February 13, 2025 • 31 mins
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Zack and David explore what seems to be a coordinated plan to move Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science from the campus of Mississippi University for Women to Mississippi State University. We also discuss misinformed councilmen and drama in Ward 2.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
From the opinion page of the Commercial Dispatch.
This is Between the Headlines.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
This is Peter Imes, publisher of the Dispatch.
One of our hosts of Between theHeadlines is the managing
editor of our newsroom.
Typically, we try to keep newsand opinion separate, but
reporters have a unique insightinto the workings of local
government and their analysiscan be helpful for readers and
listeners.
The Dispatch remains committedto journalistic integrity and
(00:36):
our reporting will alwaysreflect that.
And now Between the Headlines.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Today on Between the Headlines Jackson's latest
assault on MSMS, the integrityof the former Kerr-McGee
Superfund site off of 14thAvenue and what in the devil's
hell is happening in Ward 2.
Before we get to that, here isa word from our sponsors.
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(01:45):
That is bentonsinccom.
And now a word from a politicalsponsor.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
I want to thank the Commercial Dispatch for this
podcast, bringing differentviews in an open discussion.
I'm Bill Strauss, humbly askingfor your vote as next mayor of
Columbus.
You deserve transparency andaccountability for your tax
dollars.
I'm business friendly andcharitable.
Vote Bill Strauss mayor ofColumbus 2025.
Paid for by campaign to electBill Strauss.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Now let's start the show.
David Jackson is back andthey're after MSMS and it looks
like they're.
It looks like maybe the fix isin for them to move it to MSU.
With this new request forproposals, only those two
institutions and offered anopportunity to submit a proposal
to house the Mississippi Schoolfor Mathematics and Sciences in
(02:51):
the future.
What are you thinking?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
David.
Well, the legislature is goingto do what the legislature
always does, and in thisparticular case, there are a
couple of villains that I wouldenjoy calling out right from the
get-go.
There are a couple of villainsthat I would enjoy calling out
right from the get go, the firstone being the gentleman from
District 43, republicanrepresentative and chair of the
Education House Committee, robRoberson.
(03:13):
He's definitely behind this andI do not doubt that director
Don Cook, who was fired lastyear or was it two years ago
from MSMS A couple years ago.
yeah, he's been very yeah, he'sbeen vocal in Jackson.
I suppose he's probably behindit somehow Can't prove it, but
that is my opinion.
(03:35):
But we've been here before.
And the issue at hand movingMSMS from a well-established
site it's been there since 87.
Since 87 to a place that isbigger with lots more places to
get in trouble.
Think about it.
I feel full disclosure.
(03:55):
I've got a kid in MSMS and Ifeel like he's safe there.
You know, if he hops the fence,what's he going to do?
Is he going to go to Fuqua'sgrocer and buy something there?
I mean, there's definitely.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
you definitely have to be a lot more creative if you
hop the fence at MUW, andthat's sort of one of the points
that I wanted to discuss is,say, msms goes to MSU.
Msu is going to be a goodsteward of that school, I have
no doubt.
I have no doubt that they'regoing to put appropriate
policies into place, appropriatesafety measures into place.
(04:29):
But all it takes, like you said, is for one to hop the fence.
So just one can cause anational news nightmare for that
university.
And I just don't know if youknow, just playing the numbers,
because it is such a biggerplace, there's a lot more to get
in trouble with, there's a lotmore temptation, and you are
(04:52):
going to have those kids jumpthe fence on occasion.
So do you want that to turninto a?
Do you want that to be a smallissue, or a probably small issue
, or do you want that topotentially be a big issue for
what they find on the other sideof the fence?
Speaker 2 (05:08):
I can tell you firsthand that the faculty and
staff at MSMS do absolutelyeverything they can to make sure
that their students walk thestraight and narrow.
Not that they always do, butthey do what they can.
What's interesting to me is asingle school, a single
university was mentioned in this, Not Ole Miss not Southern Miss
(05:31):
.
MUW.
There's two MUW and MSU, yeah,but the writing's on the wall.
They're looking to move it outof MUW and I can tell you that
Trip Harston was very, veryanimated yesterday in his
presentation to the Republicanwomen.
He was absolutely livid andit's going to be a rough thing
(05:52):
to navigate through here.
Tripp believes that the fix isin and, as was expressed in the
opinion page by the editorialstaff at the dispatch, this
recommendation, no, this demandletter, if you want to call it,
that was written in maroon inkand so we're really only looking
(06:13):
at Mississippi State.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Well, I mean OK yes, I agree with you on that.
And look no further than thedeadline.
Frankly, they've got what twoweeks to put this thing together
?
I guess sort of had three weeksfrom the time that the request
for proposals was issued.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, it's rushed.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
February 25th is how long these two universities have
to create a proposal, submit aproposal to the Mississippi
Department of Education.
That's going to have all ofthese things in it, and so I
want to turn some of thesequestions around.
On MDE, you look at the requestfor proposals.
They're talking about expandingMSMS.
(06:53):
They're talking about residencehalls and how they're going to
improve the residence life.
All right, well, right back atyou, mde, that question is for
you.
What are you going to do aboutthat?
The funding for these schoolscomes from the legislature
through MDE to MSMS.
(07:15):
That's how they get it done.
So why are they asking MUW andMSU how are you going to do this
thing that they're actuallyresponsible for?
And I think that that's thequestion that MUW and MSU need
to be asking of MDE in regardsto expanding MSMS and getting
better dorms for MSMS.
(07:36):
That campus isn't like it isbecause MSMS didn't want it to
be any better.
Msms didn't want it to be anybetter.
It's like it is because theresidence hall and the campus
are like.
It is because the state has notfunded improvements there at
any reasonable level since thething opened nearly 40 years ago
(07:57):
.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Well for sure.
But when you look at this andgetting back to Rob Robertson,
what is Starkville-Octobie HaasSchool District looking to do?
Okay, they're looking to buildanother high school and what
would be fair would be for themto do it just like Lowndes and
just like everybody else andthat is, put up the bond money
(08:18):
locally make it happen.
No, I expect they're looking topush forth a big bill that'll
write a big fat check that willfund not only the new high
school in Octavia Hawk Countybut also this newfangled
facility that they're supposedlygoing to put MSMS on.
