the belzoni banner · 2020-04-22 · the belzoni banner serving the heart of the yazoo-mississippi...

Volume 112 Number 16 E-mail:[email protected] Web: www.thebelzonibanner.com

The Belzoni BannerServing the Heart of the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta

One Section, 6 Pages, 75 Cents, Wednesday, April 22, 2020

PAGES FROM

THE PAST

COVID-19 TESTINGCOVID-19 testing site will be held in Humphreys County on Saturday, April 25, 2020 at UMMC Clinic, 16463 Highway 49, Belzoni Mississippi

39038. Testing will be held from 9:00 a.m. till 4:00 p.m. You must pre-register with the C Spire Telehealth App or call 601-496-7200.For more information contact Royce Steed, EMA Director, at 662-247-4324 or Dexter McPherson, Assistant EMA Director, at 662-962-4712 . Special thanks to the Humphreys County Board of Supervisors.

Perkins Named Finalist forMCEF Student of the YearArea career and technical education standout competes for state’s top honors

P E A R L ― L a k e n d r i a Perkins, a carpentry student at Thomas C. Randle Career and Technical Center in Belzoni, is a finalist for student of the year honors from the Mississippi Cons t ruc t ion Educa t ion Foundation. Winners will be announced in May.

Perkins was named student of the month for MCEF’s central region in February, automatically qualifying as a finalist for student of the year along with six other monthly district winners for the 2019-20 school year.

“Our annual awards program is an opportunity to recognize Mississippi’s best and brightest students and to honor the hard work and dedication they’ve

demonstrated in preparing for their futures,” said Mike Barkett, MCEF president. “These outstanding students also are helping ensure that Mississippi has a highly skilled workforce to support the state’s growing construction and manufacturing industries.”

Instructor nominations for student of the month are based on grades, attendance, class discipline, outstanding achievements, leadership abilities and post-graduation plans. MCEF will choose three students of the year from a field of 20 district students of the month. Winners will receive $500 cash prizes.

Consistently proving that no job is too big or too small,

Perkins stands out as one of her center’s high achievers. A member of SkillsUSA, she touts strong performances in the 2019 regional and state craft competitions as a mason’s assistant and plans to participate again this year as a mason.

Perkins plays on her school’s softball team, serves as a member of her church’s Upper Room ministry, and volunteers with the Red Cross. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue a degree in computer science or engineering.

Other student of the year finalists from the central region are Jacob Hardy and Kaden McDonald , Phi ladelphia Neshoba County Career Technical Center; Howard

Needham, Wayne County Career Technical Center; Shane West, Pearl/Rankin Career and Technical Center; William Thigpen, Hinds Community College in Vicksburg; and Shakindra Hunt, Winston-L o u i s v i l l e C a r e e r a n d Technology Center.

As part of its annual awards program, MCEF also will present $500 scholarships to winners of the MCEF and Mississippi State Board of Contractors scholarship.

The mission of the non-profit MCEF is to promote careers, recruit capable individuals and train a quality workforce for the construction and manufacturing industries in the state of Mississippi. MCEF also

offers workforce training and credentialing in construction, industrial maintenance and manufacturing trades.

Learn more about MCEF at http://mcef.net.

Lakendria Perkins

Hyde-Smith welcomes program to benefit agriculture producers hurt by Covid-19 pandemicMiss. Senator Active in Promoting Miss. Ag & Livestock Interests as Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Developed

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today welcomed news o f a two-pronged coronavirus relief plan for U.S. agriculture, including provisions that should benefit Mississippi livestock and agricultural producers hurt by price disruptions and market loss with the onset of the COVID-19 national emergency.

Hyde-Smith praised President Donald Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue as

they unveiled the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program on Friday evening. The program entails the distribution of $19 billion from the CARES Act. Approximately $16 billion is to be provided in direct support to producers, while an additional $3 billion in commodities will be purchased to support food banks, nonprofits and faith-based organizations.

“Agriculture and livestock producers in Mississippi and across the country share in the extraordinary hard times facing

our nation today. Coronavirus Food Assistance Program resources can help support their operations and the products they produce to feed and clothe Americans,” said Hyde-Smith, who serves on Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee and Senate Agriculture Committee.

“P re s iden t Trump and Secretary Perdue are due appreciation for standing by our farmers and ranchers, who have weathered some very tough situations in recent times.

I look forward to continuing to work with them as this program is implemented,” she said.

Under the first component of the program, beef, pork, dairy, produce, row crop producers, and others harmed by market disruptions may apply for direct payments funded through the USDA Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and $9.5 billion in CARES Act funding. In all, $16 billion is available for the direct payments.

The second component involves the USDA using $3

billion to purchase excess inventories of meat, dairy, fresh produce, and other products for use by regional foodbanks and other nonprofit organizations.

In the weeks since President Trump signed the CARES Act, Hyde-Smith has engaged with the administration in promoting the interests of Mississippi and the nation’s agriculture and rural interests.

Pandemic Unemployment AssistanceAvailable for the State of Mississippi

Jackson MS--- Individuals residing in Mississippi, who were unable to work because of the COVID-19 public health emergency may apply for Pandemic Unemployment A s s i s t a n c e ( P U A ) , t h e Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) announced today, April 21, 2020.

People who live or work in Mississippi and could not work as a “direct result” of the pandemic that occurred on February 2, 2020 and ongoing, are entitled to apply and may be eligible to receive PUA.

Self-employed individuals, independent contractors, per-sons employed by a church or religious entity, employees of non-profit organizations, gig economy workers, those who do not have sufficient wages in covered employment during the last 18 months to establish a claim under regular unem-ployment compensation, and those who became unemployed or partially unemployed as a result of the pandemic, may be eligible for PUA.

Persons eligible to apply for PUA are individuals who: (1) have been diagnosed with

COVID-19 or, are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and are seeking a medical diagno-sis; (2) became the breadwinner or major support for a house-hold because the head of the household has died as a direct result of COVID-19; (3) quit his or her job as a direct result of COVID-19; (4) their place of employment is closed as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency; (5) have a member of their house-hold that has been diagnosed with COVID-19; (6) is provid-ing care for a family member or a member of their household

who has been diagnosed with COVID-19; (7) has a child or other person in the household for which they have primary caregiving responsibility that is unable to attend school or another facility closed as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency and such school or facility care is required for the individual to work; (8) is unable to reach the place of employment because of a quarantine imposed as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency; (9) was scheduled to commence employment and does not have

a job or is unable to reach the job as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emer-gency, and; (10) is unable to reach the place of employment because the individual has been advised by a health care pro-vider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19.

Individuals in Mississippi can apply online 24 hours a day at www.mdes.ms.gov or by calling toll-free 1-833-919-0334 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday.

Surprise, something looks normal

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

Please join us for the National Day of Prayer on Eastside Baptist Church’s Facebook page, throughout the day on May 7, 2020.

