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Our<br />
Town<br />
2023
2 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 3
4 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong><br />
PUBLISHER & EDITOR<br />
Tahya Dobbs<br />
CFO<br />
Kevin Dobbs<br />
CONSULTING EDITOR<br />
Mary Ann Kirby<br />
ADMINISTRATIVE<br />
ASSISTANT<br />
Alisha Floyd<br />
SPECIAL PROJECTS<br />
ASSISTANT<br />
Caroline Hodges<br />
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE<br />
Nikki Robison<br />
SOCIAL MEDIA<br />
MANAGER<br />
Lexie Ownby<br />
STAFF ASSISTANT<br />
Debby Francis<br />
ADVERTISING<br />
ASSISTANT<br />
Melissa Kennon<br />
LAYOUT DESIGN<br />
Daniel Thomas<br />
3dt<br />
STAFF<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
Othel Anding<br />
Copyright HTMags.com / 601.706.4059<br />
200 Felicity Street / Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be<br />
reproduced without written permission from the publisher.<br />
The management of Hometown Publications is not responsible<br />
for opinions expressed by its writers or editors.<br />
Whether you’re brand new to our community or have<br />
been here for years, Our Town–<strong>39042</strong> will help you<br />
find answers to questions about how the city works<br />
and how to get things done. This is a reference book–<br />
and you’ll find plenty of information about our local<br />
businesses as well as opportunities to engage with<br />
the city and other residents. We’re so glad you call<br />
Brandon home.<br />
INSIDE<br />
• Letter from the Mayor 6<br />
• City Government 9<br />
• New Resident Info 10<br />
• Parks & Recreation 14<br />
• Senior Services 17<br />
• Library 19<br />
• Childcare 21<br />
• Churches 23<br />
• Medical 25<br />
• Where Your Feet Are 26<br />
• What’s In a Street Name? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32<br />
• Retired Teacher Q&A 74<br />
• Friends 78<br />
• Magic of Lights 84<br />
• A Wish Come True 90<br />
• A Neighborhood Blessing 94<br />
• Clubs 100<br />
• Schools 108<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 5
From Mayor Butch Lee<br />
In the blink of an eye, we find ourselves one year from the last<br />
update and now in the middle of 2023. And what a year it is!<br />
Brandon can proudly claim many successes on which we can look<br />
back. Every bit of Brandon’s success speaks to the hard work and<br />
collective efforts of our board of aldermen, our city department<br />
heads, and our staff. Not only is the vibrancy of our community a<br />
credit to the administrative and operational works of our city<br />
team, but it is also a direct reflection of the contributions of our<br />
local businesses and our citizens of Brandon.<br />
The completion of the Grants Ferry Parkway – Phase C-2 is a<br />
perfect example of how all areas of Brandon came together to enable<br />
the success of this project. Aldermen, administration, staff,<br />
residents, and business owners, worked together to accomplish<br />
this portion of the project. Ongoing improvements within our<br />
water and sewer systems ensure that our infrastructure can support<br />
a healthy future for our residents. Projects like this and many others<br />
help us to provide a sound community for you and your families.<br />
Here in Brandon, residents can enjoy a multitude of community<br />
events. From our parks and recreations department to our thriving<br />
senior center, and numerous other city-sponsored events, everyone<br />
can find a place to meet neighbors and make friends. Just this<br />
past April, the City of Brandon hosted the Brandon Jubilee 2023.<br />
The five-day event hosted midway rides, an artists’ market, family<br />
movie night, pickleball, baseball, and wheelchair tennis tournaments<br />
culminating in a night of music with Lynyrd Skynyrd and<br />
guest Randy Houser. We look forward to the Brandon Jubilee<br />
becoming an annual event and hope you do too. Another event of<br />
note this past year was our Magic of Lights holiday light extravaganza.<br />
The first year of hosting was a huge success with over<br />
40,000 vehicles from local visitors to visitors as far away as Dallas<br />
and Atlanta. Magic of Lights is sure to grow and become a mustsee<br />
holiday event right here in your hometown.<br />
Brandon’s ranking as the 2nd safest city in Mississippi for six<br />
years in a row allows for residents and visitors to gather and enjoy<br />
all that Brandon has to offer. Along with safety, our community<br />
boasts A-rated schools. Often you can find our Brandon Police<br />
Department partnering with our schools encouraging a solid<br />
relationship with our peace officers and fostering a strong, safe<br />
learning environment. Partnerships like this are what people see<br />
in our thriving community, calling them to join in and make<br />
Brandon their hometown.<br />
Even when emergencies happen, like the flash flood in August<br />
of ’22, Brandon made national news with pictures of neighbors<br />
helping neighbors. This incident required evacuation of an assisted<br />
living home—another example of the dedication of our community.<br />
First responders, city employees, and nearby residents quickly<br />
jumped into action. The Brandon Fire Department continually<br />
reports quick response times at our board of alderman meetings,<br />
contributing to our high safety rating.<br />
From large emergency response events to the tiniest of gestures<br />
from a thoughtful neighbor, I am thankful for the community of<br />
people we call Brandon. We at the City of Brandon are your neighbors.<br />
We hope to continue this forward motion from this past<br />
year and will only strive to get better. We look forward to the good<br />
things to come—and are grateful for your support as we do.<br />
6 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 7
8 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
The Brandon Board of Aldermen meets twice a month, on the first and third Monday<br />
of each month, starting at 6:00pm. If a holiday falls on that Monday, the board meets<br />
the following day. All board meeting agendas and minutes can be found at<br />
www.brandonms.org<br />
DEPARTMENT HEADS<br />
Angela Bean<br />
City Clerk<br />
abean@brandonms.org<br />
Brian Roberts<br />
Fire Chief<br />
broberts@brandonms.org<br />
Wayne Dearman<br />
Police Chief<br />
wdearman@brandonms.org<br />
Sam Hawkins<br />
Community Development<br />
Director<br />
shawkins@brandonms.org<br />
Paul Brannon<br />
Public Works Director<br />
pbrannon@brandonms.org<br />
ALDERMEN<br />
Sharon Womack<br />
Alderman at Large<br />
swomack@brandonms.org<br />
601-624-3603<br />
Jarrad Craine<br />
Ward 1<br />
jcraine@brandonms.org<br />
601-454-2506<br />
Cris Vinson<br />
Ward 2<br />
cvinson@brandonms.org<br />
601-824-8884<br />
Harry Williams<br />
Ward 3<br />
hwilliams@brandonms.org<br />
601-825-8970<br />
Lu Coker<br />
Ward 4<br />
lcoker@brandonms.org<br />
601-573-0281<br />
Dwight Middleton<br />
Ward 5<br />
dmiddleton@brandonms.org<br />
601-278-9637<br />
David Farriss<br />
Ward 6<br />
dfarris@brandonms.org<br />
601-540-1711<br />
Aldermen & Department Heads<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 9
New Resident Info<br />
Brandon was incorporated in 1831 as the county seat of Rankin County, Mississippi.<br />
Over the years, Brandon has experienced positive growth while maintaining its<br />
small-town charm. Brandon has an A-rated school district, a Class 4 fire rating, and<br />
is the 2nd safest city in Mississippi. The City of Brandon is 1 of 14 Welcome Home<br />
Cities in the state, as recognized by the Mississippi Development Authority.<br />
Brandon Police Department<br />
1455 West Government Street<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.7225<br />
Brandon Fire Department<br />
601.824.4636<br />
Station 1<br />
629 Marquette Road<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
Station 2<br />
6577 Grants Ferry Road<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
Station 3<br />
147 Kennedy Farm Parkway<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
Station 4<br />
1058 Star Road<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
Station 5<br />
16 Woodgate Drive<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
Station 6<br />
213 Poindexter Street<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
Rankin County<br />
Emergency Management<br />
601 Marquette Road<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.1499<br />
Rankin County Safe Room<br />
651 Marquette Road<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.1480<br />
Rankin County Tax Collector<br />
Vehicle Registration and Title<br />
211 East Government Street<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.1467<br />
Driver’s License Location<br />
3851 Highway 468<br />
Pearl, MS 39208<br />
601.420.6342<br />
Circuit Clerk’s Office<br />
211 East Government Street<br />
Suite A, Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.1475<br />
M-F 8:00am - 5:00pm<br />
Marriage License<br />
• No appointment is needed,<br />
but you must arrive by 4:30pm.<br />
• The bride and groom must<br />
come to the circuit clerk’s office<br />
together to apply.<br />
• Marriage license cost $37<br />
- CASH ONLY.<br />
• Proof of age must be provided<br />
in the form of a driver’s license,<br />
birth certificate, or other legal<br />
documents. If either applicant is<br />
under 21 years of age, he/she<br />
must have consent from parents<br />
or legal guardians.<br />
• If applicants have previously<br />
been married and divorced or<br />
lost a spouse through death, the<br />
applicant will need to provide<br />
the month, day and year the<br />
marriage ended.<br />
• Once a license is issued, it does<br />
not expire.<br />
Rankin County Chamber<br />
of Commerce<br />
601-825-2268<br />
Public Works Department<br />
1000 Municipal Drive<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.824.4579<br />
601-824-4579<br />
water@brandonms.org<br />
Monday-Friday 8am-5pm<br />
The City of Brandon Public<br />
Works Department consists of<br />
five divisions: water, sewer, streets,<br />
sanitation, and water administration.<br />
Together these divisions provide<br />
many of the basic services that<br />
are required for those that work<br />
and live in the City of Brandon.<br />
Some of the Public Works<br />
Department services include<br />
• Pothole and asphalt repairs<br />
• Water and sewer infrastructure<br />
maintenance and operations<br />
• Maintenance of City right-ofways<br />
and storm water drainage<br />
systems<br />
• Major and minor infrastructure<br />
