Albert Owens of Calhoun City died May 26, 2014. He worked at many furniture companies and was a professional upholsterer for many years.  He was a member of Lower Prairie Creek M.B. Church. He was born August 8, 1959, to the late Iola A. Tate and William Payton Owens.

His funeral service was  June 1 at 1 p.m. at West Clay Elementary School with Minister David Eacholes officiating. Burial was in Lower Prairie Creek Cemetery. Nephews and friends served as pallbearers.

Survivors include his loving and devoted wife of 16 years, Helen Owens, Calhoun City; a son, Quentin (Rosmessi) Calvert, to this union there were five step-children, Bryant (Carolyn) Heard, Tulsa, Ok.; Carisa Heard, Melissa (Jessie) Berryhill, Lakesha (Jeremy) Gladney, Calhoun City, and Brandon Scott Heard, Tupelo; 12 sisters, Ruby Russell, West Point; Fannie Knox, and Geneva Neely, Houston; Shirley Owens (John L. Johnson), Woodland; Doris Hayes, Louisville; Alberta (George) Washington, Jessie Davidson, Cedar Bluff; Ola Mae Phipps, Chattanooga, Tn.; Savannah Knox, Houston; Doris Armstrong, Vardaman; Barbara Knox, Jackson, and Sue Cousin; three brothers, Ellis Knox, Houston; Homer (Mary) Knox, Calhoun City, and Prince (Jessie) Owens, Grenada; two grandchildren, LaKita Calvert and Jaliyah Earvin; six step-grandchildren; three aunts, Frances (Early) Spann, Pheba; Lady B. Eacholes and Rosie Eacholes, Cedar Bluff; three sisters-in-law; a special friend, William Thompson, and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by a brother, William ‘Sonnie’ Knox, and a host of aunts, uncles and cousins.

Carter’s Mortuary Services, LLC was in charge of arrangements.

Monema McPhail Cornelius, 94, of Ecru and formerly of Slate Springs, died June 14, 2014 at North MS Medical Center-Hospice. She was born April 11, 1920, the daughter of Robert Fuller McPhail and Opal Rushing McPhail. She was a member of Cairo Baptist Church in Ecru.

Her funeral service was Sunday at 3 p.m. at Pryor Funeral Home in Calhoun City with Rev. Steve Parrish and Rev. Marty Browning officiating. Burial was in Old Bethany Cemetery in Webster County. Pallbearers were Michael Hudson, John Kitchens, Chris Hale, Gino Lynn, Dustin Kindler and Jacob Holcomb.

Survivors include one son, James Clovis (Joyce) Macon, Forrest City, AR; one daughter, Lisa (Michael) Cornelius Hudson, Ecru; five grandchildren, Judy Macon, Forrest City, AR; Robbie Macon (Gino) Lynn, Sherwood, AR; Alissa Hudson (Chris) Hale), Pontotoc; Jessica Hudson (John) Kitchens, Pontotoc, and David (Joyce) Stubblefield, and 10 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by her husbands, Leslie Macon and Bert Cornelius; daughter, Martha Ailene Stubblefield and son-in-law, John W. Stubblefield.

Online condolences can be left at pryorfuneralhome.com

CEDA Director Shelia Freely spoke of local economic development efforts and what local plants need most during the Bruce Chamber of Commerce’s monthly meeting Monday at Jeffery’s.

Shelia Freely

Freely said she has attended several economic development meetings recently promoting the “great sites” Calhoun has for prospective industry. She said some prospects have recently toured local buildings, but no specifics of those inquiries could be released at this time.
Freely said while she insist on focusing on the positive attributes of the county, there are realities that can’t be denied and should be addressed. During recent meetings with local industry leaders, she said one of the primary complaints was getting employees to show up for work.

“That’s something we don’t want to hear, but it’s a reality,” Freely said. “We need to acknowledge it and try and address it however we can.”
Freely praised the work of the school district’s Career and Technical Center which has offered several training sessions  for local industries.
She expressed her thanks for the ongoing investments that Haworth and Weyerhaeuser are making in Bruce and said she is working with a team of local officials and MDOT trying to get a turn lane for Weyerhaeuser on Hwy. 9.

In other chamber news, President Becky Wright said the new heat-air conditioning unit for the chamber office in the Bruce Museum is in and donations have been made to cover its cost. Rickie Vaughn said he would oversee its installment as soon as possible.
Wright said they have seen several “new visitors” at the first two Throwback Thursday farmers’ markets on the Bruce Square.
“It’s always great to see visitors in Bruce,” Wright said.

Wright welcomed new chamber members, Stepp Saver Pharmacy and Hometown Cafe/Marly Klo Gifts and announced Metrocast was the latest Business of the Month honoree.
Wright also said plans are ongoing for the chamber’s 2nd Annual July 4th celebration on the square, highlighted by a fireworks show.

Alderwoman Ellen Shaw said plans are for the Bruce Theater to show it’s first movies the week of the Sawmill Festival (July 7-12).
She said it is also being considered to host the annual Aqua Queen Pageant that week. Shaw thanked city workers for the cleanup efforts around the building.
“It really does look nice,” said Joe Massey. “It’s made a big difference.”
Chamber Secretary Carol Shoemaker said the Sawmill Festival Committee continues work on the upcoming festival and that t-shirts should be in and available later this week.

Calhoun City Chamber of Commerce is donating T-shirts to be worn by the translator staff of the Rice and Beans Ministry in Costa Rico next month. Chamber president Laura Edwards made the presentation last week to the mission team members of Lewis Memorial United Methodist Church. With Edwards, right, are standing Charles Diamond and Michelle Good, and seated, Debra Dearing and Trista Tidwell. Photo by Celia D. Hillhouse

Calhoun County unemployment has dropped to its lowest levels in years.

The county recorded an unemployment rate of 7.9% in April –the lowest recording for that month since 2008.
The county has averaged a 9.1% unemployment rate so far in 2014, if that trend continues, it will be the lowest annual unemployment rate for the county since 2007.

Calhoun was among the lower rates in the surrounding area in April as well.
Yalobusha recorded a rate of 8%, Chickasaw County 9% and Webster 10.2%. Lafayette was the lowest in Northeast Mississippi at 4.9%. Pontotoc and Grenada were 6.5% and 6.7% respectively.

The state’s unemployment rate in April was 6.8%. The national jobless rate was 5.9%.

