September 25, 2020

Dear Friend,

As your Representative, it is an honor to be able to nominate young people who wish to attend one of America's prestigious service academies. These young men and women aspire to serve as an officer in the U.S. Military. They are the future leaders of America and I could not be more proud of them. Next month, our office will host Virtual Academy Day 2020! Students, parents, educators, and all those who are interested will hear from service academy representatives via Zoom. They always have interesting stories to share about their lives and what to expect as new cadets. I look forward to seeing all of you on October 10!

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC), Thomas Bowen, USA, Retired, serves as the Director of the Service Academy Program at Marion Military Institute, Marion, Alabama, helping approximately one hundred young men and women annually gain appointments to America's five service academies. He was commissioned from West Point into the U.S. Army Infantry in May 1982, subsequently serving on active duty for over 22 years. His assignments include tours of duty in Kosovo, Iraq, Germany, South Korea, and West Point. He is airborne, jumpmaster, and ranger qualified.  LTC Bowen is excited to discuss his military career with our audience. "It is a distinct honor and a privilege to be accepted into one of our nation's five service academies," LTC Bowen said. "It is even a greater honor to lead our nation's Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines subsequent to commissioning from an Academy. The road leading to an offer of appointment is long and difficult, but your experience at an Academy will be life-changing." 

National Small Business Week (September 22-24) is an opportunity to recognize the essential role small business operators play in Mississippi and across America. We are proud to have 262,272 small businesses in Mississippi and thankful for the thousands of jobs they provide. In the First Congressional District, there are 10,837 small employer businesses which provide jobs to 113,592 people.

Ann's of Corinth is one of our small businesses I am pleased to highlight in my newsletter. