Hometown Rankin - June & July 2017

volume 4 number 3 

June 2017 

messages from heaven 

____________________ 

I Carry You with Me 

____________________ 

A Sprawling Lakeland Drive

If something 

happened to 

the two of us, 

who would 

be responsible 

for him? 

WE HELP MOMS AND DADS PLAN FOR LIFE’S CURVE BALLS. 

12 Woodgate Drive, Suite F • Brandon, MS • 601.724.1870 • palmerslay.com 

Christopher P. Palmer chris.palmer@palmerslay.com / Craig L. Slay craig.slay@palmerslay.com 

2 • June 2017

Hometown Rankin • 3


publisher & Editor 

Tahya A. Dobbs 

CFO 

Kevin W. Dobbs 

Consulting Editor 

Mary Ann Kirby 

Account Executives 

Dacia Durr Amis 

Contributing Writers 

Camille Anding 

Beth Bowman 


Susan Marquez 

Jennifer Milner 

Leah Mitchener 

staff Photographer 

Othel Anding 

Administrative 

Assistants 

Alisha Floyd 

Brenda McCall 

Layout Design 

Daniel Thomas - 3dt 

Advertising Design 


• • • 

I flip the calendar to June and before I see the highlights attached to 

that month, I immediately think of Father’s Day. These men represent 

people holding powerful influence over their children. Hometown 

Rankin salutes all those special fathers who have invested their most 

precious gift in their children—the gift of time. 

Right behind Father’s Day comes VBS. What wonderful memories 

I have of Kool-Aid, cookies, and getting my turn to carry the Bible or 

flag during the processional. My thoughts and prayers go with all those 

volunteers and young hearts being molded. 

June also heeds vacation days and sunburns at the pool. Add snow 

cones and lots of watermelon to finish off a full month. 

July is flag-waving month, and it’s our honor to highlight the 

Crossgates Exchange Club’s special patriotic flag weekend. Mark your 

calendars to visit this red, white, and blue experience. Then grill some 

burgers or hotdogs and celebrate our nation’s freedom. What a 

blessing! 

The calendar turns quickly for those of us working with deadlines, 

but we at Hometown Magazines treasure our opportunity to journal those 

events that fill our pages. 

Thank you, readers and advertisers. We celebrate you, too! 

www.facebook.com 

/hometownrankinmagazine 

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 Rankin 

may be reproduced without written permission from 

the publisher. The management of Hometown Rankin 

is not responsible for opinions expressed by its 

writers or editors. Hometown Rankin maintains the 

unrestricted right to edit or refuse all submitted 

material. All advertisements are subject to approval by 

the publisher. The production of Hometown Rankin 

is funded by advertising. 

In this issue Hometown Neighbors 10 

Home of the Free Because of the Brave 23 

Messages from Heaven 46 

I Carry You with Me 58 

A Field & Club of Heroes 68 

A Sprawling Lakeland Drive 74 

The Best Day 84 


What does it mean to you 

when you see the American Flag? 

Mark Baker 

It reminds me of the sacrifices 

of those that preceded us and 

of the sacrifices that we 

should be willing to make 

to preserve, protect, and 

defend our freedom. 

Chance Easterling 

It means pride. 

It’s something that 

represents everything 

that we live for in 

the United States. 

Irl Dean Rhodes 

The flag represents 

patriotism. It is a symbol of 

the pride and strength of our 

great country. 

Catherine Spann 

It means peace to me. 

Kitty Thompson 

Freedom! 

I think it’s for the 

people, and how far 

America has come. 


Jason Herrington 

It means patriotism 

and service. 

Hugh Strebeck 

Sacrifice! 

It’s for the people 

who stood for that flag. 

Judge Kent McDaniel 

It represents everything our 

country stands for that is 

good. It also represents some 

things that are bad. But I’ve 

learned we have to take the 

bad with the good. 

Rosie Collins 

It represents the 

United States of America… 

our freedom! 

Troy Odom 

It means reflecting on 

sacrifices my grandfather, my 

father, and other 

veterans have made. 

SFC Keither Dennis 

Heritage, the history of 

this country. It means more 

to me as a soldier because 

I support and defend the flag. 

Dimitri Ellison 

Pride. The flag means a lot 

to me. I’ve been overseas; 

I’ve seen the flag during 

Desert Storm. It’s a hallow 

feeling I have and sense of 

honor when I see the flag. 

Katie Humphreys 

I feel such a sense 

of pride in my country. 


Check out the 

MBA that checks every box. 

Mississippi College is the only college in the state that enables you to 

earn your MBA entirely on campus, exclusively online—or through a 

combination of both. Our MBA program is fully accredited by AACSB, 

which places ours among the top 5% of business programs worldwide. 

Plus, it’s the lowest-cost accredited online MBA in the state. 

Achieve anything with the MBA that has everything—the MC MBA. 

Learn more today at mc.edu/mba. 

On Campus or Online—or Both 

AACSB Accredited 

Lowest Cost Accredited Online MBA in MS 


dine-in . take-out 

catering 

Pit Smoked Barbecue 

visit dickeys.com 

Brandon 

1323 W Government St 

769.241.5151 

Flowood 

268 Dogwood Blvd 

601.992.4200 

Madison 

175 Grandview Blvd 

601.605.4025 

Richland 

1201 Hwy 49 S #5 

601.487.8139 


Hometown 

Neighbors 



“When you say, ‘I’m from Brandon, people know where it is!’” 

Georgia Grubbs said with noticeable pride and total agreement by her husband, Truitt. 

Jackson had been their home where they had planned to raise their three children, 

but school uncertainties forced them to move. 

After being told the fifth time that their children would 

have to change schools one more time because of 

consolidations, they pulled up roots and planted their 

lives in Rankin County. It was a good plant for the 

Grubbs as well as the citizens of the county. 

As for the Brandon school system, Georgia says, “It couldn’t 

have been better.” Truitt credits Dr. Mike Vinson, their superintendent 

of education, for turning the schools around. 

Truitt and Georgia have always been faithful public school 

supporters. Truitt was the “baby” of six children, and when all of 

his siblings boarded the school bus, he cried to go to school with 

them. The next year was too long for him to wait. When his 

crying wouldn’t stop, Truitt’s mother visited the principal and 

convinced him that Truitt needed to be in school. He started 

“primer,” as it was called, six months early. 

When thinking back over the positive growth of their beloved 

county, Truitt, an active Republican, believes that his party has 

played a major role in Rankin County progress. “I believe this 

county (Rankin) carried the heaviest Republican vote in the state 

and has influenced state-wide elections,” he says with a politician’s 

pride. He added that Rankin County is the home of Governor 

Phil Bryant (before the governor’s mansion), Tate Reeves, Dick 

Hall, and Gregg Harper. 

Representative Harper is a Republican that recognizes the 

influence that the Grubbs wield. He refers to Truitt as his adopted 

daddy and has spoken publicly about believing that Georgia and 

Truitt have had more influence on his election than any others. 

The Grubbs are not your “front-porch-rocking” neighbors. 

Truitt began his career as a 4-H county agent in Lawrence County 

and moved on to Lincoln County for eleven more years. After a 

break to earn his master’s degree from Mississippi State, he 

returned to work as the southwestern district director of the 

cooperative extension service for twenty years. 

He recalls traveling to Brandon to buy calves for his 4-H 

clubs from J.W. Underwood. His farm was located on acreage 

that was to become Crossgates Subdivision. Truitt credits 

Underwood for quality development of Brandon in those early 

stages of city planning. 

After the Grubbs’ sons had begun and operated Green Tree 

Landscape and Maintenance for ten years, Truitt retired after 

his thirty-two years with the extension service and joined his 

sons for the next ten years. 

Georgia added amid her contagious laugh, “The boys told 

him if he behaved, they’d give him a riding lawn mower!” She 

joined the family business as the financial operator after retiring 

from six years as director of Kinder-Gates, a children’s day care. 



After the family invested the twenty years of time plus 

hard work in the Mississippi heat, they sold the landscaping 

business that had grown to be the largest landscaping business 

in Mississippi. 

In 1998, after selling out and making it Truitt’s second 

retirement, he chose an inside job with Community Bank in 

charge of Golden Advantage which covers senior deposits and 

group travels. 

Here they made more friends and got their first real taste 

of travel. The Community Bank employment lasted eighteen 

years with a busload of travel miles and great memories. 

Rocking chairs still don’t interest the Grubbs. At 82, Truitt 

enjoys tending his 125-acre long-leaf pine farm in Simpson 

County where he and Georgia have additional roots. They 

purchased and combined two log cabins (1867 and 1890 

versions) to make a spacious retreat for family gatherings and 

events. Truitt is also active in restoration of his Simpson County 

Pinola High School. 

When these two notable Brandonites reminisce about earlier 

days, Truitt remembers speaking with a person years ago 

concerning Rankin County. The man told Truitt, “When I think 

of Rankin County, I think of an old farmer, an old truck with a 

gun rack and three hound dogs in the back.” Not anymore! 

“It’s a county of great law enforcement, good schools – 

thanks to good, strong judges. The highways and byways have 

been other major accomplishments,” Truitt believes. 

Georgia looks back to the safety of raising their children in 

the Crossgates neighborhood, but the lake carried its fear of fish 

hooks and drownings. When the city drained the lake, she saw that 

it was only two feet deep. “If I had known that, I wouldn’t have 

worried so much,” she said as she and Truitt laughed together. 

“In Brandon, you seem to know everybody and trying matters 

here,” Truitt continued. He remembers Carl Lofton whose life 

Truitt tries to model. “He was my Vo-Ag teacher with high 

principles. I tried to catch him doing wrong but never did.” 

The Grubbs three children, with their families, live within 

twelve miles of Truitt and Georgia. Candice Perkins, their 

daughter, is a school teacher in Flowood. Roe Grubbs, a former 

mayor of Brandon, is the director of Capital Properties, and 

Matt is regional sales manager for Taylor Power Generators. 

The Grubbs are counting on their seven grandchildren to 

continue their legacy. Truitt’s mother helped define that legacy 

when she gave him these instructions: Be the best, and be the 

leader in your community. 

Truitt has always remembered those instructions, and his 

companion of sixty years affirms, “And he is the best!” n 


• New Pools & Spas 

• Pool Renovations 

• Service & Cleaning 

• Jackson 601-372-0500 

• Ridgeland 601-605-0500 

• www.cpspoolsandspas.com 

Family owned since 1957 



16 • June 2017 

All donors will be registered for a chance to win a new 

Ram 1500 Big Horn 4x4 valued at over $45,000 

from Mac Haik & Mississippi Blood Services. Download our free 

mobile app to find a location or blood drive near you TODAY!

Urgent Ortho-Care 

is expanding to Madison 

for sprains, strains, and breaks! 

Jackson 

Fortification St. @ I-55 

Monday - Friday 

8am - 7pm 

Healthplex @ I-55 

Monday - Friday 4pm - 8pm 

Saturday 8am - Noon 

Walk-in. We’ve Got You Covered. 

www.mississippisportsmedicine.com/urgent-ortho-care 



April 27 

Mirror Lake


CITY OF FLOWOOD 

Mayor's 

Prayer 

Breakfast 

May 12 

Northwest Rankin High School 

Performing Arts Center 



IS YOUR 

INSURANCE AGENT 

TIED DOWN 

TO ONE COMPANY? 