Ok, mississippi StateUniversity has very little to
(08:41):
gain from this.
Columbus has everything to lose.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Everything to lose.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Now answer me this you think about the name change
that happened at MUW?
Fire and Fury absolutelydescended upon the campus of
Mississippi University for Women.
Over that name change, thealumni got together.
Well, what about now?
Where is the outrage?
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Well, I mean I'm glad you brought that up, david,
because here's the deal who arethe voices?
Right now?
The outrage is there and theoutrage is local.
I believe that they areoutraged, they are scared, they
are worried and they want toknow what to do.
And right now, who are thevoices leading the charge?
In that?
You've got County SupervisorTripp Hurston and Columbus Mayor
(09:29):
Keith Gaskin, and they're outfront and they're loud and
they're advocating for both MUWand MSMS, keeping both of those
campuses here, growing them,investing in them.
They're defining what thoseinstitutions mean to the
community.
They are doing that, but theyshould be a secondary voice in
(09:51):
this.
My question is where is NoraMiller in that and why isn't she
the loudest voice in?
Speaker 2 (09:56):
the room.
If I were her, I would not evensend in a proposal.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
It's a joke, it's politics, okay, well then you're
playing their game their way,david, and because, see, here's
the thing If you're Nora Miller,your responsibility, in my view
, is to be not not let Keith andTrip do your job for you here,
but to be out there and to be aloud, ferocious advocate for
(10:23):
MSMS and for MUW.
Because you know, we coveredthe issue extensively last year
and we won't get into all thedetails of the bills and stuff
that came but the legislaturemade a play for MSMS and made a
play for consolidating MUW intoMSU last year.
We know this, she knows this,everybody knows this.
(10:44):
And yet and look in fairness toher, she may be doing a lot of
things behind the scenes, shemay be doing a lot of fighting
behind the scenes, but theimpact of that isn't being felt
and we can't see it.
She needs to get a whole lotmore conspicuous, at minimum,
and she needs to get a whole lotlouder.
She needs to be showing thelegislature right now, through
(11:06):
her leadership and through herpersonality, through her
presence, the same thing thatthe alumni showed her when she
tried to change the name, whichis, I'm going to be a bigger
problem than you're willing todeal with If you come over here
and try to take this.
I'm going to be loud, I'm atthe very minimum, I'm going to
strike out swinging and from theoutside, looking in, it looks
(11:28):
like she's standing therewatching pitches, and this is
why I think that is.
I think that the higher level,or at least at least Nora and
maybe some others in theadministration there, believe
that MSMS and MUW and thefutures thereof are independent
(11:50):
issues, and they're not.
They are not independent issues.
As MSMS goes, so goes MUW, andit seems like everybody that
cares recognizes that, exceptfor, apparently, nora Miller,
and she's got to get on thatsame page.
She's got to recognize thatreality that, yeah, you do
(12:12):
submit a proposal because youdon't sit out of any of this
fight.
You get out front.
You have marches, you havecommunity events.
Voice needs to be the voicethat is operating, with the
likes of Tripp and Keith andothers behind you, pushing back
at Rob, pushing back at thelegislature.
But you're not seeing that.
(12:33):
You're seeing Nothing, nothingof any substance, nothing of any
conspicuousness that is comingout of there, from her office,
to try to save that place.
And I just want to say you know, it's dead wrong to think that
those are independent issues.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Well, dr Miller, if you're listening today, I hope
that you'll join us on the show.
We will certainly.
I believe that the town ofColumbus definitely, definitely
has your back on this, and Iwould encourage you to be bold.
Meanwhile, I have a quickpublic service announcement that
I would put in here, and thatis the phone number for Speaker
of the House, mr Jason White is601-359-3300.
(13:15):
And Lieutenant Governor DilbertHoseman 601-359-3200.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
One thing that you brought up earlier and I want to
explore that a little more isyou know you were talking about
the idea that legislativeappropriations, like state money
, would help fund the schoolbill in Starkville.
And you know I had aconversation with Rob Robertson
(13:43):
the other day and he seems to beon board with trying to get.
His primary objective for thelegislative session is getting
legislative money and alegislative appropriation to
help Starkville High Schoolbuild a new campus in addition
to their local money that theywould raise.
(14:04):
And this is with or with.
It seems to be with or withoutMSMS.
If MSMS is involved, great,which that's his primary goal,
but if it's not, he's stilllooking for, he's still looking
for state money to build a highschool campus in a local
municipality, and it's going tobe, if he succeeds, it's going
to be the second time they'vedone that.
(14:25):
Partnership Middle School, thesixth and seventh grade campus.
It was built in part withlegislative money.
Is that fair, dave?
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Well, who are we, Zach?
Are we the red-headed stepchild?
I mean, Mr Robertson has theprerogative and the ability to
request state funds, but I'msitting here looking at
Starkville and I see thatStarkville is a college town.
They're doing well in many,many different areas.
We need that money over here.
(14:54):
And so where's Andy Boyd?
Where's Dana McLean?
What's Kabir saying about it?
Okay, what's good for the gooseis good for the gander.
I want money over here for ourschools too.
If it's going to be like that,Point blank.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Well, and I mean and you've got examples within the
last decade last year, cmsd $36million bond for renovations.
No state appropriation comingfor that Lowndes County School
District a decade ago tens ofmillions of dollars that built
gobs and gobs of facilities.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
That's a lot of world's finest chocolate right
there.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
I bet y'all had to sell a bunch of those candy bars
.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
It's a problem Believe me.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
So you think that's unfair?
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Oh no, I know it's unfair.
In fact it should be illegal.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Oh, I don't know about that.
I'm going to tell you that.
First of all, a disclaimer.
David has to offer hisdisclaimers occasionally for
being involved with the LowndesCounty Republican Party.
I need to offer a disclaimerhere that all three of my
children go to theStarkbach-Tibau Consolidated
School District and my wifeteaches at the high school there
(16:02):
.
But objectively, I think youlook at return on investment
Return on investment.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
what I can tell you is that, financially, I am a
cheapskate.
When it comes to governmentfunds, I don't want anybody with
their hand in the cookie jar.
