or sign up for a new account to continue reading We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content Since you viewed this item previously you can read it again no promotional deals were found matching that code After the filing deadline on Friday afternoon Democrat incumbent Johnny Magee will face three opponents for mayor Steven Brian Griffin and Anthony Jerome Hudson make up the field running against Magee as his brother Stacy ran unsuccessfully against Magee in 2021.Stacy Comegys won his brother’s old Beat 5 seat in a special election in November Griffin had an unsuccessful run for Southern District Transportation Commission in 2023 Hudson has run for office in past years with very little support Kevin Kelly (Ward 2) and George Carmichael (Ward 4) are all unopposed Republican Steve Thrash will face Independent Angie Scruggs for the seat of longtime Council President Tony Thaxton who announced last year he would not seek another term will challenge incumbent Democrat Andrea Ellis Dem Darryel Oneal Walters will challenge incumbent Dem Grace L Democrat Marian Allen will challenge incumbent Democrat Shirley A the race for mayor will be a rematch of the 2021 election with incumbent Republican Lynn Buckhaults facing Democrat Jalen Jamal Lindsey who ran as an Independent in the previous race Buckhaults won the 2021 race with 60 percent of the vote Ward 3 will have a contest in the alderman’s race with the incumbent Democrat Aaron Heidelberg facing Democrat challenger Darrius Combest Carson Graham (Ward 4) and Ola Beech Mitchell (at Large) are all running unopposed Yates will join incumbents Michael Kip Simpson Hinton and Katie Parish Hinton on the board A Black History Month parade and celebration will be in Ellisville starting at 10 a.m The grand marshal will be local blues artist Tommie “T-Bone” Pruitt and the theme will be “Back To Our Roots.”  Churches, civic organizations, motorcycle and car clubs, schools, bands and dance groups are invited to participate in the parade. Lineup will begin at 8 a.m. at Jones College.  Participants are asked to wear African attire and T-shirts. For entry and other information, contact Marian Allen at 601-323-9418 or MA0499771@gmail.com The Laurel-Jones County Black History Museum and City of Ellisville are hosting the celebration a portrait of renowned opera star Leontyne Price will be unveiled at the Laurel-Jones County Black History Museum (820 West 5th St. The portrait was done by Andrew Lamar Hopkins a self-taught historical folk artist who is known for creating historically accurate and detailed paintings of 18th- and 19th-century interiors and exteriors In the April/May edition of Garden and Gun magazine he was noted for doing portraits that show his “eye for the extraordinary to the world.” contact Minister Marian Allen at 601-323-9418 Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight Blood-test results lead to arrest for aggravated DUI A Laurel man is out on $50,000 bond charged with aggravated DUI stemming from a wreck in Ellisville last month that injured a woman was arrested on April 7 and charged with the enhanced DUI charge an aggravated DUI is a felony charge with severe penalties It’s typically charged when a DUI results in serious injury or death of another Ellisville police responded to an accident on Hill Street just before the Highway 11 intersection Husband’s 2005 Nissan Altima hit the corner of a 2008 Chevrolet truck driven by Timothy Paul Pope “It was a collision and he swerved around and kept going,” Picket said “That’s when he turned and went North on Highway 11.” Husband then crashed into a 2000 Toyota Sienna van driven by Wanda Lawrence Both vehicles sustained disabling damage and were towed Husband and Lawrence were both severely injured in the accident Husband and Lawrence were taken to the emergency room at South Central Regional Medical Center Due to the initial reports of the injury sustained by Lawrence in the second accident EPD Investigators began to assist with the investigation A warrant was issued for Husband’s blood which was taken into evidence at the emergency room and it was a positive reading for alcohol and results came back showing it was over Mississippi’s legal limit of .08 Husband was arrested and booked into the Jones County Adult Detention Center on Monday Judge Travis Haynes set his bond at $50,000 Husband posted bail and was released Tuesday Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInELLISVILLE (First Alert 4)—Police in Ellisville are searching for a second victim after a man was arrested was charged with attempted vehicle hijacking attempted stealing and resisting/interfering with a felony arrest Charging documents state that Oxendale grabbed the door of a Mini Cooper trying to pull it open and demanded her keys and purse The victim went into a First Bank and called the police When the suspect’s description was given to dispatch an officer saw Oxendale and attempted to arrest him Oxendale reportedly refused to stop and turned to walk away from officers at which time an officer used a taser to stop him He has three prior stealing charges and one prior resisting arrest charge Authorities believe there is a second victim in the incident that has not yet come forward Anyone who has information