INDEPENDENT AGENTS 

HAVE FREEDOM OF CHOICE. 

Trusted Choice ® Independent Agents have the freedom to shop many reputable 

companies at once. You get the benefit of competitive pricing with the convenience 

of a one-stop shop. The only one they’re tied to is you. 

Find your independent agent. Find a better deal at trustedchoice.com 

Free to do what’s right for you ṢM 

LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT 

FREEDOM OF CHOICE CAN DO FOR YOU. 

Insurance Associates 

of Rankin County 

Steven Wallace | 601-825-5242 

1301 West Government Street, Suite 105 

Brandon, Mississippi 


Home 

of the 

Free 

Because 

of the 

Brave 

Beth S. Bowman 

According to AARP, there are 18 million veterans living in the 

United States. It was my privilege and honor to interview six 

of those amazing men. Four are residents of Plain View Living 

in Richland and two live at The Blake in Flowood. 

Their stories were diverse, funny, heart breaking, and dauntless. 

They each told their stories without any personal glory or honor, 

instead with humility and a pride in the United States and their 

particular military branch. 

Together, these brave and determined men served a total of 52 

years. Many times during the interviews I felt like an outsider as 

they spat out military acronyms, ranks and abbreviations. They 

recounted world changing events with the ease that most of us 

tell the weather or directions to a new place. These men may 

forget details of recent events such as the name of a new great 

grandchild or the address of their favorite cousin but they can 

remember with vivid accuracy the details surrounding the years 

spent in military service. 

On the following pages are some of the 

courageous, brave men i met ➣➣➣➣ 


Columbus Laverne Roberts 

Hometown: Mt. Olive, MS 

Branch of Service: U.S. Navy 

Howard Don McCoy 

Hometown: Forest, LA 

Branch of Service: U.S. Air Force 

John Robert Goodman 

Hometown: Morton, MS 

Branch of service: U.S. Navy 

Mr. Roberts’ brother had joined the U.S. Navy 

two years earlier so his mom was agreeable 

for him to do the same. As he left for basic 

training in Camp Perry, Virginia, his brother 

told him about a girl named Polly who wanted 

to write to a military “boy”. Laverne wrote the 

first letter to Polly and she wrote back. Each 

time he came home on leave, he and Polly 

spent time together and fell in love. Later they 

married and he still keeps the first picture of 

Polly he ever had in his wallet, along with a 

$2 bill from his first Navy pay. With amazing 

clarity, Laverne Roberts shared details from 

his years in the military. He enlisted during 

WWII and ended up in combat in Northern 

Africa. His tour of duty found him in 17 

different countries in three years. King 

George VI and President Franklin D. 

Roosevelt once visited his ship, the USS 

Catoctin. The Catoctin was the most successful 

of all amphibious assaults of the war because 

her antennae relayed the signals for all of the 

communications on shore and in the water 

during the invasion of Southern France. 

Mr. McCoy served in the military between 

the Korean conflict and Vietnam. He served 

for 2 years then received word that his daddy 

had died. Mr. Don said that he wished he 

would have been able to stay a lot longer but 

his family needed him. As a cook at the Air 

Force base, he was responsible for making 

sure the men had enough to eat and that 

meant potatoes were served three times 

a day, every single day. He has not peeled 

a potato since leaving the Air Force. 

When Mr. Goodman signed up at age 17, 

his dad had to sign papers agreeing for 

him to enter military service. Although 

his leaving for basic training broke the hearts 

of several “sweethearts” back home, he found 

a wife while on a bus during leave one 

weekend. He refused to get off the bus until 

he got her address. She reluctantly gave 

her address and later she gave him her 

hand in marriage. Although the Naval base 

in Millington, Tennessee, was home for 

John four different times during his 

career, he also saw a lot of the world. 

His electronics and aviation training 

enabled him to spot enemy submarines 

as he flew in the Anti-Submarine Warfare 

(ASW) planes all over the world. 

He completed his service after 28 years 

of faithfully serving our country. 


William Simmie Honea, Jr. 

Hometown: Copiah County 

Branch of Service: U.S. Marines 

Burt Matheny 

Hometown: Purvis, MS 

Branch of Service: National Guard 

Clois Moree 

Hometown: Sumrall, MS 

Branch of Service: U.S. Air Force 

Mr. Bill left for the Marines on his 

birthday, March 8, 1945. His high school 

released him early so he could go to 

boot camp. After training on Paris Island, 

South Carolina he was stationed in North 

Carolina when the news was announced 

that the war was over. Bill recalls that 

the excitement about the end of the war 

tingled with great apprehension and 

a myriad of questions about the 

future for those in military service. 

After basic training, Mr. Burt served 

during the civil rights demonstrations at 

Jackson State. He remembers it being a 

terrible time as people was divided over 

the issues. He can remember that time 

being very difficult for the military as 

they tried to keep the riots from escalating. 

Most frightening for him was having to point 

his gun and keep peace among relatives 

and friends who attended the riots. 

Mr. Clois signed up when he was around 

18 years old and served 4 years. His nickname, 

Clem stuck with him all of his life. He recalled 

that you could not call the standard issue gun, 

the M1, a “gun”. You were required to call it 

a “weapon”. If you didn’t call your gun a 

“weapon”, your commanding officer ensured 

that you would remember the second time. 

Courage. 

Sacrifice. 

Loyalty. 

These six men represent our men and women in uniform well. 

Their stories blessed me and their dedication challenged me. 

Thank you, Laverne, Don, John, Bill, Burt, & Clois. 

We are grateful for you. 



Ladies’ Night Out

April 6 - Pelahatchie Baptist Church 


1 

print 

2 

graphic design 

• Booklets • Color Copies, Flyers • Trade Show Displays 

• Brochures • Stationery • Event Printed Materials 

• Business Cards • Mailing Services • Banners, Posters 

• Business Plans • Post Cards • Promotional Items 

1 

1 

2 

2 

3 4 

+ 

print print graphic design graphic design 

marketing 

3 3 4 4 

+ + 

601.933.9550 

marketing marketing signs signs 

signs 

115 METROPLEX BLVD 

PEARL MS 39208 

www.us646.alphagraphics.com 


Anh Giang Edwards, OD 

Melissa R asmussen, OD • Michael Phillips, OD 

Julie Dawson, OD • Jimbo Bearden, OD 

• LASIK VISION 

CORRECTION 

• COMPLETE EYE HEALTH 

• DISEASES OF THE EYE 

• EYE INJURIES 

• DRY EYE THER APY 

• CATAR ACT SURGERY 

• DIABETIC EYE CARE 

Brandon Office: (601) 825-8300 

Canton Office: (601) 859-3464 

Madison Office: (601) 605-2259 

Ridgeland Office: (601) 957-9292 

Yazoo City Office: (662) 746-4312 

— WWW.OPTICAL2000.COM — 


Aubrey Norman 

A bigger house and 

a basketball goal. 

Maddie Williams 

Chocolate, balloons, 

and a teddy bear. 

Tanner Bryant 

I’d get him a gun because 

we like to go hunting. 

If you could give your daddy 

anything for Father's Day, 

what would it be? 

Paxton Prisock 

A house with lots of land. 

Ramsey Hill 

I’d get him some new bait 

for his tackle box. 

Lindsay Winford 

A new camera because 

he’s a photographer and he 

needs a new one. 

Jett White 

Some new baseballs 

for his baseball bucket. 


Vihaan Mahajan 

I love that he plays games 

with me, mostly UNO. 

Halei Jones 

He plays games 

with me like kickball. 

Robert Minuve 

He plays basketball with me 

and makes me do my best 

at everything I do. 

What’s your 

favorite thing 

about your 

daddy? 

Dr. Amanda Stocks 

I love his big heart. My dad has 

always shown me an example 

of helping people in need. 

Brooks Willoughby 

He plays basketball with me. 

Tinsley McCain 

He plays baseball with me. 

Tally Taylor 

When I have swim meets, he’s 

always there for me, even when 

I have long distance meets. 

Shelby Smith 

I like that he’s tough with me 

and that’s because he was 

in the Marine Corp. He’s so 

glad I don’t have a baby sister 

so he doesn’t have to 

change more diapers. 


What’s your dream 

ROAD TRIP 

destination? 

Let Members Exchange take you on a 

road trip of your dreams. When you 

finance a new or used auto or recreational 

vehicle with Members Exchange, you will 

be entered to win monthly prizes and a 

grand prize valued at $2,200! 

Grand Prize: 

$1,200 travel credit, $300 spending 

money, YETI® Roadie, YETI® Ramblers, 

gift cards and swag items. 

MECUanywhere.com 

This offer applies to qualified borrowers on new and used 

auto and recreational loans financed and refinanced from 

other financial institutions. Loan rates are based on your 

credit worthiness. Members Exchange will match other 

financial institution’s rates (verified) and reduce the rate by 

0.10%, not to go below established floors in place. The 

amount financed must be $5,000 or higher. The promotion is 

scheduled to end August 31, 2017 and it can be modified or 

cancelled at any time without prior notice. Restrictions and 

limitations may apply. 


Serving our county 

Phillip Sandifer 

Rankin County Emergency Communications Officer 

Why did you decide to pursue law 

enforcement? 

As long as I can remember I have wanted to be in 

law enforcement. My original plan was to join the 

Army as a military policeman just to gain some 

experience. Twenty years later I retired from the Army 

and, after a few different jobs and a long battle with 

the disease of alcoholism, I got sober and, by the 

grace of God, was given the opportunity to re-enter 

law enforcement serving the citizens of Rankin 

County as an emergency communications officer. 

I thank Him each and every day for that privilege. 

How long have you served in your 

current position? 

I have worked here for a little over two years and 

I love it. The camaraderie, brotherhood, and 

compassion for others that my co-workers show 

every day reminds me why I have continued to 

serve this county, state, and nation. 

Tell us about your family. 

I am a divorced father of 3 young adults, one of 

which has been a Marine for the last 8 years. I could 

not be more proud. I also have 3 siblings that live in 

Rankin County and a sibling in Simpson County. 

What is the toughest thing you have 

experienced in your job? 

Seeing families and young adults being torn apart by 

violence and substance abuse is just heartbreaking. 

However, if I can get through to just one person it 

eases the burden. 

Share some things you enjoy doing in 

your spare time. 

I love to cook, garden, and do something nice for 

at least one person every day. That’s a personal goal 

I set for myself at the beginning of my recovery. 

What are three things on your bucket list? 

Although I enjoyed the movie, I’ve never been a 

bucket list person. If I had to make a list at this point 

in my life it would be to: Enjoy my family and tell 

them I love them as much as I can; be kind and 

compassionate as much as I can; and try to help 

people in any way I can. 

Who is someone you admire and why? 

In 1988 during my first tour in Germany I had a unit 

first sergeant named Jackie B. Irwin. He had been 

an infantryman during the height of the Vietnam 

War. His leadership and dedication to taking care 

of soldiers was the model that I based my career on. 

I still think of him often to this day. 

Where do you see yourself in ten years? 

