamela Boerner 

Mike & Pam Gallitus, Brennon Taylor, Ashley Highfill 

Diane Cushing, Elizabeth Brassard 



A Patriot 

Remembered 

Milton McMullen passed away on 

December 1, 2014, but the contributions he 

made to his country will live on in the hearts 

of his family and friends. His two Purple 

Hearts and two Bronze Stars along with a 

detailed catalog of his military exploits will 

remain as cherished items by his wife, 

Vickie, and their two sons. 

When the atomic bomb was dropped on 

Hiroshima in 1945, McMullen was in a POW 

camp 62 miles away. He actually witnessed 

the clouds and dust from the explosion. It 

would mark the end of war and McMullen’s 

release from 42 months as a prisoner of war. 

McMullen never imagined his stint in the 

military would mean surviving a plane fire, 

bombings, and an explosion that tossed him 

in the air and punctured him with shrapnel. 

While trying to recover from his injuries 

in the midst of hiding in the Philippine 

jungles, he was captured and survived a 

Japanese prison camp for over three years. 

His experiences further document the cost 

of our freedoms. 

McMullen’s family members heard how 

the prisoners were forced to do hard labor 

and had only boiled potato vines to eat. 

McMullen weighed 84 pounds when he 

was released. 

Daily beatings were a ritual from the 

guards. Once, while McMullen was working 

in the steel mill, a guard broke McMullen’s 

arm with a metal pipe. During a winter in a 

Tokyo prison, McMullen was tied to a tree 

overnight and suffered frostbite. 

He recalled getting a tiny sewing kit from 

the Red Cross, finding a ragged wool blanket 

and sewing a pair of shoes for himself. 

Hunger and cold were always challenges 

to survival. 

Once when McMullen was beaten so 

badly that he couldn’t work and was of no 

use to his captors, he was sent to the death 

camp to die. Miraculously, God gave him 

an opportunity to use his mechanic skills 

to repair one of their trucks. Orders soon 

arrived to send him back to the work camp. 

McMullen never forgot his experiences as 

a POW and remained an outspoken advocate 

for POW compensations. He continued to 

stay in touch with his elite club of POW 

survivors and served two terms as the State 

Commander of American Ex-Prisoners 

of War. 

His wife, Vickie, lives in Sunnybrook 

Estates and continues to preserve McMullen’s 

memorabilia in his office. His courage, 

fortitude, and resilience still linger among 

his medals. n 


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Her Name is 

NellieErin Williams 

“I'll do it.” 

I still remember the call like it was 

yesterday. It was a normal day at work when 

my husband called and told me that they 

didn’t know what to do with the calf we had 

been monitoring for the past few days. 

My husband and brother-in-law both work 

as ranch managers for a cattle farm, Noblin 

Road Farms, owned by Mr. Tom Underwood 

and Dr. Bill Sneed. Calving season had just 

started and Nellie was the third calf to be born. 

Her mom, a first-calf heifer, wanted nothing to 

do with her. 

The day she was born we knew something 

wasn’t right. The next day, to help facilitate the 

bonding, we put her and her mom in the catch 

pen and took turns going to the farm twice a 

day to run mom through the squeeze chute so 

Nellie could finally nurse. We tried everything, 

to no avail. After 3 days of that and no luck, 

my husband called to tell me that he and his 

brother simply didn’t have the time to bottlefeed 

the calf and, along with both farm 

owners, had decided they’d either need to sell 

her or give her away. 

And there it happened. Before I knew it, 

the words “I’ll do it” came out and I agreed to 

be Nellie’s adopted momma for the next six 

months. I couldn’t stand the thought of not 

knowing where Nellie might end up, if she’d 

take days to find a home, or how she’d eat 

during those days. 

As a girl smack dab in the middle of her first 

calving season, I was scared to death and I 

didn’t know anything about raising a bottle-fed 

calf. Because the farm is forty minutes from our 

house, and Zach and I have five jobs between 

the two of us, time going to and fro is something 

we didn’t have much of. We knew we needed 

to move Nellie closer to the house to make 

feedings before and after work realistic. 

It was hard getting her into the dog crate 

we used for the ride to a nearby barn my 

brother-in-law kindly let us use. She, too, was 

scared to death and only 4-days-old at the 

time. After putting her in an empty horses stall, 

she took to the bottle immediately. As we 

walked back to the truck, I could hear her 

loudly bawling. By that time, I, too, was 

bawling. It was an emotional night and I hardly 

slept a wink thinking about how lonely, scared, 

and confused she must’ve been. I was up 

before the alarm the next morning to feed her 

again. The bawling continued, for both of us, 

for the next couple of days. 

I almost drove myself crazy those first few 

days of Nellie’s arriving at the barn. I called 

everyone I could with experience in the cattle 

industry, talked with local extension agents, 

and even stopped in different co-ops 

desperate to get any information I could on 

how to raise this calf. As many of you know, 

things become a lot more important when you 

know a life depends on you–especially one 

that can’t talk and tell you what they need. My 

biggest fear was that Nellie was going to die 

or have a problem because of something I did 

or didn’t do. 

The one piece of advice I got the most 

during those days of phone calls was to not 

get too attached; however, by Nellie’s second 

day at the barn, she had a name. Whoops. 

But we had finally nailed down a routine; 

Nellie would stay in the stall at night and then 

go to the 14 by 14 outside pen we temporarily 

made for her during the day. We knew she 

needed sunshine and grass, but I was so 

nervous stray dogs or who-knows-what 

would try to mess with her that we fenced 

off the whole temporary pen with gates and 

chicken wire. 



Nellie has also taught me that 

you are stronger than you think– 

even if life sometimes gives you 

a less than ideal hand... 


When Nellie was finally big enough to not 

escape the paddocks the horses rotate in, she 

moved from her small pen to a huge paddock 

where she could graze and run freely. The 

first day we moved her out there, Nellie was 

obviously confused and a bit timid moving 

from something small that she knew to 

something large that she didn’t. Little did 

she know how much she would end up loving 

that move. How often do we also find 

ourselves in those types of predicaments? 

As of now, Nellie is growing like a pro, 

and it won’t be too long before I start weaning 

her from the bottle and she’ll get to rejoin the 

herd. Just this past week, she has embraced 

her new look of a bright blue halter and is 

quite stylish. Looking back on the past few 

months, I wouldn’t change a thing. I love 

Nellie a lot, and every time she sees me she 

runs straight to me and follows me around. 

I’ve learned a lot through caring for 

Nellie, as I know anyone who has taken 

care of livestock has learned. I’ve learned 

that you can truly never do too much research, 

and I’ve seen yet again how people in this 

community will bond together in a minute 

to lend a helping hand. I don’t know many 

other communities who could say the same 

thing. Aren’t we so lucky to live here? 

Nellie has also taught me that you never 

have too many bottles on hand and that you 

are stronger than you think–even if life 

sometimes gives you a less than ideal hand, 

like it gave her at the beginning. 

I’ve learned how to walk out of the barn 

as quietly as possible after feeding so she 

won’t hear me and get upset. I’ve laughed 

at how anytime I even think Nellie is gaining 

weight it’s a celebration–if only humans were 

like that! 

I’ve seen Nellie become a great platform 

for agriculture. What started as a few pictures 

on facebook, instantly turned into people 

outside of agriculture who’ve never been 

on a farm, that I work and am friends with, 

wanting to meet and feed her. Because of 

that, she’s met many new friends and has 

given others a chance to experience 

something they probably wouldn’t have 

been able to otherwise. 

There’s been a lot of mornings that waking 

up so early to feed her was hard. But there’s 

also been a lot of lessons learned, a lot of 

milk replacer bought, a lot of cow hugs 

given–and a now lifelong bond between me 

and a calf. My Nellie-girl. 