projects<br />
• Operations and maintenance<br />
of traffic signals<br />
• Street signage maintenance<br />
• Garbage pick-up<br />
• Mosquito abatement<br />
• Review of subdivision<br />
construction plans<br />
• Residential leaf pickup<br />
• Emergency response during<br />
inclement weather events and<br />
other situations<br />
• Utility Billing Services<br />
10 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
Community Development<br />
601-825-4580<br />
www.brandonms.org/departments/<br />
community-development<br />
A building permit is required for:<br />
Shops and other accessory<br />
buildings, roofs, pools, additions<br />
and structure to remodels.<br />
A building permit is not required<br />
for: Fences, painting, replacing<br />
rotten wood and small cosmetic<br />
remodels.<br />
For electrical, plumbing and sewer<br />
repair projects, please contact the<br />
office for permit requirements.<br />
A rental inspection is required for<br />
all rental homes before tenants are<br />
allowed to move in and establish<br />
water and power accounts.<br />
All new Entergy and Southern Pine<br />
accounts must be accompanied<br />
by a permit issued by Community<br />
Development. Please contact the<br />
office for further information<br />
regarding power connections.<br />
For all permitting questions:<br />
permitting@brandonms.org<br />
For all code enforcement<br />
questions: code@brandonms.org<br />
Amphitheater<br />
The Brandon Amphitheater,<br />
opened in 2018, has become a<br />
premier music venue for artists<br />
and guests. From Chris Stapleton,<br />
Dave Matthews, and Imagine<br />
Dragons, guests can enjoy<br />
chart- topping artists at this<br />
beautifully-set venue.<br />
City Hall Live<br />
The City of Brandon also holds<br />
concerts and events at Brandon<br />
Municipal Complex. There are<br />
6-8 events held at “City Hall”<br />
annually, and they average 600-<br />
1200 visitors per event. These<br />
events bring an average of 6,600<br />
visitors. Located at the Brandon<br />
Municipal Center, the City Hall Live<br />
is the sister venue to BAMP. From<br />
children’s entertainment to music<br />
legends, this venue offers an<br />
intimate atmosphere where every<br />
seat is the best seat in the house.<br />
042 Farmer’s Markets<br />
• May 11, 2023<br />
• June 8, 2023<br />
• July 13, 2023<br />
• August 10, 2023<br />
• October 26, 2023<br />
Events & Parades<br />
• 042 Farmers Market<br />
• Fall Festival<br />
• Veterans Breakfast<br />
November 2023<br />
• Downtown Tree Lighting<br />
• Magic of Lights<br />
• Christmas Parade<br />
December 1, 2023<br />
• Princess Ball<br />
• Krewe de Roux<br />
• Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 11
Special Events<br />
Carley Keyes<br />
Events Coordinator<br />
Brandon Municipal Complex<br />
1000 Municipal Drive<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601-825-5021<br />
Spaces for rent for private parties<br />
and or meetings available at<br />
City Hall or the Public Library<br />
Located at City Hall<br />
Two meeting spaces with 660<br />
square feet per room. Both rooms<br />
come with a drop down screen,<br />
ceiling projector, and counter for<br />
refreshments. Rental rates begin<br />
at $200 plus a $100 refundable<br />
deposit.<br />
For a larger room we offer our<br />
Senior Center with 132 capacity<br />
and 2,646 sq. ft. room. The center<br />
features a drop down screen,<br />
ceiling projector, sound system,<br />
microphone, and full kitchen.<br />
Rental rates begin at $400 plus<br />
a $200 refundable deposit. This<br />
rental includes sixteen tables and<br />
128 chairs. Additional tables and<br />
chairs are available for an additional<br />
rental charge.<br />
The largest room we offer is our<br />
Civic Center with 3,771 square<br />
feet room. The center offers two<br />
drop down screens, two ceiling<br />
projectors, sound system,<br />
microphones, and prep kitchen.<br />
Rental rates begin at $1,750<br />
plus a $500 refundable deposit.<br />
This rental includes twenty tables<br />
and 160 chairs.<br />
There is a flag depository for<br />
old flags located at City Hall.<br />
Located at the Public Library<br />
At the city’s public library we offer<br />
a larger room with 1,748 square<br />
feet. The room offers a number<br />
of tables and chairs, drop down<br />
screen and a full kitchen.<br />
The rental fee if $400 plus<br />
a $200 refundable deposit.<br />
A smaller conference room is<br />
available at the library during<br />
library hours only. The room<br />
includes a projector, drop down<br />
screen and a large conference<br />
table which can hold 20 people<br />
comfortably. Rental fee for this<br />
conference room is $125 plus a<br />
refundable deposit of $75.<br />
*all fees and deposits are<br />
subject to change<br />
Cemeteries<br />
Grounds maintained by<br />
Brandon Parks & Rec<br />
Brandon Memorial<br />
300 Highway 468<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
Plots at can be purchased<br />
through City Hall at 601-825-5021<br />
Ponderosa Cemetery<br />
231 Appleridge Road<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
Brandon Historical Cemetery<br />
165 Old Depot Road<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
Light of Liberty<br />
School Road<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
Brandon<br />
Amphitheater<br />
8190 Rock Way Drive<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
Grace Young<br />
Box Office Manager<br />
601-724-2726<br />
601-278-3876<br />
Facebook: BrandonAmpMs<br />
*Tickets available through<br />
Ticketmaster or the box office<br />
City Hall Live<br />
*Tickets available through<br />
Ticketmaster<br />
12 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 13
Parks & Recreation<br />
Brandon Parks<br />
& Recreation<br />
105 Kennedy Farm Parkway<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601-825-3047<br />
www.brandonparkandrec.com<br />
BBrandon Parks & Recreation<br />
Vbrandonparks_rec<br />
Jennifer Byrd<br />
General Manager<br />
Parks and Recreation facilities continue to<br />
be a local and regional draw for athletics,<br />
tournaments, and events. Brandon has<br />
eight parks spread across 425 acres.<br />
Brandon City Park<br />
1463 West Government Street<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
• 7 Full-Size Tennis Courts<br />
• 3 Junior Tennis Courts<br />
• 1 Children’s Playground<br />
Quarry Park<br />
222 Boyce Thompson<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
• 6 Baseball/Softball Fields<br />
with artificial turf<br />
Shiloh Park<br />
330 Shiloh Road<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
• 17 Baseball/Softball Fields<br />
• 11 Soccer Fields<br />
• 4 Pickle Ball Courts<br />
• 3 Playgrounds<br />
• 1 Splash pad<br />
14 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
Splash Pad<br />
322 Shiloh Road<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601-825-3047<br />
Monday-Friday 10am-5pm<br />
Saturday 10am-6pm<br />
Sunday 1pm-6pm<br />
Free Admission<br />
(Ages birth- 12 months and over 50)<br />
$5 Admission<br />
(Ages 1 - 49)<br />
Individual Season Pass $50<br />
Family of 4 Season Pass $150<br />
$25 per additional person<br />
Party packages available<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 15
16 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
The City of Brandon Senior Center<br />
is a recreation center for persons<br />
55 years of age and older. They are<br />
located at 1000 Municipal Drive<br />
inside Brandon City Hall. The Senior<br />
Center offers a variety of programs,<br />
special events, activities and classes<br />
which are low-cost or absolutely<br />
free! Call 601-824-7095 or visit to<br />
find out more.<br />
Fitness<br />
• Sit & Be Fit<br />
• Cardio Combo<br />
• Tai Chi<br />
• Yoga<br />
• Line Dancing<br />
Special Events<br />
• Day Trips<br />
• Luncheons<br />
• Holiday Events<br />
Activities<br />
• Learn to play Bridge<br />
• Crochet<br />
• Men’s Coffee<br />
• Learn to Speak<br />
Spanish<br />
• Book Club<br />
• Bible Study<br />
• Dominoes<br />
• Art<br />
• Music Group<br />
• Beading Class<br />
Senior Services<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 17
BECOME A MISSISSIPPI<br />
FARM BUREAU MEMBER<br />
AND SAVE TODAY!<br />
For complete details on these benefits and more,<br />
contact the Rankin County Farm Bureau office<br />
at 601-825-5056.<br />
WWW.MSFB.ORG<br />
18 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
1475 West Government Street<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.2672 / cmrls.lib.ms.us<br />
Branch Manager<br />
Amy Lee brbm@cmrls.lib.ms.us<br />
Hours of Operation<br />
Monday - Thursday 9:00am - 8:00pm<br />
Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm<br />
Saturday 9:00am - 4:00pm<br />
Services Offered<br />
• Black and white printing/copying<br />
• Color printing/copying<br />
• Scanning • Faxing • Wireless Printing<br />
Services provided by the<br />
Friends of the Brandon Library<br />
• Free shredding services<br />
• Notary services / Nominal fee of $3.<br />
Available 10am-7pm Monday-Thursday, and<br />
10am-4pm on Friday. Additional times available<br />
by appointment.<br />
Library<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 19
20 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
For many years, childcare services have been an important and essential part of<br />
today’s working parents’ needs. Infants to kindergarten-age children are given care,<br />
training, and environments for learning social interactions. Our community offers<br />
these exceptional “second homes” for our children.<br />
Brandon Methodist Kindergarten<br />
Ages 3-5 years old<br />
www.brandonfumc.org/kindergarten<br />
205 Mary Ann Drive / Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.825.5958<br />
Circle of Friends Learning Center II<br />
Ages 6 weeks - 4 years old<br />
2006 Creek Cove / Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.825.2387<br />
Childcare<br />
Crossgates Baptist Kindergarten<br />
Ages 3-4 years old<br />
crossgates.org/weekday<br />
8 Crosswoods Road / Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.825.2734<br />
Crossgates Methodist Children’s Center<br />
Ages 3-4 years old<br />
thechildrenscenterbrandon.com<br />
21 Crossgates Drive / Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.825.0555<br />
First Baptist Brandon Children’s Center<br />
Ages 6 weeks - 4 years old<br />
www.fbcbrandon.com/childrens-center<br />
309 S. College Street / Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.825.8686<br />
