By VERNON SIKES
Herald Correspondent

Congregants who gathered Sunday afternoon at St. Mary’s Catholic Church for Pray Yazoo heard a minister say that churches have become less powerful because they’re doing things the world’s way; not God’s way.
“People are coming to church, worshipping, and they’re never turning from their ways to God’s ways,” said the Rev. Bill Poole, pastor of First United Methodist Church. “In the church today, much is taking place in which the people come, we worship, we do the things (of worship), but we do not turn away from the ways of the world. In the end, that brings the world into the church rather than carrying the church into the world.”
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By JAMIE PATTERSON
Managing Editor

School officials thought they were on the same page with city officials about budget proposals.
But things took a turn during the latest meeting between the two boards last week.
Yazoo City Municipal School District officials arrived at the joint meeting with a proposal for the upcoming budget. Their proposal included free utilities offered by the city.
“At our last meeting, we were under the impression...that if these boards could come together and not raise the millage, we would get free utilities,” said Lula Starling, school board member.
But Mayor McArthur Straughter said free utilities is no longer an option.
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Rev. Ken Lynch, Rev. George Woodliff, Rev. Bill Poole and Father Lincoln Dall discuss the Pray Yazoo event that will be held Sunday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. By JASON PATTERSON
Editor & Publisher

Broken families, struggling schools and a struggling economy.
Like most of the nation, these are issues confronting Yazoo.
“It’s not like a natural disaster where you can immediately see the damage, but it’s still very devastating,” said Rev. George Woodliff, pastor of Trinity Episcopal Church. “When families are destroyed the consequences are felt in our schools, our neighborhoods, our economy... it just goes on and on. We ignore this at our own peril.”
A group of local ministers are confronting the issues by encouraging Yazooans of all denominations to join together in prayer. Pray Yazoo was established in an effort to unite the community to seek God’s help. Woodliff said he believes many people in Yazoo are crying out for help.
“We as Christians have an obligation to see the problems that exist and ask for God’s guidance in seeking a solution,” Woodliff said.
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By VERNON SIKES
Herald Correspondent

After one Yazoo County School Board trustee pressed to make certain the cost of the fiscal 2013 budget overage would not be passed on to the taxpayers, and another railed against state and federal mandates, the four trustees present Tuesday unanimously approved the budget. School board President Larry Walls was absent.
With total revenues projected to be $17,104,682.58, the school district anticipated expenditures for the fiscal year of $17,395,364.17, or a deficiency of $290,681.59. In the July 17 budget hearing, the projected deficiency was $362,230.05.
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