is encouraged to call the Ellisville Police Department at 636-227-7777 The Swamp Shack in Ellisville was forced to close Friday after a car hit the back of the restaurant owner John Martineau said he heard what sounded like an explosion he said an employee who had just ended his shift came in and let them know he had backed into the building The collision blew out part of the wall that had some electrical and water lines and it caused the prep station and items to go flying It was fortunate that no employees were injured as they had just moved from the area that had been hit and our employees were cleaning up and had just stepped out of position,” he said “It was extremely lucky that no one was hurt because we’re talking just seconds It just blew the prep station across (the room) Martineau didn’t believe any equipment was damaged but he couldn’t give an exact date as he waits on the insurance companies to sort out things “I’m just kind of in limbo as we wait,” Martineau said “The building owner is working with me this morning He wants us to get back up and open real soon but today is just a matter of making sure everything is safe and getting this rolling Every day closed is going to hurt the business adding that food that was being prepared the night before was lost “My loss in sales will be greater than the repair costs,” Martineau said “I have no idea how much (the damage) will cost but the few days I’m going to be out will be more than that While he can’t predict when the eatery will reopen Martineau hopes to be back open for Tuesday This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page the reigning Miss Mississippi Teen Volunteer will compete for Miss Teen Volunteer America at the national competition in Jackson Izzy is the daughter of Sara Stygles and Jimmy Karns she has served Mississippi as an ambassador for the Mississippi Highway Patrol’s D.R.I.V.E speaking to nearly 5,000 high school students and advocating for safe driving habits among teens In addition to her advocacy work with D.R.I.V.E. an organization that promotes shelter pet adoption and supports animal shelters across the nation Izzy has successfully raised over $21,000 to support shelters and provide care for animals in need Her commitment to service extends beyond animal welfare As part of the Volunteer America Organization’s national partnerships Izzy has worked closely with the Salvation Army and St raised funds and increased awareness for both organizations at the state level “I am incredibly honored to represent Mississippi at the Miss Teen Volunteer America competition and to share my story on a larger scale,” Izzy said “I look forward to meeting the 50 other delegates who are also making a difference in their states.” Izzy Karns of Ellisville is crowned Miss Volunteer America The Free State of Jones and Ellisville will have one of their own representing multiple organizations in the upcoming year as Izzy Karns of Ellisville was crowned Miss Volunteer America in Jackson Karns is the daughter of Sara Stygles and Jimmy Karns She was recognized as Miss Mississippi Teen Volunteer and went on to represent the state in the national pageant Karns served Mississippi as an ambassador for the Mississippi Highway Patrol’s D.R.I.V.E Karns has successfully raised over $21,000 to support shelters and provide care for animals in need service-oriented scholarship program based in Tennessee that seeks to empower young women across the country through educational scholarships and extraordinary opportunities with each of the five points on the crown representing a principle in the organization’s mission the first letter of each of the five principles spells SERVE The principles are as follows — scholarship “Each title-holder gets the opportunity to create a SERVE initiative It is something they are passionate about and what they like to advocate for I advocate for all the things that shelters are doing in our community,” Karns said “I competed in two nights of prelims and took home the fitness and wellness prelim award,” Karns said “That was a huge accomplishment and I’m so proud of that I won the Salvation Army Scholarship award.”  Karns said the competition made cuts at 16 “I was beyond proud to even make it there,” she said when she made it into the Top 5 “I was the first Mississippi title holder to make it that far but then they crowned me and it was surreal “It is fulfilling for me because I grew up volunteering and helping out at animal shelters,” Karns said Karns won a $10,000 scholarship and will be the national brand ambassador for the Salvation Army and St Karns is the first Mississippi teen to ever hold the title Miss Teen Volunteer America praised Karns and the other women who competed “We had an incredible class of outstanding state titleholders who traveled to Jackson to compete for the national crown I know that Karns will represent us so well this coming year and I look forward to seeing her succeed,” said DeMarcus saying that she didn’t compete in her first pageant until she was a freshman in high school She said that the volunteering aspect came naturally for her “I didn’t start volunteering because of pageantry I saw that it aligned with what I was doing because it encouraged people to get involved within their communities.”  