Kids Are Kids Learning Center<br />
Ages 6 weeks - 5 years old<br />
462 Luckney Road / Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.825.0402<br />
Little Cam Cam’s Learning Center<br />
Ages 6 weeks - 5 years old<br />
305 W. Jasper Street / Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.825.7951<br />
Miss Mandy’s Christian Daycare<br />
Ages 6 weeks - 4 years old<br />
783 Marquette Road / Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.825.6224<br />
Silver Spoon<br />
Ages 6 weeks - 5 years old<br />
213 Woodgate Drive South / Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.824.6093<br />
Tikes 2 Tots Family Childcare<br />
Ages 6 weeks - 4 years old<br />
213 Commerce Drive / Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.825.3101<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 21
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22 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
Living in our hometown of Brandon with churches “on every corner” is a blessing and<br />
freedom we often overlook. Read our list of local churches in a spirit of thanksgiving!<br />
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one<br />
another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:25<br />
Brandon Assembly of God<br />
995 South College Street<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.8188<br />
ag.org<br />
Brandon Baptist Church<br />
100 Brandon Baptist Drive<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.824.1781<br />
brandonbc.org<br />
Brandon First United Methodist<br />
205 Mary Ann Drive<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.5958<br />
www.brandonfumc.org<br />
Brandon Presbyterian Church<br />
209 South College Street<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.5259<br />
www.brandonpres.com<br />
Crossgates Baptist Church<br />
8 Crosswoods Road<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.2562<br />
crossgates.org<br />
Crossgates United<br />
Methodist Church<br />
23 Crossgates Drive<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.8677<br />
www.crossgatesumc.org<br />
First United Pentecostal<br />
Church of Brandon<br />
1368 West Government Street<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.7569<br />
brandonupc.com<br />
Grace Baptist Church<br />
1013 MS-471<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.824.7334<br />
www.gracebaptistonline.net<br />
Heart Church<br />
107 Office Park Drive<br />
Inside The Club at Crossgates<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.506.0714<br />
Hope Fellowship<br />
500 North College Street<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.824.9088<br />
www.hfcbrandon.org<br />
Journey Church<br />
Downtown<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.874.9595<br />
journeypeople.cc<br />
Meadow Grove Baptist Church<br />
3221 Louis Wilson Drive<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.5704<br />
www.meadowgrove.org<br />
North Brandon<br />
Church of Christ<br />
1029 MS-471<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.6497<br />
northbrandoncc.com<br />
Rock Star Baptist Church<br />
303 Tamberline Street<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.2560<br />
www.facebook.com/<br />
RockStarMBChurch<br />
St Luke’s Episcopal Church<br />
104 North College Street<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.5839<br />
stlukes.dioms.org<br />
The Pointe<br />
1120 Star Road<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.591.1154<br />
www.thepointebrandon.com<br />
Churches<br />
Crossview Baptist Church<br />
687 Burnham Road<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.0412<br />
crossviewbc@att.net<br />
First Baptist Church<br />
of Brandon<br />
Office<br />
309 College Street<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
Sunday Worship<br />
175 Boyce Thompson Drive<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.6766<br />
601.825.3141<br />
www.fbcbrandon.com<br />
Nativity Lutheran Church<br />
495 Crossgates Boulevard<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.825.5125<br />
www.nativitylc.org<br />
New Life Assembly of God<br />
300 Shiloh Road<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.824.3030<br />
ag.org<br />
New Vision Fellowship<br />
652 Luckney Road<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
601.591.1267<br />
nvfms.org<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 23
24 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
Healthcare delivery is changing. In addition to great medical care, patients expect easy<br />
access, affordability and convenience. In Brandon, we have a high standard with a focus<br />
on quality, convenience and a personalized care experience. We are able to bring acute<br />
and long-term care services closer to home through the following providers:<br />
Baptist Medical Clinic<br />
Family Medicine - Brandon<br />
1490 West Government Street / Suite 10<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.825.1936<br />
Family Health Care Clinic<br />
1551 West Government Street<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.825.3163<br />
Greenfield Family Healthcare<br />
762 Highway 468<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601-824-0988<br />
Merit Health Medical Group<br />
Primary Care<br />
2841 Highwy 18<br />
Brandon MS <strong>39042</strong> / 769-241-6207<br />
Merit Health Rankin<br />
350 Crossgates Boulevard<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.825.2811<br />
Merit Health Medical Group<br />
Orthopedics<br />
2841 Highway 18<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601-376-2818<br />
Rankin Children’s Group, PLLC<br />
1405 Crossgates Drive West<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.825.0925<br />
Rankin Primary Care Clinic<br />
103 Service Drive<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.824.1491<br />
Region 8 Mental Health Services<br />
613 Marquette Road<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.824.0342<br />
Richard C. Randolph, M.D., P.A.<br />
348 Crossgates Boulevard / Suite 2200<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.825.2466<br />
St. Dominic’s<br />
Family Medicine - Brandon<br />
1297 West Government Street<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.200.4790<br />
TrustCare<br />
1645 West Government Street / Suite F<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong> / 601.829.6600<br />
Medical Facilities<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 25
Melanie McMillan<br />
Coach Kelsa Walker<br />
Where Your<br />
Feet Are<br />
When Kelsa Walker was a junior in high school, she went on a mission trip to Honduras.<br />
While there, she felt strongly that she was being called to work with young women.<br />
At the time, she imagined that she would go into full-time ministry in some capacity<br />
but didn’t know exactly what that would look like.<br />
26 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
ollowing high school, she earned<br />
earned a business degree from<br />
Delta State University and took a job at<br />
an agriculture company. “It took about thirty<br />
days of sitting behind a desk to realize it<br />
wasn’t for me,” she says.<br />
“I decided to get my teaching certificate<br />
through the alternate route program at<br />
Mississippi Valley State University and began<br />
teaching at Strayhorn School in Tate County.”<br />
Walker was a good athlete in high school,<br />
so it was only natural that she ended up<br />
serving as the coach for varsity basketball,<br />
softball, and cross country at Strayhorn.<br />
Although she was happy in Tate County,<br />
she needed services for her son that the<br />
school district didn’t provide at the time. She<br />
reached out to her uncle, Dr. Clyde Muse, for<br />
guidance. “I wanted his recommendation on<br />
where to find the resources my son needed,<br />
and he strongly recommended Rankin County<br />
schools,” says Walker. “I applied for a teaching<br />
position at Brandon Middle School and knew<br />
immediately that’s where I wanted to be.<br />
I began as a 7th grade math teacher there<br />
in 2009.”<br />
While teaching at Brandon Middle School,<br />
Coach Walker met basketball coach Linda<br />
Dear. “I had never lost my love of coaching,<br />
and I spent lots of time in the gym watching<br />
practices and talking with Coach Dear. She<br />
was so good to me and my children and<br />
made a big impact on my life. When she<br />
asked me to be her assistant coach, I gladly<br />
said yes.”<br />
In 2012, Kelsa was approached by Athletic<br />
Director Brad Peterson about starting a<br />
volleyball program at the middle school.<br />
“I knew nothing about volleyball,” Walker says,<br />
“but Coach Peterson assured me I could do it,<br />
that I could prepare them for the high school<br />
team. I had serious doubts, but I realized the<br />
Lord was opening a door. Who was I to say<br />
that door didn’t look like it was supposed to?<br />
His ways are not our ways.”<br />
Coach Walker hit the ground running,<br />
determined that the first middle school team<br />
would be competitive and successful, in spite<br />
of her lack of knowledge of the game. “God<br />
put people around me who poured into me<br />
and taught me the game,” says Walker. After<br />
two years coaching at the middle school, she<br />
became the head coach at Brandon High<br />
School, where she has been for nine years.<br />
She has clearly learned a thing or two about<br />
volleyball, as she has led the team to compete<br />
in the state championship, five times, and won<br />
it in 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022. “The first<br />
group of seventh graders I coached at the<br />
middle school won the state championship<br />
as seniors at Brandon High, and that was the<br />
first volleyball state championship in school<br />
history, which made it even more special,”<br />
says Walker. “On paper, our program shouldn’t<br />
be where it is. It’s the Lord’s favor and blessing.”<br />
Coach Walker’s list of accolades is<br />
impressive, and a testimony to the hard work<br />
and dedication she has put in to learning the<br />
game she had never played. With a record<br />
of 253-57, she’s been named NFHS Coach<br />
of the Year twice, as well as the MAC Coach<br />
of the Year, and reached 200 career varsity<br />
wins in 2021. Her greatest impact, however,<br />
is on the players themselves, so much so<br />
that two of her former players now coach<br />
alongside her. Laine Marler, Class of 2018,<br />
is the assistant volleyball coach at the high<br />
school, and Olivia Garrett, Class of 2017,<br />
