Editors Note: The Jasper County News reserves the right to edit and omit comments for length and/or content.

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“Yes, I would like to comment on County Road 23, east of the Highway 18. Hopefully, our supervisor will, um, redo this road shortly; it needs it real bad. Um, you cannot come down the road and dodge the holes; there’re holes all the way in the road. Somebody’s gonna wind up getting hurt if not killed on this road because of all the holes, and it’s tearing our vehicles up. So, if he would, please redo this road. Thank you.”––Female

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“I was calling to take away for you not to list the complaint about County Road 23, east of 18. I went up it just a few minutes ago. They’re working on it, so maybe I was just a little bit impatient. Thank you. Bye Bye.”––Female

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“Yes, I was sitting here reading the paper, Talk Back, and I just can’t believe that someone would actually call and try to condone the fighting that  happened at Heidelberg. It doesn’t matter if they was fighting cousins, sisters, brothers and imaginary friends. It doesn’t matter. They were fighting. How can we condone this, and they are not there to fight. They are there to learn, and the administration and the board, they did what they felt they had to do to control the fights. Now, if someone woulda got hurt in the fights, or someone would been just hurt or something, I don’t want to say killed, but if someone woulda got injured in that fight, then they woulda been in that paper, ‘Why they didn’t call the police; why they didn’t do this?” We as parents got to raise our kids. We always crying saying that the school doesn’t care, the teachers don’t care, the superintendent doesn’t care, but it starts at home first. If we don’t do anything about our children, who will? We have to do this. They are not there to raise our kids; they are there to teach the kids. No one went to school for parenting. No one knows how to be a parent. You just have to wing it. But, you have to teach the kids right from wrong; these kids do not know the severity of what is going on. They start fighting, then the teachers upset, they can’t control the class. Other kids getting fights, innocent kids get injured. It’s too serious for someone–I’m hoping this was a student that wrote this, not a parent. I’m just praying it was a student, someone that doesn’t realize how serious this matter is. We got gang violence. It’s just too much...

Editor’s note: This Talk Back was condensed because it exceeded the 30 second limit by about 5 minutes.

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“This is to the lady that actually tried to explain the fights at Heidelberg. Is she serious? She thinks it’s ok for students to be fighting as long as its cousins fighting cousins? As far as the facts she’s trying to pass off in Talk Back, I’m going to trust the Heidelberg Police Chief who was willing to give his name when stating facts, not you who said, well, they were arrested but not for fighting. Oh, ok, that’s much better! I’m willing to bet money that your child was one of the ones fighting. Making excuses for them helps your child in no way at all. You’re setting him or her, or both, up for failure and disappointment. Ridiculous.”––Female

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“Yes, Heidelberg High is in serious condition. I ask all parents to pray for the condition of our schools and the rightful treatment of our children. God will hear our prayers. He will either turn their hearts to serve our kids or remove them, from the superintendent to the purchasing agent, to the nomadic secretary, and even the... janitors and bus drivers. It’s time to let God handle our schools.”––Female

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“Yes, I would just like to know what’s wrong with us as parents at Bay Springs Schools. Why do we sit around not knowing or not caring what is going on in how our children are being treated or taught? Why do we have people as presidents of PTOs that display a negeative attitude and choses wrong rather than right, and then you wonder why no one is attending meetings. It seems the only time you want to meet is when homecoming is approaching or prom. Where are the vice-presidents? Why aren’t you stepping up and doing your job? Why do we have school board members that clearly don’t have our children’s best interests at heart? Why do we have teachers teaching our children who choose to send their children to another school? Don’t get me wrong, we have some excellent teachers, but sometimes it seems that the heads are turning everying in their power to make them leave. We used to have an outstanding school, but what happened? If you work at Bay Springs schools and don’t have our children best interests at heart, do us all a favor and just leave and seek employement somewhere else. I urge parents to get involved to see if you child is learning things that is going to help them at the next level. See what curriculum is being offered at neighboring schools that are not being offered at Bay Springs. Find out when the next school board meeting is and attend. I think it’s April 13, but call and make sure. I didn’t say this to make anybody angry, but if you did angry, get angry as a parent and do something about it. See what’s going on at your child school.”––Female

Editors Note: The Jasper County News reserves the right to edit and omit comments for length and/or content.