Living, hopefully. And still serving the citizens of 

Rankin County with the Sheriff’s Dept. The 

professionalism and compassion I found here has 

helped me refocus on the goodness in people and 

a strong desire to help as many as I can. 

If you could give one piece of advice to 

a young person, what would it be? 

I believe every able-bodied citizen should serve their 

country for at least one tour. It instills self-discipline, 

a sense of pride, and a sense accomplishment. 

It also makes you a more marketable member of 

the workforce—in some ways as good as a college 

education, depending on your chosen field. 

What is a favorite childhood memory? 

Working in the garden with my daddy and papaw. 

What is the biggest mistake you think 

young people make today? 

Not working in the garden with their parents. There 

is a lot to be learned in between the rows of dirt 

that can’t be found in an electronic device. 

What is your favorite thing about 

Rankin County? 

Not to be redundant, but the members of our 

profession. They take great pride in their duties 

and go above and beyond every chance they get. 

It motivates you to want to do more. Although we 

deal with a lot of people at their worst, they are 

not bad people and we show compassion to all. 

That’s a job to be proud of. 


Multi .Chamber 

Business 

After 

Hours 

May 11 




: architects 

: engineers 

: interior design 

J. Guadalupe Arellano, AIA 

Principal Architect 

118 Service Drive, Suite 9 

Brandon, Mississippi 

601.829.6915 

jarellano@pryor-morrow.com 

pryormorrow.com 

Calling all Leaders! 

Interested in Leadership? 

Apply now for the 2017-2018 Leadership Rankin Program 

Application Deadline: June 30, 2017 

Rankin County Chamber of Commerce 

101 Service Drive ■ Brandon MS 39042 

601.825.2268 www.rankinchamber.com 

Invest in your future and become a leader in Rankin County! 

PROGRAM 

HISTORY 

WHO SHOULD 

APPLY 

PROGRAM 

REQUIREMENTS 

PROGRAM 

OVERVIEW 

Established in 1994 and 

provides a behind the 

scenes look at Rankin 

County. 

Anyone with an interest 

in furthering their 

knowledge about 

Rankin County. 

Must live or work in 

Rankin County and be at 

least 24 years of age. 

This is a nine-month 

program & participants 

are chosen through an 

application and selection 

process. Tuition: $750 

Find out more at www.rankinchamber.com 


Clay Shoot 

March 30 • providence Hill farms 



Reunite 

for Life 

May 4 

On May 4, 2017, Mississippi Blood Services celebrated their annual Reunite 

for Life event. This gathering of blood donors and patients celebrates life and 

embodies the importance of being a blood donor. During the event patients were 

able to meet some of the donors whose blood helped save their lives. This year’s 

honorees were four very special patients whose lifesaving treatments depended 

on volunteer blood donations. 

Chandler Norman was in an ATV accident in January 2016. Chandler sustained 

multiple injuries including a shattered left leg, torn femoral artery, fractured skull, 

broken jaw, and a lacerated liver and spleen. Chandler received more than 40 units 

of blood throughout his treatments, which included eleven different surgeries. 

Chandler ultimately lost his left leg above the knee, but thanks to volunteer blood 

donors, Chandler is wrapping up his junior year of high school and is back to 

doing the things he did before his accident. 

Josh Sexton was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the right humerus in January 

2016. Due to the nature of his cancer, Josh underwent the amputation of his right 

arm, collar bone, and shoulder blade. Throughout his treatments, Josh needed 

several units of both whole blood and platelets. Now a healthy and active 9-year 

old, Josh want’s others to know just how important donating blood is. 

Blake Sebren was in a serious vehicle accident with his sister and girlfriend in 

March 2016. During the accident, Blake sustained several life threatening injuries 

including a crushed pelvis, and bruised kidneys and lungs. Blake lost his right 

kidney due to the damage from the impact. During his treatments, Blake used 

more than 75 units of platelets and whole blood. Although he still has more 

surgeries ahead of him, Blake is here today thanks to the kindness of those who 

selflessly donated blood. 

Nicole Jones is no stranger to the need for blood. In 2014 Nicole was diagnosed 

with TTP, a rare blood disease, and required hundreds of units of platelets to 

survive. In January of 2016 the unthinkable happened, and Nicole once again 

was diagnosed with TTP. Nicole needed AB platelets–nearly 200 units. MBS put 

out the call for help, and it was answered! MBS was able to get Nicole the 

lifesaving units she needed. 


Mississippi Blood 

Services offers a 

variety of donation 

opportunities. 

For more info 

on blood and 

platelet donation, 

visit msblood.com 


Spring Lake 

Garden Club 

Tablescapes Luncheon 

April 1 • Pearl community Center 



Why take your business or your skills anywhere 

else? As the leading independent staffing agency 

in the market, we consistently attract the 

finest candidates and match them with the best 

companies in the area. And because we’ve always 

been locally owned, you’ll be dealing with staffing 

experts who are invested in, and responsive to, the 

local business community. 

STAY LOCAL. SEE RESULTS. 

As the largest independently owned 

staffing service in Mississippi, we 

can customize a wide range of 

solutions for our clients and provide 

a plethora of opportunities for our 

employees. We’re large enough to 

provide services to big corporations 

but just the right size for smaller 

companies, too. 

Whether you’re looking 

for work or need 

employees, we can 

assist you with a variety 

of positions, including: 

- forklift 

- assembly 

- warehouse 

- janitorial 

- administrative 

- call center 

- accounting & finance 

- marketing & sales 

and much more... 

IF YOU’RE 

READY TO GET ON 

BOARD, CONTACT 

US TODAY! 

JACKSON 601-353-4200 | CANTON 601-859-8860 | MCCOMB 601-250-0800 

www.tempstaff.net 


“Every single person on staff is so caring! 

I highly recommend this office!” - Stephanie 

Call today for a free consultation! 

Jackson | Ridgeland | 601.856.3054 | BVOrtho.com 

A creative bank makes all the difference when 

you’re ready to make your dreams a reality. 

• Comprehensive loan options 

are available to help with your 

personal or business needs. 

• A strong record of helping 

businesses and start-ups with 

the capital needed to grow. 

• Ranked #1 in Small Business 

Administration (SBA) loan 

volume in our largest market. 

SPILLWAY RD / 601-203-2500 

W. GOVERNMENT ST / 601-825-4323 

FLOWOOD / 601-919-4200 

PEARL / 601-939-7979 


Messages 

Heaven 

from 



Anyone that has ever lost a loved one 

knows of the longing that comes with 

wanting to somehow reconnect. In our 

minds, we know they’re gone but we 

still need to feel them to know that 

they’re ok--- and neither time nor 

distance can change that desire. 

There’s an old saying that goes, 

“When cardinals appear, angels are near.” 

I’ve always been enchanted by that idea 

as the red cardinal has played many 

prominent roles throughout our history. 

The notion that cardinals are messengers 

of spirits exists across numerous 

cultures and beliefs--- just ask anyone 

that’s seen one when they 

needed it most. 

But truth be known, redbirds 

are pretty common in this area. 

They thrive in this habitat and while 

I’d love to think that every time 

I see one it’s a spirit-come-to-visit, 

it’s just as easy for me to 

imagine that it’s not. 

In 2012, my grandmother died at the 

age of 96. When it was time to clean 

out her house, her youngest son from 

California (and the sibling-declared 

family-favorite among the four of her 

children and two grandchildren) came 

to Mississippi for a week to help with 

the overwhelming task ahead. She had 

lived in the same house in Yazoo City 

for over 80 years. 

There was stuff everywhere–in the 

attic, in the garage, in drawers, and in 

closets stacked from floor-to-ceiling. 

Much of it I had meticulously sorted 

over the course of several weeks and 

months but when it came time to do 

the final clearing, a lot of it was taken 

to the curb. We worked for days to 

ultimately prepare the house to be sold. 

I called the waste management 

company to arrange for a special pick-up 

since it was just too much to leave until 

the regular trash day. They needed a 

heads up–it was a lot. Besides, I needed 

to get back to Jackson and wanted to 

know that it would be taken care of. 

Early the next morning, as promised, 

the garbage truck ran and around 

mid-day I called my uncle to verify that 

it had, in-fact, all been cleared away. He 

walked outside and was just astounded 

at what had previously been an absolute 

massive amount of rubbish. The 

mountain had been reduced to a single 

random Christmas ball. Every bit of it 

was gone. 

As he leaned over to scoop up the 

old faded ornament, he noticed 

something shining in the grass. He 

reached down to find a little gold heart 

charm. The irony was not lost on him 

that it was all that was left–and that he 

had found it. He stuck it in his pocket 

and went back inside. 

His wife was in the kitchen at the 

stove fixing a late breakfast. They were 

still on California time and were slow 

to get going, not to mention worn out 

from the several days of hard labor, 

prior. He reached in his pocket and 

showed her the heart-shaped trinket 

and when she flipped it over, she 

noticed right away that it was engraved 

with the name John. That was his name 

–my grandmother’s youngest son–the 

declared family favorite, which now 

seemed somehow divinely confirmed. 

Coincidence? Maybe. 


Several years before her death, my grandmother gave me an 

enamel-coated steel colander. It had belonged to her, seen decades of 

usage, and was the only “strainer” I had. I used it regularly and often. 

It had long-since begun to rust where some of the enamel had 

chipped away, but I continued to use it anyway. I eventually purchased 

a new one–coincidently, after she passed. The one she gave me was 

just too rusty. So one day I decided to throw it away. 

I put it in the garbage. I took it out of the garbage. I put it back in the 

garbage and before I even closed the lid I reached back in to rescue it. 

It was not just a rusted colander but a piece of my past–and a piece of 

someone important to me. I thought to myself, “This is ridiculous!” 

And after wrangling with it for almost an hour, I proceeded to shove 

it down into the trash bag and tie it shut, once and for all. 

The weather on the morning of “trash-day” was bleak. It was 

already drizzling and the forecast called for the possibility of severe 

conditions later that afternoon. By the time I got home from work, 

dark had fallen. It was storming with 30-mile-per-hour winds, and 

my garbage can had blown clear to the end of the cul-de-sac. I had 

no choice but to battle it out and go get it. 

The rain was blowing sideways and I was soaking wet and dragging 

the garbage can behind me. I noticed what appeared to be some type 

of helmet in the grass next to the curb–dome shaped and glistening 

under the streetlight in the pouring down rain. Maybe it was my son’s. 

I’d grab it as I dashed up the driveway. 

But it was no helmet. It was that colander, turned upside down and 

sitting there all by itself. How did it get out of the bag that I had so 

painstakingly and reluctantly tied together? I was stunned–and still 

am to this day. 

Coincidence? Maybe. 


So a few weeks ago, I was in our backyard building a fire in our fire 

pit. I had decided to dispose of some sensitive paperwork that really 

should have been shredded, but burning was simply more convenient 

and certainly more fun. In the closing of my grandmother’s estate, I 

had stored countless banking statements and papers that needed to 

be discarded but were too sensitive to just put in the trash–and still 

held value in my heart. So I poured a glass of wine and my husband 

and son helped load up the fire pit. I recalled funny stories about my 

beloved grandmother as they continued to crumple up papers and 

put them below the logs. Then we lit them. 

