Dear editor,

We were reaching out to say that we need to have more heart-to-heart discussions with our young people about the consequences of drinking and driving. Recently, on Feb. 18, 2024, we lost our son Titus Brady Holmes in a car accident that was driven by an impaired driver. It was one of Titus’ friends driving. They had all been hanging out and made the poor decision to go somewhere. As a result, Titus lost his life. He was the only one out of the five occupants in the car to pass away. The other four are miracles walking.

We need to instill in our young folks the dangers of driving impaired. Teenagers will still be teenagers, but we need to show them how to be responsible more so than just telling them don’t do it. I know it’s against the law, but that law couldn’t help my son. I know my son who was 18 was purchasing alcohol from somewhere in Brookhaven and I would love to have a conversation with that store owner. But that is a story for another day.

In the midst of this darkness, there is something positive coming from this tragedy. The Titus B. Holmes Tradesman Scholarship. It is a scholarship at Bogue Chitto Attendance Center for a senior who is wishing to enter into the trades. Titus attended Bogue Chitto and was wanting to become a boilermaker. He was a hard worker and loved to get his hands dirty.

This scholarship is for students that exemplify this quality and do not wish to enter a traditional four-year college program. It is for a student who wants to help build the country in the blue collar field. Through this scholarship in Titus’s memory we hope that we can help a student like him achieve their goals in life. Titus would have wanted to help others.

Sincerely,

Tim and Stephanie Holmes

Bogue Chitto