It’s official. Two weeks after being named interim head coach, Sean Cannon was officially introduced as the new head football coach at Itawamba Community College during a press conference at the David C. Cole Student Services Building on Tuesday.

“I feel very blessed to not only be a head football coach, but a head football coach at a great institution like Itawamba Community College. There is not only a lot of tradition in our athletic programs, but also in our school as a whole. We have a lot to sell here at Itawamba Community College. A lot of coaches work their whole

Sean Cannon

life to become a head football coach, and I’m very appreciative of the administration, President (Mike) Eaton, Mr. (Buddy) Collins and Coach (Carrie) Ball-Williamson for giving me this opportunity.”

Cannon, 39, a native of Calhoun City, succeeds Jon Williams as the 11th head coach in ICC history after spending the last four seasons as the program’s defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.

“Working here at ICC for the last four years has really prepared me for the job. I’m not coming in new, so knowing how things work, whom to call and how our school operates will not be a big adjustment. Jon Williams prepared me for this opportunity from the first day I walked in the door back in 2010. My biggest challenge now is going from managing the defensive players to now managing the entire football team.”

The 16-year coaching veteran has helped ICC win 21 games as defensive coordinator and has consistently guided the Indians to Top 25 finishes in every major defensive category.

“We will keep the standards high in our program. Our first priority is to recruit football players to our program and give them all the resources they need to be successful. The academic structure is top-notch at ICC, and we will make sure our players leave here with a degree when their football playing days are over. We want the players who come through our program to have a successful experience while they are here.”

Prior to ICC, Cannon coached linebackers and served as strength and conditioning coach for the University of North Alabama where he helped the Lions to an overall record of 44-7 along with two Gulf South Conference championships, three NCAA quarterfinals and one NCAA semifinal finish.

A standout defensive tackle at Delta State University, Cannon coached at his alma mater from 1997 through the 2004 season, serving for five years as defensive line coach and two seasons as defensive coordinator and linebacker coach. During his time in Cleveland, the Statesmen won two Gulf South Conference championships as well as the 2000 NCAA DII National Championship.

“I’ve been very fortunate to work for some great head coaches in my career who have prepared me for this opportunity. I took a little from all of them and molded my philosophy, and now it will be time to put my plan into action. We have had great success in my time here. We have won some big football games; returned to the playoffs and players have graduated, moved on and continued their academic and athletic career.  The one thing that community college athletics gives young men is a chance to be able to get an education and continue their athletic career as well as an opportunity to be able to do what they want to do not what they have to do.”

Cannon earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Delta State. He is married to the former Julia Gaston of Mendenhall. They have a son, Wade, and two daughters, Jenna and Josie.

•QUICK BITES will meet Thursday, June 19 at noon at the Multi-Purpose Building in Pittsboro. Topic is Weed Control in the Lawn and Landscape.

•SAFEHAVEN will have a free presentation on the prevention of domestic violence Thursday, June 19 from 10 a.m.- noon at 210A N. Main St. in Vardaman next to Catholic Charities building. For info, call Nikki Kraft at SafeHaven 662-327-6118.

•Yalobusha Historical Society will meet Thursday, June 19, at 2 p.m. in its headquarters in Coffeeville.  Speaker is Tricia Raymond, Madison, and her topic is the Pledge of Allegiance. Visitors are welcome.

•FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF JOHN AND VERDA KELLY will have a reunion Sunday, June 22 at Bruce Community Building. Potluck lunch will be served.

•ANNUAL FERGUSON FAMILY REUNION will be Sunday, June 22 at the Multi-Purpose Building in Pittsboro. All family and friends invited. Bring a covered dish.

•Gardener’s Delight and Master Gardeners will meet Monday, June 23, at 6:30 p.m. at the Multi-Purpose Building. Carl Oglesby, Lee Co. Master Gardener, will be guest speaker. Everyone is welcome.

•PIECES AND PATCHES will meet and Monday, June 23 at 1 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

•LEADER TRAINING will be at the Multipurpose Building Tuesday, June 24 at 10 a.m. with guest speaker Leah McCormick, Fabric of Hope. All  welcome. Brief Ladies Fair Meeting held following Leader Training at 11 a.m.

•QUICK BITES will meet Thursday, June 26 at noon at the Multi-Purpose Building in Pittsboro. Topic is hydration essentials. Learn about healthy and tasty hydration options.

•JAMES ‘BIRD’ MOORE BENEFIT for medical expenses will be June 28 at Bruce VFW on 9W starting at 4:30 p.m. Auction at 6 p.m. FMI and donations call Kelly Bailey 662-598-5533.

•PERRY GOODSON RETIREMENT RECEPTION will be Sunday, June 29 from 2-3:30 p.m. at the Calhoun City City Hall. All are invited.

•JULY 4TH PARADE Friday, July 4 at 5 p.m. in Bruce. Parade will begin on South Newberger. Deadline to register an entry in the parade is July 1. To register or FMI Call Noel Tunnell 662-983-2444, Traci Lee 662-983-5668, or Shea Logan, or contact via Facebook.

•ASTON REUNION will be Friday, July 4 at the American Legion Building in Calhoun City beginning at 10 a.m. Potluck lunch. All relatives and friends are invited.

•FUN DAY IN THE PARK at Willis Community Park in Calhoun City will be Saturday, July 5. Events include dunking booth, sack races, water slide, face painting, men and women’s 5-on-5 basketball tournament. Foods, concession stand, etc. Proceeds go to Class of 2006 reunion. For info, call Melinda Pittman, 927-0707, DeNice Coleman 832-5041 or Countess Welch Pierce 827-0626.

•BAKE SALE Friday, July 5 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Bruce Piggly Wiggly. Sponsored by No-Kill Animal Shelter. All proceeds benefit the dog shelter. To donate or volunteer contact Anna Crofford 662-473-8745 or via Facebook.

•DERMA SCHOOL REUNION… Calhoun County Agricultural High School and Derma School will have a reunion Saturday, July 5 at 1 p.m. at the Multipurpose Bldg. in Pittsboro. More information will be released later.

•BECKETT REUNION will be Saturday, July 6 at Bruce Community Building beginning at 10 a.m. Potluck lunch. All relatives and friends are invited.

