The year 2021 began and ended in much the same way. Surging cases of COVID-19, vaccines, and businesses struggling to find help, all the weary signs of a raging pandemic.
In early January the news finally arrived that the first vaccine had been approved for COVID-19, and it was called “a light at the end of the tunnel” by State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers. The light would soon dim however, as new variants emerged and vaccine hesitancy became more apparent. The federal government announced plans to continue assistance for unemployed workers and many of those workers decided they could make more money staying at home than working at a job. Help wanted signs appeared on every corner.
A light snow dusted the area in January and kids and adults alike headed outside to build snowmen and frolic in the fresh air.
At the end of January authorities were searching for James Harrison Jr. of North Carolina after his two-year-old daughter was found dead and her seven-year-old step-brother abandoned in a rural area of Scott County. He has yet to be found.
By the beginning of February, Scott County and 74 additional counties in Mississippi were under a countywide mask mandate. At that time there had been 2,834 presumed positive cases of the coronavirus in the county and 64 deaths. At presstime on Tuesday that number stood at 4,911 presumed positive cases of the virus since the pandemic began in March 2020 and 99 deaths in the county. The good news is that Scott has not recorded a virus-related death since fall.
In mid-February a rare winter storm dumped snow, sleet, freezing rain, and ice over much of Mississippi as well as Scott County, knocking out power and closing roads.
The first of March rolled in and for the first time in nearly a year the Drive-Thru COVID-19 Clinic in Forest reported zero positive cases of the virus. Vaccines were still limited, but becoming more readily available and lines continued to form for the arm sticks. At the same time, however, new variants began to emerge around the world. New CDC guidelines said it was okay for people to begin gathering without masks if they had been vaccinated.
In mid march a father and son duo from Scott County were facing possible life sentences after having been arrested on alleged drug charges. Michael D. Hunt, 48, Michael D. Johnson, 29 were charged with aggravated trafficking of Methamphetamine with an estimated street value of close to $250,000.
Easter arrived and many churches were back open for in-person worship services and the Mississippi State Department of Health had issued “updated guidance” on safer faith-based gatherings.
In late April Eagle Scout P.J. Normile of Forest was honored by the Boy Scouts of America for “using skills learned through his training to save the life of a woman on a kayak trip the previous fall.
As the school year wound down, Forest High School’s Karen Calzadilla and George Santamaria won the 3A State Mixed Doubles Tennis Championship. A few weeks later the Lake Hornets had won the MHSAA Class 2A State Championship in Fast-Pitch Softball and Forest Bearcat track star Ti’Kisalyn Towner had won the 3A Triple Jump State Championship.
Beloved Lake High School Head Baseball Coach Jake Nester died in May following a hard fought battle with cancer and the school closed its doors in his honor for one day.
Summer break arrived and in Forest the Splash Pad reopened for visitors following a year of closure due to the pandemic.
In July a vacancy was declared on he Forest Board of Aldermen after Allan Atkison announced his retirement. A special election was set for August 17 to be held in conjuction to a referendum on a special tourism tax for the city of Forest. Atkison’s wife Lynn would claim his seat over Vance Cox and the tourism tax would fail.
At the same time the Forest Mayor and Board of Aldermen adopted an ordinance allowing the sell of liquor and wine by the glass in qualifying restaurants.
In late July the summer surge of the Alpha and Delta strains of COVID-19 had begun and the numbers were on the rise again in Scott County as well as most of Mississippi and the world.
As August arrived students headed back to the classroom for in-person learning under new safety guidelines as the Delta variant began to emerge as a more contagious version of virus. Mask mandates were also in effect in the schools.
By early September the “lottery funded” overlay project on Highway 80 through the town of Morton had been completed and East Central Community College had distributed more than $6 million in stimulus funds to area students.
In Forest the Wing Dang Doodle Festival was cancelled for the second year in a row due to the spreading virus and the annual Nabs and Coke Reunion in downtown was cancelled as well.
On the positive side, however, high school football action had started back and Homecoming celebrations were back in person.
Halloween arrived and although Treat Street was cancelled in Forest, there were options for trick-or-treaters in downtown. Morton also provided a safe trick-or-treating option at the park.
Also in October Lackey Memorial Hospital announced plans to renovate the old Forest Tire building at the corner of Airport Road and Highway 35 South into a new Medical Arts Complex, and future plans for a new hospital at the same location.
Plans began to be unveiled for the holidays and welcome news that Christmas Parades would return around Scott County brought smiles to faces of children and adults alike.
Sebastopol High School’s band won the 1A State Championship, Forest High School’s band place third in the 3-A state championship and Scott Central’s undefeated High School Football team claimed the 2-A State Championship as well to close out the school year and the year 2021.