1992 Natalie Thames of Isola, MS was elected as Liberal Arts Senator for the Associated Student Body (ASB) a t the University of Southern Mississippi. ASB is the student government at USM. The senate is responsible for creating, presenting, and voting on bills that will affect the entire campus.Miss Thames is the 21-year-old daughter of Ellen and the late Bob Thames of Isola.

***

Evelyn Brown was named “Woman of the Year: by the Mississippi Agricultural Aviation Association at the 36th Annual Convention held in Biloxi, February 8, 1992. She was also elected President of the Women’s Agricultural Association.

***

Tommie Kilpatrick of Isola has been initiated into Zeta Tau Alpha sorority at the University of Mississippi.

Ms. Kilpatrick is the daughter of Tom Kilpatrick of Isola and Debbie Kilpatrick of Inverness.

Zeta Tau Alpha is one of 14 national sororities recognized on the Ole Miss campus.

***

On February 18, 1992, members of the Humphreys County Chapter FFA attended the Annual FFA Sponsors and Legislative Breakfast in Jackson, MS. Members are Stacy Flemmings, Larry Pepper, Latisha Warren, Michael Smith, Fredrick Rozier, Mr. Oscar Griffin, Advisor; Mr. Bill Brown, Farm Bureau Agent; and Mr. John Williams, Advisor.

***On February 13-15, eight

Humphreys Academy students - Rob Heflin, Nikki Roberts, Lana Smith, Timothy Lloyd, Ashley Estes, Cindy Shurden, Brad Johnson and Chad Johnson – were among the nearly 300 Mississippi high school and college students who participated in the 14th annual Mississippi Model Security Council at Mississippi State University.

***

Cassondra Derosier has made the President’s Scholars List at Hinds Community College and has been asked to join the Phi Theta Kappa sorority.

***

Chelsea Helms, daughter of Mr. and Mrs . Glenn Helms, will participate in the Miss Greenville Pageant on Saturday, March 7th.

Chelsea is five years old and attends First Baptist Church Kindergarten. She has two brothers, Austin and Ethan, and attends Eastside Baptist Church.

***3rd Graders in Mrs. Vicki

Trotter’s class competed in a Multiplication Contest. Alfred Unger, winner, did not miss a 0-9 fact. Top five finalists are Cleotra Tanner, Jeffery Townsend, Londell Hill, Michael Bush and Lidell McDaniels. The winner received a student microscope.

***

Dr. Lowell Jones, Jr., was recently elected second vice president of the Southern Council of Optometrists at its 69th annual congress in Atlanta.

PAGE TWO THE BELZONI BANNER APRIL 22, 2020

THE BELZONI BANNERPUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY

115 E Jackson St. - Belzoni, MS 39038Phone(662)247-3373 - Fax (662)247-3372E-MAIL:[email protected]

JULIAN TONEY III - PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER(USPS050000)

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAIDAT BELZONI, MISSISSIPPI

POSTMASTER:Send change of address to:

THE BELZONI BANNERP.O. Box 610

Belzoni, MS 39038-0610Regular advertising rates quoted on application.

ALL CLASSIFIED ADS WILL BE CHARGED AT 25c PER WORD ($5.00 MINIMUM) AND MUST BE PAID FOR UPON INSERTION.

SUBSCRIPTIONS - IN ADVANCE:Zip codes: 39038, 39097, 39115, 39166 & 38754, $25.00 per year; All oth-

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POSTEDAll land owned or leased by Kenny Rodgers is posted against all forms of trespassing, including 16th Section land & all Lundy property. All violators will be pros-ecuted.

Kenny Rodgers34-33

POSTEDAll land owned by Sando Farms is posted against all forms of tres-passing. All previous permissions are hereby revoked. All violators will be prosecuted. 8-7

SMITH HEATING,COOLING & ELECTRICHave your Air Conditioning

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RANDY SMITH, Owner(662)836-8446(662)247-1318

All land owned and leased by Holly Mound, Inc. and the Gardner Estate and farmed by McGlawn Farms is posted against all forms of trespassing. All previous permissions are hereby revoked.VIOLA-TORS WILL BE PROS-ECUTED.

POSTED

44-43

STATE OF MISSISSIPPICOUNTY OF HUMPHREYS

NOTICE OF SALEWHEREAS, on May 11, 2011, Leo Patrick

Flemming executed a certain Deed of Trust to Cousie Giglio, Trustee, in favor of Guaranty Bank & Trust Company as benefi ciary; said deed of trust appearing of record in Trust Deed Book 279, at 33, of the deed of trust re-cords as contained in the offi ce of the Chancery Clerk of Humphreys County, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, W. C. Trotter, III was ap-pointed Substituted Trustee in the Deed of Trust aforementioned by instrument executed and recorded August 27, 2012, in the offi ce of the Chancery Clerk aforementioned in Trust Deed Book 286, Page 349, thereof; and

WHEREAS, default having been made under the terms and conditions of said deed of trust and the entire debt secured thereby, having been declared to be due and payable in ac-cordance with the terms of said deed of trust, and the legal holder of said debt, Guaranty Bank & Trust Company, Belzoni, Mississippi, having requested the undersigned Substituted Trustee to execute the trust and sell said land and property in accordance with the terms of said deed of trust for the purpose of raising the sum due thereunder, together with attorney’s fees, trustee’s fees and expenses of sale:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, the undersigned, W. C. TROTTER, III, Substituted Trustee in said deed of trust, will on

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020off er for sale at public outcry and sell within legal hours (being between the hours of 11:00 A. M. and 4:00 P. M.) at the North Front Door of the Humphreys County Courthouse at Belzoni, Mississippi, to the highest and best bidder for cash, the following described property lying and being situated in Humphreys County, Mississippi, to-wit:

S½ of Lot 121, Briley’s First Addition to the City of Belzoni, Humphreys County, Mississippi, according to Plat Book 1, Page 14, in the offi ce of the Chancery Clerk of said county and state.

I will convey only such title as is vested in me as Substituted Trustee.

WITNESS my signature, this the 19th day of March 2020.

/s/W. C. TROTTER, III W. C. TROTTER, III, Substituted Trustee121 East Jackson StreetP. O. Drawer 338Belzoni, MS 39038Tel. No. 662/247-1362Fax No. 662/247-3333

377 13-16---------------------------------------------

POSTEDAll land owned, rented or leased by Danny Pearson Farms is posted against all forms of trespassing. All previ-ous permissions are revoked. All violators will be prosecuted.

48-47

POSTEDAll land and buildings owned or leased (including the racetrack) by Aycock Farms, Inc., Aycock, LPand Brooks Aycock III is posted against all trespassing. Hunting, fi shing, motorcycle riding is prohibited. All violators will be prosecuted. Brooks Aycock III 10-9

All land owned JohnBenard Smith III andTortuga Farms, LLC(formerly the Jewell BHaga Estate) is postedagainst all forms of tres-passing. All violatorswill be prosecuted.

POSTEDPOSTEDPOSTEDPOSTEDPOSTED

48u

All land leased and owned by Steve Grish-am is posted against all forms of trespass-ing. All previous per-missions are revoked. Violators will be pros-ecuted.