They say you remember a lot of firsts in 

your life and I think that’s true. Nellie was my 

first bottle-fed calf, my first pet calf in a lot of 

ways, and I hope that throughout my life she 

won’t be my last. 

I think back to that original phone call 

often–and I’m happy I said, “I’ll do it.” n 


July & August 

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A Look 

Back 

in Time 

Susan Marquez 


At one time, when rail travel was more prevalent, 

small train depots were seen at each town along the railroad tracks. 

It was the place where journeys began and ended, loved ones bid farewell 

or where they looked forward to seeing them again after they’d been away 

for a while. As rail service decreased and the popularity of the automobile 

increased, many of the train depots were abandoned and 

fell into disrepair before disappearing altogether. 

That is not the case with the train depot in 

Flora. Located adjacent to the tracks that carry folks 

from New Orleans to Chicago and back again, the 

Flora train depot looks much like it did when it was 

built in 1883, thanks mainly to the efforts by the 

Flora Area Historical Society, who acquired the 

little depot in 2006. They’ve put a lot of work into 

not only restoring the building, but in adding a 

museum where folks can learn more about the area 

and what life was like in the 1800s. 

Presley Posey is a member of the Historical 

Society in Flora and says that many of the local 

items were donated by families who have lived in 

the area for generations. “Not everything in the 

museum is local, but they are all period pieces that 

tell the story of what life must have been like in 

Flora when the town was founded and when folks 

traveled by rail to go to other towns.” 

The depot sits on land that was donated by the 

Jones family. Flora was founded in 1882 when it was 

chosen as the site for a depot of the Illinois Central 

Railroad. J.C. Clark was the general manager in 

charge of surveys and construction for the Illinois 

Central and he determined that a rail line from 


It’s a beautiful 

building and 

an asset to the 

town of Flora 

Canton to Yazoo City would be ideal as a feeder line for the 

area, which was a very productive cotton-growing area. 

Instead, the route they built was from Jackson to Yazoo City, 

and it passed right through Flora. The depot was named 

after Jones’ wife, Flora Mann Jones, and subsequently, 

the city, which was chartered and incorporated in 1886, 

was named after her as well. 

Posey says that some of the more interesting items in the 

museum include an 1830s bell from the Flora Methodist 

Church and a surveying set used by a local man in the 

1920s. There is also an extensive bottle collection from 

the Barnes family. “We have lots of old photographs from 

around town, and of course, plenty of train memorabilia,” 

says Posey. 

The little depot ceased being a functioning depot in 

the 1960s. About seven or eight years ago, the waiting 

room area for the depot was renovated and is now 

used as the offices for the Flora Chamber of Commerce. 

“It’s a beautiful building and an asset to the town of Flora,” 

says chamber director Abby Enfinger. 

The museum is open the first and third Saturday of 

each month, from 10am to 2pm. A member of the Flora 

Area Historical Society is always on hand to talk about 

the displays and to answer questions. “There’s not always 

a big rush of folks waiting to get in each time we’re opened,” 

laughs Posey, “but we do get some tour groups from time to 

time and those who happen to wander in on their way to 

the Petrified Forest.” 

A visit to the Train Depot Museum in Flora is worth 

the trip, especially when you pair it with a delicious burger 

from The Blue Rooster, just across the street, or anything 

from Bill’s Creole and Steak Depot, just down the tracks. n 



Mississippi Officers Participate 

in Law Enforcement Torch Run 

for Special Olympics Mississippi 

Law enforcement officers from across the 

state celebrated their 2016 fundraising success 

for Special Olympics Mississippi with the 

2016 Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special 

Olympics. 

“Law enforcement officers are the 

‘Guardians of the Flame of Hope’ for Special 

Olympics athletes in more than 100 countries 

around the world,” said Tony Bahou, president 

and CEO of Special Olympics Mississippi. 

“Their efforts help us provide life-changing 

experiences and competitions for more than 

4,000 athletes in Mississippi year round.” 

Law enforcement officers use off-duty 

time to support athletes and programs, and 

the funds raised—topping $47,000 in 2016 for 

Mississippi through T-shirt sales, car washes 

and softball and basketball tournaments–stay 

local to the state and the communities they 

protect and serve. 

Law enforcement officers worldwide 

have raised more than half a billion dollars 

for the cause since the inception of the Law 

Enforcement Torch Run. 

Special Olympics Mississippi became 

one of the first pilot programs after Special 

Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver 

visited Ellisville State School in Jones County 

in 1968, and was officially incorporated and 

recognized by the state in August 1975. 

Today, Special Olympics Mississippi 

serves more than 4,000 athletes through a 

network of 17 multi-county areas and thousands 

of volunteers. Athletes compete locally at more 

than 50 events across the state, then statewide 

at the annual Summer Games and Fall Games. 

Athletes can then advance to the national and 

international levels of competition. n 




A 

WWII 

L ve 

Story 

Abigail Walker 

This year marks the 69th 

anniversary of Richard and 

Nellie Paul Farr of Madison. 

It has also been 70 years 

since Richard returned home 

from WWII. The time that he 

served as a young man with 

the 99th Infantry Division 

of the United States Army 

is hard to forget, but years 

later he also recalls the love 

letters from a girl back 

home who gave him hope. 


In 1944 Richard was drafted at the age of 18. He was living in 

Jackson, Mississippi, at the time and spent his basic training at 

Camp Shelby and then Camp Wheeler in Georgia. After being 

moved to several states up north, he was eventually sent overseas. 

In January of 1945 Richard sailed to Europe on a ship called 

the Aquitania. With 7,000 troops onboard and limited space, 

men often had to sleep on the floor or stacked on top of each 

other in hammocks. Richard remembers his name being called 

over the loudspeaker, and he was requested to serve as a typist 

while on board the ship–a job which allowed him more perks 

during the journey. 

They arrived in Scotland and began traversing around Europe. 

Sometimes their train would have to hide under a bridge for 

several days with the lights out so they wouldn’t be spotted. In 

France, Richard recalls the starving children who begged the 

soldiers for food. Before his men were sent to Belgium, their duffle 

bags were emptied and all they were allowed to carry was a few 

supplies and dry socks. 

They were known as the “Battle Babies”–young men sent over 

as replacements toward the end of the war. They spent most of 

their time patrolling the Ardennes Forest. Richard remembers 

the frigid temperature and fear of frostbite. The barns that looked 

dry and cozy for sleeping were full of booby-traps, so they dug 

out foxholes in the icy ground and laid side-by-side for warmth. 

Richard still keeps in touch with his foxhole buddy Charlie. 

Richard says they would see bomber planes flying overhead 

and then hear their return later in the night. They watched as 

German prisoners were escorted home from Russia on their last 

legs. Then there were the times when German tanks would roll 

right over their foxholes, the babies of the 99th division below 

their massive wheels. He also remembers the destruction–the 

European towns that had been reduced to rubble. 

But when the mail would come, Richard was reminded of the 

Mississippi redhead who was waiting for his return. Every time 

he opened one of her letters, he found a ray of hope and a piece 

of home. 

Richard and Nellie Paul met in high school. He was a couple 

years older and soon graduated, but before he was shipped out, 

Nellie Paul would visit Richard at basic training and mail him 

letters. When he was sent overseas, the letters continued. They 

came so frequently that he would often get a whole stack by the 

time the mail caught up with his troop. 

“She was good about writing letters,” Richard says. 

“And he was good about keeping them,” adds Nellie Paul. 


He packed her letters in his duffle, carrying them all over 

Europe even though every ounce meant more weight he had to 

haul. The ones he couldn’t keep he buried in a barn, but the rest 

he brought back with him. 

Nellie Paul recalls how the postman would smile when he 

brought her a letter from Richard, excited to see her receive 

word that her beau was doing well. But Richard couldn’t tell 

her everything about what was happening in Europe. Sometimes 

the paper would have holes cut out, signs that the mail 

had been censored for sensitive information. 

