Category: News

ELLISVILLE – Twenty-three Jones College students are able to continue their college education with tuition assistance from Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association’s “Round Up for Education” scholarship program. A check for $11,500 collected from PRVEPA members who rounded up their bills each month was divided amongst the Jones College students who each received a $500 scholarship.

“This scholarship really helped me with the opportunity to stay on campus,” said Patrick Smith, an engineering major from Oak Grove. “It’s convenient living on campus and I think it’s helped me with my grades by staying connected to others on campus. I’ve enjoyed the campus activities too.”

In all, 187 community college students from PRVEPA’s 12 county district received a financial boost this fall, thanks to the generous spirit and support of the Association’s members. For the last ten years, members who signed up for the Round Up for Education Scholars Program round up their bills to the nearest dollar each month, providing scholarships to 2,025 students. Scholarships are available to members who do the round up, as well as for their spouses or dependent children who are enrolled as freshmen in community college each fall.

“The Round Up for Education program is an example of how electric cooperatives, and their members can improve their communities through education,” said PRVEPA CEO/General Manager, Matthew Ware. “Education is vital to improving the future for all of us in south Mississippi.”

Additionally, Will Arinder from the Improve community of Marion County said he’s very appreciative of his scholarship but he’s even more thankful for the technology PRVEPA offers its members.

“PRVEPA’s fiber internet is extremely fast and that’s helped us out a lot! We had the slow satellite internet before, and the fiber internet is a whole different world which helps in school, playing video games and streaming videos. I appreciate the scholarship along with the fiber internet,” said the forestry major.

The more than 52,000 meters served by PRVEPA has provided more than $2 million collected and deposited in an account overseen by the PineBelt Foundation. Ten percent of each year’s funds are set aside in an endowed fund for future use. The remaining money is divided equally between the number of eligible applicants, with 187 students each receiving a $500 scholarship.

“Getting this scholarship pays for school, which feels good. I’m very thankful for this opportunity!” said psychology major, Aliyah Watts of Sandy Hook.

Amazingly, donations under $12 a year from members rounding up their electric bills have enhanced the lives of thousands in the region.

“Sometimes the smallest gestures, like donating 50 cents, can make the biggest impact in our communities,” said Ware. “While it may not seem like your spare change can do much, when combined with the generosity of your fellow Pearl River Valley Electric members, you can help change the life of a fellow member and improve the quality of life in our communities. Working together is the cooperative way and that can make a big difference.”

Scholarship recipients this year include 111 students from PRCC, 41 at MGCCC, and 23 at Jones College with an additional 12 students attending four other state community colleges. Overall, students came from 21 different high schools and homeschool programs. Round Up for Education funds collected after August 1, each year go towards next year’s scholarships. Applications for 2023 scholarships will be available beginning in November.

ELLISVILLE –Jones College’s Collegiate Chorale will be performing selections from the Christmas classic, Messiah with a full orchestra and several alumni as a benefit for the Ellen Young Gunn Steinway Project. The Friday, December 2, concert will begin at 7 p.m. in the M.P. Bush Fine Arts Auditorium with $10 tickets sold at the door.

“The Ellen Young Gunn Steinway Project will allow us to be an all-Steinway school,” said Bruce Smith, Jones College Assistant Dean of the College of Art, Music, and Performance. “What this means for our students at JC is that all of our instruments will be of the highest quality, and they will get the opportunity to play on the finest instruments.  This will help our students be successful and bolster their confidence in many ways.”

Smith believes the Benefit is also a tribute to the piano teacher, Ellen Young Gunn, whose skills enriched the region as she shared her talents with a generation of budding musicians. Part of the evening concert will include two, Jones College piano instructors, Dr. Victoria Johnson and Dr. Theresa Sanchez performing a four-hand piano arrangement of “O Holy Night.” Additionally, other special guests will be performing for a spectacular night to enjoy the Season of Christmas and Ellen Young Gunn’s contributions to the community, along with the future of the music program at Jones College.

For more information about the JC Fine Arts programs or the Ellen Young Gunn Steinway Project call 601-477-4203. Follow Jones College’s School of the Arts, Music, and Performance on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JCJCFineArts and on Twitter.