I don't even like theDepartment of Education to start
with, but when it comes tospending tax dollars, it needs
to go to the kids, not to abureaucrat, not to a pet project
(16:36):
, not to some organization otherthan what is going to ensure
the best for the future ofMississippi, and for me it's the
kids.
Not just in your neck of thewoods, but over here too.
Okay, well, let's talk.
Kids, not just in your neck ofthe woods, but over here too.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Okay, well, let's talk about what the partnership
school is and to kind of give alittle bit of context.
The partnership school, yes, itis a local middle school in the
Starkville-OctoballConsolidated School District.
Fact.
However, the partnershipelement of that and what
justified the legislativeappropriation, from my
(17:01):
understanding, is they use thatas a lab for their college of
education, for their faculty, todo research, for their teachers
to get experiential learning inthe classroom without having to
leave, you know, their owncampus.
So it's part of the curriculumof the college of education.
That's putting teacherspresumably all over the state,
(17:22):
maybe even all over the country.
And then you've got researchthat comes from that.
Supposedly that makes adifference statewide.
So that's why I'm talking aboutreturn on investment.
Where you go here is you look atthe partnership school and you
see that.
And I don't have those metrics.
I don't, I've asked for them,I'm still in the process of
getting them.
And I don't have those metrics?
I don't, I've asked for them.
Uh, I'm still in the process ofgetting them, so I don't have
(17:42):
those to read here.
But how many teachers havegraduated from msu use the
partnership school as part oftheir curriculum and are now
teaching elsewhere inmississippi?
How?
Speaker 2 (17:52):
many teachers have graduated from muw.
I don't see why we need a brickand mortar facility to make
this happen.
It it's a lot of money.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
It's going to steel and concrete, but it's there and
I don't know I mean there'smore than just the building
there potentially how manyteachers are graduating from
there and going across the state, how much research can and or
is coming out of thatpartnership school that can
apply and enhance teaching andlearning across the state?
(18:23):
If they can show that thosenumbers are adequate, then I
think that that makes this askrelevant and I don't have a
problem with it.
However, if they can't, if theycan't show those numbers, if
they can't prove the concept,then I think that that's
evidence against them for doingthis.
I think that that's acautionary tale, for okay, well,
(18:44):
if you can't show it with thepartnership school, then why
would we do this again?
Speaker 2 (18:48):
I think what you've said lends credit to the idea
that the local leadership herein Lowndes County really needs
to step up and be a part of theconversation.
I don't hear any of this comingout of city council or, for
that matter, out of our countyofficials, so it's a
conversation that's worthy tohave.
And I think it needs to becontinued, but we got to win
(19:11):
this battle at hand.
Keep MSMS right here in thegood old, friendly city.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
And if you want to do that, everybody, all the way up
to the top, needs to be loudand proud and ferocious about it
.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Now, second headline of the day the Kerr-McGee
Superfund site.
Let me get this right.
It's the site.
It's off of 14th Avenue, kindof near Bates Tire, and the
complaint is that we can'taccept grant money, regardless
of the terms.
We can't accept it to get thisplace developed because it's
(19:47):
polluted and it's going to makeit sick and it's going to kill
us and it's going to make oureyes glow in the dark.
Tell me what's going on atKerr-McGee.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Well, I mean, you know there's been a lot going on
at Kerr-McGee over the lastseveral years and, to be clear,
former Kerr-McGee, they've notbeen here for a long time.
Right, right, right.
Who has been here is theGreenfield Trust and their tens
of millions of dollars thatthey've spent on cleaning up the
site in conjunction and underthe supervision of the
(20:18):
Environmental Protection Agency.
And here's the thing.
We've got two local leaders.
We've got two council peoplewho are actively standing
against grants that coulddirectly or tangentially help
redevelop that site, becausethey're saying that nothing
(20:38):
should be done there becauseit's dirty.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Okay, and we're talking about Ethel Stewart and
Pierre Beard, correct?
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Councilwoman Stewart and Councilman Pierre Beard, and
I get it, they're scared.
There's a lot of history there.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Are they?
Speaker 1 (20:52):
scared though I think so I don't think that they're
being saboteurs here.
I think that it's the you knowgiving them the benefit of the
doubt.
You know, I think, because Iinterviewed them both.
I've talked to them both aboutthis issue and there's genuine
sincerity in their concern overthis.
(21:12):
But here's the thing they'reblocking grants.
They're talking about notaccepting money for grants that
would, you know, build acommunity center on part of this
property, or rec center they'retalking about we don't need to
put anything on there.
Ethel Stewart says plant a treethere, see if it lives and then
we'll talk.
But the EPA and GreenfieldTrust have been working on for
(21:36):
years mitigating thecontamination there and testing
the soil yep and they havedeclared.
They have declared that parts ofthis site are developable.
Now they have declared thatsome of this site never will be,
that they've contained it butit's never going to be
developable.
Nothing's ever going to go onthis undevelopable land.
And so to stoke the fear thatnone of this work has been valid
(22:01):
, that this is still dirty andthis land will still kill you
and if you send, if we build arec center there and you send,
your kids there they're going toget cancer.
I don't think that's responsiblebecause it's legislating from
your gut and there's so muchgood information that's
available.
Epa and Greenfield Trust havebeen having meetings for years
(22:23):
status updates on the cleanup,letting people know what's going
on, and they're doing this.
You know sort of the group thatliaises between the Greenfield
Trust and the public is theMemphis Town Community Action
Group and they are experts intheir respective field.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
And we're talking about creosote OK, we're not
talking about nuclear radiationthat takes over 100 years to
decay.
I went out there on the wayhere and I walked up to the
fence and I looked around.
It looked clean, it smelledclean, it was clean.
Well, if the money was right, Iwould eat chicken spaghetti off
(23:00):
the ground out there.
It's not a problem.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Well, I mean that's your choice.
My point is that the EPA hassaid it, so therefore you can
believe it, and I don't thinkthat you and I can say what is
and what isn't.
But their information is thereto know and they've declared it
clean.
There is a distrust of thiscommunity action group, pierre.
(23:25):
Mistrust them, ms Stewart,mistrust them.
They've said as much.
But here's the problem.
The CAG did not declare thecommunity action group.
The CAG did not declare any ofthese sites, mitigated or not
mitigated.
They didn't make thosedeclarations.
They're not going out on a limband saying you can eat off this
ground.