The fire struggled to catch. My wood was wet. I decided to add 

some kindling from a pot we keep nearby. That’s when I saw the 

blooms. For 30 or 40 years, my grandmother had a pot of succulents 

on her back porch that stood year-round on a little dime-store plant 

stand in the rain, sun, sleet and occasional snow. She was a master 

gardener and yet these succulents were the only plant-life I brought 

home with me after her death. I’d had them now for four years and 

they live on my back patio next to a big fat pot of kindling. I looked 

down and they were in full bloom–and they hadn’t been the day before. 

I’ve never seen them bloom. Ever. I didn’t even know they would. 

So, I’ve decided they were blooming just for me. As if to say, it’s ok to 

let go–just never forget. 

Coincidence? Maybe. But it serves as a wonderful reminder that we’re 

never far apart. The truth is that the bond we share with those we 

love is a bond never lost or broken–not even by death. Death just 

changes the dimensions–like water, evaporating into steam. 

Or like a redbird sitting on a window ledge singing, “My spirit will 

live on forever there within your heart.” n 


Purses & Pearls 

Muse Center • April 19 



ankin 

Recipes 

Strawberry 

Cheesecake Salad 

• 16 oz. cream cheese, softened 

• 1 c. powdered sugar 

• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 

• 16 oz. Cool Whip 

• 16 oz. strawberries, sliced 

• 2 ripe bananas, sliced 

• 12 oz. raspberries 

• 3 tbsp. crushed graham crackers 

In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat together 

cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until 

light and fluffy. Beat in Cool Whip until combined. 

Fold in strawberries, bananas, and raspberries. 

Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle top with 

graham cracker crumbs. 

Frozen 

Hot Chocolate 

Cheesecake 

CRUST 

• 24 oreos 

• 6 tbsp. melted butter 

• 1/4 c. sugar 

CHEESECAKE 

• 2 blocks cream cheese, softened 

• 1/2 c. powdered sugar 

• 1/4 c. chocolate sauce 

• 2-3 hot cocoa packs 

• pinch of salt 

• 2 c. heavy cream 

• 1 c. mini marshmallows 

In a food processor, pulse Oreos until they are 

fine crumbs. Transfer crumbs to a bowl, then 

add butter and sugar and stir until combined. 

The texture should be similar to wet sand. 

Grease a 9” pie plate and press in the crust 

mixture. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat 

cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add powdered 

sugar, chocolate sauce, cocoa packets and salt and 

mix until smooth. 

Add about half of the heavy cream and beat 

until smooth. Add the rest of the heavy cream 

and beat until very fluffy. 

Fold in mini marshmallows. Pour cheesecake 

mixture into the prepared crust. 

Freeze until solid, about 4 hours. 

Peaches n’ Cream 

Lasagna 

• 8 small peaches, sliced 

• 1/4 c. sugar 

• 1/4 c. brown sugar 

• 1 tsp. cinnamon 

• 15 graham crackers 

• 2 c. heavy cream 

• 1/4 c. powdered sugar 

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 

• 1/4 c. sliced almonds 

Macerate peaches: In a large bowl, combine 

peaches, brown sugar, sugar and cinnamon. Toss 

until the peaches are evenly coated in the sugar. 

Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Make whipped cream: In a large bowl, combine 

heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat 

mixture with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. 

Assemble lasagna. In a 8” square baking pan, 

place graham crackers in an even layer. Spread an 

even layer of whipped cream over the graham 

crackers, top with macerated peaches then sprinkle 

some almonds on top. Repeat three more times. 

Chill in refrigerated until the graham crackers 

have softened, about 2 hours. 

Serve cold. 


ankin 

Recipes 

Drunk & Dirty 

Beef Tenderloin 

Marinade 

• 1 cup low sodium soy sauce 

• ½ cup bourbon, or other sour mash whiskey 

• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce 

• 2 tablespoon packed brown sugar 

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger 

• 4 cloves garlic, cut in half 

• ½ cup water 

Main Course 

• 2 pound beef tenderloin (feeds 4-5 easily) 

• 2 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper 

• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper 

• ¼ cup vegetable oil 

Prepare the smoker for an indirect cook at 

225-275 degree dome temperature. Add wood 

chunks and/or chips (oak, pecan, or hickory - 

don’t overdo it). 

Combine ingredients down to the garlic with 

1/2 cup water and marinate beef for 2-4 hours. 

Remove beef from the fridge, reserve marinade 

and cover beef with ground pepper. I don’t measure, 

I just completely cover both sides with black pepper 

and then add the white pepper not quite as liberally. 

Put half the marinade in the refrigerator and add 

the vegetable oil to the other half, if planning to baste. 

If not basting put all the marinade in the fridge. 

Heat the basting sauce to a boil for a few minutes 

and keep warm on low. 

Put the roast on the smoker and cook until 

almost done–1½ to 2 hours, mopping every 20 

minutes. 

When almost done (120 degree internal temp) 

remove from the grill and bring it up to sear temps 

(500-600 degrees). 

Holding with tongs, place the roast back on 

when grill is 500 degrees or so for about 1 minute 

per each of the four sides. You’re just trying to get a 

nice char but not too much. 

Remove from the grill, tent with foil, and let sit at 

least 5 minutes (closer to 10 is fine). While resting, 

bring reserved marinade to a boil for a few minutes 

then lower to low and reduce by about one quarter. 

Slice and either drizzle marinade over the slices 

or serve on the side for guests to drizzle themselves. 

Flat Iron Steak 

• 1.5 pound flat iron steak 

• Cluck and Squeal ‘Beef Specific’ Rub; 

Cavendar’s Greek Seasoning; Montreal Steak 

rub; or your favorite steak seasoning 

Coat steak liberally with the rub and allow it to 

“melt in” for 45 minutes to an hour, while the 

steak is coming to room temp. 

Prepare the grill for a direct cook at 600+ degrees. 

Sear for 60 seconds per side, then remove 

while bringing the temp down. 

Close the vents down and get the temp close to 

400 degrees. 

Finish, flipping as needed to prevent 

overcooking on any side. 

Remove when the internal temp reaches 

125 degrees (for medium rare). 

Rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing against 

the grain. 

Simple Salmon 

• 1 12 oz. skin-on salmon fillet, center-cut 

• Dizzy Pig Raging River Rub 

• Dizzy Pig Shaking the Tree Rub 

• Olive Oil 

• Big Green Egg Kodiak River Rub 

Pat the filet dry then liberally coat salmon with 

the Raging River or BGE Kodiak River rub. Allow 

to “melt in” for 45 minutes to an hour. 

Prepare the grill for a 400* direct cook (on an 

Egg, the grid can be elevated or at the fire ring 

level). Add any chips (alder, apple, etc.) just before 

putting the salmon on the grill. 

If using “Shaking the Tree” rub, add just prior to 

placing on the grill. 

Oil the grill surface generously with a rag (or 

paper towel) soaked in vegetable oil, then place the 

salmon flesh down (skin up) on the grid. 

Grill with the dome closed for 2 minutes, then 

using a thin spatula, flip the filet to skin down and 

insert a temp probe, if using. 

Grill for another 5-8 minutes or so - until the 

internal temp is 120 degrees or until white protein 

starts to ooze onto the surface of the fish. 

Remove, cover with foil and rest for 5 minutes 

before serving. 



Richland Economic 

Development Association

Annual Luncheon 

march 30 • Richland Community Center 


1/2 PRICE WING TUESDAYS® • 21 SIGNATURE SAUCES & SEASONINGS • BONELESS THURSDAYS® 

BIG SCREEN HD TVS • ALL THE SPORTS ACTION • DINE-IN OR TAKEOUT • KIDS MEALS • HAPPY HOUR 

808 LAKE HARBOUR DRIVE // RIDGELAND // 601.856.0789 

COMING SOON TO 766 MACKENZIE LANE // FLOWOOD 

©2016 BUFFALO WILD WINGS, INC. BWW2016-4063 


From nose to toes 

we’ve got you covered. 

Illness & Injury 

Abscess Incision 

& Drainage 

Allergic Reactions 

Allergies 

Asthma 

Athlete’s Foot 

Bronchitis 

Burns 

Chemical Exposure 

Congestion 

Contusions 

Diaper Rash 

Ear Infection 

Earache 

Eye Infection 

Fever 

Flu Symptoms 

Foreign Body Removal 

Gastrointestinal Disorders 

Insect Bites 

Itchy Skin 

Our Services Include 

Migraine 

Nausea 

Rashes 

Runny Nose 

Scrapes & Lacerations 

Sinus Infection 

Skin Allergy 

Skin Infections 

Sore Throat 

Sprains & Strains 

Std Testing & Treatment 

Stomach Pain & Aches 

Urinary Tract Infection 

Wound Infection 

Pediatrics 

Acute Illness 

Minor Injury 

Physicals 

Camp Physicals 

Employment Physicals 

School Physicals 

Sports Physicals 

Dot Physicals 

Wellness 

Tb Skin Testing 

Tetanus 

Seasonal 

Allergies 

Ear, Nose & Throat 

Infections 

Sinus Infection 

Occupational 

Chemical Exposure 

Drug Screens 

Foreign Body Removal 

Dot Physicals 

Worker’s Comp Injury 

Lab & X-Ray Onsite 

Jenny Wright, NP-C Leslie Houston, NP-C 

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK WALK-INS WELCOME 

MOST INSURANCE ACCEPTED 

www.cornerclinicurgentcare.com 

601.992.0004 132 Lakeland Heights Blvd. Flowood 

Monday-Friday 8am-8pm Saturday 9am-6pm Sunday 1pm-6pm 


I 

Carry 

You 

with 

Me 



Love is an incredible 

& powerful force. 

It tests your courage, strength, 

dedication, patience, kindness, 

perseverance, and a million 

other little things. 

The people we shower with our affections will put that love through a lot 

— sometimes by their actions, or sometimes by their circumstances. But of all 

the different people you love, the love for your child is perhaps one of the purest 

and strongest. When they hurt, you hurt, and you’d give anything to make them 

better — even give a part of yourself. That is precisely the decision Matt and Ashley 

Dykman made when they learned that their beloved son would be born in need 

of a kidney transplant. 

When Ashley was 17 weeks pregnant, she and her husband Matt made the trip 

to the doctor that everyone looks forward to when they are expecting: the one 

where they would learn the sex of their baby-to-be. Unfortunately, along with that, 

came news no new parent hopes to hear — that their son was suffering from a rare 

birth defect called Eagle-Barrett, better-known as “Prune-Belly Syndrome”. His 

abdominal wall was not forming correctly and affected the development of his 

organs, particularly his kidneys. 

When he was born, Sawyer’s kidneys did not function at all and his parents were 

forced to put him on dialysis. Many surgeries were performed to help him with 

different issues that commonly arise with his type of syndrome. Seeing the stress 

that the Dykmans were going through, their hometown community of Florence 

banded together and held several fundraisers to help ease the financial burden of 

hospital bills for the family. 