ELLISVILLE – Jones College is inviting the public to celebrate the Christmas Season with the annual Tree Lighting and Salvation Army Toy Drive, on Thursday, December 1. Beginning at 6 p.m., the Christmas Tree Lighting will take place outside on the C.L. Neill Student Center Plaza with Christmas carols and performances from small ensemble groups, the Maroon Typhoon Colorguard and Touch of Gold dancers.

“The annual lighting of the Christmas Tree has been a fun and festive time, and we will continue that tradition again in 2022. This event will feature some of your favorite popular Christmas songs performed by the JC Jazz Band, Jones Onstage, JC Voices, and a few other surprise guests that may include a man from the North Pole!” said Bruce Smith, the Assistant Dean of Jones College School of Art, Music, and Performance

Admission to the special musical performance and Tree Lighting event is a new, unwrapped toy to be donated to the Salvation Army in an effort to bring a bit of Christmas cheer for kids in the Pine Belt.

“We want to stress the purpose of our Christmas production is to provide toys for children who normally may not have much of a Christmas. We hope our local angels will be able to give a Santa filled sled full of gifts with a little help from our audience,” said Smith.

Gift suggestions include toys, sports equipment, board games and plush animals. All the donations will be given to children in our area this Christmas.  Necessities and Christmas gifts are provided for disadvantaged children from infants to age 12, through the Salvation Army Angel Tree Program in Jones, Jasper, Wayne, Clarke, Smith and Simpson counties.

For more information, call the Jones College of Art, Music and Performance Office at 601-477-4203 or follow Jones College Art, Music and Performance Facebook Page and Twitter. For more information about the Angel Tree project, go to https://salvationarmyalm.org/

ELLISVILLE – Jones College forestry and horticulture students had the unique opportunity to get a hands-on lesson using cutting edge technology called, “Ground Penetrating Radar.”  Fulgham Tree Preservation Inc. owner and president, David Fulgham and board-certified master arborist, Loren Erickson introduced about 30 students to the newest version of the ground penetrating radar (GPR) system which detects roots to help determine the overall health of the tree.

“We take the radar and map out the roots, detecting roots and their location and depth. Then, we put it on a map that we can use to create data for that tree. We can then use it to scan the trunk to look for wood density, cavities, and decay as well as hollow spots in the tree. We use it primarily for tree risk assessment,” said Fulgham.

After the completion of construction work near some live oak trees on campus, Fulgham and Erickson were called to determine if the trees were affected. The GPR system is helping the campus landscaping crew and students preserve the beautiful, landmark live oak trees. Past methods used to assess the health of a tree were more invasive and could possibly cause more damage to the tree.

“This method has taken 20 years of development to refine so it can be used in sand and clay, and then filter the data. In this situation, a college or university may not want to buy the equipment or software, and then train someone. It’s easier to hire or collaborate with us to collect the data and develop a plan to remediate the tree,” said Fulgham.

That’s also part of the reason why Fulgham wanted to expose the Jones College students to the GPR system. There are numerous applications for this technology in a wide variety of fields within forestry and horticulture and in other related industries. With a booming business, he needs more foresters and horticulturists.

“A lot of people think forestry is only about managing forests,” said Jones College instructor Bennett Burris. “This high-tech equipment shows students how you can manage a single tree to help preserve the trees’ natural beauty, and historical landmarks, like the Friendship Oak on the USM campus in Long Beach, as well as the live oaks on 5^th Avenue in Laurel. These urban forestry settings and these trees mean a lot to people. Foresters and arborists help to preserve their health. This is another career path option.”

In general, foresters conserve and manage our natural resources in an urban setting to the open spaces in national parks. Tupelo’s Annaleise Carroll said she plans to utilize this experience when she becomes a Park Ranger.

“National Parks don’t have a lot of staff so knowing what’s wrong with our trees, and how to treat them along with knowing the age of the trees in the national parks would be very beneficial,” explained Carroll. “I also think it’s really cool that we’ve had x-ray technology for humans and animals, along with this type of radar technology in meteorology. I’m glad to see the technology is being applied and expanded to more of nature.”

Knowledge about how GPR can be utilized is also beneficial for the horticultural students who plan on working as landscapers, like Sumrall’s Dakota Smith. He plans to take over his father’s landscaping business after finishing his bachelor’s degree at Mississippi State University.

