Rankin1218web

volume 5 number 6 

december 2018 

FIVE YEARS 

MAGAZINES 

5 

CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS 

HOMETOWN MAGAZINES 

Remembering Cash 

____________________ 

A Tropical Christmas 

____________________ 

T0GETHER AGAIN

2 • August 2018

Hometown Rankin • 3

PUBLISHER & EDITOR 

Tahya A. Dobbs 

CFO 

Kevin W. Dobbs 

CONSULTING EDITOR 

Mary Ann Kirby 

SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER 

Brenda McCall 

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE 

Karla Johnson 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Camille Anding 

Jessi George 

Olivia Halverson 


Susan Marquez 

Erin Williams 

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER 

Othel Anding 

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT 

Alisha Floyd 

LAYOUT DESIGN 

Daniel Thomas - 3dt 

• • • 

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 

• • • 

Who would have thought one store could offer every retail item imaginable? No, it’s not 

Wal-Mart. It’s the app store on our electronic devices. Electronic technology has brought the 

world into our homes with virtual tours through endless catalogs plus the added luxury of 

having orders delivered to our front doors. 

It’s a convenience that most would add to their Thanksgiving list, but is there a hidden cost 

to that convenience? Absolutely! Imagine the empty storefront windows and how our business 

landscape could change if there were no walk-in customers. With closed businesses would come 

depleted sales tax revenues. That would mean an end or reduction to many of our services we 

normally take for granted. Police and fire protection, K-12 education and environmental 

projects are just a few that would be affected. 

I’m certain brick-and-mortar businesses are grappling with their future and how to stay 

afloat in the rapidly advancing cyber world. An obvious solution for our hometown businesses 

would be walk-in customers spending locally. 

“Tis the season” when we celebrate the greatest Gift ever given. 

The majority in our hometown will be a part of that celebration 

by giving and receiving gifts. Buying those gifts locally in brickand-mortar 

stores could help impact all of us in multiple ways. 

Please keep that in mind as you ride down our streets and 

enjoy the displays of Christmas lights and decorations. You can 

be a part of a special cycle that helps make that, 

and much more, continue. 

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 Memories of the Heart . . . . . . . . 14 

Alpha Delta Kappa . . . . . . . . . 20 

Meals with Love 26 

Flying for Good . . . . . . . . . 30 

ATropical Christmas . . . .38 

West Rankin Girl Scouts 50 

Bringing the Past to Life 60 

Remembering Cash . . . . . . . . 78 

The Michael Guest Family . . . . . 86 


Fundraiser for Jackie & Justin Evans 

10 • December 2018

September 27 / The Ivy 




Memories of the Heart 


Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories 

and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year 

for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime. 

Laura Ingalls Wilder 


We all have our own memories of Christmases-past. Mine 

mostly involve my grandmother’s house. I was the only child 

of a single working-parent, and my mother and I would most 

often rely on my grandmother to create and fulfill all our 

holiday experiences. And she was happy to do it, too. 

She’d have the yard man haul her eight-foot artificial tree 

down from the attic every year and stand it in the corner of the 

living room–along with ornaments stored in partitioned boxes 

once gathered from some liquor store. We’d string the colored 

lights around the tree and then I would begin the task of 

strategically placing all the balls and tinsel garland. Sometimes 

we’d use icicles to finish it off and it would inevitably end up 

looking like an explosion of aluminum. 

On Christmas morning the house would smell divine. There 

would be a turkey in the oven along with cornbread dressing and 

a sweet potato casserole. The dressing was a family favorite and 

was especially delicious when served mashed-up with white rice 

and gravy. 

We’d be seated at the kitchen table and each place setting 

would be complete with a freshly-ironed cloth napkin. Christmas 

Day was not a day for folded paper towels. It was special. We’d 

use the good plates, too. 

Everyone had their glass of tea made from that granulated 

instant tea powder-stuff that just dissolved in water–and one 

solid can-shaped, ribbed, jellied cranberry sauce jiggled on a 

saucer in the middle of it all. I never understood the cranberry 

sauce. Or the Le Sueur peas, for that matter. Clearly I had not 

yet developed a sophisticated palette. I was just a kid, after all. 

And when it was time to give thanks, it would always be the 

same: “Father we thank Thee for these and all our blessings. 

Amen.” Didn’t matter who said it–it was always those exact 

words. For decades. 

✧ ✧ ✧ 

When my grandmother died in 2012, I brought her kitchen 

table to my house. I didn’t have room for it but it was just one of 

those things that I couldn’t part with. We had played countless 

hands of double-solitaire on that table, had a thousand 

conversations–and had eaten all those Christmas dinners. 

I had to put it on the back porch. It wasn’t “in” the elements, 

but wasn’t inside, either. Not surprisingly, after a few years, the 

polyurethane began to peel and the wood was showing damage. 

So I decided to refinish it. I sanded it, by hand, for no less 

than twelve hours–with no TV and no radio. The sound of 

rubbing away generations of DNA consumed me completely. 

And after all the rubbing and sanding and scraping and 

remembering, I got to bare wood. The table was completely raw. 

And it smelled amazing. 

It was a cross between cedar and perfume. It was an 

emotional smell. I felt transported to another time. Memories 

flooded my eyes. 

✧ ✧ ✧ 

As the years wore on, Christmases at my grandmother’s 

became less involved. There was less participation. She was 

getting older. Everyone had other lives. They lived in far-off 

places and experienced life’s normal distractions. Our group 

had become fractured. Sometimes family dynamics, themselves, 

presented their own difficulties. 

At some point, gatherings and gifts had become more 

obligatory and less meaningful. Christmas mornings were 

filled with socks, and bathrobes, and packaged undershirts– 

and stress. It was easier to give an envelope containing a 

twenty-dollar bill. The faded excitement of Christmas 

morning had become a distant expectation. 

But on one particular Christmas morning, ironically the 

last that I remember celebrating there, there was one wrapped 

package that was larger than the rest. It disrupted the otherwise 

low-lying landscape of the few gifts under the tree. It was a 

single box, had one of those big puffy bows on top, and it had 

my name on it. 


Unlike so many times before, this wasn’t 

something I had purchased myself, then 

wrapped, and placed under the tree with a 

tiny gift card in my own handwriting that said, 

“To: Mary Ann, From: G’mama.” This was an 

actual surprise! When I turned to her, she just 

stood there, waiting, with a childlike twinkle in 

her own eye. 

I ripped the paper off of it like a six-year 

old. And much to my astonishment, it was a 

big, white, fluffy, teddy bear with a red knit hat 

and scarf. What in the world? For the life of 

me I couldn’t imagine what possessed her to 

buy it. It was so completely uncharacteristic– 

not to mention, I was grown! 

But I didn’t care why. I loved it. That 

moment captured and resurrected a magic 

that had been missing on Christmas morning 

for many years. I think it did the same for her, 

too. We both squealed out loud and continued 

to giggle throughout the day. 

That bear served as a perfect reminder that 

no matter where life takes you, or what life’s 

circumstances deal you, it’s important to keep 

the child-like magic of Christmas near. To this 

day, I still have it. 

✧ ✧ ✧ 

So now, every mid-November, we pull 

down an eight-foot artificial tree out of our 

own attic–the very same tree that my 

grandmother had in her home. The kitchen 

table wasn’t the only thing I inherited. And 

while this one continues to show its age, and 

I’ve threatened to get a new one a dozen 

times, I never do. I’m not sure I can. 

I’m keenly aware that the very things we 

are doing in our home, my son may someday 

do for his own children. I’ve tried to be very 

deliberate in that regard. Intentional. 

Nearly all the ornaments on our tree 

reference a specific time in our lives or a 

vacation that we took together. And, as has 

become tradition, we get a new blown-glass 

ornament every year. We have dozens of 

them. There’s a football, a baseball, and a 

buffalo marking our trip to the Grand Canyon. 

We have Yoda as a nod to our Star Wars 

phase, Lilly and Lucy–our beloved dogs that 

have gone before us, and Thomas the Tank 

Engine. We have a blown-glass peanut to 

celebrate our fall peanut boils and now, in 

addition, I pull out all our stuffed animal 

friends to mark yet another special season 

in life that has passed but is not forgotten– 

my own white teddy bear being one of them. 

These things are important, regardless of age, 

and provide comfort and special memories 

for our family. 

Turns out, Christmas was never about 

“stuff.” It’s about memories–childhood 

memories that never fade. When all our kids 

are grown and gone and making their own 

memories, they may not remember the 

specific gifts they got–but they’ll remember 

the tree, and who was around it. And the 

smells. And how they felt. And all the love 

that was shared–at Christmas. l 



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The Alpha Epsilon Chapter of 

Alpha Delta Kappa 

Susan Lott 

Alpha Delta Kappa is a non-profit international 

honorary organization for women 

educators. More than 30,000 women educators 

around the world are members of this 

organization, by invitation only. Alpha Delta 

Kappa members combine their energies and 

talents to enrich their lives and the lives of 

others through thousands of heartwarming, 

community-based altruistic projects. They are 

dedicated to educational excellence, altruism, 

and world understanding. 

ADK was founded in 1947 and headquartered 

in Kansas, Missouri. It has more than 

1200 chapters located in every U.S. state and 

Puerto Rico, and around the world in Australia, 

Canada, Jamaica and Mexico. 

Alpha Epsilon is the Brandon chapter of ADK, 

and was chartered in 1987 with 19 members. 

Cheryl Moore and Marti Crawford, two of the 

original members, are silver sisters, members 

for over 25 years. Pam Shotts Franklin became 

a silver sister in 2016. Alpha Epsilon presently 

has nine members and meets once a month. 

When not on a field trip or serving at another 

location, the chapter meets the second Monday 

of the month at the Gathering Grounds Coffee 

Shop behind the Rankin County School District 

office. Some of the topics for meetings are 

cooking, plants, time-saving tips, gardening, 

home decorating, local authors, political figures, 

medical issues, dyslexia, special education 

avenues, and many more. These meetings 

enhance members’ personal and professional 

lives, and often lead to serving the community 

or helping with other special altruistic projects. 

These nine members have dedicated, collectively, 

nearly 300 years to education. 

Present members are: Elaine Bridges, 

President; Jeanne Monsour, President Elect; 

Carol Ann Drane, Secretary; Janet Paczak, 

Treasurer and Publicity Chairman; Marti 

Crawford, Historian; Janice Lee, Chaplain; 

Cheryl Moore, Immediate Past President and 

Membership Chairman; Susan Lott, Altruistic 

and Scholarship Chairman. Alpha Epsilon can 

also boast having two state officers; Elaine is 

sergeant-at-arms and Jeanne is the merit 

awards chairman. 



Alpha Epsilon’s altruistic projects for this 

year include Haiti New Mom and Baby Bags; 

canned food and stocking stuffers for ERCO 

(Ever Reaching Community Outreach) serving 

out of Pelahatchie; Why Not Now MS? (meals 

for the homeless); and Ronald McDonald 

House to include snacks, cleaning supplies, and 

donations for overnight stays for out-of-town 

families with children in local area hospitals. 

Over the years, Alpha Epsilon has participated 

in the following projects: Blankets and 

scarves for cancer patients, Toys for Tots, 

Rankin County Human Resources, Project 

6.3.9. (female human trafficking), CARA 

Animal Shelter, Center for Pregnancy Choices, 

Expanding Borders Ministry in Honduras, 

Handbags for Hope (aid for women leaving 

the penal system), Mississippi Nursing Home 

Ministry, Animal Rescue Fund of Mississippi, 

Inc. (ARF), Blair Batson Hospital, Veterans 

Nursing Home, VA Hospital in Jackson, 

Gateway Rescue Mission, and Juvenile 

Detention Center of Rankin County. Also each 

year, the chapter rotates providing a meal to 

either the sheriff’s, police or fire departments. 

The Cut-n-Sew project is the chapter’s 

oldest project. The chapter has been sewing 

head scarves and cutting and trimming fleece 

into blankets for the Hederman Cancer Center 

and Jackson Oncology Associates for over 12 

years, totaling 1,440. This project began from 

the heart. Marti’s grandson was diagnosed with 

leukemia when he was four. She learned, 

first-hand, some of the many needs of cancer 

patients—thus the Cut-n-Sew project was 

birthed. Each month, ten blankets and ten 

scarves are delivered to the cancer centers and 

given, free of charge, to patients coming in for 

treatments. 

Alpha Epsilon also participates at the 

international level of Alpha Delta Kappa 

Altruistic and World Understanding Projects. 

We send yearly monetary donations to St. Jude’s 

Hospital, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the 

Ronald McDonald House. Funds have been 

donated to past projects to help build schools 

in rural Vietnam, Peru, and Haiti. Books and 

educational equipment was also purchased for 

LaKota/Sioux Indian reservation in South 

Dakota. The International World Understanding 

Project for this biennium is TEACH 

TOO. Transitional housing will be built in 

Haiti for 48 older teens. Providing this housing 

will enable them to finish their education and 

learn an occupation. Haitian law does not allow 

children to live in licensed orphanages after the 

age of 18. 

The chapter raises funds for scholarships 

and altruistic projects through Ways and Means 

Projects. The chapter collects or makes items 

to sell or raffle at area, state, and regional 

conventions. This year’s Ways and Means 

project is bundles of Gulf-Region states note 

cards and handmade purse organizers. For 

many years the chapter invited the public to 

an auction every November. A great variety 

of donated items were auctioned off by noted 

citizens such as the mayor, bank presidents, 

extension agents, and artists, etc. 

Pearls of Achievement can be earned by 

each chapter for meeting the criteria of Alpha 

Delta Kappa. Some of the criteria include 

reports sent in on time, maintaining membership, 

attending conferences, participating in 

projects, setting and meeting goals, etc. 

Alpha Epsilon has earned at least four out of 

seven pearls each year since their beginning. 

Carol Ann Drane, our very own Alpha 

Epsilon member, was recently chosen for 

Mississippi’s Excellence in Education Award 

out of the 18 chapters located in Mississippi. 

She then became the Gulf Region winner. 

The Gulf Region includes the of Alabama, 

Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, 

Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. She will compete 

at the International Alpha Delta Kappa 

Convention in Minneapolis against the other 

six regions in 2019. 

Alpha Epsilon not only participates in 

over a dozen altruistic projects each year, but 

also awards educational scholarships to female 

students majoring in education. Since the 

beginning of the chapter’s existence, it has 

awarded approximately $12,000 in scholarships 

to over fifty students. This amounts to 

$400 - $500 in scholarships a year. 

Margaret Mead, American Cultural 

Anthropologist, describes our chapter best, 

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, 

committed citizens can change the world. 

Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” l 


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BEST OF THE BEST 

2018-2019 

JANUARY 17, 2019 / 7-10 PM 

BRANDON MUNICIPAL COMPLEX 

Presented by 

In 2016, with an intense desire to promote Rankin County 

businesses, the team at Hometown Publishing, publishers of 

Hometown Rankin Magazine, embarked on creating a red 

carpet event that would celebrate the outstanding business 

community in which we live and work. Rankin County’s Best 

of the Best Red Carpet Gala was born. Nearly 500 people 

walked the red carpet at the sold out inaugural black-tie 

event at Brandon’s City Hall. 