POSTED

45-44

All land owned, leased and rented by Little J Farms, Little J Hunt & Land, and James W. Sandifer, Jr. is posted against all forms of trespassing. All previous permissions are hereby revoked. Violators will be prosecuted.James W. Sandifer, Jr.

POSTED

11-10

IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF HUMPHREYS COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OFCARL DAVIS THORNTON, JR.,DECEASED CAUSE NO. 2019-0124TREY ABEL THORNTON PETITIONER

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATIONTHE STATE OF MISSISSIPPITO: The Unknown Heirs at Law of Carl Davis

Thornton, Jr., Deceased (whose identities and addresses are unknown after diligent search and inquiry)

You have been made Respondents in the suit fi led in the Chancery Court of Humphreys County, Mississippi, by Trey Abel Thornton petitioning for an adjudication of the statu-tory heirs at law of Carl Davis Thornton, Jr., Deceased. You are summoned to appear before the Honorable Debra M. Giles, Chancellor of the Chancery Court of Humphreys County, State of Mississippi, on Tuesday, the 19th day of May, 2020, at the Sunfl ower County Courthouse located at 200 Main Street, Indianola, Sunfl ower County, Mississippi, in your capacity as an Heir at Law of Carl Davis Thornton, Jr., Deceased, for a hearing in connection with an adjudication of the heirs at law of Carl Davis Thornton, Jr., Deceased. Said hearing will commence at 9:00 a.m., or as soon thereafter as counsel may be heard. In case of your failure to appear and de-fend, a judgment will be entered against you for money or other things demanded in the Petition.

You are not required to fi le an Answer or other pleading, but you may do so if you desire.

Issued under my hand and seal of the said Court, this 13th day of April, 2020.

Mack Liddel, Chancery Clerk of Humphreys County, Mississippi

By: /s/ Shavon Ellis, D.C.(seal)

261 15-17---------------------------------------------

16-19

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16-19

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IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF HUMPHREYS COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OFCARL DAVIS THORNTON, DECEASED

CAUSE NO. 2019-0124TREY ABEL THORNTON

ADMINISTRATORNOTICE TO CREDITORS

Letters of Administration having been granted on the 9th day of April, 2020, by the Chancery Court of Humphreys County, Mississippi, to the undersigned in the Estate of Carl Davis Thornton, Jr., Deceased, notice is hereby given to all persons having claims against the Estate of Carl Davis Thornton, Jr., Deceased, to present the same to the Clerk of this Court for probate and registration according to the law within ninety (90) days from the fi rst publication of this Notice or they will be forever barred.

THIS the 20th day of April, 2020./s/ Trey Abel Thornton TREY ABEL THORNTON,ADMINISTRATORPREPARED BY:PRICE W. DONAHOO (MSB #103223)DONAHOO LAW FIRM, PLLCPost Offi ce Box 1549Madison, Mississippi 39130Telephone: (601) 213-0883Facsimile: (601) 368-8672Email: price@donahoolawfi rm.comAttorney for Administrator159 16-18---------------------------------------------

NOTICEOF

Intention to Divert or Withdraw for Benefi cial Use the Public Waters of the

State of MississippiNotice is hereby given that on the 13th of April

2020, Rayner Ranches LLC, P. O. Box 173, Midnight, MS 39115 has fi led application(s) for a permit to continue to divert or withdraw the public water of the State of Mississippi for benefi cial use, from the Mississippi River Alluvial Aquifer, in the County of Humphreys for irrigation purposes subject to existing rights, the following amount(s) of water at the indicated location(s): App. No. Acres Loc. GW-51149, 107 NW¼, of the SW¼, of Sec.15, T14N, R04W

Any person, fi rm, association or corpora-tion, deeming that the granting of the above application(s) will be truly detrimental to their rights to utilize the waters of said source, may protest in writing to the Permit Board of the State of Mississippi, C/O Chris Hawkins, P.O. Box 2309, Jackson, Mississippi 39225, setting forth all reasons why said application(s) should not be approved. If not protested, the permit(s) will be issued on/after ten days following publication date.

If protested, the application(s) will be taken for consideration by the Permit Board of the State of Mississippi in its offi ces at 515 East Amite Street, Jackson, Mississippi, 39201 on, or after, the 12th day of May, 2020, at which time all interested persons may appear and be heard by the Permit Board.

YMD Joint Water Management District/s/Dillard MeltonDillard Melton, Jr.Permitting Director 16pd

------------------------------------------------------------

Mrs. Mary Katherine GortonSubmitted by: Regina Boykins, Mississippi State University

Extension, Humphreys CountyApril’s Health Achiever, Mrs. Mary Katherine Gorton, is one

of those people that who will always greet you with a smile on her face. Like most women, Mary Katherine has many hats to wear that comes with the many roles in her life. Roles that keeps her busy but roles that she says she treasures and that gives her the opportunity to use her spiritual gifts in ministry.

Even with a very busy schedule, Mary Katherine knows the value of volunteering. As a devout Christian, she considers it to be her joy to help others. It is also a value that she and husband, Dr. Carlton Gorton, are teaching their children, Caleb and Olivia Grace. Now with the current health crisis with the Coronavi-rus, Mary Katherine continues to seize the moment to do what she can to help others in her community. Whether it is beau-tifying the community or helping the elderly, Mary Katherine, along with Caleb and Olivia, have been rising to the occasion of helping others. Always an advocate for healthy lifestyles, Mary Katherine, who is a nurse, also knows the importance of being active and eating a well-balanced diet.

She excitedly anticipates the bounty of her husband’s backyard vegetable garden this summer! For the last few weeks with the State mandated shelter-in-place protocol, Mary Katherine and her family, like everyone else, has had to adjust to major changes in their lives. This is her son’s senior year, and unfortunately, there are many disappointments from cancelled milestone tradi-tions. Yet, amidst all the unexpected changes taking place, Mary Katherine states that she feel so blessed with all the undistracted family time that is taking place with her family.

They now have time to do simple things together. The fam-ily is walking and involving everyone in cooking. Mary Kath-erine proclaims, “We are making memories that we will always cherish!” With the halt in all the busyness of the old normal, now, she says, is the time for families to seek face of God and to strengthen core families values. Her advice to others during these challenging times is to seize the moments of being still (Psalm 46:10) and learning how to thank God in all circumstanc-es (Philippians 4:6) and take it one day at a time (Matthew 6:34).

Our congratulations goes to Mrs. Mary Katherine Gorton who show us that having a heart for others and a resilience spirit that holds strong through her faith is always a healthy way to live! The Humphreys County Health Network encourages all residents to become more physically active and to increase the number of fruits and vegetables in their daily diet.

Pictured is Mrs. Mary Katherine Gorton with her family, Dr. Carlton Gorton, and Caleb and Olivia Grace.

