The 2020-2021 Wesson Chamber of Commerce Founder’s Day Queen is Kayla Barfield. The Wesson High School (WHS) student has been a member of student council, beta club service organization, yearbook staff, and first priority spiritual fellowship. She has also been a cheerleader, baseball team statistician and Nena Smith dancer. Barfield is also an active a volunteer, who gives her time to Brookhaven Animal Rescue League (BARL), Socks for Heroes and Stronghope Baptist Church, among other organizations. Barfield will be a senior at WHS next year and plans to attend Co-Lin and then the University of Southern Mississippi to major in speech pathology. “Being selected is an incredible honor," she says. "The town of Wesson has always been so welcoming and is where I have made many lifelong friends. Wesson has given so much to me, and being selected provides me an opportunity to give back to my community.” While Wesson did not have an Founder’s Day event this year due to COVID-19 pandemic cautions, the event committee decided to keep with tradition of having a Queen. The queen will resume regular duties in the future when COVID-19 restrictions lighten. Her duties include ceremonial ribbon cuttings and appearances, such as the Wesson Chamber of Commerce banquet.

Kennedy Moore can't remember a time when dancing wasn't part of her life. Moore tells people it began officially when she was two years old, when her mother, Holly Moore, the owner of Show Stoppers Studio of Dance on Industrial Park Road in Brookhaven -- first started bringing her to work regularly. Moore, however, will show you pictures of herself as a baby, many months removed from learning to walk and taking her first dance steps, in a basket carrier at the studio. She has been there ever since, where a career is now blossoming. She has just joined Co-Lin as the new director of its band program's Colettes dance team. Moore started dancing as toddler, perfected her style before her teenage years and taught dance under her mom's tutelage as a young teen and on her own at Show Stoppers by the time she graduated from high school. She danced as a Colette at Co-Lin and was captain of the collegiate group in her sophomore year. "I learned to walk, assisted by the bars on the walls at mom's dance studio, and stayed in a crib in her office," she relates. With that kind of start, Moore was just naturally ready to return to the Colettes as their new director even before officially completing her college studies. Growing up with her parents only a two-minute ride from her mom's studio, Moore has never been far away from dancing throughout her short life. She went to elementary and junior high school at Brookhaven Academy and completed her secondary education at Brookhaven High School, where she graduated in 2015. "At Brookhaven Academy, I competed in track, but dance remained my focus," she recalls. After school, the dancing part of her life continued at her mom's studio. "It was at Brookhaven High School (BHS) that I found people as serious and passionate about dancing as I was," she says. Yes. There was a life outside Show Stoppers Studio of Dance. On to Co-Lin, she found the Colettes, the encouragement of Juanita Proffitt, the college's director of bands, and more people who had similar interests in dance. She was even able to room in a dorm with her best friend. "I loved Co-Lin," she affirms. When she left Co-Lin, Proffitt told her the school would always be there for her -- an assurance she remembers in the light of her new job. After Co-Lin, Moore went to the University of Southern Mississippi, where she has completed work on her major in Child Development and will graduate in December after finishing requirements of her minor in dance. Preferring her dancing life in Brookhaven to the life in Hattiesburg, she has been commuting to her classes and working at Show Stoppers. She is considering Master's Degree studies so she can also teach at Co-Lin. At Co-Lin, Moore will work with fifteen Colettes, possibly a couple of more, as the choreographer for their performances at football and basketball games and special events at parades, commercial promotions and schools. She directs their regular workouts, and even selects the music for the basketball game performances. Moore wants to continue to raise the Colettes to "a collegiate level," focusing them on the technique foundation of dance, the art of performing and dancing with live music. Moore isn't leaving her mom, though. She will remain on the staff at Show Stoppers as the primary teacher of hip hop dance and an assistant instructor for ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary and point dancing. What are your hobbies? I enjoy working out at the gym, where I can also hang out with friends. Since I was nine years old, I've been visiting Disney World in Florida -- after dance camps and on family vacations. I've been there 19 times. In 2017, I danced in the Disney World Magic Kingdom parade. Are you reader? I am a listener to podcasts, mostly devotional and spiritual. Do you enjoy movies or theater? I really enjoy movies -- those produced by Disney and mysteries. My favorite actor is Liam Neeson. My favorite movies are High School Musical and Breakfast Club. I've also become involved in Brookhaven Little Theater -- first as part of the cast of Newsies, and subsequently Little Mermaid and Matilda. I did the choreography for Frozen and will play the feather duster in Beauty and the Beast. It's a bit of a diversion from dance. How about music? I'm eclectic. I will listen to almost anything. I am into 1980s music. I like Whitney Houston a whole lot. My father got me into country music, but I like the modern -- Sam Hunt's music, not the twangy sound., How would you spend your lottery winnings if you were so lucky. I am a saver, but I would take a trip to Disneyland in California, and invest some money in expansion of Show Stoppers Studio of Dance. How would you change the world? People need to understand that they are equal to one another. No one is superior. Everyone has a talent and can make a different contribution.