The EPA is saying you candevelop on the pine yard, so why
(23:46):
don't they do it?
Speaker 2 (23:47):
The bottom line is, we need the money.
If there is any ward inMississippi that needs federal
dollars, it is that ward overthere you know Pierre talks
about.
Oh, it looks so beautiful sinceI've been in office.
No, it doesn't.
It looks like a war zone and itneeds to be developed.
And I will tell you this, thepeople out there that are
(24:11):
paranoid and I don't say thatdisparagingly, I know it's
people got sick.
It was a big deal Righthappened.
That's real.
But, yes, a lot of these peoplewho are paranoid are the same
people you see driving aroundwearing a mask with no one else
in the vehicle.
Okay, we need the money and I Ireally think that pierre uh and
(24:36):
miss ethel stewart need to, uh,use their energy for good and
talk the place up, because it'sa lot different than it was 20
years ago out there.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Leadership asks questions to the right people
and they don't get on Facebookand spew out rumors that are
based on their gut feeling aboutsomething.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Very good, third headline Are you ready?
Yeah, let's rock and roll withit.
We're looking at Mickens again.
I wish we were not looking athim, but we are.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
It's not just Mickens .
Ward 2 is wild.
If you're into that sort ofthing.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
It is a problem and help me out here.
What I'm seeing is that,mickens, he challenged the
residency requirements of hisprimary opponents and he was
thereafter shot down by theDemocrat committee in his
assertion that they were notliving there.
And let me ask you, zach, wereyou at that hearing?
Speaker 1 (25:34):
I was not.
We had a reporter there, but ithad coverage.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Well, I'm wondering what evidence he had that he
threw in there to say, hey,these people really don't live
here.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Well, frankly, it doesn't really matter, because
he was ruled against.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
The Democratic Party ruled against him and well, it's
a loser's argument to startwith, is it not?
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Well, yes, and I certainly want to get into that.
But the second part of this nowis that.
So Mickens did challenge theresidency of both of his
opponents in Ward 2.
That's Laisha Mishishi O'Neilland Roderick Smith.
He lost.
Evidently there was adiscussion outside between
(26:16):
Mickens and O'Neill outside thecourthouse after that hearing.
Oh boy.
Mickens and O'Neill outside thecourthouse after that hearing.
Oh boy, ms Shishi has claimedand filed a police report from
that altercation discussionwhatever you want to call it,
altercation in quotey fingers.
Yes, that he threatened her andshe filed a police report on it
and a couple of things on that.
She has not publicly stated ifthere was a true threat there,
(26:44):
which you know.
All she's publicly stated sofar is that he said, uh, this
ain't over.
But if there was a reallegitimate threat then she had
every right to file that report.
Um, and I hope theyinvestigated and if there's
enough there to prosecute,prosecute it but.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
If there wasn't.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
If this is what we know based on what we know,
david, she's got to get athicker skin.
She can't—you know.
If she's a legitimate candidateto win this race and she's
possibly going to be a councilmember, then you can't run to
the police and file a reportevery time somebody says
(27:16):
something to you that you don'tlike.
There's a lot of that if you'rea council person.
I think that anybody on thecouncil who's ever served on the
council could tell her that Forsure.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
She can't run the police every time somebody walks
up to her and says this ain'tover being some type of threat
or some type of loud ogre inpublic that needs to be dealt
with, talking about, you know,somebody being escorted out of
the Trotter and all this kind ofstuff.
What gets lost in the mix isactual issues and actual topics.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Absolutely correct and you know Mickens should run
on his record.
In his vision he lost thehearing over residency.
So you know that doesn't needto be part of the campaign
anymore.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
If I were him, I would never talk about that
again.
I mean, I mean, look at it, if,if I'm doing my job in an
elected office and I'm doing agood job.
Well, I may still getied, butI'm not going to be worried
about the people in the primary.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Right.
I mean, you've got a race torun and David Mickens has the
longest record of anybody upthere.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
What I'm saying to you is the fact that he
challenged their residency andlost, obviously because he did
not have appropriate evidencesays to me that maybe Leroy was
right in his point in that videothat we won't go back into, but
basically said that hey, he'srunning scared.
(28:52):
So we've got to elevate theconversation we do.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
We do, and the record and the vision is how you do
that.
But of course there's an oldsaying that there's only two
ways to run, and that's scaredand unopposed.
And maybe that's what Mickensis tapping into.
But when you are campaigningand if he continues to campaign
on the fact that these twopeople don't actually live on
the ward and they're not viablecandidates, if that's his front
(29:16):
foot of his campaign or any partof his campaign, he's casting
doubt on the integrity of theelection.
I don't like that.
If it's coming from Democrats,I don't like.
If it's coming from Republicans, I don't like it.
If it's coming on the local,state or national level, you
have a record to run on as longas you've been there.
You should have a vision by now.
Run on those things and leavethe rest of it out of it.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
Well, I couldn't agree more on that one and I
predict this day.
Put it on the record that therewill be a runoff in that
particular primary.
I can see it coming.
One last thing I'd like tobring up is in the Ward 5 race,
mr Bob Raymond, your boy, yeah,he listened to his opponent, ms
(29:58):
Mary Beth Jeter, speak at theRepublican Women's Club just
yesterday and while he waslistening he said you know, she
sounds like a really qualifiedand well-spoken and well-meaning
candidate.
And he stepped up to themicrophone and said y'all, I
withdraw from this race.
And so for Ward 5, ms Mary BethJeter will advance to the
(30:24):
general and go against thewinner of the Democratic primary
in that particular area.
So that's the latest what elsewe got.
I think that'll do it.
Appreciate you, david.
Well, I just want to give ashout out to our listeners.
I want to thank you forlistening to this show.
I want to thank the dispatchonce again and I hope that you
will not only listen and notonly encourage others to listen,
(30:47):
but also be a part of theconversation.
If you think I'm full ofbaloney or if you disagree with
something that Zach said, pleaseemail us.
Tips at cdispatchcom Again.
That's tips at cdispatchcom.
Again, that's tips atcdispatchcom.
Or look us up on Facebook.
My handle is at dchism00.
Be sure to leave us a five-starreview for this podcast.
(31:10):
We thank you once again.