•BRUCE SAWMILL FESTIVAL will be July 10-12 with the Aqua King and Queen Pageant, a concert by The Bouffants, Festival Golf Tournament, Car Show, 5K “Run For History,” Arts and Crafts show, live entertainment, local artists works displayed in Bruce Museum and more.
For info, contact Carol Shoemaker at 662-983-2222 or chamber@brucetelephone.com.

•SAWMILL FESTIVAL GOLF TOURNAMENT sponsored by the Bruce  Lions Club will be Saturday, July 12 at Yoda Creek Golf Course in Bruce.  Prizes will in several categories. For information call Yoda Creek at 662-983-9632.

•BRUCE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1964 will have a 50-year-reunion Saturday, July 12 at Bruce Museum. Contact Rita at 662-983-7185, Sandra 662-414-7138 or Geneva at 662-983-2567.

•Calhoun City Class of 1984 will have their class reunion on July 12. For more info, contact Rhonda Langford Ray, Kim Hubbard Parker or Virginia Woodard Miller.

•FAIR EXHIBITS… Calhoun County Fair Association invites everyone in Calhoun County to enter exhibits in the county fair July 21-26. Exhibits books are available at the Extension Office and public libraries at Bruce, Calhoun City and Vardaman.

•Fairest of the Fair pageant will be Monday, July 21, at 6:30 p.m. at the Multi-Purpose Building in Pittsboro. Contest open to any participant from any county. Register for the pageant anytime between now and the start of the pageant that night.  Entry fee: Beauty/Photogenic $25, Photogenic $10, Beauty $15. Western wear only. 2013 Fairest of the Fair winners are eligible to compete this year if they move up to the next age group. Age divisions– Girls: 0-12 months,13-23 months, 2-3 years, 4-5 years, 6-8 years, 9-11 years, 12-15 years, 16-18 years. Boys: 0-12 months,13-23 months, 2-3 years, 4-6 years, 7-10 years.

•COUNCIL MEETING will be Tuesday, July 22 at 2 p.m. at the Multipurpose Building during the fair. Everyone is urged to attend.

•Youth speed events horse show will be held at Calhoun County Agri-Center during the Calhoun County Fair Tuesday, July 22, beginning at 7 p.m. with the Dixie Riders performance. Youth barrels, poles and stakes at 7:30 p.m. Call 412-3177 for more information.

•UGLY LAMP CONTEST will be held at the Calhoun County Fair Bring entries to the Multi-Purpose Building Tuesday, July 22 from 4- 7 p.m. or Wednesday, July 23 from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Open to all ages. One entry per
person. No entry fees. Winner announced Saturday, July 26 at 3 p.m. in: Ugliest Lamp – Born Ugly; Ugliest Lamp – Made Ugly; Most Unique. Prizes by Artifacts in Bruce.

•ICED CAKE CONTEST… Make an iced cake from any of the recipes published in the Calhoun County Journal and win a subscription for a year to the Calhoun County Journal. Entries must include a copy of the recipe along with the name of the featured cook that was published in the Calhoun County Journal to be eligible for the prize. For more information call 412-3177.

•YOUTH MEAT GOAT SHOW will be held at the Calhoun County Fair at the Calhoun County Agri-Center in Pittsboro, Wednesday, July 23 at 1:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to come watch. For info, call 412-3177.

•BISCUIT MAKING DEMO… Calhoun County Happy Homemakers MHV club will be making homemade biscuits at the Calhoun County Fair July 24-25 at 5 p.m. Everyone is welcome to this demonstration. Sit down and enjoy a free sample. For information, call 412-3177.

•PONY PULL CONTEST will be held at the Calhoun County Fair at the Calhoun County Agri-Center in Pittsboro Thursday, July 24, at 7 p.m. For information contact Trent Barnett at 412-3177.

•CROCK POT SUPPER… Calhoun County 4-H will have a Crock Pot Supper Thursday, July 24 from 5-7 p.m. at the Multi-Purpose Building during the Calhoun County Fair. $5 a plate. Supper is a 4-H fundraiser project. For information contact Trent Barnett at 412-3177.

•Calhoun County Fair Rodeo will be July 25-26  at 7 p.m. with the Dixie Riders performance. Everyone is invited to come watch local cowboys and cowgirls as well as competitors from other states compete in the bull riding, bareback horses, roping, steer wrestling and barrel racing. Kids’ activities offered. For info, Trent Barnett at the Calhoun County Extension Office at 412-3177.

•Baking Contest with adult and youth divisions will be held at the Calhoun County Fair Saturday, July 26. Registration From 11 a.m.-noon. Categories include breads, cookies, cakes, pies and candy. Call the Extension Office (412-3177) for info and an exhibit book.

•Calhoun County Fair Big Buck Contest will be held Saturday, July 26 with registration and scoring starting at 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Typical and non-typical. Limit 2 mounts per person. $10 per mount entry fee. $50 first place prize in typical and non-typical. Adult and youth division. Whitetail only. Contact the Calhoun County Extension Office at 662-412-3177 for information.

•ROUND ROBIN ROPING… Calhoun County Fair Association will host a Round Robin Roping for adults and youth Saturday, July 26 at 9 a.m. Roping will be held during the county fair at the Horse Arena. Limited to first 10 teams. Entry fees $60 per person, 60/40  payback. For information and to register, contact Angie Embry, chairperson, at 662-983-5859.

•Calhoun saddle club upcoming showdates are August 9, August 23, Sept. 13, Sept. 20 and Oct. 11 at the Arena at the Multi-Purpose Building in Pittsboro. Training is at noon and show at 1 p.m. Ranch sorting at each show, entry $25, payback $10 per head.

•DOG LOVERS! LEAGUE? FOR NO-KILL SHELTER meets the first Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at Bruce Park Pavilion. For info, call 983-7471.

•DRIVER’S LICENSE RENEWAL station is open in Pittsboro every third Tuesday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the old tax assessor’s office/church building near the entrance to the Multi-Purpose Building on Hwy 9.

•NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS meets Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. at Mt. Comfort Baptist Church, 38 CR?257, Bruce.

•SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS & Order of the Confederate Roses meet every third Thursday at 6:45 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Grace Southern Baptist Church in Calhoun City. All are invited.

•CALHOUN COUNTY SHRINE CLUB meets every third Thursday at 7 p.m. at Masonic Lodge in Calhoun City.