Since then, the Red Carpet Gala has become a hallmark 

event. Now in its third year, fifty-eight categories were 

established with thousands of nominations being submitted 

through an online, public submission process. The top five 

in each category was determined from those results and 

posted for voting. 

“We couldn’t be more thrilled with the way the community 

has embraced this event,” said Tahya Dobbs, publisher of 

Hometown Rankin Magazine and event founder. “Rankin 

County has such a vibrant business climate and continues 

to experience explosive growth. There’s so much to 

celebrate–and we’re just happy to be able to be a part 

of the celebration!” 

On October 22, the voting window was opened with 290 

businesses vying for number one in their respective categories. 

The voting window officially closes on December 14th. 

One vote per device per day will be accepted. 

“It’s wonderful to see so many businesses celebrated in 

such a collaborative way, not to mention the networking that 

occurs the night of the gala,” Dobbs continued. “As business 

owners and executives of both large and small businesses, 

we’re all in this together. We all have the same goal of 

enriching our communities which, in turn, leads to a more 

prosperous business.” 

On January 17, 2019, the red carpet will once again be 

rolled out at Brandon’s Municipal Complex–not only to 

celebrate the winners, but the nominees, as well. Anyone 

listed in the top five of any category of business has 

clearly established themselves as a leader–and for that 

we congratulate you. 

“Rankin County also has the benefit of four exceptional 

organizations that tirelessly promote local businesses. 

The Rankin County Chamber of Commerce, the Pearl 

Chamber of Commerce, the Flowood Chamber, and the 

Richland Economic Development Association all pour 

themselves into this community in such a remarkable way. 

We’re lucky to have them,” continued Dobbs. 

“We’re just so grateful–not only for the way Rankin 

County supports this event but for supporting each other 

as we all strive to make Rankin County the very best it can 

be,” Dobbs concluded. 

Voting for the top five categories continues through 

December 14. Call 601-706-4059 for more information. 



Meals 

George 

LoveJessi 

with 

In 2011, Audrey Langston stepped out in faith and shared her desire 

to bless people in her community of Richland, Mississippi, by providing 

delicious comfort food and a warm embrace for those in need. 

She held a meeting at her church, First 

Baptist of Richland, and several people 

volunteered to help the homebound, the sick, 

and those who have experienced loss by 

providing them with meals and personal visits. 

The volunteers divided themselves into teams 

of seven and each team collects, prepares, and 

delivers food to those in need, weekly. 

“God has provided from the very beginning. 

I realized that we would need a freezer to 

store the meals we prepared each week. I didn’t 

know what I was doing, but I just picked up 

the phone, called Cowboy Maloney’s and 

asked for a donation. They provided us with a 

used freezer that was in excellent condition,” 

said Audrey. 

They now have two large freezers and a 

pantry to accommodate the growing ministry 

that prepares and provides an average of 20 

meals per week. 

The food is bought or donated by people in 

the church and community. Many times if there 

is a church or catered event in the area, the 

leftovers are donated to Audrey and her teams 

to be distributed among the weekly meals. 

“I rarely have to ask anyone to fulfill a 

need–and have only had to ask for donations 

a handful of times. God just provides what we 

need,” explained Audrey. 

They don’t only provide meals, however. 

They provide much needed time, attention, 

prayers, and the human touch to those who 

are often lonely or isolated. Audrey insists 

that giving a hug is just as important as giving 

food. “People need to know that we, as a 

church, are thinking about them, and that 

God is thinking about them. That they are 

not forgotten.” 

However, providing good food is a gift 

that Audrey loves to give. She also helps to 

coordinate and cook meals every Monday 

night for the church’s Christian Women’s Job 

Corp ministry which assists women in need 

by equipping them for life and employment 

through Jobs for Life classes, computer classes, 

GED tutoring, Bible study and mentoring. 

They also offer English as a Second Language 

(ESL) and citizenship classes. 


“The first night we ordered pizza and I said 

to myself, ‘we can do better than this.’ So now 

a team of people helps to provide meals for the 

ladies on Monday nights,” said Audrey. 

Audrey not only feels passionate about 

feeding people herself, but also about encouraging 

others to get involved and help those in 

need. “Everybody can help out in some way. 

The oldest helper in the casserole ministry is 

92. She provides all the fruit we need for the 

meals each week. She might not be able to do 

all the cooking or deliver meals, but she does 

what she can and it is a blessing to us and to the 

people we feed every week.” 

Audrey insists that happiness is a journey and 

a choice. She chooses to focus on the goodness 

of God and the blessings He provides in her 

own life rather than her difficulties. And she 

has faced many difficulties that would inhibit 

most people from participating in so many 

ministries. She provides full-time care for her 

husband, Charles, who has faced one significant 

health crisis after another since 2013. 

“My husband fell off of our porch in 2013 

and it damaged his shoulder so bad that he was 

unable to work or drive or do most things with 

that side of his body. He was 83 and still working 

at the time, but after that accident, he was unable 

to work anymore.” 

Since that accident, her husband developed 

pneumonia, COPD, bladder cancer, fungus in 

his lungs, and congestive heart failure. He has 

been in and out of hospitals and rehabilitation 

facilities since 2015. Although they have been 

through many hardships, both Audrey and her 

husband like to keep a positive attitude. 

“Even after all he has been through, my 

husband never complains, never has a bad 

attitude,” describes Audrey. “And if he can do 

that then so can I. We know God has blessed 

us. We are so much better off than so many 

other people, so we can be thankful. And even 

with all the health problems, God has blessed 

us with some of the best healthcare providers 

to help us through it, and we are very thankful.” 

Even though she had to give up some of the 

ministries and activities she was involved with 

in order to care for her husband, Audrey felt it 

was important to still serve others to the best of 

her ability. “I had to give up some things, but I 

can still help, still be involved. I just choose 

every day to be whatever God wants me to be. 

And if I can hug one person and they can see 

Jesus that day then my life doesn’t look so bad,” 

Audrey says. “I have the best life. I really do. It 

may not look that way to others, but I know 

that I am very blessed.” l 

“I just choose every day 

to be whatever God 

wants me to be.” 



Flying for Good 

Olivia Halverson 

A wide-eyed, curious little boy spent his 

youth trotting the globe from one military 

base to another. His dad was a senior master 

sergeant in the United States Air Force. He 

was born in the Philippines. His playground 

was an aircraft hangar, stocked with real-life 

fighter jets, transport planes, and other 

flying machines of the late 1960s military 

variety. That kid, Jeff Wall, dreamed that 

one day he would fly an airplane of his own. 

Today, Jeff and his wife Cynthia live in 

Flowood, Mississippi. He owns and operates 

The Tire Depot Automotive Services. He 

spends his days off cruising the clouds in one 

of five planes shared by the members of his 

flying clubs. Jeff rarely flies by himself. 

Some of his passengers have included 

cancer patients, burn victims, dogs, and 

even some lemurs. Yes. Lemurs. Why such 

a variety of passengers, you ask? Jeff is not 

your typical pilot. 

Jeff only recently started flying planes. 

He acquired his pilot’s license in 2011. 

Before that, he spent 27 years working for 

a printing company. Jeff thrived in the 

corporate world working his way up from 

production operator to plant manager. 

Despite his success, Jeff lacked a sense of 

fulfilment from his work. Eventually the 

printing company lost its allure. That is 

when he decided to open his own business. 

For every new stage of life that Jeff 

encountered, his dream of flying airplanes 

intensified. Until he became a business 

owner, his circumstances were never quite 

suited to make that childhood dream come 

true. But at the age of 46 Jeff ran out of 

excuses. 

“I didn’t even know why I wanted to fly,” 

Jeff said. “I just knew that I had to, and I 

couldn’t wait any longer.” And just like that, 

Jeff signed up for his first flying lesson at 

Madison Flyers, in Madison, Mississippi. 

Jeff equates the process of earning a pilot’s 

license to learning a new language. It 

required 3 years, over 175 hours of flying, 

and a whole lot of studying. But he did it. 

Today, Jeff is not only fluent in aviation, but 




he is also an official, licensed, instrumentrated 

pilot. 

There is a term in the aviation community 

known as the “$100 hamburger.” 

This is when a pilot flies a short distance, 

enjoys a nice meal at that destination, and 

then flies back home. When Jeff first got 

his license, he and Cynthia made a couple 

of $100 hamburger trips. They also took 

the plane to visit family in other states. 

They went on some vacations. Jeff’s 

childhood dream had come true. He was 

a pilot. But still, something was missing. 

“You very quickly run out of decent 

reasons to fly,” he explained. One day Jeff 

was at the Tire Depot having that very 

conversation with a customer. Jeff’s 

ponderings ultimately came down to this: 

“What do I do, now?” 

That customer told Jeff about “Pilots 

N Paws,” an organization through which 

volunteer pilots fly transport and rescue 

missions for animals. Curious, Jeff looked 

into the program and signed up for a 

mission. “I was just amazed, so I went on 

there and picked up a transport—a puppy 

going from Shreveport, Louisiana, to 

Columbus, Georgia.” 

He signed up for many more missions 

after that in which he transported a variety 

of dogs. And on one unique occasion, 

he actually transported lemurs. The 

experience was rejuvenating. Jeff sought 

out other ways in which he could volunteer 

his ability to fly planes. That is when he 

learned about Angel Flight Missions— 

an organization that serves ambulatory 

medical patients with free flights to and 

from medical treatment. 

Jeff flies for the Angel Flight Soars 

division, which covers Mississippi, 

Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North and 

South Carolina. Jeff has been an Angel 

Flight volunteer for 3 years now. He has 

flown over 50 missions and counting. 

“I got into this really looking for a 

reason to fly. A justification to fly,” Jeff 

explained. “And what I found is I love 

flying volunteer missions—it occurred to 

me on a trip like an epiphany.” 

Jeff had just flown a surgery patient to 

Dallas. That night, he was flying back by 

himself. It was 9 o’clock, a crystal-clear 

night with a nice tail wind. 

“I’m sitting there thinking, ‘how did I 

get from the Philippines to up here in an 

airplane at 10,000 feet? How am I the guy 

that gets to do this as a volunteer mission?’” 

During that flight, Jeff thought through 

all the things that had to happen in his life 

for him to be exactly where he was in that 

moment and realized, “This is no accident.” 

Currently, Jeff finds himself in a 

position where he’s no longer asking, 

“What do I do, now?” Friends often ask 

if he wants to fly planes for a living. His 

answer is always no. 

“This is my hobby. It’s the opposite of 

work for me,” he explained. 

Jeff recently flew an 18-hour mission. 

He left his home at 6:00 a.m. and returned 

home that evening at midnight. “It was a 

long day, but I was refreshed,” Jeff said. 

“That’s what it does for me. It’s mentally 

refreshing.” 

Jeff always knew he needed to fly. It was 

an inherent desire that began when he was 

that little boy in the Philippines, totally 

and completely captivated by airplanes. 

Years later, he learned that the world 

needed him to fly, too. l 


September 29 

Richland, MS 



Capture the spirit of the season, 

a special wish to you from our 

Community Bank family to yours. 

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” 

– Luke 2:14 


Merry Christmas 

& Happy New Year 

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A Tropical 

Christmas 

Jessi George 


White sandy beaches and 

tropical island breezes 

aren’t usually what come 

to mind when most people 

think of Christmas. But 

this year, the Hughes 

Family, from Florence, 

Mississippi, will build 

“sandmen” instead of 

snowmen and will be 

surrounded by palm trees 

instead of Christmas trees. 

Corey and Linsday Hughes 

and their three children moved to 

Exuma Island in the Bahamas in 

2017 after surrendering to a call 

to missions and leading short-term 

teams there for two years. 

At just 37 miles in length, 

Exuma is smaller and more remote 

than the more popular islands 

where tourists commonly visit 

and cruise ships commonly dock. 

There are no fast food restaurants, 

stoplights, and public 

transportation services. There 

is no fire department, or even a 

fully equipped hospital. 

“Our island is considered part 

of the developing world. We do not 

have the luxuries people think we 

have,” described Corey and Lindsay. 

“But Exumians pride themselves 

in their simple, safe, and hospitable 

island. There is room for improvement 

in many areas just like 

everywhere else. We do not have 

adequate resources for much of 

our needs. The cost of food, the 

cost of everything really, is so 

high and the pay for work is low. 

Many families are struggling just 

to put food on the table and keep 

the lights on. Some of our families 

do not have running water or 

electricity.” 



Corey and Lindsay admit that 

they were terrified to share with 

people that they had been called to 

the Bahamas. Even now, some people 

still cannot see past the luxury resorts 

to understand the real needs of their 

mission field. 

“Yes, we have an incredible aesthetic. 

The Lord is an artist, and the enemy 

has used God’s magnificent artwork 

to his advantage. If the enemy could 

convince people that there is not a 

need for kingdom advancement in 

‘paradise’ then he has succeeded. 

Yes, the beauty is out of this world 

but the brokenness is of this world. 

Every country has its deep-rooted 

pain and the Bahamas are no different. 

We must stop entertaining the idea 

that a legitimate mission field is simply 

based on what we see but, more so on 

the premise of what we don’t see,” 

Lindsay passionately argues. 

Corey and Lindsay have partnered 

with Global Outreach International 

in Tupelo and their sending church, 

Crossgates Baptist in Brandon, to 

minister to the people of Exuma. 

They are regularly involved in 

evangelism, discipleship, and community 

outreach through several 

different programs on the island. 

They have provided meals for needy 

families during the week and have 

partnered with the social services 

department to help with various 

local needs in the community; most 

commonly with widows, the elderly, 

and the disabled. Lindsay teaches 

art, dance, and Bible in the local 

schools during the week and Corey 

organizes and coaches a baseball 

team in order to disciple and minister 

to local boys on the island. 

“Every Tuesday and Saturday 

we have baseball practice and Bible 

study,” says Corey. “Our goal is to 

train boys how to become men of God.” 

They also host various short-term 

mission teams throughout the year, 

which helps them meet further needs 

on the island. “When we have teams 

here we get a lot more done than we 

normally would,” explains Lindsay. 

“Teams allow us to get specific 

construction jobs done, host sports 

camps, vacation Bible school, worship 

concerts, food distributions, and 

provide more opportunities for 

evangelism.” 

Corey and Lindsay have three kids, 

Jaxsen, Landyn, and Lexi, who attend 

a local school and are involved in the 

ministry alongside their parents. 

Even though it was hard at first to 

leave their home, friends, family, and 

school, the kids have now adjusted to 

life on Exuma and feel like a part of 

the community. 

“Adjustment has gone way better 

than we imagined,” says Lindsay. 

“They miss their family back in 

Mississippi, but they love the freedom 

here, and they do happen to have one 

of the most beautiful backyards on 

the planet!” 

Even though this will be their first 

Christmas spent in Exuma and away 

from their extended families, they 

are excited to spend the season with 

their new friends on the island who 

have become like family. 

“The sweet part is our perspective 

of Christmas presents has changed, 

so we will focus more on giving. We 

will spend time visiting friends and 

will probably invite a few friends over 

for dinner and spend time as a family 

of five on the beach! Not to rub it in, 

but it is a little better than the weird 

winters we experienced in Mississippi. 

We have a different kind of white 

Christmas here,” describes Lindsay. 

To find out more about the Hughes family and their 

ministry on Exuma Island visit 9innings.org online. 


