Law enforcement officers seized drugs and a substantial amount of cash in an arrest made last week in Mathiston. The Webster County Sheriff’s Department released this information about the arrest, which was made around 10:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23: Webster County deputies, Mathiston Police Department and Choctaw County deputies were conducting a joint checkpoint on Highway 15 in Mathiston. Deputies and officers began questioning a man who appeared nervous, and Choctaw County K9 “Ruby” was deployed. After a positive alert from Ruby, a search of the vehicle and driver were conducted. The search resulted in the arrest of Shea Gentry of Noxapater, who was charged with felony possession of methamphetamine. Over $30,000 was also seized from his vehicle. Gentry, 43, was released from the Webster County Jail on $10,000 bond on Saturday. Masks must be worn courtrooms Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Randolph has ordered that masks be worn by everyone in all courtrooms in the state to protect against the spread of COVID-19. “Public safety was a concern of the drafters of our Constitution and remains a paramount concern today. As such, the court continues to balance personal rights with the constitutional obligation to remain open and accessible,” the chief justice wrote in Emergency Administrative Order 14, issued on July 23. The chief justice said in the order, “Throughout our Emergency Administrative Orders, the Court has recognized the necessity of balancing health risks presented by COVID-19 with the courts’ constitutional and statutory duty to remain open and accessible. In light of the overwhelming evidence, I find that modification of prior Emergency Administrative Orders is warranted. The aforementioned evidence, when coupled with the increasing transmission of the COVID-19 virus within this State, dictates that face coverings over the nose and mouth of all persons shall be required in every courtroom in this state, without exception, upon the entry of t his order.” The order said, “Courts are unlike businesses, e.g., shops, stores, restaurants, salons, or houses of worship, where one’s presence is a personal decision, voluntarily made. The presence of court personnel, including the judge, law clerks, court clerks, law enforcement, bailiffs, court reporters, counsel, parties, witnesses, jurors, and victims, is regularly required, and at times, they are in close proximity to each other. Others are commanded to attend court. While masks may be objectionable or pose a slight inconvenience to some, such inconvenience cannot prevent our courts from remaining open and accessible to all.”