By guest columnist R. Shaw Furlow Mississippi, like every state, has local gems hidden in the most obscure places. A mom and pop store at the crossroads of two county roads. A small diner that serves a rare special. Or a church long abandoned. These places are out there. You just have to look. Down a road in the Loyd Star community is just such a place. It’s a museum of sorts. Because it is a private residence, I’ll not give you the location. Suffice it to say it’s down a road that could better be described as a path. Drive through the gates, and you are welcomed by old oil signs and rusted cars. Across the road two bicycles are suspended to look like ET. Around the last curve is a wall constructed of old television sets. Our host, Mike Case, meets us in front of a very rustic cabin. He instantly begins showing us around. One of the main attractions on his property is an old stair lift. “This old thing came out of somebody’s house," he explains. "A young couple bought a grandma’s house and didn’t need it. So here it is.” The old chair lift leads to a platform where a zip line will take you over a pond. “It takes more time to ride the chair lift up than it does to fly across the pond. Then you gotta' walk back. A lot of work for a few seconds of fun.” Another curiosity is a display case housing an Elvis costume originally made for Kenny Cothern (more about him in a second). If you’ve ever been to Graceland, you can envision this display. Next to it stands an old elevator -- you know, the kind with the gate you have to close. It just stands there. No function other than to add to the quirkiness of the place. Case built two cabins on the property with the help of a couple friends who wired and plumbed them. The main cabin, which he started in 1992, has two rooms and a bathroom. The other cabin, affectionately known as the love shack, has power but no plumbing or air conditioning. Pretty much storage right now. Inside the main cabin, the guest room is part of the the kitchen. There are pictures throughout, some of family, but most of anything but -- all over the place, even on the ceilings. There are also political posters, concert posters, all kinds of memorabilia pinned to the walls. And baseball caps all over the place. I asked Case about a piece of stained glass in his kitchen. “Yeah, Lauderdale did that," he says, making reference to his late friend, Brookhaven artist Bill Lauderdale, who also crafted the windows of The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Brookhaven. That piece really stands out against all the Americana memorabilia. “Yeah...it’s really pretty,” he admits. Are there modern conveniences? A few. Yes. There is a window air conditioner that keeps the temperature comfortable. The kitchen, while not glamorous, is functional. Back outside on the front porch, Case rocks in a chair that has a stuffed buzzard attached to it. “Ya know, we used to have a music festival out here," he recalls. "The cabins were the venue for The Lincoln County Music Awards for several years." The prizes were old trophies, both found and made. I believe local artist Don Jacobs actually won an award for his first album. Earlier, I mentioned local singer Kenny Cothern. He wore the customized Elvis suit when he emceed the awards ceremony. Case implores: “You know what this is?” We were asked that question several times. While I got close to guessing correctly on one item, I missed the others badly. One was a machine that punched out the form that makes cartons for eggs. Another was a piece that helped steer an old Ford. It was just hanging on the fence next to other things I didn’t recognize. If you follow the walkway on the property, you’ll see spark plugs, an old police badge, bottle caps, marbles all embedded in the cement. Why? Why not? The place is a little grown up now. Weed eating it would be a nightmare. There is a lot of stuff crammed into a small space. There are lots of unique places in Mississippi, but this one has to be in the top ten, at least my top ten. Walt Grayson may have another list. With the COVID-19 pandemic hopefully winding down, things are opening up. Live music, theatre and art shows are just over the curve. Let’s play safe. That’s it for now. Support the arts, my friends.

