Following is the list of top 10 stories of the year in Calhoun County as voted on by the staff of The Journal.
1) Construction, additions and major renovations
Calhoun County has experienced a lot of improvements over the past year with major construction projects in all three of the largest municipalities.
Hwy. 9 from Bruce to Calhoun City was repaved for the first time in more than a decade with new curbing added at major intersections along the way.
Darracott
Once the highway project was complete, work on the long anticipated turn lane for Weyerhaeuser was begun and finished at the end of the summer.
Randy Darracott, who has overseen a more than $100 million expansion of the Bruce mill, said “This is an exciting time for Weyerhaeuser.”
“Each year we receive 35,000-36,000 trucks that used to come down Hwy. 9, and because of the congestion, they would backlog down the shoulder of the road. With this new turning lane, we won’t experience that backlog,” Darracott said. “For Weyerhaeuser, that means we will actually have a lot quicker turn time for our truckers, which results in an economic gain for our logging industry that supports our mill. Additionally, we have a lot of family and friends traveling this highway each and every day, and of greater importance is their safety and the welfare of our community.”
Just down the road from the turn lane, the Bank of Okolona built and opened a new bank in Bruce – Calhoun Banking Center – in September.
Construction is still ongoing at the hospital in Calhoun City where a new state-of-the-art physical therapy unit, ambulance service headquarters and administrative offices are in the works and expected to open in the spring of 2017.
PEPA in Bruce also made some major upgrades opening a new office in the former Logan’s Drugs building on South Newberger giving customers more teller windows to access and a drive-thru window.
Vardaman is also making major improvements for the town after buying the former Vardaman hardware building on Main Street. The town is moving all town offices – fire, police, public works and Town Hall into the new facility.
2) Calhoun added to Mississippi Blues Trail
Calhoun County earned a place on the prestigious Mississippi Blues Trail after years of work by local officials.
“We may not have a four-lane highway in Calhoun County, but we have a Blues Trail, and perhaps in the long run that will prove even more meaningful,” said Calhoun County Journal Publisher Joel McNeece at the unveiling of Calhoun County’s Blues Marker in October on the Bruce Square.
The Mississippi Blues Trail attracts visitors from all over the world to come see the history of this uniquely Mississippi genre.
“We look forward to seeing Germans, Italians and people from all over visiting Calhoun County to see this marker and be introduced to the great music that comes from here,” said Kempf Poole, chairman of the Mississippi Blues Commission.
The Calhoun marker honors all segments of local music with special recognition for Leo “Bud” Welch of Bruce and Ace Cannon of Calhoun City.
The front of the marker, which sits on the inside southeast corner of the Bruce Square, notes Welch’s “international acclaim” for his success late in life while also pointing out that the county is home to the “Godfather of Sax” in Ace Cannon.
3) Baptist now running county hospital
A $2 million expansion on the hospital campus in Calhoun City wasn’t the biggest news of the year on that property.
Baptist Health Systems became the new lessee, taking over for past managers North Mississippi Medical Center.
Jason Little, president and CEO of Baptist Health System, told a large gathering they are “proud to welcome Calhoun County to their family” during a celebration of the company taking over the hospital in Calhoun City in October.
“We have 300,000 people managing their care in the Baptist One System and we’re proud to add Calhoun County to that number,” Little said.
He was joined by hospital administrator James Franklin and board of supervisors president Barney Wade in tying the official ribbon symbolizing the new partnership between Baptist and Calhoun County.
“On behalf of our 15,000 employees, I can tell you we will be a dedicated partner,” Little said. “We won’t let you down.”
Franklin spoke on Baptist’s core principles noting the name badges in the hospital that say “LOVED,” meaning “Living Our Values Each Day.”
4) Lots of change on county boards
Both the Calhoun County Board of Supervisors and School Board underwent significant changes over the past year.
Three new supervisors joined the board table in 2016 in the Calhoun County Courthouse.
Jennifer Rogers was sworn in as district two supervisor succeeding her late husband J.B. Rogers at the beginning of 2016.
She served until the first of December when Homer Moore succeeded her after winning the special election.
Charles Bobo stepped in as district one supervisor after being appointed by the board following the resignation of Ernest Fox.
At the start of 2017, Precious Thompson is the only school board member still in place that was serving at the end of 2015.
Bubba Weeks and Don Hardin both joined the board after special elections in 2016 in districts three and five. Starting in January, Janice Golliday and Will Fleming, representing districts one and two, will begin serving a full term after being elected in November.
Rudy Pope served for a portion of 2016 following the death of Billy McCord. Weeks was elected to that seat.