He called her “flapper” or his redhead and would often joke 

about her needing to correct his grammar. “I’m sorry I can’t 

write a sweet letter like you can,” he had scrawled on a thin 

piece of V-mail. 

But Nellie Paul didn’t seem to care. “You do some of the 

craziest things, darling,” she sent in one letter. “But I guess 

that’s one reason why I love you.” 

Richard was near Munich when the war ended, but it took 

him over a year later until he was back home. Nellie Paul had 

just graduated from high school when Richard returned. He 

wrote to her: “This time last June, I just knew I would be home 

surely to see you graduate–but, no dice. I hope you had a 

picture made in your dress.” 

They were married in October of 1947. Since Richard didn’t 

smoke, he had sold his government-issued cigarettes and saved 

enough money to buy Nellie Paul a ring. 

The Farrs now have three children, four grandchildren, 

and five great-grandchildren and are called “Papa” and “Honey” 

by their loved ones. This July, Richard will be celebrating his 

90th birthday. Even after all these years he’s still able to 

remember details about his WWII days when he was a young 

man in Europe. And Nellie Paul is quick to help him fill in 

some of the gaps. 

They now have a whole box of letters from the both of them 

during those years when they were apart–reminders of the 

start to their relationship that has lasted for decades. 

“I suppose you’re the ‘man in my life’ now,” Nellie Paul had 

written. “I think I’ll always feel this way and it’ll be not only for 

now, but ‘now and forever.’” 

“I guess I meant it,” she adds years later with a smile. n 


The New 

Mannsdale 

Amanda Markow 

The architects behind the new Mannsdale school give an 

inside glimpse of the beautiful new space before the students 

are running (or walking quietly) through the halls. 


School bells will soon be ringing again, and for one school in Madison, 

they will be ushering in the first school year ever. Mannsdale Upper 

Elementary is officially ready to welcome students for the 2016-2017 

school year, thanks in part to the design team, Dale | Bailey, 

The association was formed in August 2008 bringing together a firm with years of 

experience in educational facility planning, design and construction. Since then, Dale | Bailey 

has designed dozens of schools including Canton and McNeal Elementary Schools, Moss 

Point’s Magnolia Middle School, and Clinton’s Northside and Eastside Elementary Schools. 

In addition to these new schools, they also have renovations to existing schools on their 

extensive resume. 

“Our team at Dale | Bailey only designs schools,” says partner Gary Bailey, AIA. 

“It is the passion of our partners and drives all we do.” 

They recently brought that passion to Madison. As with all major projects, the work for 

Mannsdale began with a series of meetings. “The general public often doesn’t realize what 

happens before the project is being built,” says partner Russ Blount, AIA. “There are a lot of 

meetings and a team of people involved. In the early design process, we meet with select school 

officials, principals, teachers, maintenance operators, kitchen directors, etc. to get input on the 

ideal design concepts. We often go through an initial charrette type process where we gather 

information and translate into a program, sketches, floor plans, and then a 3D model.” Meetings 

continue throughout the design process with key groups such as fire marshals, city officials, and 

crucial team consultants such as structural engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers, civil 

engineers, food service consultants, and many more. 

Working with Madison County schools means meeting with and working for the District 

Superintendent, Dr. Ronnie McGehee. “Dr. McGehee often says, ‘All I want is what I paid for,’” 

says Blount. “As the architect for this and all projects, we strive to interpret the client’s design 

and ensure that all of the details discussed are incorporated into the design, construction 

documents, and built by the contractor.” 


Their team then reviews progress during construction to 

make sure the school is being built per their specifications 

and standards. After all, “the school district deserves a 

quality project that will last for many years,” says Blount. 

Both Bailey and Blount agree that communication is 

a huge part of the design process for any project. “Madison 

County Schools has high expectations as educators, and 

we made sure we listened to the needs of the users of the 

building–teachers and administrators,” says Bailey. 

For example, safety and sightlines are very important 

in schools. With this in mind, Dale | Bailey organized the 

floorplan so that staff can stand at central points in the 

hallways and see throughout the school from one end 

to the other. “These node points become elements such 

as a rotunda which incorporate specialized design 

characteristics,” says Blount. 

Blount says they often add details that the school can 

use for learning tools. “At Mannsdale, we added a colorful 

map of Mississippi which shows all of the level changes of 

the terrain. The students can easily see where they are on 

the map in relation to the state. The map has a compass 

overlay which is oriented to true north.” 

Having done so many schools, it would be easy for 

Dale | Bailey to operate on autopilot, but that’s of course 

not the case with them. They design each school with a 

playfulness of patterns of color in the floors and walls. 

“The colors help to provide organization along the 

hallways to guide students to their classrooms. They 

differentiate each of the classroom wings by color, and 

they aid in organization of furniture and traffic flow in 

assembly spaces,” says Blount. 

And for Mannsdale Upper Elementary in particular, 

the team designed the exterior of the school to respect 

the design character of the community, says Bailey. 

With the new school year quickly approaching, the 

architects are excited to see this school in action soon, 

and they are pleased with how the project has gone. 

“Schools are a very complex and complicated process and 

product,” says Blount. “Issues always occur [during design 

and construction], and we work with the contractors and 

the owner to find common sense solutions that respect 

the investment of the taxpayers.” 

Overall, it’s evident that the partners of Dale | Bailey 

hold education in high regard and make every effort to 

meet the needs of new and/or existing schools. 

“Our focus comes from our heart for children and 

creating spaces that are worthy of their great education,” 

says Bailey. n 



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Summer 

I never realized 

I was making memories. 

I was just having fun... 

Climate-change theorists claim that the increase in extreme 

meteorological events like hurricanes, epic flooding and torrential 

downpours of the past decade can be directly attributed to warmer 

global temperatures. It makes complete sense to me because, as 

my husband can attest, when I get hot I act stupid, too. And the 

older I get, the hotter I get—not in a good way, either. 

When I was a kid, however, I didn’t seem to notice how hot it 

was. I could run and play outside from sun-up to sundown in the 

sweltering 98-degree Delta temperatures and never miss a beat. 

Every year I’d spend the summer in Yazoo City with my 

grandparents. As the product of a single-parent household, it 

was important that I be engaged in activities during the summer 

months while my mother worked–so going to Yazoo City 

while school was out was really the simplest, and certainly most 

entertaining, option for me. 

It is because of those summers that my grandmother and I 

forged a very special bond. She taught me to play Double Solitaire 

and work crossword puzzles. We’d make Coke-floats in those 

aluminum tumblers that got so cold you could barely hold them 

in your hands. She taught me to identify certain birds and let me 

fill the feeder that hung right outside the kitchen window. I even 

learned the combination to the post office box. 

One day, she suggested the idea of making a fort. I’m pretty 

sure she was just trying to figure out a way to get me outside of 

the house and out from under her coattail. There was an empty 

refrigerator box behind the appliance store around the corner 

from home, so we loaded up in my grandfather’s little yellow 

pick-up and retrieved what would soon become my make-shift 

playhouse. We put it in the garage and I quickly gathered a few 

things from inside the house and promptly moved into my new 

box. That playhouse literally provided me with countless hours’ 

worth of fun and entertainment, along with a couple of other 

neighborhood kids that would wander in-and-out. I imagine it 

now to be like playing in a 450-degree oven. 


Memories 


My grandmother worked hard to keep me entertained, though. 

She would drop me off at the swimming pool every day around 10am 

with a pocket full of quarters for the vending machines and a dime 

for the pay-phone. Unless I called, she would just plan to be back at 

2:00–or sooner if it rained. If there was lightening, the lifeguard 

would clear the pool. In those instances it might take a little longer 

before she could make it back, but I was happy to wait. The cute 

blond-headed teenage boy smelled like a mix of Sea & Ski suntan 

lotion, chlorine, and Flex shampoo. He was fifteen. 