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“This is in response to the lady telling people to put their garbage cans up. There are people who are old and can’t walk a quarter mile down their driveway to get their trash can. I’m doing good to get my garbage to the can. The way the world is right now, surely she has enough to complain about than having to bother complaining about garbage cans. She needs something serious to worry about.”––Female

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“My random act of kindness would be to take part in foreign aid and help the elderly who cannot afford perscriptions, dental care, a cool place in the summer and warm place in the winter. Do not forget food. Most people would consider this essential; these people would consider having all of this a blessing.”––Female

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“Heidelberg High School will always have problems. If you know where the problems are, do something about them. Why would you be give Superintendent Page a new three-year contract when each year she has been at Heidelberg High, test scores have not improved, and moral of teachers and students are at an all-time low. The school board members are not concerned about the students. Superintendent Page tells them what to do. They are just rubber stamps. Wake up, parents. Do your duty as parents. Demand that Page and school board members be held accountable.”––Female

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“I’m a parent, a concerned parent of East Jasper School District and I’m sitting here reading the paper on the fight that y’all have placed in the paper. First of all, there was no gang fighting at school. Um, most of those kids that was fighting was cousins fighting against other kids. Second of all, yeah, the Laurel Police Department didn’t have a problem with Heidelberg kids, not for gang fighting, it was senior skip day and the sports complex had already been reserved by parents for Heidelberg seniors to skip down there. The school district called to verify that the kids were out of school and that the parents knew about it, from my understanding, all parents gave them the okay, that they knew where they kids were. There were some kids that came to the sports complex that was from Heidelberg and was arrested but not for fighting, for other things. Um, which was not seniors. Um, from my understanding, the assistant chief of police also got called into the Laurel Police Department, not to let the kids in because of the gang fighting, or so-called gang fighting that they had that Wednesday, but Laurel Police did not have a problem with our kids for gang fighting. They called and told y’all this, I guess they forgot to leave out that they left--or intentionally, they harrased our kids, also. That should have been put in the paper, ‘cause our kids was harrased when they went to Laurel, also. Thank you.”––Female

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“I would like to know why it is that East Jasper administration won’t answer or return calls to the media when something bad happens, like a bomb threat and fighting that is possibly gang related. But, yet, when they have something they want attention for, like this graduation thing and the $10 million school bond, they sing like birds to the press. Bomb threats and fighting, gang related or not, is a big deal. A big deal. It ain’t something trivial like kids just skipping out on homework. As a resident of this area, I would like to know what the administration is doing to prevent these bad things from happening and how they are handling the bad things that have already happened. Saying nothings scares me and makes me think that they aren’t doing anything to keep the kids safe. I know they don’t want bad press. That’s understandable, but taking the ostrich approach and sticking your head in the sand and praying that we won’t see you not answering the public’s questions does nothing but leave your behind in the air. Let’s be adults about this, acknowledge your problems head on and deal with them.”––Female

Editors Note: The Jasper County News reserves the right to edit and omit comments for length and/or content.

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“Homeowners, please take your garabage cans from in front of your home. Put them away until garbage day. They have rollers on them. They easy to roll. Please, please put them out of sight. Thank you.”––Female

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“Yes, I am a citizen of Jasper County Beat Two. And I would like to know what is Mr. Henry Hayes guilty of. Thank you.”––Female

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“I was just watching the news and I see in Marion County, they caught a round-a group of burglars, and I was just wondering why you never hear that in Jasper County. Why can’t our sheriff catch any burglars going on around here?”––Male

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“This is in response to the Henry Hayes being a good supervisor and to all the people who think Henry Hayes is a good supervisor. He needs to take a ride through Rose Hill, Mississippi, through Tioch Community, in the Hero Community and see how good of a job he does on highways and the blacktops, the potholes all over where people just about have to come to a complete stop to ride the roads. They are tearing up cars, messing up front ends on cars and everything...”––Female

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“I would just like to clarify that a lady said that Talk Back is a priviledge given by the county. The county has nothing to do with it. It’s a newspaper thing.”––Female

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“First, I am not anti-government. I am glad to live in the U.S. I have lived in a foreign county. I understand what it means to kiss the ground when the plane lands. If we’re going to discuss Ms. Female being a thief and talk about where she works: Ms. Female would like to tell you she works for the federal, state and city governement. I could not steal enough money to make up for the taxes I have paid no counting interest that I’ve paid. Now for the fact of someone stealing for me. What is it when you buy property and, while you own the property, you have to pay taxes. If you make any improvements, even an outdoor toliet, they asset that as an improvement because you’ve added a building and my taxes go up. If I cannot afford my property taxes, it will be sold to someone else. What is that, sir? Is it democracy, freedom, impartial justice, stealing? You name it, sir.”––Female

Editors Note: The Jasper County News reserves the right to edit and omit comments for length and/or content.

