By Rupert Howell

Dr. Zannie Leland is asking community organizations and individuals to join in a show of support for peace throughout the county with fasting beginning midnight Tuesday, April 3 each day from midnight until noon until Good Friday at 11 a.m. when plans for a county-wide prayer vigil have been made.

Sponsored by the group S.T.O.P. (Stop The Ongoing Problem), Leland has taken the lead in scheduling prayer events to show support for peace throughout the county’s communities.

The group was formed following a gang-style death in Batesville earlier this year and has been meeting in different locations throughout the county on a weekly basis since.

This week’s meeting is scheduled for Saturday at 9 a.m. at the courthouse in Batesville. All STOP meetings are open as is membership.

Leland’s prayer vigil plans also include the communities of Como, Crenshaw, Courtland, Crowder, Sardis and Pope as well as Batesville.

Letters were sent yesterday to many of the county’s ministers asking for participation for the Good Friday vigil in their communities.

Leland has made plans for the Batesville vigil to be held at Patton Lane Park,  noting that schools will be out and many people will have holiday making the event an excellent opportunity to display a large base of support against violence.

Panola County Sheriff Dennis Darby, who has joined the STOP group and endorsed its efforts as well as Batesville Police Chief Tony Jones, told members at at the 14 meeting that the best way to put an end to neighborhood violence was for residents of the neighborhood to step forward together and say, “Enough.”
Leland can be reached at 609-2448 or 563-3020.