Once back home, I’d play the piano in my wet bathing suit until 

I eventually ruined the finish on that old piano bench. She never said 

a word about it, though—and never fixed it, either. And by 3:00, all 

her afternoon coffee buddies would show up. They came every day– 

for nearly thirty years. 

Each day, seven or eight women (and whoever else felt like stopping 

by) would show up for coffee and whatever sweet treats were on hand. 

My personal favorite was an apricot nectar cake with a lemon glaze 

icing that was kept on a plate under a heavy glass dome. They would 

sit around the kitchen table and hoot and holler and talk about 

everything you can imagine. And they’d eat that entire cake–but not 

before saving a slice for me. 

Sometimes I’d leave them to their business and walk 

downtown to spend my loot on “allowance day”– 

barefooted, no less. That scalding-hot pavement 

and concrete didn’t deter me for one second 

(another thing that’s changed with age). I’d get 

$2 per week–unless the neighbors left their 

soda bottles out for me to pick up and 

return to the Jitney for a nickel apiece. 

That sometimes meant I’d have an 

extra forty-five cents or so to blow at my 

discretion. 

But most times I’d hang around and sit within eavesdropping 

distance of the gaggle going on in that kitchen. For two-hours straight 

they would talk about books and recipes and their families. They 

would talk about the new preacher, or peat moss and different rose 

varieties. They invested in one another and knew everything there 

was to know about each other. They were a sisterhood that, frankly, 

our generation seems to know little about. 

In the era of social media where friends are cultivated through 

requests, invites, clicks, likes, and re-tweets, it seems we’re missing out 

on the benefits of true face-to-face interaction and communication. 

While visiting day-in and day-out for almost thirty years, that 

group of women fed each other with their sheer love for one another 

and their camaraderie. They shared life in real time–not with emojis 

and hashtags but with real laughter and, in some cases, real tears. 

At the age of 96, my grandmother passed away. There was a line in 

her obituary that read, “Mary loved to visit with her friends. For decades 

they met at her kitchen table for coffee–and their long-awaited 

reunion will be extraordinary.” My grandmother had outlived them 

all–and was the last of them to go. 

Every day, these women would meet for coffee and talk about life. 

They showed each other grace and gave each other 

courage. They’d giggle and cackle until sometimes 

erupting so uncontrollably that no words were 

spoken for what seemed like an hour. All I could 

hear was wheezing and gasps as they tried to regain 

their composure. I’d be giggling, too. They were all great 

characters in an equally great story. They were part of a tribe. 

And at the end of the day, when their coffee cups were empty, 

their hearts were full to the rim. 

And, God willing, they’d be back tomorrow. What an 

extraordinary lesson and legacy. n 



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More 

Than 

Just 

Hot 

Air 

Susan Marquez 


The sight of a colorful 

hot air balloon silently 

riding the winds is a 

treat for anyone. 

But to see a couple dozen of 

them at once is something 

that people remember forever. 

The balloons will light up at dusk for a 

spectacular show, followed by fireworks 

to patriotic music. A balloon chase run/ 

walk will be held at the Canton 

Multi-Purpose Center on Saturday, 

July 2, followed by the Canton Balloon 

Luckily, Madison County residents 

have the opportunity to see 

such a spectacle each 

summer during the 

Mississippi International 

Balloon Race and 

Festival. Presented 

by the Canton Parks & 

Recreation Department, 

the event is celebrating its 

31st anniversary this year. “That’s 

significant,” states Canton’s Parks & 

Recreation director, Alvin Davis. “We 

work hard each year to present a 

good family-oriented event, and each 

year the Balloon Festival does not 

disappoint.” 

The three-day event, scheduled 

for July 1 through 3, will include several 

competitive balloon races and fun 

flights, two spectacular balloon glows, 

two incredible firework presentations, 

children’s activities, great food, and 

great entertainment. The event kicks 

off Friday night with the Celebrate 

America balloon glow at Northpark Mall. 

Glow & Patriotic Fireworks Spectacular. 

“This year’s theme is ‘Come Have 

a Stinkin’ Good Time in Canton,’” laughs 

Davis. “Of course, one of our featured 

balloons is Pepe LePew!” The flirtatious 

skunk will join other Looney Tunes 

special shape balloons including 

Tweety Bird and Sylvester the Cat. 

“We will also have the Purple People 

Eater balloon, which should be fun,” 

said Davis. In addition to the special 

shape balloons, Davis says there will 

be 20 to 25 colorful hot air balloons for 

the event, many of which return to 

the festival year after year. 

What casual observers on the 

ground may not realize is that it 

requires a team to get each of those 

balloons in the air, and to get them 

back safely to Earth. Peggy Woods has 

served as crew director for the event 

for several years, and she also helps 

out with other balloon festivals in the 

region. Her role is to assign the volunteer 

crew members to each balloon as 

needed. Ken Johnson, Joe McKay 


"Come Have a Stinkin’ 

and Tim Slattery coordinate the balloon 

aspect of the festival, troubleshooting when 

necessary. 

Johnson says that crew members are 

vital to the event. “It’s a vital part of the sport 

of ballooning. Without them, you can’t get 

a balloon off the ground.” Johnson’s first 

contact with a balloon came in 1989 when 

he was a spectator at the Sky Parade at 

the Jackson airport. “I saw a balloon pilot 

struggling and I told my wife I was going to 

see if I could help him out. She told me I 

didn’t know anything about that, but I told 

her I could follow his directions!” Johnson 

followed directions so well that he returned 

to crew again and again until he ended up 

buying his own balloon and getting his pilot’s 

license. He now owns two balloons, a 54,000 

cubic foot that allows for him to fly it with 

one other passenger, and a 90,000 cubic foot 

balloon which can carry an additional two 

people. “Most people get into ballooning 

through being a crew member. It gives folks 

an up-close look at how the balloons work.” 

Being a crew member involves being at 

the launch site early in the morning or late 

in the afternoon, as those are the optimal 

times for flying. The actual balloon envelope, 

constructed of reinforced nylon, has to be 

unpacked and stretched out, then attached 

to the gondola, or basket. A portable gasoline 

powered fan pushes cold air into the envelope. 

Crew members hold the envelope open so 

that it can fill with air. When the envelope is 

about half inflated with air, a propane burner 

is ignited until the air inside is heated enough 

for the balloon to rise to an upright position. 

With a small amount of additional heat, 

the balloon becomes buoyant. Typically, the 

inflation takes about 30 minutes. The pilot 

and passengers climb inside and the crew 

members untether the basket and the 

balloon rises into the sky. 

The job of the ground crew is not over 

at that point—far from it. The “chase crew” 


Good Time in Canton” 

then hops into a vehicle and follows the 

balloon on the ground. That can lead the 

chase vehicle down country roads, and 

even pastures as it tracks the progression 

of the balloon. Inside the balloon, the pilot 

can adjust the altitude of the balloon by 

opening vents in the top of the balloon to 

release the hot air. The chase crew maintains 

radio contact with the pilot because 

maintaining visual contact isn’t always 

possible. The ground crew must be wherever 

the balloon lands to once again tether it to 

the ground and begin the process of deflating 

the envelope. Once all the air is out, the 

balloon envelope must be rolled up and 

tightly packed into a large bag for storage in 

the basket. The basket is then loaded in the 

bed of a pickup truck for transport back to 

the festival site. 

If a crew member is lucky, they will have 

the opportunity to be a passenger in the 

balloon. The trip may last ten minutes up to 

an hour or more, depending on the amount 

of fuel the pilot has and how the winds are 

blowing. The balloons can fly from just 

above the treetops to up to 3,000 feet. 