Karns also mentioned that she works with The Least of These Animal Rescue based in Ellisville Laurel Animal Rescue League and other shelters in Jones and surrounding counties inspiring other people to give back and plug into their communities so they can see it transform and change lives,” Karns said Karns volunteers at Salvation Army locations across the state and said she enjoys the Hattiesburg location where she helps out with the Boys and Girls Club “It is so much fun hanging out with the kids there playing basketball and they love seeing the crown,” Karns said with a laugh She also helps with the Red Kettle campaign where she helped raise $25,000 on the coast with the Salvation Army location there in one day “I don’t think people realize just how full-service Salvation Armys are,” she said as she discussed the different areas she volunteers at with the organization Karns is a freshman at the University of Southern Mississippi where she is majoring in business and minoring in social media and content strategies She already has a growing social-media branding and content-management business where she helps companies find out what does and does not work for their business posting and creating schedules for what they need to post on a daily “I would love to continue to do that and expand my business.”  Karns wanted to make sure she thanked everyone locally who supported her on her journey ‘It takes a village’ and I have the best one there is,” she said “Before the pageant we had a sendoff party and there were so many people from the community that came to rally and support me I felt so ready to compete and so loved.”  was honored for 45 years of service to Ellisville State School Rinsey McSwain and ESS Assistant Director Dr 35 YEARS — ESS employees with 35 years of service are Dr 30 YEARS — ESS employees with 30 years of service Christopher Phillips of Ellisville and Paul Cooley of Ellisville Robin Holder of Seminary also has 30 years of service at ESS 25 YEARS — ESS employees with 25 years of service William Cline of Hattiesburg and Adrian McDonald of Ellisville Dana Watson of Laurel also has 25 years of service at ESS Ellisville State School hosted its annual Employee Appreciation Program to honor workers for years of service and dedication to ESS all of whom received certificates and gifts for their years of service Fifteen employees had 25 years or more consecutive years of service at ESS Employee fundraising efforts throughout the year make the Employee Appreciation Program possible Download the WEIS Radio app in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our text alerts here Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application where she graduated from Roosevelt High School Helen dedicated many years of her life working at Ellisville State School where she supported and assisted individuals with mental disabilities Her kindness and patience made a lasting impact on the lives of those she cared for where she spent her later years with her other son and spending quality time with her beloved grandchildren who she loved dearly and protected fiercely.  Helen was known for her strong personality and straightforward nature and if she didn’t connect with someone Helen was also known for her sweetness and generosity She valued her independence and took great pride in standing on her own two feet.  Helen loved to travel and explore new places she cherished her family and the time spent with them She showed her love through her generous spirit and was deeply cherished for it Henry Collins; son Alphonso Bowie; and sister Her memory will forever be treasured by her children Diane McGilberry and Frankie Collins (Vernagate); and numerous nieces and nephews.  the family respectfully suggests memorial donations be given in memory of Helen to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital by visiting www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html.  Go to www.mcculloughfh.com to sign the Online Registry for the family McCullough Funeral Home and Crematory has the privilege of being entrusted with these arrangements Make a donation to one of the following charities in remembrance of Helen Jean Bowie This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Annabelle Beech poses with her winning piece of art A 15-year-old home-schooled student from the Tucker’s Crossing Community bested a dozen other students to win first-place in the fourth annual Dixie Electric student art contest Annabelle Beech’s acrylic palette knife painting earned her the top prize “I was thrilled when I heard I won,” Beech said “I have learned so much through this experience and I am so excited to continue learning.” She now takes lessons from Sherry Taylor and finds inspiration in the works of Van Gogh She also enjoys drawing dogs — especially her beloved Jack Russell and her artwork will be displayed in the Dixie Electric Laurel lobby for one year Karen Mezo from Pucker Up Lemonade gets ready to juice a lemon during July’s Market Days which also featured an alpaca and other animals from the Hopping G A friendly goat from Hopping G Traveling Petting Zoo at July Ellisville Market Days Julie Shows from The Bakery Basket at July event The streets of downtown Ellisville will be filled with things