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Uri and Viola visit the Deep South Communities in Mississippi are accustomed to dealing with the aftermaths of storms, tornadoes and hurricanes. When you call the Deep South home, it comes with the territory. But last month our state grappled with something that happens much less frequently — winter storms. On Feb. 14 — Valentine’s Day — the state was hit by Winter Storm Uri and then, just a few days later, Winter Storm Viola blasted its way through before we had time to pick up the pieces from Uri. The power outages were severe. Because the storms struck one after the other, some of the electric cooperative systems and members were impacted by both. During Viola, outages peaked at 110,000 homes and businesses with no power. Electric cooperatives live and serve by The Cooperative Way — seven core principles. One of those principles is Cooperation Among Cooperatives. Mutual aid assistance between Mississippi’s electric cooperatives as well as from co-ops from nearby states was the key to restoring power as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible. State co-ops sent work crews to other Mississippi co-ops to assist in power restoration. Some of the crews sent to help were exhausted after working long hours on the first storm. Additional challenges arose when co-op work crews from other states were sent to Mississippi and they had to maneuver through icy roads and find lodging when hotels were packed with local residents seeking power and heat. The out of state work crews were limited because the outages created by the two storms crippled areas from Texas to the east coast.

But thanks to mutual aid and cooperation among cooperatives, power was restored to our members in a safe and timely manner. And although we think of our linemen as our rock stars — and they are — they couldn’t do their jobs without the support of the cooperative employees who work behind the scenes. Co-op workers take outage calls, set up meals and post social media to keep members informed of the latest news. Co-op warehouse workers make sure our linemen have all the tools and materials they need to perform their tasks safely and efficiently. Co-op dispatchers ensure planning for outage repair for optimal results. Workers in co-op shops make sure the trucks and vehicles are running properly for outage response. Substation technicians go out before the bad weather arrives to preemptively make sure equipment is ready for the incoming storm event. Each cooperative works as a team to make sure our communities experience safe power delivery. In that spirit, we want to thank our members for your patience and our cooperative employees for your hard work and dedication.

Mississippi is... “Where I’m from” I am from front porch swings, from pond raised catfish and creek banks. I am from the modest dwelling on the hill. I am from clothes hanging out on the line, from Ford truck beds, and from screen doors. I am from the vegetable gardens, the play forts in the woods. I’m from family holiday gatherings and humbleness, from the Wardens and the Mitchells. I’m from the bended knees and lifted prayers. From love never fails and all in God’s timing. I’m from the small things make the biggest memories, the God on the mountain is still God in the valley. I’m from hard work and sacrifice. From chicken n’ dumplings and Mississippi mud cake. From the long line of love.

by Michael Callahan Executive Vice President/CEO Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi

I am from the small community, off the beaten path in south Mississippi.

by Naomi Colson a resident of Benndale and a member of Singing River Electric

What’s Mississippi to you? What do you treasure most about life in our state? Send your brief thoughts to Today in Mississippi, news@ecm.coop or mail to P.O. Box 3300, Ridgeland, MS 39158

in this issue

5 southern gardening Visiting your independent garden center

7 scene around the ‘sip A look at special people and places in Mississippi

11 outdoors today

Spring is almost here

12 local news 18 feature

Remembering Lynyrd Skynyrd ‘s historic Mississippi plane crash

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The Official Publication of the Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi

Vol. 74 No. 3

OFFICERS Kevin Bonds - President Eddie Howard - First Vice President Randy Carroll - Second Vice President Ron Barnes - Secretary/Treasurer Michael Callahan - Executive Vice President/CEO EDITORIAL STAFF Ron Stewart - Senior VP, Communications Steven Ward - Editor Chad Calcote - Creative Director/ Manager Elissa Fulton - Communications Specialist Rickey McMillan - Graphic Designer Kevin Wood - Graphic Designer Chris Alexander - Administrative Assistant EDITORIAL OFFICE & ADVERTISING 601-605-8600

Acceptance of advertising by Today in Mississippi does not imply endorsement of the advertised product or services by the publisher or Mississippi’s electric power associations. Product satisfaction and delivery responsibility lie solely with the advertiser. • National advertising representative: American MainStreet Publications, 800-626-1181

Circulation of this issue: 486,319

Non-member subscription price: $9.50 per year. Today in Mississippi (ISSN 1052-2433) is published 12 times a year by Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi Inc., P.O. Box 3300, Ridgeland, MS 39158-3300, or 665 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland, MS 39157. Phone 601-605-8600. Periodical postage paid at Ridgeland, MS, and additional office. The publisher (and/or its agent) reserves the right to refuse or edit all advertising. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2) NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to: Today in Mississippi, P.O. Box 3300, Ridgeland, MS 39158-3300

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Ghostbusting

On the cover Six people died when Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane crashed in Gillsburg on Oct. 20, 1977. For years, fans drove to the tiny Mississippi community to try and find the site. A group of local fans and crash rescuers have created a monument that memorializes the band and what happened on that horrible night. Photo by Chad Calcote.