A small group of Wesson American Legion Auxiliary women are practicing social distancing to keep themselves safe from COVID-19 and making masks while they lay low so health care and public service workers and others who can't avoid crowds can protect themselves as well. On three mornings a week, three of the women -- Cathy Stroud, Melnee Frazier and Sharon Langley -- meet at the Wesson American Legion hall to sew the masks. Pat McCreary, Dot Jones and Janet Currie are also making masks at their homes. Since early April, the five women have turned out more than 400 masks. "We are giving them away," says Langley. "They are being worn by Wesson police, Brookhaven fire department personnel, staff and truckers at Wal-Mart Distribution Center, emergency room personnel in McComb and people who just pick them up at the Legion hall as needed. Occasionally, we'll see someone not wearing a mask, who should be, and will give one away randomly." The Legion sewers have sent them to King's Daughters Medical Center, Silver Cross Nursing Home and other area nursing homes, the Compassus Hospice in Brookhaven and the VA clinic in Natchez. The sewers use quality cotton material for the masks, which they acquire mostly through donations and some purchasing. They say their biggest frustration has been periodic unavailability of the elastic they use for the mask ear straps.

With in-person meetings on hold for now due to COVID-19, the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) continues to offer online litter prevention programs for children and families. The “Don’t Trash Mississippi” with Myrtle the Turtle education program is designed for school-aged children in kindergarten through fifth grade. It is available at GoMDOT.com/DontTrashMS and on @MississippiDOT social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube. The fun and informative program is presented by Litter Prevention Coordinator Lorrie Redden. While the programs are usually offered in person throughout the state at summer camps and community events, this year the programs will be available digitally. The presentation includes a live actor, animated videos and interactive questions. There are also reinforcement materials to teach children about the negative impacts of litter pollution. “Myrtle the Turtle considers all of Mississippi her home and encourages children to take responsibility to keep their home, Mississippi, clean and beautiful for all to enjoy,” says Melinda McGrath, P.E., MDOT executive director. “Even though people are staying home more and traveling less, litter continues to be a problem,” Redden said. “In fact, litter removal costs the state over $3 million a year. By teaching people at an early age about the environmental and societal impacts of litter, we can all work together to keep the Magnolia State clean.” To access the program and more litter prevention information, visit GoMDOT.com/DontTrashMS. See “Myrtle The Turtle Talks About Litter” on YouTube at https://youtu.be/uj-nL4AFdKw.