• BRUCE GROUP ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS meets Friday nights at 8 p.m. at Bruce United Methodist Church.

•CALHOUN CITY ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS meets Monday nights at 8 p.m. at Lewis Memorial Methodist Church, Calhoun City. For info, call 628-4222.

To submit items for the calendar, call 983-2570, fax 983-7667 or email to: calhouncountyjournal@gmail.com

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LOST & FOUND                      1
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LOST SET OF KEYS in Pittsboro area. Large yellow polka dot key chain with initial. Small reward. Call 662-835-9148.            18p
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FOR SALE                       2
Houses, Land, Mobile Homes
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5 BR 3-1/2 BATH HOME IN PITTSBORO, Sutton home. Quiet neighborhood on dead end street. Move-in ready. Call 901-491-9071 or 901-491-4267.
11,18,25c-rb
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37 ACRES 12-14 year old pine plantation, two miles from Bruce. Call 662-983-8800.
28,4,11,18c-js
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LARGE LOTS in Country Estates Subdivision, 2 miles west of Calhoun City Hospital, starting at $2,000 per lot; 3 lots in Churchhill Subdivision discounted to sell; 30 lots in Briarwood Subdivision Part II?in Vardaman, practically finished, super opportunity. Fred Nabors, 456-6319.                                 9tnc
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REDUCED TO $55,000.  3 BR 2 B brick home in Bruce, 1,700 sq. ft. with 2 acres, 433 N. Pontotoc Rd. Call 983-2620 or 628-4171.                          23tnc-ec
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FOR SALE                       3
Autos, Trucks, Motorcycles
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2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GTP. Leather, loaded, high mileage. New tires, $3,500. Call 662-322-1079.    18,25,2,9c-dh
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FOR SALE                       4
Appliances,  Furniture
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SAVE $100s ON MATTRESSES! at The Mattress Outlet, Hwy 8, Vardaman. Open every Saturday, 9-4. Tommy Scarbrough, owner.                             21tnc
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Used appliances washers, dryers, ranges for sale at Brasher’s Home Furnishings, ph. 983-2368.
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FOR SALE                    6
Pets, Pet Supplies
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FOR SALE                     7
Misc.
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CUCUMBERS FOR SALE. 1/2 bushel $16. Please call to order, 413-4040. L.H. Johnson.  18tnc
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BLUEBERRY HILL VARDAMAN, 09 CR 450. You pick $8 gallon; we pick $16 gallon. Call 662-542-3020 or 662-800-4440.
11,18c-ja
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COUPLE OF HOGS, perfect for July 4th BBQ; Antique Car, $3,500. Also full blooded German Shephard, good watch dog, $150. Call John Tucker, 983-0772 or 800-4535.
25tnc
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FOR RENT                     8
Misc.
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HOUSE in Bruce City Limits. 2 BR, 1 B on North Pontotoc Rd. $400/mth + Dep.  ROOM TO PARK ONE CAR ONLY. Contact Chad at 601-520-5905. Employed and serious applicants only, please. References requested.                           18tnc
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HOUSE FOR RENT in Bruce. 2 BR, 1 B on W. Countiss St. Quiet neighborhood and close to downtown. $425/mth + dep. Contact Clint at 317-507-8443. Employed and serious long-term applicants only, please.
-July 30-cc
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MINI-SYSTEMS of Bruce. Short or long term rental storage units. Climate Control Available! Various sizes—5×10, 10×10, 10×15, 10×20. Brasher’s Home Furnishings, ph. 983-2368.
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BUSINESSS
OPPORTUNITY                   9
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BUSINESS FOR SALE. Owner wants to retire from well established local floral and gift shop. Great customer base! Serious inquiries only. Call 414-1108.
19tnc
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WANTED                     10
Misc.
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NOTICE                        11
Misc.
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The Pickin’ Shed, Hwy 9W, Banner. Home Improvement Mdse.  Open Monday thru Saturday 9-5, closed every 4th weekend. Call 662-473-6660  for more info.                          19tnc
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The Journal assumes no responsibility for the wording or content of classifieds advertisements.
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SERVICES                   12
Misc.
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I WILL SIT WITH THE ELDERLY in their home. References available. Call 835-9404 or 628-1906.                  18,25,2,9c-cn
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WILL SHARPEN WOOD MIZER blades for band sawmill. $5 per blade. Call Ray at 628-6086 or 417-1461.                     12tnc-tj
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Bulldozer, Trackhoe and Tractor and Pan Services available. Also environmental land clearing. MARTIN AND MARTIN CONTRACTING, LLC-Banner, MS, 35 years experience. For quotes or more information, please call Freddie Martin at 662-473-6658.                         6tnc
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WINTERIZE NOW! Consider a new metal or shingle roof. Call Joey Collins for all your building, remodeling, repairs, metal roofing, plumbing and electrical needs. Free estimates. Call 662-927-0856 today!          14tnc-jc
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DO YOU NEED YOUR YARD mowed or other yard work? Call 662-628-5271 or 662-414-1831                            -6tnc-jh
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HOME REPAIR & MAINTENANCE– Carpentry, electrical, plumbing, painting and more. Tommy L. Roane, 662-983-8326 or 662- 983-7557.
17tnc
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BWS WELDING, STEEL & ALUMINUM, farm equipment repair, portable welder. Bobby W. Sexton, 614 CR 130. Call 662-414-8295 (cell)                   21tnc-bs
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MARTIN CONSTRUCTION & Home Maintenance. Contact us for all your home repair needs. TONY MARTIN, ph. 413-4644.
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POSTED                     13
Landowner Owners
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POSTED– Land in Calhoun and Pontotoc counties belonging to Mitzi Aron, Joe Aron or Jim Jim Aron is posted against hunting, fishing or trespassing of any kind without written permission of the landowners.                  -dec31p
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POSTED–The Gullick Place land of Rabon Gullick, Nellie Davis, Lillie Newsome and Sara Quillen is posted against hunting, fishing or trespassing of any kind.

Day Lilies are in full bloom at the home of Earl and Barbara Swanson on Rocky Mount Road in the Reid community. His parents, the late A.C. Swansons began growing and selling day lilies in the late 1990’s. Earl’s brother, A.C., Jr.., hybridizes them, and this year they have some new ones with ruffled edges. Photo by Celia Hillhouse

Superintendent Mike Moore laid out plans for the school district if state funding improves in the future during a sparsely attended budget hearing Monday night at the school district office in Pittsboro.