And we think you’re going to love ours. So let’s work together: As electric cooperatives, we were built by the communities we serve—and by members just like you. 4 TODAY | MARCH 2021

One advantage of shopping at independent garden centers is their experience with local and regional plant selections and growing information.

Garden and landscape planning for the 2021 season continues to move forward as we get closer to the day we can get back out into the garden full time. If 2020 showed us one good thing, it’s that huge numbers of people discovered the joys and benefits of gardening. As the calendar moves into better gardening weather, I hope most of the new gardeners from 2020 will continue their gardening practices. This means there could be some horticultural shortages, so planning becomes even more important. That’s where becoming an intentional gardener will result in more garden enjoyment. All intentional gardeners must decide where to buy landscape and garden plants. When putting my gardening skills to work in my home landscape, I often want to buy plants. When it’s time to shop, I like to patronize the local, independent garden centers. Sure, I could and sometimes do go to the big box or home improvement stores, but there is a huge difference between plant material bought from these sources and independent garden centers. Now, I’m not knocking the selection of plants at these stores, and the quality of plants is really good most of the time. But most of these stores don’t individually order plants for their garden departments. It’s most common for these companies to have buyers in regional corporate offices contracting with big growers to supply their stores. For example, there’s a huge greenhouse grower outside of Auburn, Alabama, and this one facility supplies plants for more than 100 locations of a familiar home improvement store. There are advantages of shopping at your local independent garden centers. You can count on working with a knowledgeable staff. Many independents pride themselves for having experience with local and regional plant selections and growing information. Don’t hesitate to ask questions because they’ll have answers and suggestions for you to be successful. These professionals are happy to give you personal assistance with your plant purchases. Many independent garden centers are associated with design and build or landscape maintenance divisions. They can offer a high level of services available besides the basic plant material.

Local garden centers offer personal assistance and sometimes personalities such as Bob, the guard cat.

The plant selections at independent garden centers are usually more extensive than those found at other outlets. And if they don’t have what you’re looking for, many will try to source it for you. Independent garden centers typically work with an assortment of wholesale growers. Having a grower network like this can really be a benefit to the home gardener. The last point I want to make maybe should have been my first. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and associated quarantines threatened the independent garden centers as businesses. In Mississippi, we were extremely fortunate that gardens centers were deemed essential and could remain open. That situation could have changed at a moment’s notice. Independent garden centers rely on the customer base of the home gardener, as sales of consumer horticulture products account for 100% of their revenue. These sales are less than 5% of revenue for the big box stores. I want to encourage all of us to be intentional and support our local independent garden centers this year.

by Dr. Gary Bachman Gary Bachman, Ph.D., Extension/Research Professor of Horticulture at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi. He is also host of “Southern Gardening” radio and TV programs. He lives in Ocean Springs and is a Singing River Electric member.

MARCH 2021 | TODAY 5

VERSION #______________ RON Date_____ Approved Revisions Requested STEVEN Date_____ Approved Revisions Requested CHAD Date_____ Approved Revisions Requested ELISSA Date_____ Approved Revisions Requested CHRIS Date_____ Approved Revisions Requested ARTIST ___________ Date_____ Approved Revisions Requested

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THE MISSISSIPPI STATE GUARD Mississippians serving Mississippians by 2nd Lt. Andrew Bryson What is a volunteer? A volunteer is a person who donates their money, time, and resources to a project or organization. The Mississippi State Guard (MSSG) is a little-known branch of the Mississippi Military Department. The group is an all-volunteer force, only paid if called to state active duty. It falls under the Mississippi National Guard and its purpose is to augment the state’s national guard in time of need and or to take over the mission of the national guard should they be called to federal service. Should the MSSG be activated, it falls under the 66th National Guard Troop Command, but as it is not a federal organization, any overseas deployment is unlikely. There is also no contractual requirement to join and its members can resign at any time, and the MSSG operates like a brotherhood. However, it should be noted that if deployed (deployments consist of state or national emergency home side), its soldiers then fall under Mississippi Code of Military Justice rules. There are three brigades divided based on their location for convenience — one each in north, central and south Mississippi. The MSSG is always looking for prior military, current or prior law enforcement (as many of the units are military police), medical and clerical professionals. There is a place for everyone, and you do not have to be prior military or be a first responder to find a place with the MSSG. Recruits with no prior military training will go through Initial Entry Training which lasts about 4 months and is completed during monthly drills.

Age requirements are 18 to 65 and you must be able to pass a background investigation. The units drill one weekend a month and one week per year at different military facilities in the state. The 3rd for example trains at Camp Shelby near Hattiesburg. The troops sleep in barracks and eat at an assigned dining facility and kitchen. Its officers and staff train the troops to meet any mission that may arise, and it is often said “we train for possibilities not probabilities.” To produce well rounded troops, the State Guard trains constantly. At a recent drill for the State Guard’s 3rd Brigade, troops trained on the M9 on the range simulator and conducted HUMVEE rollover training. Previous trainings have included topics such as search and rescue, FEMA certification, land navigation, military policework (since the primary job for the Mississippi State Guard is military police) and CPR certification. State Guard members are professional and serious about what they are doing. In these troubled times the state guard may be more important than any time in its history and they are looking for volunteer soldiers who want to serve their state and country. If you are looking for a way to get more involved in your community, the Mississippi Guard could be a great way to do it. For more information, visit www.msstateguard.us. 2nd Lt. Andrew Bryson is a member of the Mississippi State Guard. 10 ⁄ 3

