Senior Center Grand Opening Set Nov. 17

PASCAGOULA -- During today's potluck luncheon, Director Melani Caver told members of the Pascagoula Senior Citizen Center that she would welcome them for the meal only three more times before the cozy downtown facility would close for good.

In three weeks, a grand opening on Nov. 17 will welcome the seniors to their new center on Live Oak Street, just off Market Street in the city's commercial district a block away from U.S. 90.

A reception will be take place at 11 a.m. before grand opening ceremonies begin at 1 p.m. Nov. 17.

Jackson County, Pascagoula Seniors Attend 2010 Festival at the Farm

Janice Green, executive director of Harrison County Senior Resources, and Krystal Allen, weekend anchor at WLOX TV13 (top), joined numerous senior citizens -- including Hannah Heary, 73, and Maria Alonso, 67, from senior centers in Jackson County -- for the Senior Fall Festival at the Farm held today at the Lyman Senior Center in Harrison County. (Look for more photos and information later this week.)

Seniors Director Prepares for Move

PASCAGOULA -- Today, Melani Caver cleared off some shelves and pulled out books to give away at the Pascagoula Senior Citizen Center, part of preparations for the big move to the new facility on Live Oak Avenue.

"We've started packing and moving stuff," she said. "All the new stuff went straight to the building last fall."

Several city employees are expected to come by Thursday to help remove items that normally are not used on a regular basis at the center.

Caver, director of the senior center in Downtown Pascagoula, is reasonably certain that their move to a new building will happen by Thanksgiving, possibly mid-November. The contractor's deadline for completion was Monday, Oct. 11, and he has 30 days to complete a punch list of final items.

"Everything's done as far as they were contracted to be done -- parking, grass planted, curbing and paving. They've even done the lights on the parking lot," she said.

She said gravel on an extension parking lot is yet to be done. "Everything else looks like it's finished," said Caver.

Caver had predicted the move for November last year, she said, but that was before she learned that the center's construction and parking lot were under separate contracts. She said the amount of work needed to lay pipe and complete other infrastructure for parking was tremendous.

She's hoping while still reasonably sure of a move next month to the new Pascagoula Senior Citizen Center. "I hope we get to move in November."

"Our computers are out there. The phones are all out there. If we could move tonight, we'd be functional tomorrow," said Caver.

Senior Fall Festival Set in Lyman

GULFPORT -- The Senior Fall Festival at the Farm has been scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Lyman Senior Center on County Farm Road.

Thad Anderson said the second annual event will include fun for all with food games, entertainment, tours of the county farm in Harrison County, contests and prizes. As well, there will be informative presentations, he said.

"It's going to be good," said Anderson. "It's going to be a big, big time."

Seniors from centers across South Mississippi are expected to participate, including as many as 30 participants from Pascagoula, from Wiggins, Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis, and other cities and counties.

A "Senior Apple Pie Bake Off" and "Senior South Mississippi Gumbo Contest" will be among the highlights of the festival.

Anderson said, "We want this to be the signature event for seniors every year."

The festival is sponsored by the Harrison County Board of Supervisors.

More information may be obtained by calling 228-832-2606, 228-860-5167 or 228-341-6054.

Seniors Plan Luau in Pascagoula

PASCAGOULA -- The annual luau at the Pascagoula Senior Center is set for Aug. 31 at the center on Delmas Avenue in the city's downtown area.

Ginger Verheeck, senior job registrar, said the party is a covered dish affair, partly supplied with food and other offerings from seniors and the center.

Seniors will provide their favorite Polynesian dish and will wear their favorite Hawaiian out fit. Leis will be provided by the center.

Social Worker Given 6 Years in Jail for Exploiting Vulnerable Adults

JACKSON, Miss. (Aug. 18) -- A Jackson social worker will spend several more years behind bars for exploiting vulnerable persons in her care.

Ponchie McCollough, age 37, remains behind bars today after entering guilty pleas to one count of conspiracy to commit the crime of exploitation of vulnerable persons and five counts of felony exploitation of vulnerable persons.

At the time the crimes were committed, McCollough was employed as the social worker at Belhaven Senior Care, a nursing home in the Jackson area owned and operated by Trend Consultants of Natchez.

McCollough admitted to Judge Swan Yerger that she had exploited residents of the facility out of several thousand dollars and used her position to have checks written to other co-defendants from the trust funds of the vulnerable adults under the guise of spending down their

money so that they would not lose their Medicaid benefits. The proceeds from the checks were to be used on the needs of the residents, but were instead divided between the conspirators.

The judge accepted McCollough's plea under the watchful eyes of four victims, who are all confined to wheelchairs but whose health permitted them to attend the hearing. Upon acceptance of the plea one of the victims to the crimes addressed the court asking that the "Judge send a message that nursing homes were not bad places, but that sometimes bad

people are employed by nursing homes."

Yerger sentenced McCollough to five years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections for the conspiracy charge and 10 years for each of the exploitation charges, four years of which were to be suspended, followed by five years supervised probation. The sentences are to run concurrently, meaning that McCollough will serve six years.

She has remained in jail since her arrest Nov. 18, 2009, and will be given credit for time served. She is required to pay resititution to Belhaven Senior Care in the amount of $8,100, as well as paying $1,000 to the Crime Victim's Compenation Fund which is to be paid during the

five years probationary time.

In addition, McCollough is to testify truthfully against the five co-defendants in this case: Brad Burt, Jessica McKinney, Madeleine Floyd, Justin Johnson and Tina Brewer. If she does not, she will face additional penalties.

"I really appreciate the tough stance Judge Yerger has taken over the years and I fully intend to bring this matter back before him if this defendant fails to testify truthfully," said Attorney General Hood.

Trend Consultants of Natchez, Miss., was legally liable for the resident's trust fund and was required by the Attorney General's Office to replace the $25,785 to the individual accounts of the residents, as well as being required to pay a penalty of $77,355 to the state for failing to

report possible exploitation of vulnerable adults within the facility.

Contact: Jan Schaefer, Public Information Officer, at 601-359-2002 or jscha@ago.state.ms.us

Daylight "Prom" Brings More Seniors

Secondliners strut their stuff.

Popcorn and slushes (below) were among the treats.