Special Report Inside
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THE
Daily
MISSISSIPPIAN theDMonline.com
Thursday, December 5, 2024
Search for Jay Lee detailed in Herrington trial
Volume 113, No. 14
Rooster’s last call: Oxford says farewell to an iconic bar MARY EVANS
Assistant News Editor
ANTONELLA RESCIGNO / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Rooster’s Blueshouse, a cornerstone of Oxford’s bar scene, is preparing to close its doors at the end of December. For 17 years, the bar on the Square has been a beloved stomping ground for students and locals alike, offering live music, hot wings and its famed balcony. The decision to shut the bar comes from the building’s owners, the Phillips family who leases through Crye-Leike Oxford Real-Estate and chose not to renew the lease, according to Rooster’s owner Scott Michael.
While no official reason was provided, a manager of Oxford Grillehouse, the restaurant below, said they have plans to expand into the space to create an upscale bar. Neither the Phillips family, Crye-Leike Oxford Real Estate or Oxford Grillehouse have responded to requests for comment from The Daily Mississippian. Michael reflected on his business journey with Rooster’s. “I’ve been there 17 years. I put a lot of money in the building back in 2008 and was told I would be there as long as I wanted to lease
SEE ROOSTER’S PAGE 3
Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr. looks over his shoulder during trial testimony in the Lafayette County Courthouse on Dec. 4.
MARY EVANS
Assistant News Editor
T
he trial of Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr. — who is charged with capital murder in the death of Jimmie “Jay” Lee — continued Wednesday with the jury hearing witness testimony from former University Police Department Capt. Jane McGregor-Mahan, who oversaw the initial investigation of Lee’s disappearance. Lee, 20, was a prominent
figure in the Oxford-Lafayette LGBTQ+ community who graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2022. He was last seen on video surveillance footage at 5:58 a.m. on July 8, 2022, leaving Campus Walk Apartments. Although Lee’s body has yet to be recovered, he was declared dead by Circuit Court Judge Gray Tollison on Oct. 15. Mahan was called to testify regarding the University Police Department’s investigation into
the disappearance of Lee. During her testimony she detailed the timeline of the investigation, which began on July 8, 2022, when Lee was reported missing by his mother, Stephanie Lee. UPD attempted multiple welfare checks, Mahan said, but after further concern from Stephanie Lee on July 9, officers began tracking Jay Lee’s phone and issued a Be on the Lookout (BOLO)
SEE TRIAL PAGE 2
Rooster’s Blueshouse
CALLI HULL / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Theatre Oxford presents ‘The Peppermint Bear and the Two-Headed Dragon’ NATE DONOHUE A&C Staff Writer
Theatre Oxford’s “The Peppermint Bear and the Two-Headed Dragon” opens at the Powerhouse today at 6 p.m. The show, which has been a huge hit with younger audiences in years past, will have four performances through Saturday, Dec. 7. Friday’s performance will start at 6 p.m.; Saturday’s shows begin at 2 and 6 p.m. This is the third consecutive year that Theatre Oxford has put on this production. Paula ET Stack has been involved in the production for all three years, and in this year’s performance she
plays “Mert,” the head elf. “I consider it a sort of promotion, since I was the sassy little sister elf for the last two years,” Stack said. Stack performed the same role in the late 1980s when earning her B.A. in dramatic arts from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. “The Peppermint Bear shows follow a fairly standard plot line — a villain appears to create havoc during the elves’ busy season,” Stack said. “Peppermint Bear helps resolve the problem, and the villain transforms into helpful North Pole Assets. This year, it’s a two-headed dragon that has awakened from a 100-year sleep and is hungry for elves.” Rene Pulliam, an asso-
ciate professor emeritus of the University of Mississippi Department of Theatre and Film, has also been involved with the production since its first run three years ago. “I am a founding member of Theatre Oxford, along with my husband, Christopher Schager,” Pulliam said. “I had to pull away for a few years, as my job at the University of Mississippi took most of my time. When I retired in 2019, I came back to Theatre Oxford.” Pulliam is the production manager for “The Peppermint Bear and the Two-Headed Dragon.”
PHOTO COURTESY: THEATRE OXFORD
Actors perform a scene from “The Peppermint Bear and the Two-Headed SEE PEPPERMINT BEAR PAGE 4 Dragon.”