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Cooperative Energy wins national Arbor Day award by Steven Ward When Wes Graham first inspected Cooperative Energy’s rights-of-way 16 years ago, he did not see a challenge but an opportunity. An opportunity to change how vegetation management was accomplished. And now, both National and state officials have taken notice. The Hattiesburg-based generation and transmission cooperative was recently named a Tree Line USA utility for 2021. The designation, awarded to Cooperative Energy by the Mississippi Forestry Commission, reflects the cooperative’s commitment to implementing best practices in caring for trees along its rights-of-way. Cooperative Energy is currently the only utility in Mississippi with this status. “I think this is a testament to Cooperative Energy and what we do here. It’s an honor and privilege to do this work and show people that we are good stewards of other people’s land,” said Graham, a transmission field biologist and Cooperative Energy’s right-of-way (ROW) program supervisor. Tree Line USA is a national program of the Arbor Day Foundation. Utilities must meet five program criteria to earn the designation: provide quality tree care, administer annual worker training, conduct tree planting and public education, facilitate a tree-based energy conservation program, and host an Arbor Day celebration. The award illustrates how the Cooperative Energy ROW team works to ensure that trees and utilities can co-exist for the benefit of communities, citizens and the cooperative’s consumer-members.

8 TODAY | MARCH 2021

Cooperative Energy’s right-of-way team maintains approximately 28,000 acres of rights-of-way across the state using integrated vegetation management techniques that control growth through environmentally-sound and cost-effective control methods. Graham and fellow team members Tommy Garrard, Brad Morris and William Murphy work diligently to balance the cooperative’s needs as a utility with their commitment to the environment. “This work lends itself to increasing reliability to our members. Outages will be minimized as a result,” Graham said. In many cases, the cooperatives are already doing a lot of the ROW work required for the award. “I’m just proud to represent the state in this way and it’s a reflection of our entire company. It really is a team effort. And it shows our members that we are doing our Wes Graham due diligence,” Graham said. Jeff Bowman, Cooperative Energy’s president and CEO, said the designation aligns with the cooperative’s mission. “Trees which are properly planted and maintained result in lower line clearance costs, improved rights-of-way management, lower peak energy demand and increased reliability of service,” Bowman said in a news release. Cooperative Energy generates and transmits electricity to 11 member-owned electric distribution cooperatives. The 11 electric cooperatives own and maintain more than 57,000 miles of distribution lines and provide service to approximately 432,000 home and businesses throughout 55 counties.

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He was grand and gaudy and gigantic and entirely capable, by his simple presence, of soothing wounded spirits and mitigating dour moods. The week before there was snow. That was grand as well. But now this bird — deep black with a brilliant red head, its crown proudly pileated. Some white between the red and black. He was a pileated woodpecker, one of the more commanding birds flitting about the woodlands. My daddy called them Indian Hens. No matter the name, I was early on enamored of them. And that call! It was and is unnerving, enchanting. And here he was, on an elm and then an oak, where snow was last week. I wished for his call. The situation would have been ornamented had he called, but he didn’t. I watched in awe. And that admirable observation somehow prompted my mind toward thoughts of spring. It was still some distance away that day, that day of the bird and that week after snow, but spring was coming. In fact, by the time these words are published, there are likely serious hints of spring budding from lawns and pastures and woods edges. And from tree branches. Even though Mississippi can sneak in the surprise snow or freeze or sleet-slicked walkways in March, time is short for the arrival of true spring. Anglers and hunters are considering their potential and upcoming pursuits and how these relate to spring. The hunter will likely turn attention to turkeys. This bird is the premier candidate at such a time. There are some outdoors types among us who lose sleep and mental faculties in love with and planning for and frustration over this magnificent marvel. A strutting and gobbling tom is a thing of majesty — posturing and pirouetting, iridescent

hues shimmering in morning light. And turkeys are challenging. Often it is that a hunter walks from the woods dejected, burdened with the heavy load of failure. Then again, failure is seldom true failure. To simply see a bird strut or hear him answer a cluck or yelp from the hunter’s calling is a mighty reward. Add to that a pleasant spring morning, and the word failure is an affront to the blessings just experienced. And fishing can be good in March. This in all probability applies to those seeking crappie. Depending upon weather conditions and water temperature, crappie may be in the shallows, preparing and tending beds. If they are not there because water temperatures are still a bit low, they most likely are holding near drops and shelves between deep and shallow. But some prospecting can point the way, and once fish are found they will generally be in abundance. Spring is here or certainly on the way. Whatever your springtime outdoor pursuit, the time for it is close at hand. And while out there, keep an eye and ear attuned for the pileated woodpecker. Location of such will enhance any outing.

by Tony Kinton Tony Kinton has been an active outdoors writer for 30 years. He lives in Carthage and is a Central Electric member. Visit www.tonykinton.com for more information.