The purpose of the hearing was to listen to public comments on the proposed $21.2 million budget, but aside from media present there were no other citizens in attendance.
“It’s important for our community that there’s no tax increase whatsoever,” Moore said to begin his report to the board.
He outlined several highlights to the proposed budget of which he said 80-83% is salaries.

Mike Moore

“That doesn’t leave a whole lot for anything else, but we’ve managed it well,” Moore said.
He began by noting the new positions created for next school year – a SpEd position at Bruce Elementary, gifted position at Vardaman High School and a new second grade teacher at Bruce Elementary “due to growth.”
“We’ve been on a student desk ratio. These desks for high school kids are up to $140-150 a piece now,” Moore said. “So we’re doing three or four rooms at each school and trying to rotate some of those old desks out. We’ve been doing that for a while.”

“Last year we did a big upgrade on security. We’ve got (security) doors coming in for Vardaman (High School) next week. We’re just about through with all the security doors, cameras and so on like that at all schools. I know we all believed that was important.”
Moore said the ongoing renovation of the bathrooms at Calhoun City Middle School is nearly complete and announced the district has been approved for a new engineering class at the Career and Technical Center.
“We’re excited about that,” Moore said.

New computers throughout the district are another planned upgrade.
“This is something when the stimulus money came through in 2009-10  we bought computers for everyone, and now as you know when you get a computer that’s three or four years old it’s about outdated,” Moore said. “We’re starting to update those again, putting them on a rotation at all our schools for teachers and our computer labs.”

“We’re doing face lifts at a lot of our schools. We’re adding an awn-ing at Vardaman High School, so it will look like the elementary school. We’re doing a lot of concrete work, walkways, awnings over there, but the good thing is the school support group is going to do all the landscaping and maintain it. We’re certainly appreciative of that,” Moore said.
“I want to say thanks for the sidewalks at Vardaman,” Board Member Whit Casey said. “Every time it rains it’s under water. “Those were badly needed and we appreciate it.”

“I’ve told each support group if you can do a little to help us, we will do all we can to help you and a lot of our schools have.” Moore said. “Without the local support we get at each school we would be in trouble.”
More air conditioned buses are one of the bigger expense items in the new budget.
“When I started, we had four air conditioned buses. We want to get four or five more coming in July like we did last year,” Moore said. “They’re used buses with about 30,000 miles on them, but like brand new. Hopefully by August 1 of this year, everybody should be in an air conditioned bus.”

“We’re going to have one of the best bus fleets anywhere, and we’re very appreciative of that.”
Moore noted the 4% raise approved by the district for non-certified staff to go with the raise from the state for teachers. He said there is plenty more the district would like to do, but it will depend on funding from the state.
“With next year being an election year, we anticipate it will be a better funded year from the Legislature,” Moore said. “You’ve heard me say it many times.

We’ve got to get to where we can hire some P.E. teachers for the elementary schools and get these kids back on track.
“We need counselors for the elementary schools, reading coaches for the elementaries.
“School nurses. We put that in the paper last week, and I had more than 20 calls from people wanting those school nurse jobs and no telling how many the others had.
“It’s going to happen some time if we can get some money, and they are desperately needed.

“A lot of things we’ve got long range plans on we’re just waiting on the funding. We certainly want to lower our class size. We’ve got a really good plan that as money begins to come through, we can start putting to use.”
The school board will officially adopt the proposed budget at their June 30 meeting.

Following the hearing, the board held a special called meeting to handle one item of insurance business.
The board voted to join the Mississippi School Board Association’s insurance group which would lower the district’s property and casualty insurance to $169,000 if MSBA gets the required number of districts to implement the coverage.
If MSBA doesn’t get enough districts to sign-up, the school district will renew its policy with Zurich which dropped from $240,000 last year to $201,000 for the next year.

STARKVILLE – A couple of facts as the jumping off place from which to begin this conversation: From 2007 to 2011, the federal government provided $1.27 for road improvements in Mississippi for every one dollar paid in federal motor fuel fees and during the same period, federal revenues accounted for 51 percent of state spending on Mississippi’s roads, highways and bridges.

 The Congressional Budget Office issued revenue projections in February that illustrate that the Federal Highway Trust Fund will go into the red in September of next year and that fully funding existing federal highway programs – principally the Obama Administration’s so-called “Moving Ahead for Progress” or MAP-21 program passed by Congress in 2012 – for another year will cost $19 billion.

Sid Salter

The Federal Highway Trust Fund is funded from federal taxes on gasoline and motor fuels and is the source of money for federal spending on highways, bridges, roads and transit. Another wrinkle is that the Federal Highway Administration sends funds to states through six formula programs, but the money isn’t paid in advance. Instead, the Mississippi Department of Transportation and other such entities around the country enter agreements, award contracts, and then rely on getting reimbursed from the feds so they can pay the contractors.

No federal revenue, no reimbursements to contractors. The construction and maintenance process grinds to a halt.
The Federal Highway Trust Fund faces the same problems that the Mississippi Department of Transportation faces in raising state highways funds from state fuel taxes. Fuel consumption is flat and fuel efficiency continues to improve, so as we drive less and get more miles to the gallon, the federal gas tax – currently at 18.4 cents per gallon – doesn’t raise enough revenue to sustain the current transportation infrastructure or to expand and improve it.
What does that mean? It means that unless Congress acts, most of the federal transportation program will cease in Fiscal Year 2015. For Mississippi, TRIP – a private nonprofit organization that researches, evaluates and distributes economic and technical data on surface transportation issues in Washington – estimates that funding for federal could be cut be as much as $470 million.

That, the group notes, in a state in which “28 percent of major locally and state-maintained roads and highways have pavement surfaces in poor or mediocre conditions” and “more than one-fifth of locally and state-maintained bridges show significant deterioration or do not meeting current design standards.”
And the collapsing source of federal funds for Mississippi road and bridge construction and maintenance is only part of the challenge facing Mississippi’s 1.9 million licensed drivers.
Mississippi has about 4,700 miles of highways in dire need of repair at an estimated current cost of nearly $1 billion, according to Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall. One of the biggest public policy and economic misconceptions in Mississippi is the notion that as gas prices have skyrocketed, state gas tax revenues have risen along with them. That’s not the case.