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“I would like to admit freely that I was wrong in in saying that the tax payers money was not that important, that they should not be concerned. Mr. Hayes has been a good supervisor. He was maintained the roads, not just his drive and the road in front of his house. He was helped many people in his beat in many ways. Personally, is it not a bit harsh to compare this to bank robbery and it crimes commited with force and weapons? Mr. Hayes’s choice was pen. I did not critize the paper for printing the news; I’m sure he has a family. Let’s have a little compassion and not flan the flames into an inferno. Can you explain to me and others, with all the things that go on in this world, why people go to the internet websites to check on this story concerning Jasper County Beat 2? I will give you Jasper County and maybe the State of Mississippi, but do you really think that anybody outside of this area or Mississippi has anytime to be concerned with Jasper County or this area with this particular story? Maybe some supervisors make this a part-time job. Please list me a job description and qualitifcation, minimum hours, maximum hours that are required for this position. Why the tax payers pay $40,000 for a part timer? If the man is considered a part time employee, how many hours is he required to work and how much would he be making per hour? Remember when you judge Mr. Hayes, there was only one perfect man in the world. I never heard of him having a Jasper County address.”––Female

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“This is in response to the female about Henry Hayes. First of all, men are not guilty of something, not all men. And second, as to who cares if he’s slouching off a little off the bottom, as you called it, it’s called stealing, and there’s a place for that; it’s called jail. As to who care, the public cares. It’s our tax dollars. And thou shalt not steal, also. Thank you.”––Female

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“I’m calling in response to the comments made last week by the female who said that she thought it was OK for our elected officials to steal.

This Talk Back and more continued on page 9

She said, they didn’t make enough money anyway, and it was OK for them to make a little on the side. What pitiful state of mind out county is in if there are many who share the opinion of this woman. I wonder if this is a woman who has children to raise or who has already raised them. Can you imagine your mother teaching you that it’s OK to steal? Can you just imagine the conversation? “Children, whenever you go to work at the convenience story, the hardware, whatever, resturants or any of the businesses, banks in town, they won’t be paying you enough, so go ahead and steal all you can.” No use to wonder how to reverse the moral decay that exists in Jasper County. Her statement tells us exactly where the problem is. I imagine that this woman doesn’t have a clue of what the salaries of our elected officials are. Obviously, stealing is a way of life for this idiot. I’d like to hear her comments if it was her property being stolen. I bet sloughing off a little off of the bottom, as she said, would take on a different meaning then. Also, if she has a job, I’d like to know where she works, so I can tell her boss that a thief is working for his business. Now, I know that this ran over a little bit, but I sure hope you print all of it.” ––Male

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“I’m calling in response to the Henry Hayes Talk Back. It’s true that he admits guilt upon paying the money back, hoping that, by paying it back quickly, that the accussers and tax payers would look the other way. They shouldn’t. Grossly using county funds, equipment, labor should never go unpunished. Several people have also noticed his county truck with add-ons like a custom-made hundred dollar bed lid, tires, rims, custom leathering. Why can’t he drive a base model; why can’t he buy one in the county? All this needs to be checked on, also. Thanks.” ––Male

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“I want to give thanks to the young lady that’s on County Road 1711 for picking up approximately 17 bags of trash on her road. We have a good garbage system. We need to take our trash home and use that system at the end of our road. But thanks to her for taking her precious time for picking up that trash. Thank you.” ––Female

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“Yes, I would like to commend that Bay Springs High School boys and girls track team. They are doing a terrific job. They went to track meet in Hattiesburg, yesterday, and they just did great. Even though, it was they first track meet, they was getting the feel of everything, those kids did a wonderful job. I commend Coach Brian Hamilton and Coach Dorie Thigpen for the job they are doing with the kids. The kids were having fun. They were competing; they were cheering each other on, cheering other schools on, and that’s what we need with our kids, to just have fun for a change and stop being in trouble at school. And they was doing such a good job. And if you have a chance, even if your child doesn’t go to Bay Springs High School, go out and support a local school because, even if they don’t go to school that your kids go to, these are still the children of the future who need our support badly. If you have a chance, get out and support the track team or any sporting even, the choirs, just anything that these children are doing. Everyone, black, white, anyone. Go out and support each other schools and give these kids our support. Thank you.”––Female

