They are gone with the wind and the best wishes of Lowndes County.
The East Mississippi Community College football team was scheduled to depart Golden Triangle Regional Airport this morning about 9 a.m. They left with good will from the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors and $25,000 for travel expenses.
Supervisors voted unanimously to amend the school’s budget and add money to help get players to Yuma, Ariz., for the national junior college championship Saturday afternoon.
School President Dr. Rick Young said the football team was traveling on a charter flight and the band would follow on a chartered bus. “We have probably the best team we’ve ever fielded.”
The team will fly back Saturday night following the 2:30 p.m. game to a reception that he said he hopes will be celebrating a championship.
“This is history,” he said.
Young has requested money from county boards whose residents comprise the student body.
“This is your school,” Young said, adding that five players and 25 band members are from Lowndes County.
The charter flight’s cost is $140,000. Young said he was making the pitch to anyone who may offer money. “I may be out picking up cans on the road crew, Butch, if we don’t get this thing funded,” he directed jokingly toward Lowndes County Sheriff Butch Howard.
The school has been honored for its number of student athletes who graduate and their grade-point averages, he said.
“I wish we could give you more,” said Board President and District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders who made the motion to give the money.
Young said EMCC is one of several junior college football teams to be featured in an upcoming film. The championship game and the film bring national visibility to the school.
In other business, supervisors:
n Approved the definitive agreement for the Kior project. Attorney John Crowell said the company’s investment and employment estimates have doubled since the initial memorandum of understanding. Investment will total $200 million, and employees will total 60. Kior will manufacture fuel pellets from scrap wood. The plant will be built at the Columbus-Lowndes County Port.
n Approved a low bid of $148,851 to Burns Dirt Construction for a Stark Aerospace project at Golden Triangle Industrial Park.
n Voted to advertise for applications to fill county vacancies on boards. County Administrator Ralph Billingsley said the county needs to fill two vacancies on the solid waste authority board and one vacancy on the Prairie Opportunity board. All are four-year terms.
n Approved a land swap with the county board of education. The school board gave the county property to build the new District 3 Fire Station in exchange for the deed to the old property, which is near school district property.
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