42 • December 2018 

ANNUAL 

MEMBER 

CELEBRATION 

OCTOBER 16 

BRANDON CIVIC CENTER



: 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 


Living Well 

through Successful New Year’s Resolutions 

Perry Sanderford Ph.D., LPC, Director of Crossroads Counseling 

Do you want a good life? 

Of course you do. Everyone does. 

New Year’s resolutions come from an awakening 

that another year has passed and we are not where 

we want to be in, perhaps, several areas of life, 

but most often, in the condition of our body. 

Statistics show that good intentions generally 

fade as we quickly revert to old habits. So how 

can you increase your chances of success with 

your New Year’s resolution? Success is more 

likely when you challenge more than one part 

of yourself. Be aware that your struggle is with 

more than just your body image, it is with your 

“will,” your “thinking,” and your “feelings.” 

These areas of self are at the root of your life 

choices that impact the condition of your body. 

CHALLENGING YOUR WILL 

At the center of real change lies a wrestling 

match with your will. What you truly want lies at 

the center for choosing. At the very core of your 

being human is the freedom one gets to make 

choices that ultimately scripts their life story. 

A closer look at the results of these choices reveals, 

quite often, that our ‘basic wants’ are not always 

for our ‘basic best.’ 

Consider our insatiable desire for sweets (cake, 

candy, and ice cream), entertainment (movies, 

gaming), leisure (vacations) and spectator activities 

(watching others do). Choosing to regularly engage 

in such activities, or in-activities, may bring some 

form of immediate sensory gratification, but do 

they add up to a true quality life? Looking in the 

rear-view mirror, or front-view mirror, at the end of 

the days...weeks... and months that make up the 

year–what were the true gains of your ‘choices?’ 

Successful New Year’s resolutions begin with 

recognizing and challenging, one step at a time, 

that our choices ultimately impact our destiny. 

The good news is that since your choices 

belong to you, you participate in controlling 

your fate. 

CHALLENGING YOUR THINKING 

Thinking is a function of your brain that directly 

impacts behavior/choices. Since all behaviors 

begin with thinking, it is possible to demand 

honesty of your thought life with two simple 

questions: (1) Is what I am thinking actually 

true? (2) Does acting on these thoughts really 

result in the best life possible for me? 

Whether or not we are willing to demand 

honesty of our thought-life, we cannot avoid the 

results of the choices they direct. Ask yourself– 

does eating a huge dish of ice cream each night 

or couch-sitting for hours watching sitcoms, movies, 

or gaming, bring the best life? Be honest–in the 

end, do these activities actually deliver the good 

life you desire? Failing to honestly challenge the 

true value of what your thoughts bring may 

ultimately end with a destiny that is too late to 

alter. You have experienced the very life you 

“thought” was good. Time has run out and you 

have failed to achieve the quality life for which 

you’ve longed. 

The best life possible is found by those who 

honestly challenge whether or not their thinking 

actually delivers on that which is best. 


CHALLENGING YOUR FEELINGS 

Partnered with thinking, feelings have the 

potential to greatly influence your behavior. I say 

‘potential’ because what may come as a great 

shock to the modern mind is–you do not have to 

obey your feelings. In many cases, we should NOT 

obey them. Why? Because feelings are not the 

final word on reality. We feel empty, so we eat. 

We feel bored, so we turn on the TV. We feel 

rejected, so we withdraw. We feel afraid, so we 

become paralyzed. 

A closer look reveals feelings serve as very 

poor guides for seeking the “good life.” Just ask 

inmates in correctional facilities across America 

who elevated their ‘feeling’ for crystal meth to the 

center of their life choices. Did gratifying their 

longing for crystal meth deliver a good life? You say, 

“But I’m not a crystal meth addict!” Perhaps not, 

but what are the results of the feelings to which 

you are submitting? Emptiness? Hopelessness? 

Fear? Anger? All of these are subject to the same 

laws of reality as craving crystal meth. You 

eventually get the results they deliver. 

Challenge your feelings with sober reality, 

“Does obeying this feeling really deliver me the 

best life possible?” 

CHALLENGING YOUR BODY 

Your body is your essential power-pack for 

living life on earth. But as important as our bodies 

are, they have limitations in delivering the good 

life. Elevating gratification of your body to the 

primary source of experiencing the ‘good life’ 

(pleasure, sensuality, fullness), also positions it to 

deliver the ‘bad life’ (pain, numbness, emptiness). 

You must challenge centering your life on gratifying 

bodily sensations–because ultimately the body 

can never be fully satisfied. 

Bodily gratification knows no limits. Ever known 

an alcoholic with enough drink? A food-aholic 

with enough food? A sex-aholic with enough sex? 

Is guzzling actually better than sipping? Is gorging 

really better than savoring? The irony is that 

centering life on bodily pleasure actually deadens 

feelings. Initial pleasure sensations eventually 

become harder and harder to re-experience, 

which awakens a relentless drive to feel 

something ‘more’. 

The more bodily gratification is sought, the 

less it delivers on the self-satisfaction scale. 

Challenging your body through training, perseverance, 

and practicing living within limits, ultimately 

delivers the real goods. Testimony is used in 

court to establish truth–so ask those regularly 

challenging, disciplining, and limiting their body 

by smart eating, physical activities, and exercising 

if the results are indeed good? 

Add your unique goal to a New Year’s 

resolution: “This year I will experience a healthier 

body, better relationships, financial success, 

career advancement, etc., by challenging the 

intent of my will, the validity of my thinking, and 

the trustworthiness of my feelings until ultimately 

my body experiences the results of one good 

choice made day by day, week by week, and 

month by month–until I’ve lived the entire year.” 

With patience and diligence you will 

experience a better life. That’s a PROMISE. l 





Ann Armentrout 

and the 

West Rankin Girl Scouts 

Jessi George 

In 1976, Ann Armentrout found out that 

her niece’s Girl Scout troop was going to 

fold due to the troop leader having to step 

down. She decided to volunteer to be a 

troop leader for the first time knowing that 

her own daughters would eventually be a 

part of the same troop. That decision led to 

42 years of service to the organization and 

to hundreds of girls in Rankin County. 

Ann was troop leader to Troop 99 from 

1976 to 2004 and was appointed as service 

unit chairperson for West Rankin, which 

included Pearl, Richland, Florence, Star, 

and Piney Woods from 1986 to 2018. 

Girls can participate in the program as 

Daisies in kindergarten all the way to 

Ambassadors for seniors in high school. 

Ann led the young ladies in trying many 

different skills and activities such as arts and 

crafts, sewing, cooking outside, and camping. 

They also participated in many different 

service projects helping people all over 

Rankin County. 

“If they wanted to try it, we did. I can’t 

remember ever telling them that we couldn’t 

do something. We would ask about their 

interests and what they wanted to learn 

and we made it happen. The girls really 

loved camping, so we did a lot of camping,” 

explained Ann. “Today’s Girl Scouts are 

very into the STEM program (Science, 

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), 

so it’s come a long way from cookies and 

camping. But cookies and camping are still 

an important part of Girl Scouts.” 

The life and leadership skills the girls 

learn provide them with an advantage as 

they enter life and institutions of higher 

learning. The Gold Award, which is 

equivalent to the Eagle Scout Award in Boy 

Scouts, comes with a college scholarship 

and the opportunity to enter the military 



“I see the girls from my 

troop all over town and 

they still come up to me 

to tell me how much fun 

they had in Girl Scouts.”

one rank higher than the average enlistment. 

It is the highest award in Girl Scouts and 

one of the most prestigious awards in the 

world for girls. The girls have to identify a 

problem in the community, come up with 

ideas to work towards a solution, and 

implement their plans in the community. 

Ann had five girls in a three-year period 

earn the Gold Award. “It’s a lot of work and 

a huge process, but it is worth it.” 

The girls from Ann’s troop are in all 

areas of the work force. There are teachers, 

nurses, doctors, and even an aeronautical 

engineer. One young lady from her troop is 

currently the assistant principal of Florence 

High School. 

“I see the girls from my troop all over 

town and they still come up to me to tell 

me how much fun they had in Girl Scouts,” 

Ann added. 

One of the girls from her troop even 

became a troop leader herself. She told Ann 

one day that even though she couldn’t 

remember all the specifics of everything 

they did, she always remembered having fun. 

Whenever there was a need in Girl 

Scouts, Ann tried to fill it. At one point she 

was the leader of three different troops at 

one time. “Saying, ‘I don’t have time’ is not 

an excuse. We all have 24 hours in a day,” 

explained Ann. 

Serving the Girl Scouts was so important 

to Ann that when she went to work as 

office manager for Ringer Law Firm, she 

told them she had to have Thursday 

afternoons off for her troop. “I told them 

I would give them 40 hours a week, and I 

always did, but I had to leave at 2:30 every 

Thursday to meet with the troop. That 

would have been a deal breaker.” 

Ann insists that her life was enriched 

from her time with the Girls Scouts. “I went 

on so many trips that I never would have 

gone on if I was just sitting at home. Port 

Gibson, Natchez, the Gulf Coast, and the 

Old and New Capitols were all trips we 

made with the troop. We even went to 

Savannah, Georgia, the birthplace of the 

Girl Scouts. We always had lots of fun and 

I tried to always be a positive influence on 

the girls. Once, in a restaurant with an older 

group of girls, we were laughing so hard 

we were crying and I looked around and 

pointed out to the girls that we had all this 

fun without one drop of alcohol.” 

One of their favorite places to go, 

however, was right here in Rankin County. 

Camp Wahi sits on 156 acres of hardwood 

forest in Brandon. They went twice a year 

—once just their own troop and once with 

other troops in their service area. 

Although Ann recently retired her 

position as service unit chair, she still serves 

as an advisor. “It’s time for me to pass the 

baton. We’ve got some great folks in West 

Rankin Girl Scouts and they’ve got all kinds 

of neat things going on,” says Ann. “I’ll still 

be there, but I’ll be in the background just 

having fun. I went to Camp Wahi this year 

and got to do all the fun stuff without any 

of the planning or responsibility. It was 

pretty nice.” 

After 42 years of service and leadership 

to the Girl Scouts of West Rankin County, 

Ann has certainly earned the right to just 

have fun with the girls. l 


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231223 



Cheese Ring with 

Strawberry Jam 

Beautiful dip for Christmas parties. 

Must be prepared 1 day in advance. 

• 1 lb. grated sharp cheddar cheese 

• 1 cup chopped pecans 

• 2 cups mayo 

• 1 small onion (finely chopped) 

• 1 garlic clove (pressed) 

or garlic salt 

• 1 cup strawberry jam 

Mimi’s Cornbread Salad 

• 1 pan of cornbread (use mix or 

make your favorite) 

• 1 cup diced onions 

• 1 bell pepper seeded and diced 

(optional) 

• 1 cup diced tomatoes 

• 1 (5-oz.) can whole kernel corn 

(drained) 

• 1 lb. bacon (cooked until crisp 

and crumbled) 


Hometown 

GOODNESS 

Sweet Potato Soufflé 

• 4-5 large sweet potatoes 

(enough to make 3 cups 

mashed potatoes) 

• 1½ cups sugar 

• 3 eggs 

• 1 stick butter 

• 1 sm. can evaporated milk 

• 1 T. vanilla flavoring 

Topping: 

• 1 cup light brown sugar 

• ½ stick butter 

• ½ cup self-rising flour 


Mix sweet potato and other 

ingredients well. Pour into 2 qt. 

buttered casserole dish. Melt butter. 

Add other ingredients and mix well. 

Spread topping on top of potatoes. 

Bake until topping is light brown. 

Bake approximately 20 min. 

Serves 12-15. 

Date Balls 

• 1 stick melted butter 

• 1 cup white sugar 

• 8 oz. dates (chopped) 

• 1 cup nuts (chopped) 

• 1 egg beaten 

Mix first 6 ingredients together 

thoroughly. Place in a greased ring 

mold. Refrigerate overnight. 

Unmold onto a serving plate and 

place strawberry jam in center. 

Serve with crackers. 

Broccoli Casserole 

Cook 

• 1 cup rice (set aside) 

Sauté 

• 1 med. onion (chopped) 

• 1 T. butter 

• 1 can sliced water chestnuts 

(drained) 

• 1 can mushrooms 

Add 

• 1 box frozen thawed broccoli 

• 2 cans cream of chicken soup 

• 1 cup sharp shredded cheddar 

cheese 

Mix all ingredients together and 

place in oblong or square baking 

dish. Cover with ½ cup grated 

cheddar cheese. Bake at 350° for 

15 minutes. 

Bake cornbread. Cool and crumble. 

Place in a large bowl. Add onions, 

bell pepper, diced tomatoes, corn, 

and bacon. Stir until well combined. 

Add mayo to salad and stir until fully 

mixed. Cover and refrigerate at least 

2 hours before serving. 

(You can add drained pinto beans, 

olives, pickle, ranch dressing mix or 

grated cheddar cheese) 

Buttermilk Salad 

Or Pink Fluff – kids would never try 

anything called buttermilk salad 

• 1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple 

• 2 cups buttermilk 

• 1 lg. box Jello strawberry 

(can use any flavor) 

• 1 large cool whip 

Pour pineapple with juice in a boiler 

with Jello. Mix well and bring to a 

bubbling boil, stirring constantly. 

Remove from heat; pour into 

serving container and refrigerate 

until it starts to thicken. Mix with 

mixer (very little). Stir in buttermilk 

and cool whip. Return to refrigerator 

until set. 

Recipes by Ann McKay, 

known as Mama Ann to many. 

Friends and family have enjoyed 

Mama Ann’s cooking on McKay Hill 

in Brandon for the last 63 years. 


Boil slowly 10-12 minutes then add: 

• 2 cups rice crispies 

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 

Cool and roll in balls. Dip and roll 

in powdered sugar.

Mama Ann’s 

Hot Chicken Salad 

• 6 cooked chicken breast (deboned) 


• 2 cups sour cream 

• 1 can mushroom stems and pieces 

• 2 cans sliced water chestnuts 

• 1 cup sliced almonds 

• 2 cups finely chopped celery 

• 1 cup cream of chicken soup 

• 2 T. chopped onion 

• 2 T. lemon juice 

• 2 tsp. salt 

• 1 tsp. pepper 

• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 

Pull chicken a part in small pieces. 

Mix all ingredients together. Spray 

9x13 pan with non-stick spray. Pour 

all ingredients in pan. Bake at 350° 

until bubbly. Top with 2 cans of 

French fried onion rings (optional). 

Bake 10 mins. Served hot or cold. 

Pineapple Coconut Pecan 

Snowball Cookies 

• 1 8-oz. cream cheese softened 

• 1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple 

(drained) 


• 3 cups flaked coconut 

Combine cream cheese and 

pineapple. Fold in pecans, cover and 

refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll into 1 inch 

balls. Roll in coconut, refrigerate 4 

hours or overnight. 

Mamaw Clark’s Cookies 

• 1 cup sugar 

• 1 cup brown sugar 

• 2 eggs 

• 1½ cup Crisco 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 

• 1 tsp. baking soda 

• 2 tsp. baking powder 

• 2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal 

• 1 cup chopped toasted peanuts 

• 1 cup cornflakes (crushed) 

Mix sugars, Crisco and eggs. 