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“Um, yes, I’m calling Talk Back, um. I have two reasons why I’m calling Talk Back. The first reason I’m calling Talk Back is how people abuse Talk Back. You know people, Talk Back is a priviledge that the county supplies for us, and not for us to get on Talk Back and just get in a big ole argument and get to fussing about conflicts that we have in everyday life. I think that we should call Talk Back, we should have questions and a person should call back and have a positive answer. Like the donut situation that went on for weeks and weeks, arguing and fussing in the newspaper. Talk Back is not for that. And the second reason I’m calling is because someone put in Talk Back that, um, the kids–they have something to do, the need to go to church, and you know, I was gonna call back and give that person a celebration, words of encouragement, you know that is so true. The young people that have opportunties and they have opportunities to go to school, and, even though this is Black History Month, they should go to school and received their education, and they should, you know, want to make more self out of their lives than hanging on a corner with their pants sagging or anything else. You know, um, just like the Bible in Proverbs, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and, when he is old, he will not depart from it.” And that’s–parents, that’s what we have to do with our children, we have to train our children up in church. We gotta train them up, not just in church, because going to church is one thing, but really living and seeking after God is another. And that’s what the people of God have–stand and be a witness. We have to be a witness to those that’s out there in the world. And that’s is all I’m calling Talk Back for. Remember the first thing I was saying about what Talk Back is really meant for, giving them a positive–negative remark or even if you give a positive remark. I’ll still love you and I will thank you for it. But that is what Talk Back is meant to be about. Thank you. You have a blessed day. Bye bye.”––Female

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“Yes, I’m a concerned citizen, and I want to know why do the board, the school board that is elected by the people for the people give the superintendent so much power that they don’t even go and check up on what he does. I think it’s a shame that we as citizens vote the board members in and they can’t do their job. Are they too lazy to check up on the superintendent to see what he’s doing. That is ridiculous. Why do we even vote for board members? Thank you.”––Female

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“I would like to take this opportunity to show our appreciation to Johnny Rowell on saving us $80,000. And if he’s got a minute... maybe he can figure out a way to get our tax payers to pay their garbage fee.”––Male

Editors Note: The Jasper County News reserves the right to edit and omit comments for length and/or content.

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“I would like to know why the Beat Three can not take care of their roads in our beat, Beat Three. I see that we have the garbage pickup and I just would like to know what it’s all about. I would like to know also what is Beat Three doing for the citizens and tax payers. Thank you.” ––Female

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“Um, yes, I’m calling this week, um, to talk about Black History Month. I just want to encourage all the students, um, in all districts, African American races. This week, this month is, um, Black History Month. And as I was talking to a lot of kids about Black History Month, some kids got the wrong idea of Black History Month. Black History Month is not month that, you know, should just, um, as I can say, you know, get down on the white race or anything. But Black History Month is, you know, is for us to gather as African Americans and, you know, thank God that we have the freedom. Yes, we know that some people don’t want us to have the freedom that we have, but as you read about Martin Luther King, “I have a dream,” he had a dream that one day, that we would all unite together. And I was just calling to tell all African American kids, that’s why parents send you to school, to, to, um, live a good destination. Um, and to achieve in school and you should not go to school just to act up. Because you were bought with a price; you should go to school to learn about you and the way you was raised and how you accepted freedom. So God is good, and He is worthy to be praised. Thank you.”––Female

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“I’m calling in support of Supervisor Henry Hayes. Sure he might have done something; I think he admitted guilt by paying the money back. But all men are guilty of something. He ain’t the first, and I’m sure he won’t be the last. As long as the roads are kept up, who cares if he’s sloughing off a little off the bottom? He still does a good job. It’s a thankless job and they don’t get paid enough. Who cares if he’s making a little on the side? Why aren’t the others being investigated? This must be political. Somebody pointed a finger. I think he’s a good guy. Don’t turn into the Inquirer and run this story like they did the Caylee Anthony story, into the ground.” ––Female