Raymond News

R by Kara Culp All the weather models looked grim. We were warned days in advanced that a big ice storm was coming and the Jackson metro was riding that fine line of freezing rain/sleet/wintry mix. This event felt a little more ominous than the 2021 ice storm because a brutal twoday deep freeze followed behind the storm. Corner Market, like always, had a full inventory of bread, milk, king cakes – everything we’d need during the storm. We loaded up on provisions, and for days I had to fight the nervous urge to prematurely eat my disaster snacks. I purchased a battery heat blanket (which didn’t work, by the way), extra lanterns, even headlamps! Without a generator or fireplace, I tried accumulated outside my best to be prepared. and as the precipitation Mostly praying that leveled off in the mornRaymond would stay ing, Robert and I were just outside of the worst beginning to think we of it. were out of the woods. Then the storm But then while I was arrived Saturday evening making pancakes for to our north and boy did Virginia Rose’s 9thbirthit bring some damage day breakfast, our power with it! The Mississippi flickered on and off, on Delta and Oxford and off, and finally totalreceived the brunt of it. ly off. As I write this, Robert’s The majority of Aunt Alice Ann is still the west side of without power in Raymond had lost power Cleveland and it is early Sunday morning. unknown when it will Robert and I tried to hide come back on. Ole Miss the look of dread on our classes will not resume faces while the girls until February and anticipated a fun day Mississippi State can- ahead. Oh, how I wish I celed classes through had that childhood spirit Tuesday. Some reports of adventure again. All I came in that Oxford could think about was accrued 1-2 inches of the plummeting thermoice! stat while the girls hapMost thankfully, pily reached for their Raymond did not receive flashlights and blankets crippling damage like to make a fort. We finour friends and family to ished our big birthday the north. After a long breakfast just slightly night of “thunder sleet,” chilly but full of love and a small amount of ice elation. Send us a Deer, Turkey, Elk, Fish, Etc. OR of your outdoors any other information you wish to incl T HE P.O. BOX 729, Ray BY CAROLYN CLEMENT cjclements@bellsout or The Ella Bess Sunday, Jan. 18 at her Austin Library is still home at the age of 88 having Bingo every sec- years of age She was ond Tuesday of the born in Laurel,Ms and month from 10:30 to lived part of her early 11:30 with awesome years in Monroe, LA. prizes to win. Cory Tyler, Addie was quite Branch Manager, accomplished as Editor announces the annual and Owner of Hinds Spring Fest is planned County News. Addie also for March and will pub- worked diligently to lish updates on the make Terry a better event soon. The Summer place by serving on variReading Program 2026 ous committees and will be announced in contributing to the comApril with the Official munity. The funeral was Calendar and dates Jan. 22 at Chancellor available in April as well. Funeral Home with Please call the Library interment at Town of for further information Terry Cemetery. She will and questions at be missed. It is with sadness the community was Eric to inform you of the Myers that passed away death of Addie Wright, peacefully at home on Mother of Renay Wright. January 17, 2026 at the Addie passed away age of 89. Eric was a e While Robert and played games and had a R n I began to think up a picnic on the conference a - plan for the day, the girls table. The girls were hav- F e jumped with joy when ing the time of their c e they saw Mayor Harris lives. After watching the T . and Raymond city work- devastation unfold in t s ers shoveling sand by Northern Mississippi, it T r hand in front of our was clear our power t - house! Who needs wouldn’t be coming on o r Disney+ when it turns anytime soon, so instead f n out West Main Street of heading home we i - provides all the enter- packed up the kids (and r tainment needed for 2 Dolly) and headed to 1 f through 9-year-olds. It Robert’s mother’s house p f didn’t surprise me one on Moses Road for the a r bit to see the Mayor out evening. By the grace of 6 . on the street shoveling God, her power never c e sand. Mayor Harris is went out. Virginia Rose a r often seen around town finished her adventure w s doing all sorts of jobs. He filled birthday with a 8 y is truly dedicated to our delicious homemade i I town and loves Raymond chocolate cake prepared r t very much. Thank you, by her grandmother and c I Mayor, city workers, and sisters and a fun sleep- a s first responders who over. I’m sure she will p - worked all over town to never forget what it was h - make our roads safe for like to turn 9 years old! b r drivers! Our power d s With tempera- returned Monday but as a - tures dropping, we of this writing there are f y decided to head over to still parts of Raymond d y Robert’s office for lunch - without power – and u d which thankfully still more than 145,000 peo- a had power and heat. We ple across the state. a photo of you & your “B experience, and we will publish it free of charge! Be sure lude. To get your photo published mail your photo to us a OR email it to: E INDS OUNTY AZET ymond, MS, 39154 • LMA-PA B LU TS th.net R A 5 *H C r graduate of Raymond 110 P 8 Consolidated School in s 1952 and received a BS *V S d degree in engineering ALERO T y from MSU. He was a graduate of Jackson C e School of Law in 1970 r and entered practice in *L L s 1972. Eric served his UCKY EA o country in the US Air o Force. S TORE , S P r His survivors - include Renee Myers, *W W YATT d wife and four children. - His funeral was D s Wednesday, Jan 21 at OWN r Stringer Funeral Home h in Crystal Springs with *O C f interment at Gallman l Cemetery. B I trust by the tine n this edition reaches you G & M c the predicted winter ADDIS y storm will have subn sided and things are 104 W e back to normal for us a all. S power is returned soon and for the safety of those working to restore it. Did you know there is a community food pantry right here in Raymond? The Raymond Can-Do Community Pantry is OPEN at the Raymond Public Library. Whether you are picking up a few items to get through the week or simply stopping by to see what’s available, everyone is welcome. No questions or paperwork - just community caring for community. The pantry is open during regular library hours. If you plan to pick up items, please bring your own bag. If you’d like to support the Raymond Can-Dos Pantry, you can drop off items at the Representative Steph- Raymond Public Library anie Foster provided a anytime during open Facebook update to her hours. Every contribuconstituents on tion, big or small, can Tuesday. She reported help someone in need. that “as of 12:00 p.m. The library accepts the Tuesday, we had a cus- following donations: tomer interruption count non-perishable food of 42,450. This is down items, toiletries and from our peak power baby formula. A special interruption of 67,671 thank you to the reached on Sunday at Raymond Public Library 1:30 p.m. While our for this service and most peak power interruption especially for hardworkat one given time was ing Branch Manager, 67,671 nearly 80,000 Tasha Bass! customers experienced Natural disasters an outage due to the like this are really, really winter weather. Of the hard. But they can also 80,000 customers be a wonderful time for impacted, we have people to come together. restored over 37,500 It takes a community to customers. We were 65% get through it and I am assessed as of 12:00 grateful for all the volunp.m. on Tuesday and teers, city workers, have identified over 460 church members and broken poles, over 100 family members who damaged transformers carried all of us through. and more than 494,175 God bless and stay safe! feet of wire damaged or destroyed. Crews contin- Be kind and sufue to work as quickly fer well. and safely as possible.” I pray everyone’s Big Kill”!!! to include your name, phone number, address, & at P.O. Box 729, Raymond, MS 39154, TTE , MS AYMOND G O , OUNTY AZETTE FFICE P G S . P S , H 18 C , MS LINTON AF OBACCO ISCOUNT V PRINGRIDGE ILLAGE W A G , ATERS RT ALLERY C B , MS OLTON M L H , C AURIN ARDWARE W. M S . LMA-PA