coaches the middle school team and assists<br />
with the high school team as well. Coach<br />
Walker has also been blessed to see<br />
numerous players go on to play at the<br />
collegiate level.<br />
Walker’s family has been a huge support<br />
to her on her coaching journey. Kelsa and<br />
her husband, Stephen, have four children,<br />
and their first grandchild, Walker, was born in<br />
December. Daughter Keeley and her husband,<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 27
Hunter, Walker’s parents, live in Birmingham where Keeley is a pediatric nurse. Their son<br />
Wesley is a 2019 graduate of Brandon High School and is an accomplished musician.<br />
Dysart is a senior who will continue his academic career at Mississippi College where<br />
he’ll play football. Son Graydon is in the 8th grade at Brandon Middle School where he<br />
was recently named Mr. BMS. “My family has been an integral part of our program,” says<br />
Coach Walker. “From cheering from the sidelines to running the scoreboard and video<br />
board, there’s nothing they haven’t been willing to do. They love this team as much as I<br />
do. It’s definitely a family affair.”<br />
It is evident when talking with Coach Walker that leading this team is far more than<br />
a job. She loves the players and invests in their lives as much off the court as on. “When<br />
I went on that mission trip years ago, I never imagined that being called to minister to<br />
young women would be through coaching, yet that’s exactly what God had in store,”<br />
says Walker. “I’ve learned that your mission field is where your feet are.”<br />
“Coach, Mentor, Friend…these are just a few words that<br />
come to mind when I think of Coach Kelsa Walker.<br />
Having had the opportunity to learn the game of<br />
volleyball under Coach Walker and now sharing<br />
that knowledge with young ladies, is a dream<br />
come true. Not only has she paved the way for<br />
me to excel as a coach, but she has also taught<br />
me that winning off the court is just as important<br />
as winning on the court. I will be forever grateful for<br />
the impact she has made in my life, and I am so thankful<br />
for the opportunity I have been blessed with to work side by side<br />
with Coach Walker at Brandon High School.”<br />
– LAINE MARLER<br />
“Coach Walker is the most<br />
competitive yet tender-hearted<br />
person I know. She has been<br />
that way from the beginning<br />
and knows how to build up<br />
her players, school, and<br />
community. I am truly<br />
grateful for the influence<br />
she’s had on my life.”<br />
– OLIVIA GARRETT<br />
28 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
“I played for Coach Walker from the seventh grade all the<br />
way to my senior year of high school. What I remember<br />
and value most about Coach Walker is that her love<br />
for the game never overpowered the love she had<br />
for each player on her team. Coach Walker has a<br />
way of seeing people’s potential before they even<br />
see it themselves, and she knows how to bring it<br />
out of you each and every day. Coach Walker will<br />
always be more than a coach to me. She is my<br />
mentor and role model and has ultimately shaped me<br />
into the player and person that I am today. I will always be<br />
thankful for her.”<br />
– KATE BASS<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 29
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32 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
Most of us probably don’t<br />
pay attention to street names,<br />
especially if we know the route.<br />
Here are the stories behind<br />
some of the streets and<br />
roads we often travel.<br />
Charla Mitchell Jordan<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 33
College Street<br />
This street connects Highways 471 and<br />
468. It was one of the few original streets<br />
named in 1830 by Thomas S. Shaw when<br />
he surveyed Brandon. Brandon Female<br />
College, incorporated in 1867, was located<br />
at the intersection of South College and<br />
Jasper Streets. A historic marker identifies<br />
this area as “Seminary Square” and states,<br />
“The Brandon Male and Female Academy,<br />
later named Brandon Female College,<br />
was on this site until 1923, when it was<br />
replaced by Brandon High School.”<br />
Fun fact: Brandon’s first traffic light was<br />
at the intersection of College Street and<br />
Government Street/U.S. Highway 80.<br />
Overby Street<br />
This street is parallel to and one block<br />
west of College Street. It was named for<br />
the Overby family. Beginning in 1929,<br />
Overby family members Peter Lee Overby,<br />
Clay Overby, Norris Overby, and Ruel<br />
Overby all owned businesses in downtown<br />
Brandon, including a drug store, general<br />
merchandise store, and a movie theater<br />
(Lynne Theater). Overby Drugs in the<br />
Overby Building at the corner of College<br />
Street and U. S. Highway 80 was a landmark<br />
in downtown Brandon from 1946<br />
until the building burned in the late 1980s.<br />
Poindexter Street<br />
This street is parallel to and one block<br />
east of College Street. Poindexter was<br />
one of the names considered as a name<br />
for Brandon when it was incorporated in<br />
1830. George Poindexter was the second<br />
governor of Mississippi, 1820-1822, and<br />
is generally recognized as the “Father of<br />
Mississippi’s First Constitution.”<br />
Suzie Blue Court<br />
This street is in Hearts Ease Subdivision<br />
off East Sunset Drive. Susie Blue Buchanan<br />
(note different spelling) was the first<br />
woman to be admitted to practice before<br />
the Mississippi Supreme Court and was<br />
one of the first to be admitted to the<br />
Mississippi Bar in 1916. She specialized<br />
in land abstracts, and her book of Rankin<br />
County plats known as the “Susie Blue<br />
Book” is still used today. Suzie Blue Court<br />
is only a few blocks from the Buchanan<br />
family home now known as “The Magnolias”<br />
on College Street.<br />
Paige McDill Road<br />
This road connects U. S. Highway 80 East<br />
to Trickhambridge Road near the Rankin<br />
County Co-Op. It was named after Paige<br />
McDill, an 18-year-old Hinds Community<br />
College student who died in 1992 of<br />
injuries suffered in a traffic accident on<br />
Trickhambridge Road.<br />
34 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
Kennedy Farm Parkway<br />
This street borders Shiloh Park. Carroll<br />
Henry Kennedy, born in Rankin County<br />
in 1902 to Richard and Marion Kennedy,<br />
was a businessman and member of the<br />
Mississippi State House of Representatives<br />
1956-1960 and 1964-1976. He owned<br />
thousands of acres of land in Rankin<br />
County. Shiloh Park is located on farmland<br />
previously owned by the Kennedy family,<br />
hence the name “Kennedy Farm Parkway.”<br />
Shiloh Road<br />
This road starts at Louis Wilson Drive,<br />
goes past Shiloh Park, and continues<br />
through Shiloh to Pelahatchie, where it<br />
intersects with Highway 43. Oral history<br />
states that in the late 1820s, a small group<br />
of pioneer pilgrims was traveling westward<br />
through Mississippi in covered wagons<br />
pulled by oxen. A little girl in the group<br />
was swinging from a grape vine, and she<br />
fell and died. After her burial, her parents<br />
would not continue the journey, and a<br />
greater part of the group decided to remain<br />
and settle there. They felled trees and built<br />
homes and a small church. The settlement<br />
was known as Shiloh Community.<br />
Mary Ann Drive<br />
Connecting the downtown Brandon<br />
square to Louis Wilson Drive, this street<br />
was renamed Mary Ann Drive after Mary<br />
Ann Mobley was crowned Miss America<br />
1959. Mary Ann won the crown in<br />
September 1958, and the new street sign<br />
was in place by October 3, 1958, when she<br />
was welcomed home with a huge parade<br />
down Capitol Street in Jackson and then a<br />
motorcade through downtown Brandon.<br />
Louis Wilson Drive<br />
This road connects U. S. Highway 80<br />
East to Highway 18 South. Brandon native<br />
Louis Hugh Wilson was the first and only<br />
man to enlist in the U. S. Marine Corps<br />
as a private and then climb his way to<br />
commandant, the top position of the<br />
Corps. He won the Medal of Honor in<br />
World War II (Fonte Hill, Guam, 25-26<br />
July 1944) and served in important<br />
capacities in the<br />
Korean and<br />
Vietnam<br />
conflicts.<br />
Busick Well Road<br />
This road begins at Mary Ann Drive<br />
and dead ends near Louis Wilson Drive.<br />
From 1905-1909, Busick’s Mineral Wells<br />
and Hotel was one of the leading resorts<br />
in Mississippi. In addition to the hotel,<br />
there were four guest houses, a golf course,<br />
and croquet courts. It was known for its<br />
excellent food and, of course, mineral<br />
water. It was built two miles south of<br />
Brandon by Henry Anderson Busick, a<br />
prominent merchant, businessman, and<br />
extensive landowner in Rankin County.<br />
It burned in 1909, and Mr. Busick then<br />
built a family home on the property.<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 35
36 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 37
2nd Annual<br />
I Remember Martin<br />
Parade & Festival<br />
January 16<br />
Brandon Middle School<br />
38 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 39
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and the surrounding community<br />
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<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 41
City of Brandon<br />
2023<br />
Princess<br />
Ball<br />
Hometown Magazines had the<br />
privilege of sponsoring nine<br />
beautiful young girls to attend the<br />
City of Brandon’s Princess Ball<br />
held on February 10th.<br />
They were treated to shopping<br />
and picking out their own dresses<br />
which were provided for the event,<br />
and were also provided beautiful<br />
corsages from Chapman’s Florist.<br />
What a fairytale night!<br />
Thank you to these<br />
City of Brandon officers for<br />
stepping up and making the evening<br />
extra special for these young ladies:<br />
Officer William McIntyre<br />
Officer Nick Pittman<br />
Sgt. Brad Martin<br />
Investigator Robbie Reid<br />
Officer JP Dragoo<br />
Officer Aaron Conley<br />
Officer Troy Dukes<br />
Asst. Chief Marshall Pack<br />
Chief Wayne Dearman<br />
42 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 43
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<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 45