There are few sights more captivating than strutting turkeys on a spring morning.

MARCH 2021 | TODAY 11

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Johnny Johnson, President • Mike Banks, Vice President • Marty Crowder, Secretary/Treasurer • Bill Bell • John E. “Jay” Gilliland Jr. • Bruff Sanders • Kenneth Seitz

FASTnet living up to its name 125. At press time for this issue of Today in Mississippi, that is the number of customers taking advantage of services from our FASTnet broadband subsidiary. It’s a really big deal considering we have built FASTnet from scratch, starting about six months ago. Our three pilot programs are moving along as planned, and we announced last month we are set to receive some $35.5 million in federal dollars to assist in bringing internet to all of our members. We are working right now on our final construction plan, and we expect to have a timeline soon. That timeline will let you know when you can expect to get internet service from FASTnet. While I hope everyone is excited about the chance to get the fastest, most reliable internet available, I want to remind you that some folks will get the service early, some will be later and some will be last. That’s just the way it has to be. Everyone can’t be first. But rest assured that our final plan will be one that allows us to get service out as quickly as we can, as economically as possible. We want members to take our service. We need members to take our service. That is how this broadband project will ultimately be successful. That leads me back to our pilot programs. As most of you know, we received a $6 million matching grant from the state of Mississippi to do three limited pilot programs in rural areas of our service territory. We jumped at the chance to provide service in unserved and underserved areas that really need high speed internet, especially with outside funding helping to mitigate the cost of the project. Typically, those areas would be among the last to get service. The pilots gave us a chance to get them first. But with those dollars came some restrictions, especially with who was eligible to receive service right away. Those restrictions are frustrating for some people. They see the fiber being hung and neighbors getting service when they cannot. I know it can be difficult to see someone get something you can’t, but I promise we 12 TODAY | MARCH 2021

will make internet service available to any member who wants it. As I said earlier, it will come sooner for some than others, but it will come. And as frustrating as it may be for those members who are close to the pilot areas but aren’t eligible right now, we’ve got the infrastructure in place. And we need customers to make the project successful, so you can guarantee that we’ll be working to hook you up just as soon as is possible. In the meantime, remember that one of the big concerns about getting into broadband was the cost. With the money from the pilots and the federal funding, we are now able to offset more than $40 million of the total project costs. That is a really big deal and something that helps mitigate a lot of risk to 4-County members. To sum all this up, broadband is coming. If you are not in the pilot areas, be patient. We’ll get to you as quickly as we can. We should have our timetable for buildout complete in the next couple of months and that will give each of you an idea of when you can expect service. And we encourage you to try FASTnet when you can. We think you’ll appreciate the fastest, most reliable internet around, brought to you by people you’ve trusted for more than 80 years. And last, but certainly not least, we’re very thankful to our members for the support shown to us during the two February winter storms (see related article on page 14) that hit our service area. We battled through some tough conditions to get the power back on. Our linemen and members of our support team rolled up their sleeves and got the job done. But we couldn’t have done it without the unwavering support of our members. Again, thank you!

by Brian Clark CEO/General Manager

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Cold hands, warm hearts for Valentine’s Day 2021 Hearts were warm but hands were colder for 4-County Electric Power Association linemen this Valentine’s Day as significant accumulations of sleet, ice and snow hit the co-op’s service area, causing challenging outages. Two winter storms hit the service area in one week. Temperatures began plummeting in the evening hours of Feb. 14 as the first winter storm made its way into the Golden Triangle and surrounding counties. At the height of the first storm, about 1,300 members were without power. Ice-encased limbs falling onto power lines caused much of the damage. Conditions made power restoration a little difficult. Linemen restored power to all members the afternoon of Feb. 16. However, the major blow to the system came the next day when the second winter storm blasted the service area. Ice and broken limbs downed power lines throughout the territory, leaving (at its height) about 10,000 without power. Tombigbee Electric Power Association assisted 4-County in the latter days of the restoration. Power was restored to most members by Feb. 19. “We’re thankful to our members for the support they provided us during this winter storm. Our linemen and members of our support team responded as they always do, rolling up their sleeves and getting the job done under some difficult

weather conditions. And we’re thankful to our friends from Tombigbee Electric Power Association for their help,” said 4-County CEO Brian Clark. 4-County officials encourage members to keep the cooperative’s outage reporting number on hand, 1-800-431-1544.

Check into this election

Shuffield presented with leadership scholly

Key dates are upcoming for the 2021 4-County Electric Power Association Board election. Three seats, District 2 (Oktibbeha County), District 3 (Clay and Monroe counties) and District 6 (Choctaw and Webster counties) are on the ballot this year. The co-op’s nominating committee will announce their nominations Friday, April 2. The committee puts forth one candidate for each seat up for election. Other candidates can also run by completing a nomination by petition. The window for collecting signatures began in January and lasts through noon, April 2. For a petition form and more information on the process, please visit our website at http://www.4county.org/ nomination-by-petition-for-board-of-directors/ or call Jon Turner at 662-245-0708.

