Smoke Signals and other news
This week has been a bit frightening for our family. My granddaughter, Olivia Gehrig, caught a horrible stomach virus that sent her to the hospital.
During the night, Olivia woke up to severe pain in her foot. She decided to crawl down the stairs to let her mother, Ellen, know about the pain.
Her mother examined her foot and she noticed that not only was it swollen, but her leg was swollen and she had a fever and a rash too. Her mother immediately took Olivia to the emergency room, only to be sent to the nearby children’s hospital. She was taken care of by an amazing staff. After an overnight stay, she was sent home with a diagnosis of something related to the stomach virus she just had after ruling out several other serious possibilities. There were many firsts for Olivia. First trip to ER since she was one. First IV. First ambulance ride. First time to swallow pills. First overnight hospital stay since birth. She was a champion through it all and we are delighted she is home and doing well. Hopefully, she will be back to softball and gymnastics this week.
Kids are beginning to practice T-ball, baseball and softball this week. The weather has kept them off the fields until now. Support your local communities’ programs. Volunteer to help. All the communities in the Marshall County League needed coaches. Don’t let the programs die for lack of coaches.
Byhalia Area Main Street Chamber is working on a fun Easter campaign to draw visitors to our historic district, complete with Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny. Still, they want this to benefit all business members as well. On Saturday, April 1, the downtown merchants will have Easter eggs to give to customers shopping in their establishments. The Easter eggs will be filled with candy, coupons, and member discounts. The Easter Bunny will make an appearance in the afternoon for selfies (more details to follow).
The Trap Glam Boutique and Braelyn Parks are hosting a pop-up prom shop on April 15. They are asking the public to donate prom dresses, suits, tuxedos, shoes, jewelry, and other accessories to do this. The Trap Glam will provide a coupon for high school students who donated to the event. The coupon will give students discounted makeup applications at Trap Glam Boutique on prom day. The project is an excellent way to help those needing a dress, tuxedo, and accessories to go to the prom.
Drop off donations at 2439 Church Street now through April 14.
The Byhalia Area Arts Council is bringing back Super Saturdays. Sign up today and learn to paint a landscape using acrylics. Super Saturdays will begin March 25 at the Old School Commons located at 164 Highway 309, Byhalia.
Byhalia will soon have an Army Surplus Store. Stock is arriving daily.
History moment: One of the early known merchants in this area was David H. Mims, who came to this part of Marshall County from Virginia in the late 1830s. He first tried a planter’s life but turned to merchandise. His son William D. Mims was born on November 24, 1840. At twenty-one, he enlisted in Company B, Seventeenth 15 Mississippi Infantry, serving in the Army of Virginia. After fighting several battles, he was wounded and captured at Gettysburg, paroled, rejoined his old command, and was captured again on April 4, 1865, near Petersburg. This time he was kept as a prisoner until July 1865. Returning home and after trying his hand at farming for five years, he studied medicine in 1871, graduating from the University of Louisiana (now Tulane) in 1873. Dr. Mims began practice in Red Banks but moved the same year to Wall Hill, Mississippi, where he partnered with Dr. J. W. Sharp.
Please share your news with me at jchwagg@gmail.com or by text or call 901 246-8843. You can message me on Facebook as Clair Wagg.