Brandon Garden Club<br />
Tablescapes<br />
Luncheon<br />
February 24<br />
Brandon Municipal Complex<br />
46 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 47
www.MichaelGuest.ms<br />
Paid for by Friends of Michael Guest<br />
<strong>39042</strong><br />
Our<br />
Town<br />
48 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
COMING SUMMER 2023<br />
We are excited to announce JJB Brands 4th Moe’s Southwest Grill and re-opening our<br />
Pizza Hut in one location. Soon you will be able to hear “Welcome to Moes!” and where<br />
NO ONE OUTPIZZAS THE HUT! at 316 Stripling Lane in Brandon, MS.<br />
JJB Brands was founded in 2017 and is locally owned and operated. Find out more about<br />
us at www.JJBBrands.com<br />
Currently accepting applications to join our upbeat and fun atmosphere, flexible schedules<br />
and competitive pay and much more!<br />
Text “HUT” to 242424 <br />
Text “JJBMOES” to 242424<br />
YOU look AWESOME to work with!<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 49
50 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong><br />
Krewe de Roux<br />
Parade &<br />
Block Party<br />
February 17<br />
Sponsored by<br />
Rankin County Chamber<br />
and City of Brandon
Krewe de Roux<br />
Gumbo Cook-Off<br />
& Car Show<br />
February 18<br />
Sponsored by Rankin County Chamber<br />
and City of Brandon<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 51
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52 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 53
ST. PADDY’S KIDS’ PARADE<br />
March 18 • Downtown Brandon<br />
54 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 55
56 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 57
58 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong><br />
Brandon<br />
Mayor’s Prayer<br />
Breakfast<br />
MAY 4 • BRANDON CITY HALL
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 59
60 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
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<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 61
Back To<br />
School Bash<br />
August 15, 2022<br />
Brandon City Hall<br />
62 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 63
64 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
BRANDON<br />
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601.914.2500 • 237 W Government St, Brandon, MS<br />
pizzashackpizza.com • scan to view our menu or order online<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 65
CITY OF BRANDON<br />
Veterans Day<br />
BREAKFAST<br />
NOVEMBER 11 • BRANDON MUNICIPAL COMPLEX<br />
66 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 67
68 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
DOING BUSINESS<br />
WITH A NEIGHBOR<br />
FEELS GOOD.<br />
Steven Wallace<br />
601-825-5242<br />
swallace@insassociate.com<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 69
70 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 71
72 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
Calendar of Events<br />
June 24 Dog Days of Summer<br />
September 21 Wine Down Downtown<br />
October 19 Wine Down Downtown<br />
October 21 OKTOBERFEST<br />
November 16 Wine Down Downtown<br />
November 30 Christmas Tree Lighting<br />
For more info visit us at<br />
www.brandonmainstreet.com<br />
Your Brandon Main Street is a not-for-profit organization<br />
that is 100% volunteer led, focused on helping to grow<br />
Brandon area businesses. We know there are currently<br />
more tools and options than ever to support local<br />
businesses. We take pride in being comprised of local<br />
business owners and leaders, striving to advocate<br />
on behalf of Brandon area businesses.<br />
Brandon is much more than another great city.<br />
Brandon is a true community! This is a direct result of<br />
our residents, leaders, business owners, and visitors.<br />
The Brandon Main Street will work to continue<br />
fostering that sense of community and<br />
connecting people with one another.<br />
We are a different place.<br />
We are Brandon!<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 73
Retired<br />
Brandon<br />
Teachers<br />
What is<br />
something<br />
your students<br />
would be<br />
surprised to<br />
know about<br />
you?<br />
Leslie Sirmon<br />
25 years teaching<br />
All 25 years teaching in Brandon<br />
My students AND friends would be<br />
surprised to know that I would go back to<br />
the classroom in a minute if I could have<br />
the same kids and teach the same things!<br />
And I have most of my class pictures and<br />
I pray that they are happy and have good<br />
memories of 4th grade.<br />
Susan Cates<br />
25 years in education<br />
24 of them in Rankin County<br />
I started my career at Sebastopol, taught<br />
12 years at Pelahatchie Elementary, and<br />
the last 12 years in Brandon as an administrator<br />
at Rouse and Brandon Elementary.<br />
I think my students would be surprised<br />
to know just how special they make me<br />
feel when I see them out and about and<br />
they recognize and remember me being<br />
their kindergarten teacher or one of their<br />
principals way back when. It is super<br />
exciting to know you have played a key<br />
role in their life.<br />
Pam Sparks<br />
30 years teaching<br />
in Rankin County<br />
28 years in Brandon<br />
My students would be surprised to know<br />
that I’m a dead eye at target shooting,<br />
and that I once (purposely) hung upside<br />
down while zip lining!<br />
74 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
Susan Lott<br />
38 years teaching<br />
23 years teaching in Brandon<br />
My students would probably be surprised<br />
to know I contemplated teaching physical<br />
education at one time.<br />
Ginger Parker<br />
38 years teaching<br />
22 years teaching in Brandon<br />
My students might be surprised to know<br />
that I travel about 9,000 miles, one way,<br />
to visit my daughter who lives in Australia.<br />
Susan Puckett<br />
33 years teaching<br />
8 at Rouse Elementary<br />
First Grade<br />
My students may be surprised to know<br />
that I like to dance. When my husband<br />
and I were dating in the ‘70s, we won a<br />
disco dance competition. Funny thing was<br />
that we weren’t even aware that we were<br />
in a contest on the dance floor. I guess we<br />
had the best unplanned choreography to<br />
“Staying Alive!”<br />
Carol Booth<br />
34 years teaching<br />
29 years teaching in Brandon<br />
I think my students would be surprised<br />
that I attended Brandon School grades<br />
1-12. They may also be surprised to know<br />
that I am still alive.<br />
Brenda Emmons<br />
30 years teaching<br />
All 30 years in Brandon<br />
Grades 2-4<br />
I am an avid Brandon and MSU sports fan,<br />
but they probably don’t know that I played<br />
basketball from 7th grade through junior<br />
college.<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 75
76 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 77
Friends<br />
Sarah Rein<br />
So many of the stories we came to<br />
love as children are centered on great<br />
friendships. As an adult, it’s still hard<br />
to think back on the tale of Charlotte’s<br />
Web and not tear up at the sacrifice<br />
Charlotte makes to save Wilbur.<br />
And if you or your children have read<br />
Where the Red Fern Grows, you’ve<br />
openly wept at the special love Billy<br />
and his hounds shared.<br />
If these imaginary tales of affection<br />
capture our hearts, how much more do<br />
we gravitate to stories of authentic love<br />
between our fellow human beings?<br />
Brandon is often touted as a growing<br />
city with small-town charm - a place<br />
that still has that family feel and where<br />
people treat each other like friends.<br />
Enjoy a few of the many stories in our<br />
town that prove that is still the case.<br />
I’ll be there for you, when the rain<br />
starts to pour....<br />
When Abby Troxler graduated from college at Mississippi State University<br />
in 2004, she knew she wanted to make her home in Brandon. She and her<br />
husband Drew, who she married in 2006, wanted to return to the town they’d both<br />
grown up in. Abby wanted to teach in the school system she’d graduated from, and<br />
they couldn’t imagine raising a family anywhere else.<br />
Returning to their home community would prove to be vitally important - but for<br />
reasons Abby couldn’t have imagined at the time. In 2011, after teaching third grade<br />
for eight years, Abby gave birth to their first child - a boy they named Baker.<br />
Heartbreakingly, Baker experienced serious complications after birth that led to his<br />
death at only two months of age. Their Brandon family was quick to step in. Abby<br />
shares, “When we lost our first son, the outpouring of love and support we received<br />
from my principal at the time - Dr. Sue<br />
Townsend - was literally indescribable.<br />
They would meet in the library at 6:30 and<br />
hold hands for prayer if Baker had a surgery<br />
that day. They raised money and had a<br />
special day they called Hats Off to Baker<br />
Day. It was one of the most humbling things<br />
I have ever witnessed.”<br />
The next year, the Troxlers welcomed<br />
their second son, Baylor. Beginning a new<br />
year of teaching while processing the loss<br />
of Baker and also getting ready to welcome<br />
Baylor was not an easy load to balance. But,<br />
in a sweet reminder of the closeness of their<br />
hometown, every one of Abby’s new<br />
students knew the story of Baby Baker. Their families had talked about him, and<br />
prayed for him. And now, they were excited to celebrate the Troxlers’ new addition<br />
while keeping Baker’s memory alive. In fact, Abby has a handful of students from<br />
that special third grade year - they’d now be in their twenties - who stayed in<br />
touch...checking on Abby and sending cards and messages.<br />
In addition to the community at large, Abby has a group of Brandon friends she<br />
has been close to for almost fifteen years. Much like Abby and Drew, these couples<br />
graduated from Brandon and chose to buy homes in the ‘042 area. They started<br />
their families around the same time and are getting to watch their children attend<br />
the same schools they did. In God’s kindness, several of those friends had sons<br />
the same year Abby had Baker. She has been thankful to have a front-row seat to<br />
the friendships that would have been Baker’s and imagine her oldest son running<br />
around with the group. With Baylor only one year younger, he has a built-in set of<br />