HEALTH ACHIEVER APRIL 2020

APRIL 22, 2020 THE BELZONI BANNER PAGE THREE

OBITUARY POLICYTHE BELZONI BANNER

Covering Humphreys County Since 1917Beginning July 1, 2019, The Belzoni Banner’s obituary rate

policy will refl ect the following:$25 Standard: name, age, address, cause/place of death, time

and location of funeral service, visitation & burial and name of surviving spouse, plus immediate survivors, number of grand-children & great-grands, immediate preceded in death, church affi liation, basic biographical information, professional and civic information, and names of pallbearers, offi ciating minister, and name of funeral home.

Photo charge: $10 Black & White We prefer that the obituary come to us from the funeral home.----------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOVEMBER 14, 2018 THE BELZONI BANNER PAGE THREE

O B I T U A R I E S Long Shotsby Richard Wiman

Long Shots is brought to you by your friends at BankPlus

All land owned by David M. Halbrook and AMTA Farms is posted against all forms of trespassing. All previous permissions hereby revoked. Violators will be prosecuted.

POSTED

28-27

POSTEDAll land owned or leased by Kenny Rodgers is posted against all forms of trespassing, including 16th Section land & all Lundy property. All violators will be pros-ecuted.

Kenny Rodgers34-33

IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF HUMPHREYS COUNTYSTATE OF MISSISSIPPI

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OFJIMMIE LOU OUTLAW DOMINO,

DECEASEDCAUSE NO. E-2018-165

CHARLES JOSEPH DOMINO andMARIE ANTOINETTE D. HARDIN, CO-EXECUTORS

NOTICE TO CREDITORSLetters Testamentary having been granted

on the 17th day of October, 2018, by the Chancery Court of Humphreys County, Mississippi, to the undersigned Executor upon the Estate of JIMMIE LOU OUTLAW DOMINO, deceased, notice is hereby given to all persons having claims against said es-tate to present the same to the clerk of this court for probate and resignation according to the law within ninety (90) days from the fi rst publication of this notice or they will be forever barred.

THIS the 17th day of October, 2018./s/ CHARLES JOSEPH DOMINO CHARLES JOSEPH DOMINO/s/ MARIE ANTONIETTE D. HARDINMARIE ANTONIETTE D. HARDINNOEL D. CROOK, MSB #7882213 N. Hayden StreetP. O. Box 342Belzoni, MS 39038(662) 247-4013(662) 247-4092Attorney for Estate of Jimmie Lou Outlaw DominoPUBLISH:October 24, 2018October 31, 2018November 7, 2018November 14, 2018181 42-45

---------------------------------------------IN THE CHANCERY COURT OF HUMPHREYS COUNTY, MISSISSIPPIIN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF MARY N. PINKERTON, DECEASED

NO.E2018-0172BY: ROBERT SHELBY PINKERTON andLAURA P. TEDFORD, PETITIONERS

NOTICE TO CREDITORSLetters Testamentary having been grant-

ed on the 2nd day of November, 2018, by the Chancery Court of Humphreys County, Mississippi, in Cause No. E2018-0172, to Robert Shelby Pinkerton and Laura P. Tedford upon the Estate of Mary N. Pinkerton, de-ceased, notice is hereby given to all persons having claims against said estate to present same to the Clerk of said Court for probate and registration according to law within ninety (90) days from the date of the fi rst publication of this notice, or they will be forever barred.

This 7th day of November, 2018./s/Robert Shelby PinkertonLaura P. TedfordCo-Executors of the Estate of Mary N. Pinkerton, Deceased,OF COUNSEL:Robert N. Warrington, MSBN 6972CAMPBELL DeLONG, LLPPost Offi ce Box 1856Greenville, Mississippi 38702-1856Telephone: (662) 335-6011Facsimile: (662) 334-6407

164 44-46---------------------------------------------

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72 43-46-------------------------------------------------------------

Obituaries

POSTED

All land owned by David M. Halbrook and AMTA Farms is posted against all forms of trespassing. All previous permissions are hereby revoked. Vio-lators will be prosecuted.

28-27

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WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

For the second year in a row, our part of the world has experienced and is experiencing high water. We are approaching the equivalent of nearly a year’s worth of rain-fall in just four months. The rivers are still running well above fl ood stage in many areas, and no matter which road or highway you travel during these days, you will see fl ood-ed fi elds and fast fl owing streams, big and small. There is water, water everywhere. As a kid, my mama and daddy would take us to Biloxi during the summer to visit my mama’s parents. Living just two blocks from the Gulf, most kids would have conclud-ed that they had won the lottery by having grandparents that close to the beach and all that water. I remember standing on the beach and looking out, impressed by so much water. Daddy would notice that overwhelmed look in my eyes and say, “Water, Water everywhere, and not a drop to drink.” Then he would explain to me that I shouldn’t drink the water. Not only was it salt water, it was also rather nasty. Not many years went by before I started to dread the trip to the beach. I wanted to see my grandparents, but as I began to grow up, my fair skin and red hair meant that I couldn’t stay out on the beach very long before turning the color of a cooked lobster. In the days before sun screen, the last time I went to the beach, I got so terribly sun burned that I couldn’t even put on a shirt. There wasn’t just water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink, all that sun turned me off to being a beach person. To this very day, I prefer the mountains to the beach, and if I have a choice, I prefer the fall. That’s when it’s hunting season! Now then, bringing this back to where I really want to go with this week’s installment, we are experiencing a “Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink” time. Three times in the past few weeks, we’ve nearly had water in our house on Holmes Street. I’ve had to put on knee boots to wade out to my truck, which was parked up against our garage! The rain has come down so hard and fast that the cross ties that form the border to two fl ower beds in our front yard have fl oated off several times. I ended up ordering some long, heavy duty tent stakes, and the last big rain, they stayed put. It was water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink. Water the color of chocolate milk just won’t do. The water got so high in our front yard the other day that the tomato and pepper plants, the marigold and begonia plants put up a sign. It read, “We wish we had been born rice seed!” It will take a week to dry out, but the forecast is already calling for more rain in the next 48 hours! Here we go again with the water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink. Before the last really powerful storms moved through, dropping inches and inches of rain in a short pe-riod of time, I had a warning sign that it wasn’t going to be good. No, it wasn’t from the National Weather service or my Weather Underground app on my cell phone either. Leaving our house and heading for the church of-fi ce, the small fl ight of a half dozen birds fl ying over the city caught my attention. They were ducks, and it was obvious that they were looking all around with confusion. Their necks were twisting this way and that, and it was if they were won-dering, “With all that water, where should we land?” That’s when you know you have water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink. Believing that we have had enough rain recently to refl oat a battleship like the USS Alabama might be a long shot for some of you, but…whatever you do, don’t be afraid to go with the long shots. Live life to its fullest every mo-ment, and be ready!

CHARLES F. DAVISCONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE224B Hwy. 82 West, Indianola, MS.

