One Year Ago: Haggard returns to KA

The Looking Back feature has re­turned to the Kemper County Mes­senger. Every week we will take a quick look at stories of interest from back issues of the newspaper.

There will be items from one year ago, five years ago, 10 years ago, 25 years ago, and 50 years ago

Some items appear just as they originally did, while some have been paraphrased and condensed.

ONE YEAR AGO

(NOV. 5, 2020)

— The Kemper County Wildcats claimed the Region 5-3A champi­onship Friday night when the de­feated Forest 48-46 in prep football action.

— Betty Lynn Haggard returns to coach the Kemper Academy basket­ball teams after being away from court side since 2016.

— Kemper County’s unemploy­ment rate in September stood at 8.5 percent, which is down 1.2 percent as compared to the previous month.

FIVE YEARS AGO

(NOV. 3, 2016)

— Sports fans in Kemper County and surrounding area have had the unique opportunity to support foot­ball teams that are among the best in their respective classifications in 2016. Three local tams — Kemper County High School, Kemper Acad­emy, and East Mississippi Commu­nity College — are hosting first-round playoff games this week­end, while a fourth — Nanih Waiya — will get that chance on Nov. 11 when the MHSAA Class 1A State Football Playoffs begins.

— As far as Craig Hitt is con­cerned, there is a prime economic development real estate in Kemper County that is currently unusable. Hitt, the director of the Kemper County Economic Development Au­thority, is hoping the eight-acre lot at the corner of Willow Avenue and Birch Street in DeKalb that once housed Alply, Inc. can be marked and for potential industrial needs.

— A nice crowd made its way through the Kemper County Histori­cal Museum doors during Heritage Day on Saturday and not only got a chance to indulge themselves in sev­eral historical displays, but also be entertained by local musicians, in­cluding Britt Gully and Hoppy Spinks.

— Southern Company CEO Tom Fanning told investors the company will be able to successfully demon­strate for regulators the Kemper Project clean coal power plant’s per­formance in advance of a request for a rate hike. On a Monday conference to to report third-quarter results, Fanning said the company intends to get the integrated coal gasification power plant fully operational gener­ating electricity on synthesis gas made from lignite coal. He said the facility is already generating on syn­gas from the plant’s two gasifiers.

10 YEARS AGO

(NOV. 3, 2011)

— There are items belonging to the Kemper County Historical Asso­ciation which are more than 100, 125, and 150 years old. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t something new and editing at the associations ever-growing museum.

— After a big month in August, sales tax diversions to the Town of DeKalb were closer to normal I Sep­tember according to the latest re­port from the Mississippi Department of Revenue. DeKalb col­lected $20,748 in sales tax during the month of September, up $20,370 from September of 2010.

— Two years ago Kemper County made school history by hosting an MHSAA playoff game, this year the Wildcats want to win their first every playoff game when they play host to Wilkinson County on Friday night.

— The third-ranked Lions of East Mississippi Community College achieved school history last Thursday night by closing out a first-ever un­defeated regular season with a 56-35 road victory over Holmes in MACJC North Division football action at Ras Branch Field.

25 YEARS AGO

(OCT. 31, 1996)

— Erika Windham was named 1996 Homecoming Queen for Kemper County High School.

— In Kemper County races for Election Commissioner in all five dis­tricts will be decided on Tuesday, while citizens in two districts will be footing for their school board mem­ber. Also, there will be a county-wide referendum on the ballot deciding if the county is to receive a Basic 911 service.

— EMCC continued its second-half surge last Thursday night at Merid­ian’s Ray Stadium, blasting Pearl River by a 45-7 score. The win, the third in a row by at least 25 points for the Lions, improved EMCC’s record to 6-2.

50 YEARS AGO

(NOV. 4, 1971)

– Bryant Swearingen, C.H. Sorrels, and Parker Stokes have been named chairmen of the Annual Sustaining Membership Enrollment of the Choctaw Area Council, Boys Scouts of America, in DeKalb.

— Lynn Dee Gordy of Porterville recently pledged to Phi Mu social sorority at Delta State College in Cleveland, Miss, and Missy Barnett of DeKalb pledged Delta Delta Delta sorority at Delta State College.

— Almost 4,000 voters turned out in Kemper County Tuesday to give Bill Waller a handsome majority in the contest for governor.