By Guest Columnist Wes Neal In the age of COVID-19, we do not need more to worry about. However, the summer of 2019 proved that you are even at risk in your local pond or at the beach. We saw a nationwide outbreak of rare, yet severe, maladies that originated from the water. These problems usually start in the hottest part of summer. First, there was a massive cyanobacteria outbreak in the coastal waters of Florida. Millions of fish, marine mammals, sea turtles, birds and other species died. People felt it, too -- respiratory difficulties, headaches, rashes and gastrointestinal distress. Luckily, these outbreaks are usually well reported, and people can avoid affected areas. It is an ecological tragedy, but rarely does it cause loss of human life. Next came the freshwater cyanobacteria hysteria. One headline read: “TOXIC ALGAE IS SPREADING ACROSS THE U.S.!” People’s dogs went swimming in ponds with a toxic bloom, and within a few weeks, died in North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana and even Wisconsin. Millions of dogs, people, cattle and other animals safely use ponds in the summer to cool down. Cyanobacteria are in every pond, but rarely does a toxic bloom occur. When it does, it can affect any person or animal that comes in contact with it. There is no public warning system, but you can read the signs: dead fish, a thick green or blue-green film on the water. If the water looks otherwise “yucky,” it is best to use the garden hose to cool off. Another risk is an organism that sounds like a Harry Potter spell: pythium insidiosum, a water mold that can cause a rare and deadly disease known as Pythiosis. It enters the body through wounds in the skin or via the mouth. It causes a thickening of stomach and intestinal tissues, with symptoms like fever, vomiting, diarrhea, skin lesions, swollen lymph nodes, and abdominal masses and pain. Pythium is found in almost all surface water, but it rarely infects animals unless they have other underlying conditions. Possibly the most insidious malady to come from contact with water is a nasty creature known as Naegleria fowleri. You may have heard its other name, the “brain-eating amoeba.” This small creature thrives in very warm to hot fresh water by eating bacteria. However, if it gets up your nose, it is bad news. Once inside you, it moves through the olfactory nerve to the frontal lobe of the brain. It takes 2 to 15 days for symptoms to occur, but once they do, you are dead within a week. Scary, right? The good news is that this amoeba is incredibly rare. On average, it kills about 3.4 people in the U.S. each year. By comparison, lightning kills 49 per year. Hence, you literally have a much greater chance of being struck by lightning. So, should you avoid water all summer long? Of course not. Just practice caution. When you are in hot, shallow areas, keep your head above the water. Although ponds that look disgusting are probably perfectly safe, you should avoid them. Do not let your pets drink or swim in them if the water is intensely green or blue-green, and rinse them in clean water if they do jump in. EDITOR'S NOTE: Dr. Wes Neal writes for the Mississippi State University Extension Agency.

Those small red flowers -- poppies -- many Americans wear to honor military service personnel on Memorial Day have a long history: · After World War I, they flourished in Europe, blooming above the battle graves because the ground soil had been churned and dug up. The dormant seeds had been beneath the ground and needed cultivation to make them grow. · In 1918, Moina Michael popularized the idea of wearing a poppy flower in memory war dead, inspired by "In Flanders Fields," a poem by Lt. Col. John McCrae. . . . .the blood of heroes never dies But lends a luster to the red Of the flower that blooms above the dead In Flanders Field · Michael later started a campaign to adopt the poppy as the national symbol of sacrifice. · The American Legion family passes out paper poppies on Memorial Day and throughout the year to raise funds for veterans. · Poppies have a long history of being used to honor the dead, having roots in Greek and Roman mythology.

Wesson native and resident George Mercier celebrated his 103rd birthday last month with the help of friends locally and the Mississippi State House of Representatives. As he watched from his front porch on the evening of his birthday, May 8, locals driving by honked the horns of their vehicles and waved to acknowledge the special occasion. Becky Currie, the District 92 member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, presented a special proclamation from the legislative body signed by her and Philip Gunn, the House Speaker, that commended and congratulated him on the occasion of his birthday for his "life and heroism" as a "World War II veteran and United States Navy Lieutenant Commander." Timothy George Mercier was born in Wesson on May 8, 1917, and graduated from Wesson High School, Co-Lin, and Louisiana State University where he earned a degree in chemical engineering. The special legislative proclamation called him "an individual of wise counsel," citing his relationships as "a husband, father, son, brother, uncle, friend and veteran" to the people his life has touched. The proclamation described how after initially going to work for Baton Rouge-base Ethyl Corporation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, attended Naval Officers' Training School and served in the South Pacific to provide assistance and ordinance for ships and air craft and later with the Bureau of Ordinance of the Navy Department in Washington, DC. For 73 years before her death in 2019, Mercier was married to the former Dorothy Ragland. She returned with Mercier to his native Wesson in 1972 after he retired following a twenty-year career with Ethyl Corporation for which he worked in Baton Rouge and Houston. Over that span of time, they had five children -- three of them now adult seniors themselves: Tim, 69, Anne, 67, Laurie, 64, Patricia, 57, and Chet, 55. Mercier and his wife were active and faithful members of Wesson Presbyterian Church.