Memory Shuffield of Maben, a 2020 4-County Electric Power Association Youth Tour delegate, recently received a $500 scholarship for his achievements in the youth leadership program. Memory was one of two students from around the state who were selected for overall leadership awards. Presenting the check at Memory’s school, Starkville Academy, is 4-County Communications Coordinator Brad Barr, administrator of the co-op’s youth leadership program.

14 TODAY | MARCH 2021

We need your info At 4-County Electric Power Association, we are constantly striving to improve our operational efficiency so we can provide the most reliable electric service possible for our members. We rely on data for nearly every aspect of our operations, which is why we need your help. By making sure we have your most accurate and complete contact information, we can continue to provide the high level of service that you expect and deserve. Accurate information enables us to improve member service and enhance communications for reporting and repairing outages. It also allows co-op members to receive information about other important programs, events and activities. Up-to-date contact information can potentially speed up the power restoration process during an outage. For example, the phone number you provide is linked to your service address to our outage management system. This means when you call to report an outage, our system recognizes your phone number and matches it with your account location. Accurate information helps our outage management system predict the location and possible cause of an outage, making it easier for our crews to correct the problem. While we always do our best to maintain service, we occasionally plan outages to update, repair or replace equipment. In these instances, we can provide advance notification to

affected members through automated phone messages, text messages or email, if we have your updated contact information and communication preferences. Keeping the co-op updated with your information also helps us when there’s a question about energy use or billing. Emails and text messages are also used to notify registered members of any changes in co-op event details. In addition, discrepancies on your account can be taken care of promptly if 4-County has accurate account information. Many of you have been members of the co-op for years, and it’s likely that your account information hasn’t been updated for some time. We recognize that many members now use a cell phone as their primary phone service, and we might not have that number in our system. We will never share this information with any third parties. It is only used by 4-County to send important information to you. Please take a moment to confirm or update your contact information by calling 1-800-431-1544. By doing so, you will be helping us improve service and efficiency so we can better serve you and all members of the co-op.

4-County vets embrace new challenges Two veteran 4-County Electric Power Association employees recently received new responsibilities at 4-County Electric Power Association. Howie Critcher, a 27-year cooperative team member, was selected to fill the position of manager of outside fiber planning and networking for FASTnet, 4-County’s new broadband subsidiary. Howie started his career as a Lineman Apprentice 4. He later received promotions to journeyman lineman, lead lineman, network support technician, network administrator, and information technology administrator. “Howie’s knowledge and experience in line work and network administration will prove valuable as he transitions to his new position,” said 4-County CEO Brian Clark. “He is a smart, hard-working and trusted employee. Howie will do a great job.” Jima Branning, a 12-year cooperative team member, was selected to fill the position of Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer. She takes over for Emily Bratton, a 13-year 4-County veteran, who retired in January. Jima started her co-op career as a roving customer service representative and, later, as an accounting clerk.

Jima Branning

Howie Critcher

“Jima’s knowledge and experience in customer service and the accounting department will prove valuable as she transitions into her new position,” Clark said. “Jima is sharp, pays close attention to details and has the best of intentions for 4-County. I know I can count on Jima. She’ll do a great job.” MARCH 2021 | TODAY 15

4-County, TVA assist area schools with COVID-19 relief efforts 4-County Electric Power Association and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) recently distributed $10,000 in COVID-19 relief funds to five Lowndes County school organizations. Annunciation Catholic School, Columbus Christian Academy, the Lowndes County School District, Victory Christian School and Heritage Academy each received $2,000 from the utility officials. TVA’s Community Care Fund was started by the power generation giant to match grants made by 4-County and other

power distributors for COVID-19 relief. 4-County’s funds were made available through the co-op’s foundation efforts. Since February 2015, participating 4-County members’ utility bills have been rounded up to the nearest dollar; a $125.78 bill, for example, becomes $126. Now, that’s an average of only 49 cents per member, per month. That may not seem like much. But when you multiply those contributions by the thousands of member participants, that’s a lot of pennies! For more information on the 4-County Foundation, call 1-800-431-1544.

Annunciation School grant

Lowndes County Schools grant

Columbus Christian Academy grant

Heritage Academy grant

16 TODAY | MARCH 2021

Victory Christian School grant

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Green thumb helped Tuggle grow Jonathan Tuggle’s had a green thumb since he was a little kid. It’s never been a problem, Jonathan stressed. In fact, it was a good thing for a kid whose family owned a greenhouse business. “I was free labor,” he said with a laugh. “But, seriously, in a family business it’s all hands on deck. That’s how we made it work.” Growing up in the New Hope community of Lowndes County in a maze of seven acres of greenhouses, he learned the ins and outs of controlling the sometimes-fragile growing environment for plants. “This plant takes a certain amount of water. These flowers require a certain temperature. These seeds take a certain amount of time to germinate. I learned a little of it all,” Jonathan said. As a teenager, his career interests began to grow in another direction. “Electricity was fascinating to me. After exploring it further, I was hooked,” he said. Jonathan graduated from New Hope High School and began working for the City of Columbus Light and Water Department, where he served for seven years as a lineman. He joined the 4-County Electric Power Association team in March 2007, working on Randy Tennyson’s Corporate Center construction crew. Jonathan advanced to journeyman lineman in 2009. In 2018, Jonathan began serving in his current position as substation technician. His duties include testing and maintaining line equipment, to include regulators and breakers. He also assists in maintaining 4-County’s substations. Jonathan has served on 4-County’s hot line demonstration team. He lives in the New Hope community with his wife, Shelley, and their daughter, Haven, a senior at Heritage Academy who recently signed to play soccer at Mississippi University for Women. The

