Clarksdale Police are investigating two commercial burglaries that occurred this week.
The most recent burglary was discovered Tuesday morning when officers were called to 316 John Lee Hooker Drive and a break-in at the Care Station.
Officers spoke with Rod Spinks who said he came to the care station that morning workers indicated someone apparently broke a window and came in the business.
Energy bars and pastries were reported missing.
The Care Station gives away food to anyone who shows up for a meal. Burglary can carry up to a 20 year sentence upon conviction.
The case was assigned to Investigator G. Johnson.
City Pool burglary
Police were called to the City Pool at 1412 Sycamore Street Monday morning after employees coming to work discovered a break-in.
When officers arrived they spoke with Andrew Mauers who said when he went to check on the business, he found that someone had taken some boards off the back side of the business, went in and took heaters that were there to keep the pipes from freezing.
The case was assigned to Investigator C. Thomas.
Death reported at CCC
The Coahoma Community College Department of Safety, in conjunction with the Coahoma County Sheriff's Office, is investigating a nonviolent death on the main campus of Coahoma Community College.
In a brief statement issued by CCC, the college said the incident occurred Monday morning, Feb. 22.
"At this time, the investigation is ongoing, and the College will not comment further until the investigation is complete," the statement said.
Coahoma Community College is one of the state's smallest colleges in Mississippi's community college system. It has its own security department, but typically calls on the Coahoma County Sheriff's Department for large events and more serious situations.
Located on 99-acres northeast of Clarksdale, Coahoma Community College offers more than 55 university parallel degree programs, eight Health Science programs and 15 Career and Technical Education programs. Classes are offered online, in the classroomand at extension sites within our five-county service area of Bolivar, Coahoma, Tallahatchie,Tunica and Quitman counties.
Columbus CFO convicted
State Auditor Shad White announced Tuesday, that former City of Columbus Chief Financial Officer Milton Rawle, Jr. has been convicted of embezzlement in Lowndes County Circuit Court.
The case was prosecuted by District Attorney Scott Colom in Judge Lee Coleman’s court chambers. The guilty plea and sentencing were recorded yesterday.
Rawle was arrested by Special Agents from the State Auditor’s office in August 2020 after being indicted. He embezzled nearly $300,000 by transferring public money to his own bank account. A $354,896.27 demand letter was issued to him upon arrest.
Judge Coleman sentenced Rawle to spend twenty years in prison – the maximum sentence. The Auditor’s office has already recovered nearly $250,000 of Rawle’s demand by filing a claim against his surety bond and the court ordered him to repay what is still owed to Columbus taxpayers.
“Another investigation – this time into one of the largest municipal embezzlements in recent memory in Mississippi – and another guilty plea,” said Auditor White. “With this prison sentence, law enforcement and the courts have sent the message that stealing taxpayer dollars is not a victimless crime. There are serious consequences for embezzlers in Mississippi. Anyone else thinking of stealing is now on notice.”
MDOC weathers cold spell
Mississippi Department of Corrections is reporting that while the historic ice storm has certainly challenged and strained resources at all prisons over the past week, MDOC maintenance crews worked around the clock to keep heat up for inmates.
Some inmates even complained their cellblocks were too hot.
It was business as usual for most inmates at Parchman, CMCF and SMCI in nearly all units. A boiler at Unit 29 of Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman malfunctioned Tuesday, Feb. 16, forcing Corrections officers to move 20 inmates while the boiler was being replaced.
Meanwhile, many of the prisoners system-wide were issued blankets and thermal clothing while maintenance crews worked repairing heating systems.
“But we may have done too good a job,” said Superintendent Tim Morris at hardest-hit Parchman Prison. “Now some inmates on the upper tiers are complaining it’s too warm. We’re checking the temperatures every four hours to fill out official unit reports. We’re doing our best to equalize the climate control.”
All week, inmates pitched in to clear the roadways of ice and snow. Not a single case of hypothermia or chills were recorded at any of the prison infirmaries and no prisoners had to be transported to area hospitals.
MDOC Commissioner Burl Cain credits corrections officers going above and beyond the call of duty by not only staying on the job but also traveling in all-wheel drive vehicles to retrieve other officers and maintenance crews stranded in the ice.
