By Ida Brown
ibrown@themeridianstar.com
One of Meridian's few remaining pioneers of the civil rights movement has fought his final battle.
Longtime Meridian/Lauderdale County NAACP president and civil rights activist Obie Clark, 75, died Wednesday at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. Clark, who had battled cancer in recent years, succumbed at 1:45 p.m. "He fought a good fight," said a tearful Melba Clark, his wife of nearly 40 years. "My heart is broken."
"Meridian has lost a giant, a person who worked for a better society," said Rep. Charles L. Young Sr., who is also recognized as one of the last remaining pioneers of the local movement.
"Many, many lives have been affected by Mr. Clark," Young said. "His voice will forever be heard – reaching not only throughout the United States, but also beyond."
For more than 25 years, Clark served as president of the local NAACP. At the chapter's community prayer breakfast in January, current president Richard Coleman lauded Clark as "the hardest working NAACP president in the state of Mississippi," for his contributions to the civil rights movement.
"It is a grave loss," Coleman said of Clark's passing. " But he's done a lot to bring about justice and equality in this whole region ... There's a lot of history he was involved in. It was a great loss and I'm going to do what I can to carry on that legacy."
Local News
2:47 p.m. Obie Clark passes
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City passes FY2011 budget
The city of Meridian has managed to pass its FY2011 budget without raising property taxes and without much delay, but that doesn't mean it's going to be smooth sailing for the rest of the fiscal year, according to Finance and Records Director Ed Skipper.
"There are so many variables right now," said Skipper. "You always have the variables, and you don't know if what you're projecting is actually going to be." -
Arrest imminent in shooting
Authorities with the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday afternoon they will likely arrest today the person of interest in Monday's shooting incident in Lauderdale.
LCSD Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun said until that arrest is made authorities will withhold the name of the suspect, said to be a 74-year old woman. -
Public Hearing
Any time there's a tax increase, the public is going to protest it, and that's exactly what happened at a public hearing on Lauderdale County's proposed budget Tuesday evening.
The county plans to raise the property tax rate for FY2011 by 1.87 mills county-wide, and 3.95 mills inside the city limits. The proposed increase follows a millage decrease of 2.41 mills county-wide and 3.78 mills inside the city during FY2010. -
La. and Miss. authorities looking for SUV
Louisiana and Mississippi law enforcement authorities are seeking information regarding a blue SUV from Lauderdale County that has been reported in the area of a trailer in Lake Charles, La., where four bodies were found Monday.
Law enforcement authorities are looking for a dark blue 2000 Ford Explorer XLT registered in Lauderdale County, with tag LCE 755. -
Sanitation stalemate continues
Local politicians are soon going to have to do something that they often find excruciatingly difficult — find a way to agree.
If they don't come to some kind of agreement on the city's garbage pick-up contract, October will be a very stinky month in Meridian.
At Tuesday's city council meeting, the majority of the council engaged the mayor and the minority of the council in a game of garbage pick-up chicken. -
Earnest Workers’ Circle contributes to TEAAM
Dr. Mark Yeager was the speaker for the May meeting of the Earnest Workers' Circle of Kings Daughters and Sons, International. He is the Director of TEAAM (Together Enhancing Autism Awareness in Mississippi), which is the state-based autism organization.
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Meridian to celebrate Jimmie Rodgers birthday
In celebration of The Father of Country Music’s birthday today, locals and visitors are invited to tour the Jimmie Rodgers Museum and Sparkle & Twang: Marty Stuart’s American Musical Odyssey free of charge from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Holiday on The Links
Jake Sterling hits a shot from the 8th fairway as Ed Brown and John Rea watch during the championship rounds of the 2010 Labor Day Invitational at Northwood Country Club Monday.
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MPD looking for domestic violence suspect
Detectives with the Meridian Police Department Criminal Investigation Division are seek information on the possible whereabouts of Sedrick Bohannon.
Bohannon is a 24-year-old black male, standing about 5'07" and weighs about 150 pounds. He currently has a mini dread hairstyle. -
Evening shooting leaves one dead
A shooting at about 5:15 p.m. Monday left one person dead and another seriously injured.
The deceased woman's name is Lee Ann Temple, age 30.
The suspect, a 74-year old woman, is in custody. - More Local News Headlines
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City passes FY2011 budget
