Law Revisions Effect Media and Police Communication

Recent revisions to Mississippi's public records laws may allow media to get more information from local police departments.

House Bill 474, effective July 1, will make certain police records available to the public upon request.

This will require police departments to give the basic who, what, when, where aspects of some cases, said Oxford Police Assistant Chief Joey East.

Nonetheless, police departments may withhold information in a case in order to protect the victim, witness, or specific investigative information that may compromise a case, East explained.

"I don't like it a whole lot. What I have a problem with is it says that we have to give people's names and addresses," said East.

Oxford police may give the exact location of a burglary or murder.

However, in more sensitive cases, police may not give the exact location in order to keep media from exposing the victim or witness' identity, East explained.

"When the public is in danger, we will give as much information as possible," he said, in an effort to reassure the public.

"It's a give and take relationship," East said about the media and the Oxford Police Department.

East promised to give as much information as he could to the media, as long as he can trust them to print the actual facts.

Changing Oxford

Driving down University Avenue, I get frustrated and sometimes a bit outraged with the construction that not only takes up my valuable time, but also, gets my car dirty.

After attending Supervisor Mike Pickens' public meeting Monday night at the Oxford Library, however, I became aware that I was not the only one frustrated with the county's road structure. Several attendees expressed their concern for the roads.

Hearing these concerns, I wondered if citizens were frustrated with the county's system of maintaining the roads, or if they were bothered by the rapid growth and expansion of Oxford and Lafayette County.

Oxford is a beautiful historic town, rich with character and class beyond imagination; however, rarely can you take a drive without seeing construction of new condos or housing subdivisions.

As more people buy or rent condos, traffic steadily increases. Oxford, being a small town, does not have the infrastructure to support such heavy traffic.

Potholes form in the weary roads, and in turn, anger citizens like retired UM professor Henry Pace.

When Pace bought his farm on Old Taylor Road in 1968, there were two houses on his road. Today, around 15 houses are on the same road--increasing the amount of daily traffic.

Pace was not the only citizen concerned about the increased traffic on once sparsely traveled roads--several others in attendance shared views with him.

Obviously, roads will need repair throughout the years, but the question arises whether citizens like Henry Pace are angry with the lack of road maintenance or with the growth and change in Oxford and Lafayette County.

Lafayette County will not be able to stop the change, growth, or expansion of Oxford. Students always want the newest condos to live in, while newcomers continue to flock here as well.

In order to keep everyone satisfied, Oxford and Lafayette County must be able to create a balance between road maintenance, growth, and change.

County's Roads Addressed at Supervisor's Public Meeting

District 1 residents gathered Monday night at the Oxford Library to discuss issues facing Lafayette County.

Mike Pickens, District 1 Supervisor, held the public forum Monday night at 6:30 P.M.

According to Pickens, the open meeting served as a chance for citizens to communicate with their supervisor and county board members and give their input concerning issues in Lafayette County.

"The best way to lead is by following someone else's advice," Pickens said.

One of the main concerns was road maintenance in the county.

According to road manager Jerry Haney, the county cannot just patch the roads. They must be completely redone--starting with the foundation of the road.

Haney has a four-year road plan designed to address the worst roads of Lafayette County first.

Retired UM professor Henry Pace attended the meeting to express his concerns about the roads as well. He lives on a farm on Old Taylor Road.

"When I came in 1968, cars were stronger," Pace said. Today's cars are built with plastic, and roads with potholes shake them apart, he added, explaining the wear and tear on both vehicles and the pavement.

Pace discussed the increased traffic on Old Taylor and expressed his desire to have to road leading to his farm redone.

According to Pace, last night's meeting was the first time since 1968 that a supervisor has held a public meeting.

"I think all supervisors should have them," Pace added.

UM Staff Appreciation Day

Members of the University of Mississippi staff were honored Friday for their faithful years of service to the students and campus in Oxford.

During the ceremony, staff members were recognized for their many years of service, while some were recipients of Outstanding Staff Awards, voted on by their peers.

Years of service to the University ranged from the New Hire Recognition, people serving less that one year, up to Hallie Cook's outstanding 44 years of service to Ole Miss.

Debbie Brinkley, Staff Council President, opened with gratitude toward each staff member for all of their hard work and dedication.

"They do the behind the scenes work," Brinkley said.

According to Brinkley, those who were voted Outstanding Staff Members had ideal and uniform qualities. They have trust, integrity, a vision for the future, desire for others to succeed, and a loyal dedication and commitment to the University of Mississippi.

"They make the university run," added Brinkley.

In between jokes and laughs, Whitman Smith, Director of Orientation Offices and Parent Services, recognized staff members for their years of service, calling the staff part of his family.

Chancellor Robert Khayat presented seven staff members with Outstanding Staff Awards. Also, he mentioned that the staff members are key components that helped the university move forward.

With records of service ranging from less than a year to 44 years, the working environment, the campus community, and the diversity and energy of the students have kept the staff around, Chancellor Khayat said in an interview later.

