E•SPOKES • APRIL 12, 2022 (Apr 12, 2022)

Our Guest Today - Sheriff Charlie Sims

Sheriff Sims is a career law enforcement officer with over 37 years of experience. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, Sims worked his way up through the ranks of the Hattiesburg Police Department to the position of Chief of Police. Under Sims’s leadership, the Hattiesburg Police Department was recognized for several accomplishments in the area of community policing and the department was recognized as a law enforcement leader in the state...

After twenty years at Hattiesburg, Sims retired and went to work for the Mississippi Police Corps, a federal scholarship program that trained college graduates in the field of law enforcement. Again, Sims worked his way up through the organization and eventually became the National Director of Staff Development for Police Corps. This position involved training police corps instructors across the nation and conducting assessments to insure compliance with police corps standards.

After five years in this position, federal funds were no longer allocated and Sims began his career at the Forrest General Hospital. He served as the Assistant Director of Public Safety until being elected Sheriff of Forrest County in 2019.

MINUTES: April 5, 2022

Mark Killingsworth presided over the meeting. Mike Ratliff provided the opening prayer and Joe Meador led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Mark led the club in the Four Way Test. The meeting was held at the Holiday Inn in Hattiesburg and via Zoom.

We had two visiting Rotarians from the Toronto area today, Rob and Allyn Abbott. A.D. Hunt introduced two visitors, Sara Brinkley and Patty Orlof. Both accompanied today’s speaker.

A.D. then introduced today’s guest speaker, Dr. Katie Edwards. Following her Optometric program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham College of Optometry, she completed a Residency in Ocular Diseases and Primary Eye Care at the VA Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She now practices at the Green Eye Midtown Optical in Hattiesburg.

Dr. Edwards recommends that infants between the ages of 6 to 12 months get their first eye exam. Between the ages of 3 to 5, all children should have a second exam. They should also get a third exam before they begin the first grade. Every year up to the age of 18, they should get an annual exam. Adults between the ages of 18 to 64 should get an eye exam every one to two years. However, if an adult is at risk of a disease, they should be checked annually.

The three most common risks that Dr. Edwards sees include diabetics, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Serious eye issues that require more attention include glaucoma, Macular Degeneration, and cataracts.

Dr. Edwards notes that Green Eye Optical has a variety of new technologies that are made available to their patients. These technologies give Green Eye doctors an opportunity to discover eye problems long before the patients are aware of any difficulty.

And, just as “mom” suggested, we should all eat carrots and leafy green vegetables on a regular basis to help prevent eye issues.

Mark thanked Dr. Edwards for her presentation. He reminded members that Rotary District 026840 will hold a District Training Assembly at Pearl River Community College in Poplarville on April 23. There is no cost, however anyone interested in attending will need to pre-register. If you are interested, contact Mark for registration information.

There being no further business to come before the club, she adjourned the meeting with our motto: “Service Above Self.”

April 19, 2022 - Patrick Bigbie

Patrick's love and passion for weather began the day he was born. "As a kid, I would watch The Weather Channel more than cartoons. The weather just came naturally to me. I took every opportunity I had growing up to become a meteorologist."

At 13, he became the youngest Weather Watcher for WSFA in Montgomery, AL. This allowed him to become friends with and learn from some of the best meteorologists in the business. He became an advanced SkyWarn Spotter before he even graduated high school and when presented the opportunity will chase anything from blizzards to tornadoes to hurricanes...

UPCOMING SPEAKERS