So, signing off from CatfishAlley here in historic downtown
Columbus, my name is DavidChisholm, your host is Zach
Player, and thanks again.
From the opinion page of the Commercial Dispatch.
This is Between the Headlines.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
This is Peter Imes, publisher of the Dispatch.
One of our hosts of Between theHeadlines is the managing
editor of our newsroom.
Typically, we try to keep newsand opinion separate, but
reporters have a unique insightinto the workings of local
government and their analysiscan be helpful for readers and
listeners.
The Dispatch remains committedto journalistic integrity and
(00:36):
our reporting will alwaysreflect that.
And now Between the Headlines.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Today on Between the Headlines Jackson's latest
assault on MSMS, the integrityof the former Kerr-McGee
Superfund site off of 14thAvenue and what in the devil's
hell is happening in Ward 2.
Before we get to that, here isa word from our sponsors.
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That is bentonsinccom.
And now a word from a politicalsponsor.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
I want to thank the Commercial Dispatch for this
podcast, bringing differentviews in an open discussion.
I'm Bill Strauss, humbly askingfor your vote as next mayor of
Columbus.
You deserve transparency andaccountability for your tax
dollars.
I'm business friendly andcharitable.
Vote Bill Strauss mayor ofColumbus 2025.
Paid for by campaign to electBill Strauss.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Now let's start the show.
David Jackson is back andthey're after MSMS and it looks
like they're.
It looks like maybe the fix isin for them to move it to MSU.
With this new request forproposals, only those two
institutions and offered anopportunity to submit a proposal
to house the Mississippi Schoolfor Mathematics and Sciences in
(02:51):
the future.
What are you thinking?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
David.
Well, the legislature is goingto do what the legislature
always does, and in thisparticular case, there are a
couple of villains that I wouldenjoy calling out right from the
get-go.
There are a couple of villainsthat I would enjoy calling out
right from the get go, the firstone being the gentleman from
District 43, republicanrepresentative and chair of the
Education House Committee, robRoberson.
(03:13):
He's definitely behind this andI do not doubt that director
Don Cook, who was fired lastyear or was it two years ago
from MSMS A couple years ago.
yeah, he's been very yeah, he'sbeen vocal in Jackson.
I suppose he's probably behindit somehow Can't prove it, but
that is my opinion.
(03:35):
But we've been here before.
And the issue at hand movingMSMS from a well-established
site it's been there since 87.
Since 87 to a place that isbigger with lots more places to
get in trouble.
Think about it.
I feel full disclosure.
(03:55):
I've got a kid in MSMS and Ifeel like he's safe there.
You know, if he hops the fence,what's he going to do?
Is he going to go to Fuqua'sgrocer and buy something there?
I mean, there's definitely.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
you definitely have to be a lot more creative if you
hop the fence at MUW, andthat's sort of one of the points
that I wanted to discuss is,say, msms goes to MSU.
Msu is going to be a goodsteward of that school, I have
no doubt.
I have no doubt that they'regoing to put appropriate
policies into place, appropriatesafety measures into place.
(04:29):
But all it takes, like you said, is for one to hop the fence.
So just one can cause anational news nightmare for that
university.
And I just don't know if youknow, just playing the numbers,
because it is such a biggerplace, there's a lot more to get
in trouble with, there's a lotmore temptation, and you are
(04:52):
going to have those kids jumpthe fence on occasion.
So do you want that to turninto a?
Do you want that to be a smallissue, or a probably small issue
, or do you want that topotentially be a big issue for
what they find on the other sideof the fence?
Speaker 2 (05:08):
I can tell you firsthand that the faculty and
staff at MSMS do absolutelyeverything they can to make sure
that their students walk thestraight and narrow.
Not that they always do, butthey do what they can.
What's interesting to me is asingle school, a single
university was mentioned in this, Not Ole Miss not Southern Miss
(05:31):
.
MUW.
There's two MUW and MSU, yeah,but the writing's on the wall.
They're looking to move it outof MUW and I can tell you that
Trip Harston was very, veryanimated yesterday in his
presentation to the Republicanwomen.
He was absolutely livid andit's going to be a rough thing
(05:52):
to navigate through here.
Tripp believes that the fix isin and, as was expressed in the
opinion page by the editorialstaff at the dispatch, this
recommendation, no, this demandletter, if you want to call it,
that was written in maroon inkand so we're really only looking
(06:13):
at Mississippi State.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Well, I mean OK yes, I agree with you on that.
And look no further than thedeadline.
Frankly, they've got what twoweeks to put this thing together
?
I guess sort of had three weeksfrom the time that the request
for proposals was issued.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, it's rushed.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
February 25th is how long these two universities have
to create a proposal, submit aproposal to the Mississippi
Department of Education.
That's going to have all ofthese things in it, and so I
want to turn some of thesequestions around.
On MDE, you look at the requestfor proposals.
They're talking about expandingMSMS.
(06:53):
They're talking about residencehalls and how they're going to
improve the residence life.
All right, well, right back atyou, mde, that question is for
you.
What are you going to do aboutthat?
The funding for these schoolscomes from the legislature
through MDE to MSMS.
(07:15):
That's how they get it done.
So why are they asking MUW andMSU how are you going to do this
thing that they're actuallyresponsible for?
And I think that that's thequestion that MUW and MSU need
to be asking of MDE in regardsto expanding MSMS and getting
better dorms for MSMS.
(07:36):
That campus isn't like it isbecause MSMS didn't want it to
be any better.
Msms didn't want it to be anybetter.
It's like it is because theresidence hall and the campus
are like.
It is because the state has notfunded improvements there at
any reasonable level since thething opened nearly 40 years ago
(07:57):
.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Well for sure.
But when you look at this andgetting back to Rob Robertson,
what is Starkville-Octobie HaasSchool District looking to do?
Okay, they're looking to buildanother high school and what
would be fair would be for themto do it just like Lowndes and
just like everybody else andthat is, put up the bond money
(08:18):
locally make it happen.
No, I expect they're looking topush forth a big bill that'll
write a big fat check that willfund not only the new high
school in Octavia Hawk Countybut also this newfangled
facility that they're supposedlygoing to put MSMS on.
Ok, mississippi StateUniversity has very little to
(08:41):
gain from this.