handmade Whether you want to sample homemade baked goods find a special handmade gift or support your favorite high school football team will take place on the third Saturday of each month through November more than 90 vendors and food trucks will join the local shops and eateries to provide a festive day of shopping and eating Officials say this is more than double the number of vendors from the first event just last month All three county high schools will host a kickoff pep rally for their football teams at the Jones County courthouse on Court Street The hometown South Jones Braves will be cheering and chopping 9-10 a.m. Northeast Jones will turn the street into “Tiger-Town” 10:30-11:30 a.m and the state champion West Jones Mustangs will turn the crowd green noon-1 p.m Allyson Knotts and Bruce Smith from Jones College will serve as emcees “We are excited to have all three county schools represented,” event organizer Sarah Hinton said “We want to make all of the county school supporters and fans feel welcome in Ellisville.” The idea for Ellisville Market Days was sparked by the downtown farmers’ market Hinton said the idea was to bridge the gap this year before handing off the event next year to the newly established Ellisville Main Street EMS is in the process of being organized now and will officially host several events in Ellisville in the future “We decided that we wanted to do something to keep people coming to Ellisville,” Hinton said and these businesses all support the community and the local high schools and groups.” who owns The Bennie Bloomer and Bennie and Mae’s Ice Cream Shop said the downtown Ellisville community is excited about future growth When it appeared there might be a one-year absence of a market-type event “I just thought we needed to step up and keep this going while Ellisville Main Street is getting off the ground,” Hinton said “We all want the community to know that we are in this for the long haul and having over 90 vendors signed up proves that people still want to do things in Ellisville.” Children will be able to draw and write on the (closed) city streets with chalk pet exotic animals from the “Hopping G Traveling Petting Zoo” and even try their hand at milking a simulation cow The Ellis Club will host a school supply donation drive for Unlimited Dreams Christian Learning Center in Laurel This will be open to vendors and all who attend School supplies or donations to help pay for supplies will be collected at the Ellis Club booth All who donate will be entered in a drawing for a gift basket that will contain samples and goodies from all of the vendors “We are just excited and looking forward to having everyone come check out our downtown area and support our local schools and other great causes,” Hinton said “And you will definitely have a great time in the process.” the Jones County FFA and the Farm Bureau Insurance Jones County Women’s Committee For more, visit the Ellisville Market Days Facebook page or email ellisvillemarketdays@gmail.com Home » Press Release » I Heart Mac & Cheese Opening in Ellisville ELLISVILLE, MO (STL.News) I Heart Mac & Cheese is pleased to announce that its first location in Missouri is opening in the St. Louis area in Ellisville on Monday, September 16, 2024, at 15848 Fountain Plaza on the corner of Clarkson and Clayton Roads  The first 25 paying customers will win a Free Classic Mac & Cheese Bowl once a week for a year Swag and raffle ticket giveaways will also be on the morning of the grand opening I Heart Mac & Cheese is owned by local businessman Jay Lory “I have been looking for a franchise opportunity and visited an I Heart Mac & Cheese in Florida I knew this concept would be an excellent fit for the St The fast-casual restaurant specializes in made-to-order macaroni and cheese bowls and a large variety of health-conscious options made-to-order food and is well-known for its custom build-your-own macaroni and cheese bowls and grilled cheese sandwiches and plant-based options are readily available Signature dressings and sauces include Sesame Ginger I Heart Mac & Cheese is a rapidly growing fast-casual national franchise specializing in customized Founded in South Florida in 2017 by CEO and Chairman Steve Giordanella I Heart Mac & Cheese has been previously noted by Entrepreneur magazine as a “Top 100 Best Growing Franchise” and in the 2021 “Top Food Franchise Ranking: The Best of Miscellaneous Quick Service Restaurant” List with additional locations sold and prepping to open in 2024 and 2025 Texas Governor Abbott Appoints Five To Texas Workforce Investment Council AUSTIN Department of Labor Finds Wisconsin Restaurant Operator Casa Tequila LLC Shortchanged More Than 100… EEOC Sues Mia Aesthetics for Disability Discrimination - Federal Agency Charges Cosmetic Surgery Clinic Refused to… STL.News is intended to be interpreted as “States Top Leading News.” We are located in St but our publication has readers from across the globe The Distinguished Service Award was bestowed to Michael and Katye Howard of Ellisville during the Jones College Homecoming Alumni Luncheon for dedicating their lives to community service and leadership Jones College’s Alumni Association and Foundation recently honored 10 alumni during Homecoming events and are pictured