Mississippi’s 18.4 cents per gallon state gas tax (CPG) is a flat tax. When we paid $1 a gallon for gas, the tax was 18.4 CPG. When we pay $3.60 per gallon at the pump, the state tax is still 18.4 CPG. The only way the state takes in more revenue in gas taxes is for the volume of gas consumed to increase.
The state’s 18.4 CPG gas tax was last raised in 1987. According to a report by the American Society of Civil Engineers, Mississippi’s flat gas tax isn’t keeping pace with the inflation of rising highway construction and maintenance costs and with the modern fuel economy improvements in today’s vehicles.

In 2012, a national report found that Mississippi has an estimated $30 billion in highway and bridge needs between 2008 and 2035 but that the state’s current gas tax structure would only generate $15.3 billion to meet those expenses in a “best-case” scenario.
From both the federal and state perspectives on funding roads in Mississippi, something’s got to give.

Sid Salter is a syndicated columnist. Contact him at 601-507-8004 or sidsalter@sidsalter.com.

Part of the renovation in The Journal has included new artwork for the walls. On one of the front walls, we had canvas prints made of The Journal in three different time periods.

The first one was probably made in 1953. The Journal was on the square on the east side of the Bruce Telephone Co. building.
At that time, there were no adjoining buildings, and I don’t even remember The Journal looking like that.

Lisa McNeece

My earliest memories were when Bruce Telephone Co with Harry and Bernie Waller was on one side of us, and Ed Quillen’s Bruce Insurance Agency was on the other side.

Another of the prints is the same building on the square in the 1970s. There is a small pine tree planted on the front lawn. We moved from the square in 1987. The third print is from that location.

***

I did make the Butterfinger pie over the weekend, and Joel and I loved it.
He said it tastes like Butterfinger, cream cheese and Cool Whip, and I said yes, but what about the vanilla?
The only substitution I made was using a chocolate graham crust, instead of a plain one. Good choice.
***
All three farmers markets in the county are up and running.
Calhoun City’s Walk About Wednesday is weekly from 3-6 p.m. and this week, they will have jumpers for kids.
Bruce’s Throwback Thursday is every week from 4-6 with this week’s kids’ activity from Parker Baptist Church and music by Danny Paul Griffin, and Vardaman’s Farmers Market is every Saturday from 7-9 a.m.

***
On my reading list–I’m reading  Fourth of July Creek. Next up is Oxford author Lisa Howorth’s Flying Shoes.
Flying Shoes is fiction, but based on the still unsolved murder case of Howorth’s stepbrother in Washington D.C.
Howorth and husband Richard own Square Books in Oxford.

***
A new feature starting in the Journal this week is Dog of the Week by the Dog Lovers! League for No-Kill Shelter.
The League will provide a photo of any dogs they have available for adoption.
See the photo under Dog of the Week on page 7.
The group meets the first Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the pavilion at Bruce Park. Call 983-7471 for more info.

***
A couple of updates to the Sawmill Festival schedule have been released this week– both concerning the Bruce Theater building.
Ellen Shaw said they plan to show a couple of movies at the first of the week of Sawmill Festival Week at the Bruce Theater. Movies and dates will be announced soon.
The Aqua King/Queen pageant, which has been held at the Multi-Purpose Building the past couple of years will be at the Bruce Theater building this year. The pageant is always on Thursday night of festival week.
It is sponsored by Bruce 20th Century Club.

E-mail Lisa McNeece: lisamcneece@gmail.com follow her on twitter @lisamcneece

It only comes around every four years, and when it does, I’m addicted. The World Cup, taking place right now in Brazil and broadcast all over ESPN’s television and radio channels, is a can’t miss event for me.

From the time I was old enough to put on a pair of cleats, into my college years, I played soccer, commonly referred to as the “beautiful game” outside the U.S.
While my personal play could never be described as “beautiful,” it was by far the most fun sport to play as a kid and one I miss to this day.
For whatever reason, the game has never taken hold with the American viewing public despite it being the second most popular sport among youth age 6-18

Joel McNeece

to play in the country. A Wall Street Journal survey showed that only basketball edged soccer, and by a very small margin, as the sport with the most participation in the United States.

The beauty of soccer is that the game is great for all skill levels as a child, while the athleticism on display at the highest levels is often stunning.
Soccer requires incredible coordination, endurance, speed, strength, agility, and determination.
If you haven’t seen the goal scored by Robin van Persie of the Netherlands during the 5-1 Dutch win over defending champion Spain, you should Google it.

The 50-yard center pass from the Dutch midfielder Daley Blind was magnificent in itself. Imagine running at full speed, dribbling a ball with your feet, and having to kick it 50 yards in the air to a specific spot. Blind boots a precise cross and Van Persie times it perfectly diving through the air delivering a remarkable header that sails just over the leaping goalkeeper’s outstretched hands into the back of the net.

If you can’t appreciate the athleticism, enjoy the lack of interruption World Cup games provide.  Soccer is played in two halves of 45 minutes with a running clock. There are no timeouts, no commercial breaks, no annoying sideline reporters, just 45 minutes of uniterrupted soccer, or futbol for the diehards, of which outside of myself and Javier Carrasco at Vera Cruz restaurant in Bruce there may be no others in Calhoun County. Javier, who grew up with the game, played professionally in Mexico for many years.

“We played soccer every day as much as possible,” Carrasco said in a story I did with him several years ago. “I’ve always loved soccer. It’s such a fun game.”
No one appreciates a great touchdown pass, home run or clutch three pointer more than me, but nothing can compare to the fervor of a goal in the World Cup (and goals have been coming at record pace in this year’s matches in Brazil).

The emotion pours through the television screen with every goal. I can only imagine the feeling in the stadium.
The impact of this year’s World Cup here at home will undoubtedly hinge on the success or failure of the U.S. team. Hard to top the thrilling 2-1 U.S. win over Ghana Monday evening.

The soccer will only get tougher, and more “beautiful” going forward.

Email Joel McNeece at joelmcneece@gmail.com & follow him on Twitter @joelmcneece

Nina Watts of Pittsboro says she changes every recipe to how she or her family likes it. She’s been “on a kick” the past 12 years and has been trying to cook more healthy. Her family has a history of heart issues and high cholesterol, so she uses light, sugar free, or fat free (condensed soup, Jello, etc.)