Knowing that being placed on a transplant list and then waiting for a kidney to 

become available would likely be a long and arduous process, Matt and Ashley 

decided that each of them would get tested to see if they were a match. Miraculously, 

they both were great candidates to donate to Sawyer! Matt decided that he would 

take the lead and proceed with the additional preparations to give one of his kidneys 

to Sawyer. There were seemingly infinite visits to every kind of doctor that tested 

and evaluated Matt from head to toe, but in the end, he was deemed a worthy 

donor. In order for a small child like Sawyer to receive an adult organ, however, 

he had to reach a certain weight (22 pounds to be exact). At 18 months old, Sawyer 

had finally grown big enough, and father and son went into the operating rooms 

where their lives changed forever. 

“I was blessed to be able to be a kidney match and give Sawyer a chance at a 

better and healthier life. There was no hesitation when I heard I was a match. 

I immediately said yes. We are thankful it has given Sawyer a chance to thrive and 

love life like he does. He is the greatest little boy and I am thankful to be his dad,” 

said Matt. 

Today, Sawyer is a six-year-old social butterfly. He never meets a stranger, and 

sings and dances to his heart’s desire. He is doing well in school, though he has a 

few developmental delays due to spending the first 2 years of his life in the hospital. 

He runs and plays just like any other kid, but does so just a little more carefully than 

most. Ashley explained, “His life has made us stronger in our faith and taught us, as 

a family, just to roll with life. It’s hard to have a disabled child, but he is so loving and 

energetic and fun that you forget he’s disabled all the time.” 

Along with his 3-year-old sister Sadie and 9-month-old sister Frannie, Sawyer 

continues to approach everything with an excitement and fervor reflective of the 

second chance he’s been given through the immense love and generosity of his father. 

E.E. Cummings once wrote, “I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart). 

I am never without it (anywhere I go you go, my dear)”. It may not have been a 

heart that was donated, but it is clear that Matt’s kidney was given in an abundance 

of love. Sawyer will forever carry his father with him, both in body and spirit. His 

journey proves that love truly does triumph over all. n 



The Crown Club 

Junior Auxiliary of Rankin County Mother-Daughter Social 

Tuesday, April 25 | Pelahatchie Community Center


JUNE 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

MISSISSIPPI 

BRAVES 

SPONSORS: YOGI ON THE LAKE, DENTAL SOLUTIONS OF CLINTON 

& FOX 40 

YOGI’S FAMILYFEST SUNDAY, KIDS RUN THE BASES 

SPORTCLIPS MILITARY MONDAY 

SPONSORS: WJTV 12 GETTING YOU ANSWERS & Z106.7 

2 FOR TUESDAY 

AMR FIRST RESPONDERS WEDNESDAY 

SPONSORS: WATERVIEW CASINO & HOTEL 

THIRSTY THURSDAY, CHICK-FIL-A GIVEAWAY, COMMUNITY 

COLLEGE NIGHT, NFL NIGHT 

AMR FIRST RESPONDERS WEDNESDAY 

14 

15 

THIRSTY THURSDAY, SWAC NIGHT, 80’S NIGHT 

SPONSORS: ENTERGY, WLBT 3 ON YOUR SIDE & MISS 103 

16 FRIDAY NIGHT FIREWORKS, ENTERGY POWER TO CARE NIGHT 

Tickets start 

as low as $6 

17 

18 

SPONSORS: DOMINO’S & XFINITY 

TRUSTMARK SUPER SENSATIONAL SATURDAY, SCI-FI NIGHT 

SPONSORS: YOGI ON THE LAKE, SOUTH JACKSON FAMILY DENTAL, 

FOX 40 & HALLELUJAH 95.5 

FATHER’S DAY CATCH ON THE FIELD FROM 11:30AM - 12:30PM, 

YOGI’S FAMILYFEST SUNDAY, KIDS RUN THE BASES 

SPONSOR: 105.1 THE RIVER 

28 AMR FIRST RESPONDERS WEDNESDAY 

SPONSORS: PATTY PECK HONDA 

29 THIRSTY THURSDAY, DELTA STATEUNIVERSITY NIGHT, BEACH 

NIGHT, BC POWDER GIVEAWAY UPON EXIT 

SPONSORS: ST. JOSEPH HOSPICE, WLBT 3 ON YOUR SIDE 

30 FRIDAY NIGHT FIREWORKS, DANSBY SWANSON BOBBLEHEAD 

(FIRST 2,000 FANS), REGGY THE PURPLE PARTY DUDE 

APPEARANCE 

STAY CONNECTED 

LISTEN ALL SEASON 

LONG ON 103.9 WYAB FM 




Rankin 

Chamber 

Health Fair 

Brandon Municipal Center 

May 10


A Field & Club of Heroes 


Betsy Ross, a seamstress in Philadelphia 

in 1776, made it into the history books 

as the maker of the first American flag. 

However, her actual involvement in its 

development is highly debated. 

No official records or documents 

place her with the first American flag 

across her lap, but there’s ample 

evidence that the Exchange Club of 

Crossgates has honored and celebrated 

our national flag and the patriots who 

gave their lives for the freedom Ole 

Glory represents. 

Let me introduce this special club. 

The National Exchange Club is the only 

service organization that exclusively 

serves communities in the United States 

and Puerto Rico. Volunteers use their 

talents and time to benefit their local 

communities and their country. Their 

core values are basic: family, community, 

and country. 

Exchange members are involved in 

activities and programs that benefit youth, 

promote pride in our country, and honor 

military and public service providers. 

The Exchange’s National Project is the 

prevention of child abuse. 

The Exchange Club of Crossgates is 

our local chapter and carries out 

enormous accomplishments with their 

small band of twelve members, men 

and women. 

Their first major goal was to provide a 

park for children close to the community. 

They purchased 12.5 acres of land from 

Tom Underwood in 1978 to create a 

youth sports complex. It is adjacent to 

I-20 at Woodgate Drive South. It’s been 

the home park for the Brandon Soccer 

Organization since its inception and was 

named after the club’s first president, 

Frank Bridges. 


Updates to the park over the years 

have included a sprinkler system 

covering ten acres, field lighting, 

a concession building, and several 

additional buildings on the property. 

To fund these major expenses, the 

Club constructed a 50’ long BBQ pit 

and have cooked many thousands of 

chicken halves to sell to the public. 

They eventually turned to the annual 

October Haunted House for their main 

fundraiser which the club members 

begin work on in March. With help from 

the Boy Scouts and the First Baptist 

Church Youth Group, the Club raises 

thousands of dollars to give toward 

and fund their various projects. 

The project that Hometown Magazines 

wishes to spotlight is their Memorial Flag 

Field. This July 1-3, they will display 500 

full-size American flags that originally 

flew on the Exchange Club’s first 9/11 

Memorial Flag Field. 

This Club has hosted two 9/11 Memorial 

Flag Fields on their park with over 4,000 

full-size flags standing in a uniform grid 

that Mayor Butch Lee and Sheriff Brian 

Bailey, along with other volunteers, 

helped implement and complete. 

The flags were displayed with names 

and information of those who died in 

the attack of 9/11 plus soldiers who were 

killed in the following war. 

This July 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, the 500 

flags will be waving on the soccer field 

park, reminding I-20 travelers of the 

price of freedom. The entrance to the 

parking lot is on Woodgate Drive South, 

next to the Enterprise Building, for those 

who want to walk through the flags. 

The memorialized flags will be for 

sale with pole and the original yellow 

ribbon and a name tag that identified 

the fallen soldier associated with the 

flag. The cost is only $10. There is no 

set program planned, but a concession 

stand will be open for visitors. 

Louise Pipitone, a forty-year member 

along with husband Pat, said about the 

flag display, “It’s the most rewarding 

thing our Club has ever done. Truckers 

have pulled off the interstate all hours 

of the night to walk through the lighted 

flag field, the largest in the nation. Others 

have brought flowers and teddy bears 

to leave by the flags.” 

A special salute and thank you go out 

to this band of patriotic, hard workers. 

They need our participation in community 

projects and “new blood in memberships,” 

Mrs. Pipitone expressed. “We 

need parents to teach their children to 

volunteer and become active.” 

Community involvement in an 

organization that promotes Americanism, 

patriotism, and youth, would be an 

excellent means of commemorating all 

the fallen on this July’s Memorial Flag 

Field. The Exchange Club members urge 

us all to, “Come and show respect.” 



St. Mark’s 

United Methodist Church 

Tablescapes 

April 1


©2014 Ergon, Inc. All rights reserved. 

ergon.com 



A Sprawling 

Lakeland Drive 

Susan Marquez 

As told by Jessica Lay 

With close to 60,000 

vehicles driving on Lakeland 

Drive each day, it’s hard to 

believe that it was once beautiful 

pastureland for dairy cows. Jessica 

Lay remembers, because her father 

ran the dairy farm that once stood 

where River Oaks Hospital is 

today. “We moved there when 

I was five-years-old,” Lay recalls. 

“I was entering the first grade. 

I went to school in Pearl.” 

Her father purchased the land in 

1944 for $35 an acre – a pretty hefty 

sum in those days. “People told my father he’d never be able to 

afford that land, but he said that he’d pay for it selling milk. 

And he did just that.” The family moved to Rankin County 

from the Forest Hill area of Jackson. At that time, Lay’s father 

was delivering milk in glass bottles on the doorsteps of families 

all over South Jackson. “People would put their milk money in 

a jar for my father to pick up when he delivered the milk. It was 

a different time back then. People were honest.” 

The first idea that something 

would happen where Lakeland 

Drive is today is when Leland 

Speed was fishing with Lay’s 

uncle. “Mr. Speed told my uncle 

that a road was going through 

the area. He said the land would 

be worth a million dollars 

someday.” Gus Primos did a 

good bit of the work, partnering 

with the Lay family to sell 

and develop some of the land. “Gus had the 

money and we had the land. It was a great partnership!” 

At the time, Lakeland Drive ended just shy of the Pearl River. 

“The Stocketts had a horse barn there,” Lay recalls. When the 

road was brought through, Gus Primos wanted to build a 

school. “Jackson Prep now sits on the site where our hayfield 

used to be.” Lay recalls there was an old tenant house with a 

cistern behind it on the back of the property. “I used to ride my 

horse back there, and all the way to the Pearl River.” 




Moving to Rankin County was a wonderful thing for Lay, 

who said she recalls that that the family’s home in Forest Hill 

didn’t have running water. “The commodes didn’t flush and we 

had to bathe in a number two wash tub. In the house out in the 

country, we had a real bathroom with a real bathtub. It was like 

having my own indoor swimming pool! The first day we were in 

the house I got in the tub and stayed in it all day until I was 

shriveled up like a prune and my mother made me get out.” 

She loved living in the country. “Our house and dairy barn 

were near where River Oaks is today. The hospital sits on what 

was once our cow pasture.” The family went through 

the Easter flood of 1979, and unfortunately, many 

family photos were lost in the disaster. 

Today, Lay lives with her husband outside of Brandon. The 

family continues to have business interests on Lakeland Drive. 

Folks who drive in the area frequently are familiar with 

Layfair Drive, named after the Lay family, and they own Layfair 

Shopping Center. “I still drive up and down Lakeland Drive all 

the time. It’s still so unreal to me that there has been so much 

change in the area during my lifetime!” n 


Pearl Mayor’s 

Prayer Breakfast 

May 5 • Pearl Community Center 



Hunks & Heels 

The 3rd Annual Womanless Beauty Pageant benefitting the MS Burn Foundation 

Thursday, April 27, 2017 at Jaco’s Tacos in Jackson 



RANKIN COUNTY’S NEWEST VENUE IS NOW OPEN! 

