2008

EC C mourns death of two students; Another student injured, remains in hospital

~ The ambiance is solemn on the cam- pus of East Central CommunityCollege 3 in Decatur in reaction tothe recent trag- icdeaths of two ECCC students, Shareef ': Dixon and Bradley "B.J." McElroy Jr. 1 Both youngmen were freshmen career- 3 technology students training for their ~ future careers. . ... "It is always tragic when lives are lost to accidents and to have two students lost in separate accident~ on back-to– hack weekends is doubly tragic,"' Dr. _ Phil A Sutphin, president of ECCC t said. "We offer our condolences to the t families and pray that they find the 1 strength to deal with the sadness and t loss of a loved one.'' 1 The first of the two tragic deaths of 1 ECCC students occurred on Oct 31. v Dixon, 18, an electrical technology stu- dent of Lena, was traveling in a 1995 Crown Victoria west onUS. Highway 80 passing through the Kalem community 111 between Morton and Forest at approxi– s mately 11 p.m. when his vehicle collided head;on with a vehicle traveling east on t US. 80 when his lffe came to a tragic l end. Dixon was on his way to pick up his cousin and younger brother at the Mor- ton High School field house after the team returned from their game at Decatur with Newton County. ECCC electrical technology instruc– tor John Everett described Dixon as "a very likable young man." "Shareef was a good student and was always willing to help." Everett said. ·'He did good work and was good to vol– unteer and work with others." Everett said his class is continuing to cope with the loss of their classmate. He said the care for Dixon was evident the first day of class following Dixon's death. "I always have a sign-in sheet and one of his classmates wrote, 'RLP we will always love you,' on the sheet and signed Shareef's name, " Everett said. Everett said Dixon's younger brother.

his children, Chriscedez, 2, and Mer– cades, 4, and his friend, David Allen, 21, also of Morton. Dixon's funeral was held at 1 p.m. on Nov. 6 at Cedar Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Lena., Dixon was a 2008 graduate of Morton High School. He is the son of Mavis Dixon and Dennis Dixon of Lena. An early Sunday morning, Nov. 9, accident claimed the life of the second ECCC student, McElroy, 19, a welding and cutting program student from Noxapater, who died instantly, when a Brandon police cruiser, en route to a call, crashed into his vehicle in Bran– don. ECCC welding instructor, Gerald Jor– dan, saidMcElroy's classmates are deal· ingwith the grief of their friend as best they can. Jordan said McElroy was a talented welding student and his prior two years of h·aining at Winston-Louisville Career and Technology Center was apparent in his work. "He was exceptionally well-behaved and just a good student,·• Jordan said. "He did his class work and anything we asked of him." Shane McDaniel, McElroy's high school metal trades instructor said McElroy was a great young man who had a lot of things going for him. "It is such a tragedy that his life was taken from him at such a young age," McDaniel said. "B.J. left his legacy on life; he lived it to the fullest. He was a respectful youngman and I amproud to have called him one of my students." Authorities said the crash occurred on U.S. 80 at the westbound I-20 exit ramp in Brandon. The crash hospital– ized another ECCC student, Ciera Hines, 18, of Morton, who was a passen· ger inMcElroy's vehicle. and a Brandon police officer. Hines remains hospital– ized in stable condition. Funeral services for McElroy were held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at Jor– dan Funeral Home in Kosciusko with burial in the Friendship Cemetery. He was a 2008 graduate of Noxapater High School in 2008. He is the son of Bradley AltonMcElroy Sr. of Louisville nd D~nea.Ge Hobbs Reel .of Noxapater.

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CARTHAGINIA SCOTT COUNT

UNIO N APPEAl a ninth-grader at Morton High School. has expressed plans of attending ECCC "Shareef's younger brother is plan- SPIRIT OF MOR . ning to co~e through my program and carry--On his brother~ legae-y," Ev@r~t 1id he was told bv Dixon's mother. 'T'.he a,..ci,len· a's ~Ja.:.~ e lhes o+" ·a Randall. _ WINSTON COU following highschool graduation.