She also washes ground beef and sausage after she browns it. The family gets used to the way things taste, she says. She also tries to eat more cabbage, and cooks a lot of fresh vegetables.
Nina sautes a lot of bell peppers and onions to use in everything, like spaghetti, tater tot casserole, hamburger helper and lasagna because they “flavor food more.” She also uses sour cream rather than cottage cheese in one of her family’s favorites–lasagna. Her family loves sausage balls and she grates her own cheese because it is more moist. She makes a lot of appetizers for holidays–sausage balls, Rotel dip, and smokies (which she boils first to get some of the grease out.)

She does a lot of cooking for family reunions, church meals, and has Sunday lunch most every week. Recently for a church bake sale, she made magic cookie bars, toffee, Italian creme cake, sweet potato pie, brownies, and sausage balls. She uses unsweetened applesauce to add moisture and no sugar to cake or brownies, and says you can add figs or bananas in the same way.  She likes to bake mandarin orange cake, which she makes often. She also makes a lot of banana nut or blueberry bread, to which she might also add dried cranberries. She says a favorite of members of the church family and young adults is her fresh strawberry pie.

She says she didn’t “grow up in the kitchen” and is not a “taster” when she cooks. Her aunt, the late Blanche Hill, is where she got some of her recipes, but the sweet potato pie recipe is her own thing, also subbing peaches for strawberries in the congealed salad. The stir fry is a favorite dish of her Bryant cousins.
Nina wants a nice presentation of food also, so she will usually do something like add pimento and bell pepper to chicken spaghetti to make it more colorful.

Potato/Okra Stir Fry
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion
1 bell pepper
2 cups Irish (red) potatoes
2 cups cut okra (fresh or frozen)
In skillet, stir fry bell pepper and onion in oil. Add potatoes, stir and cover. After approximately 15 minutes, add okra. Cook covered 15-20 more minutes. Uncover and brown to your desire.

Sweet Potato Ice Box Pie
Graham cracker crust
8 oz. fat free cream cheese
8 oz. lite of fat free Cool Whip
1 can fat free Eagle Brand milk
1 1/2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
Beat cream cheese. Add Eagle Brand, Cool Whip, then sweet potatoes. Keep frozen until ready to serve. Set out 30-45 minutes. Serve cold.

3- Layer Mandarin Orange Cake
1 cake mix–yellow or white
3 large eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup water
1-11 oz. can mandarin oranges
Mix all ingredients and bake. (I use three cake pans)
Icing:
1 vanilla sugar-free instant pudding
1-8 oz. Cool Whip
1-20 oz. crushed pineapple
Stir pudding mix and pineapple well, then add Cool Whip.

Strawberry Congealed Salad
One prepared graham cracker crust
OR
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3/4 stick light margarine
1 Tbsp. sugar if desired
1 tsp. vanilla flavor
Bake 10 minutes on 300-310°. Let cool.
2nd layer:
8 oz. Cool Whip
8 oz. fat free cream cheese
2 Tbsp. sugar
3rd layer:
4-5 cups fresh or frozen strawberries (the more, the better)
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1-3 oz. sugar free strawberry Jello
In saucepan, heat orange juice to a boil. Add sugar and  Jello, stir until dissolved. Add strawberries. Chill slightly. Pour over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate.
(Option: May use fresh peaches and peach Jello instead of strawberries and strawberry Jello.)

The Bruce Trojans and Calhoun City Wildcats met Monday night as part of the high school summer exhibition season.

Pictured is Bruce shortstop Cade Spratlin leaping for a high throw as Calhoun City’s Brandon Clanton heads for second base.

The Wildcats are scheduled to host a NEMCABB regional  Thursday and Friday with Grenada, Winona and East Webster participating. Games both days start at 2:30 p.m.

Bruce will conclude its summer schedule with a game at Vardaman June 30.

Photo by Joel McNeece

Schedule for this week’s NEMCABB baseball regional at Calhoun City:

Thursday, June 19

2:30 p.m. East Webster vs Grenada

4:45 p.m. Winona vs Grenada

7 p.m. Winona vs Calhoun City

Friday, June 20

2:30 p.m. Grenada vs Calhoun City

4:45 p.m. East Webster vs Winona

7 p.m. East Webster vs Calhoun City

Leah McCormick’s Patchwork store opened in Bruce last week on 112 S. Newberger Ave. The store is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Patchwork features USA made products, Mississippi art, jewelry, pillows, linens, antiques and more. It is also home of The Fabric of Hope. Photo by Lisa McNeece

Primary season will conclude next Tuesday, June 24 with the Republican runoff between Chris McDaniel and Sen. Thad Cochran.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. and absentee voting is available currently at the circuit clerk’s office. The office will also be open Saturday, June 21 from 8 a.m. until noon for absentee voting.

Those eligible to vote in the runoff are any who voted in the June 3 Republican primary or any registered voters who didn’t vote at all. Those who voted in the Democratic primary on June 3 cannot vote in the Republican runoff.
Tuesday’s runoff will be the last election until November when a number of other races will appear on the ballot.

There will be three judicial races on the ballot. Glenn Alderson, of Oxford, will seek re-election as chancery court judge. He is being challenged by Tina Scott of Vardaman and Carnelia Pettis Fondren of Oxford.
Bob Whitwell, of Oxford, who was appointed by Gov. Phil Bryant to complete the term of Chancery Judge Ed Roberts following his death, will run for election against challenger Helen Kennedy Robinson of Olive Branch.

Three are vying to fill the seat vacated by Circuit Judge Robert Elliott, of Ripley, who chose not to seek re-election. Candidates are Kelly Luther of New Albany, Shirley C. Byers of Holly Springs, and Kizer Jones of Holly Springs.
Circuit Judges Andrew Howorth and John Gregory are both unopposed.

Jimmy Maxwell, son of James and Bebe Maxwell of Derma, is unopposed in his race for re-election to the Court of Appeals.
The District Five position on the Calhoun County School Board, currently held by Whit Casey, will also be up for election. Qualifying for that race won’t begin until August.

Soccer famously has been called “the beautiful game,” to which I would quickly add that beauty surely is in the eyes of the beholder.

On the other hand, basketball — the way the world champion San Antonio Spurs play the sport — is beautiful, indeed.
By whipping the Miami Heat four games to one in the NBA Championship series, the Spurs have reminded us that basketball — at its core — is a team game that must be played, equally hard, at both ends of the floor. They have showed us once again the best individual players do not necessarily win the game, and that the best team does.

