Two day trial; “Did not call meeting” selectman said
After another attempt to delay the proceedings by defense attorney Dennis Horn, the trial Patterson versus the McComb selectmen finally started in front of a larger than normal audience. Judge Michael Taylor heard the Complaint for Declaratory Relief, Injunctive Relief, Mandamus (filed on November 3, 2009 by McComb Mayor Zach Patterson) during a two day hearing, on Tuesday, March 2 and Wednesday, March 3. Patterson’s lawsuit against all of the selectmen of the McComb Board of Mayor and Selectmen centered around the illegality of the August 26, 2009 Special Call meeting of the board.
All six of the selectmen: Wade Lamb, Danny Esch, Robert Maddox, Ernest Charles Nobles, Melvin Joe Johnson and Robert Earl Smith were called as witnesses along with some city employees and the mayor. Other witnesses were City Administrator Quordiniah Lockley, City Clerk Jeanette Butler, Deputy City Clerk and Executive Assistant to the Mayor and City Administrator Sherry Spears, and Accounts Payable Deputy City Clerk Stephanie Forrest.
It was the potential defense witness who was not there that Horn said was the reason he was requesting another delay in the trial. Horn told Judge Taylor that McComb city attorney Wayne Dowdy was out of town involved in another court proceeding. However, the request to delay the trial was denied.
Judge Michael Taylor instructed everyone to remove any electronic device they had and delayed the beginning of the trial, Patterson vs. the City of McComb Selectmen, so that everyone could take their cell phones and other electronic devices out of the building on Tuesday, March 2. The trial, which was scheduled to begin at 10am, did not start until 10:25am to allow the courtroom audience and participants the opportunity to comply with Taylor’s order. He said the devices were interfering with the sound system in the courtroom, causing static interference, because of the larger than normal crowd in attendance.
During the two day proceedings the audience would break its silence with a groan or with laughter when they heard something surprising, unbelievable or funny. Two area residents spoke about the trial: Katie Jenkins, a Ruth resident, followed every minute of the trial, along with her husband. “How can selectmen have such memory losses and still run the City of McComb?”
Pine Grove Missionary Baptist Church Youth Ministry will host a Butterfly Ball on Saturday, March 6, 2010. The social event will begin at 7:30 p.m at the Pine Grove Health & Wellness Center at 3160 Hwy. 98 West, Summit, Ms. In addition to dancing, food will be provided. The Ball is for 9th through 12th grade students only. The cost is $7 per person and tickets are limited. Students must wear Ball Attire. Students must R.S.V.P. ON OR BEFORE MARCH 3, 2010.
For tickets contact: Faye O’ Neal (601) 810-4301 or Ladina Williams (601) 810-4029. Inaddition to Pine Grove other partners include: Rainin’ Three Leadership Academy’s Social Butterfly and the McComb Mayor’s Youth Council.
Tammy Felder Witherspoon has announced her intentions to run for the Ward 3 Selectman seat for the City of McComb. On Wednesday, Witherspoon filed her qualifying papers as a Democratic candidate in the upcoming city elections. The ward 3 seat is currently held by E.C. Nobles.
Witherspoon is a native of McComb and a 1986 graduate of McComb High School. She holds a Masters Degree from Alcorn State University in Special Education and is currently employed as a program director with McComb Public Schools.
The Mississippi Tribune has moved its offices to 638 Delaware Ave. near downtown McComb. The phone number remains the same: 601-869-4088.
The new location is home for the Sa/es/Marketing department as well as the news room, circulation-distribution, and administrative. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday from 9am until 3pm. The company welcomes advertisers, subscribers, readers, and news stories submissions at the office.
Public is invited
The McComb School District will host Parent Academy 2010 on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, from 5:30 - 8:00 p.m., at McComb High School.
Community members and parents are encouraged to register on-line or through their local schools to attend various vendor presentations and workshops on such topics as the Mississippi Curriculum Tests 2, high school graduation requirements, children & puberty, Internet safety, and many others.
The Mayor’s Youth Council (MYC) sponsored a free ACT workshop for council members and 7th-12th grade area students. The workshop was held at the McComb Sports Park on Saturday, January 23, 2010.
The morning began with a continental breakfast at 8:30am. Workshop activities began at 9am and ended at 12pm. The facilitatior was Dot McClendon, ACT Coach and Private Tutor. The workshop organizers said that the workshop was implemented to introduce students to the ACT and cover all of its parts.