Open House • 5pm-7pm • Thursday, July 6th 

Please join us • Light refreshments will be served 

202 North College Street • Brandon, MS 

To schedule a tour or to make reservations, call 601.706.4059 


Call us to schedule 

your next visit. 

(601) 825-3368 

Sarah Langston, DMD 

14 Woodgate Drive 

Brandon, Mississippi 39042 


The 

Best Day 



It certainly felt like Matt Withrow’s 

best day when he was drafted by the 

Atlanta Braves as a pitcher in the 6th 

round in 2015. Since baseball had become 

a major part of his life while growing up 

in Odessa, Texas, it was like waking up 

from a dream and seeing it was reality. 

In the oil field town of Odessa, there 

wasn’t much extra-curricular to enjoy 

– other than sports. Matt, with his two 

older brothers, spent free time in athletics 

along with seasonal hunting and fishing. 

Matt played his first baseball in the 

9th grade, but in a short time the pitching 

mound became his favorite spot on the 

field. He credits his dad, who played with 

the Chicago White Sox, and older brothers 

with part of his baseball success. Some 

really good coaches, one that played with 

the Yankees, are others that taught him 

basic skills and command on the pitching 

mound. One brother presently plays with 

the Kansas City Royals. 

Texas Tech University in Lubbock, 

Texas, was where he pursued his college 

education and baseball dream. He also 

renewed his friendship with Kristin, a 

young lady he had known since elementary 

school. “She didn’t like me then,” he says 

with a laugh, but times change and so did 

their relationship. They were married in 

November of 2016 and live with their host 

family, the Wilsons, in Clinton, Mississippi. 

The 6’5” pitcher starts every fifth day 

of the Braves’ schedule. The conditioning, 

practices and weight room fill Matt’s 

days before and after all ballgames. It’s 

a demanding schedule with only two 

off-days a month. 

One baseball report said of Matt: 

“Withrow’s attitude on the mound is 

notable and a definite positive.” A scouting 

report describes Matt this way: “Withrow’s 

listed at 6’5” and 235 pounds, and he looks 

that, for sure. He strikes an imposing pose 

on the mound, pulling his cap over his 

brow to give the hitter no real view of his 

eyes as he focuses on the plate.” 

Matt says that he’s learned to block 

out fan noise when he’s pitching. It’s a key 

part of focus that his dad taught him. 

For Rankin fans of the Mississippi 

Braves, here’s a bit of trivia about Withrow, 

#40. Roger Clemens is his favorite, all-time 

baseball player, and if you consider 

wearing the same shirt for every game a 

superstition, Matt has at least one game 

superstition. 

Matt continues to play hard and 

perfect his pitching skills. All the workouts, 

pre-game and practice drills are the hard 

parts to playing professional baseball, 

according to this pitcher. He chooses not 

to focus on the “what ifs” associated with 

his future in baseball but enjoy the dream 

of being on the pitching roster. Matt says, 

“When you’re on the mound, that’s your 

best day!” 


Keep The Rez Beautiful 

Sixth Annual Project Rezway - Reservoir’s Recycle Fashion Show and Rezzy Awards 

April 27 • MS Craft Center 



Becca’s 

Project 

How One Girl 

is Changing 

Her Community 

for the Better 

Jennifer Milner 

‘‘E 

ven though you’re small, you can make 

a difference,” is the advice Becca Blair 

gives when talking with groups of 

preschoolers and elementary school kids. 

Becca, age 9, has taken these encouraging 

words to heart with her own recent efforts to 

promote and grow recycling in her community. 

“Help Me Go Green & Recycle” 


From a very young age, Becca’s family instilled in her 

the importance of conserving our natural resources and 

being good stewards of the environment. Along with her 

family, Becca is a faithful volunteer with Keep the Reservoir 

Beautiful, the local Keep Mississippi Beautiful affiliate. Since 

she was only 3 years old Becca has been picking up litter and participating 

in other clean-up activities in and around the Ross Barnett Reservoir, 

helping her fellow volunteers maintain the natural beauty of this popular 

recreational destination for residents and visitors alike to enjoy. 

Becca’s interest in recycling, however, was sparked just last spring 

by an article on landfills she read as part of a school assignment. Becca, 

a homeschool student in 3rd grade at the time, learned from the article 

that 70% of the materials sent to landfills can be recycled. This statistic 

grabbed Becca’s attention prompting her to ask her mom if they could start 

recycling at their home, and see how much material they could save from 

the landfill. While this idea seems simple enough, the Blair family live in 

Rankin County; and recycling here is no easy task for residents compared 

to other counties and cities in the Jackson area. The County does not offer 

curbside recycling services, and only operates two recycling drop off 

locations in a County of nearly 150,000 residents. 

Despite these challenges Becca’s mom, Michelle, agreed that their 

family should start recycling, and encouraged Becca to turn her idea into 

a school project by keeping track of how much material their 

household collects for recycling. After getting the hang of 

recycling at their house, Becca and her mom noticed that the 

family trash had been reduced from 2 bags of trash a day to 

1 bag every four days. “Once I saw how much recycling helped 

us, I wanted to help my neighbors,” recalls Becca. And with that thought 

in mind, Becca, supported by her family and neighbors, began collecting 

recyclables in her neighborhood for transport to the nearest county recycling 

drop-off center located at the Reservoir Fire Station. She developed 

a slogan “Help Me Go Green and Recycle” and started advertising her 

“recycling services” by distributing flyers around her neighborhood. She 

also asked her friends at Keep the Reservoir Beautiful to get involved. 

The organization happily answered the call by donating reusable 

recycling tote bags. These bright orange repurposed potato sacks are 

used to hold collected recyclables. Becca gives a bag or bag(s) out to 

anyone in the neighborhood who asks to participate. Bags are also offered 

as a welcome to folks just moving in along with Becca’s flyer and a tasty 

homemade treat. Initially Becca collected from only a few neighbors, but 

as word spread of Becca’s expanded school project, more and more 

neighbors asked to be added to her “route”. According to Michelle, 

75-80% of their neighbors put their bags out once a week. To keep this 

enthusiasm going, Becca conducts contests periodically to encourage 



her neighbors to recycle as much as they can. For example, she awards 

restaurant gift cards or similar items to the family who puts out the most 

recyclables that week. Also, Becca is working with her friends to plan 

a neighborhood recycling fair. The fair will include a cookout as well as 

games and activities designed to educate and encourage recycling and 

waste reduction. These incentives encourage her neighbors and motivate 

Becca to honor her commitment. “They are expecting me to come by, and 

I can’t let them down,” says Becca of her weekly recycling pick-up. Every 

Monday, rain or shine, Becca hops in the back of her grandfather’s truck 

and picks up the potato sacks full of recyclables, records the weight, and 

takes the materials to the drop off center. Since starting the project, Becca 

has collected over 3,000 lbs. of recyclables from her neighbors! 

In addition, to helping her neighbors recycle, Becca conducts and 

participates in several activities to promote and educate the residents 

of Rankin County on the many benefits of recycling and other waste 

reduction practices. She speaks to groups of all ages including preschool 

classes, high school green clubs, and homeowners’ associations; and 

manages Instagram and YouTube pages to share what she has learned 

and encourage others to recycle in their local area. 

Also, Becca has participated for the past two years in the “Project 

Rezway” fashion show, an event sponsored by Keep the Reservoir 

Beautiful, modeling her homemade fashions made from recycled materials. 

This year’s entry, designed with the help of Becca’s grandmother, Kathy, 

consisted of a “Steampunk” style outfit made from the fabric of a broken 

trampoline, playing cards, coffee filters and other recycled items. The 

ensemble was a big hit with the fashion show audience and contest 

judges, snagging the Project Rezway first-place prize. 

Given these efforts, it’s no wonder local, state, and national organizations 

are taking notice of Becca. Recently, she was recognized nationally by Keep 

America Beautiful with their 2016 Individual Youth Award. In addition, she 

has won awards on the state level from Keep Mississippi Beautiful and was 

named “Recycling Star” by the Mississippi Recycling Coalition (MRC). 

The “Recycling Star” award was presented on March 2, 2017, at 

the state capitol as part of MRC’s annual Recycling Awareness 

Day co-sponsored this year by Keep Mississippi Beautiful. 

Becca’s efforts have also shined a light on the important issue of 

recycling and the desire of residents in Rankin County and across the 

state to have better access to recycling services. In addition to the many 

environmental benefits, recycling has a significant economic impact in 

Mississippi. Recent studies conducted by the Southeastern Recycling 

Development Council (SERDC) identified 11 manufacturing facilities 

in the state reliant upon recycled material. These factories generate 

$2 billion annually and employ nearly 2,000 people. As Becca read in 

the article that inspired her efforts, many of the materials these industries 

need to develop new consumer goods are being thrown away. Recovered 

materials are supporting our local economy, yet Mississippians annually 

spend an estimated $70 million to dispose of recyclables worth approximately 

$200 million. 

For example, KW Plastics, the largest HDPE plastics (milk jugs and 

detergent bottles) recovery plant in the world, is just across the state line 

in Troy, Alabama. The amount of HDPE plastics currently collected and 

delivered from the states of Alabama and Mississippi combined to the 

plant for recycling only supply the plant for approximately 2 days. This 

means that the plant must go outside of the Southeastern U.S. for its 

recovered plastics supply. Despite the value of these recovered materials 

to companies like KW Plastics, many residents of our state don’t have the 

option of recycling; or as is the case in Rankin County, have very limited 

options, making recycling difficult for busy families. 

An estimated 60% of Mississippians have access to recycling services 

(including both drop-off and curbside recycling programs). Comparing 

this percentage with the national average of 96%, it shows that our 

state has tremendous potential for growth in the recycling industry 

through increased collection of materials. Recycling just 1% of the 

4 million tons of residential solid waste disposed of each year in the 

state can create 100 new jobs for Mississippians! 

Sadly, many of us see the issue of recycling and the lack of access in 

Mississippi and the Southeast as a problem too big for the average citizen 

to solve. Perhaps we should look at the example set by Miss Becca 

Blair and heed her advice: “Even though you’re small, you can 

make a difference.” n 





Daddy/Daughter Dance 

April 22nd • Richland Community Center


The CHALKBOARD 

RANKIN COUNTY SCHOOLS 

Discovery Christian 

The preschoolers at Discovery Christian School had an exciting time finding eggs that 

the 4th grade class hid for them. They also enjoyed the candy that they found inside! 

Brandon High 

How do you go from Great to Best? Brandon High School does 

it by establishing a culture of excellence where “we” comes before 

“me.” The mission is to cultivate a culture where all students, faculty, 

and community can achieve greatness. DOGS – “Developing Our 

Gifts to Serve” is not just a slogan – it is the foundation for 

everything BHS does, both inside and outside of the classroom. 

As the 8th largest high school in state, Brandon High prides itself 

on growing leaders, growing stewards, and growing world changers. 

This school year alone, 19 seniors scored a 30 or higher on the ACT. 

