Each year there are events which, with just a slighttickling of the memory, stand out for their emotional poignancy orbrutal shock and those that brought us the joy of laughter or atear to our eye.

The first year of the new millennium was no differentthan those of the past. The events may have changed, but theemotional triggers are all still present.

What sets 2001 apart from previous years is the eventssurrounding Sept. 11, the day that changed the way Americans feelabout terrorism and the way they conduct their everydaylives.

Not all the events of 2001 were as lifestyle-shatteringas Sept. 11, but all impacted local residents in someway.

January

The state was still grappling with the issue of whether thestate flag stood for racism or cultural heritage early in the year.After 106 years of representing the state, black activistsassaulted its image by declaring it stood for racism and demandingthat it be replaced. Locally, the issue was a calm one, but on thestate scene several incidents sparked a heated debate which drewnational attention. The state legislature voted on Jan. 8 to letthe voters decide on whether a new flag was necessary and the issuewas placed on the ballot for April 17.

Police Chief Fred McKee announced Jan. 7 that he would not seekre-election and would retire from public service. McKee had servedwith the Brookhaven Police Department for 36 years, almost 12 ofthose as chief.

Johnny L. Hart was sworn in as the Lincoln County SchoolDistrict board member for District Two Jan. 8 and long-timeincumbent Jerry Coon was sworn in to another six years as DistrictOne representative.

More than a quarter of a million fish took the plunge into LakeLincoln Jan. 11 as Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parksofficials began the process of restocking the lake.

Construction began in January on a new Topeka Fire Station toreplace one destroyed in an electrical fire in the winter of 2000.The station was completed in late summer. Fire departments aroundthe state rallied to help Topeka by donating vehicles andequipment.

Joy Westbrooks was chosen as the Outstanding Citizen of the Yearat the 12th Annual Wesson Chamber of Commerce banquet Jan. 18.

District Attorney Dunn Lampton was named U.S. Attorney for theSouthern District Jan. 22, pending approval by the President andU.S. Senate, which he later received.

Detric Stringer, 21, of Silver Creek, pleaded guilty Jan. 23 toone count of kidnapping in connection with a February 2000carjacking incident on Highway 84. Two other charges, possession ofa firearm by a convicted felon and carjacking, were not prosecuted.Fredrick Jefferson, 21, of Silver Creek, remained slated for anApril trial date. Jefferson was also accused in the incident.

A bomb threat at a local bank caused the evacuation of employeeson the morning of Jan. 25. A fake bomb was found planted in thebushes in front of the bank.

Thomas A. Moak Jr. and his wife, Willa, were presented with theBrookhaven Exchange Club’s 2000 Golden Deeds Award Jan. 27 duringthe club’s annual banquet.

Lawrence County School District was notified in January thatthey would be one of only 12 state districts to receive a milliondollar federal 21st Century Learning Grant. The grant isdistributed over three years.

February

The 38th Annual Brookhaven Camellia Show was a huge success Feb.3, with a large number of participants, guests and judges. It wasthe best show in years for quality and quantity, according to oneof the show’s officials.

Funding problems at Lawrence County Hospital continued into thenew year as supervisors struggled to find a way to save it. Thehospital continued to dominate board meetings until mid-summer,when it was leased to another medical facility.

Wesson Police Chief Steve Carlisle retired from law enforcementFeb. 6 after 25 years in the field. He has served as the policechief three separate times, from 1976-1980, 1986-1989 and1995-2001. He also worked for the Lincoln County Sheriff’sDepartment for six years and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics fortwo years. He was replaced by the present police chief, Jim Dykes.Dykes served as a patrol officer in Wesson for two years beforemoving to Mobile, Ala. He returned to the force when he came homein December 2000.

Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln County made a major step inFebruary when they opened an office on the first floor of the InezHotel at the corner of Monticello Street and Railroad Avenue.

A measure to allow a 2 percent lodging tax to fund chamber ofcommerce retiree and tourism development efforts died in earlyFebruary when legislative committees said they would not bring itbefore their respective bodies.

West Lincoln School District parents questioned the school boardFeb. 19 about the forced resignation of principal Monty Wilson.Wilson’s resignation became effective May 1. Wilson said hisresignation was a result of the disruption in harmony caused by acontroversy between himself and some of the faculty because of hiswork standards.

Monticello City Hall was sold in mid-February to State Bank andTrust and town officials were seeking a new home. City Hall wassoon moved into the Chapman Building, which had been donated to thetown when the Chapman Foundation was dissolved. State Bank openedits doors in the Spring.

A controversy surrounding the placement of street departmentoperations at the old National Guard armory on Highway 51 continuedto simmer in mid-February. More than 180 armory neighbors signed apetition stating their opposition to the move and presented it tothe board Feb. 20.

State, local and mental health officials broke ground Feb. 23 onthe new Crisis Intervention Center. The center is to providemuch-needed help for mentally-ill citizens.

A Lawrence County Jail inmate, Dwayne Evans, 42, was back behindbars Feb. 27 after escaping from the facility Feb. 26. Evans hadborrowed a jacket from a fellow inmate assigned to a county workcrew and used the jacket to roll over razor wire on the top of afence encircling the exercise yard.

March

Heavy rains pounded Lincoln County March 1 and 2, dumping morethan eight inches on the area. More than 18 county bridges wereclosed with officials reporting at least 26 bridges with some typeof problem associated with the rainfall. Much of the rain fellduring short periods, flooding city streets and overloadingdrainage capacity.

Brookhaven Police Chief Fred McKee suffered a brain aneurysm andseizure March 2 and spent the first few days of the monthrecovering at University Medical Center in Jackson.

Frederick K. Jefferson, 21, of Silver Creek, was sentenced to 15years in prison March 8 for his involvement in a February 2000carjacking and kidnapping. He pleaded guilty March 2 to carjackingafter the kidnapping charges were dropped and the armed carjackingwas reduced. Another Silver Creek man involved in the incident,Detric Stringer, pleaded guilty to kidnapping in February andreceived 25 years.

Local residents joined hands with others across the state inassisting victims of a Pontotoc tornado which ripped through thatcounty in late February. An 18-wheeler truck was filled withdonations gathered from residents throughout the county anddispatched to the victims.

Severe storms pounded Lincoln County March 12, downing powerlines, ripping up trees and damaging a few homes.

Matt Lofton, 23, of Brookhaven, a former sheriff’s deputy, wasfound guilty March 15 of felony fondling a child and misdemeanorcontributing to the delinquency of a minor in an Oct. 29, 2000,incident involving a 15-year-old girl. The incident occurred whileLofton was off-duty.

Dan Boyce was hired as the new headmaster at Brookhaven AcademyMarch 15. He replaced John Gray, who served as headmaster at theprivate school for 26 years. Gray stayed on as headmaster emeritusduring the transition year.

Simpson County Sheriff E.C. Mullins was killed March 20 by a manwho overpowered him during an arrest attempt. Mullins suffered aheart attack during the assault and authorities were trying todetermine what role a 20-year-old man played in that death. The manclaimed to be trying to help Mullins.