Whit Casey resigned from the board in 2016 as district five’s representative. He was succeeded by Hardin.
Board President Danny Harrelson chose not to seek re-election in November. Reginal Baskin, who did represent district one, moved to district two and lost the November race to Will Fleming.
5) Fox, Dill, Collins all plead guilty
Three major criminal cases in the county came to a close in 2016 with all ending in guilty pleas.
Supervisor Ernest Fox pled guilty to soliciting a bribe and was sentenced to two years probation and immediately resigned as District One Supervisor at the federal courthouse in Oxford.
Fox, 67, began the PACS program – a group counseling program for convicted felons – as part of the plea agreement. In addition to his probation and resignation as supervisor, he will also be forbidden to vote and to own a gun going forward.
An apologetic Fox appeared in the U.S. District courtroom accompanied only by his attorney Kevin Horan of Grenada. Judge Sharion Aycock accepted Fox’s plea and noted that without the PACS program, Fox would have been sentenced to two years in prison.
“I apologize to this court, to the prosecution, to the people of Calhoun County,” Fox said in the courtroom. “I am sorry and hope I can do something to get my name back and their confidence.”
Matthew Collins, 33, of Calhoun City, pled guilty to a manslaughter charge in August of 2016 for the Feb. 1, 2015 death of his wife Courtney Leigh Collins, and was sentenced to 20 years, with 10 suspended and 10 to serve and five years probation by Judge Andrew Howorth at the courthouse on the Oxford square.
Collins didn’t speak during the process except to answer yes and no questions from the judge when asked if he understood what he was agreeing to.
Shelly King, Courtney Collins’ mother, did address the court prior to Collins being sentenced.
“I want Matthew to know that when she died, I died,” King said overcome with emotion. She said Courtney’s loss has devastated their family, a few of which were seated in the second row of the gallery. The only others present were Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department personnel.
“Courtney was beautiful inside and out,” King said.
Matthew Collins remained seated at a corner table beside his attorney Bob Laster, of Grenada, showing no emotion throughout the proceedings.
Matthew Collins, right, reviews his plea agreement with his attorney Bob Laster, of Grenada, in the Lafayette County Courthouse courtroom Tuesday afternoon.
Collins was arrested and charged with murder in October of 2015 after the Calhoun County Grand Jury indicted him. He had been free since, after posting a $300,000 bond.
Courtney Collins, 30, was found by search parties partially submerged in Pulley Slough near Big Creek approximately five hours after she went missing on Feb. 1, 2015. The autopsy report showed the cause of death as drowning.
Former Vardaman softball coach Billy Dill entered a guilty plea to a charge of enticing a child for sexual purposes at the Oxford Courthouse in March and was sentenced by Judge Andrew Howorth.
Dill, accompanied by his wife and attorney, was sentenced to 10 years, with seven years suspended and three years to serve. Assistant D.A. Julie Howell presented the case, saying the state agreed to waive two other charges as part of the plea agreement. He will face five years probation and have to register as a sex offender. Howell noted that Dill will be able to petition the court for removal of the sex offender label 25 years after his sentence.
Dill was originally charged with fondling, enticement of a child, and sexual battery involving a Vardaman High School student.
Dill made no public comments during the court proceedings, only acknowledging his decision to plead guilty.
6) Calhoun City wins State
The Calhoun City Wildcats capped off a dominant season with a state championship in December defeating Bay Springs 22-8 at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville.
“This is an unbelievable feeling,” Jessie Nabors said holding the 2A State Championship trophy high over his head as teammates gathered behind a large banner and the number 68 jersey that has motivated them all season.
Sixty-eight was Tripp Macon, who died in a car accident months after the Wildcats’ last trip to the state title game in 2014. The Wildcats all wore “68” on their helmets in 2016 honoring Macon who would have been a senior.
“We had to get this for No. 68,” Nabors said.
Nabors certainly did his part, rushing for more than 100 yards, setting up all three Wildcat touchdowns with big runs, leading the defense in tackles and also pulling in an interception and a fumble recovery. He earned MVP honors for his performance.
Calhoun City, 15-1, dominated their competition all season since a week two loss at Houston. They stormed through the postseason whipping everybody by at least four touchdowns.
“This feels amazing, especially after 27 years of coming up empty handed,” QB Jo Gray said during the post game celebration. Gray was also presented an MVP award sponsored by CSpire for his performance.
“This is the best feeling ever,” Tyrese Quinn said. “We did this for Tripp. He told us we were going to get it our senior year and it means a lot to me to make it happen.”
