COLLEEN MCCARTHY

When one of their family members was involved in a tragic car accident earlier this year, the teachers and staff of Sudduth Elementary decided they needed to do something to help.
Assistant teacher Angelia Gandy and her family were involved in a car accident earlier this year on Oktoc Road. One of her sons was killed, while she was critically injured. She spent months at a hospital in Jackson recovering from injuries.
“We were all devastated when we heard the news of her accident and the death of her son. As I traveled to Jackson with my husband to see her in the critical care unit, I told him that we should have some sort of fund raiser for her. I just wanted to do something to help. I felt like everyone else would feel the same way and they did,” kindergarten teach Cheryl Lipsey said. “Our assistants do not make much money. Ms. Gandy has been an assistant because she is dedicated to … working with children and making a difference in their lives. From personal experience, I knew financially how much it could potentially cost her.”
The fundraiser was held several weeks ago where items were donated and sold at a garage sale-style event, as well as a gift card raffle, a silent auction and a bake sale.

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COLLEEN MCCARTHY

Middle and high school students from all over the state are preparing for Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology (BEST) Robotics competition to be held at Starkville High School this weekend.
BEST Robotics aims to inspire an interest in science, engineering and technology in young students. Mississippi State University’s Bagley College of Engineering is a sponsor of the event.
Starkville will be represented by three different teams — Starkville High School Millsaps Career and Technology Center’s BEST Robotics Club, Starkville Christian School’s SCS CougarBots and the Starkville Christian Home Educators’s SCHE Eclipse Robotics Spectre.
Several weeks ago, the teams gathered in Starkville to receive their challenge. This year’s theme is “Bugs,” and the teams are charged with using their robots to collect genetically engineered insects that have escaped from a lab. The robots will have to be able to maneuver through an obstacle course to collect termites, flies and cockroaches — not real ones of course, but rather bags filled with pinto beans, suspended styrofoam balls and small battery-operated toys that will be in constant motion. Several teams will be on the course at the same time.
“I would say that this one is going to be harder than the last few, but none of them are alike, so that’s to be expected,” Starkville Christian team member Caleb Jordan said.
The teams had just a few weeks to design, build and test their robots. They also have to build a display booth, create a full technical notebook to track their progress, write a full research paper on the topic and design a marketing campaign that will sell their robot. Besides the performance and technical aspects, the teams will also be judged on their team spirit and creativity.
“Generally, it involves a lot of surprises at the beginning of the competition, a lot of last minute changes, too,” Veronica Leach, who is on the SCHE team, said. “It can be pretty stressful at times, but it’s always a lot of fun.”
The SCHE team has designed a simple computer game based on the genetically engineered bug theme, created a scrapbook filled with pictures of the design and building process and made a website that updates members, family and friends on their progress.
Each team usually splits up into a number of smaller teams to work on different aspects of the project: a robot construction team, a spirit team, a booth design team and a notebook team, to name a few. Even students who may not have a specific interest in engineering can find a place on the team.

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STEVEN NALLEY

November may not have started yet, but Pam Hunt and others at First United Methodist Church are already preparing for Christmas.
On Thursday, they were busy cooking and freezing casseroles, and taking cakes out of the oven to cover them with icing Friday. Hunt said she believes those who feel it might be too early for Christmas will change their minds once they smell the cinnamon and pastries in the air.
It’s all part of FUMC’s preparation for the Christmas Handworks Bazaar, scheduled for Nov. 4 at the Christian Life Center.
A total of 34 vendors will be in attendance, 16 of whom are returning from last year’s bazaar, Hunt said. All vendors are required to sell either homemade goods or hand-embellished items, such as decorated picture frames or embroidered T-shirts.
“As a church, that’s part of demonstrating the God-given talents of the community,” Hunt said. “All of these things were made in Mississippi. We’ll have a couple of people who throw pottery; we’ll have children’s clothes; we’ll have people who make ceramic Christmas decorations.”
The bazaar, entering its sixth year, benefits Habitat for Humanity, and Hunt said it raised about $7,000 for the cause last year. Hunt said representatives from Habitat for Humanity will be at the event, along with one or more inhabitants from Habitat houses to meet the vendors.
“They will show a map of the houses that have been built,” Hunt said. “(The vendors) are told it’s to raise money for Habitat for Humanity, so it helps them to be able to meet some of the recipients.”
In addition to the vendors, the bazaar will also feature the Sweet Spirit Sandwich Shoppe and live entertainment, with Christmas songs from the children of FUMC’s Weekday Ministries and such local singers as Gloria Williams, Shirley Harper, Brian Hawkins, Ted Beverly and Sara Beth Sewell. FUMC members will also tend to vendors by loading and unloading their wares and bringing them coffee and snacks.
“(The vendors) refer to them as ‘elves,’” Hunt said. “By the time we get through, we have 100-150 members of the church in some way.”