Chancellor Khayat also discussed the importance of developing relationships with the staff members.

When he started his job as Chancellor in July of 1995, Chancellor Khayat began to walk around campus every morning, and in doing so, met several staff members and developed several personal relationships.

Even though he jokes around with members of the staff, Chancellor Khayat emphasized the importance of having a personal relationship with the staff but not trying to be "one of the boys."

Staff Appreciation Day acknowledged the staff's hard work and commitment to Ole Miss, while honoring Chancellor Khayat's leadership and relationship with members of the UM staff.

Physical Therapy At Its Best

Fifteen years ago, in Batesville, MS., Michael Meurrier watched the movie "Regarding Henry" and decided to become a physical therapist.

Now, Meurrier, 30, works at the Starnes Athletic Training Center on the Ole Miss campus, where he serves the UM staff, faculty, students, and athletes with serious injuries and helps them regain mobility in their injured limbs.

Meurrier says his dream is only wanting to help people.

“I’m not driven to be a therapist for the Orlando Magic,” he jokes.

However, Meurrier says that his profession allows him to “impact patients’ lives in ways a doctor can’t.”

Physical therapy takes time, and because he spends up to five hours a week with some patients, Meurrier says that he is able to develop a relationship with each of his patients.

“In fact, I’m in a patient’s wedding next month.” Meurrier adds.

Although patients are smiling and laughing as they complete their exercises in the background, Meurrier admits that physical therapy definitely has frustrating and tough times.

“When a patient just isn’t getting better, it is so frustrating,” says Meurrier.

How does he handle situations like this?

“Persistence. Don’t let a bad day set you back,” Meurrier says.

Even though they try to create a positive environment where patients can laugh and have a good time, several patients endure pain and discomfort during their physical training sessions.

“I haven’t let tears stop me from doing what I have to do.” Meurrier says.

He has to look ahead into the patient’s future, he goes on to explain.

One of his patients, who had torn an ACL, was crying during her therapy. However, because he did what he had to do, she is now able to play basketball again.

Meurrier describes physical therapy as a pattern of peaks and valleys.

“When patients come in for therapy, they are in a valley. It’s our job to keep pushing them out of that valley, onto the top of their next peak,” Meurrier says.

Help Starting Your Small Business

A seminar designed to teach small business development will be held Thursday at the Small Business Development Center on the Ole Miss campus.

Don Fischer, Director of MSSBDC, said that the seminar, held in the Procurement Building at 1:00 p.m., will teach the development of successful small businesses by breaking the process down into smaller, more manageable steps.

"Half of small businesses fail in the first year," Fischer said.

"The biggest [cause of] failure is a lack of management skills and lack of an excellent business plan," he added.

However, 90 percent of small business owners who have attended the programs offered by MSSBDC have succeeded, Fischer explained.

According to Rhes Lowe, who attended Fischer's seminar and is now the owner of successful restaurant Market Rhes, "The hardest part is the best part."

During the seminar, Fischer will outline a successful business plan and give financial information necessary to process a loan.

Unlike the late night television commercials about starting your own business, which Fischer refers to as a "scam," the MSSBDC offers plans and keys to developing management skills, business plans, and good controls required for the success of a small business.

The seminar is free for those who pre-register. For more information, visit mssbdc.org and click on workshop.

Mississippi Women Exhibition at Ole Miss

An exhibit of Mississippi women proudly proclaims the accomplishments of Mississippi women through early June in the Faulkner room of the J.D. Williams Library at Ole Miss.

Greg Johnson, curator of blues archives and assistant professor at Ole Miss, conducts an excellent tour of "In Her Own Words," and gives the history of Mississippi women and their contributions to daily Mississippi life.

Not proud or arrogant, these women were just your “everyday Mississippians doing their thing,” says Johnson.

Among the various cases exhibiting the success of women, is a case displaying a May 1944 issue of Mississippi Business Woman magazine promoting the interests of the state’s early working women.

Beside the magazine, Charm, a fashion magazine from New York, shows a color cover of a beautiful model of the stylish 1950’s, but it’s what’s inside the magazine that grabs your undivided attention--an article about a young woman working on the ever famous square in small town Oxford, Mississippi.

She, along with three other women, solely ran and operated every aspect of the Baker’s dress shop, from buying and selling clothes, bookkeeping, alterations, and cleaning. Pictures in the article exhibit women carrying out all the tasks necessary to keep a business successfully up and running.

A few cases over, however, resides a case containing the photographs of the famous Eudora Welty. As most know, Eudora Welty is most well known for her literary attributions to Mississippi, as well as American, literature.

Nonetheless, one single photograph in her book One Time, One Place epitomizes Mississippi women -- whether well known globally, nationally, or not known at all.

A picture of an African American woman, in her Sunday dress and church hat, laughing with a smile so wide, it almost won’t fit on her face. She has ecstasy, ambition, kindness, and power—a woman who not only could make a difference for herself, but a difference for the state of Mississippi and America.