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Alexy's Berry, left, Jessica Tucker, Alli Lopez and Hallie Billie pet Prince, one of seven horses rescued last October. Three of the horses were brought to Camp Meridale for the Girl Scouts to enjoy.
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Vicki Lany climbs aboard Little Man, one of the seven rescued, as Kim Blanton, owner of Coyote Hills Stables and Coyote Hills Equine Rescue and Therapeutic Riding in Chunky, helps her up while Kelly Boleware assists.
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Jessica Morris takes a ride on Eli, another of the rescued horses, as Austin Scoggin leads the way.
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Rehabilitated
Scouts enjoy rescued horses at Camp Meridale
MERIDIAN —
Usually when we hear the word "rehab" we wonder which celebrity has been on drugs or is addicted to alcohol; however, today, we are talking about horses.
Last October, Kim Blanton and her team rescued seven horses from a harmful, toxic environment. They have successfully nursed them back to health, and the horses are now enjoying a few weeks with the Girl Scouts.
"I wanted to get [the horses] up here with the Girl Scouts so they could just have fun," Blanton said Wednesday.
Blanton is a fitness expert by day, and a horse savior by night. Along with her job at Anytime Fitness, she owns and operates Coyote Hills Stables and Coyote Hills Equine Rescue and Therapeutic Riding in Chunky.
The Girl Scouts are currently in their second week of summer programs at Camp Meridale. With the help of volunteers, scout leaders and an arts grant from the Community Foundation, it has been a tremendous success.
"For a lot of these girls, this is their only opportunity to learn about horses and how to take care of and ride them," Linda Lauderdale, Girl Scouts Membership and Marketing Director and the Day Camp Director said. "It will also instill a lifelong obsession with horses."
Three of the seven revived horses have been enjoying their time with the girls: Eli, Little Man and Prince. Blanton said it is their first "big outing" since they were rescued.
"I saw the horses after they rescued them, and it is just amazing to see them now," Lauderdale said. "It is remarkable how gentle and ridable these horses have become, and now they are out here performing a service."
To say that these animals have come a long way would be an understatement after living with malnourishment and neglect.
Blanton recalled the heartbreaking scene she walked in to last year:
Eli was "bone thin" when they found him, and Little Man had his head stuck between two lines of bobbed wire. One of the horses was written in the reports as being a colt because of how small it was, and they later discovered that it was two-years-old.
Blanton said that the image of Little Man with his head hung low and his eyes drained of any spirit or life stays with her. However, this sad story has a happy ending as all but one of the seven are in great health and are being adopted by new families.
"From what these horses started out as to getting them here shows their resilience," Lauderdale said. "It shows how they can come back."
Looking at these horses today, you would never guess their history and what it took to rejuvenate their spirits. These gentle ponies were saved from neglect, and now you can find them in a pasture running and playing, beaming and carefree.
- Local News
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Flying Milestone
T-45 Goshawks from Naval Air Station Meridian were recently part of a flyover of the USS George H.W. Bush in celebration of the jet trainers 1 million flight hours mark.
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County faces fines from MDEQ
At the same time as they are investigated by the state auditor's office, Lauderdale County is facing fines from another state agency — the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.
MDEQ is fining the county $12,000 for failure to use sediment control at a county road project, but Road Manager Neal Carson said the sediment controls were there.
According to MDEQ spokesman Robbie Wilbur, MDEQ found that a road project in Toomsuba did not have the proper sediment controls to prevent run-off into Roasted Hog Creek. -
Convicted sex offender arrested
Nothing freezes the blood of a mother more than hearing the cries for help from one of her children.
Monday night, a mother and her 14-year old son allegedly found themselves in a battle against a man who earlier this year pleaded guilty to a sexual crime. Fortunately, the two were able to fight off the man, identified now by authorities of the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department as Christopher Todd Shelton. Shelton, 41, of Toomsuba, is now being held in the Lauderdale County Adult Detention Facility on charges of attempted kidnapping, failure to register as a sex offender non-compliance, and probation violation. -
No time like now
If State Treasurer Tate Reeves was concerned whether or not the fifth grade students at Poplar Springs Elementary School were listening to him, then he was convinced they were judging by the questions the youngsters were peppering him with after he spoke Wednesday morning.
"Boy these are very good questions," said Reeves as he took a minute to collect himself from the barrage. "You people are really testing me but I like that. It shows you are interested in this issue." -
Downtown organizations adopt a common name
Something as simple as a name can cause a lot of confusion. Three different downtown organizations in Meridian have learned that the hard way, and they've decided to do something about it.
What used to be three sister downtown advocacy groups — related, but separate — are now one. What were Meridian Main Street, the Alliance for Downtown Meridian, and the Meridian Downtown Association will now all operate under the Meridian Main Street name. -
MPD and LCSD get grants
Each year the Meridian Police Department and the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department receive a joint grant from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to help pay for upgrading equipment used to fight crime.
Twenty grants worth more than $630,000 have been approved to help city and county law enforcement agencies in Mississippi upgrade law enforcement equipment, according to U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.). The grants to Mississippi police and sheriffs’ departments represent formula grant funding provided through the DOJ Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. -
Rollover sends one to hospital
Meridian Police Department units responded Tuesday afternoon to a two-vehicle collision in downtown Meridian that sent one person to a local hospital with injuries.
According to officials, the accident occurred at about 3:30 p.m. at the intersection of 12th Street and 18th Avenue next to Rush Foundation Hospital. A black two-door sedan was flipped onto its roof as a result of the impact. -
Aniel back at work 12 days after surgery
At first glance, Pete Aniel doesn't look like someone who recently underwent heart surgery.
"I guess you were expecting me to look all weak, and walking around toting an oxygen tank," said Aniel, smiling broadly and – just 12 days after surgery – is neatly dressed in his work uniform.
"Can you believe this?" he says, still amazed himself at the possibility. "I was riding a bicycle in my neighborhood with my wife and grandson just this past Sunday. I tell everyone if you've got to have heart surgery and you're a candidate for this type of procedure, go for it!" -
Stateley Visit
State Auditor Stacey Pickering spoke to the Kiwanis Club of Meridian on Wednesday, Aug. 25.
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State superintendent tours local schools
State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tom Burnham took a day away from his office in Jackson Tuesday to visit several local school districts.
"We don't want to get bogged down in the office in Jackson; when you do, you sometimes will see a lot of frustration," said Burnham, who visited Meridian High School, Clarkdale Attendance Center and Enterprise High School. - More Local News Headlines
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Flying Milestone