Area residents concluded a day of reflection, celebration and prayer with a special program honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and local civil rights pioneer, C.C. Bryant on Monday’s national holiday, Martin Luther King Day. King and Bryant share the same birthday.
The day began with the MLK Day Prayer Breakfast sponsored by the NAACP Youth Council at the Southwest Medical Center.
Area blues guitarist and singer died on Sunday, January 10, 2010. Wakefield “Big Moody” Coney was one of the senior blues performers of southwest Mississippi.
He had led bands and played throughout the region for over forty years. He grew up outside of McComb in the East Fork community in neighboring Amite County.
At the age of five Coney got started on guitar at his grandmother’s church. He learned the basics at church, but also learned from playing along with records at home and through watching a couple of older cousins perform blues at local get-togethers.
McComb native Brandy Rayana Norwood, the R& B singer and actress known as “Brandy” “ celebrated her 31st birthday last Thursday, February 11th.
Brandy has certainly come a long way from those days in the late ‘90s when she starred in the UPN sitcom ‘Moesha.’ But now it’s 2010, and Brandy is taking another stab at TV land -- this time by starring with her brother in the upcoming reality TV series entitled ‘Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business.’
These talented siblings have already teamed up on Ray J’s show, ‘For the Love of Ray J’.
At Tuesday’s McComb city board meeting, Mayor Zach Patterson discusses the terminating of the hotel/motel tax, the former CFO’s request for a hearing, and alienation by the police chief and his department.
Near the end of the meeting, Tasha Dillon, director of the Community Relations and Tourism department gave her monthly report. At that time, Patterson voiced his concerns over city administrator Quordiniah Lockley and Dillon plan to meet with area representatives in a attempt to resurrect the hotel/motel tax. Patterson said, “The hotel/motel tax is dead. It was killed by the initiative of David Myers and Sam Mims in concert. This issue is a political issue...Representative David Myers created this mess, in my opinion. He made that political mess. And, if he falls back in it, so be it.”
Judge Strong ordered that the February 4th court hearing between McComb Mayor Zach Patterson and the selectmen of the McComb city board be postponed until March 2nd.
Patterson filed a lawsuit against the selectmen protesting a special called meeting that he was not included or notified regarding the meeting as required by law.
McComb native Robert “Squirrel” Lester of the Chi-Lites passed Sunday, January 22, 2010. A nephew to community leader, Mr. Theodor Bullock and born in McComb, he is a piece of McComb’s legacy and will be remembered and appreciated for his contributions to music.
Representatives for the family of Robert “Squirrel” Lester of the Chi-Lites confirmed that he died from cancer. He was 67 years old. The veteran vocalist was one of the founding members of the Chi-Lites, the group that penned hits like “Oh Girl”, “The 12th of Never” and most notably “Have You Seen Her.”
Hello, I am writing to inform people that discrimination is still on the rise in the Pike county area.
This past Saturday 01/16/2010 I was headed to IGA and decided to stop at Showtime in Pike Center Mart. I had never been in the store before but decided to see what they had. When I went in I was looking around just to see what they had when the cashier who also stated she was the manager yelled at me stating my purse was to big, at first I throught that she was kidding with me, but then she yelled again stating in order for me to stay in the store I would have to leave my purse behind the counter with her. At that time I was very hurt and confused.
McComb’s Community Relations and Tourism Director Ms. Tasha Dillon gave selectmen a 27-month review of the department’s accomplishments during Tuesday’s work session. The report highlighted the community resources available, tourism and economic development accomplishments, local partnerships and continuous sponsorships the department could offer when the hotel/motel tax was active.
“Tasha has done a wonderful job as director of the community relations and tourism department…she has done an excellent job,” city administrator Quordiniah Lockley stated. The current staffing includes Dillon and a part-time administrative employee who works about 15 hours per week and a part-time greeter / receptionist, who is not currently scheduled to work. The rest of the board also complimented Dillon on the job she has done, followed by a discussion to resurrect the hotel tax.
In a surprising move, identical twins Destinee and Desiree McGhee returned money given to the Mayor’s Youth Council from the city for their float in the Christmas Parade. Some published reports from area citizens indicated displeasure over the city’s decision to give the council that money.
During a recent board meeting, the sisters who are members of the Mayor’s Youth Council gave a powerpoint presentation to the board, highlighting the council’s activities in the year 2009. The McComb High School ninth graders also passed out handouts that highlighted all of the council’s activities since its inception back in 2008.