Johnson says that the crew members 

bond with the pilots, and return year after 

year to crew with the same pilots. But there 

is always a need for additional volunteers. 

If there are enough new people for the event, 

a crew school is held to go over safety issues 

and general hot air balloon knowledge. 

Anyone interested in crewing can call the 

Canton Parks & Recreation Department and 

put their name on a list to be given to 

Peggy Woods. n 

___________________________________________ 

The Mississippi Championship Balloon Race and Festival 

is presented by the City of Canton Parks and Recreation 

Department in collaboration with Canton Convention & 

Visitors Bureau, the Mid-Mississippi Balloon Association 

and The Good Samaritan Center. For more information, 

visit www.ballooncanton.com. 



Webster Animal Shelter 

Elise Sears

Most people know the saying “man’s best friend” 

when it comes to having a dog, but to Vicki Currie, 

Margie Parker-The Dog Lady, and Anna Ford-The 

Cat Lady, they all feel that dogs and cats can be a best 

friend to anyone. Vicki has been the director for 

Webster Animal Shelter for two years now, but has 

actually been there since it all began five years ago 

when the shelter found itself newly under the 

jurisdiction of the Madison Police Department. 

Before Vicki became the director over the shelter, she was an 

investigator with the MPD for twelve years. There had been a time 

where there was no set person in charge of things at the shelter–it was 

all run by volunteers. So after assuming all shelter operations, the chief 

of police asked her to organize a routine and get things on track. “We 

have a set routine when the animals come in,” says Vicki. “When one 

comes from animal control, they have to stay for five business days in 

order to determine if they are adoptable.” After the five day waiting 

period the animals are put up for adoption. 

Transitioning from the police department to the animal shelter has 

been an adjustment for Vicki, but there are still unfortunate situations 

she is faced with that are all too familiar to her. Vicki states that “As an 

investigator, I dealt with people that went through abandonment and 

abuse. It’s the same with these dogs and cats. It’s still stressful and not 

easy, but it’s a different kind of stress.” 

As stressful as working at the shelter can be however, the support 

Vicki receives is what makes things a little easier for her. “Everyone else 

that helps are mainly volunteers,” says Vicki. “On Wednesdays and 

Thursdays when Anna is off, there is a set group of volunteer ladies 

that come in between eight-thirty and nine.” 

And while there are a lot of adult groups that come in to volunteer 

at the shelter, there are many children that are eager to help out as 

well. It is important for volunteers to interact, play, and walk with 

the animals. But that’s not all the volunteers do. “Sometimes they may 

be cleaning out the kennels and messy work like that, but the most 

important thing is for people to socialize and have human interaction 

with some of our special needs animals.” Vicki also explains how there 

are numerous cases where dogs will come in petrified of any kind of 

human interaction. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to lay beside 

the dog’s kennel until the animal is willing to socialize and be shown 

some love. Vickie says that “The volunteers aren’t just walking animals. 

They’re making a difference in these animals’ lives.” 

Vicki makes it very clear that the Webster 

Animal Shelter is not like your typical shelter. “I’m 

pretty sure we are one of just a few no kill animal 

shelters in the state of Mississippi.” Vicki states 

that because of this, they take a lot of pride in the 

“Working 

here keeps 

a smile on 

your face. ” 

Margie Parker 

way they take care of their animals. “Every animal 

we have here deserves to find a person that is going 

to love them like their own,” says Vicki. “We treat all 

of the animals here like they are our own.” 

To help assure that animals are paired with the 

right prospects, Vicki allows people interested in 

adopting to foster the animal/s they are interested in. 

“They have a long sleepover,” as Margie-The Dog 

Lady says. “If the first night goes well, we let them 

keep them another night.” Vicki also says that “If the adopters feel 

like it’s a good match, then that’s when we actually begin the adoption 

process.” 

When people come in to look at the animals that are up for 

adoption, one thing they might notice is just how clean and organized 

the shelter is. Margie says that “One of the most encouraging things 

for us to hear is how clean our shelter looks and smells. We take a lot 

of pride in that since we work so hard to keep it that way.” With their 

routine, specific areas for all animal cases, and set volunteers, it makes 

keeping things fresh around the shelter possible. 

Vicki mentions how the Madison community has played a big part 

in making the shelter what it is today. “The community’s love and 

support is definitely something we could not do without,” says Vicki. 

“We have so many people who come into the shelter with bags of dog 

and cat food, and even some donate money.” Vicki also states that 

while a good many of the donations come from adults, children also 

come in with their allowance to donate and to help out at the shelter. 

“Any kind of donation we get funding-wise goes toward medical 

treatment for the animals who need it,” says Vicki. “Because of those 

donations, we have helped cure around thirty-one heartworm cases.” 

Basic food and supplies come from the budget the city allows the 

shelter. Without all of this support, Vicki states “things for the shelter 

would be very different.” 

It is clear to see that life around the Webster Animal Shelter is 

different. It’s like a family working together toward the same goal. 

“We’re here to save lives,” Vicki states. “There is nothing worse than 

when a sweet animal that could be a good pet or companion to 

someone has to be put down for health reasons,” she continued. 

Margie explains how there are too many cases where someone would 

come in with a worn, unhealthy animal and leave it at the shelter 

because they just don’t want to take care of them anymore. 

For Vicki, Margie, and regular volunteers like Grace Tupper who 

have been there for years, it is important that each 

animal has nothing but a happy ending. Vicki says 

“There is nothing more rewarding than seeing an 

animal you have worked with and loved on for so 

long, finally get adopted to a sweet family.” n 


There 

’s No Place Like Home Place 

Whoever coined the phrase “The 

Golden Years” must have had The Home 

Place in mind. Tucked quietly off Old Canton 

Road across from the airport and fire station 

in Madison, the independent living facility 

celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, and 

along with it there are a few residents who are 

approaching the centenarian status. The 

average age of the residents there is 87. 

Lucille Nichols serves as the administrator 

of The Home Place, a role she’s had for the 

past 42 years. She also serves as the unofficial 

historian. “This started as an old men’s home,” 

explains Nichols. “It moved a few times to 

various locations before the board obtained 

property from the federal government. This 

was way out in the country in those days.” 

The County Farm had closed and seventy-two 

old men were put out so the home agreed to 

take them in. It stayed an old men’s home 

until 1965, when they took a lady in and 

changed the name. 

A statewide vote was taken to determine 

a name for the home and it was almost 

unanimous to name the home after Willard 

Bond, a well-known and much-loved public 

official in Mississippi whose life was dedicated 

to helping people. 

In 1987, the Old Ladies Home on Capitol 

Street in downtown Jackson was condemned, 

and the ladies moved to Madison. The name 

was changed to the Old Ladies Home/ 

Willard F. Bond Home. “Now it’s all under 

the umbrella of The Home Place,” explains 

Nichols. In 1992, the Villas were built behind 

the home. “Those have been very popular. 

There’s a long waiting list for folks wanting 

to move into them.” 

Altogether, The Home Place, a private, 

charitable corporation, has 102 residents. At 

one time it served as a long term nursing care 

facility, but they sold that license to the 

Nichols Center next door. The Home Place 

is now considered an independent living 

facility. “We don’t have medical staff on site,” 

says Nichols. “But we do have a fire station 

across the street and they do a great job for 

us when we need them.” 

Nichols explains that the philosophy of 

The Home Place is to provide a home for 

senior adults who need a home. “Personal 

care centers keep the elderly from having to 

go to a nursing care facility. Our residents can 

have personal care nurses or therapists come 

in just like they would in a traditional home. 

We serve three meals a day and provide 

laundry service and housekeeping service 

once a week. Someone comes in and changes 

the sheets and cleans the bathrooms, and 

such. All our residents have to do is sit back 

and enjoy.” 