family attends First Baptist Church in Columbus. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and hunting the occasional deer. But a lot of his time has centered on area soccer fields, serving as a volunteer coach. His interest in soccer began when Haven’s interest in soccer began. They have learned and enjoyed the game together. “She started as a little girl. I really didn’t know anything about soccer but somebody asked me to help one day. And the rest is history.” His on-the-job training has led him to assist in coaching Heritage Academy’s soccer team and various travel teams. Jonathan also receives plenty of training at work. “It’s a job that keeps me sharp and challenges me to be better each and every day,” he said of being a substation technician. “There’s always something new to learn. Technology changes things pretty fast. I enjoy it.” 4-County is truly a home away from home, he added. “This is my family away from my family. We’re supportive of each other at work and away from work. It’s a special place to be.”

Smith joins 4-County team Tyler Smith of Nettleton has joined the 4-County Electric Power Association team. Smith will serve as an Apprentice Lineman 4 at the 4-County Corporate Center, working on Eric Yarbrough’s Corporate Center Construction Crew. Prior to 4-County, he worked as a band saw operator at a furniture manufacturing plant in the Tupelo area. Tyler is a graduate of Nettleton High School, where he also enjoyed playing sports. He took general studies courses

at Itawamba Community College. And he later graduated from East Mississippi Community College’s Lineman Training Program. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting, fishing and playing basketball.

Welcome to the 4-County team, Tyler!

MARCH 2021 | TODAY 17

Photos by Chad Calcote

by Steven Ward They were first responders before the official first responders arrived on the scene. Dennis Wilson, Bobby McDaniel and Dwain Easley all lived close to the pine treescattered terrain in Gillsburg where a plane crashed the night of Oct. 20, 1977. Wilson, McDaniel, Easley and others in the area had no idea who was on the plane and, frankly, they didn’t care. They just wanted to help any survivors. The plane was transporting the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from Greenville, South Carolina to a concert in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Convair CV-240 passenger plane ran out of fuel and crashed right after dusk in the woods of Gillsburg. The crash killed Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer and songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, Gaines’ sister, Cassie Gaines, a backup singer, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick and the pilot and co-pilot. Wilson, McDaniel and Easley — all in their early 20s at the time — carried bodies and survivors from the plane through

the swampy and muddy muck of the ground to a nearby road. The plane was carrying 26 people. Six were killed and 20 survived. Today, about 800 yards from the actual site of the crash, fans of the band and tourists have a place to go to pay their respects to the people who lost their lives that night and to visit a spot where a piece of somber rock history was made. Thanks to the efforts of Wilson, McDaniel, Easley and other members of The Lynyrd Skynyrd Monument Project Board, a plane crash memorial was erected and opened to the public in October 2019. “At the time of the crash, I was not familiar with Lynyrd Skynyrd, however, thousands of people were,” said Wilson, 70, a board member of Magnolia Electric Power, the electric cooperative that provides service to the Gillsburg area. “The monument has been visited by fans from 45 states and eight foreign countries. Fans and followers will continue to visit the monument for years to come. I think it will have a very positive impact on our local economy here,” Wilson said. MARCH 2021 | TODAY 19

McDaniel, 65, is the president of the monument board. His family farm is near the crash site. McDaniel said he and some of the other crash rescuers liked to get together on the anniversary each year at the plane crash site. They often discussed wanting to get a sign or highway marker posted near the site because it was so hard for people to find. “We set a deadline of one year and kept expanding our project. The initial sign location was approved on state property beside Highway 568. But we changed the focus from a sign to a granite marker,” McDaniel said. The group encountered various roadblocks until Dwain Easley and his wife Lola Easley donated some of their private land near the crash site for the monument on Easley Road. The board started a GoFundMe account to help raise thousands of dollars for the project. The board also garnered financial help from the current Lynyrd Skynyrd band, McDaniel said. The monument includes three 14-foot-wide, 8-foot-tall black granite monuments with drawings of the band and text that tells the history of Lynyrd Skynyrd and what happened on the night of the crash.

The six steps leading up to the monument each represent lives lost on October 20.

“Freebird” – Lynyrd Skynyrd, lyrics by Ronnie Van Zant

A collection of the memorabilia from the 1977 Lynyrd Skynyrd winter tour. In the future, there is a plan for a museum to display items from the band, their tours and the last flight on October 20, 1977. From left: Magnolia Electric board member Dennis Wilson, Dwain Easley and Bobby McDaniel.

20 TODAY | MARCH 2021

Visit lynyrdskynyrdmarker.com for more information about the monument or to make a donation.