Columbus has everything to lose.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Everything to lose.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Now answer me this you think about the name change
that happened at MUW?
Fire and Fury absolutelydescended upon the campus of
Mississippi University for Women.
Over that name change, thealumni got together.
Well, what about now?
Where is the outrage?
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Well, I mean I'm glad you brought that up, david,
because here's the deal who arethe voices?
Right now?
The outrage is there and theoutrage is local.
I believe that they areoutraged, they are scared, they
are worried and they want toknow what to do.
And right now, who are thevoices leading the charge?
In that?
You've got County SupervisorTripp Hurston and Columbus Mayor
(09:29):
Keith Gaskin, and they're outfront and they're loud and
they're advocating for both MUWand MSMS, keeping both of those
campuses here, growing them,investing in them.
They're defining what thoseinstitutions mean to the
community.
They are doing that, but theyshould be a secondary voice in
(09:51):
this.
My question is where is NoraMiller in that and why isn't she
the loudest voice in?
Speaker 2 (09:56):
the room.
If I were her, I would not evensend in a proposal.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
It's a joke, it's politics, okay, well then you're
playing their game their way,david, and because, see, here's
the thing If you're Nora Miller,your responsibility, in my view
, is to be not not let Keith andTrip do your job for you here,
but to be out there and to be aloud, ferocious advocate for
(10:23):
MSMS and for MUW.
Because you know, we coveredthe issue extensively last year
and we won't get into all thedetails of the bills and stuff
that came but the legislaturemade a play for MSMS and made a
play for consolidating MUW intoMSU last year.
We know this, she knows this,everybody knows this.
(10:44):
And yet and look in fairness toher, she may be doing a lot of
things behind the scenes, shemay be doing a lot of fighting
behind the scenes, but theimpact of that isn't being felt
and we can't see it.
She needs to get a whole lotmore conspicuous, at minimum,
and she needs to get a whole lotlouder.
She needs to be showing thelegislature right now, through
(11:06):
her leadership and through herpersonality, through her
presence, the same thing thatthe alumni showed her when she
tried to change the name, whichis, I'm going to be a bigger
problem than you're willing todeal with If you come over here
and try to take this.
I'm going to be loud, I'm atthe very minimum, I'm going to
strike out swinging and from theoutside, looking in, it looks
(11:28):
like she's standing therewatching pitches, and this is
why I think that is.
I think that the higher level,or at least at least Nora and
maybe some others in theadministration there, believe
that MSMS and MUW and thefutures thereof are independent
(11:50):
issues, and they're not.
They are not independent issues.
As MSMS goes, so goes MUW, andit seems like everybody that
cares recognizes that, exceptfor, apparently, nora Miller,
and she's got to get on thatsame page.
She's got to recognize thatreality that, yeah, you do
(12:12):
submit a proposal because youdon't sit out of any of this
fight.
You get out front.
You have marches, you havecommunity events.
Voice needs to be the voicethat is operating, with the
likes of Tripp and Keith andothers behind you, pushing back
at Rob, pushing back at thelegislature.
But you're not seeing that.
(12:33):
You're seeing Nothing, nothingof any substance, nothing of any
conspicuousness that is comingout of there, from her office,
to try to save that place.
And I just want to say you know, it's dead wrong to think that
those are independent issues.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Well, dr Miller, if you're listening today, I hope
that you'll join us on the show.
We will certainly.
I believe that the town ofColumbus definitely, definitely
has your back on this, and Iwould encourage you to be bold.
Meanwhile, I have a quickpublic service announcement that
I would put in here, and thatis the phone number for Speaker
of the House, mr Jason White is601-359-3300.
(13:15):
And Lieutenant Governor DilbertHoseman 601-359-3200.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
One thing that you brought up earlier and I want to
explore that a little more isyou know you were talking about
the idea that legislativeappropriations, like state money
, would help fund the schoolbill in Starkville.
And you know I had aconversation with Rob Robertson
(13:43):
the other day and he seems to beon board with trying to get.
His primary objective for thelegislative session is getting
legislative money and alegislative appropriation to
help Starkville High Schoolbuild a new campus in addition
to their local money that theywould raise.
(14:04):
And this is with or with.
It seems to be with or withoutMSMS.
If MSMS is involved, great,which that's his primary goal,
but if it's not, he's stilllooking for, he's still looking
for state money to build a highschool campus in a local
municipality, and it's going tobe, if he succeeds, it's going
to be the second time they'vedone that.
(14:25):
Partnership Middle School, thesixth and seventh grade campus.
It was built in part withlegislative money.
Is that fair, dave?
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Well, who are we, Zach?
Are we the red-headed stepchild?
I mean, Mr Robertson has theprerogative and the ability to
request state funds, but I'msitting here looking at
Starkville and I see thatStarkville is a college town.
They're doing well in many,many different areas.
We need that money over here.
(14:54):
And so where's Andy Boyd?
Where's Dana McLean?
What's Kabir saying about it?
Okay, what's good for the gooseis good for the gander.
I want money over here for ourschools too.
If it's going to be like that,Point blank.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Well, and I mean and you've got examples within the
last decade last year, cmsd $36million bond for renovations.
No state appropriation comingfor that Lowndes County School
District a decade ago tens ofmillions of dollars that built
gobs and gobs of facilities.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
That's a lot of world's finest chocolate right
there.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
I bet y'all had to sell a bunch of those candy bars
.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
It's a problem Believe me.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
So you think that's unfair?
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Oh no, I know it's unfair.
In fact it should be illegal.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Oh, I don't know about that.
I'm going to tell you that.
First of all, a disclaimer.
David has to offer hisdisclaimers occasionally for
being involved with the LowndesCounty Republican Party.
I need to offer a disclaimerhere that all three of my
children go to theStarkbach-Tibau Consolidated
School District and my wifeteaches at the high school there
(16:02):
.
But objectively, I think youlook at return on investment
Return on investment.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
what I can tell you is that, financially, I am a
cheapskate.
When it comes to governmentfunds, I don't want anybody with
their hand in the cookie jar.
I don't even like theDepartment of Education to start
with, but when it comes tospending tax dollars, it needs
to go to the kids, not to abureaucrat, not to a pet project
(16:36):
, not to some organization otherthan what is going to ensure
the best for the future ofMississippi, and for me it's the
kids.