“As a landscaper I really appreciate learning about this new technology too. I’ve never seen anything like this, and it should help me better advise our customers on the available options we have in preserving trees,” said Smith.

Jones College horticulture instructor, Wendy Wilkerson said understanding that the growth and health of the tree starts with a healthy root system. Knowing what effects changes in a tree’s health and how it is changing the tree, is vital in our industry.

“As landscape professionals, the students are exposed to many situations where the home or property owners would like to maintain older trees to extend the life expectancy in the landscape and for sentimental reasons, they want to keep the trees. I’m glad our students were able to see how this system works and how to help preserve a healthy landscape overall,” said Wilkerson. “We appreciate our industry partners exposing our students to the newest technology and techniques.”

Without the technology, Fulgham explained they would have to air excavate the area to remove the soil without damaging the roots. However, that messy method didn’t always prove to be as beneficial.

“Previous methods, before the ground penetrating radar, could be stressful for the roots because you’re exposing them to daylight which further stresses them. Seeing the roots without ‘daylighting’ the roots help to preserve the overall health of the tree,” Fulgham explained.

JC freshman forestry student from Brookhaven, Jacob Livingston said he is confident the GPR system will be a helpful option for his future clients.

“Technology has come a long way and it’s continually getting better. When I see trees in distress, I will now be able to offer this non-invasive option, so we won’t have to cut into the tree, further harming the tree,” said Livingston.

Damaged roots or other types of distress in trees is not always evident immediately. Erickson said it can take several years, depending on the size of the tree, before the effects of a tree’s damaged roots will be noticed. The ground penetrating radar is one way to prevent further damage and preserve the health of trees.

ELLISVILLE – With a birthday on Halloween, 100-year-old Geneva Thomas Burnett naturally had a fun time celebrating her milestone wearing her favorite Halloween themed sweater and sharing memories with Jones College President, Dr. Jesse Smith and his wife, Jennifer.  The Smith County native reminisced about her days at Jones College and what it meant to have a birthday on Halloween.

“I didn’t think much of the day, but I have an uncle who said, ‘The witches brought you.’ He was a joker and just trying to get a rise out of me,” said the native of Homewood, a small community in Smith County.

The former educator recently moved from her home in Collins after falling and breaking her hip. Her niece, Cindy Shields said Geneva had lived in her home until just before her 99^th birthday, and it was only the second time in her life she had stayed in the hospital for any illness. That’s also the last time she drove her car. Currently residing in an assisted living facility, the former home economics teacher shared how she reached this pinnacle in age, healthy.

“I didn’t follow any certain diet. I had nutrition courses and we lived on a farm. We ate what we grew, whatever that was. We had three vegetables a day, an orange a day, and limited sweets. I didn’t eat a lot of beef; I ate a lot of fish and chicken and limited the salt,” said Burnett. “I also drank black coffee before breakfast, no sugar or cream.”

Her family also didn’t have electricity until her senior year in high school in 1940 and they never had air conditioning. They lived like pioneers, she laughed. Geneva rode five miles on the school bus to get to high school which consisted of only eight classmates: five girls and three boys. As the valedictorian of her small class in the Homewood schoolhouse, she headed off to Jones County Junior College during the summer planting season.

“I started in the summer instead of waiting until September, then I went three quarters in the winter, and I went the next summer-five quarters instead of six. Each quarter I took the recommended load plus one class which meant I could graduate in five quarters instead of six!” Burnett said proudly.

Looking at her 1942 summer school class picture at JCJC, she pointed out there were not many boys in school because of the war. She shared, only one of the three boys in her high school senior class survived. After prodding from her niece, Burnett shared she never had a serious boyfriend at JCJC.

“When WWII started, he left and that was the end of it. It wasn’t a serious relationship for him, and I wasn’t worried about that at the time. My classes were a priority because I was determined. I did a lot of extra things; I worked waiting tables in the dining hall and other activities that took time from the evening. The lights were out at 10 p.m. for curfew,” explained Burnett.