friends and loves the thought of feeling near to his big brother through them.<br />
During her initial year teaching at Brandon Elementary, Abby met another first-year<br />
teacher who became like a sister - Rebecca Penton. They’ve remained the best of<br />
friends for the last twenty years. Drew was also fortunate to form a close group of<br />
friends who bonded around their “Fantasy Football League.” The league led to a full<br />
on draft with a board, men’s weekends at the lake, and culminated in a trophy<br />
78 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
celebrating the winner. That lucky winner would then return the prize the following year. After a decade<br />
of losing graciously, Drew finally took home the trophy this past year. What none of the men knew then<br />
was that it had changed hands for the final time.<br />
On March 28th, 2023, Drew shockingly and unexpectedly passed away. In the blur of the following<br />
days, weeks, and months, their friends formed a circle around Abby and Baylor - bearing their burden<br />
with them in whatever ways they could. The night of Drew’s death, they began pouring into the hospital<br />
to pray and be present and help with funeral plans. “They stayed with me at my house, answering the<br />
door and talking to guests when I couldn’t get out of bed, stocking our house with groceries, snacks,<br />
and toiletries without my even asking. They picked up Baylor and took him on fun outings or to play<br />
with their own kids so he was busy and entertained. They’ve prayed for me non-stop and changed<br />
plans at the last minute when they knew I needed someone to<br />
come be with me.” People have bought keepsakes for Abby to<br />
remember Drew by and made sure to check on Drew’s parents<br />
and sister as well as Abby’s parents. Drew’s friends and Baylor’s<br />
soccer team dads have even raised money and organized<br />
someone to take care of Abby’s yard for the next year.<br />
Perhaps one of the most beautiful aspects of their story is<br />
how well these men and women are modeling friendship for the<br />
next generation. Baylor’s select soccer team was supposed to<br />
play in a tournament the weekend after Drew’s death. But the<br />
coach, manager, and parents, all agreed they needed to<br />
withdraw from the tournament and prioritize something more<br />
important. All of the parents took the kids to “Spinners” that day<br />
and they skated, bowled, played arcade games and just<br />
enjoyed time together.<br />
Drew’s football league has decided to “retire” the trophy and<br />
are giving it to Baylor with their names and phone numbers<br />
engraved on the back so he can always reach out to one of his<br />
dad’s friends when he needs to.<br />
When it was time for Abby and Baylor to step back into their<br />
everyday reality, all their people were ready. “My first day back<br />
at StoneBridge was almost two weeks after Drew passed, and<br />
it was a day I was very nervous about. When I walked into my<br />
empty quiet classroom that morning, several teachers had<br />
written all kinds of sweet notes. There was a grief book from a<br />
friend, a card from the entire school, Chick-fil-A, donuts and<br />
coffee, just laid out ALL over my desk and I was in awe of the<br />
kindness these teachers naturally have in them. Countless people, including my principals, Dr. LaMarcus<br />
Norman, Dr. Melissa Stephens, and Melanie Wells, as well as our counselor, Christy Tigrett, checked in<br />
on me and told me to take my time and if I needed a minute, I could just sit in their office and cry.<br />
That made it so much easier.”<br />
Baylor’s teachers (both Brandon graduates - Lana Purvis & Alison Campbell) have been such<br />
blessings for him to have his fifth-grade year. “They were absolutely amazing during this tragic time.<br />
His classes made precious cards with all of his favorite things drawn on them with sweet letters and<br />
uplifting messages. They had a bag of his favorite candy and goodies on his desk when he returned<br />
and just made him feel so special and loved.”<br />
“I have only been able to survive these tragedies because of the incredible support I have<br />
received from the community, and I am so proud to say I live in Brandon.”<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 79
I’ll be there for you, like<br />
I’ve been there before...<br />
There is no substitute for longevity in a friendship.<br />
New friends are a gift to be treasured but there is nothing<br />
like a shared history to bond you to someone. Being with<br />
people who know your stories, your family, and your inside<br />
jokes feels like being at home. Friendships that last<br />
decades are hard-won but oh-so-comfortable once you<br />
have them.<br />
In the 1970’s Sally Larson began a friendship with a<br />
handful of ladies who, unbeknownst to them at the time,<br />
would see each other through the remainder of their adult<br />
lives. Like the formation of a rock band, the group was<br />
recruited a few at a time from 1972-1973. One lady would<br />
bring in someone else they knew from the subdivision (all<br />
the women lived in Crossgates - in fact, four of them still do),<br />
and then that woman would invite her next door neighbor,<br />
etc. Eventually, the group grew to include eight regulars -<br />
Carol Atkinson, Tally Carrol, Nancy Ranager, Charlene<br />
Pierce, Jamie McKlemurry, Joyce Wiman, and Pat Wolcott.<br />
“We began having cookouts with our husbands on<br />
Friday or Saturday evening. Everyone would bring something.<br />
And we all had children in the Brandon schools<br />
together. Most days we just said we’re meeting on one<br />
of our decks at 5:00 or 5:30. We called it porching, and<br />
we did that for years...just getting to know each other.<br />
None of us had cell phones, of course, so that was how<br />
we socialized. We learned about each other’s families and<br />
where we grew up. The pace of life was just slower.” And,<br />
in contrast to so many women in today’s world, Sally insists<br />
they did not feel the need to clean up or get put together<br />
to have each other over. “Oh gosh, we were always in blue<br />
jean shorts - it was very casual.” Substitute black yoga<br />
pants for denim shorts, and I think this advice translates<br />
really nicely for our generation.<br />
Eventually, the group started going on trips together.<br />
One of the couples had a lake house and another had a<br />
cabin in the mountains. There were lots of girls’ trips and<br />
laughs. But when you are friends for forty years, there is<br />
plenty of heartache to walk through as well. One of the<br />
original eight has since died, two have moved away, and<br />
each of the women has lost their husband. But they got<br />
through it together. “It wasn’t always easy, but we just<br />
nourished those friendships, found things in common,<br />
and supported each other.”<br />
80 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
I’ll be there for you,<br />
‘cause you’re there<br />
for me too...<br />
When Mattie Holly and Mariah Morris met in<br />
kindergarten, it seemed an unlikely pair to develop<br />
a close friendship.<br />
Kelly, Mattie’s mom, recalls, “They were really kind of<br />
opposite in personality. Mariah is quiet and reserved,<br />
and Mattie will talk to anyone and you never know what<br />
she’ll say.” But the pair seemed destined for a special<br />
connection right away. Kelly continues, “It was like they<br />
never really got tired of each other and balanced each<br />
other out so well. I don’t think I’ve ever heard them have<br />
a fight and they just understand each other. They<br />
understand the other’s good and bad days and don’t get<br />
jealous or mad.” And truly, how many pre-teen girls could<br />
you say that about?<br />
Their friendship blossomed throughout elementary<br />
school as they grew a shared love of dance at Mississippi<br />
Metropolitan Dance Academy. Fast forward many years<br />
and the pair has just made the Brandon Middle School<br />
dance team together. Their childhood is filled with<br />
memories of tailgating at the high school football games<br />
and spending the night at each other’s homes.<br />
It helps that their mothers are close friends - even<br />
serving as president and vice-president of the middle<br />
school’s PTO - who are able to model a healthy friendship<br />
for their girls.<br />
And if you ask the girls what they love about each<br />
other? Mattie says, “Mariah is kind, always thinking of<br />
others and just completely slays (a term lost on those<br />
of us who are middle-aged readers but seems to be<br />
quite positive)! I love everything about her.”<br />
Mariah says, “Mattie has been a true friend through<br />
thick and thin. She is always up for a good time, no matter<br />
how silly, and I know I can count on her for anything.”<br />
When asked what advice these young girls - with<br />
so much life ahead of them - would give about what’s<br />
important in a friendship, they give an answer we would<br />
all do well to remember. “We always put each other<br />
before ourselves.”<br />
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,<br />
but in humility count others more significant than<br />
yourselves. –Philippians 2:3<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 81
82 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 83
SUSAN MARQUEZ<br />
The Brandon Amphitheater was transformed into a light-filled venue<br />
for the 2022 holiday season. The drive-through holiday-themed display ran<br />
from November 18, 2022, and lit the night sky nightly through January 9, 2023.<br />
84 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
The “Magic of Lights” display is a nationwide production by Family Entertainment Live,<br />
a family-oriented entertainment holding company headquartered in Medina, Ohio.<br />
Partnering with FEL were local sponsors Entergy and WLBT-TV. “We were excited to<br />
bring Magic of Lights to the Brandon community and the Brandon Amphitheater for<br />
the first time ever and hope it becomes an annual holiday tradition,” said Ken Hudgens,<br />
CEO of Family Entertainment Live.<br />
The event featured dozens of light displays, illuminated canopies, and digital<br />
animation, all constructed with over two million lights, including one million<br />
individual LED lights. “With our focus toward being a quality community for<br />
families to live, work, and play, the City of Brandon Amphitheater is the natural<br />
destination to host an enjoyable, drive through Christmas presentation of this<br />
caliber for people of all ages,” says Brandon Mayor Butch<br />