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STEVEN NALLEY

Jason Wooten of Pepper-Wooten Engineers and Surveyors presented and proposed multiple alternatives to resolve stormwater drainage issues on Maple Drive and Carver Drive during Tuesday’s board of alderman meeting.
Wooten’s presentation was a result of a hydrology and hydraulics study of drainage systems on the two streets commissioned by the city. Wooten said both systems did not have the capacity for 100-year storms, a term assigned to a level of flood water with a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded each year. A 25-year flood, then, has a 4 percent chance of happening each year, and Wooten said the Maple Drive drainage system does not even have the capacity for that.
“From a design standpoint we can understand not quite being (prepared for) a 100-year event, but 25 is an eye-opener,” Wooten said.
Wooten presented two alternatives for mitigating the overflow of stormwater on Maple Drive.
First, he said, a new storm sewer could be installed behind houses to the south of the street. This plan allows for greater capacity than the second, Wooten said, and its construction would not interfere with traffic on Maple Drive itself or utilities for its residents. The drawback, he said, is the city would have to acquire easements from the property owners south of Maple Drive.
Second, Wooten said, the existing stormwater system could have its capacity boosted. While the city would not have to acquire property for this solution, it would interfere with utilities and traffic, and result in less capacity than the first proposal.
City Engineer Edward Kemp said the first plan would be cheaper by as much as $150,000.
When Wooten said the second proposition for Maple Drive would call for removal of a 36-inch culvert acting as a choke point in the system, Maple Drive resident Susan Shappley said the system had been flooding since before that culvert was installed. She then apologized for interrupting the presentation.

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ANGIE CARNATHAN

The 2011-2012 Mississippi State University United Way campaign holds its Bully 5K for United Way Saturday at MSU.
Activities begin at 7 a.m. with registration at the McArthur Hall, located at the intersection of Barr Avenue and Collegeview Street. The race starts at 8 a.m. The entry fee for pre-registrants is $20 and $25 on race day.
Proceeds from the run go to the annual campus United Way campaign said Les Potts, the campaign member in charge of budgeting and planning.
“This is the third annual 5K race to support United Way,” Potts said. “This is however the first year with the name ‘Bully’s 5K for United Way.’”
Robert Cadenhead, MSU chairman for the United Way of North Central Mississippi, said proceeds from the 5K are added to MSU’s total fundraising for the year.
“The run this weekend is one of several United Way initiatives we are doing this fall to help us achieve and exceed our MSU Goal of $100,000,” Cadenhead said. “With the growing population of runners in our area and a lovely route through the MSU campus, this should be a well-attended event. Plus is looks like the weather will be great.”
Cadenhead said the 5K is only one part of MSU’s United Way campaign this year.
“We have an online auction with lots of unique MSU items available for MSU students, faculty and staff to bid on,” Cadenhead said. “We also have some very popular ‘Grindin’ for My State’ and ‘This is Our State’ bracelets for sale with proceeds going to The MSU United Way campaign.”
Potts said the race had an excellent turnout last year, and this year he’s hoping to see even more people participate.
“Last year’s race raised approximately $1,800 with somewhere around 120 participants,” Potts said. “We’re hoping for an even bigger turnout Saturday.”
The 3.1-mile course will give participants a unique opportunity to tour MSU’s historic 133-year-old campus, Potts said, while raising money for a great cause.
“I hope that participants will feel proud of themselves for supporting their community in this manner,” Potts said. “Their registration dollars will help support charitable organizations right here at home.”

Read the complete article at Starkville Daily News.

COLLEEN MCCARTHY

In honor of National School Bus Safety Week, East Oktibbeha County Elementary School officials took time Wednesday to recognize its bus drivers’ contributions and educate the students on bus safety.
“We took this week to honor our bus drivers for the job that they do for us each day,” Oktibbeha County Superintendent James Covington said. “This morning out here at East Elementary, Ms. (Yolanda) Magee and her staff honored the drivers out here with a breakfast — just a small token to say thank you for the safe delivery of our children to and from school each day.”
Students went through a brief safety drill where they learned what they would need to do in case of an emergency.

