Oak Grove Baptist Church will celebrate its 100th anniversary Sunday. Pictured from left are members Mattie Cook, Dorothy Russell, Rev. Charlie Harris and Steve Cook.Oak Grove to celebrate its 100th anniversary Sunday

By JAMIE PATTERSON
Managing Editor

Oak Grove Baptist Church sits atop a hill, serving as a constant beacon to the rural community of Phoenix.
The steady congregation has served the hills of Yazoo County for the past century as the church prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary Sunday.
“There is a love and spirit of God in this place,” said Charlie Harris, who is entering his third year as pastor of Oak Grove. “It doesn’t matter if you have been here for years or if you just joined, you are treated like family.”
Oak Grove’s story begins in 1910 when a mission from nearby Hebron Baptist Church began in the Phoenix community. Meeting regularly at a saw mill, attendance with the group began to grow. It was soon decided that the community needed another Baptist church within its hills.
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By JAMIE PATTERSON
Managing Editor

A public hearing will be held on Oct. 8 for the city’s new redistricting plan that will include some voters being shifted to other wards.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen seem pleased with the new plan and will more than likely approve it during the next board meeting.
Maps are available at City Hall, and the public’s input is welcome at the hearing in a couple of weeks.
The Central Mississippi Planning and Development District has visited with the city board on several occasions to produce a redistricting plan that meets city leaders’ requests. When CMPDD officials first appeared before the board, Ward 3 Alderman Clifton Jones asked them to return with a plan that would put more white voters in Ward 2 to ensure the board could have at least one white alderman.
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StraughterBy JASON PATTERSON
Editor & Publisher

Mayor McArthur Straughter said crafting this year’s city budget was the least fun he’s had since 2007.
In 2007 the city had to make 10 percent salary cuts across the board. Straughter said that was the only way to avoid a $400,000 deficit.
This time the city didn’t have to make the unpopular decision to cut salaries or reduce personnel, but spending had to be reduced.
“In order to balance the budget, each department had to cut its budget by five percent,” Straughter said. “We asked the department heads to make the cuts, and if they didn’t we were going to do it for them.”
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Ronda RichBy JASON PATTERSON
Editor & Publisher

Ronda Rich, whose Dixie Divas column regularly appears in The Yazoo Herald, will be in Yazoo City Oct. 6 to sign copies of her latest book, There’s A Better Day A-Comin’.
Rich will appear at Downtown Marketplace from 4-6 p.m.
The author says she is looking forward to returning to Yazoo to meet old friends and make some new ones.
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