Lee. “Our efforts are geared towards transforming our<br />
Quarry Park Trails that surround the Brandon Amphitheater<br />
into a magical experience filled with memorable moments<br />
for years to come. We are excited this year to be one of 21<br />
locations in North America to host a Magic of Lights show.<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 85
Attracting a show of this magnitude, with sister show events<br />
in locations such as the NFL Gillette Stadium in Boston, the<br />
NFL Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, and the<br />
Daytona National Speedway in Daytona, Florida, speaks well<br />
for our hometown and life in Brandon.”<br />
Ted Fortenberry, regional vice president and GM of WLBT<br />
says, “We were excited to present the Magic of Lights at<br />
Brandon’s Amphitheater. It was the perfect setting for this<br />
fantastic family holiday experience. Helping to bring in events<br />
like Magic of Lights so families can create lifelong holiday<br />
memories fits perfectly with WLBT’s commitment to serve<br />
the communities of Central and Southwest Mississippi.”<br />
Visitors to the event enjoyed the tour’s displays from the<br />
comfort of their own vehicle. Displays featured a 32-foot tall,<br />
animated Mattel’s Barbie, and prehistoric Christmas display<br />
featuring life-sized dinosaurs celebrating the season. Other<br />
displays included a Big Foot Monster Trucks, Winter Wonderland,<br />
as well as Magic of Lights favorites including the Twelve Days<br />
of Christmas, Toyland, and the 200-foot long Enchanting<br />
Tunnel of Lights. “Magic of Lights is a nostalgic and festive<br />
experience for guests of all ages,” says Hudgens.<br />
Each Magic of Lights venue features custom scenes that<br />
will become a tradition for that location while some portions<br />
of the scenes will be new, never before seen displays. The<br />
numbers to create the event are staggering. The total Magic<br />
of Lights event used 12.6 miles of light cord. It takes 3,750<br />
man-hours to set up each Magic of Lights event. Each Magic of<br />
Lights event uses about ten miles of steel to build the displays<br />
and ten miles of LED lighting installed inside of the displays,<br />
which are designed, bent, cut, and welded into about 800<br />
frames that are combined in different color configurations to<br />
create each show’s giant winter holiday scenes. Each frame<br />
of each scene is designed using state-of-the-art technology.<br />
And each display is hand-built in-house from fifteen pages of<br />
design specifications. Scenes are as high as 32 feet tall, and as<br />
long as several hundred feet.<br />
An exciting addition to this year’s Magic of Lights at the<br />
Brandon Amphitheater is a Holiday Village. Families will be<br />
able to enjoy the holiday festivities up-close and in person.<br />
Mayor Lee says more than 40,000 vehicles visited the Brandon<br />
and Rankin County communities. “This Christmas light event<br />
has paved the way for this to become an annual, family<br />
friendly show in the years ahead.”<br />
Watch for earlybird ticket sales to begin in October 2023.<br />
86 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 87
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88 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 89
A Wish Come True<br />
DANIEL BAILEY<br />
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a non-profit<br />
charitable organization that allows children with critical<br />
illnesses to experience the fulfillment of their greatest<br />
wish. Make-A-Wish grants more than 15,600 wishes<br />
per year. However, there is a massive gap between that<br />
number and the 27,000 children diagnosed annually<br />
with qualifying illnesses. Each year, Brandon High<br />
School raises funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation<br />
of Mississippi in hopes of allowing more children to<br />
be able to have their wish fulfilled. Students, parents,<br />
faculty, teachers, and administrators all participate in<br />
these fundraising events.<br />
This school year, Brandon High School was given the<br />
honor of pairing with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of<br />
Mississippi to fulfill the wish of local student Ames Lee.<br />
Ames is a 9-year-old boy who is fighting acute<br />
myeloid leukemia (AML). He was diagnosed with<br />
AML on January 6, 2022. Ames has had a bone<br />
marrow transplant that was donated by his younger<br />
brother. He lives in Pelahatchie with his family and is<br />
a third-grader at Pelahatchie Elementary School.<br />
Ames enjoys playing with his toy figurines and loves<br />
animals and Roblox. When given the opportunity to<br />
choose, Ames chose to go to Yellowstone National<br />
Park in Wyoming.<br />
Brandon High School started plans for the most<br />
recent Make-A-Wish fundraiser in the fall of 2022.<br />
The Class of 2023 was in charge of the first fundraising<br />
event. They wanted to do something to “give back.”<br />
As a class, they set a goal to raise $371, or roughly $1 per<br />
student. Through the first fundraiser, the class of<br />
2023 raised $386, passing their goal.<br />
In the spring of 2023, the Brandon High School<br />
student council began brainstorming fundraising ideas<br />
for Make-A-Wish. The sponsors came up with the idea<br />
of a teacher-only silent auction. Clubs and businesses<br />
donated items or gift cards for the auction. Teachers<br />
then bid on each item with all proceeds going towards<br />
the charity. Overall, the auction raised $851 for the<br />
Make-A-Wish Foundation.<br />
Another way teachers got involved was through<br />
buying hamburger lunch plates. The hamburgers and<br />
sides were cooked and donated by Brandon High<br />
School’s Ag department. Through this fundraiser, the<br />
Ag department helped raise $820 for Ames. After<br />
90 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
ainstorming more ideas, Make-A-Wish t-shirts were<br />
proposed. The student council loved the idea and<br />
designed a T-shirt for this specific Make-A-Wish<br />
fundraising event.<br />
With the help of local business, Charlotte’s<br />
Screen Printing, the student council sold specially<br />
designed t-shirts to people in the City of Brandon<br />
raising $1,260. The final fundraiser before the pep<br />
rally to celebrate Ames was selling stars. The stars<br />
were blue stars that were hung in the hall of Brandon<br />
High School. After purchasing a star, students could<br />
either write their name or the name of a loved one<br />
who was currently battling, or who had previously<br />
battled cancer, on the star. For many students, the<br />
stars were more than just a way to donate to a good<br />
cause. This allowed them to donate in memory of<br />
loved ones.<br />
Critical illness has affected many people’s lives and<br />
for some students, helping Ames achieve his dream was<br />
far more personal than just a fundraiser. Each star<br />
that was sold was worth $1 and the student council<br />
raised $978 for the fundraiser off of stars alone.<br />
On March 10, 2023, BHS held the Make-A-Wish<br />
pep rally to celebrate Ames and how much the school<br />
had raised for him. Students donated money on the<br />
way into the pep rally, raising an additional $614.<br />
The pep rally was over two hours long, and while there<br />
were other events, the main focus was on Ames.<br />
Numerous “We love Ames” chants occurred and<br />
Ames was given VIP seating. During the pep rally,<br />
a Make-A-Wish representative, Ames, and his<br />
mother, were presented with a check from Brandon<br />
High School. The goal for the fundraiser was $2,000<br />
to cover expenses for Ames’ trip to Yellowstone. The<br />
check was for $4,523, more than doubling the school’s<br />
initial goal. Not only did the school far exceed its<br />
expectations, but the amount raised this year was the<br />
largest in school history.<br />
On behalf of Brandon High School and the<br />
Brandon High School Student Council, thank you to<br />
everyone who donated to allow Ames to experience<br />
his dream.<br />
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 91
92 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
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<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 93
A Neighborhood Blessing LEXIE OWNBY<br />
What is Christmas? For the Center Pointe covenantsprotected<br />
community that is nestled on 72 acres in the heart<br />
of East Brandon off Trickhambridge Road, Christmas is a lot<br />
of things. It all started with a group of several ladies from the<br />
early neighborhood in 2005—Eleanor Johnson, Judy Williams,<br />
Becky Merrill, and Mary Jane Kennedy, just to name a few.<br />
After getting together in prayer to decide on a theme for<br />
Christmas that would be God-honoring, the women of the<br />
neighborhood came up with the idea of putting white wooden<br />
cut-out letters at the beginning of the subdivision that read<br />
“Christmas Is….” Each homeowner could choose a word of their<br />
own desire, Christ-honoring or seasonal.<br />
94 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
“As you went down Center Pointe Drive and the other streets,<br />
each house would have white letters outside of their house<br />
with what ‘Christmas Is…’ to them. You would see Jesus,<br />
Redeemer, Hallelujah, and keep driving farther, followed by<br />
Peace on Earth, Christ, Family, and Angels Singing,” said Center<br />
Pointe homeowner Mary Jane Kennedy.<br />
Homeowner Vernon Johnson took it upon himself to<br />
inexpensively cut out all the letters and paint them white,<br />
with the help of other husbands in the neighborhood. He also<br />
stores all the molds at his home for more words and phrases<br />
to come as new neighbors move in each year and are eager to<br />
participate in the neighborhood Christmas tradition.<br />
Through the past 16 years, a manger scene made from wood<br />
was added as well as a Christmas tree. The “Christmas Is…”<br />
tradition has become a Center Pointe neighborhood blessing<br />
and is something each homeowner looks forward to every<br />
holiday season. Don’t forget to put Center Pointe subdivision<br />
on your list when out looking at Christmas lights! There are<br />
so many reasons to be thankful this season and make note of<br />
what Christmas is and means to you!<br />
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Clubs<br />
The definition of a club - a group of persons organized for a social, literary,<br />