The gamechanger for the monument was when Mississippi lawmakers, led by State Rep. Becky Currie, R-Brookhaven, passed a bill to put exit signs on Interstate 55 alerting motorists to the Gillsburg/ Magnolia exit as the location of the monument. Currie, who was a nursing student at the time of the crash and worked at Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in McComb as a currier, was at the hospital that night in 1977. “So I knew all of the people that worked getting the monument together. Many I had seen that night bringing people to the ER,” Currie said. “I am now a registered nurse and member of the Mississippi House of Representatives and if I could do one more thing for a band I loved it was my honor to make sure a sign was erected to mark the monument and hope that people would see it and come and spend some time there,” she said. McDaniel said the monument gets up to 40 to 50 visitors a day during the week and more than 100 visitors on weekends, according to their guestbook. Many of those visitors credit the

interstate signs for their decision to stop, he said. McDaniel and Wilson said it’s possible that the monument will be expanded in the future to include a small museum nearby. “Southwest Mississippi doesn’t get a lot of positive press or new industry. The Lynyrd Skynyrd Monument is a positive thing that brings some good people and nice compliments to the Magnolia/Gillsburg area,” McDaniel said. Wilson, McDaniel and Easley were there at the beginning of a nightmarish time in rock history when a tragic disaster occurred in their backyard. “Once we arrived on the scene, we were focused on helping the survivors get medical treatment. It seemed like a vast undertaking at the time due to the remote location and very limited equipment that we had,” Wilson said. “However, we were just country folks helping a few people that needed help. That’s just what we do,” Wilson added. Today, they are still there trying to do the right thing for the band, their fans and their community.

MARCH 2021 | TODAY 21

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Jake Mangum comes from a family of athletes. Jake’s dad, John Jr., was a speedy quarterback at Magee High School before signing with Alabama. He was later a standout player for the Crimson Tide as a defensive back. John Jr. then played for the Chicago Bears for nine seasons. Jake’s grandfather played at Ole Miss and Southern Mississippi before heading to pro football. “Big John” played two years with the Boston Patriots of the American Football League. Jake’s uncle Kris played at Alabama and then transferred to Ole Miss, where he became an All-SEC selection at tight end. Kris also followed into the family business playing for the Carolina Panthers for 10 seasons. Jake decided that baseball, not football, was his future heading into his sophomore year at Jackson Prep. He decided to give up the “Friday Night Lights” to concentrate full-time on baseball. It has worked out pretty well for the first two-time winner of the C-Spire Ferris Trophy given to the Most Outstanding College Baseball Player in Mississippi by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Today, Jake is a professional baseball player playing for the Brooklyn Cyclones in the NY-Penn League in Class A baseball. The Cyclones are affiliated with the New York Mets baseball organization. “My plan is to play pro ball as long as I can, and hopefully that is a very long time,” said Mangum. Before heading to Brooklyn and the bright lights, Jake made a four-year stop in Starkville. Many thought Jake might head to his dad’s alma mater Alabama out of Jackson Prep to play his collegiate baseball. “I really prayed about it, but in the end, I thought Mississippi State was where I was being led to go.” Jake went on to say, “Starkville is the best place to be. Everyone knows everybody there. It is a big college in a small town, and it was an awesome experience,” said Mangum. Jake was given the nickname “The Mayor” by one of his Mississippi State baseball teammates because he seemed to know everyone around town.

“I tell everyone that playing baseball at Mississippi State was the best four years of my life.” His MSU baseball career under John Cohen, however, did not start out as he had expected. “The entire team ranks every player on the fall roster before leaving for Christmas break. I was ranked second from the bottom.” He was surprised at the ranking because he thought he had had a decent fall season. “I knew I could hit, so my goal was to just get on the field.” He proved himself worthy as he ended up hitting .427 in SEC games, was named the SEC Freshman of the Year and was awarded the Ferris Trophy. Mangum continued his extraordinary baseball play for the next three seasons and finished his career ranked No. 4 in NCAA history with 383 hits. He also broke the MSU and SEC hit records. Mangum broke the SEC hits record at home in front of his elated family and Bulldog fans. Though the hit was special, Mangum confessed his relief at having the pressure of breaking the record over with. He had been constantly reminded everywhere he went by his loyal fans of the impending moment. Mangum led the Bulldogs to the College World Series in his final two seasons, and he stated that is the Mississippi State way. “My one regret is that we didn’t win the National Championship.” Mangum, however, is confident that the Bulldogs will finally realize their ultimate dream of winning the National Championship.

by Dale McKee Dale McKee is a Waynesboro native who has been writing sports in Mississippi since 1973. Contact him at ddmckee18@yahoo.com.

MARCH 2021 | TODAY 23

‘Mississippi State was the best four years of my life’

with Martha Hall Foose

Corned Beef Brisket: A St. Patrick’s Day Tradition

Corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day is an American tradition. Though many people think of it as being straight from the Isles, it is almost certainly a dish developed by the Irish who settled in New York. Cooking the meat in a tightly sealed dish in the oven keeps the meat tender and flavorful. Giving 24 TODAY | MARCH 2021

it a bit of time under the broiler browns the tangy mustard crust. Any leftovers can find their way diced into a potato hash topped with sunny side up eggs or thinly sliced and piled high on a deli-style Reuben sandwich on rye with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing.