Her favorite teacher at Jones was Miss Corley who taught English. Corley, who lived in Raleigh, took Geneva “under her wings” and invited her to be a part of a club she sponsored. Growing up, Geneva’s mother, Beulah Anderson Thomas, wanted to be a schoolteacher but since she couldn’t follow her dream, she ingrained the idea in Burnett and her two sisters, Laura Louise, and Iva Nell, and eventually to all of her relatives. Ironically, teaching elementary aged students is how Geneva was able to pay tuition at Mississippi Southern College (the University of Southern Mississippi). Burnett earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Home Economics Education in 1946 and her master’s degree in textiles and clothing at the University of Tennessee in 1952.

“Once I got my master’s degree, I had a graduate assistantship in charge of a research project. I ended up staying six years as a faculty member. Doing the research, I didn’t feel like I had the background to really do it justice so when I had the chance to come to Southern to teach, I left,” Burnett said.

Before she could leave Tennessee, the bank that loaned her $1,200 for her first car, a 1957 Chevrolet, made sure she paid her loan off in full.

“Most places I lived where I could walk to work. I saved up $1,200 for my first car after working at U.T. doing research after I graduated. I got a loan for the other half. As I was preparing to leave for Hattiesburg, Mississippi to take the job at Mississippi Southern College, I inquired with the bank about how much I owed. However, they were not going to let me leave Knoxville until I paid off the loan, which I did with the little savings I had left.”

Confident in her teaching skills at Southern, Burnett’s students seemed to thrive as she helped them develop critical thinking skills as they worked on each garment. However, after two years of teaching, Geneva met her future husband who had been teaching in the business department for someone on sabbatical.

“Bill wanted to go to New York University to earn his Ph.D. since he had earned his master’s degree there. We got married that summer in 1960. He had some savings and investments, but it wasn’t enough for two people to live on for two-three years while he earned his degree. It was important for me to have a job, so I applied everywhere in New York,”

To her surprise, Sears offered her a textile testing position and she worked for them for two-and-a-half years. After her husband quit school and was employed on Wall Street, Burnett pursued a better job. Answering an ad in the New York Times, Geneva got the job as the Director of Quality Control for the Fruit of the Loom company.

“I’d take the samples of what they sold under the Fruit of the Loom label and shop the market and find comparable merchandise at a comparable price and test it to see how it stood up against the competition. I would get the results from the lab in New York City and write up my report and share the information with the business representatives,” said Burnett, who worked there for seven years.

As the tumultuous 1970s rocked the financial world, her husband lost his job and the couple moved to Oil City, Pennsylvania, a booming oil industry town. Taking a job as a trust investment officer at a bank meant Geneva didn’t have to work. However, she explains, she got “roped into” joining the federated women’s club, Belle Lettres Club and did a lot of community service work.

“These ladies had a lot of ‘old’ money from the oil industry; they had nice houses, and they had all the help they needed to maintain the house. In 1888, when the club began, they decided they wanted to study literature, so they organized the club at one of the members’ houses, who eventually donated their residence to become the club house. People I got acquainted with at the bank invited me to attend and I joined soon after. Right away, they wanted me to do this job and that,” shared Burnett.

She served as 2^nd VP of Programs, 1^st VP of Membership, and President, while also pulling off a very successful fundraising campaign to refurbish and remodel the “club house.”

In 1978, her husband Bill was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. He worked part time until April of 1978, when he decided to come home, dying five months later. After getting her business affairs in order in Pennsylvania, Geneva packed up and moved to be near her sisters in Clinton, Mississippi.

“Both of my sisters went to JCJC. Laura Louise Thomas taught 9^th grade English at Laurel for a long time and Iva Nell Thomas Fortenberry taught high school science in Monticello for most of her career. Mom wanted all of us to be teachers,” said Burnett.

The “take care of business” lady, continued to actively involve herself as a member of the First United Methodist Church, taking on various leadership roles in the First United Methodist Women’s group. On a regional level, Burnett served as the treasurer for the West Jackson-Vicksburg District and was on the Arlean Hall Administrative Board for eight years.

When asked if she had any advice for today’s students she politely deferred to comment.

“I wouldn’t know what to say! I have no advice because everything is so different,” said Geneva. However, her niece reminded her of how she solved daily problems. “I had ups and downs. I dealt with them,” said Burnett. “For some reason I never felt like I didn’t have a solution.”

Geneva also never expected anyone to take care of her and she didn’t get more in debt than she could handle. Living frugally and keeping to the basics, like her parents taught her, Geneva thinks helped her to reach 100 years of age.