athletic, political, or other purpose. Brandon offers a great choice for those inclined<br />
to organized social gatherings. Our area clubs have united members who have<br />
invested in the advancement of our hometown. Check out this list in our area:<br />
Rotary Club<br />
Founded in 1905, Rotary is the world’s oldest and largest international service organization. The 34,000 Rotary<br />
clubs across the globe are composed of 1.2 million business leaders, friends, and neighbors located in over 200<br />
countries and territories. Together they create positive, lasting change in their local areas and around the world.<br />
From community service to working for a polio-free world, Rotary’s universal motto is “Service Above Self.”<br />
Rotarians in Rankin County participate in a multitude of service projects such as children’s literacy and reading<br />
programs, student scholarships, helping needy families at holidays, hosting community blood drives, assisting<br />
with building community parks, providing dictionaries to third graders and supporting clean water projects abroad.<br />
The Rankin County Rotary Club meets at noon in Genna Benna’s private dining room.<br />
www.rotary.org/join • 601.572.7319<br />
Crown Club<br />
Service Project of Junior<br />
Auxiliary of Rankin County<br />
Crown Club encourages the young<br />
women of Rankin County during<br />
their 8th through 12th grade years<br />
to build leadership skills, foster<br />
good character, and understand<br />
the importance of good citizenship.<br />
Crown Club members experience<br />
the act of caring for others through<br />
community service projects.<br />
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The Exchange Club of Crossgates<br />
Exchange, America’s service club, is a group of men and women<br />
working together to make our communities better places to live through<br />
programs of service in Americanism, community service, charities, youth<br />
activities, and its national project, the prevention of child abuse. This club<br />
was formed in 1976 as a local chapter of the National Exchange Club<br />
dedicated to the Exchange Club covenant of service. The Exchange<br />
Club of Crossgates meets at Penn’s Restaurant on Highway 80 on the<br />
1st Thursday of every month at 6:30pm.<br />
Junior Auxiliary of Rankin County<br />
Junior Auxiliary of Rankin County is a non-profit service organization for<br />
women who desire to serve and improve their communities. Through a<br />
variety of hands-on projects that cover a wide sector of the community,<br />
JARC members implement the ideals of their national motto: “Caring<br />
Hearts. Helping Hands. Changing Hearts.”<br />
rankinja.org / publicrelationsjarc@gmail.com<br />
www.crossgatesec.com / 601-825-5442 / 601-398-7654 Louise Pipitone<br />
Rankin County Chamber Youth Leadership<br />
The Youth Leadership Program helps young leaders develop responsible<br />
community leadership roles and impact the future of Rankin County!<br />
The students will familiarize themselves with community opportunities,<br />
needs, problems and resources. They will have effective dialogue,<br />
establishing friendships among participants and community leaders.<br />
Students will learn advanced leadership and management skills such as:<br />
• Goal setting<br />
• Effective communication<br />
• Decision making<br />
• Team building<br />
• Motivation and organization<br />
• Work ethic development<br />
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Clubs<br />
Brandon Mayor’s Youth Council<br />
The City of Brandon Mayor’s Youth Council is a group of approximately<br />
40-50 students from area high schools, both public and private. Mayor’s<br />
Youth Council mission is to serve as role models in the community and<br />
among the youth of Brandon by serving as an example and by taking<br />
an active role in community sponsored activities and volunteer work.<br />
Members are required to earn service hours through sponsored events<br />
to raise funds for community projects that improve our city and unity all<br />
age groups in our community.<br />
Some events and projects they’ve worked on this year<br />
• Back 2 School Bash<br />
• Sports Evaluations for Parks & Rec<br />
• Brandon Memorial Cemetery Cleaning/Prepping for Wreaths<br />
• Dog Jam Night<br />
• Brandon First United Methodist Fall Festival<br />
• City of Brandon’s Fall Festival<br />
• Veterans Day Breakfast<br />
• Christmas Parade<br />
• Wreath Day Ceremony at Brandon Memorial Cemetery<br />
• Angel Tree Adoptions – 93 angels got adopted<br />
• MLK Day Parade<br />
• Toured the Mississippi State Capitol<br />
• Princess Ball<br />
• Krewe De Roux Parade & Gumbo Cook-off<br />
• Communities Working to Unite Youth’s Suicide Summit<br />
• Easter at the Ag. Museum<br />
• Brandon Jubilee Days 5K Trail Run/Walk<br />
• Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast<br />
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Clubs<br />
Garden Club<br />
Brandon Garden Club, Inc. has been a driving force for<br />
beautification and historic preservation in Brandon for 70 years.<br />
On March 1, 2024, the club will hold its annual Tablescapes<br />
Luncheon Fundraiser at Brandon Municipal Complex. The<br />
Tablescapes Luncheon is the club’s only fundraising event,<br />
and it sells out quickly. Reserve your tickets now by emailing<br />
thebrandongardenclub@gmail.com or contacting any club<br />
member.<br />
The theme for the current year is “Growing Flowers and<br />
Friendships.” The club’s projects support the goals of our<br />
federated organizations: The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc.,<br />
Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc., and National Garden Clubs, Inc.<br />
SOME OF THE CLUB’S ONGOING PROJECTS INCLUDE:<br />
Brandon Municipal Complex<br />
Providing year-round maintenance for plants in the atrium and<br />
main lobby; decorating the lobbies for Christmas; decorating<br />
for special City of Brandon events, including the Mayor’s<br />
Prayer Breakfast, Memorial Day Breakfast, Fall Festival, and<br />
Veterans Day Breakfast.<br />
Education<br />
Providing hands-on gardening at The Spot Downtown for<br />
Rankin County School District special education students;<br />
providing displays and programs at Brandon Public Library;<br />
funding scholarships at Hinds Community College and<br />
Mississippi State University.<br />
Cancer awareness<br />
Planting and maintaining the “Plant It Pink” flower bed in<br />
downtown Brandon.<br />
Commercial landscape awards<br />
Recognizing businesses with outstanding commercial<br />
landscaping.<br />
Old Brandon Cemetery and Brandon Memorial Gardens<br />
Planting memorial trees, placing memorial tree markers, and<br />
coordinating maintenance with the City of Brandon.<br />
Veterans<br />
Maintaining flower beds surrounding two Blue Star Memorial<br />
Markers donated by the club.<br />
Look for us on Facebook, visit www.thebrandongardenclub.com,<br />
or email us at thebrandongardenclub@gmail.com.<br />
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3<br />
5 6 7<br />
10<br />
FROGS<br />
Nature’s Barometer 8<br />
Display by Brandon Garden Club<br />
11<br />
Celebrating<br />
National Garden Week<br />
June 4-10<br />
National Pollinator Week<br />
June 11-17<br />
1 BGC received 13 top awards in 2023, including the Overall “Public Relations Award”<br />
from The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc. and First Place for “Publicity Press Book”<br />
from the six-state Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc. region.<br />
2 Annual Tablescapes Luncheon Fundraiser.<br />
3 Members provide landscaping and hands-on gardening for students in Rankin County<br />
School District’s ASPIRE program at The Spot Downtown.<br />
4 National Garden Clubs, Inc. awarded a Plant America grant to Brandon Garden Club<br />
to build a greenhouse at The Spot Downtown.<br />
5 Blue Star Memorial Marker flower bed at the Rankin County Justice Center was<br />
relandscaped in 2022. The club received a First Place Award from The Garden Clubs<br />
of Mississippi, Inc. for the project.<br />
6-7 Veterans Day Breakfast centerpieces created by members were repurposed into<br />
Bundles of Joy and delivered to assisted living facility residents.<br />
8 Commercial Landscape Award was given to the City of Brandon for maintenance of<br />
Old Brandon Cemetery.<br />
9 Members “Deck the Halls” at Brandon Municipal Complex each year for Christmas.<br />
10 Co-Chairmen for “Deck the Halls” are Shelby Harry and Delena Hamel.<br />
11 National Garden Week and National Pollinator Week are celebrated throughout June<br />
with a display and activities at Brandon Public Library.<br />
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Schools<br />
Rouse Elementary<br />
Rouse Elementary School<br />
is home to kindergarten and<br />
1st graders in the Brandon<br />
Zone of the Rankin County<br />
School District.<br />
151 Boyce-Thompson Drive<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
rse.rcsd.ms<br />
601.825.5437<br />
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Brandon High<br />
Brandon High School is a<br />
6A high school and is home<br />
to 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th<br />
graders in the Brandon Zone<br />
of the Rankin County School<br />
District.<br />
3090 Highway 18<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
bhs.rcsd.ms<br />
601.825.2261<br />
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Schools<br />
Brandon Middle<br />
Brandon Middle School is<br />
home to 6th, 7th, and 8th<br />
graders in the Brandon Zone<br />
of the Rankin County School<br />
District.<br />
408 South College Street<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
bms.rcsd.ms<br />
601.825.5998<br />
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StoneBridge Elementary<br />
StoneBridge Elementary School<br />
is home to 2nd and 3rd graders<br />
in the Brandon Zone of the Rankin<br />
County School District.<br />
115 StoneBridge Boulevard<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
sbe.rcsd.ms<br />
601.824.3287<br />
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Schools<br />
Brandon Elementary<br />
Brandon Elementary School<br />
is home to 4th and 5th graders<br />
in the Brandon Zone of the<br />
Rankin County School District.<br />
125 Overby Street<br />
Brandon, MS <strong>39042</strong><br />
bes.rcsd.ms<br />
601.825.4706<br />
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114 • Our Town <strong>39042</strong>
<strong>39042</strong> Our Town • 115
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