“This is great, just knowing we could do it for Tripp,” said Taylor Liles, who was presented the Scholar Athlete Award in pregame. “We’ve got the best support in 2A football. They come with us wherever we go and they always expect to win and we finally delivered one.”
7) Dollar General replaces Walmart in Derma
Derma’s top business in terms of revenue generation – the Walmart Neighborhood Market – closed in January and sat dormant for almost nine months until Dollar General bought the property and moved in.
Dollar General closed its Calhoun City store and opened a new expanded version in October with more grocery offerings in the larger Derma facility.
8) Fiber comes to Calhoun
The Calhoun County School District received a big boost in internet service in 2016 with the installation of a new fiber network.
The district’s poor internet service, which impacted its ability to complete state testing and access modern teaching tools, received
Mike Moore
national media attention with a series of stories entitled “The slowest internet in Mississippi found in Calhoun County Schools.” That was corrected in 2016 with new fiber linking the schools and drastically improving service.
“Our teachers are excited about what we’re going to be able to do now,” Superintendent Mike Moore said. “All of our data on every child is driven by technology. You have to know where that child scores on all these screener tests to know how to move that child to the next level. It’s difficult to explain just how important this new technology is for us.”
Bruce Telephone Company (BTC) completed a 5-year project of installing fiber throughout its area in 2016, increasing internet capacity for most of its customers by as much as 3,000 percent.
“Our build out is complete,” BTC Bruce Manager Jay Vanlandingham said. “We’re still connecting individual customers to the fiber, but all the main lines are installed.”
Construction began five years ago with contractors installing fiber along the roadsides throughout northern Calhoun County.
The impact of the new lines is where BTC customers once had access to just under three megabytes with its internet service, now they can get as much as 100 meg.
“Everyone in our service area has the capability of at least 25 meg,” Vanlandingham said. “Those that are all fiber can get 100.”
He estimated 70% of BTC’s area is now all fiber. Some areas, such as north and west of Bruce, and the Lloyd and Rocky Mount areas to the south, are still on copper lines that tie into the fiber.
9) Calhoun City adopts new zoning ordinance
A new zoning ordinance passed in 2016 in Calhoun City and set new standards for property maintenance and designated certain areas as residential, commercial and industrial.
David Hill, manager of Cannon Motors in Calhoun City, is chairman of the new commission that oversees the implementation of the ordinance.
“Our goal is simply to develop a plan, help everyone to learn the guidelines and then follow them,” Hill said.
Hill, along with commission members Sandra Norman, Helen Owens, Willie Lairy and Justin Nichols, representing each of the town’s wards, will serve as the governing body. The ordinance has been structured so the commission, not the town board, has final authority.
“It’s a good ordinance that covers just about everything you can think of,” Mayor J.R. Denton said.
Alderwoman Barbara Goodson said it’s a positive step forward for the town.
“I’m 100 percent behind the zoning ordinance,” she said. “I think it’s important so we can protect the viability of our town for the future.”
Hill said he’s hopeful the commission can work with the community, using the ordinance to make Calhoun City a more attractive place for business and residents.
“It’s not about what’s been done in the past, but what we’re going to do in the future,” Hill said.
10) Schools earn 'C' from new state rating system
Calhoun County schools saw their letter grade rating drop overall in the new set of accountability data released in 2016 by the Mississippi Department of Education, but local officials also saw lots of positives they believe can impact the district’s performance going forward.
The district earned a “C” rating, dropping from a “B” in the last official ratings two years ago. The district fell only 16 points shy of maintaining the “B” grade.
“That’s only a couple of questions,” Calhoun Testing Coordinator Raven Hawkins said.
Bruce Elementary earned a “B” and Calhoun City Elementary dropped to a “D” while all other schools in the district were a “C.”
CCES fell only 10 points from also being a “C.” Vardaman Elementary was only four points from being a “B.”
Four of Calhoun’s seven schools that scored below a “B” were within 19 points of earning a higher grade.
“Bruce Upper Elementary was in the top 10 schools in the entire state in growth,” Hawkins said. “All three high schools had the best acceleration in the growth component they’ve ever had.”
Other top stories of 2016 in no particular order included the salutatorian controversy at Calhoun City High School; the Sheriff’s Department and Bruce Police both getting new K-9 officers; Jesse Yancy Memorial Library in Bruce rededicated on its 40th anniversary; and Ken Chandler’s hiring as Bruce football coach.
Editor’s Note: This list was compiled by the staff of The Journal considering the overall news value of each story, the number of people impacted and historical significance.