The book of Psalms 100:1-2 speaks to mankind about the joy of the Lord. “Shout for joy unto the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” He is awesome and worthy to be praised.

As the community awareness segments continues, we will focus on Mrs. Carolyn B. Reed, a wonderful woman of many talents and ministries. She was born to the late Rev. W. P. Price and the late Ernestine Price and was the fifth of nine children. She was a graduate of the city school district at Alexander High School. She is the proud mother of six children, 15 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Reed works part-time for the City of Brookhaven as an assistant director at the Jimmy Furlow Senior Center. She has a caring spirit, a warm pleasant smile, and she enjoys doing her ministry. As part of her missionary work, she enjoys cooking and also clearly looking out for others despite her own needs. She is a very independent lady who is known by many friends and associates.

Reed is an usher and an active member in her church at St. Paul M. B. Church in Brookhaven pastored by Rev. Patrick Hardy. She is constantly busy throughout her community as well as other communities. She is an active member of the Brookhaven Colored School Reunion/Homecoming Committee. She takes this task seriously, and she works hard to help so that the reunions will be successful bi-annually.

Alexander High School Reunion was held in July, and Reed  chose to represent her class to run for the queen in 2016. Little did she know that she would be crowned as the 2016 Alexander High School Queen. She wore this crown throughout the school reunion with dignity, with pride and with much class.

Reed is a beautiful person inside and out with a compassionate and caring heart. Her children and some of her friends jokingly call her the “governor of Brookhaven” because of her status in the community and because she is known by everyone. Carolyn B. Reed, congratulations on your status of being Alexander High School Queen for 2016. May God Almighty continue to smile on you and your family as you continue to go on in his speed.  Special thanks to her daughter Vernatine for helping to put this write-up together about her mom.

There will be a benefit program for house fire victims Richard and Mary Terrell Fells on Oct. 29 at 4 p.m. at New Vision M. B. Church located at 932 Monticello St. in Brookhaven, pastored by Rev. Bruce Smith. Any donations will be greatly appreciated and they can be given to the: Richard & Mary Ann Fells Benefit Fund at Trustmark Bank. Richard and Mary Ann are thanking you in advance for your generous giving and your kind hearts. The sponsors and the contact numbers are as follows: Rev. A. C. Herring 601-754-6686; Rev. Eugene and Sis. Cora Edwards 601-695-0698; Evangelist Willie Faye Webb 601-833-7717 and Sis. Tammy Fells Dawson 601-669-1941. 

As the awareness continues, I will enlighten you on some of the things that the JSU Alumni are doing or have done recently. The Brookhaven/Lincoln County Jackson State University Organization is active and  a helpful organization. It provides assistance to the Brookhaven/Lincoln County students with services such as: scholarships, books, supplies and snack bags. These things benefit the students in many different ways, and they are a blessing for families to benefit from.

Each year the JSU alumni have a gala as one of the fundraisers to make the benefits that are given away possible. The Brookhaven /Lincoln County Jackson State University Organization would like to thank all of the alumni supporters and friends for generously supporting this affair in 2016.

The Brookhaven Jackson State/Lincoln County Alumni are active in so many other ways in helping the students at the JSU campus. Recently they provided some helpful supplies such as: bottle water, Gatorade and Powerade for the athletes. These supplies were given to the athletic department on behalf the students at JSU. There was a letter sent to the alumni chapter in care of the president, Mrs. Flora Kelly, in special recognition of thanks for their generous giving, and here are some inserts from that letter.

“On behalf of the Division of Athletics at Jackson State University, I would like to thank both you and the JSU Brookhaven Alumni Chapter for your generous donations. The water and the Gatorade is a great help to our student-athletes as they train, practice and compete in these humid conditions. Its things like this that help instill the pride that all true Jacksonians have. The teams are befitting greatly from your donations.” This letter was sent by Wheeler Brown the Director of Athletics at Jackson State University.

As a response to this letter the JSU/Lincoln County Alumni Association would like to thank all of the alumni supporters and friends from this area for donating water, Gatorade and Powerade for this worthy cause. May God Almighty continue to be with each of you and the students at JSU. A special thanks to the president Mrs. Flora Kelly and to Mrs. Dorothy Harris for sharing this information with me, so I could enlighten the communities.

Eva H. Harris and Lincoln County Schools’ Alumni will have a fish fry on Friday, Oct. 28 at the State Bank State Room behind State Bank. The fish will be fried by Donald Tobias who will be set-up in the parking lot. This event will start around 10:30 a.m., and if you have not purchased a ticket, walk-ins will be appreciated. The president Curtis Tyner and the committee members will be looking for each of you to help with this worthy fundraiser for the upcoming reunion in 2017. The next alumni meeting will be held at the public library at 6 p.m. on Nov. 3, and the last meeting for the year will be on Dec. 13.   

Damascus M. B. Church joint board and senior choir will present an Outdoor Fun Fundraiser in 2016 with catfish plates, fish sandwiches, drinks, water and etc. To top this all off there will be a car wash. While you wait for your car to be washed you can eat some fish and maybe some boiled peanuts. The time for these events will be from 9 a.m. until “all the fish is gone and the cars are washed” on Oct. 29. The location is at Damascus M. B. Church, 0905 California Road NW (turn off Highway 550 by the Old Opry House). For more information contact 601-833-4602, 601-833-7717 or 601-757-0617.

Damascus M. B. Church joint board will present, “The Feet Carrying The Gospel of Peace,” Romans 10:15 on Oct. 29 at 5:30 in the evening after the fish fry and car wash. The guest speakers will be Min. Sheanda Davis of Hopewell Church and of Mile-to-Mile Ministry of Brookhaven; Elder Jeffrey A. Conerly, of Greater Galilee COCH (USA) in Jayess; Sister Pamela Butler of St. Paul M.B. Church in Silver Creek; and Elder Terry Bridges of West Holy Hill C.O.G.I.C. in Jayess. All friends, loved ones and associates are invited to come out and be a part of this wonderful service.

If you have any Loyd Star area news to report, please call Carolyn Beard Humphries at 601-833-5753.