(662) 887-3557Call one of our agents to view our properties that are listed on our website: www.charlesfdavis.comor Realtor.Com

Charles’ Cell: 662-207-0472Linda’s Cell: 662-207-6316

Malone’s Cell: 662-822-4249Doug’s Cell: 662-207-2082Jackie’s Cell: 662-887-5941

All land owned by Mary Pinkerton, Pinkerton Farm, and C & S Fish Farm is posted against all forms of trespassing.All previous permission revoked. Violators will be prosecuted.

POSTED

41-40

LAID OFF…TURN 65 APRIL 30TH

WHAT DO I DO??Toni:I need your help to enroll

in Medicare because I will turn 65 on April 30th. On April 10th, I was laid off due to the current economic conditions. My employer benefi ts ended the day I was laid off . I have no idea what to do!!

A friend recently gave me a Toni Says® newspaper article with your informa-tion and said I could email you regarding getting my Medicare started as quickly as possible. I am concerned that I will get the dreaded Medicare Part B penalty because I didn’t have Medi-care start April 1st. I cannot get a straight answer as to what we need to do. Help me Please!!

Mary Ann from The Woodlands area

Mary Ann:Every day I am hear-

ing from Americans who are losing their jobs due to these trying times with Coronovirus and downfall of the economy. Don’t fret, Mary Ann…. April is your birthday month and you can enroll anytime in April and your Medicare Part B will begin May 1st. You do not have to wait until April 30th

to enroll nor have you made a major mistake because your Medicare Part A and B did not begin on April 1st.

Medicare has a special en-rollment window called the enrollment eff ective date schedule, which is NOTmentioned in the Medicare and You handbook but is discussed in my new Medi-care Survival Guide® Ad-vanced edition.

On page 5 of Chapter 1in the Medicare Survival Guide® Advanced edition,there is a chart with a time-line explaining when and how to enroll when turning 65.

The offi cial Medicare & You handbook, only dis-cusses Medicare’s “Initial Enrollment Period” and does not go into detail.

Below is what you need to understand regarding Medi-care’s eff ective date sched-ule:

• Enrolling anytime 3 months before turning 65, your Medicare begins the fi rst day of the month you turn 65. Since you, Mary Ann will turn 65 on April 30th of this year; you could have enrolled in Medicare Part A and/or B in Janu-ary, February, or March (3 months prior) for an April

1st eff ective date. But you missed this window of op-portunity and have other options.

• Enroll in Medicare the month you turn 65 which is April, then your Medi-care will begin 1 month after you sign up which is May 1st. You can enroll in a Medicare Supplement with-out answering one health question because you are in your Medigap 6-month en-rollment period.

Now the fun begins:• Enroll in Medicare 1

month after you turn 65, your Medicare will begin 2 months after you sign up. Enroll in May; Your Medi-care Parts A and B begin August 1st .

• Enroll in Medicare 2 months after you turn 65,your Medicare will begin 3 months after you sign up. Enroll in June; Medicare will begin October1st.

• Enroll in Medicare 3 months after you turn 65,your Medicare will begin 3 months after you sign up. Enroll Medicare in July your Medicare will begin November 1st.

Mary Ann, your impor-tant 6-month Medigap/Medicare Supplement open enrollment application pe-riod begins on the 1st of the month, which you have en-rolled in Medicare Part B and you do not have to an-swer one (1) medical ques-tion. There is a 6-month window to apply for any Medicare Supplement with-out health underwriting.

Toni King, author of the Medicare Survival Guide® Advanced edition, which is a simple guide that puts Medicare in people terms, is having a $5 Toni Says® readers discount at www.tonisays.com. If you have any questions regarding this article or any Medicare issues reach out to Toni at 832-519-8664 or email at [email protected].

JIMMIE D. SPRINGER THORNTONJimmie D. Springer Thornton, 93, of Isola, Mississippi,

went to her heavenly reward peacefully, on April, 20, 2020, at Rush Memorial Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi. She had been a resident of Mississippi Care Center in Dekalb, after breaking her hip.

Jimmie Delanis Thornton was born on April 21, 1926, in Drew, Mississippi, to James and Bertie Springer who preceded her in death. She was a member of the First Bap-tist Church of Belzoni, MS. Jimmie was a hard working woman who loved her children, grandchildren and her great grandchildren and she would talk to anyone about them. She was a sweet caring woman who did not mind telling you what she thought. She loved to work in her yard and was proud of her fl owers.

Left to cherish their memories are her two daughters, Barbara Thornton Hales of Utica, Mississippi, and Stella Louise Thornton Newell (Jack) of Dekalb, Mississippi; two sons, Guy Thornton (Bonnie) of Ruleville, Mississip-pi, and Mike Thornton of Pensacola, Florida; brother, Al-vin Springer of Pickens, Mississippi as well as the apples of her eye, 6 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. She also leaves behind several nieces and nephews and a host of friends.

Graveside services will be held at Greencrest Garden, in Belzoni, Mississippi, Thursday, April 23, 2020 at 2 p.m.

Mortimer Funeral Home of Belzoni are in charge of the arrangements.----------------------------------------------------------------------------

STARKVILLE, Miss.—As Mississippi’s manufactur-ers begin producing supplies to aid in the state’s COV-ID-19 response, Mississippi State researchers are helping them assess the fi ltering capa-bilities of their materials.

MSU’s Institute for Clean Energy Technology, or ICET, is using its testing infra-structure to help manufactur-ers know the air fi ltration rates of materials they are using to produce masks. In recent weeks, ICET has tested ma-terials for Oxford-based Blue Delta Jeans Co. and Lake Shore Studios, a hardback lampshade manufacturer lo-cated in Meridian. The com-panies brought diff erent me-dia to test their fi ltration rates, providing decision quality data for their mask manufac-turing.

ICET, a unit of MSU’s James Worth Bagley College of Engineering, is an inter-national leader in evaluating the performance of high-effi -ciency particulate air (HEPA) fi ltration systems used in nu-clear power plants. The center has been working with the U.S. Department of Energy for approximately 20 years to develop the capability of test-ing fi lters under worst-case scenario conditions.

ICET Director Charles Wag-goner said the ongoing re-sponse to the COVID-19 pan-demic overwhelms traditional supplies of respiratory protec-tion masks of all protection levels.

“The test data we supply allow manufacturers to opti-

MSU RESEARCH CENTER TESTSMATERIALS AS MISSISSIPPI

COMPANIES TRANSITION TOMANUFACTURING MASKS

mize their ability to provide customers with protection information,” Waggoner said. “This is important be-cause units may not be man-ufactured to meet specifi c codes such as that for the N95 masks often mentioned in the news. Our data allow mask manufacturers to com-municate to hospitals and other users what the fi ltration effi ciency is for the material used to make masks. It allows them to evaluate how diff er-ent types of material func-tion.”

Waggoner explained that when studying air fi ltration capabilities, researchers at ICET are typically studying air particles that are 50 times smaller in diameter than a piece of human hair. The cen-ter tests how materials fi lter particles of varying sizes.

“Our infrastructure is ca-pable of not only determining overall fi ltering effi ciency, but to do it as a function of par-ticle size,” Waggoner said. “Most codes dealing with air fi ltration specify fi ltering effi -ciency at a given particle size. The traditional defi nition of a HEPA fi lter calls for 99.97 percent removal effi ciency for 300 nanometer particles”

For more on MSU’s Institute for Clean Energy Technology,

visit www.icet.msstate.edu. MSU is Mississippi’s lead-

ing university, available on-line at www.msstate.edu.

-30- MSU Photo ID: Morgan

Spivey, center, a research as-sociate in MSU’s Institute for Clean Energy Technology, and John Wilson, right, ICET chief test engineer, work in March to measure fi ltration rates of face mask materials

as Blue Delta Jean Co. CEO Josh West looks on. ICET has tested materials for Blue Del-ta and hardback lamp shade manufacturer Lake Shore Studios as they manufacture masks to help fi ll a growing need during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Logan Kirkland)

PAGE FOUR THE BELZONI BANNER APRIL 22, 2020

SELL IT WITH A CLASSIFIED IN THE BELZONI BANNER,ONE MAN’S TRASH IS ANOTHER MAN’S TREASURE!

If This Kitchen Could Talk…By Tracy Rainey

All land owned or leasedby Donahoo Enter-prises is posted. All pre-vious permissions re-voked. Trespassers willbe prosecuted.

POSTEDPOSTEDPOSTEDPOSTEDPOSTED

37-36

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PASS3.792 x 4

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Local Churches withFacebook Live Services:

First Presbyterian Church Services: Adult Sunday School-10:00 (Approximately 30 minutes) Morning Service at 11:00, evening service at 6:00https://www.facebook.com/groups/416251348556379/

First United Methodist Church: Sunday Service is at 10:45. https://www.facebook.com/howardtucker126

Eastside Baptist Church: Sunday Morning at 11:00https://www.facebook.com/Eastside-Baptist-Church-of-Belzoni-MS-101968394781975/

Straight Bayou Baptist Church: Sunday Sermon at 11:00 Wednesday night at 7:00ht tps: / /www. facebook .com/Stra ight -Bayou-Bapt i s t -C h u rc h - 1 0 7 4 4 2 1 3 4 2 3 0 2 9 2 / ? _ _ t n _ _ = % 2 C d % 2 C P -R&eid=ARDOs4Uv2yC05bexZPD7ktvJBl-6I8sWbduUy-Qqzm3gQXB2iQlSHFAfuIaV2AkTXBtHnFjhQwBBS_Uvq

You may need to “Join” or send a Friend Request to see these services.

There comes days when nothing seems to go as you want. Ev-ery door is closed in your face. Usually, this is a fi gurative no-tion. But in today’s society, literally every door is being closed. For many, in recent weeks, the opportunity knocking on their doors was snatched away before they could even get their hands on the doorknob. This pandemic not only took the opportunity, but the whole dang door. I’ve seen dreams taken and hard work gone right out the window.

Hope is the most valuable asset a person can possess. Success and failures come and go. There will be ups and downs in life. But if we don’t maintain some sense of hope to carry us over the hill, we will not muster the strength to see victory in the end. At this point in our lives, hope is about as rare as a 12-pack of toilet paper.

It was only a few years back that I was sitting in the fl oor, tears streaming down my face, completely hopeless. For months, I had on set-back after another. Everything I had worked for was being snatched away, one-by-one, slowly yet all at once. I had nothing but hope at one point, and then that was snatched away too. “Why is this happening to me?” I cried. And then I remem-ber why- I had prayed for it.

Yep, you read that right. I had prayed for it. Did I pray to lose everything in my life? No. Of course I didn’t. But I threw my hands in the air and prayed for God to just take over; and lead me in the right direction. And, you know the saying, “Be careful what you wish for.” God knows me. He knows I can’t take a hint to save my soul; and that I am always, ALWAYS going in ten diff erent directions at once. So, in order to get me where I was supposed to be (here in Belzoni with my Slingshot and friends), he had to take all the distractions and pipe dreams away.

I am just as scared, frustrated, and bored as the next person. But, I can’t help but feel like I’ve been here before. Just as a child has to go into “time out” to refl ect on what they’ve done wrong, maybe God has given us all a “time out” to refl ect on all the things we’ve done wrong, clear the clutter that has accumu-lated in our lives, and point us back in the right direction.

I’m craving New Orleans. I love it so much. I love the diver-sity, the art, the mystery of what lurks around the corner. But mostly, I love the food! There is a quote that I love, ” Gumbo is hard to get right…Like life, there’s no one way to do it,& a hun-dred ways, from here to Sunday, to get it dead wrong.”- Author: Kevin Young. He’s right. Life is hard, easy to screw up; and we are all trying our best to fi gure it out along the way. For many of my friends, they thought they had mastered the recipe of life, and then Covid-19 dumped a whole bottle of cilantro in the mix to ruin the dish! Now they are forced with the decision to try to fi x it; or throw out the entire pot and settle for sandwiches.

Too many cooks can destroy the broth. When we are running in too many diff erent directions and life becomes too chaotic, the Master Chef will run everyone out of the kitchen. Maybe our gumbo was on the verge of scorching. Maybe this pandemic is not taking the opportunities away; but pointing us to the right door where the real opportunity for us awaits. God is the Master Chef, He is the only that knows the perfect recipe for each of us. So, instead of scrambling around through the spice rack, trying to fi gure out how to make it better; why don’t we just give Him the wooden spoon, and let Him stir the pot as He sees fi t.

In the meantime….we can enjoy this recipe I found online for a quick and easy seafood and sausage gumbo. Of course, everyone has their own recipe and preferences. Just like life, the diversity is what makes gumbo so special!

Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo:Ingredients: (1) 4 tbsp. butter (2) 1/4 c. all-purpose fl our (3)

1 small yellow onion (4) 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (5) 2 celery ribs, chopped (6) 2 cloves garlic, minced (7) 12 oz. andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2″ pieces (8) 1 tbsp. cajun sea-soning (without salt) (9) kosher salt (10) Freshly ground black pepper (11) 1 bay leaf (12) 1 (15-oz.) can fi re-roasted diced to-matoes (13) 4 c. chicken broth (14) 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined (15) 3 green onions, (16) sliced cooked white rice, for serving

1. In a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat, melt but-ter, then add fl our. Cook, stirring constantly, until dark caramel colored, about 10 minutes.

2. Add onions, peppers, and celery, and stir until softened, about 5 minutes more. Stir in garlic and sausage, then season with Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir in bay leaf, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thick-ened, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.

3. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add shrimp. Once shrimp is pink and cooked through, taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in green onions, reserving some for garnish.

4. Serve spooned on top of white rice.----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ambushed

I got ambushed by a power-ful fragrance while busting out of the cabin for an early eve-ning walk around the neigh-borhood. It was cloyingly sweet.

Though the mid-April cool snap dampened the smell of my banana shrub, which my grandmother called Magnolia fuscata but has now been re-named Michelia fi go, it’s still the best month for those of us who love the waftings from Magnolia, honeysuckle, and star or confederate jasmine.