Revisions Requested Approved

CHAD Date_____ Revisions Requested Approved Revisions Requested

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or spray lightly with oil. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a couple of forks or a pastry blender until the mixture looks like uncooked oatmeal. Make a well in the center and add 1 ½ cups of the buttermilk and the egg. Stir with a sturdy spoon until you have a shaggy dough. Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead gently to bring the dough together. Form into a 6-inch round loaf. Place on the baking sheet. Brush the top of the loaf with the remaining 1 tablespoon of buttermilk. With a serrated knife cut a shallow X in the top of the loaf. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 35 minutes until loaf is deep golden brown and sounds hallow when thumped. Cool on a wire rack.

STEVEN Date_____

INGREDIENTS 4 cups all-purpose flour 1⁄3 cup sugar 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut in small pieces 1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk, divided 1 large egg, beaten

Approved

Place wrack in middle position of oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 by 13 baking pan with oil. Rinse corn beef in cold water and pat dry. Place the corned beef fatty side up in the baking pan. Combine mustard, brown sugar and vinegar in a small bowl. Brush mustard mixture over the top and sides of the corned beef. Sprinkle packet of seasoning (if included) or pickling spice over the surface of the beef. Cover baking pan tightly with foil tenting slightly so foil does not touch surface of beef. Bake 3 hours or until beef is tender with an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove the foil and set oven on broil. Broil the beef until browned on top. Allow the corned beef to rest for 15 minutes before slicing against the grain. Serve with sautéed cabbage, carrots, and onions, if desired.

Irish Soda Bread

RON Date_____

INGREDIENTS 1 (approximately 3 pound) whole corned beef brisket ¼ cup whole grain mustard 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons pickling spice blend (such as the McCormick brand if spice packet is not included in corned beef packet)

This plump, golden loaf is easy to make and doesn’t require any time to rise. The piping hot loaf can be on the table in under an hour. Try adding ¼ cup toasted nuts, dried fruits or cheese to this recipe to make it your own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Martha Hall Foose, the author of “Screen Doors & Sweet Tea: Recipes and Tales of a Southern Cook,” won the James Beard Award for American Cooking. Her latest collaboration is “A Good Meal is Hard to Find: Storied Recipes from the Deep South” with Amy C. Evans. Martha makes her home in the Mississippi Delta with her husband and son. She is a member of Yazoo Valley Electric Power Association.

MARCH 2021 | TODAY 25

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It was after midnight. The flashlight lay on the floor of the darkened room. There were five or six of us standing around watching it. One of the crew called out, “On the count of three, turn on this flashlight. One. Two. Three.” And the flashlight lit up by itself! “If you want us to leave, turn it off.” And all of a sudden, the room was totally dark again. Only we didn’t leave. Someone else called out, “If you’re a female, light the light again.” And it lit. Someone else asked, “What’s your name?” Now, I’m new to ghost hunting, but even I figured that would be a tough question to answer by just turning a flashlight on or off, unless they spelled it out in Morse code. This was a ghost investigation. Why was I there? Well, there are a lot of ghost hunting television shows running right now and one of the people I work with at the TV station knows a guy who is the head of a paranormal group. They do “investigations” of old houses, hotels, theaters and places like that all the time. So, a few of us tagged along with his group to see what we could see — or what we COULDN’T see, as would be the case with ghosts. I guess I come by ghost hunting through heredity. My granddaddy tracked down every ghost story he could in Itawamba County. He WANTED to see a ghost. It would prove that there is life after death. He never found anything that he couldn’t explain. In the back of our minds, we have the idea that we’d like to do our own version of a ghost hunting TV show but different from the ones already running. We’re still working on how that would actually look.

I think there is a desire to prove life after death. Even the disciple Thomas wouldn’t believe Jesus had risen from the dead unless he could see for himself. When he saw, he believed. And it didn’t take a flashlight blinking, either. Years ago, I did a story about one of the old tour homes in Natchez that was supposed to be haunted. I interviewed the manager. She lived on the premises. So, after the home closed for tours for the day, she would be there all alone until the next morning. I had to ask her if there was anything to the ghost stories. She told me about a few of her experiences. And as I was leaving, I asked her if it would be okay to run some of her ghost tales on television. She said, “By all means. It helps so much with security!” So maybe that can be our take — we’re not ghost hunting — we’re helping with security to scare people so they would never try to break in. ‘Course, any house that scary I’d never go into in the first place. But it may work. Blink once if you think you’d watch a show like that.

by Walt Grayson Walt Grayson is the host of “Mississippi Roads” on Mississippi Public Broadcasting television and the author of two “Looking Around Mississippi” books and “Oh! That Reminds Me: More Mississippi Homegrown Stories.” He lives in Brandon and is a Central Electric member. Contact him at walt@waltgrayson.com.

MARCH 2021 | TODAY 27

FOR THE MEMBERS OF