Looking Back: 50 Years Ago: Jaycees Holds Organizational Meeting

Here are a few items of interest from issues of The Kemper County Messenger from one, five, 10, 25, 50 and 80 years ago.

ONE YEAR AGO

(FEB. 11, 2021)

— The Kemper Academy basket­ball teams have advanced to the Mid-South Independent Schools Association Class 1A-2A North State tournament. The games will be played at Columbus Christian.

— Clois Cheatham was a fixture at East Mississippi Community College thorough portions of four decades. Now, a permanent fixture recogniz­ing Cheatham’s impact will be seen by EMCC students for decades to Come. Cheatham, who passed away in 2011, retired as EMCC’s president in 1987. Monday night, a plague bearing his likeness and contributions to the school was unveiled in a cere­mony in the lobby of the Science wing of Oktibbeha Hall on the Scooba Campus.

FIVE YEARS AGO

(FEB. 9, 2017)

— A huge nine-man senior class helped Kemper Academy to a district championship and an 8-1 record on the football field last fall. Now, it ap­pears, at least a pair of those seniors will have an opportunity to continue playing. Lineman Tanner Owen inked with East Mississippi Community col­lege in Scooba, while wideout Jacquez Cole singed his NLI with Miles College from Birmingham, Ala.

— When Chris Jones began trying to build the Kemper County High School football program to the status it currently enjoys, he said one of the things he set about doing is letting the community and athletics know that hard work on the field can lead to having a college education paid for. With the nine signing that took last Wednesday, Jones has now been a part of 24 KCHS athletic getting a chance to play football on scholarship in college. KCHS seniors signing on Wednesday were Gus Nave, D.J. Clayton, Matt Dale, Eric Clark, Gary Bourrage, Tyren Glaspie, Brandon Hooks, Chandler Roberts, and Chris McCray.

10 YEARS AGO

(FEB. 9, 2012)

— Seniors from Kemper County High School and Kemper Academy were treated to a tour of the North American Coal Red Hills Mine in Ack­erman last week.

— Twenty years to the month since she had last harvested a buck, Dennia George killed an impressive 9-point while still hunting in Kemper County on Jan. 7. Ten days later on Jan. 17, she bagged an 11-point buck while hunting with dogs.

— The Kemper County Lady Wildcats tipped off the MHSAA Division 5-3A Tournament with a hard-fought 40-36 victory over Heidelberg High School Tuesday night at Choctaw Central

25 YEARS AGO

(FEB. 6, 1997)

— Once again, Tim­berview Lodge in Porter­ville has expanded, this time with construction of a five-unit, motel-style com­plex with a full service meeting room. With word-of-mouth being is primary source of advertising, Tim­berview Lodge has served over 5,000 guests since its opening approximately three years ago.

— The Lady Wildcats of Kemper County can wrap up the regular-season crown in Division 5-3A with just one win this week. KCHS’s girls took wins over Heidelberg and Forest las week, improving the Lady Wildcat’s record to 21-6 on the season.

— Morgan Gully of Kem­per Academy is currently leading the county in scor­ing this season with an 18.1 average, while Maurice Kirk of Kemper County High School leads the boys at 15.8, closely followed by teammate Atiyyah Baseemah. Jason Dutton has a rebound average of 9.9 per game for KA, while Latoya Hopson of KCHS leads the girls with a 12.9 mark and Gully of KA claims 12.5 boards per fame.

50 YEARS AGO

(FEB. 10, 1972)

— Edna . Boren of Porter­ville was one of 108 stu­dents recently initiated into Phi Kappa Phi, national honor society, East Missis­sippi State University.

— An organizational meeting was held Tuesday night for the Jaycees pro­gram in which interested young men thought the county gathered to hear the Macon Jaycees give a very inspirational talk on their programs.

80 YEARS AGO

(FEB. 5, 1942)

— Many, many motorists in DeKalb and Kemper County were considerably perturbed over the past weekend with the deadline for the purchase of auto sticker stamps at hand and no stamp available at the DeKalb post office. At least three motorists are known to have driven to adjoining town in search of the little green stickers which sell a $2.09 each, with the process to be used to fur­ther the United States Gov­ernment’s war efforts. A complete sellout was also reported at Preston.

— The East Mississippi Junior College lost one of its best liked teachers, Prof. H.G. Hawkins, Agriculture Teacher. Prof. Hawkins, as he was known to ever stu­dent at ever attended this college, resigned the first of February to accept a po­sition in the Porterville School.