But some, especially the weedy Chinese privit and more statuesque wax Ligus-trum, can be real olfactory thugs.

I got a strong whiff long be-fore I saw its large clusters of pure white fl owers glowing in the dusk; in fact, its bouquet all but forced me to look for it. This is what garden fragrance is for, and it worked as I al-most swooned with its over-powering fragrance hanging in the thickly humid gloom.

Scientists think fragrance helps attract some insects and bats looking for food or mates, and repels others that might fi nd the plants munch-able. The volatile oils are as incredibly varied as the crit-

ters they attract; sometimes the diff erences are so subtle they attract only a tiny percent of the available pollinators, in ways we humans have yet to understand.

While mere brushing through the leaves of my sprawling lantana, oregano, mint, and rosemary planted beside walks can release eau de jardin, fra-grance from fl owers requires warmth; heat causes blossoms, freshly mowed lawns, fresh-picked tomatoes, and freshly disturbed earth to release vola-tile oils which hang mid-air in our humidity, waiting for our noses to be thrust into them

No matter, I enjoy them for the allure and the memories. When I smell some, I am tak-en back in spirit to my earli-est garden memories. Banana shrub and jonquils conjure an innocent childhood spent pok-ing around behind my horti-culturist great-grandmother; four o’clocks sharply focus the year we lived with my grand-mother in a double-wide shot-gun shack in the Delta while my combat Marine dad was freezing in Korea. Eleagnus and sweet olive are Autumn favorites.

To be honest, I think the Spi-rea and Pyracantha in bloom now reek of dirty socks, and nothing compares with the oddity I grow in the leafy woodland soil of my back gar-den, a deep burgundy “voo-doo lily” (Amorphophallus konjac) whose stench exactly mimics rotting meat, the better to attract pollinating fl ies and beetles. And repelling garden-ers.

But this week there is a sick-ly-sweet confl uence of aromas in my garden and neighbor-hood, almost enough to make me queasy. The roses are okay, because I have to get really close to them. But there’s a

slight citrusy conspiracy going on between Magnolia, confed-erate jasmine, Ligustrum, and honeysuckle; though each has its own signature attar, I can barely tell them apart when they are biffi ng my nose all at one time.

Only consolation I have is that the gardenia is not pump-ing out its excessive fl oral essence - yet. Thankfully it comes in the heat of summer, without even a close competi-tor!

Garden fragrances are evoca-tive, but those with less nu-ance can easily combine into an overpowering excess. Still, while our more northern gar-den friends are forever con-nected to one another through

lilacs, I’m grateful to know that for the rest of their lives my children, whenever they smell fl owers we’ve all been raised with, will think of their Dad, and at least in their minds and hearts they will be trans-ported to their Mississippi up-bringing.

Here’s hoping that, years from now as fl ower fragranc-es summon them mentally to their childhood home, they don’t curl their lips and hold their noses when the Ligus-trum kick in.

Felder Rushing is a Mis-sissippi author, columnist, and host of the “Gestalt Gar-dener” on MPB Think Radio. Email gardening questions to [email protected].

by Felder Rushing

During COVID-19, Take Simple Steps to Establish a New Normal(StatePoint) It’s always the

right time to commit to healthy habits, behaviors and steps to improve your physical and mental health. With the CO-VID-19 pandemic creating so much uncertainty and upend-ing so many routines, experts say that focusing on the things within your control is particu-larly important.

“At this particular moment -- challenging as it may be -- it is very important for all of us as individuals to recognize that our actions can and do have a collective impact,” says Dr. Patrice A. Harris, president of the American Medical As-sociation (AMA). “A lot of people are grieving at this moment. Tragically some are grieving loss of loved ones; but people can also grieve the loss of employment, routines or the ability to be with family and friends. Everyone should know that these feelings are normal, and they should al-low themselves to experience them.”

Here some simple steps from the AMA to maintain your physical and mental health during the unusual times of COVID-19:

1. Channel your feelings of anxiety or helplessness into

action. Practicing physical distancing and making sure to wash your hands with warm soapy water for at least 20 sec-onds are two steps that protect your health and the health of others. Create a safety action plan for you and your family. Also consider how small ges-tures – like off ering to pick up groceries for an older or at-risk neighbor who may be anxious about leaving home -- can make a big diff erence.

2. Take care of yourself physically. Get as much sleep as you can, try to include fruits and vegetables into your diet, and make sure you move. With many gyms and parks closed and physical distancing in place, it may seem harder to work out, so consider options at home, including dancing, to stay active.

3. Create new routines. With more people working from home and/or caring for school-aged children, the daily lives we had before COVID-19 are a distant memory. But build-ing routines -- time for work, time for meals, time for de-compressing -- is critical to creating a new normal. In the world today, there are so many things we can’t control, but our schedules are something

we can.4. Take time to turn off social

media and the news. It is criti-cal at this moment to know what is happening in the world and to stay connected with family and friends, but if so-cial media and 24-hour news are making you anxious, con-sume them in doses.

5. Feel your feelings. It’s natural to worry and be afraid at a moment like this. It is also important to remember there are physicians, public health offi cials at all levels of govern-ment, as well as experts in the private sector, working tire-lessly to limit the spread and impact of COVID-19.

6. Stay connected. Social media gives us a common connection point during times

of isolation, but there is real opportunity at this moment to stay connected via phone calls and video chats with friends, family, and even people you haven’t heard from in a while. Physical distancing is impor-tant, but it’s still okay to so-cialize.

7. If you have children, talk to them in an age-appropriate way, and avoid ascribing feel-ings to them. Don’t say, “I know you’re scared.” Kids are observant and they’re wise. They may know things are diff erent, but they may not be afraid. Let them know smart people are working on ways to keep us all safe. Model healthy coping.

PAGE FIVE THE BELZONI BANNER APRIL 22, 2020

K e e p i n

t o u c h

w i t h

T h e B e l z o n i

B a n n e r

o n

F a c e b o o k .

Guest ColumnistJim DavidsonSponsored by your friends atGuaranty Bank & Trust Co.

www.gbtonline.com

B r i d a l R e g i s t r y205 N. Hayden Street

Belzoni, Mississippi - 247-0707

Amber Foster & John MauneyCaroline Walker & Daniel Reed

Addie McLendon & Colby HowardMargaret’s Garden,

Gifts & Florist

Keep yourself protected from recent fraud.

gbtonline.com

As the stimulus checks arrive, so will the likelihood of local scams. Please be aware that the IRS and Guaranty Bank will never call you and ask for specific account or personal information. If you receive a call from someone asking you for your bank account information, it is likely a scam. Stay alert and be safe!

Learn more and stay up-to-date by visiting: IRS.gov/coronavirus

YOU CAN’T SINK HALF A SHIP!The legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once said,

“No one ever fails in life until he blames someone else.” Unfortunately, many people in our prosperous nation were never taught that accepting responsibility for themselves and their actions is the most visible sign of maturity. This is a personal quality that will contribute greatly to individual suc-cess. It’s also a vital need if we are to preserve our freedom in the perilous and ever-changing times in which we live.

