Looking Back: Five Years Ago: DeKalb welcomes new dentist

Here are the 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

(MAY 13 ,2021)

— East Mississippi Community Col­lege held spring 2021 commence­ment ceremonies for about 600 students Friday, May 7, and Saturday May 8, at the college’s Golden Trian­gle and Scooba campuses.

FIVE YEARS AGO

(MAY 11, 2017)

— For Kemper County residents, Thursday May 9 marked the end of one era and the beginning of another as Dr. Brandon Goza cut the ribbon on the dental practice that had be­longed to Dr. Dan Fulton for 43 years.

— East Mississippi Community Col­lege graduate Teon Taylor’s poem “Black Thoughts” earned him first place in the poetry category of the 2017 Mississippi Community College Creative Writing Association Work­shop & Contest.

10 YEARS AGO

(MAY 10, 2012)

— As many as 10 candidates are ex­pected to interview to become the new head football coach at Kemper County High School. Kemper County athletic Director Kevin Fuller could not say who the candidates were were but did say most were from around the area.

— The Kemper Academy slow-pitch softball team went 2-2 in a sea­son-ending Central Academy tournament over the weekend and finished season with an 11-3 record.

25 YEARS AGO

(MAY 8 1997)

— Two elderly men in the Porter­ville Community were robbed at gun­point last week, and lost more than $1,700 in cash to three burglars.

— Kemper Academy will hold its commencement exercises Thursday night, May 8th, in the Kemper Acad­emy Gymnasium at 8 p.m. A total of 18 seniors are slated to graduate this year. The 1997 valedictorian is Justin Lee Goldman, while the 1997 saluta­torian is Charlton David (Chip) Sor­ rels.

— Oak Gove was a little country village settled in east central Kemper County in 1855 by Mr. Louis May McLendon. He was born in Anson County, North Carolina on May 11, 1807. He Moved to Missis­sippi and settled at Oak Grove near the county seat of DeKalb and lived their until his death in 1886. He is buried at Union Church Cemetery — one mile from Oak Grove.

50 YEARS AGO

(MAY 11, 1972)

— On May 12, 1972, Mrs. Annie Dickson Wall will close her desk and put her teaching materials away just as she has for the past 49 years. But this time it will be different. Mrs. Wall is retiring from her position as first grade teacher in the Scooba Elementary School.

— Jerome Jackson was the only Kemper County entrant at the Meridian Calf Scramble Saturday to win a calf.

— Graduation exercises will be held at Kemper Academy Friday, May 19 at 8 p.m. Salutatorian will be Virginia Shirley and Vale­dictorian will be Pam Mc­Farland. There are 20 members in the senior class.

80 YEARS AGO

(MAY 7, 1942)

— From the Ems ’n Ens ’n Quads column by Lamar Sledge: Was my face red! Last week we chronicled the death of Mrs. Clara Haskins. Monday she came in and subscribed — said she wanted to know about it the next time we buried her. Mrs. Haskins joy at still being alive was as pro­found as our chagrin in being in the middle of such a situation — and unable to make any excuse about such an error, other than that there was no reason for us doubting the cor­rectness of the report turned in to us about it. Mrs. Haskins, hope you will be a subscriber for many, many more years.

— A still of 150 Gallon capacity as seized and de­stroyed I the is count last week by federal officers. The three alleged owners were arrested and 840 gal­lons of rye and sugar mash and 14 gallons of moon­shine were seized.

— The Kemper County tire rationing board has re­ceived the following May quota for tires and tubes: Passenger cars, 2 tires, 6 tubes; trucks, 17 tires, 24 tubes. Passenger cars are allowed 28 retreads, and 11 retreads are available for trucks.