Not just in your neck of thewoods, but over here too.
Okay, well, let's talk.
Kids, not just in your neck ofthe woods, but over here too.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Okay, well, let's talk about what the partnership
school is and to kind of give alittle bit of context.
The partnership school, yes, itis a local middle school in the
Starkville-OctoballConsolidated School District.
Fact.
However, the partnershipelement of that and what
justified the legislativeappropriation, from my
(17:01):
understanding, is they use thatas a lab for their college of
education, for their faculty, todo research, for their teachers
to get experiential learning inthe classroom without having to
leave, you know, their owncampus.
So it's part of the curriculumof the college of education.
That's putting teacherspresumably all over the state,
(17:22):
maybe even all over the country.
And then you've got researchthat comes from that.
Supposedly that makes adifference statewide.
So that's why I'm talking aboutreturn on investment.
Where you go here is you look atthe partnership school and you
see that.
And I don't have those metrics.
I don't, I've asked for them,I'm still in the process of
getting them.
And I don't have those metrics?
I don't, I've asked for them.
Uh, I'm still in the process ofgetting them, so I don't have
(17:42):
those to read here.
But how many teachers havegraduated from msu use the
partnership school as part oftheir curriculum and are now
teaching elsewhere inmississippi?
How?
Speaker 2 (17:52):
many teachers have graduated from muw.
I don't see why we need a brickand mortar facility to make
this happen.
It it's a lot of money.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
It's going to steel and concrete, but it's there and
I don't know I mean there'smore than just the building
there potentially how manyteachers are graduating from
there and going across the state, how much research can and or
is coming out of thatpartnership school that can
apply and enhance teaching andlearning across the state?
(18:23):
If they can show that thosenumbers are adequate, then I
think that that makes this askrelevant and I don't have a
problem with it.
However, if they can't, if theycan't show those numbers, if
they can't prove the concept,then I think that that's
evidence against them for doingthis.
I think that that's acautionary tale, for okay, well,
(18:44):
if you can't show it with thepartnership school, then why
would we do this again?
Speaker 2 (18:48):
I think what you've said lends credit to the idea
that the local leadership herein Lowndes County really needs
to step up and be a part of theconversation.
I don't hear any of this comingout of city council or, for
that matter, out of our countyofficials, so it's a
conversation that's worthy tohave.
And I think it needs to becontinued, but we got to win
(19:11):
this battle at hand.
Keep MSMS right here in thegood old, friendly city.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
And if you want to do that, everybody, all the way up
to the top, needs to be loudand proud and ferocious about it
.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Now, second headline of the day the Kerr-McGee
Superfund site.
Let me get this right.
It's the site.
It's off of 14th Avenue, kindof near Bates Tire, and the
complaint is that we can'taccept grant money, regardless
of the terms.
We can't accept it to get thisplace developed because it's
(19:47):
polluted and it's going to makeit sick and it's going to kill
us and it's going to make oureyes glow in the dark.
Tell me what's going on atKerr-McGee.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Well, I mean, you know there's been a lot going on
at Kerr-McGee over the lastseveral years and, to be clear,
former Kerr-McGee, they've notbeen here for a long time.
Right, right, right.
Who has been here is theGreenfield Trust and their tens
of millions of dollars thatthey've spent on cleaning up the
site in conjunction and underthe supervision of the
(20:18):
Environmental Protection Agency.
And here's the thing.
We've got two local leaders.
We've got two council peoplewho are actively standing
against grants that coulddirectly or tangentially help
redevelop that site, becausethey're saying that nothing
(20:38):
should be done there becauseit's dirty.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Okay, and we're talking about Ethel Stewart and
Pierre Beard, correct?
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Councilwoman Stewart and Councilman Pierre Beard, and
I get it, they're scared.
There's a lot of history there.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Are they?
Speaker 1 (20:52):
scared though I think so I don't think that they're
being saboteurs here.
I think that it's the you knowgiving them the benefit of the
doubt.
You know, I think, because Iinterviewed them both.
I've talked to them both aboutthis issue and there's genuine
sincerity in their concern overthis.
(21:12):
But here's the thing they'reblocking grants.
They're talking about notaccepting money for grants that
would, you know, build acommunity center on part of this
property, or rec center they'retalking about we don't need to
put anything on there.
Ethel Stewart says plant a treethere, see if it lives and then
we'll talk.
But the EPA and GreenfieldTrust have been working on for
(21:36):
years mitigating thecontamination there and testing
the soil yep and they havedeclared.
They have declared that parts ofthis site are developable.
Now they have declared thatsome of this site never will be,
that they've contained it butit's never going to be
developable.
Nothing's ever going to go onthis undevelopable land.
And so to stoke the fear thatnone of this work has been valid
(22:01):
, that this is still dirty andthis land will still kill you
and if you send, if we build arec center there and you send,
your kids there they're going toget cancer.
I don't think that's responsiblebecause it's legislating from
your gut and there's so muchgood information that's
available.
Epa and Greenfield Trust havebeen having meetings for years
(22:23):
status updates on the cleanup,letting people know what's going
on, and they're doing this.
You know sort of the group thatliaises between the Greenfield
Trust and the public is theMemphis Town Community Action
Group and they are experts intheir respective field.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
And we're talking about creosote OK, we're not
talking about nuclear radiationthat takes over 100 years to
decay.
I went out there on the wayhere and I walked up to the
fence and I looked around.
It looked clean, it smelledclean, it was clean.
Well, if the money was right, Iwould eat chicken spaghetti off
(23:00):
the ground out there.
It's not a problem.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Well, I mean that's your choice.
My point is that the EPA hassaid it, so therefore you can
believe it, and I don't thinkthat you and I can say what is
and what isn't.
But their information is thereto know and they've declared it
clean.
There is a distrust of thiscommunity action group, pierre.
(23:25):
Mistrust them, ms Stewart,mistrust them.
They've said as much.
But here's the problem.
The CAG did not declare thecommunity action group.
The CAG did not declare any ofthese sites, mitigated or not
mitigated.
They didn't make thosedeclarations.
They're not going out on a limband saying you can eat off this
ground.
The EPA is saying you candevelop on the pine yard, so why
(23:46):
don't they do it?