Sitting back may be difficult for some, with 

the many activities The Home Place provides 

Susan Marquez 



Lucille Nichols, Administrator 

for its residents. “Oh, there’s something going on 

all the time,” exclaims Nichols. “We have prayer 

meetings every Tuesday night, with preachers from 

area ministries rotating to do the services. That way 

folks feel like they are back at their old church every so 

often. We have exercise classes to keep people moving, 

pet therapy, bingo, which is very popular, and many 

more activities. It just makes life more enjoyable.” 

Residents often bring their own furniture for the 

familiar feel of home. There are two personal care 

wings to the center and Nichols knows each resident 

personally. “Mrs. Nichols knows them by name, and 

she knows about their families, what they can eat, 

what medicines they take and so on,” says Mary 

Hawkins Butler, mayor of the City of Madison and 

a board member of The Home Place. “I have never 

seen that kind of love and affection. There is no one 

else like her, and no place in the state that can provide 

a comfortable home for those who cannot provide for 

themselves. It’s a true ministry. The Home Place is a 

home, not an institution.” 


“It sure makes 

life special for 

these folks.” 

Nichols says that Butler has been involved at the 

home since she was 18 years old. “Her dad died when 

she was young, then her mom died while she was in 

college. Her brother, Lee, came to work for us the 

summer before he went away to Ole Miss after high 

school. It was his first real job. We go way back with 

that family, and we appreciate their support.” 

The community support that The Home Place has 

received over the years has been especially appreciated 

as well. “We have so many volunteers who help us from 

area churches and schools, and groups who come to 

perform and such,” Nichols says. “It sure makes life 

special for these folks.” 

The people who move to The Home Place move 

there to live, says Nichols. “We do all we can to help 

them retain their dignity for as long as possible. We 

operate as open as any home, and we have an excellent 

staff, most of whom have been with us 30 to 40 years. 

Now that they’re retiring, we are slowly hiring new 

folks, making sure they are interested in and involved 

with older people.” The future for The Home Place 

looks very good for the next 100 years. n 


Serving our county 

Sheriff Randy Tucker 

madison county sheriff 

Why did you decide to become 

a sheriff? 

Because I love Madison County and I love 

my co-workers and I want Madison County 

to be protected from criminals. 

How long have you been with the 

Madison County Sheriff’s Office? 

Since January of 2000. 

Tell us about your family. 

My mother and brother live in the City 

of Madison and my other brother lives in 

Brandon. I have two sons – Stephen and 

Kyle. Stephen is an officer with the 

Madison Police Department. Kyle is an 

equipment operator and volunteer 

fireman in Gluckstadt. I also have a new 

grandson, Lane, who was born May 9th. 

What is the toughest thing you 

have experienced in your job? 

Loss of life – whether it be from natural 

causes, accidents, homicides or any 

other way. 

Share some things you enjoy doing 

in your spare time. 

Hunting, fishing and sports. 

What are three things on your 

bucket list? 

Go to Canada, see the Grand Canyon, 

and to see my kids flourish in life. 

What is a favorite childhood 

memory? 

That time I pitched a perfect game in 

high school. 

Who is someone you admire 

and why? 

My chief deputy, Jeremy Williams. 

He is a family man and a man of God. 

He is dedicated to his profession, is loyal to 

a fault, and exemplifies a good man which 

is why I chose him to be chief deputy. 

Where do you see yourself 

ten years from now? 

Hopefully I will still be here at the sheriff’s 

office. 

If you could give one piece of 

advice to a young person, what 

would it be? 

Everything you do in life, do it in such a 

way that it would glorify God and you 

will be fine. 

What is the biggest mistake you 

think young people make today? 

Not honoring authority – whether it be 

parents, teachers, law enforcement or 

their elders. 

What is your favorite thing about 

the City of Madison? 

It’s a “help thy neighbor” type of city 

which is rare in today’s world. 


Madison County? 

The people of Madison County are 

genuine people. They love to be spoken 

to and waved at and interacted with. I love 

to talk, so it’s a great relationship. 


madison's finest 

Officer Kobi Medlock 

madison police Department 

Why did you decide to be a police 

officer? 

Being a police officer is a family legacy. 

My dad, older brother, and older sister are all 

in law enforcement; therefore, I grew up 

dreaming to become a police officer. 

How long have you been with the 

Madison Police Department? 

I have been with the Madison Police Department 

since May 2011 (5 years). 


I am married to my gorgeous wife, Ashley 

Medlock. We have a beautiful 10-year-old 

daughter, Harmony Medlock. We live in the 

Madison County area. 

What is the toughest thing you have 

experienced in your job? 

I have experienced working tons of accidents; 

however, it’s always tough to see children 

injured in an accident. 

Share some things you enjoy doing in 

your spare time. 

I enjoy spending time with my family. I also love 

to travel and take vacations. 

Who is someone you admire and why? 

The man that I admire the most is my Lord and 

Savior Jesus Christ. As tough of a career that 

I have as a law enforcement officer and the 

toughness of this world that we live in, nothing 

can be accomplished without God. God’s love, 

mercy, and forgiveness are forever lasting. 

I thank and admire God for those reasons. 

Where do you see yourself ten years 

from now? 

Ten years from now, I see myself being either a 

sergeant, lieutenant, or captain for the Madison 

Police Department. I see myself being a great 

leader for the city and citizens of Madison. 

If you could give one piece of advice 

to a young person, what would it be? 

My advice to a young person–always learn 

from life’s mistakes and always keep God first. 

What is a favorite childhood memory? 

My favorite childhood memory is going to 

Disney World with my family. 

What are three things on your bucket 

list? 

The main thing on my bucket list is to take my 

family to Hawaii and Paris. 

What is the biggest mistake you think 

young people make today? 

Peer pressure is probably the most common 

mistake. Rebelling against parents is on the rise. 

What is your favorite thing about the 

City of Madison? 

It is a very safe and enjoyable place to reside or 

visit. It is recognized as one of the safest cities 

within the state of Mississippi. 


Madison County? 

As a citizen, Madison County has one of the 

best school districts in the state of Mississippi. 

As a law enforcement officer, all Madison 

County police departments and sheriff’s 

department have a great working relationship. 


Hometown Madison 

Reader 

SPOTLIGHT 

Tisha Cox 

Why did you decide to make Madison 

your home? 

After researching schools, churches, safety, shopping 

and local services, Madison seemed to be the best 

fit for our family. 

How long have you lived in Madison? 

12 years. 


I have been married to Adam for six years and 

we have three children, Mary Carolyn Nichols, 

16 years old who attends Madison Central, Ellis 

Nichols who is 10 years old and attends Madison 

Ridgeland Academy and Kate Cox who is 4 years 

old and attends Madison County Preschool for 

Special Needs. 

What are some fun things to do in 

Madison on the weekends? 

Some fun things our family enjoys doing in 

Madison are going to the local farmers market, 

playing on the wonderful playgrounds and 

attending our neighborhood, Sounds at Sunset. 

What are three things on your bucket list? 

Go to Italy with my husband, zip-line in Costa 

Rica, and run and finish a half-marathon, ha! 

Share some things you enjoy doing in your 

spare time. 

In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending 

time with family and friends. 

Who is someone you admire and why? 

Someone I admire is Helen Keller. Even though 

she was deaf and blind, she overcame her disability 

and was the first deaf blind person to earn a 

Bachelor of Arts degree. I hope someday my 

Kate can go to college and earn a degree. 

Where do you see yourself ten years 

from now? 

It’s hard to know where I see myself in 10 years 

because “life” happens so much in one year. I just 

hope in 10 years my husband and I are healthy 

enough to enjoy our healthy kids who will then 

be 26, 20 and 14! 

Where are your three favorite places to 

eat in Madison? 

My favorite places to eat in Madison are Local 463, 

Georgia Blue and El Ranchito. 

If you could give us one encouraging 

quote, what would it be? 