Add flour, soda, baking powder and 

oatmeal. Add peanuts and cornflakes. 

This batter is stiff. Drop by teaspoon 

onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 

350° 12-15 mins. 

Mama Ann’s 

Fresh Apple Cake 

• 2 cups sugar 

• 2 eggs 

• 1 cup oil 

• 2½ cup plain flour 

• 1 tsp. salt 

• 1 tsp. soda 


• 2 cups peeled and chopped apples 


Preheat oven 425°. Combine sugar, 

eggs and oil. Add dry ingredients. 

Add apples and nuts. Bake at least one 

hour in a greased 9x13 baking pan. 

Pumpkin Roll 

• 3 eggs 

• 1 cup sugar 

• 1 tsp lemon juice 

• 3/4 cup flour 


• 2 tsp. cinnamon 

• 1 tsp. ginger 

• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 

• 1/2 tsp. salt 

• 1 cup nuts, chopped 

• 2/3 cup pumpkin powdered sugar 

Beat eggs at high speed for 5 minutes. 

Add sugar gradually. Stir in pumpkin 

and lemon juice. Mix all dry 

ingredients together in separate bowl. 

Add to pumpkin mixture. Mix well. 

Spread in greased and floured jelly 

roll pan. Top with nuts. Bake at 375 

for 15 minutes. Turn out on cloth 

sprinkled with powdered sugar. 

Start at side and roll up towel and 

cake. Let cool completely. 

Filling 

• 1 cup powdered sugar 

• 8 oz. cream cheese 

• 4 tsp. margarine or butter 

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla 

Beat all filling ingredients together 

until smooth. Unroll the cake. Spread 

the filling on cake. Roll back up (without 

the towel). Wrap in waxed paper 

and then with foil. Chill. Best if 

prepared the day before and allowed 

to chill overnight. Keep refrigerated. 

Penny Grandmother’s 

Punch 

• 4 cups cranberry juice 

• 4 cups pineapple juice 

• 1½ cups sugar 

• 1 T. almond extract 

• 2 liter ginger ale 

Mix first four ingredients then add 

ginger ale. 

Shrimp Scampi Dip 

• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 

• 8 oz. medium shrimp, peeled, 

deveined and roughly chopped 

• 4 cloves garlic, minced 

• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes 

(can add more) 

• 1/4 cup white wine 

(can use chicken stock) 

• 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed 

lemon juice 

• Kosher salt and freshly ground 

pepper to taste 

• 4 oz. cream cheese, at room 

temperature 

• 1/4 cup sour cream 

• 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise 

• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley 

• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella 

cheese divided 

• 2 Tbsp. grated parmesan 

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 

a 9 inch baking dish or coat with 

cooking spray. Melt butter in a large 

skillet over medium heat. Add 

shrimp, garlic and red pepper flakes. 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, 

about 2 minutes. Stir in wine and 

lemon juice; add salt and pepper to 

taste. Bring to a simmer; remove from 

heat and stir in cream cheese, sour 

cream, mayonnaise, parsley, 1/4 cup 

mozzarella, and parmesan. 

Spread mixture into the prepared 

baking dish and sprinkle with 

remaining cup of mozzarella. 

Bake until bubbly and golden, about 

10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately 

with crackers or garlic bread. 

Recipes by Ann McKay, known as Mama Ann to many. Friends and family have 

enjoyed Mama Ann’s cooking on McKay Hill in Brandon for the last 63 years. 


Blue Prayer Service 

Hosted by 

McLaurin Heights United Methodist 

and St. Jude Catholic Church 

September 27 / Pearl, MS 


SMILE 

www.drsarahlangston.com 



There aren’t many people 

who can say they’ve been able to 

overlook the beautiful city of 

Nashville while working with 

a client roster that includes 

HGTV and some of country 

music’s biggest names. 

Erin Williams 

For Pete Maresco of Old Soul Art Co, 

it was a simple decision. Family comes first, 

and the rest would surely follow. 

Old Soul Art Co, a custom-ordered, 

handmade furnishing and décor manufacturer 

based out of Brandon, seeks to redefine 

the way furniture is built by focusing more on 

the craft than the bottom line. In addition 

to constructing home décor items such as 

sliding barn doors, dining room tables, 

unique headboards, kitchen islands, etc., 

Old Soul Art Co has built for multiple 

retail spaces, restaurants, event rental 

companies, and celebrities. In essence, if 

wood or steel is involved, Pete can build it. 


According to Pete, his secret doesn’t lie 

in focusing on the future, but instead on 

taking a look back at the past. He does 

this by finding old materials, revitalizing 

them, and crafting them into totally new, 

one-of- a-kind pieces. After saying he was 

fortunate enough to turn his passion into his 

profession, Pete credited his upbringing for 

laying down the foundation of his success. 

“My father taught me everything. He 

was an engineer and a carpenter and, from 

the time I could walk or knew what my 

name was, he’d pop me up on his workbench 

with him,” said Pete. “I watched him and 

absorbed everything he did; he taught me 

how to swing a hammer, use a combination 

square, and not curse like a sailor when you 

inevitably hurt yourself.” 

Pete could have never known, when he 

was a boy, that his roots would one day give 

him wings and allow him to take the plunge 

and open his own furniture business. 

For years, Pete lived in Nashville and 

was able to work with companies that had 

a variety of celebrity clientele. This allowed 

him to start building a reputation and a 

brand. Once more and more people became 

aware of the quality pieces he produced, 

his business began to take off. Although 

his business was expanding in Nashville, 

Pete’s wife Camille, who was his fiancé at 

the time, was from Madison, Mississippi, 

and had a lot of family here. 

“Nashville was going great for me but 

Camille and I wanted to be closer to family 

and since she has such deep roots in the 

area, it made sense to move. We had lots of 

friends in Nashville, but we didn’t have 

family,” said Pete. “We moved here, got 

married, and now I’ve been working on 

building up a new clientele, here.” 

Although his business has ebbed and 

flowed throughout the years – wading 

through new cities, new clientele, and new 

opportunities – his craft has only grown. 

Because everything Pete crafts is made to 

order and completely customized, he 

makes an effort not to hold inventory to 

ensure consistently unique pieces. 

“I work with companies that go into old 

homes and deconstruct them nail for nail 

and board for board and that’s where I get 

a lot of my materials,” said Pete. “I want to 

use material that has a story and has lived a 

life for 100-200 years and give it a whole 

new life. The materials I work with have an 

old soul, and that’s kind of how the name 

came about.” 

One such example of this came five 

months ago when he built a sliding barn 

door for a client. He heard that the home of 

Thomas Stockdale, who was a Mississippi 

Confederate officer during The Civil War, 

was going to be torn down and sold for 

scrap in Summit, Miss. Pete was able to 

travel to the home, which was marked as a 

historic landmark, before deconstruction 

started, and walk through the property. 

According to Pete, just walking through it 

felt like an old piece of history. 

“It was amazing to see these old wall 

boards and old pieces that you just can’t 

find replicated in homes today,” said Pete. 

“I was able to take those old boards and 

make them into my client’s sliding door. 

When I presented them with the final 

piece, I printed off the history of the 

home and gave that to them as well.” 

While that experience was memorable 

for Pete, another client that has stuck out 

to him over the years was Big Machine 

Records. Big Machine Records, which is 

the label for dozens of chart-topping 

country artists, contracted Pete to build a 

large chandelier for their CMA after-party. 

This chandelier was crafted completely out 

of steel and was a whopping 7 feet by 7 feet. 

“That project was totally nerve-wracking 

for me because here I was making this 

massive, heavy, light fixture that would be 

hung 20 feet in the air over the heads of 

some of the most famous country artists in 

the world,” said Pete. “I was a nervous 

wreck, completely, but it turned out great.” 

These days, Pete works out of his shop 

on their property, alongside Camille, who 

graduated from Ole Miss with a marketing 

degree and handles all the marketing and 

promotion for Old Soul Art Co. According 

to Pete, she is the important piece of the 

puzzle who helps him stay focused and 

keep his head on straight. 

In addition to Pete and Camille, Old 

Soul Art Co is comprised of their three 

rescue dogs, which he calls his children and 

also his supervisors. Both Pete and Camille 

are huge advocates for rescue and adoption 

and are passionate about providing 

“furever” homes to animals in shelters. 

In fact, they are working to make a portion 

of client purchases available as a donation 

to local animal shelters. 

Just last week, he and Camille moved 

his father, who is now in his 80s, here from 

New Jersey. “My father and I have always 

been close, so having him here now in the 

shop with me is nostalgic and great,” said 

Pete. “He is the man that taught me what 

I know in this profession—and in life. 

Although he doesn’t build much anymore 

on his own, he’s a part of Old Soul Art Co. 

He’s another example of how something in 

the past can birth a whole new life, which 

he has done for me; now, I’m able to do 

that for others.” 

___________________________________ 

To learn more about Old Soul Art Co, 

visit www.oldsoulartco.com 





LifeLessons 

f rom 

Lela Bell 

Erin Williams 


For 26 years Lela Bell McDill, 

my Mawmaw, was the light of my life. 

Growing up, my sisters and I were blessed 

to live right next door from Mawmaw and 

Pawpaw; it wasn’t uncommon for us to come 

to and from their house five or six times a 

day. Because of that, my grandparents were 

more than grandparents to me. They were, 

in a lot of ways, just an extension of us. We 

were connected to them in a way that many 

won’t ever understand. 

When I was given the opportunity to 

write this article in memory of Mawmaw, 

I thought how in the world am I going to 

sum up 26 years of camaraderie, love, 

instruction, cooking lessons, funny talks, 

and hugs? In August of 2015, Mawmaw 

suffered a massive stroke to two thirds of 

her brain. This stroke caused the left side of 

her body to lose movement and should’ve 

taken her life; however, God was gracious to 

give us two and a half more years with her 

before she was freed from her bed at home 

and able to run into the arms of Jesus on 

January 30, 2017. 

On September 6, 2016, I began a series 

of interviews with Mawmaw that I treasure 

now with all my heart. It was a time for me 

to ask her questions and write the lessons 

(although they were already engrained in 

my head) down on paper so that they could 

be passed on. Although the interviews were 

broken up into several periods and over the 

course of multiple days, her answers serve as 

a model for how we should all live our lives. 

While I have over sixty questions and 

her answers, I wanted to share a few of my 

favorites below. If she were here, Mawmaw 

would be so tickled. 


You , ve lived your life keeping God first. 

How do you do that? 

Read your bible every day. Read your bible 

because it changes you. Each morning, 

remember all the things God has done for 

you and all the blessings He has given you. 

Pray for your pastor and his family. 

What advice would you give someone 

who , s going through a tough time in 

their life? 

I’d tell them to keep walking because you’ll 

come out of the valley eventually. Every day 

is a good day; some days are just better than 

others. Count your blessing aloud and name 

them one by one until you start feeling 

better. Don’t think of what you don’t have; 

think of what you do. 

You were married to Pawpaw for 59 

years before he went to Heaven, so what 

advice would you give on marriage? 

Let your husband be the head of the home 

and you be the heart of the home. The 

body can’t live without the head and the 

heart working together. Let him have the 

last word, and you set the tone for how 

your home feels so it’s a place he wants to 

come home to. Keep God first in your 

marriage and He will take care of you. 

What advice would you give on 

raising kids? 

Learn to overlook the small things. If my 

kids didn’t keep their rooms clean all the time, 

I’d just shut the doors. Pick your battles 

and tell them you love them every day. 

What advice would you give on work? 

You’ll never have anything in life if you 

don’t work for it. Work at your job as if 

you’re working for the Lord and not men. 

You , ve always cooked three homemade 

meals a day. What advice would you 

give on cooking? 

Life makes more sense the messier the 

kitchen. Don’t use the fat-free stuff 

because it’ll never taste as good as the real 

stuff. Make extra so there’s always room at 

your table for one more. 

What advice would you give on beauty? 

Beauty comes from within. You can be 

pretty on the outside and downright ugly 

on the inside. Pretty is as pretty does; that’s 

what people will remember you by. 

What advice would you give to someone 

when they , re feeling tired? 

Sit down and take a rest for a while. After 

you feel better, get back up and get back to 

what you’re doing. More than likely, what 

you’re doing will be there tomorrow. 

You , ve always loved to garden. 

What gardening advice do you have? 

Keep up with the weeds in your garden, 

and in your life, before they get out of 

control. Make sure that when you water, 

it reaches the roots. Every insect loves an 

eggplant. The more you cut zinnias, the 

more they will make. 


What do you think about material 

possessions? 

Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on 

Earth but store them up in Heaven because 

you won’t be taking them with you. But, it’s 

ok to use the fine china, because if you 

don’t someone else will. 

What would you say when you 

feel like your prayers are going 

unanswered? 

Keep praying and don’t stop; sometimes 

things just take a while. 

What advice would you give to someone 

at age 15? Age 30? Age 55? 

Cover yourself up some and enjoy it 

because you won’t be that young again. 

Don’t worry so much about cleaning the 

house; just enjoy your kids. You’re about to 

retire soon and you’ll like that. 

What , s a memory you had growing up? 

We grew up very poor and we didn’t know 

what air conditioning was so we’d sleep 

with the windows open. My mother would 

tell us it was so our guardian angels could 

look in and see us. 

How are Christmases different now 

than when you were a kid? 

We were poor so we didn’t get much— 

sometimes an apple or an orange. One 

time I got a coat that I loved but I had to 

give it back because my parents ended up 

needing the money. I never expected 

much and learned young that things aren’t 

everything, people are. I grew up with a lot 

of love, and I live with a lot of love. 

What would you like your legacy 

to be? 

I hope that people saw Jesus in me. I want 

others to know that I was a good wife and 

a good mother and I tried to be a good 

example to my kids. I want my family to 

know that I always loved them and that 

they make me proud. 

What do you want to say to Jesus 

when you meet Him one day? 

I want to tell Him thank you for everything 

He has done for me. I want to tell 

Him that I love Him. 

I still remember the days after she 

went to Heaven; because I missed her 

so much, I would pray to just have a 

dream about her. There were a few 

times that I did. 

Not a day goes by that I don’t think 

about Mawmaw. Even now, I have a 

note she wrote me on my nightstand 

and pictures of her and Pawpaw 

scattered throughout my home. Each 

day I wish that she could have met 

my daughter. 

Just like the many lessons she taught 

me are engrained into my mind and 

my heart, I find myself doing things 

daily that also remind me of Mawmaw. 

I remember Mawmaw when I cook, 

when I refill the hummingbird’s sugar 

water, when I read Philippians 4:6, when 

I work in my own garden, and, mostly, 

when I look in the mirror and see those 

brown eyes – the same brown eyes she 

gave me – staring back at me. 

Mawmaw was a lot of things to a 

lot of people. She was the person who 

taught me how to garden, snap beans, 

ice cakes, and cook extra to make room 

for another person to join us at the 

table. Mawmaw’s strong arms that, 

all too soon, didn’t work like they used 

to, but still managed to have a hold on 

my heart that remains today. She was 

the person who seemed to know a 

little bit about everything and had 

the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever 

known. These lessons are photographs 

of her and me – memories and 

moments of a past summer that now 

seems so far away. 

And with each lesson lived out, 

there you are, Mawmaw. I sure have 

missed you. l 



Do You Know a Child Who 

Needs a Brighter Future? 