Co-Lin's Workforce Education program, through a partnership with ed2go, is offering 10 free workplace skills online courses until June 30 that cover topics including customer service, management, internet marketing, communications, and job searching. The public is invited to take advantage of these ed2go courses that can be completed on student schedules from anywhere with internet access. The Co-Lin Workforce Education’s partnership with ed2go, a Cengage company which is the industry leader in online learning, has greatly expanded the college’s educational offerings to diverse learners. Ed2go develops innovative, relevant courses that align with job market demands. Its catalog features a range of courses from career and certification training to personal and professional development, with a focus on teaching transferable skills. The non-college credit courses covering hundreds of topics may be utilized to develop new or upgrade existing skills. Additionally, other courses are available for teacher continuing education credits. They all utilize an intuitive, fully online model designed to meet the needs of adult learners. “This partnership is a natural fit,” Workforce Center Director Stephenie Sullivan says. “We understand the value of career training in today’s ever-changing job market and are providing a flexible option to do so. Ed2go has a proven background that helps us best meet the learning needs in our district.” The Co-Lin training classes valued between $95 and $115 contain 24 hours of material. Those interested may view the comprehensive list and register at www.colin.edu/freeworkplaceskills. “We believe that having the right skills and knowing how to utilize them is vital for both job seekers and those who are employed," says Sullivan. "These classes include a mix of skills for today’s changing job market." Ed2go believes that anyone, anywhere can learn. Started in 1997, it provides high quality education the fastest way possible — online. By partnering with academic institutions such as Co-Lin, it reaches life-longer learners in all 50 states and in more than 16 countries. Visit www.ed2go.com/colin for more info. Co-Lin's Workforce Education program offers affordable, short-term, non-credit, workforce training classes that provide new or enhanced skills needed to enter a new field or re-enter with upgraded skills. For more information, contact Celeste Williamson at celeste.williamson@colin.edu or visit www.colin.edu/freeworkplaceskills.

There was a time not that long ago when homes chooling wasn’t legal in all 50 states. Today it is, but government regulations vary by state – making it harder to homes chool and more burdensome in certain states. By most measures, Mississippi has parent friendly home school regulations, only requiring parents to fill out an attendance form with their local school district. But the government doesn’t regulate curriculum, testing, or schedules. Bills occasionally pop up in the legislature to mandate curriculum, as a bill from Rep. John Hines did this year, or to restrict various freedoms. There are also annual bills to lower the age of compulsory education. But for the most part there is a truce if you will. Tim Tebow bills to allow home schoolers to participate in athletics or extracurricular activities of their local school districts (where you still pay taxes) never see the light of day, but fortunately, neither do the government mandates. Yet. Today, about 15,000-20,000 students in Mississippi are home schooled. But we are seeing national movement from academic elites to rein in home schooling freedom. Why? Because every child is currently being home schooled as government schools throughout the country shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. What if just 10 percent of these families decided to continue homeschooling next year? It would represent a massive shift in the education landscape and result in fewer tax dollars going to the government schools that would be serving fewer students. Though it was recently scrapped, Harvard University – where the attacks on homeschooling are originating – planned an anti-homeschooling conference for June that would focus on the “problems of educational deprivation and child maltreatment” of homeschooling. They claim child abuse or lack of a proper education as their concern and thesis, but the greater push is twofold: the belief that government controls every child and a bigotry toward people who are religious, the original reason many chose to home school. Harvard Law Professor Elizabeth Bartholet has called for a “presumptive ban on homeschooling” saying it violates a children’s right to “meaningful education.” That’s certainly debatable considering the percentage of American students in government schools who are proficient in reading and math (hint: it’s not many). But she also argues that parents should get permission from the government to home school. Meaning, the burden of proof shifts to the parents and they have to make their case with the government on why they should be allowed to remove their children from government school. Essentially, you must beg the crown for this right. Your child is basically a product of the state in Bartholet’s view, and the view of many other elites. You are only allowed to do certain things. Everything else comes from the state. That obviously isn’t true. And the Supreme Court even struck that argument a century ago. The other part of the disdain for parents who want freedom for their children is because many of those parents do so for religious reasons. Many homeschooling families “are driven by conservative Christian beliefs” and “some of these parents are extreme religious ideologues.” One could argue that anyone who believes in God is an “extreme religious ideologue” in the mind of Bartholet. Or at least believes in God…and tries to follow His word. The truth is for many, the ability to teach your children about the Bible isn’t the reason you homeschool, just another in a long line of reasons. A child isn’t a creature of the state. Parents have the right to raise and educate their children as they seem fit. Homeschooling has long been, and will continue to be, looked at with disdain from elites. Fortunately, neither they, nor the government, control your child. This is an important topic in our world today. Why are we seeing these attacks, what does the future of education look like, and how can we protect Mississippi’s parent-friendly home school laws? EDITOR'S NOTE: Brett Kittredge is Director of Marketing & Communications for Mississippi Center for Public Policy. For information, call (601) 969-1300.