As it relates to our personal and collective freedom, I would like to ask you to create this scene in your mind: just before the break of dawn one cold winter morning, a family is standing out in the street in their pajamas, watching their home burn to the ground. As they huddle together and hear the distant sound of the fire truck on its way to the fire, they begin to think about the loss of their most cherished possessions, many of which can never be replaced. But at this moment, they are thankful just to be alive.

Now, as we all know, this scene actually takes place thousands of times each year in America and many families are not as fortunate as the one I’ve just described, as their lives are lost in the tragedy of a home fire. There are also many of our nation’s firefighters who perish in the line of duty. However, for those who are fortunate enough to escape with their lives, they can start over and rebuild. In a few years, in most cases, their lives can be back to “normal.”The example I’ve just shared with you is meant to graphically il-lustrate that everything is relative. We don’t appreciate fair weather until we have suffered through several weeks of rain or snow. Most of us don’t appreciate good health until we have had an accident or a prolonged illness of some kind. Most won’t appreciate freedom until we come face-to-face with the distinct possibility of losing it.

One time I heard the late Dr. Ken McFarland -- noted speaker, author and guest lecturer for General Motors -- tell the story about the first mate of a ship that rushed up to the captain and said, “Sir, the ship is sinking!” The captain calmly replied, “Let ’er go, she ain’t ours.” Dr. McFarland then went on to make a very important point, as he said, “If we are on a ship, it is ours, regardless of who owns it.” You see, when a ship goes down, every person who is on it goes down with it. In other words, “you can’t sink half a ship.”

The reasons are many, but the United States of America is sailing through some tough social, spiritual and economic seas just now, as we struggle to pay off our national debt, deal with a worldwide pandemic, and have many social problems beg-ging for a solution. If we are to maintain our precious freedom, as American citizens we all need to accept responsibility for ourselves and our actions and we must believe it’s possible. This principle also applies to our homes, our jobs and ca-reers, and especially how we treat those around us. To show love, kindness and concern for others is a sign of maturity.

In the wake of many tragic shootings in our country, we should all get on our knees and pray to God that He will heal the wounds of our society. I’m deeply concerned as I’m sure you are, for the citizens of our country, especially for our young people because they are our hope for the future. Just remember this thought, you can’t sink half a ship. The whole ship stays up or the whole ship goes down, and it is yours, if you are on it.(EDITOR’S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syn-dicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034)

Small Business Alert - 2nd Round of PPP FundsShelter-in-place orders and

social distancing practices have severely impacted small businesses across our state. The White House and Con-gress have reached an agree-ment on a bill that will replen-ish a loan program crafted to assist small businesses in need of fi nancial relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fi -nal details of the bill are still in the works, but the new funding package is expected to total about $480 billion and provide

roughly $300 billion for the Small Business Administra-tion’s popular Paycheck Pro-tection Program (PPP).

The Paycheck Protection Program is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. SBA will forgive loans if all em-ployees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks, and the money is used for payroll, rent, mort-gage interest, or utilities. The program rolled out in March

but ran out of funds toward the middle of April, causing concerns across the country from the small business com-munity. Lawmakers will try to pass the bill that releases the second round of PPP funds in the Senate on Tuesday, April 21. If passed, the House is ex-pected to vote on the legisla-tion Thursday, April 23.

In the meantime, we strongly encourage Missis-sippi small businesses to pre-pare and submit their loan

applications to their local participating bank if they have not already done so.

Small businesses are the backbone of this country and our offi ce is committed to helping business owners navi-gate through this tough time. Should you need further assis-tance, please do not hesitate to contact our offi ce.

Due to the current state of emergency, our resources are limited at this time. To serve you as quickly and effi cient-ly as possible, please email all Business Services needs to [email protected].

In the email, please provide your name, a call-back num-ber, and a summary of your business question or issue. We appreciate your patience as we do our best to serve you during this unique and chal-lenging time.---------------------------------

THUNDER ON WATER CANCELED

Grenada Lake’s popular Thunder on Water Safe B o a t i n g F e s t i v a l h a s been canceled for 2020.“Due to so many risks involved with s taging this year ’s event, our board has voted to cancel this year’s festival and begin concentrating on the 2021 event,” Grenada Lake Association Executive Director Wanda Roche told the GrenadaStar Monday.The Grenada Lake Association is in charge of producing the annual June festival, which normally attracts more than 100,000 visitors from all around the mid-South. Festival-goers enjoy one of the state’s biggest fi reworks shows, amusement rides, area musicians, good food, arts and crafts exhibits, children’s fi shing rodeos, a car show, and many other activities.“In view of the Covid-19 uncertainty, the board decided to call off this year’s event. We plan to make the 2021 festival even bigger and better,” Dr. Tom Holden, Thunder on Water Board President said.Festival offi cials set the 2021 Thunder on Water Safe Boating Festival for June 9 though 13.

PAGE SIX THE BELZONI BANNER APRIL 22, 2020

As Chief of Staff at South Sunfl ower County Hospital, I would like to emphasize the sever-ity of the current COVID-19 pandemic and urge the citizens of Sunfl ower County and the surrounding areas to adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Governor and local offi cials.

The physicians at South Sunfl ower County Hospital are concerned that the community does not understand the severity of this pan-demic. Despite the spike of cases in Sunfl ow-er County, we continue to witness citizens participating in unnecessary interactions and group activities; therefore, disregarding social distancing guidelines. We are pleading with the community to stay home, restrict public outings, and adhere to social distancing pre-cautions.

As we enter the fourth month since the be-ginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the phy-sicians at South Sunfl ower County Hospital want to warn the community that the number of COVID-19 patients is escalating, with an-ticipation of exponential growth in the next couple of weeks. It was initially thought that the disease was isolated to only the elderly, but as more cases emerge, we have discov-ered that it is also aff ecting the very young, and the immunosuppressed. The numbers of infected people in all age groups continue to rise as middle-age patients are testing positive and frequently becoming symptomatic. While younger people may not develop severe symptoms, they can still spread COVID-19 to those more vulnerable which can become fatal in a high percentage of patients. Now, maybe you believe it is not important to follow guidelines and are thinking, “I’m young, I’m healthy, I don’t need to worry.” Statistically, that is true, but I beg you to think about your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, or anyone over the age of 60; those most at risk.

We do not take any of these steps lightly. We know that each comes with its own set of impacts on residents and families, on communities and local businesses. But at this moment our paramount concern must be to fl at-ten the curve of new cases, so we do not overload our hospital’s capacity to deal with this. We all must take seriously the need for social distancing that can help slow the spread of COVID-19. This is not some overblown situation as I have heard multiple people say. THIS IS REAL!

Wade Dowell, MDChief of Staff

the belzoni banner · 2020-04-22 · the belzoni banner serving the heart of the yazoo-mississippi...

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