French 

Camp Academy 

invites you to attend our 

OPEN HOUSE 

Saturday, December 8, 2018 

Tours are 1-5 pm starting 

at the Welcome Center 

6039 MS Hwy. 413, French Camp, MS. 

Please call 662-547-7265 for large groups. 

INCOME-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS 

and AFFORDABLE TUITION 

Rankin Performing Arts 

announces registration for 

spring semester of Stage Kids! 

Rehearsals begin in January. 

Summer Musical Theatre Camp 

July 8-12 & 15-19 

Musical - Saturday, July 20 

VOCAL TRAINING 

CHOREOGRAPHY 

MUSICAL THEATRE 


Leading the Way 

Jenny Cox Holman 

Growing up in the Mississippi Delta, Nancy 

Whitten New, the daughter of a farmer, has vivid 

memories when she and her sisters enjoyed sunny 

afternoons among the cotton fields. From an early 

age, Nancy learned valuable lessons from the 

dedicated work of her farming father–and her passion 

for planting, nurturing and cultivating began to 

blossom. She learned that for success to be a part 

of opportunities and life-long dreams, one must be 

dedicated and willing to work hard and maintain 

patience, coupled with persistence, to see that the 

job is completed with excellence. 

Beyond the cotton fields of her childhood in 

Avalon, Mississippi, to classrooms and communities 

throughout the state of Mississippi, Nancy has 

carried with her the love for planting and cultivating; 

but the harvest has been one to provide academic 

and social opportunities for the diverse learning 

needs of students and create stability and success 

for all Mississippi families. 

Dr. Nancy Whitten New’s career in the field of 

education, and as a compassionate advocate for 

Mississippi’s students with learning differences and 

diverse learning needs, spans nearly 40 years in 

educational and business settings as a classroom 

instructor, school administrator, and a community 

and adult education administrator. 


Dr. New received her Ph.D., Master, and Bachelor 

of English Education and Educational Leadership 

and Administration from The University of Southern 

Mississippi, during which time she recognized that 

she had dyslexia. Upon graduation, Dr. New’s 

newfound calling was to help children with learning 

differences and diverse learning needs. 

After serving nearly 17 years with the Rankin 

County Public School system, in 1991, Dr. New 

founded New Learning Resources which has grown 

to include Mississippi Community Education Center, 

Mississippi Dyslexia Centers, New Summit School, 

North New Summit School, South New Summit 

School, The Spectrum Academy, and New Learning 

Resources Online. 

Dr. New simultaneously serves as the executive 

administrator and founder for New Summit Schools 

and The Spectrum Academy, as well as the executive 

director of Mississippi Community Education Center 

and Mississippi Dyslexia Centers. She has been able 

to serve in various roles as an innovative school 

administrator as well as a community leader 

dedicated to improving the lives of children and 

families at the community level. 

New Learning Resources School District serves 

collectively over 500 students annually at New 

Summit Schools. New Summit School has three 

campuses in Mississippi – Jackson, Greenwood, and 

Hattiesburg. At New Summit, hundreds of students 

and their families are served with a full range of 

services to fit the individual student’s needs. 

Dr. New’s vision is driven by her belief that all students, 

regardless of their demographic or learning 

differences, should have access to a high-quality 

education right here in Mississippi. New Summit 

Schools offer students who may encounter learning 

differences an opportunity to excel under the care 

of our highly trained teachers. 

With dyslexia affecting one in five people, Dr. 

New recognized a need in the state of Mississippi 

for dyslexia therapy services. In 2009, Dr. New 

founded the Mississippi Dyslexia Centers to serve 

the needs of over 2,000 students since its inception 

and 300 students, annually, at six centers located in 

Madison, Jackson, Hattiesburg, Oxford, Greenwood, 

and Tupelo. The Mississippi Dyslexia Centers offers 

therapy to individuals of all ages to meet the 

educational needs of individuals by providing quality 

dyslexia therapy. 

In 2014, Dr. New oversaw the development of 

the Mississippi Autism Center, serving children 

3-5 years old. In 2017, as a part of New Learning 

Resources School District, Dr. New recognized the 

critical need for early childhood educational services

Dr. Nancy Whitten New 

for families with autism in the state of Mississippi, 

and founded, along with her son, Zach New, The 

Spectrum Academy at New Summit School in 

Jackson, Mississippi. 

The Spectrum Academy offers evidence-based 

instruction that is tailored to prepare students in the 

autism community to reach their highest level of 

independence within a motivating school environment 

and to expand the breadth of services available 

in the autism community. The Spectrum Academy is 

the only school in the state of Mississippi where 

children receive 6 hours of ABA therapy, speech 

therapy, and occupational therapy within the program. 

The Spectrum Academy consists of special education 

instructors, early childhood education instructors, 

and board certified behavior analysts (BCBA). The 

Spectrum Academy offers additional specialized 

therapy services including: speech and language, 

dyslexia therapy, and occupational therapy. 

Dr. New’s mission in education has been to 

design educational environments where emphasis is 

placed on keeping instructional groups small while 

teaching to the individual student in a positive and 

stimulating environment. She is committed to an 

educational philosophy that considers the diverse 

needs of today’s students and families. Her goal is 

to promote academic achievement and social growth 

within an environment enriched by economic and 

ethnic diversity. 

Dr. New has overseen the implementation and 

success of the Families First for Mississippi program 

through the Mississippi Community Education Center. 

This program perfectly aligns with Dr. New’s vision 

for community education to connect services for the 

whole family from parenting and youth education 

classes to job readiness services. The Families First 

program, through collaboration with Mississippi 

Department of Human Services, has grown 

tremendously since its beginning over twenty years 

ago. The program is now truly impacting the whole 

family through a combination of programs designed 

to impact participants through various generations. 

As Families First has grown, its collaborations 

and partnerships in the community have grown, 

as well. These partnerships allow her vision of 

connecting the dots between services to come to 

fruition. The end result is a “family first program” 

represented as Families First Resource Centers 

across the state of Mississippi, providing services 

that meet the needs of families. Dr. New is also 

a grant writer to provide programs for Families 

First, 21st Century After-School Program, and the 

Fatherhood Initiatives as well as other professional 

services. 

Her professional memberships include: 

Mississippi Community Education Association, 

National Community Education Association, 

American Association for Adult and Continuing 

Education, Mississippi Association of Public Adult 

and Continuing Education, Mississippi Association 

for School Administrators, National Employment and 

Training Association, Mississippi Association for 

Children under Six, Rural Entrepreneurship through 

Action Learning, and EXCEL by 5 of North Madison 

County. Honors include: National Adult Education 

Administrator Award, and the Mississippi Community 

Education Distinguished Service Award National 

Hall of Fame. Additional awards include: 50 Leading 

Business Women 2010, Mississippi Adult Educator 

of the Year, Who’s Who in Mississippi, Who’s Who 

in America. 

Dr. Nancy New’s desire to serve others flows 

freely from her Christian faith, knowing that it is 

better to serve than to be served. Her life speaks to 

a legacy of a woman who deeply loves her family 

and desires, wholeheartedly, to provide academic and 

social opportunities for all Mississippi students, and 

is fully dedicated to helping families across the state 

of Mississippi flourish with stability and success. l 




holiday 

GIft guide 

Myra Bags 

Rankin County Co-Op 

Star from Afar: a game that celebrates 

the true meaning of Christmas. $34.99 

polk's drugs at crossgates 

Sheila Fajl jewelry 

Mockingbird 

Marketplace 

Live Oak fleece / Value $100 

Van’s sporting goods 

Standing on 

the Word 

Scripture Socks 

$12.99 

Ally Oops 

Angel ornament made in MS! 

Personalized free! $19.95 

Apple Annie's 


2.64 Carat Aquamarine 

& Diamond Pendant 

14 Karat White Gold 

Regular $2980 

Now Only $1072 

Newton's 

Women’s Trendy New Glam Tom Ford Rose Gold 

Mirror Flash Lenses, $450 / Men’s Tom Ford Aviator Tortoise 

Frame with Green, $415 (other frame and lens colors available) 

JEA 

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Mirror Flash Lenses, $450 / Men’s Tom Ford Aviator Tortoise 

Frame with Green, $415 (other frame and lens colors available) 

JEA

Winter White Candles 

O! How Cute 

Latest Trends in Women’s 

Clothing, Shoes & Accessories 

Flawless Boutique 

19.88 ct London Blue Topaz and 

diamond necklace set in 14k white gold 

Jackson Jewelers 

Christmas Pottery 

Chapman’s Florist 

Stihl Battery Powered Garden Shears 

Frederick's Sales and Service 

Bluetooth Beanies: 

Listen to music and take calls. $15.99 

Statics Gadgets 

Holiday 2018 Black Tie Collection 

Vintiques 

TOU Pottery 

Linda Lou's 

Collegiate Pottery 

Brandon Discount Drugs 



CashCamille Anding 

Remembering 

“I don’t understand why it happened, but I do 

know that His ways are not our ways. I also know 

I couldn’t have gone through this without God.” 

Those are Elisa McKinion’s words a little over 

a year after an immeasurable loss in her life – the 

shocking death of her eight-year-old son, Cash. 

She shared about Cash’s last day on earth in 

a Facebook post in August of this year: 

I never could have dreamed how my life would 

change on the night of 8/24/17 (one year ago, today). 

Cash and I had THE BEST day!! I took him to 

school. My mom, his NeNe, would pick him up on 

the days I had to work. I went by her house when 

I was done working. It was always our “thing” to 

go to the cemetery with NeNe to change Big Pop’s 

flowers for his birthday, the “BIG 70,” which is also 

8/24. We took TONS of pictures at the cemetery 

that day, as you can see. Cash was the one who 

was like, “Let’s take one like this! Let’s take one 

this way!” He NEVER did that! I was always the 

one to say it! 

When we left the cemetery, we went back 

to NeNe’s. Just the month before is when Cash 

picked out my car that we just “had to get.” He 

hopped in the car at NeNe’s, and I told him just 

to drive us home! (I was kidding.) I did let him 

drive it in her driveway! He thought he was big 

stuff then!! It was “so cool.” 

On the way home, we stopped by to see his 

other grandparents, but they were out of town. 

Cash had football practice that night, which he 

LOVED! He was SO excited about football last 

year, and he just HAD to be on Coach Erik’s team! 

His best bud and cousin came to watch him that 

night. His dad, Shawn, wasn’t planning on coming, 

but he DID come. 

When we left football, we got to eat with my 

brother, Scott, and family at The Feathered Cow. 

When we left the restaurant, I had to get gas to 


make it to school the next day, and CASH PUMPED 

MY GAS.....FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER! 

If you know me and my posts, you know Cash 

loved to watch the iPad in the bathtub. Well, this 

particular night, he decided he would take a shower. 

He would get in the shower, then he would decide 

he wanted to clean the glass in it and never want to 

get out. He got in my bed, where he slept, and I don’t 

regret it a bit! He knew all of his spelling words, 

everything he was supposed to know for his tests 

the next day. “Mom! I already know it. You don’t 

have to ask me.” 

His favorite candy was a regular ole mini 

Hershey’s chocolate bar. 

“Mom, I want some chocolate. I want five.” 

“No!” 

“How about three?” 

“No! But I’ll give you two!” 

He was perfectly healthy and normal this night. 

He ate, and laid there watching TV.... 

Then the nightmare started...He complained 

that his head was hurting.... 

I will stop there... 

Cash suffered from an intracranial bleed to the 

cerebellum. 

I just wrote this post to show you what a joyous 

day I had with my baby boy, how everything played 

out that day. He got to see his NeNe, we got so many 

great pictures together, he drove my car, we laughed, 

we played, he saw his friends at football, he got to 

see his dad that night, and he got to see family! 

Even though this is the worst thing that I have 

ever been through in my life, my faith has grown 

more than ever! Somehow, though there is so much 

sadness, I still try to find the good. “I WALK BY 

FAITH EVEN WHEN I CANNOT SEE.” I cannot 

imagine someone going through this without 

FAITH! I KNOW that Cash had Jesus in his heart... 

I have drawings that he made, the way he loved to 

pray with me on our ride to school in the mornings, 

the questions he asked, and the things that he 

learned at East Rankin Academy that he brought 

home and taught me! 

Even though I only got to have him with me 

physically for eight and a half years, I hold him with 

me forever. I know that one day I will see him 

again. I know that those are eight and a half years 

that I got to be a mother and that some will never 

get to have that feeling. He was not just my child, 

he was my best friend. I simply cannot express the 

love that I felt for my Boogie. 

I love sharing my photos and videos of him 

and my Godwinks! I got another one today...Emmy 

(the dog) went on Cash’s bed and got a stuffed German 

Shepherd off of it. Cash and I used to walk up to 

her with it, and she hated it... she would run from 

it, but now, she carries it around, just like his slipper 

she found, and she snuggles and sleeps with it. 

I want to say thank you, from the bottom of my 

heart, for all of the love given to my family and me 

by all of you! Your thoughts and prayers carry me, 

and I am forever grateful! I feel each and every one 

of them! #CM4 

Elisa’s spiritual maturing has shown remarkable 

growth to match the remarkable amount of strength 

she’s needed to deal with her loss. “He was a happy 

third grader at East Rankin in Pelahatchie and 

always healthy, never sick,” she said. 

Friends tell her they want to shield her from 

more pain by not mentioning his name. She fiercely 

disparages such intentions. “I love hearing and 

seeing his name. I want to hear any stories about 

him that I can.” 

Elisa encourages parents to take lots of pictures 

and videos of their children. She was constantly 

making her own catalog of Cash’s life and how she 

cherishes every image. 

Searching for encouraging signs is another 

means of coping with her pain. A tree in her 

backyard began growing in the shape of a cross, 

and she wrapped it in blue and white lights. She 

continues to spot crosses in cloud formations and 

gets cards from others who have shared similar 

losses. One new friend is a mother from Arkansas 

who lost her four-year-old under similar conditions. 

She contacted Elisa after her Facebook post and 

said, “You get it!” 

Ironically, Cash’s wall clock in his room stopped 

the night of his death, but his young life’s impact 

won’t. His vibrant memories live on in the minds 

and hearts of those who loved him most. l 






l Hometown Rankin • 85


The 

Michael 

GUEST 

Family 


It’s always a delight to see our 

hometown gain noteworthy local, 

state, and national representation. 

One of our latest “noteworthies” 

is Brandon resident and former 

Rankin County District Attorney, 

Michael Guest, who was just 

elected to the United States 

House of Representatives. 

The Guest family is about to embark upon a unique 

journey–far from what they have been accustomed. 

Their expanding schedule already has a Washington 

orientation on the calendar, so we requested a brief visit 

so Haley and Michael could answer a few questions 

our readers would find interesting. 


What’s one special memory that stands 

≤. 

out during your time campaigning? 

Michael - The memory that stands out the most to me is 

standing on the stage with my family at Mudbugs on election 

night. Looking out at the people in attendance, I saw a room 

filled with friends and family who had spent the last ten 

months working alongside us. We have been blessed to 

have the support of our community, and it was a humbling 

experience to have those that worked so hard for us to be 

able to share in our celebration. 