Rick Cleveland

Lebron James clearly is the most talented basketball player in the world, but he and his highly touted teammates were rendered helpless by the Spurs. The Spurs’ average margin of victory in the championship series was 14 points, the largest in NBA history. They clobbered the Heat.
Please, do not take this as a knock on the Spurs’ talent. Tim Duncan is on the short list when the discussion begins about the best power forwards in the history of the game. He is a no-nonsense, efficient player. Tony Parker, the point guard, is one of the best in the sport. Kawhi Leonard, who will turn 23 later this month, made the recent championship series his personal coming out party.

But the Spurs are so much more than those three. Frenchman Boris Diaw averages but nine points and four rebounds per game, but he makes everyone around him a better player. He makes point guard-like passes from the small forward position.
Manu Ginobili, Danny Mills, Tiago Splitter and Patty Mills all play important roles.With the Spurs, the sum is far, far greater than its parts. What the Gregg Popovich-coached Spurs possess is basketball synergy. They share the basketball. They really do appear to enjoy playing together.

We take you now to a moment during the post-game press conference when Popovich was asked about Duncan’s achievement of setting the NBA playoffs record for most double-doubles.
Said Popovich, without hesitation, “I can assure you he does not care.”
Later, Duncan said as much in his post-game interview. And that pretty much says it all about the Spurs.

My guess is that the statistic Duncan liked best was the Spurs’ team shooting percentage, which was 52.8 percent for the championship series. That’s smoking hot and it comes from sharing the ball and taking good shots..

Besides reminding us that basketball is a team sport, the Spurs also reminded us of just how international the sport has become. Eight of the Spurs were born outside the U.S., including Duncan, who is from the Virgin Islands. Parker and Diaw are from France but Parker was born in Belgium and Diaw’s father is from Senegal. Ginobili hails from Argentina. Splitter is from Brazil, Marco Belinelli from Italy. Mills and Aron Baynes are both Australians.

They form what could pass as a United Nations of basketball and they are coached by Popovich, an American but the son of Serbian and Croation immigrants.
The Spurs speak a variety of languages but they clearly understand one word, no matter the language. That word: Team.

Rick Cleveland (rcleveland@msfame.com) is executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.

Josh Lindsey has been an avid hunter all his life, but he could never afford to save his greatest trophies, so he took matters into his own hands.

“It really started when I killed a Redhead duck, and my brother-in-law (Bankston Johnson) urged me to mount it,” Lindsey said. “He bought me the stuff to do it and I just gave it my best.”
“When I finished, it looked like a duck,” Lindsey said with a big grin. “I couldn’t believe it.”
From there, friends began bringing him ducks to be mounted.

“They were buying the supplies and killing the ducks, and I was practicing, getting better with each one I did,” Lindsey said. “Then I was asked to do a deer. I killed a little buck myself and practiced on it, and it has just taken off from there.”
Lindsey, a 2002 graduate of Calhoun City High School and the son of Keith and Vicki Lindsey, said he was always fascinated by art as a kid and in school won several awards for his drawing and painting. He even considered furthering his education at an art institute.

“I never thought art would revisit me, and now 12 years down the road it has. I never dreamed I would be doing this.”
Lindsey was living in Hernando when he first tried taxidermy at the urging of family and friends.
He taught himself the craft by watching YouTube videos and reading various taxidermy websites.
“I discovered the very basics and then really taught myself different techniques once I started,” Lindsey said. “You’ll never stop learning at this. I get better with every one I do.”

He enclosed his garage at his Hernando home and opened a small taxidermy business while assisting a local taxidermist as well.
To truly test himself, and as a tool to improve, he entered some taxidermy competitions and found success.
He entered the Whitetail Classics in Cordova, Tn. and won first place Professional Game Head Judges Choice and overall Professional Best in Show. He followed that with a third place finish in the professional category at the Southern Regionals in Olive Branch.

“I plan on attending the national championships in July in Springdale, Ar.,” Lindsey said. “If things go well, I’m hoping to bring home an award from there.”
“At one time, I set a goal for myself to place in a national championship. Now that’s not good enough. I want even better.”
Lindsey said the labor of taxidermy work is something anybody can do, but it takes an artist to complete a realistic mount people will be proud of.

“It takes someone with an eye to make it look just right,” he said. “Anybody can learn to mount a deer, but to make it look right you have to study and have a good perception.”
Lindsey believes his ability is God given and honed by those early years of studying art and his passion for the outdoors.

“A whitetail deer is one of God’s most beautiful creations,” Lindsey said.
Deer make up 90% of what he does now, although he has had experience with alligator, snakes, ducks, wild hog, turkey and various fish.
“Wild hogs – that’s a trip,” Lindsey said shaking his head. “But I’d have to say turkey is the most difficult.”
“With a turkey every feather has to be placed. Duck is tedious because it’s so small, but turkey is difficult because you have to handle every feather.”

“I’ve done several different fish – crappie, bass, catfish. I haven’t had anybody bring in a salt water fish, but my wife caught one on a trip, and we saved it so I can do that one.”
His favorite to work on is still deer, and he typically spends 14-18 hours on each mount.
“Most anybody could do one in four to eight hours, but for the detail I want, I put a lot more into each one,” Lindsey said. “My competition deer has almost 90 hours in it. It’s all about the detail.”

Lindsey plans to do that detail work going forward in his new Vardaman based store “Braggin’ Rights Taxidermy.”
“I’ve wanted to come back to Calhoun County and began looking around Calhoun City and Vardaman and found this building,” Lindsey said.
He’s opened shop in the former Southern Belle building on the west side of Main Street in Vardaman.
“I talked to several local people to find out where they take their deer to get mounted, and everyone seemed to be getting out of it, so I saw an opportunity here,” Lindsey said. “My business has doubled each year in Hernando, and when I moved to Calhoun last year it continued to grow.”

Lindsey, 30, and his wife Jessica are preparing to move back to Calhoun, and as of this week his Vardaman store is now open most afternoons late while he works another part-time job.
His plan is to add hunting and fishing goods in the store and hopefully be open more days and hours later in the year.

“I’m in the process of getting all our permits together right now,” he said.
“This is what I love. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”