Brandon High School also has two National Merit Finalists and a 

Legion of Valor Award recipient for the 2016-2017 school year. The 

news/media class was nominated for three Mississippi Scholastic 

Press Association awards for their cutting-edge broadcasting 

contributions. The majority of athletic teams made it to postregular 

season play, and the student athletes are top contenders in 

the state, both academically and athletically. 24 of 26 teams qualified 

as All Academic teams for the year. BHS was also the winner of the 

2016 Southern Elite Sports Spirit Award and is home of the award 

winning show- choir, Brio. 

Participation in the 7 career technical academies is growing 

rapidly, and ACT preparation and PSAT courses offered have been 

expanded and enhanced. In order to foster longitudinal 

relationships and build cohesion, BHS is integrating the concept of 

looping in some of our academic courses where a teacher remains 

with the same group of students for more than one school year. 

The 107 highly qualified teachers are fostering authentic 

collaboration among their departments and across the curricular 

disciplines in order to effectively prepare students to achieve their 

college and career goals. 

Growth and excitement at Brandon High School is never ending. 

A spirit of community is felt by all who enter the doors! It is truly a 

place like no other. 


Highland Bluff Elementary 

Each year in Mississippi, third grade 

students, their parents, and their 

teachers can’t help but get a little 

nervous when it comes to the literacy 

exam that, by law, all third graders have 

to pass to be promoted to fourth grade. 

At Highland Bluff Elementary School, 

109 students took the exam this spring. 

On May 10, the long anticipated score 

reports were sent to the schools and 

were ready to be sent home. Upon 

realizing that 100% of all third graders at 

Highland Bluff had met the promotion 

requirements, a special reveal 

celebration was in order! 

For the reveal celebration, staff 

members dressed like Star Wars 

characters since, leading up to the test, 

the third grade hall had been decorated 

like a galaxy with each child’s name on a 

star and light sabers at the entry to the 

hallway near a blow up Yoda who’s sign 

said, “May the force be with you.” 

Following with the Star Wars theme, 

the reveal celebration began with an 

image of Star Wars visible on the 

stage screen and Star Wars 

soundtrack music was playing while 

students entered the cafeteria for 

what they thought was another book 

club meeting. Green Yoda juice 

(Sonic slushies) were set out for each 

student. A letter with each student’s 

name was folded and sealed for them 

to open. Each student’s letter had 

Yoda holding a green light saber and 

had the following words written, 

“Congratulations! The Force was with 

YOU! You passed. HBE was 100%.” 

Then, students were told 

congratulations on behalf of Dr. 

Townsend, RCSD Superintendent, 

Dr. Crain, Asst. Superintendent, and 

all of their HBE family! As expected, 

there were cheers of joy, tears of relief, 

and a special moment the staff and 

students of HBE shared that will be a 

cherished memory for years to come. 

Florence High 

8th grade students were honored with a special 

program, “The Tassel is Worth the Hassle”, which 

recognizes the students for all of their hard work while 

at the middle school. The program also portrayed the 

importance of graduating from high school and 

encouraged them to work hard towards graduation. 

The students are provided a breakfast, a special t-shirt 

with their graduation year, and a tassel. As the students 

enjoyed breakfast, special guest speaker, Dr. Sue 

Townsend, inspired them by sharing her personal 

struggles and successes that she faced along her college 

and career journey. As the students leave the program, 

they carry their mock graduation certificate and a 

brochure with information on how to be successful in 

high school and thoughts to consider as they plan for 

their future once graduating high school. 

Submissions provided by local officials from each individual district and not to be considered editorial opinion. 




McLaurin Elementary 

McLaurin Elementary School is a PBIS model site. The PBIS 

committee meets throughout the year to discuss ideas for fundraisers 

and events. Everyone at the school is part of the PBIS team, 

however, several small committees are set in place to handle the array 

of duties that has to happen in order to be successful. For example, to 

be able to have the appropriate activities scheduled for such a large 

variety of ages, it takes a lot of people to volunteer and be involved. 

All the different grades have incentives put in place to encourage the 

best behavior throughout all grades. All students have the 

opportunity to earn Tiger Tickets to purchase rewards from the 

Tiger Cart. Also, each class can earn golden tickets to be used at the 

end of the year for whole class rewards, such as class party or pizza 

party. These all are efforts to help the maximum number of students 

be successful and able to attend the Big Event and Big Big Event. 

The Big Event at McLaurin Elementary happens at the end of 

each nine weeks. The big event is for all the students that do not 

receive discipline referrals for that nine weeks. It has various 

activities every time such as blackout dances, popcorn or ice cream 

Puckett High 

It’s that time of the year, banquets, awards day, graduation, state 

tests, field day, and final exams. On Saturday, May 13th, the Puckett 

High School Football team held their annual Spring Fling. The 

festivities began at 8:00 am with a 5K fun run/walk. Over 80 

runners and walkers, from all over the State, participated in the 5K 

race. There were winners in each age division. After the race 

younger children participated in a half-mile fun run. 

Later that morning we held an antique car show. Over 20 cars 

were entered in the event. There were some really nice muscle cars 

and trucks on display. The owners, of the cars, had a good time 

sharing stories of how they rebuilt their vehicles from scratch. 

Spectators took pictures and chatted with the owners for the 

remainder of the day. 

Next, the fun times began. We had a dunking booth where the 

youth took turns dunking each other. There was a free jumping tent 

for the smaller children. We had a silent auction; vendor tents and a 

concession stand full of your favorite foods and drinks. There was a 

hot dog eating contest, Mark Smith was crowned the champion in 

this event. In the pet parade Natalie Brady and her black lab “super 

Dog” captured the first prize. Later in the evening we had the Mess 

Puckett Beauty Pageant. It was a real “Mess”. David Williams, was 

crowned the Mess winner. The crowd was entertained and had a 

parties, and even Tiger Rock Martial Arts, just to name a few. The 

teachers and office keep a list of eligible students. 

At the end of every year, the Big Big Event happens for the kids 

that have not received any discipline referrals the entire year. It has 

activities including water slides, bounce castle, and blow up obstacle 

courses. These students are identified by wearing a special bracelet. 

McLaurin Elementary feels that it is important to reward students 

for their hard work and effort to be the best student and have the 

best character possible. 

At these events, the school can decide to sell bottled water, snow 

cones, or other approved snacks or items. The money that is raised is 

used by our school to fund the Big Event committee for the 

following year. 

Every year, every student has a fresh start and new opportunity to 

work as hard as they can to be able to attend all their favorite Big 

Event activities. Also, the students complete a survey each year to 

help the committee plan activities that the students have suggested. 

great time. The Spring Fling was a success and we hope to improve 

on it next year. This annual fundraiser helps Puckett HS football 

with their expenses. 


Pisgah High 

Before we complete final exams, before we mail report cards, 

before we say goodbye for the summer, we celebrate the recent 

achievements and awards of our students and faculty. 

Various teams and student athletes demonstrated athletic prowess 

at the state level. The Pisgah Boys Track Team brought home both 

the District 6-2A and 3-2A Region track titles along with winning 

1st place in the Small School Division at the Rankin County Track 

Meet. At the MS State Meet, Ken Story won 2nd in the 300 hurdles 

and 3rd in the 110 hurdles. 9th grader Ben Arnold finished 7th in the 

300 hurdles. In pole vault, Colton Pierce finished 7th, and Trevor 

Hallett finished 5th. For the girls, Savannah Dillard placed 6th in the 

long jump, and Kirby King placed 7th in the triple jump at the State 

Meet. 

The Golf Team, District 6 / Region 3 Champions, placed 5th 

at the state tournament. Kaleb Hayman was District 6 / Region 3 

Runner Up. 

The Tennis Team, Region 5-2A Runner Up, sent four players to 

state. Corey Jones and Paige Oster participated in singles while 

Courtney Buffington and Madison Crapps, Girls Doubles District 

Champs, advanced to the State Quarterfinals. 

In academics, 12th grader Kameron Wilson and 11th grader Izzy 

Woodford participated and placed in the Hinds Community 

College Literary Festival. Kameron’s essay “Living a Quality Life” 

won second place, and Izzy’s poem “Shape of Me” received first place 

and won her a full tuition scholarship. 

Behind successful students, you will find dedicated teachers. In his 

first year at Pisgah, STEM teacher Joseph Oster received the Rankin 

County School District Certified Staff Member of the Month 

Award. Before joining the Pisgah faculty, Mr. Oster pastored a local 

church, volunteered with FCA, and drove a school bus. 

As the school year closes, we celebrate the successes of our 

students and faculty and look forward to an even better 2017-2018. 





Richland High 

Richland High School and the Richland Fire Department have 

developed a working partnership to give students an opportunity to 

learn valuable lifesaving skills and to develop the ability to work as a 

team.Participants will also be provided with leadership abilities and 

the capability to become confident, productive outstanding citizens 

in our community. This unique strategy enables high school students 

to have the experience and preparation necessary for them to earn a 

professional firefighter certification. 

This program takes the student from cadet level through 

certification at the NFPA 1001-firefighter II level. It covers all 

aspects of firefighting including fire behavior, protective equipment, 

forcible entry, ventilation, salvage/overhaul, and fire attack. It also 

includes CPR and first aid, incident command, hazardous materials 

operations, auto extrication, rescue the rescuer, and physical fitness 

training. Successful students will be certified as Firefighter I and II 

by the Richland Fire Department within their jurisdiction. 

In addition, daily hands-on activities are conducted in order to build 

skill and enhance the knowledge gained. Near the end of the course, 

students participate in comprehensive activities which require team 

and individual efforts to accomplish their assigned “mission.” The 

top graduates are recommended for employment with the Richland 

Fire Department once they reach the age of eighteen. The other 

graduates are allowed to become reserves within the department. 

The program helps in developing the attitudes and skills necessary to 

establish satisfying relationships and sets and achieves personal goals 

while producing self-esteem and confidence. The main purpose of 

the cadet program is to change the lives of our students, so that they 

may change the lives of others in times of need. 

Richland High School serves nearly 850 students from grades 

seven through twelve. We are a Title I school with free and reduced 

lunch ratio of about 63%. Many of the students from Richland 

graduate and immediately enter the workforce. To prepare students 

for this transition, RHS has continually sought assistance from 

members of the community to have our student’s career or college 

ready. As a result the graduation rate has increased from 60% to 

nearly 90%. A key factor was the development of career interest 

surveys, which led to the growth of curriculum that made a pathway 

for students to graduate in order to pursue the career of their choice. 

The Richland Fire Department indicated that they were interested 

in developing potential candidates for the fire department and 

approached RHS with a plan to develop an internal pool of 

applicant who would be trained and available after graduation. 

For students who had expressed an interest in becoming a fire 

fighter, the timing was impeccable. The initial program for juniors 

and seniors and has grown from eight to fifteen participates 

since its implementation. 


Pelahatchie High 

Partnered with Get2College, Pelahatchie High School held their 

first Academic Signing Day on May 5, 2017. With gracious donations 

from sponsors, seniors received backpacks filled with useful items for 

college. Signing with one of thirteen colleges represented, seniors 

proudly revealed which college they would be heading to this fall. For 

the finale, names were drawn for a limited selection of additional 

gifts. As guest speaker, along with Representative John L. Moore, 

Representative Tom Miles posted the following comment on 

Facebook: “This is a great thing that the school and parents did to 

encourage the students to continue their education by going to 

college and stressing the importance of academics.” With the help of 

parents, principals, teachers, counselors, guest speakers, and 

especially Get2College, Academic Signing Day was a success. 