My favorite quote that gave me encouragement 

when our youngest daughter was diagnosed with 

Leukemia three years ago was “when you place 

your trust in God He will fill you with peace, joy 

and assurance, (Rom 15:13). 


Hometown Madison Magazine? 

My favorite things about Hometown Madison 

are recipes and the calendar of events that are 

going on around town. n 

Thanks to all of our 

readers and advertisers! 


AND 

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as excellent role models. Laura Turner, a senior at Madison Central High 

School, was awarded this distinction by CEO of Merit Health Madison, 

Brit Phelps. Congratulations Laura and a big "Thank You" to Merit Health 

for investing in our leaders of the future. 

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6/20/16 10:54 AM 


Amy Barker, Stacie Willcox, Amy Barker 

Dana & Michael Tiffan 

Director Shavetta Leflore 

Quenten Stewart 

our daily bread 

Annual Blues, Rhythm, 

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April 29, 2016 

Canton Multi-Purpose Arena 

Dana & Michael Tiffan 

Katie Cleveland, Jackuleine Bently, 

Caroleyen Clevo 

Wilson Harrold, Jo Lynn Michael, Barbra Wallas, Varner Wallas 

Sherry Strong, Allison Gilmore 

Scott & Edie Evans 

Melinda Parker, Chanon Wiggins, Mary Jackson 

Sheila Taylor, Stephanie Anderson, Mary Luckett 


Mary Johnson

Jennifer Lawhon, Lynn Calhoun 

Keshona LeFlore, Mary Flowers 

Darlene Austin, Benny Austin, Joe Austin 

Fonda Devrow, Ann Homer Cook 

Tracy Cambel, Tammy Epps, Lisa Britt, Tonya Durrell, Sid Cambell, Venice Wells 

Marvia Chaffee, Carrie Eykes 

Russell Hambline, Robert Jackson 

Joe Brady, Grant Montgomery, Kay Wong, 

Leadership Team for Our Daily Bread 

Mary Ane Popshal 

Mary Franklin, Pam Franklin, Regina Franklin 

Thompson, Mia Thompson, Matthew Thompson, 

Michael Thompson Jr. 

Randol Strong, Brandon Gilmore 


madison 

Recipes 

No-Bake 

Oreo Cheesecake 

• 1-1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped 

• 12 oz. cream cheese, softened 

• 1 package crushed Oreos, plus more to top 

In a large bowl, combine whipped heavy cream 

with softened cream cheese and sugar and stir 

until completely combined. (If cream cheese 

clumps remain, transfer mixture to a stand mixer 

or use a hand mixer. 

Fold in crushed Oreos. Pour mixture into 

prepared piecrust, smoothing over top with a 

rubber spatula. Top with more crushed Oreos, 

cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until 

firm, at least four hours. 

No-Bake Birthday 

Cake Cheesecake 

• 1 1/2 c. heavy cream 

• 12 oz. cream cheese, softened 

• 1/2 cup sugar 

• 1 cup birthday cake mix 

• 1 graham cracker pie crust, store-bought 

or homemade 

• Rainbow sprinkles for decorating 

In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, whip 

heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add softened 

cream cheese and sugar and stir until completely 

combined and no clumps remain. 

Fold in birthday cake mix. Pour mixture into 

prepared pie crust, smoothing over top with a 

rubber spatula. Top with sprinkles, cover with 

plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 

six hours. 

No-Cook 

Turtle Ice Cream 

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 

• 1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk 

• 2 tablespoons sugar 

• 2 teaspoons vanilla 

• 2 cups whole milk 

• 1/4 cup caramel sauce 

• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels 

• 1 teaspoon shortening 

• 3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans 

Whisk first five ingredients in a two-quart pitcher 

or large bowl until blended. Cover and chill 

30 minutes. 

Pour milk mixture into freezer container of a 

one-quart electric ice cream maker, and freeze 

according to manufacturer’s instructions. 

(Instructions and times will vary.) 

Stir caramel sauce into prepared ice cream. 

Remove container with ice cream from ice 

cream maker, and place in freezer 15 minutes. 

Microwave semisweet chocolate morsels and 

shortening in a microwave-safe glass bowl at high 

one minute. Stir until smooth. Place toasted 

chopped pecans on a parchment paper-lined 

baking sheet. Drizzle pecans with melted 

chocolate. Freeze five minutes. Break into bite-size 

pieces. Stir chocolate-and-pecan pieces into ice 

cream. Transfer to an airtight container; freeze 

until firm, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. 

No-Bake 

Chocolate 

Mousse Pie 

• 1 oz. (2 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted; 

more for the pan 

• 8 oz. chocolate wafer sandwich cookies such as 

Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers 

• 9 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped 

(about 1-1/2 cups); more for garnish 

• 1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 

• Pinch kosher salt 

• 3-3/4 cups heavy cream 

Butter a 9-inch spring-form pan. Grind the 

cookies in a food processor until they resemble 

wet sand, 20 to 30 seconds; you will have about 

1-3/4 cups. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in 

the butter. Spread the crumbs in the pan, cover 

with plastic wrap, and press evenly into the 

bottom. Refrigerate. 

Combine the chocolate, 1/2 tsp. of the vanilla, 

and the salt in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, 

bring 3/4 cup of the cream to a bare simmer. 

Pour the cream over the chocolate, let sit for 

one minute, then whisk until smooth. Cover 

and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to cool. 

Beat 1-1/2 cups of the cream in a medium 

bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high 

speed to stiff peaks, about two minutes. Whisk 

the chocolate mixture to loosen it, and fold it 

into the whipped cream with a large silicone 

spatula until no streaks remain. 


Carefully peel the plastic wrap off the crust and 

scrape the mousse into the pan, gently spreading 

it to the edges. Cover and refrigerate for at least 

six hours. 

Just before serving, beat the remaining 1-1/2 cups 

cream and 1 tsp. vanilla in a medium bowl to 

medium-stiff peaks. Run a knife around the pie to 

loosen its edges and then remove the side of the 

pan. Slide a spatula under the crust and transfer the 

pie to a serving plate. Mound the whipped cream 

over the mousse and top with chocolate curls, 

shards, or shavings. To serve, dip a knife into hot 

water and dry it before slicing. 

No-Bake 

Seven-Layer 

Ice Cream Cake 

• 1 frozen pound cake (10-3/4 ounces) 

in aluminum loaf pan, unthawed 

• 2 cups raspberry sorbet, softened 

• 1 cup vanilla ice cream, softened 

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped chocolate wafer cookies 

• 2 large egg whites 

• Cream of tartar 

• 1/2 cup sugar 

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

Remove cake from pan and cut horizontally into 

four slices. Line pan with plastic wrap, leaving 

six-inch overhang on two sides. Build cake layers 

in pan in this order: bottom cake slice, one cup 

sorbet, cake slice, 1/2 cup ice cream, cookie 

crumbs, 1/2 cup ice cream, cake slice, 1 cup 

sorbet, top cake slice. (If necessary, return ice 

cream to freezer as you work.) Wrap in plastic 

and freeze at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days). 

In a heatproof bowl, lightly whisk together egg 

whites and pinch of cream of tartar. Set bowl over 

(not in) a pan of simmering water and whisk until 

whites are foamy. Slowly whisk in sugar and cook, 

whisking, until sugar is dissolved (to test, rub some 

between your fingertips). 

Remove bowl from heat and, with an electric 

mixer, beat on medium-high until stiff, glossy peaks 

form, about six minutes. Add vanilla and beat one 

minute. Remove cake from pan, trim sides if 

desired, and dollop meringue on top. 