The Co-Lin Blue Wave Show Band has named Kennedy Moore of Brookhaven director of the Colettes. Moore is no stranger to Co-Lin, having danced with the Colettes for two years, and serving as Head Colette her sophomore year. “We are so excited that Kennedy is joining the Blue Wave Show Band staff as Colette director,” said Co-Lin Director of Bands Juanita Proffitt. “She will graduate from USM later this year, works at Showstoppers Studio of Dance, and was an outstanding Head Colette at Co-Lin. She will carry on the Colettes tradition of excellence while bringing new dance innovations to our team.” Moore has 19 years of dance performance, theatre performance, choreography, and teaching experience. This includes 14 years of competitive dance in regional and national competitions with Showstoppers Studio of Dance, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Parade, halftime performance at the 2014 Sugar Bowl, and the University of Southern Mississippi Southern Misses dance team. Moore has performed and choreographed in the Brookhaven Little Theater’s production of “Newsies the Musical,” “Little Mermaid the Musical,” “Matilda the Musical,” and “Frozen Jr.,” as well as regional large teen tap line and large hip-hop productions. She has trained with numerous dance professionals at conventions and master classes. “Co-Lin gave me the opportunity to meet so many amazing people as a member of the Blue Wave Show Band,” said Moore. “I am so excited to be able to come back and work with a team that I care so much about and look forward to giving these girls some of the best years of their life.” Moore currently teaches all hip-hop classes from first grade through high school at Showstoppers Studio of Dance and assists with jazz, tap, ballet, and contemporary classes. Moore also serves as a choreographer for Copiah Academy dance team. A graduate of Brookhaven High School, she graduated from Copiah-Lincoln Community College and will graduate from the University of Southern Mississippi in December.

Wesson Aldermen have authorized the town to initiate a process that could potentially lead to a bond bill agreement with a bank to assure necessary funds in case of a revenue shortfall stemming from the loss of sales tax monies due the impact of COVID-19 pandemic economic restrictions, shutdowns and other mitigation measures. In Wesson, many businesses, including Ace Hardware, Family Dollar, Dollar General, Shop 'N Wash, Ashley's 51 and the East End Market, stayed open as sources of essential supplies, while cosmetologists, the Mill Town Mall, Another Time. . . Another Place and the Carpenter Shop shut down, and restaurants severely curtailed operations. The biggest economic impact probably related to the loss of customers by open businesses as a result of the drastically curtailed activities of Co-Lin and Wesson Attendance Center. Mayor Alton Shaw concedes the economic impact of the pandemic measures is not known, but he and the Board of Aldermen decided they wanted to prepare for a significant decline in tax revenues returned to the town by the state. With the action by the Aldermen at their May meeting, town officials will explore with bankers terms of a bond bill in the $80,000 range that would be repayable over ten years. The town would be able to tap the funds to meet emergency revenue needs, but do so only if required.