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Vol 23, No. 10 • February 2024
News You Can Use
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Oldest resident of Rienzi loves her adopted hometown By Lucy Weber Shirley Williams is proud to proclaim herself as the oldest resident living in the town of Rienzi. “She is. She talks about that every day, all day long,” said her youngest daughter Darlene Williams Floyd. Mrs. Williams is 86 and moved to the community after she married her husband Lewis Williams at the age of 15. “I love Rienzi. I am blessed and thank God for it,” she said. “I have lived here for 71 years. I am the oldest black woman living here.” Williams was born in nearby Booneville but married Lewis Williams and moved to his hometown. Together they raised seven children in the close-knit community that included many other members of the Williams’ family. Lewis Williams died in 2007. Today Shirley Williams is the proud matriarch of the family that included seven children, 12 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. Her youngest son lives with her. “They take care of each other at night,” Floyd said. “Sisters take turns coming in every day to look after them.” After 71 years in the community, Mrs. Shirley as she is called, knows everyReturn Address: P.O. Box 1292 Corinth, MS 38835
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body and everybody knows her. “Down through the years, everybody – black or white – I was there for them,” she said. On her recent 86th birthday in November, there was a neighborhood parade in her honor. “They did a parade on my street. They came from the church – the preacher, the deacons, my friends, they all came up the street and cars were parked all over the yard. It was a surprise to me. You ought to have seen it,” Mrs. Williams said. Hopewell Baptist Church is her church home and where she and her husband raised their family. “My mother was born with a servant’s heart,” Floyd said. “She cooked in the church kitchen and anything else you can name, she helped with it at the church. She did so much for so many.” Mrs. Williams’ cooking was well known throughout the community. In addition to cookShirley Williams ing at a local restaurant, she was always carrying food to families after funerals or who were ill. She was known for her specialties, chicken and dressing, butter rolls, sweet potato cobbler and caramel cake, just to name a few. Mrs. Williams said she doesn’t cook any more but lets see WILLIAMS page 4
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Romance Scams on the Rise and Elderly are Particularly Vulnerable
(c) Oleg Elkov / iStock via Getty Images Plus
(StatePoint) They say, “you can’t buy love,” but scammers have figured out a way to exploit it for profit. Romance scams are at an all-time high and, while victims cross all demographics, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that elders are increasingly targeted. Why? Because they often have retirement savings at their disposal and may be more be isolated and less tech savvy. “Romance scammers often manipulate emotions to gain trust,” says Mark Kwapiszeski, head of enterprise fraud for PNC. “Those who fall victim end up putting feelings above logic. This can create embarrassment and, as a result, these crimes are less likely to be reported.” Scammers will create convincing profiles on dating and social media apps, reaching out to their target feigning familiarity or attraction. Things move quickly, but there is always a reason they can’t meet on video or in person. They may claim to have a reason that requires them to be overseas or out of reach. They tell their target everything they want to hear, and the hook is set. Suddenly, a crisis arises that they insist they need help financial help with to mitigate. Or maybe they need finances to set up a new life together. They ask for the money, but would prefer it be sent in a form like cryptocurrency or gift card where there is little chance of the victim ever recovering it. Such scams are highly effective. In 2022 alone, romance scams resulted in $1.3 billion lost, more than double the money lost in the previous year, according to the FTC. To add insult to injury, scammers may convince their target to send them revealing photos they will later use to see SCAM page 4