left to right “Rising Stars” Sawyer Taylor of Laurel and (standing behind Sawyer) Hans Van Houten of Moselle; “Outstanding Alumni of the Year” Ben and Erin Napier of Laurel (left center); Legacy Award winner Georgia (center front); Distinguished Service Award recipients Michael and Katye Howard of Ellisville (right center); Dr Carter of Laurel and current New Orleans resident (pictured front right 2nd from the end); and “Achievement and Excellence Award” recipients (picture front right end) John Reynolds Clark a native of Waynesboro and current Ellisville resident Sabrina Young (left) and Jones College President Jesse Smith (right) bestowed the Distinguished Service Award to Michael and Katye Howard of Ellisville for dedicating their lives to community service and leadership Katye and Michael Howard of Ellisville (center) wave to the Jones College crowd when being recognized for receiving the Distinguished Service Award with the eight other Honored Alumni Larry Guthrie of Georgia and his daughter Rochelle (right) who were also celebrated during Homecoming festivities with some of their families were recognized during the Homecoming football game and are pictured left to right Rising Stars-Hans Van Houten of Moselle and Sawyer Taylor of Laurel Stevens of Laurel; Distinguished Service Award recipients Katye and Michael Howard of Ellisville; Legacy Award recipient Larry Guthrie and his daughter Rochelle of Georgia and Jeffrey E Carter of New Orleans and formerly of Laurel Jesse Smith welcomes friends and alumni to the Homecoming Alumni Luncheon where 10 alumni were honored for their accomplishments ELLISVILLE – Of the 10 honored alumni during Jones College’s Alumni Recognition Program sponsored by Howard Industries and held during Homecoming celebrations on October 19 Katye Endom Howard of Ellisville were named “Distinguished Service Award” recipients This award recognizes people who are friends of the college who embody community service and leadership “Michael and Katye Howard have dedicated their lives to community service and leadership Michael is currently overseeing tremendous growth and innovation at Howard Industries Katye has made a significant impact in her various philanthropic roles in the community through her service and her various educational and charitable organizations including recognition for their humanitarian efforts and community leadership,” said Jones College President they have raised three children who are also making a positive impact in the community The Howard family has always been very generous and supportive of Jones College who continued her education at the University of Southern Mississippi where she earned her undergraduate and Master of Science degrees in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP) degree in Business Administration specializing in Management With over three decades of experience at Howard Industries he has risen through the ranks to become Chief Executive Officer in 2020 following roles as President and Executive Vice President he has been instrumental in leading the company’s growth Jones is very special to our family because Katye’s family and my uncle To be recognized for something by Jones is very humbling and we’re very honored and appreciative of that.” “Jones trained our first fifty employees for us which was so very vital to what we did to get started as a company in 1968 both family and business to Jones in many different ways it is also easy to do business here because it’s more like a family.” serving on the Jones College Athletic Foundation Board and the Mississippi Manufacturers Association Board of Directors Her dedication to service is additionally evident through her involvement in numerous organizations Katye has served on the Fundraising Committee Board for Children’s of Mississippi Hospital the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Jones County Board the Jones County Schools Parent Advisory Committee John’s Day School Parent Committee and May Day Director The life associate member of the Junior Auxiliary of Laurel was honored with the Golden Crown service award in 2017 she is also an alumna of Phi Mu sorority and currently serves on the Jones College Foundation Board “Jones is my second home after going to South Jones High School,” shared Katye “I’m very blessed to have spent a lot of time on campus as a child and the cafeteria was filled with friendly faces and people We would also walk around the track for exercise and in elementary school and high school I would come here for our cheerleader camp Lots of good times and memories with Miss Martha and Dr Howard first exposed him to the campus during the summer as a youth He was very influential in all the various roles he had on campus which also impacted the young Howard Smith acknowledged Michael’s help in building the soccer complex on campus because of their generosity “We appreciate the investment in all of our lives or school club anywhere that they have not helped at some point That generosity does not go unnoticed,” said Smith Jones College’s Alumni recognition program honored 10 alumni including “Rising Stars,” Hans Van Houten of Moselle and Sawyer Taylor of Laurel during Homecoming celebrations on October 19 a native of Waynesboro and current