A nonprofit organization, Get2College provides free services that 

help students and their families plan, prepare, and pay for college. 

Counselors of the Jackson Get2College Center have worked 

throughout the year with the Pelahatchie High School seniors to 

prepare them for the next step in their education. They assisted 

students with applying to and visiting local colleges, completing 

scholarships, and housing and state aid applications, including the 

Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 

The culmination of this school year was the Academic Signing Day, 

which honored 43 students who made the commitment to attend a 

college or military academy. Get2College, a program of the 

Woodward Hines Education Foundation (WHEF), helps 

Mississippi students obtain post-secondary credentials, college 

certifications, and degrees that lead to meaningful employment. 

Learn more about Get2College and WHEF at get2college.org. 

Eighty-two percent of Pelahatchie’s graduating seniors will attend 

a post-secondary institution. The Chieftain community is thrilled to 

celebrate the success of this year’s graduating Class of 2017. 



HOMETOWN 

Sponsored by 

For ten weeks, Renasant Bank and Hometown Rankin Magazine honors school 

personnel throughout Rankin County for outstanding work in their fields. 

Nominations were accepted through Facebook each week and those receiving 

the most nominations were awarded gift baskets from our sponsor. We are 

pleased to have been able to celebrate with these amazing school employees 

that were voted on by their peers. Thank you to all who participated and 

congratulations to our last seven winners. 

102 • June 2015

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 


Come see why there are 

Reasons 

to 

choose 

Fall classes start Aug. 14 

1.800.HINDSCC • www.hindscc.edu 

In compliance with the following: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972 of the Higher Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and other applicable Federal and State Acts, Hinds Community College offers equal 

education and employment opportunities and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability or veteran status in its educational programs and activities. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Dr. Debra 

Mays-Jackson, Vice President for Administrative Services, 34175 Hwy. 18, Utica, MS 39175, 601.885.7002. Dr. Tyrone Jackson, Associate Vice President for Student Services & Title IX Coordinator, Box 1100 Raymond Campus (Denton Hall 221), Raymond, MS 39154, 601.857.3232, titleIX@hindscc.edu 


Retirement, 

Assisted Living, 

Memory Care, 

& Respite Care 

Community 

__________________ 

CALL NOW TO SCHEDULE A TOUR 

601-345-2202 

Every day of life is a blessing 

350 TOWN CENTER WAY ~ FLOWOOD, MS ~ BLAKELIVING.COM 

Anita Davis, Executive Director 


Jackson Jewelers 

14k White Gold 

1 Carat Diamond Wedding Band 

Polk’s Drugs 

Orca Rocket $44.99 – Orca Chasers $49.99 

Father’s Day 

Frederick’s 

Stihl BG 50 Handheld Blower 

Mockingbird Marketplace 

Picnic Plus Wine & Beverage Carrier 


KD’s Furniture 

Great Selection of Leather Recliners 

Professional EyeCare 

Associates 

Ray Ban Sunglasses with Blue Mirrored Lenses 

gift guide 

rankin county Co-op 

Case Hand-Crafted Pocket Knife 

Van’s 

Yeti Drinkware 




Hometown Rankin 

READER 

SPOTLIGHT 

Kathy Deer 

Why did you decide to make Rankin 

County your home? 

I moved to Pearl 32-years ago with the intentions 

of it being temporary. I enrolled my daughter in 

first grade at Pearl, but still thinking that I would 

probably move to Clinton or Madison. In the 

meantime I became very involved in the Pearl 

Jaycees, a fun close-knit bunko group, and a 

wonderful local church. Within no time, my 

daughter was fully immersed in Girl Scouts, 

Sunday school, pee-wee cheerleading, softball, and 

dance. It quickly became home and in a few years I 

met the love of my life and we got married and 

joined our families. The rest is history. God worked 

every detail of it out for me. 

Tell us about your family. 

I am married to Kirby Deer who is an SAP 

manager at Ergon. Together we have three 

daughters: Jennifer, who is married to Ethan 

Mayeu and they have one beautiful daughter Cavie 

that we call “The Princess”; Kelsey, who is married 

to Justin Lancaster and they have one son, Shaw; 

and Emily, who is married to Brian McGairty and 

they have one son, Jon Davis who is almost three, 

and identical twin boys, Tatum and Tucker, who 

will be two in August. We are members of 

Crossgates United Methodist Church and we love 

sports, hunting and fishing and just spending time 

with our family. 

What is your favorite memory of living 

in Rankin County? 

Living here as long as I have I really struggle with 

naming just one memory a favorite. My mind is 

flooded with memories of family, friends and 

good times. 

Where are your 3 favorite places to eat 

in Rankin County? 

We have so many great restaurants in Rankin 

County that it would be hard to only pick three, so 

I will narrow it down to Pearl, and give you a few 

of my favorites: Moss Creek Fish House, Little 

Willie’s BBQ, Jose’s Mexican Restaurant, Darwell’s 

To Go, and Frisco Deli. 

What are some fun things to do in Rankin 

County on the weekends? 

Attend a Mississippi Braves baseball game, go to a 

movie at Tinseltown Theatre, play a round of golf 

at Patrick Farms Golf Club or, the best kept secret 

in town, the Pearl Municipal Golf Course. The city 

of Pearl has three city parks that have playground 

equipment, walking trails, pavilions, picnic tables 

and big gorgeous oak trees that shade the parks. 

We have a lot of family-friendly events in Rankin 

County such as festivals, car shows and concerts. 

Share some things you enjoy doing in your 

spare time. 

With five grandchildren that live close, spare time 

is not always available. They are my heart and 

doing things with them is what I treasure the most. 

Outside of family gatherings, sports is my 

passion—primarily football, basketball and 

baseball. We attend our grandson’s games and we 

also love high school and college level sports as well 

as minor and major league games. 

What are three things on your bucket list? 

When I think of a bucket list I think of places that 

would like to go, like Washington State, New York 

City, and Hawaii. But I would mainly like to watch 

our grandchildren grow up and be happy and 

well-adjusted adults. 

Who is someone you admire and why? 

I admire all of the people that work with shelters 

like the Center for Violence Prevention. Sandy 

Middleton and Paula Vaughn and their staff work 

tirelessly for those that need help the most. I 

personally could not deal with the violence and 

tragedy that they see on a daily basis. God has truly 

called them to their profession. 

Where do you see yourself ten years 

from now? 

I would like to be retired or semi-retired and 

working on my bucket list! 

What is your favorite childhood memory? 

My parents gave me the opportunity to do all kinds 

of things like Girl Scouts, piano lessons, art lessons, 

sports, summer camps, and other fun things. 

My favorite memory is just playing outside, riding 

my bike and climbing trees. 

If you could give us one encouraging 

quote, what would it be? 

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, 

plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give 

you hope and a future.” Jer. 29:11 

What is your favorite thing about 

Hometown Magazines? 

I’ve never seen a magazine that I will grab up as 

soon as they are delivered and read from cover to 

cover. It is always full of interesting articles and I 

love all of the pictures of events that are held in 

Rankin County. 



American Legion, Brandon Post 68 

Boys & Girls State 

Recognition Dinner 

May 11 • Brandon municipal Center 




The Time Coin 

The church grounds were still 

shaded by the giant oaks decked 

in Spanish moss. The peaceful 

bay still rippled along the street that circled 

the property, but the newly constructed 

worship center dwarfed the original 

building that Dan and Evelyn had called 

their church home so many years ago. 

This day was their yearly visit with the Kratts. Evelyn could hardly 

contain her excitement. 

The visiting couple pulled into a crowded parking lot and found a 

single, vacant visitor’s spot. They waited in the welcome center for 

familiar faces and saw a large-framed gentleman, slightly stooped, 

walk through the corridor. The years had etched into his frame and 

face, but they remembered his servant heart when he worked with 

the youth. Dan greeted him and their old friend sorted through the 

hundreds of former military families he had known, and he recalled 

Dan and Evelyn’s friendships. His broad, contagious smile was the same 

that the couple remembered almost forty years ago. 

In the midst of their conversation, Mr. Kratt’s kind face caught their 

attention as he made his way toward the visitors. Their dear friend 

who had provided affordable rent along with godly mentoring in the 

couple’s first year of marriage was still smiling and involved in his 

church ministry. His ninety-two years weren’t a crutch or excuse but 

a reason to give thanks to God. 

His eyes still twinkled when he smiled, 

and his gentle voice brought back a tidal wave 

of wonderful, loving memories. The foyer 

traffic was picking up as the first service 

emptied through the large doors, but their 

reunion wasn’t hampered. They talked about 

their families and listened as he shared about 

his and the new church facilities. 

Mrs. Kratt soon joined them, and their fellowship was sweet 

and amazingly close to where Dan and Evelyn had left off a year ago. 

As the sanctuary music reminded them of the worship hour, they 

followed the elderly couple into the worship center. Mr. Kratt’s steps 

were slower, and time was attacking his body, but it hadn’t made a dent 

in his spirit. Evelyn’s heart hurt to see how the years were aging his 

once-strong frame, but she rejoiced that his faithfulness and servant 

heart were continuing to flourish. 

As they stood to sing hymns of praise, Evelyn looked to her left at 

this ninety-two-year-old friend and his sweet wife. She looked in front 

to see a young couple – military looking – a lot like she and Dan were 

almost four decades ago. Now, Dan and Evelyn were close to the age 

of the Kratts when they first met. 

Time is fleeting, “like a snowflake on a river.” It marches on 

– sometimes runs, seldom crawls, but it’s always moving. As the hymn 

of praise made heavenly background music, Evelyn whispered a prayer 

from Psalms: “Lord, teach us to number our days that we may gain a 

heart of wisdom.” n 


NEW YEAR 

NEW LOCATION 

NEW EQUIPMENT 

We are ready to hit the new year with 

greater efficiency coupled with the same high quality and 

customer service you have come to expect from Hederman 

Brothers. Give us a call and let us help you with the latest 

technology for all your printing needs. 

PRINT 

DIRECT DIGITAL GREEN CROSS MEDIA DESIGN 

OUR NEW LOCATION 

247 Industrial Drive N 

Madison, MS 39110 

601.853.7300 • 1.800.844.7301 

www.hederman.com 

Voted Best 

Printing 

Company 

2016 by the 

Clarion-Ledger 

People’s 

Choice Awards. 


More than 30 practices. 

Quick appointments. 

One number: 844-MSMERIT. 

Because there’s Merit in convenient care. 

With more than 30 primary care and specialty practices in four counties across the Jackson and Vicksburg metropolitan 

areas, Merit Health Medical Group providers offer quality care for your family with your schedule in mind. From sore 

throats and fever to annual wellness visits and more specialized care, we’ve got you covered. 

To see all locations and specialties, please visit MyMeritDoctor.com 

Call 844-MSMERIT for a provider near you. 

Walk-ins are welcome at all primary care practices, 

or ask about same-day and next-day appointments.

Hometown Rankin - June & July 2017

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?