Haley – There are so many memories that I will cherish, but 

one thing that stands out the most is meeting all the people 

who care about their communities and families. Everywhere 

we went, we were always welcomed by people who truly care 

for an issue facing their town or community. We have some of 

the most wonderful people in the world living in our state and 

the opportunity to meet them and spend time with them was 

a very special opportunity. 

What was the most difficult part of 

≤. 

campaigning? 

Michael - The most difficult part of the campaign was the 

time I had to spend away from home as we traveled across the 

congressional district. I am extremely grateful to my family for 

their dedication, hard work, and sacrifice. 

Haley - That’s a hard question to answer. When we were 

tired, Michael and I tried to remind ourselves that this was a 

part of God’s plan. That made it all worth it. Our desire was to 

be faithful to His will each and every day. 

Who has been your role model and why? 

≤. 

Michael - I have had many outstanding role models throughout 

my life. When I was a child, my parents always set an 

example of how to live a life that would bring honor to our 

Heavenly Father. I believe this has had a profound impact on 

the way I’ve lived my life, raised two boys with my wife, and 

served the people of Madison and Rankin Counties as their 

district attorney. During our campaign, I always tried to model 

our campaign after our current congressman – Gregg Harper. 

Gregg has served our state and nation well during his ten years 

in office, and he has always been a man of honor and integrity. 

What are your plans for how you’ll 

≤. 

divide family time between Brandon 

and Washington? 

Michael - I intend to travel back and forth to Washington, 

but my family will remain in Brandon. Brandon has always 

been and always will be our home, and I cannot imagine our 

children growing up anywhere else. Washington is where 

I’ll go to work and Brandon is where I’ll keep my home. 

What do you think the biggest adjustment 

≤. 

to this political arena will be? 

Michael - I believe that my experience as district attorney, 

serving the people of Mississippi, has prepared me to 

represent our state in Congress. I know that challenges lie 

ahead as I move into a new position, but I am confident that 

if I surround myself with an experienced staff then I will 

quickly be able to transition into my role as an effective 

congressman on behalf of the people of Mississippi. 

Was there a particular Bible verse that 

≤. 

you claimed or were motivated by during 

your campaign? 

Michael - Throughout the campaign I have often reflected 

on Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you declares 

the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to 

give you hope and a future.” This verse would remind me that 

God was in control and that His will for my life would prevail. 

Haley - The Bible verse that always brought me encouragement 

was Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God 

works for the good of those who love Him, who have been 

called according to His purpose.” 


Who’s a Washington politician that you look forward 

≤. 

to meeting? 

Michael - I look forward to meeting Vice-President Mike Pence. I’ve read 

numerous articles about his faith and the relationship he has with our Lord. 

The vice-president has been able to achieve the second most powerful position 

in our government while never losing or compromising his principals, faith, 

or integrity. 

How do you, as one family, hope to make a difference 

≤. 

in Washington? 

Michael - Before we ever started this campaign, we prayed as a family that 

we would be stronger because of this opportunity to serve the people of 

Mississippi. Our goal remains the same – to represent the people of 

Mississippi in a way that brings honor and glory to our Heavenly Father 

while growing the bonds that unite us as a family. l 


What was a highlight 

Elizabeth 

Easterling 

Passing my 2nd semester 

of nursing school!! 

Bill 

Harvey 

Winning a neighborhood 

writing award. 

Danny 

Keller 

My autistic son going to 

a new school and finally 

finding balance. 

Larry 

Strayer 

Waking up this morning 

and having enough money 

to buy coffee. 

Lindsey 

Triplett 

Celebrating my 35th 

birthday by traveling to 

Jamaica on an all-inclusive 

trip, paid for by my company. 

Carol Cerami 

A weekend getaway I had 

with my daughter to the 

beach where we relaxed and 

enjoyed our time together. 


for you in 2018? 

Claire 

Wilder 

Going to Cups to get 

the caramel hot chocolate 

and do my Bible study. 

Harold 

Wilcox 

Winning $2,000 in a 

poker tournament! 

Stephanie Roach 

Going to Chile to see 

my mom’s native country 

for the first time. 

LaSondra 

Bowling 

My daughter discovering 

her talent of singing. She is 

now in the Brandon Middle 

Boom Show Choir. 

Patrice 

Cain 

Celebrating turning 35 by 

doing something every 

month for the 5 months 

leading up to my birthday 

with lots of traveling! 

Jackie 

Marchant 

My husband surprising my 

twin sister and me with a 

trip to New York City! 

Best time ever. 






The Refuge Hotel 

& Conference Center 

SUSAN MARQUEZ 

The once-sleepy town of Flowood is now a bustling, vibrant city 

with more growth on the way. 

Ground was recently broken on a 200-room hotel and 

conference center complex that will include amenities not 

found anywhere else in the metro area. 

The project is a public/private partnership. It will be 

owned by the City of Flowood, and managed by MMC Real 

Estate, a New Orleans- based development company focused 

on creating innovative solutions for commercial, residential, 

hospitality, and mixed use properties. 

There will be a destination hotel with a host of amenities 

that will allow metro-area residents, along with travelers from 

around the state and across the country, to enjoy. The hotel 

will include a full menu of amenities including a resort-style 

pool, 15-acre lake, walking paths, spa, and culinary school. 

There will also be a lazy river, zip-line and a kid zone. An 

event lawn will be located by the lake for outdoor events. 

The $60 million complex will be called The Refuge 

Hotel and Conference Center and will be the only four-star 

state-of-the-art Sheraton in the area. The location, on Airport 

Road, is ideal for travelers as well as local residents – only five 

minutes from the Jackson- Medgar Wiley Evers International 

Airport and fifteen minutes from downtown Jackson. 

The development will be adjacent to The Refuge golf 

course, built in the late 1990s on 200 acres on Airport Road. 

The property features tee complexes and greens with fairways 

that wind their way around pristine wetlands, hundred-yearold 

oaks, and stands of towering pine trees. The course also 

features a 15-acre AquaRange lake and an indoor teaching 

facility. It has been named “the best purely public golf course 

in Mississippi” by Chicago Golfer, and “the best affordable 

public course in Mississippi” by Mississippi Sports Magazine. 



In anticipation of the hotel and conference center 

opening, The Refuge will undergo a $2 million upgrade. 

The course will be shut down for a year to 18 months 

while the upgrade construction is underway. 

In addition to the hotel, the conference center will 

occupy approximately 54,000 square feet and will be 

available for conferences, meetings, receptions, and a 

myriad of other events. “We have already had multiple 

inquiries about booking events and conferences,” says 

Gary Rhoads, Mayor of Flowood. The projected open 

date is mid-2020. 

Funding for the hotel and conference center 

project has been committed by the City of Flowood, 

Rankin County Board of Supervisors and Rankin First 

Economic Development. The Mississippi Development 

Authority approved the project for the Mississippi 

Tourism Sales Tax Program to offer incentives to 

development of the area near the Jackson airport. 

“There’s no doubt that this is being seen as a 

project that will have a tremendous economic impact 

on Flowood, all of Rankin County, and the Jackson 

metro area,” says Rhoads. 

Rhoads says the project will impact the economic 

growth of Flowood through ad valorem taxes, sales 

taxes, and job placement. “To have all the unique 

amenities that will only be found at this destination will 

be a huge boon for Flowood,” says Rhoads. “It will 

provide tourism and recreational opportunities.” 

COURSE IMPROVEMENTS 

• New 8th and 18th holes so that front and back 9 return to clubhouse. 

• All new green surfaces, sprigged with TifEagle ultradwarf Bermuda. 

• All new and renovated bunkers with sodded faces and semi-flat floors. 

• Removal of invasive trees to widen fairways and green surrounds. 

• Elimination of lakes on existing 6th and 18th fairways to improve playability. 

• Players will be able to hit driver on EVERY par-4 and par-5 after renovation. 

• Installation of Longleaf Tee System to create nine “courses” with five sets of tees, 

ranging from +/- 4,045 yards from fwd tees to 7,045+ yards from back tees. 

• New and expanded trees throughout with sand caps for better playability. 

• Improved drainage throughout the course to speed recovery of rainwater. 

• New and more efficient irrigation at greens and new fairways. 

• New wider concrete cart paths with curbs throughout the course. 

• New 6,800 square foot putting green and expanded driving range tee. 


The Refuge Hotel and 

Conference Center 




Hometown Rankin 

READER 

SPOTLIGHT 

Holly 

BRANTLEY 

Why did you decide to make 

Rankin County your home? 

I grew up in Rankin County, so after college 

I decided to move back to this area. It was a 

great place to grow up and I knew it would 

be a great place to raise a family one day. 

How long have you lived in Rankin 

County? 

Over 25 years. My family moved here the 

week before I started kindergarten. 

Tell us about your family. 

My husband, Kyle, and I have been married 

for four years. We have a sweet two-year old 

son named Hudson. Kyle works in physical 

therapy, so he has helped most of Rankin 

County feel better after an injury. I am the 

accounting manager at Eaton Aerospace in 

Jackson. 

What is your favorite memory of 

living in Rankin County? 

Growing up here allowed me to start 

kindergarten and graduate with most of the 

same people. I enjoy running into classmates 

in the grocery store and out to eat. 

Where are your three favorite places 

to eat in Rankin County? 

Amerigo’s, Mugshots, and we are enjoying 

GB Bakery for Saturday breakfast. 

What are some fun things to do in 

Rankin County on the weekends? 

After working busy jobs during the week, 

a lot of our weekends are spent with Hudson. 

We enjoy going to all of the parks when the 

weather is nice. On Sundays we attend FBC 

Brandon, where we have a great life group 

that encourages us and is going through the 

same seasons of life. 

Share some things you enjoy doing 

in your spare time. 

We are MSU fans so we head to Starkville 

for football, baseball, and basketball often. 

What are three things on your 

bucket list? 

I love the Christmas season, so I want to 

go to New York and Disney World during 

that time. I also want to take a long trip to 

Europe someday. 

Who is someone you admire and why? 

I admire both of my grandmothers. They 

have both lived full lives and are continuing 

to do so. Most especially my grandmother 

who lives here, Mary Breazeale. I can always 

count on her to have just the right advice 

about anything–children, families, and work. 

Where do you see yourself ten years 

from now? 

Ten years from now I hope to have a few 

more children and be spending lots of time 

with them. 

What is your favorite childhood 

memory? 

I enjoy the Christmas parade every year. 

I remember participating in our church float 

several years, even some with some snow. 

If you could give us one encouraging 

quote, what would it be? 

One of my life verses that I rely on is, 

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, 

but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails,” 

Proverbs 19:21. Even when things do not 

seem to be going your way, God’s plan and 

purpose for our life is always better. 

What is your favorite thing about 

Hometown Magazines? 

I enjoy learning about the very special 

people who live in Rankin County. Living 

here most of my life, I thought I knew most 

everyone, but I am often surprised with new 

faces and stories. l

H O M E T O W N 

Christmas 

Market 

D E C E M B E R 

7 

- 8 

Friday, December 7th 

12noon-9pm 

Saturday, December 8th 

8am-2pm 

The Vault

Giving People Hope 

Erin Williams 

After sitting down at the large conference table in 

the Jackson administrative building of The Salvation Army, 

I found that, at first impression, Major Karen Lyle had a firm 

handshake and a warm smile. 

“I apologize,” said Major Karen, after she checked her 

phone a couple times. “We’re tracking Hurricane Florence 

and her potential landfall as we speak.” 

Although the Jackson location already had their canteen 

prepared, another mobile unit was stocked with enough 

pre-portioned meals to feed 5,000-7,000 people three 

meals a day, for three days. It was stationed in Charlotte at 

the speedway, and Major Karen was waiting to hear word 

on when she and her husband Robert, who is also a major at 

the Jackson branch, would be called to go serve. 

“It’s likely that Robert will be the first to go, then I’ll go 

next,” said Major Karen. “We serve 14 days each and our duties 

during that time can range from immediate emergency 

response, to even riding around with FEMA to see if homes 

are inhabitable. We have to be prepared to help in any way 

that we can.” 

As a couple who has assisted with numerous natural 

disasters over the years–Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane 

Harvey, and Hurricane Floyd, to name a few–they have 

weathered through many storms, both literally and figuratively, 

during their lives and careers with The Salvation Army. 

Majors Lyle received orders that they would be moving 

to Jackson and working at the Jackson branch on June 18. 

They have both spent their decades-long careers serving in 


various locations throughout The Salvation Army’s southern 

territory, which encompasses 15 states from Maryland to 

Texas. Over the years, as Karen jokingly put it, they’ve both 

learned the skill of packing lightly. 

With both being ordained ministers through The Salvation 

Army, both holding the title of major, both attending many 

of the same meetings and assignments throughout each 

day at work, as well as also being married, Robert and Karen 

have learned what it means to truly work together. 

“Robert and I complement each other well at work and 

in our marriage,” said Karen. “We are co-pastors together 

and, although we each have our own administration and 

ministry part, we are sometimes together 24/7, so working 

together is integral. His strength is to be in the public eye, 

and I try to stay away from cameras.” 

Born in Oswego, New York, Karen was raised in The 

Salvation Army and her grandfather was a pastor there for 

many years. Growing up, she and her siblings were very 

active in the organization. Karen recalled many fond 

memories of her involvement with youth programs, teen 

programs, and adult programs before she felt called to be 

an officer 29 years ago. 

Robert’s introduction to The Salvation Army couldn’t 

have been more different. Born in Paris, Texas, Robert grew 

up in poverty with alcoholic parents. Throughout his childhood, 

carrying ketchup sandwiches to school because there 

was nothing else to eat was a common occurrence. In fact, 

sometimes even those sandwiches felt like a delicacy. 

When he was eleven, someone in their community 

reached out to The Salvation Army on behalf of his family. 

That Christmas, a Salvation Army representative came to his 

home and brought his siblings and him Christmas presents. 

Robert received a basketball, which, according to Karen, he 

thought was gold. That Christmas, Robert was able to go 

outside and play with his ball and enjoy being a kid. 

After that, his sister got involved with The Salvation Army 

and he attended vacation bible school with her. But during 

his teenage years, Robert battled with alcohol and found 

himself near some railroad tracks one night, completely 

unaware of how he had gotten there. This shook Robert 

and the next night he went to The Salvation Army and gave 

his heart to the Lord. And he’s never looked back. 

“Robert has this amazing heart and compassion; he is so 

empathetic to the population we serve because he has been 

there. He has lived it – poverty, addiction, hopelessness, and 

he can relate,” said Karen. “He really wants to help pull others 

off their own ‘railroad tracks’ just like Jesus helped do the 

same for him. Robert didn’t have a lot growing up so he 

doesn’t expect a lot from people; however, he expects a 

lot from the Lord.” 

While Robert was training as a cadet at The Salvation 

Army training college in Atlanta, as fate (or really, God) would 

have it, Karen worked in the business office. After a date to 

Stone Mountain, Robert proposed to Karen one week later 

and, five months after that, the two were married. 

“I had no intention of marrying a pastor but God changed 

my heart and this New York girl married a Texas guy,” said 

Karen. “Here we are now – almost 30 years after, countless 

homes and cities lived in, and two amazing sons, and God 

has been faithful to us.” 