Speaker 2 (23:47):
The bottom line is, we need the money.
If there is any ward inMississippi that needs federal
dollars, it is that ward overthere you know Pierre talks
about.
Oh, it looks so beautiful sinceI've been in office.
No, it doesn't.
It looks like a war zone and itneeds to be developed.
And I will tell you this, thepeople out there that are
(24:11):
paranoid and I don't say thatdisparagingly, I know it's
people got sick.
It was a big deal Righthappened.
That's real.
But, yes, a lot of these peoplewho are paranoid are the same
people you see driving aroundwearing a mask with no one else
in the vehicle.
Okay, we need the money and I Ireally think that pierre uh and
(24:36):
miss ethel stewart need to, uh,use their energy for good and
talk the place up, because it'sa lot different than it was 20
years ago out there.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Leadership asks questions to the right people
and they don't get on Facebookand spew out rumors that are
based on their gut feeling aboutsomething.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Very good, third headline Are you ready?
Yeah, let's rock and roll withit.
We're looking at Mickens again.
I wish we were not looking athim, but we are.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
It's not just Mickens .
Ward 2 is wild.
If you're into that sort ofthing.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
It is a problem and help me out here.
What I'm seeing is that,mickens, he challenged the
residency requirements of hisprimary opponents and he was
thereafter shot down by theDemocrat committee in his
assertion that they were notliving there.
And let me ask you, zach, wereyou at that hearing?
Speaker 1 (25:34):
I was not.
We had a reporter there, but ithad coverage.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Well, I'm wondering what evidence he had that he
threw in there to say, hey,these people really don't live
here.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Well, frankly, it doesn't really matter, because
he was ruled against.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
The Democratic Party ruled against him and well, it's
a loser's argument to startwith, is it not?
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Well, yes, and I certainly want to get into that.
But the second part of this nowis that.
So Mickens did challenge theresidency of both of his
opponents in Ward 2.
That's Laisha Mishishi O'Neilland Roderick Smith.
He lost.
Evidently there was adiscussion outside between
(26:16):
Mickens and O'Neill outside thecourthouse after that hearing.
Oh boy.
Mickens and O'Neill outside thecourthouse after that hearing.
Oh boy, ms Shishi has claimedand filed a police report from
that altercation discussionwhatever you want to call it,
altercation in quotey fingers.
Yes, that he threatened her andshe filed a police report on it
and a couple of things on that.
She has not publicly stated ifthere was a true threat there,
(26:44):
which you know.
All she's publicly stated sofar is that he said, uh, this
ain't over.
But if there was a reallegitimate threat then she had
every right to file that report.
Um, and I hope theyinvestigated and if there's
enough there to prosecute,prosecute it but.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
If there wasn't.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
If this is what we know based on what we know,
david, she's got to get athicker skin.
She can't—you know.
If she's a legitimate candidateto win this race and she's
possibly going to be a councilmember, then you can't run to
the police and file a reportevery time somebody says
(27:16):
something to you that you don'tlike.
There's a lot of that if you'rea council person.
I think that anybody on thecouncil who's ever served on the
council could tell her that Forsure.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
She can't run the police every time somebody walks
up to her and says this ain'tover being some type of threat
or some type of loud ogre inpublic that needs to be dealt
with, talking about, you know,somebody being escorted out of
the Trotter and all this kind ofstuff.
What gets lost in the mix isactual issues and actual topics.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Absolutely correct and you know Mickens should run
on his record.
In his vision he lost thehearing over residency.
So you know that doesn't needto be part of the campaign
anymore.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
If I were him, I would never talk about that
again.
I mean, I mean, look at it, if,if I'm doing my job in an
elected office and I'm doing agood job.
Well, I may still getied, butI'm not going to be worried
about the people in the primary.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Right.
I mean, you've got a race torun and David Mickens has the
longest record of anybody upthere.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
What I'm saying to you is the fact that he
challenged their residency andlost, obviously because he did
not have appropriate evidencesays to me that maybe Leroy was
right in his point in that videothat we won't go back into, but
basically said that hey, he'srunning scared.
(28:52):
So we've got to elevate theconversation we do.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
We do, and the record and the vision is how you do
that.
But of course there's an oldsaying that there's only two
ways to run, and that's scaredand unopposed.
And maybe that's what Mickensis tapping into.
But when you are campaigningand if he continues to campaign
on the fact that these twopeople don't actually live on
the ward and they're not viablecandidates, if that's his front
(29:16):
foot of his campaign or any partof his campaign, he's casting
doubt on the integrity of theelection.
I don't like that.
If it's coming from Democrats,I don't like.
If it's coming from Republicans, I don't like it.
If it's coming on the local,state or national level, you
have a record to run on as longas you've been there.
You should have a vision by now.
Run on those things and leavethe rest of it out of it.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
Well, I couldn't agree more on that one and I
predict this day.
Put it on the record that therewill be a runoff in that
particular primary.
I can see it coming.
One last thing I'd like tobring up is in the Ward 5 race,
mr Bob Raymond, your boy, yeah,he listened to his opponent, ms
(29:58):
Mary Beth Jeter, speak at theRepublican Women's Club just
yesterday and while he waslistening he said you know, she
sounds like a really qualifiedand well-spoken and well-meaning
candidate.
And he stepped up to themicrophone and said y'all, I
withdraw from this race.
And so for Ward 5, ms Mary BethJeter will advance to the
(30:24):
general and go against thewinner of the Democratic primary
in that particular area.
So that's the latest what elsewe got.
I think that'll do it.
Appreciate you, david.
Well, I just want to give ashout out to our listeners.
I want to thank you forlistening to this show.
I want to thank the dispatchonce again and I hope that you
will not only listen and notonly encourage others to listen,
(30:47):
but also be a part of theconversation.
If you think I'm full ofbaloney or if you disagree with
something that Zach said, pleaseemail us.
Tips at cdispatchcom Again.
That's tips at cdispatchcom.
Again, that's tips atcdispatchcom.
Or look us up on Facebook.
My handle is at dchism00.
Be sure to leave us a five-starreview for this podcast.
(31:10):
We thank you once again.
So, signing off from CatfishAlley here in historic downtown
Columbus, my name is DavidChisholm, your host is Zach
Player, and thanks again.
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