By Rupert Howell
According to credible sources, numerous students with rifles have been seen regularly in the lunchroom of South Panola High School.

Last Tuesday night those responsible were applauded and congratulated by the district superintendent, assistant superintendent, school board and their attorney.

School board president Sandra Darby read a board proclamation in honor of South Panola High School’s Air Force JROTC unit who brought home a first place trophy making them national air rifle champions among all Air Force JROTC units in the U.S. and around the world.

The proclamation will be published in this newspaper.

Col. Bob Mims serves as team coach and told trustees that marksmanship is a year round sport and that the team can be found practicing in the school’s lunchroom three or four days a week.
He also thanked the board for allowing the activity, noting, “There was a lot of discussion about bringing rifles into the school,” before the program was instituted.

This weekend South Panola cadets Angel Aguilar, Alex Tamboli, Ashlyn Coyle and Michaella Musselman are representing the Air Force in World Air Rifle Championships for JROTC units from all service branches at Camp Perry, Ohio.

Mims noted that his teams’ other subject areas were not being neglected, assuring school board members, “We take our books with us.”