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CARL SMITH

The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors will hold a second public hearing on a proposed vicious dog ordinance Nov. 21 during that month’s recess meeting.
Board President Marvell Howard said the ordinance could be adopted that same day if no radical or conflicting ideas are presented during the public hearing.
If adopted, the law would be published in local media outlets three times and would go into effect 30 days after the last publication.
Since the first public hearing mid-September, supervisors have compiled a second draft of the proposed ordinance with additional details toward fines, penalties and costs assessed by the justice court.
Section 9, which deals with these penalties, states any person “convicted of violating a provision of this chapter that does not include a specific penalty under state law shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, may be punishable by imprisonment for a period not to exceed six months or a fine not to exceed $500, or both, and all lawful costs, except that any person so convicted shall be fined a sum of not less than $25 for the first offense, not less than $50 for a second offense and not less than $100 for a third offense and all subsequent offenses.”
The court could also require up to 100 hours of community service in its rulings.
As with the previous draft, the new version defines vicious dogs with four points outlining behavior and intent. A vicious dog is defined as an animal “when unprovoked, that approaches a person in a dangerous, threatening or terrorizing manner, … with a known propensity, tendency or disposition to attack, when unprovoked … which bites, inflicts injury … (or) is owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose of dog fighting …”
The original draft’s definition did not include police dogs used to assist law enforcement or any animal trained, but the new draft extends that protection to any animal trained to assist a person under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Dogs are also excused from the vicious definition if they attack a person in the process of committing a crime, trespassing, abusing the animal or has been observed abusing the animal in the past, “nor shall any dog be declared vicious if the dog was responding to pain or injury, or was protecting itself, its kennel or its offspring.”
Under state law, residents are required to have their dogs vaccinated for rabies. Under the new animal ordinance, it is unlawful for any person to harbor a dog that has not been inoculated.
The Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department will have the primary responsibility of enforcing the ordinance. Section 5 of the ordinance authorizes the destruction of dogs if they are determined vicious by the Oktibbeha County Justice Court, provided that two of the following requirements are met: “The dog is running at large or not properly confined; there is no ownership identification tag on the dog’s collar; there is no vaccination tag around the dog’s neck; attempts to peacefully capture the dog have been made but were unsuccessful.”

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STEVEN NALLEY

At its regular Tuesday meeting at City Hall, the Starkville Board of Aldermen will set a date for a work session to address both the redistricting of city wards and prioritization for capital improvement projects.
It will also plan for a public hearing at a later meeting to amend Starkville’s subdivision regulation ordinance to allow developers to finish paving roads at the first phase of construction, making construction easier.
Federal regulations require the city to keep the population of its wards as balanced as possible, so cities look at which wards are under- or over-populated after each census.
Cities then redraw borders to rebalance the population, making every effort to keep current city officials within the wards they represent.
Lynn Spruill, chief operating officer for Starkville, gave a presentation July 5 on the wards which made it apparent more than a few officials lived near current ward borders, putting them at risk for losing office if the borders cannot be drawn to keep them in their current wards. At that meeting, Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins suggested the matter be tabled until fall.
“I think we need to pick up on this after the budget process because we’re going to have to deal with some issues on the budget process, and with the municipal complex, we’re going to have these town hall meetings,” Perkins said. “I would suggest that we just wait until after September to pick back up on this because these other issues are going to consume the public’s attention and time, given the magnitude of those two matters.”
Now, Spruill said, both matters have been addressed, and the board is ready to discuss any issues that may arise from redistricting.
The same work session will also return to an issue raised in a June 21 work session, she said. At that time, Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman gave all board members a list of possible capital improvement projects compiled by Government Consultants, Inc. representative Demery Grubbs and asked them to give a priority level to each project.

Read the complete article at Starkville Daily News.

COLLEEN MCCARTHY

Three pink fire trucks made their way into Starkville yesterday, bringing with them a message of hope, love and breast cancer awareness.
Pink Heals is an organization of firefighters from Glendale, Ariz., who travel the country in their pink fire trucks to raise cancer awareness, remember those who have lost their battle and honor the survivors. The names of thousands of people who have had their lives touched by cancer cover each one of the three pink fire trucks.
“With all this stuff that’s happening in this country, in 2007 I got sick of millions and millions of dollars being raised off people based on causes but it not actually helping people. What if we could fund raise within our own communities and direct that money back into our community instead of to the people that are running those organizations?” Pink Heals founder Dave Graybill said. “All I do is bring the trucks to inspire a community to help take care of their own friends and neighbors. We don’t take a dime for coming here — we want all the money to stay in the community. We are just here to empower your people to empower the sick people in their own community.”
The Pink Heals tour has visited over 200 cities across the country over the last five years. This is the second time it has visited Starkville.
“Last year, we were so surprised to see how many people in the city of Starkville had survived cancer,” Starkville firefighter Charles Yarbrough, who helped bring Pink Heals to the city, said. “We just want to let all those women know that we love them. It’s our job to protect the citizens of Starkville. This is part of protecting them and giving back to them.”
The Pink Heals firefighters stopped by Sudduth Elementary, Armstrong Middle School, Henderson Ward Stewart and the Starkville Fire Department Station No. 1. Both cancer survivors and those who had lost a loved one were honored at the events.
“I think it’s important because we need to raise the issue of health from all aspects,” Sudduth Elementary Principal Lisa Thompson said. “We actually have a current student who is suffering from cancer — he’s 6 years old and unable to attend school. Many times we don’t think cancer affects children, but it does.”

Read the complete article at Starkville Daily News.