Arla Barns, Asheley Barns, 

Adria Lewis, Ava Barns 

Maddie & Summer Allen 

Stephanie & Ryleigh McCarty 

Amanda Grahm, Shane Grahm, Savanah Grahm, Riley Claire 

Grahm, Jason Walker, Kayla Walker, Peyton Walker, Olivia Walker 

Madyson Marritt, Samanthat Marritt, 

Quinteanna Johnson, Mechunanna Berry 

Ameley Lawson, Victoria Green 

Mason, Mandy, Caroline & Brad Reeves 

Damon, Bailegh & Burgess 

Rashab, Tywanda & Mikayla Sims 


Cody, Chandler, Misti & Gracie Coleman

Bill Featherston, London & Joni Horn 

Dalton Jemming, Riley Nealy 

Jody, Avery, Bella & Brad Warington 

Dick Michelle Hall, Stewart, Janie & Kaydence Kirby Wilson Freeman, Noel Jackson 

Rachel & Beverly Kate Martinez 

Sadie & Walley Deer 

Jennipher McKinney, Kristy Thompson 

Shelby Taylor, Foster Phillips, Delaney Taylor 

Asher Parks, Raylen Gravner 

Shay Brown, Caydence Brown, Brooklyn Barns 

Vikki, Chess & Robby Channell 

Kayla Arnder, Emily Arnder, Keith Arnder, Destinee Richardson, 

Isabella Arnder, Michelle Arnder 


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16ORIGIN095_ATMTeamAd_HRM-J.indd 1 

5/11/16 5:38 PM

ALL FOR ONE 

Positive is more than a state of mind. It’s the first tenet 

of The JA Way. A child’s first and most important 

lesson is knowing that they can accomplish their 

dreams. At Jackson Academy, positive mentors inspire 

students to reach their potential. 

Call 601.362.9676 or visit jacksonacademy.org 

to discover the benefits of JA! 

THE 

WAY 

Positive Collaborative Progressive student-Centered 

Jackson Academy | 4908 Ridgewood Road | Jackson, MS | 39211 


Clara Kilman, Betsy Nicholson, Erin Robertson, Hope Courtney 

Brent Sisk, Cami Marlowe 

Lana & Art Thompson 

Jonathan & Elizabeth Brassard 

Debbie Hewitt, Ashley Williams, Melissa Hewitt, Renae Bernard, Neen McSwain 

Dan Grimmett, Jodi Maughon 

Schneika Stokes, Alahna Norton, Kim King 

Cidney & Doug Shepherd Irene & John Lee Jada Spencer, Tamara Ball Jay & Elisabeth Carney 


Mary Beth Wilkerson, Jamie Randall Jessica Kirchner, Bryce Berry Jenny & Lilly-Grace Crawshaw Mary Jackson 

Loretta Martello, Vicci Hall 

Lorri Babb, Mac Wimbsh, Brandy Huff 

Lindsey Hert, Diane Cushing, Julene Stewart 

Egwin Wong, Donald Lee, Betsy Nicholson, Kitt Noythanongsay, Young Song Nicole Saxton, Leigh Mann Kathryn & Michael Scheffield 

Justin Phillips, Mollie Atwood, Wyatt Williamson 

Clara & John Kilman 

Tiffanie Thompson, Mollie Grey Lewis, Victoria Ward 


Welcome To Our Neighborhood 

RIDGELAND’S NEWEST INDEPENDENT LIVING & 

MEMORY CARE COMMUNITY IS NOW OPEN! 

Beau Ridge Independent Living & Memory Care offers 

the highest quality of retirement living & memory care 

assisted living in a state-of-the-art setting that was built 

from the ground up specifically to meet the unique needs 

of the seniors it serves. Beau Ridge offers two gorgeously 

appointed, top-of-the-line freestanding communities; 

an exciting, engaging Independent Living community for 

active seniors, and a neighboring Memory Care community 

that provides highly personalized care to residents with 

Alzheimer’s/dementia. 

INDEPENDENT LIVING 

• Suites featuring personal entrances & private balconies 

• On-site beauty salon & fitness center 

• Gourmet meals prepared by regionally renowned 

Executive Chef Christopher 

• Complimentary housekeeping, laundry services, & 

scheduled transportation 

Call 601-863-8883 to tour Independent Living. 

MEMORY CARE CARE ASSISTED LIVING 

• A full-time memory care director 

• 24-hour nurses and care partners 

• Extensive, specialized dementia care training for all 

team members 

• On-site rehabilitation therapy services (Physical, 

Occupational, & Speech) 

Call 601-863-8442 to tour Memory Care. 

650 Highland Colony Pkwy. in Ridgeland 

www.Beau-Ridge.com 


Calendars 

Church Bulletins 

MoreThan 

Manuals Brochures 

Design 

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Overprinting 

Folding 

Collating 

Storefront 

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Invitations 

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Labels 

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Annual Reports 

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Business Cards 

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500 Steed Road • Ridgeland, MS 39158 

601.853.7300 • 1.800.844.7301 

www.hederman.com 


Camille Anding 

The Time Coin 

HHear ye! Hear ye! That address 

would probably turn every 

child’s head, and I would have 

their full attention. Then I would take my 

summer flute and “pipe” them to follow me. 

Put away your cell phones and any 

man-made device so you have hands, ears, 

and eyes to experience God-made joys. The summer nights of 

Mississippi are most often muggy, but the sun has reclined and an 

occasional breeze will add refreshment to the evening. Grab a container 

with a lid. To qualify as authentic, make it a fruit jar with punched 

holes in a Mason lid. Then wait and watch. 

Insects with tiny built-in lights will begin to rise from their hiding 

places and turn the night into a light show. The only sounds will be the 

base of the bull frogs, tenor from the tree frogs and a blend of cicada, 

crickets, and katydids rubbing body parts together. Amazing! That’s 

what you’ll say when the summer night sounds of nature are given 

audience that’s free of man-made music. 

Then run across the dew-drenched grass, preferably in bare feet, 

and scoop the tiny insects gently from their hovering positons and 

rake them into the jar. Hold it nose-close and watch the tiny blinkers, 

crawling in their glass prison searching for an 

exit and be awed by their Son-powered lights. 

When it’s time for bed, release the 

fireflies and wash off the day’s dust and 

stickies in a warm tub of water. Crawl into 

bed and listen to the Creator’s sound 

machine. It will turn off automatically. 

As your young minds slowly unwind and the sandman lulls you to 

sleep, I would whisper a prayer that your days of summer vacation 

would be spared the artificial entertainment of TV and the addictive 

time-robbing video games...that your minds would grow to match your 

physical growth spurts of summer...that chores, yes, work, would be a 

productive part of your free time...that reading a classic with a hard 

cover and pages would richly fill part of your break...that God would 

open your eyes to the joys of childhood so you, even in adolescence, 

would learn that time is one of your greatest treasures and should never 

be wasted. 

Now sleep soundly to the dreamy serenade of a summer night 

in Mississippi while the fireflies continue their mystical night show. 

Soon, so soon, childhood will be just a memory. May they be 

wonderful ones. n 


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Join the Circle. 

Because there’s Merit 

in living well. 

The Senior Circle program at Merit Health will expand your horizons with an exciting calendar of events 

scheduled around town. If you’re 50 or better, want to meet new people, learn more about your health 

and just have fun, then Senior Circle is for you. Dues are just $15 a year. 

Member Discounts 

• Prescription discount 

• Dental care discount 

• Vision care discount 

• Hearing care discount 

• Personal Emergency Response discount 

• Inside Circle magazine subscription 

Member Perks 

• Fellowship, special 

events, and 

educational programs 

• Health fair 

and screening 

opportunities 

• And many more 

For more information or to become a member, 

call 601-883-6118 or visit MeritHealthSeniorCircle.com. 

One network Senior Circle with 5 locations: 

Merit Health Central, Merit Health Madison, 

Merit Health Rankin, Merit Health River Oaks 

and Merit Health River Region.

Hometown Madison - July & August 2016

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