"After more than two decades with the Highway Patrol, Sergeant Darby is still just as dedicated to his job and to public safety as the day he began," said Colonel Marvin Curtis, Chief of the MHP. "That’s what we heard from the ranks and why he is so deserving of this title, because he is the epitome of what it means to be Trooper of the Year." The announcement was made today at a luncheon hosted by the North Jackson Exchange Club in Ridgeland.

"This is the highest honor any Trooper can receive," said MSTA President Bobby Reed. "That’s because it is given to Troopers by Troopers."

Ten district winners were selected earlier this year, one in each of MHP’s nine districts, plus a representative from headquarters in Jackson. The statewide winner was chosen from the ten district winners.

"We know that there are so many troopers who are deserving of this award and we hate we can’t recognize them all," said Department of Public Safety Commissioner George Phillips. "These troopers are daily putting their lives on the line to keep our roadways safe. We appreciate them and their dedication to the public and to the State of Mississippi."

Sergeant Darby holds membership in the MSTA and the prestigious 100 Club for his work in the area of DUI enforcement. His activities within the patrol include FTO (Field Training Officer), CPU (Criminal Patrol Unit), K-9 and the Legal Defense Committee.
"In the past year, he has become involved with the K-9 unit because of his dedication and concern with the use of drugs and the result it has on the youth of the county," said Trooper Shane Phelps, who nominated Sergeant Darby for the award. "My admiration for Dennis Darby began when I was in junior high and trying to decide what I wanted to do with my future. He talked about his job and I could hear in his voice his dedication and respect for law enforcement. I knew then I wanted a career that would give me the same satisfaction and pride."

In 2004, Sergeant Darby led his district in the number of felony arrests.

"Sergeant Darby is a credit to this agency and the community he lives in," said Captain Roosevelt Howard, commander of Troop E. "He is an officer who actively and fairly enforces all of the laws of the state of Mississippi."

Sergeant Darby is also active in his community, visiting local schools and serving First Baptist Church of Batesville as a Gideon.

Morrow will now face Republican Ed Allen in the general election.

Morrow netted 787 total votes, or 55 percent, compared to 628 votes and 44 percent for Ingram.

Morrow, 35, and Ingram, 65, matched up in the May 17 runoff after tying 853-853 in the May 3 primary.

Both candidates said last week that bringing their supporters back to the polls was the key to a runoff win.

The total vote count in the runoff was 1,419, down from 1,806 votes – or 387 ballots less than those cast in the primary.

Voters cast 87 affidavit ballots in the runoff, said City Clerk Judy Savage.

Morrow credited his runoff win to supportive voters and volunteers.

"I appreciate everybody who came back again to vote, and now we’ve got to do it again on June 7," Morrow said. "We had some really good volunteers. They called a lot of people, which I think helped us a lot."

Reached at home Wednesday, Ingram congratulated Morrow on his win and thanked voters for their support.

"I thought Mr. Morrow ran a good race and I don’t have a bad word to say about him whatsoever," Ingram said. "I was just disappointed in the turnout."

Of the city’s four voting precincts, Ingram and Morrow won two boxes each, a repeat of their primary results.

Morrow took the wins in Ward 1 and Ward 4 while Ingram beat his opponent in Ward 2 and Ward 3. He slid past in Ward 3 by two votes.

The ballot box at Fire Station No. 2 in Ward 1 benefitted Morrow. While he beat Ingram by 40 votes there on May 3, he improved his win by 110 votes – 302 to 183 – in the May 17 runoff.

A total of 486 voters cast ballots in Ward 1, down from 564 in the primary.

Ingram did his best at the Patton Lane Community Center in Ward 2, where he beat Morrow by 29 votes in the May 17 runoff. He beat Morrow by 50 votes there in the primary.

The turnout at Patton Lane was the lowest in the runoff, down by 164 votes from the primary total.

Ward 3 votes were also fewer, down 109 votes from the primary totals.
Reached Wednesday, Morrow thanked Ingram for running a "good, clean race."

"I know J. Boyd worked hard," Morrow said.

Morrow said he will now get back on the campaign trail, where he will keep stressing economics and unemployment, and street improvements.

Allen said he too is stressing economics and the county’s double-digit unemployment during his campaign.

"I plan on getting out and working hard, and showing tax payers where money is being wasted," Allen said. "I’ll tell them my plan on trying to cut the budget back and that I will not, under any condition, raise taxes or fees."

Allen, 64, is retired from the City of Memphis engineering department, where he was a construction inspector.

Allen is also known for his former business, Batesville’s Best Pizza, which operated for about five years.

Morrow owns and operates two downtown department stores, Stubbs and Williams.

When voters return to the polls on June 7 to choose between Morrow and Allen, they will also pick the city’s new mayor from Democrat Jerry Autrey, Republican Dr. Richard Corson and independent candidate Gary Kornegay.

Voters in Ward 1 and Ward 4 will also choose aldermen in the general election.

Ward 1 candidates are Democrat incumbent Bill Dugger and Republican challenger Danny Jones.

Ward 4 candidates are Democrat incumbent Bobbie Jean Pounders and Republican challenger Michael Harbour.

In Wards 2 and 3, where there were no Republican challengers, voters returned Alderman Rufus Manley in Ward 2 and Alderman James Yelton in Ward 3.