“The Salvation Army serves to give people hope—that 

their current desperate need is only for a season and that 

there are people who care about them and want to show 

them the love of Jesus,” she continued. “Then, as we live out 

our faith in front of these people they can say ‘hey, there IS 

a better way’ and come to the other side. On the other side; 

that’s where Jesus waits.” l 

______________________________________________________ 

To donate to The Salvation Army 

The Salvation Army, 110 Presto Lane, Jackson, MS 39206 


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A Family 

Gives Thanks 

- And So Much More 

Leigh Ramsey 

“Find the little blessings in everything, 

I still think about that,” Amy Hogue stated 

as she reminisced about donating a kidney 

to her brother. Those words were imprinted 

on Amy’s heart by her sister- in-law, Kerry 

Arender, 15 years ago. When Kerry shared 

those words of wisdom, she had been busy 

tending to Amy’s brother, Jeff, as he fought 

for his life dealing with kidney failure and 

dialysis. Though her days were long, hard, 

and uncertain, she said finding the little 

blessings helped her keep going each day. 

Jeff had been born one month premature 

in Jackson, Mississippi. Doctors quickly 

discovered that one of his kidneys had never 

formed. Only a hard mass was in its place, 

which they immediately removed. After 

several weeks of struggling with health 

complications in the NICU, doctors 

approached Jeff’s father, Jay Arender, 

and said, “You know we are losing Jeff.” 

Mr. Arender replied that he knew. 

The medical team then decided to do 

exploratory surgery and check out his second 

kidney. That kidney had issues with the valves 

and had to be repaired. The doctors, knowing 

that Mr. Arender was in the plumbing 

supply business, told him they had “Roto- 

Rootered” his valves and corrected their 

placement. After surgery, Jeff’s kidney began 

operating at twenty percent. Over the next 

several years, the kidney improved even 

more, increasing to 50% function. 

Jeff enjoyed a pretty normal childhood as 

a “spirited youth,” only visiting the specialist 

once a year to check on his kidney. At 23 

years old, he got married. He and his wife, 

Kerry, soon added two children to their 

family, John Austin and Jane Claire. However, 

at 31 years old, Jeff began noticing complications. 

He started having recurring infections, 

each one causing a little more damage to his 

kidney. Between 2001 and 2002, he spent 

165 days in the hospital. Doctors decided 

that it was time to remove the remaining 

kidney and put Jeff on dialysis. He was 

eventually approved to receive a transplant 

and that began the search for a new kidney. 

Over a dozen people were tested, in 

hopes they would be a match. To determine 

if a kidney is a match, they are rated on a 

scale of 1-6. The family began celebrating 

when Jeff’s mom, Claudia, received the 

news that her kidney was a 5 on that scale. 

She quickly grabbed the phone to share the 

exciting news with her daughter, Amy. 

While they were on that phone call, 

Amy received a call from a nurse letting her 

know that she, too, was a match. Her kidney 

was rated a 6 on that scale making her kidney 

a perfect match! Doctors stated that “it was 

as if Jeff’s kidney was in Amy, and she was 

holding it for him.” 

When asked how hard it was to decide 

to donate a kidney to her brother, Amy 

stated that there was never a question. 


She knew immediately that she’d be 

donating the kidney. Amy’s husband, Justin 

said, “When you keep asking over and over 

again, ‘What can we do to help?’, and the 

answer is this obvious, you don’t have to 

think twice about it.” 

In October 2003, the family traveled 

to Birmingham, Alabama, to have the 

The surgery was a success. Amy 

recovered as expected, knowing she had 

the support of family and friends to help 

her as she healed. Her brother Jeff has 

faced other health challenges since the 

transplant, however, his body accepted 

the kidney and it continues to thrive. 

While in the hospital for the surgery 

them get through this season. A successful 

fundraiser was hosted by patrons of the 

Music Barn in Polkville, Mississippi. It was 

attended by friends and family from all 

over Mississippi and beyond. This helped 

offset the cost of medical bills, but also 

filled the family’s mailboxes with cards, 

and letters of encouragement. 

transplant done at UAB. On the way there, 

the family went through a McDonald’s 

drive-thru. Jeff’s car went through first, 

followed by Amy’s car. When Amy got up 

to the drive-thru window, she was given a 

cross pendant that her brother had given 

the cashier for his sister to receive. Amy 

stated that she still occasionally wears 

that cross. 

Jeff and Kerry’s church family at 

First Baptist Brandon planned to travel to 

Alabama to pray for and serve the family 

during the surgery. Jeff asked them, instead, 

to stay home and pray every 30 minutes 

throughout the duration of the procedure. 

Amy said that she remembers feeling such 

comfort as the anesthesia was taking over, 

knowing that someone was praying for her 

at that very moment. 

and for all other hospital stays, someone 

from the First Baptist Brandon church 

congregation or staff visited every day for 

prayer and support. As a matter of fact, 

Kerry was amazed that God always placed 

the specific person they needed to see at 

the hospitals every time they would go. 

Once, Amy ran into a lady who recognized 

her from one of her brother’s ICU stays. 

She had been Jeff’s nurse and said she 

remembered him. She said watching what 

he went through, she witnessed a miracle. 

That statement was said many times 

when the family was sharing the story, 

“Jeff being here is a miracle.” 

So many things stood out when 

discussing this experience with the family. 

They kept stating over and over how 

important community was in helping 

Claudia said that their family was 

being prayed for by people all over the 

country, many they had never even met. 

Kerry mentioned that they were greeted 

with signs lining the streets of their 

neighborhood when Jeff returned from 

the transplant surgery. She also mentioned 

that their Sunday school class brought them 

meals for months. They fed Amy’s family 

as well. Sometimes people would even mow 

their lawn or clean their house. Pinelake 

Christian School, where Kerry worked, 

made sure that whoever was keeping the 

children was provided a meal, too. 

Several other people were mentioned 

as being a blessing during that time. Jeff 

and Amy’s sister, Kay Arender Smith, who 

was also a willing match, stepped in to help 

keep the family business going while Jeff 


ecovered. Kerry’s parents, Randy and Linda 

Duteil of Brandon, were a great support to 

their daughter and the rest of the family. 

Family friend, Claire Papizan, who was also 

tested to be a donor, helped with the 

children, taking the young cousins, John 

Austin, 7, Jane Claire, 6, Logan Hogue, 5, 

and Kylie Hogue, 2, on different outings to 

chose to spend his honeymoon serving at 

an orphanage in Pucallpa, Peru. 

The entire family seems to have an 

increased passion for telling others about 

the importance of being an organ donor. 

According to an article published by 

upmc.com, one cadaver donation can save 

the lives of eight people through organ 

dance one day. He also attributes his 

stubbornness to the kidney. 

The one thing that was evident as the 

family shared their story is the mutual 

respect and admiration that came from 

this trial. The smiles and laughter that were 

exchanged as the story was being told was 

beautiful to witness. The family shared how 

keep their life filled with some semblance 

of normalcy during those days. She even 

bought a larger vehicle to fit all of the 

children comfortably. Logan stated that 

he looks back on those days with fond 

memories that created a deep bond 

between cousins. 

When asked if they thought there was 

a reason for this trial, so many answers were 

given, and some just rose to the surface 

without being spoken. Jeff stated that he 

felt this experience made his children more 

selfless than they’d be had they not gone 

through this. Both of his children love to 

serve people in third-world countries and 

are often traveling to places like Haiti to 

show love and compassion to the people 

they encounter. His son, John Austin, 22, 

donation, and can enhance the lives of up 

to 50 people with tissue donation. Kerry is 

quick to state that these donations don’t just 

affect the recipients, it blesses entire 

families. 

Jeff knows he would not be here had he 

not received his sister’s kidney. He has 

gotten to experience walking his daughter 

on the homecoming court, and being best 

man at his son’s wedding. Kerry also grew 

passionate about dialysis centers during this 

trial. She said they can be very lonely and 

forgotten places. Patients spend hours at 

these centers. She hopes to one day make a 

difference for people undergoing dialysis. 

Jeff jokes that because his sister, a local 

theatre and vocal coach, donated her kidney 

to him, he will likely break out in song and 

the experience not only brought them closer 

together, but bonded an entire community. 

As the story was being told, words of 

affirmation were often exchanged; Jeff 

calling his sister an “angel,” Amy looking in 

her brother’s eyes and telling him that God 

has him here for a purpose, and Jay telling 

his daughter-in- law, Kerry, that she is the 

“best thing that ever happened to his son.” 

In this season of thankfulness and giving, 

what a great reminder we have that some of 

the greatest gifts cannot be wrapped or put 

under a tree. Family, friends, community, and 

connection may be the greatest gift you 

could ever give or receive. l 



PRESENTS 

BROADWAY BOUND 

NOVEMBER 17


CLASS SIZES STAYING 

SMALL & FILLING FAST 

Class size is important. Not because of ratios, but 

because of students. At Hartfield Academy, our 

educators are investing in your student every day. 

Because to us, raising the next generation of Christian 

leaders starts in K3 and it starts today. 

Schedule a tour today! Open Enrollment begins 

on February 1st and openings are limited. 

Apply online early to secure your student’s 

spot for August 2019! 

☎ 601.992.5333 

hartfield.org 

@HartfieldAcademy 

@HartfieldHawks 

@HartfieldAcademy 


Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 

214 Spell Drive Richland, MS - www.hickoryseniorliving.com - info@hickoryseniorliving.com 


PELAHATCHIE 

Mayor's 

PRAYER 

BREAKFAST 

OCTOBER 27 

ST. CARMEL 

MISSIONARY 

BAPTIST CHURCH 



fa la la la..... 

make your holiday one to remember 

F I N D I T A L L I N 

DINING . LODGING . SHOPPING 






A Special Toy Chest 


It’s almost here—the big season for 

toys. And Time 4 Toys business owner, 

Bethany Mathis, is stocked and ready. 

The store has toys and games for infants 

to older children – but there’s a bonus. 

There are special toys for children with 

special needs. 

Bethany and husband, Craig, didn’t 

just “dream up” this idea. They understood 

the need that their own son had. 

They adopted Paxton when he was 

three years old from an orphanage in 

China and soon realized he had been 

confined to a crib for most of those 

three years. 

That environment had deprived 

him of learning basic skills, so his new 

parents began exploring ways to help 

him advance. Toys offered many 

solutions – special toys like the ones 

Bethany wanted to see other children 

with special needs enjoy. 

The store at 4804 Lakeland Drive in 

Flowood, next to The Winning Smile, 

specializes in a variety of toy selections 

for children with autism and forms of 

sensory processing disorder. Vibrating 

cushions, bouncy bands, and fidget toys 

are among the selections. 

Children with Attention-Deficit/ 

Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) deal with 

a treatable, neurodevelopmental 

disorder characterized by inattentive, 

hyperactive and impulsive behavior. 

Time 4 Toys carries a great line of toys 

and accessories for ADHD children 

that one might call “treatable fun.” 

Even clothing such as compression 

shirts, worn under a child’s shirt to help 

reduce anxiety, are available. 

Mathis validates her belief in her 

specialty products by offering customers 

an opportunity to experiment with 

them in the store. She also offers 

demonstrations for the games. 

“I want my customers to be completely 

satisfied with these toys,” she says. 

During the past two summers and 

spring break, Bethany has offered 

storytime, craft days, and art contests in 

her store. There’s a birthday registry for a 

child’s wish list, and gift wrapping is free. 

Bethany has seen wonderful results 

with their own son and is steadily 

gaining repeat customers who see the 

benefits of the specialty items. She recalls 

one parent coming into the store with a 

child that was constantly running laps 

in the store. Bethany showed him the 

vibrating cushion, and he “immediately 

relaxed.” 

“It’s a toy store for all children,” 

Bethany emphasizes. There are unique 

games and toys for all ages, and it’s a 

real bonus to realize some toys can add 

more than just joy to a child’s life. 

STORE HOURS 

Monday 12-6 

Tuesday-Friday 10-6 

Saturday 10-5 


Thank you for nominating us in three categories for 

Rankin County’s Best of the Best 

CapitalOrtho.com • 601.987.8200 

104 Burney Dr. Flowood, MS 39232 

106 Highland Way Suite 102 

Madison MS 39110 

 

@capital_ortho_sports 

 

@capitalortho1 

 

@capitalortho 

Back Row: Chad Hosemann, MD • Andy Brien, MD 

Tal Hendrix, MD • Bradley Kellum, MD 

Front Row: Chris Kneip, MD • Will McCraney, MD 

Mike Dulske, MD • Jeff Kennedy, MD 

Matt Futvoye, MD 

We appreciate your votes! 

www.surveymonkey.com/r/RRC2019TOP5 


The Perfect Gift 

3 JACKSON FAVORITES 

1 CONVENIENT CARD 

Make Us Part Of Your Giving Tradition 

AVAILABLE IN-STORE & ONLINE 


Together Again 

In 2015-2016, my parents decided to get a divorce. 

My mom, my brother, my sister, and I all moved to 

Smyrna, Tennessee, together to start our new lives. 

In October 2016, my mom was diagnosed with stage 

4 colon cancer and wasn’t given that long to live. 

The impact it had on our lives and our family was 

immeasurable. My mom and my step-dad had a 

falling out and she decided to leave and take us to live 

with our grandmother that summer. Behind the 

curtains, my mom and my dad were talking about the 

possibility of all of us coming home. My brother and I, 

at the time, had moved in already with my dad. It was 

just the matter of getting my mom and my little sister 

home. My dad found it within himself to forgive my 

mom for everything and decided that he wanted all 

of us to be together as a family again. 

At this point, my mom had already lived past her 

life expectancy by a couple of months. She was slowly 

beginning to lose her hair, lose weight, and lose all of 

her energy. We had a lot of financial troubles with 

having to pay for hospital bills and tools that helped 

my mom get around easier. Before we knew it, 

Thanksgiving and Christmas were right around the 

corner. Thanksgiving brought some family members 

together that we hadn’t seen in years. Mom clearly 

enjoyed it, but Thanksgiving had nothing on 

Christmas! Christmas was our most cherished and 

most favorite holiday. We didn’t know it at the time, 

but this would be her last Christmas with us. 

December 2016–the most wonderful time of the 

year. Lights lit up our streets and love and laughter 

filled our home. Mom’s condition slowly began to 

worsen. In order for her to get around, she had to be 

pushed in a wheelchair, but that didn’t stop her from 

enjoying Christmas with her family. Gifts upon gifts 

were crowded up under our Christmas tree to the 


Logan Vanderveen 

Northwest Rankin High School Student 

point you wouldn’t even think there was a floor 

underneath it all. We spent Christmas at our house 

that year. It was impossible for her to make the drive 

to our other family member’s house. 

Spirit, love, and happiness were the only feelings 

we could all feel that night. Watching all of the 

children open their presents brought the biggest 

smile to my mom’s face. In the middle of all the 

chaos, the laughter, and the conversations, I caught 

a glimpse of my mom tearing up. It wasn’t a sad cry, 

and it wasn’t a frustrated cry. It was a truly happy cry. 

Fighting the cancer was beginning to destroy her 

physically and mentally. This one night, though, she 

was able to forget everything. She was able to look 

past her situation and find the good, despite all of 

the bad that was happening to her. She sat back and 

enjoyed the togetherness that our family hadn’t seen 

in over a year. I wonder sometimes if she knew she 

wasn’t going to win the fight and that she wasn’t 

going to make it. I could never begin to understand 

the strength and the fight that was within her but 

I definitely saw it that night. 