Ellisville resident and Dr Stevens of Laurel each received the “Achievement and Excellence Award.” Three Jones College alumni Carter of Laurel and current New Orleans resident and Ben and Erin Napier of Laurel were honored as “Outstanding Alumni of the Year.” Dr was recognized as the “Legacy Award” recipient and Michael and Katye Howard of Ellisville received the Distinguished Service Award Extended Search Historic Ellisville store shutting doors April 1 to make way for Busy Bee said Wednesday the historic business in Ellisville will be closing on April 1 to make way for the new Busy Bee store Premium Content is available to subscribers only. Please login here to access content or go here to purchase a subscription Read Lake City Reporter (WDAM) - Two Ellisville men have been charged with four counts of felony child abuse and are now behind bars after an incident Saturday night around 9 p.m Police arrested 39-year-old Fredrick Gowdy and 38-year-old Jerry Gaston after the Ellisville Police Department discovered four children being neglected at a home with horrible conditions Police said the two were the children’s foster parents One of the children pulled the panic alarm and officers said when they got there no adult was present the children were not clean and officers found feces on the wall in the children’s bathroom “Officers did note in their report that there were urine stains on the mattresses Ages range from 4 to 16 years old for the children and officers believe two of them might have special needs “Officers explained to me it looked like the kids hadn’t eaten in a while,” said Pickett “One of the children told them they had only eaten a few fish sticks prior to officers being there and that was a 24-hour period.” The children are now in the care of Child Protective Services Gowdy and Gaston made their initial appearances in Ellisville Municipal Court Monday where their bonds were each set at $40,000 Want more WDAM 7 news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter (WDAM) - The Ellisville Police Department is looking for a suspect involved in a drive-by shooting at a local gas station in Ellisville Sunday night EPD said they are searching for 31-year-old Devin Jamald Windham The police department said the shooting took place at Keith’s Superstore just before 9 p.m “After looking at the security footage and everything you can see people coming in and out of the business as normal,” said Pickett Kyle Pickett said Windham and the victim were among people who had come to the gas station from a private event at the Roosevelt Community Center Police said Windham was there with two other men but Windham remained in a black Dodge Charger Officers said Windham targeted a man at the gas pump as the group drove off “Witnesses say he was sitting in the front passenger seat and he reached across the front of the driver and fired the rounds out of the driver’s window,” said Pickett “The two individuals that was with him in that vehicle came forward and gave statements about who he was and they were in the vehicle when he shot the gun.” The victim also helped identify the suspect very frightened – not knowing if more rounds were going to come,” said Pickett Pickett said the victim and suspect were in an altercation a few weeks ago but he said there was no argument that led up to this weekend’s shooting Windham will be charged with drive-by shooting Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More — Dozens of people gathered outside the Ellisville Lifetime Fitness center Friday afternoon where Republican state lawmakers addressed concerns about a transgender woman who used the women's locker room earlier this month Many tried to make it difficult for Republican lawmakers to speak with reporters at the news conference "Many of my constituents use this facility and were understandably uncomfortable and scared,” State Rep “We're drawing a line in the sand in our state which is creating a safe space for somebody should not jeopardize the safety of our wives Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has launched a probe into Lifetime Fitness investigating any potential illegal activities Lawmakers want to know how the gym patron got a state issued ID with the gender listed as female “I believe that trans women should have a right to go where they feel comfortable and I understand that causes discomfort for others nobody wants to accept them anywhere,” rally attendee Susan Hipp told Spectrum News “I don’t think that a trans woman is any threat in any restroom There are pedophiles and people in restrooms that nobody is aware of who are threats and nobody is paying attention to that or making an issue about it.” “These rights of one male do not trump the rights of the female memberships of this club.” Jacqueline Cotton attended the gathering on Friday She is running against Sparks as a Democrat to be a Missouri State representative for District 101 “We have more guns killing in our schools than we have any trans person threatening anyone in any bathroom anywhere,” she told Spectrum News Cotton added the gathering takes away from “the real issues health care not being able to get to children “Men just don’t belong in women’s restrooms “Saying that you identify as a woman doesn’t make you a woman.”