In June 2017, my mom peacefully passed away in 

our home, surrounded by people that loved her with 

all of their hearts. Losing my mom at such a young 

age was, and still is, a hard experience. I say to myself 

that I wish I could go back and see her again, just one 

last time, but in order to do that she would have to be 

in pain again. So, I decided that one little moment, 

that one little expression was enough. 

The spirit of Christmas cannot only fix broken 

pieces–it can heal the deepest wounds. Christmas 

took on a brand new meaning for me. It wasn’t about 

the presents, it wasn’t about the two-week break 

from school, or even about the food. It’s about 

family coming together and appreciating the love 

and happiness in our lives. Ever since then, on every 

Christmas, I look around for that teary smile, and 

I never fail to find it. l 



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The CHALKBOARD 

RANKIN COUNTY SCHOOLS 

Northwest Middle 

Did you know…? 

● Northwest Rankin High School loves our Flowood Community. 

● The Northwest Rankin High School ACT 30+ Club currently has 

58 members and has had 131 members since 2017. 

● The Student Government Association organizes the annual Food 

Fight for the entire Northwest Zone, through which 77,744 cans 

were donated in 2018, and their biannual blood drives average 150 

units of blood donated yearly. 

● Mu Alpha Theta, the math honor society, established and 

maintains the school’s recycling program as partners with Keep 

the Rez Beautiful. 

● The Science Olympiad team placed third at the 2018 Southwest 

Mississippi Regional tournament and brought home many metals 

at the State Science Olympiad Tournament in 2018. 

● NWRHS has two National Merit Semi-Finalists and two 

National Merit Commended Scholars. 

● NWRHS students may study French and Spanish through the 

AP level and can earn college credit and compete for scholarships. 

● The Interact Club received the Presidential Citation from Rotary 

International for their efforts to better our community. 

● Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Promise Club 

advocates for safe schools, promotes an environment of inclusivity, 

and reaches out to anyone they see alone. 

● The Health Science Academy now includes 235 students, many 

of which are members of HOSA. This International Health 

Science Club supports many community activities. 

● The broadcast journalism program is partnering with Cougar 

Broadcasting for live streaming of athletic events. 

● NWRHS offers multiple award-winning performing arts programs. 

● NWRHS has introduced two new unique and innovative clubs 

this year: Equestrian Club and American Sign Language Club. 

● The Library Media Center hosted authors Megan Shepherd and 

Beth Kander with the hope of promoting a lifelong love of reading 

in our students 

● All 28 NWRHS athletic teams qualified for the Scholar Athlete 

Award for the 2017-2018 school year. 

● Oh, and by the way, NWRHS is the football District 2-6A 

Champions! 


Discovery Christian 

At Discovery Christian School, we know the importance of 

keeping our students excited about reading. Our 3rd grade class 

took advantage of a beautiful day by hosting a reading theater 

for their younger peers. They ended the event by partnering 

with reading buddies to practice fluency and comprehension. 

Our seniors recently met with our 5th grade class to present 

reports and answer questions about “Beowulf,” and there is 

always something fun happening in our library. Today’s learners 

become tomorrow’s leaders, and the future is bright at DCS! 




Brandon Middle 

It’s Dog Jam time, y’all! These words are heard quite frequently 

at Brandon Middle School during the fall. Dog Jam is not just our 

annual fundraising event, but it’s a time that students, parents, 

teachers, and the community of Brandon come together as one. 

To say it is a one-night event is to cut it far short. Dog Jam planning 

starts even before the first student walks on campus in the fall. 

Dog Jam starts with a coin drive, but it does not end there! 

Teachers compete against each other to raise the most coins. 

The teacher that wins gets a wonderful prize–a pie in the face! 

Dog Jam Day is full of activities. Students get to cheer on their 

teachers in the Powder Puff football game, take a chance at dunking 

a coach in the dunking booth, sing on the karaoke stage, and enjoy 

food and fellowship with friends. Students even get the opportunity 

to escape our Escape Rooms! The main event includes a talent 

competition, slam-dunk competition and 3-point shootout. There 

is something for everyone to enjoy! 

Dog Jam is truly a community event. We have wonderful sponsors 

in our community that devote resources and time to make our event 

a great success. We have local “celebrities” to act as judges for our 

Dog Jam competitions; Slam Dunk, 3-point shoot and talent show. 

Dog Jam is an event that proves how our Brandon Community 

stands out from others. 

You know you are in a special place when community leaders, 

businesses, students, and parents, all unite to make such an event 

so successful. 


Richland 

The Richland Ranger Network - Russell Marsallis 

What started out as an idea to try to promote our athletic 

teams and school events by live streaming them has turned out to 

be so much more—and the possibilities are endless for where it can 

go in the future. I came to Dr. Rimes with the idea when he first 

got the head principal job at Richland HS. He sent our assistant 

principal, Dr. McEwen, and myself out to different schools to help 

figure out what the process would be and what equipment we 

would need to get started. We visited with or talked to representatives 

from Northwest Rankin HS, Clinton HS, Brandon HS, and 

Jackson Academy. We specifically owe a great deal of gratitude to 

Robert Chapman at Clinton HS and Bryan Eubank at Jackson 

Academy for getting us on the right track. We are currently in the 

process of our school district acquiring a mobile hotspot for us to 

be able to live stream events in the near future. 

In the meantime, Dr. Rimes suggested that we make a class out 

of the idea and have a weekly newscast to highlight our schools 

achievements and upcoming events. So I looked around and found 

six great kids to form our initial class. The class includes seniors 

Jacob Walters, Kamryn Shields, Raine Chambliss, and Zykeius 

Showers, as well as sophomores Ashley Dunn and Jailyn Rodgers. 

These students have done a great job using their personalities and 

great ideas to create fun and informative segments each week. 

They have also done a great job in the areas of interviewing, video 

recording, and editing. These kids have exceeded my expectations 

and have received rave reviews from our staff and their peers. 

Steen’s Creek 

On October 24th, SCES participated in National SAVE Day. 

SAVE stands for Students Against Violence Everywhere and it 

was established by the Sandy Hook Promise SAVE Promise Clubs. 

Rankin County School District has adopted SAVE Promise Clubs 

for every school in the district grades 2-12. 

We call our club the Start With Hello Eagle Pride Club. SCES 

Eagle Pride Club invited everyone to join in National SAVE Day 

by wearing orange and taking selfies in the classroom. We encouraged 

our school to be bully and violence free. Mrs. Foust, our school 

counselor, taught lessons in classroom guidance on what it means 

to bully and how to spread kindness during the month of October. 

Students should be able to recognize bullying, know how to 

report bullying, and also know how to refuse bullying. We ended 

the month by promoting National SAVE Day. Steen’s Creek 

Elementary along with Rankin County School District is dedicated 

to ensuring that our students have a safe and inviting learning 

environment. Having students leading the way to stop bullying 

and promote kindness within has become not only a positive 

experience for the students involved but allow all to recognize the 

power of a simple hello. 




Puckett 

October is a busy month of reading fun at Puckett Elementary! 

From the 2018 Scholastic Reading Fair to students’ opportunities 

to participate in the school’s Book Fair, it’s a great reading month 

for everyone! Attendance and participation at both of these 

events was at an all-time high this year which further proves what 

a love for reading, writing, and learning our families and 

community members model to our students. 

In addition to promoting a love for reading in our students, 

teachers are also striving to take learning to a deeper level in 

science lessons through the use of STEM (Science, Technology, 

Engineering, and Mathematics) centered activities in classrooms 

across campus as well as inviting members from the community 

in to apply knowledge learned in class to real world experiences. 

From independent investigations to cooperative learning 

experiences where students are pushed to work together 

towards a common goal, students are encouraged to think 

deeper through these meaningful, authentic experiences. 

Macie Sullivan, Kylie Sullivan, Kinsley Woods, 

and Justin Woods are taking a break from 

browsing at Donuts for Dads at the Book Fair. 

Lexi Miley, fourth grade student, 

received 2nd place at the Reading Fair 

with her storyboard creation 

of The BFG by Roald Dahl. 

Kevin Gibson posed with Clifford, the Big Red 

Dog, at our Book Fair Family Night Event. 

Carmen Magee and her grandmother shopping 

at Grandparents’ Day at the Book Fair. 

Macie Davis, Lily Smith, Preston Odom, 

Donevan O’Banner, and Zackeria Parker are 

taking a break from their marble rollercoaster 

creations to pause for a smile. 

Conner Westmoreland, Jonah Purvis, 

Miller Kennedy, Bryant Pardue, and Niya Dear 

are proud of their rollercoaster creation. 

The students in Mrs. Martin’s second grade class 

learned all about potential and kinetic energy 

with their marble rollercoaster experiments. 


Layla Vinzant and Sarah May, two fifth grade students in 

Mrs. Berry’s class, are working on breaking down mixtures 

and solutions in their investigation. 

Pisgah 

The first semester at Pisgah High School is progressing with much success 

both academically and athletically. This year’s students are offered 47 dual credit 

hours, continuing the upward trend in increasing opportunities for college 

preparation. Last year, Pisgah High School was ranked sixth in the state on the 

acceleration component of the accountability model according to the 2018 

reports from the Mississippi Department of Education. 

In addition, 77% of the students tested on the ACT WorkKeys assessment 

were designated ready for success in the workplace. The WorkKeys assessment 

tests students in applied math, graphic literacy, and workplace documents in 

order to measure career readiness. Passing students can be awarded a ranking of 

bronze, silver, gold, or platinum. Notably, nearly 50% of Pisgah High School 

students tested ranked at the platinum and gold levels for work readiness. 

Athletically, the varsity cheerleaders earned numerous team and individual 

accolades when they competed at The University of Southern Mississippi’s 

UCA camp this summer. Awards included three “Superior” ratings in the 

sideline, cheer, and dance categories and four designated All American Cheerleaders: 

Peyton Wright, Ashlyn Acy, Harley Sanders, and Sarah Massey. 

In other news, the boys’ cross country team finished 4th in the Class 2A 

division at the state meet. Among the runners, Cain Wilkerson came in first at 

the District 5-6-7 Region Cross Country Championships. 

On the field, the Pisgah Dragons have been met with great success during 

this football season. Senior Noah Thweatt was recently named WAPT Blitz 16 

Player of the Week. Noah is the second leading rusher in the state of Mississippi 

with 311 carries, 2026 yards rushing, and 23 touchdowns. Noah and his teammates’ 

efforts set the Dragons up for a postseason run in the playoffs. The 

Dragons look forward to continued achievements on and off the field. 

First grader, Alana Tisdale, is volunteering for the 

community guest from the Mobile Zoo. Alana was brave 

enough to hold one of the nocturnal animals her 

class had been studying. 




Pearl 

The Kiwanis Club of Pearl hosted its 55th Annual Kiwanis 

Pancake Supper on November 15 at Pearl High School. The first 

pancake supper was held on November 22, 1963, the same night 

as the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, recalls founding 

member Leon Miller. At that time, the Rankin County Kiwanis 

Club met weekly in Pearl. In 1996, Pearl formed a separate club, 

according to Treasurer Mitch Childre. Club members and Pearl 

High School Key Club members flip pancakes and cook bacon 

and sausage for hundreds at the club’s largest fundraiser each year. 

While this event is a fundraiser that supports the civic and 

charitable projects of the club, it is so much more. Attended by 

many for many years, it is an event that illustrates how the school 

district is the center of the Pearl community and how the Kiwanis 

Club of Pearl is a vital part of the community. 

Pearl High School students and art teacher demonstrate how to “throw a pot” on the 

potter’s wheel for members of the Rankin County Chamber of Commerce leaderhsip 

class on their tour of PHS for Education Day on November 6. 


On October 16, Pearl Upper Elementary participated in the Promote the Vote 

civic engagement program for K-12 students sponsored by the Secretary of State’s 

office. PUE was selected as the co-winner of the Mississippi Public Broadcasting 

Promote the Vote mock election contest. 




202 North College Street • Brandon, MS 

To schedule a tour or to make reservations, 

call 601.260.9277

The 

Time 

COIN 


The air wreaked of a 

noxious odor as the foul 

creatures slinked into the 

dimly lit room. 

“You know why I’ve called this 

meeting,” Maelstrom bellowed as he 

shouted for everyone’s attention. 

“THAT season is rapidly approaching, 

so I’m checking on everyone’s plans 

and preparations. It’s a prime holiday. 

There are no limits to what we must 

do to rob it of its joy and celebration. 

Who wants to be first?” 

“I’ll go,” Busyness boomed from the 

corner. “The calendar is our #1 asset, 

and I’m prepared to fill every waking 

moment with parties, banquets, Sunday 

School socials, cantatas, musicals, movies, 

nativity scenes – everything that people 

who believe and don’t believe in the 

Christmas season will want to schedule. 

It’s too good to be true; we just help 

them cram their calendars with all those 

things they call good, and in a smoking 

streak the month will be gone, and they 

will have been too busy to actually enjoy 

any of it!” Busyness smirked with pride. 

“That’s not enough,” another voice 

squealed. All eyes turned to Chaos who 

straightened from his slumping posture. 

“I’ve got my crew assigned to the traffic 

and crowds. Both will be everywhere! 

Stress, we haven’t heard from you, 

but I know how you’ll have the shoppers 

in a panic mode, searching to fill their 

Christmas gift list. We add that to the 

chaos of traffic jams and long lines and 

WHAM! It’s the perfect storm and a 

snuffing out of the Christmas spirit. 

Shrieks filled the room as the sinister 

set announced their plans. “Don’t forget 

me,” Nostalgia whispered. The room 

quickly turned to his cloaked figure. 

“It may be a joyful season for some, 

but many struggle with the heaviness 

that Loneliness brings and his reminders 

of past Christmases. It’s the easiest of 

times to shroud the lonely and the sad 

with memories.” 

Greed interrupted Maelstrom just 

before he adjourned. “I’ll do what I can. 

A lot of the celebrators get generous 

with their benevolent giving, but it’s 

also a prime time for Selfishness to 

exploit shoppers. 

“Good plans! Now go to work,” 

Maelstrom roared as the conniving 

crew exited to inflict their tactics. 

“What’s that music I hear?” 

Maelstrom halted in alarm. “Why – 

I think it’s ‘Silent Night,’ one of those 

Christmas carols the celebrators sing,” 

Chaos answered. 

“Yes, that’s it, and look who’s leading it 

– PEACE! Hurry, we’re all doomed if 

He gets to the people first.” ● 



This will always be my go-to hospital. 

Late one night in August, Cristie Rabalais rushed her father, Wayne Crenshaw, to the Merit Health Rankin emergency 

room after he fell at his home. They were greeted by a kind security guard and immediately checked in and triaged by the 

nurse on duty. After multiple scans and constant observation of Mr. Crenshaw’s condition, the ER physician determined 

that 10 stitches were needed. Thankfully, Mr. Crenshaw is now on the road to recovery. Cristie stated, “Everyone treated 

my dad with the utmost respect. I was very impressed with the entire staff. We are so fortunate to have a hospital 

like Merit Health Rankin in our community.” 

Quick, personalized ER care. 

350 Crossgates Blvd. 

Brandon, MS 39042 

MeritHealthRankin.com

Rankin1218web

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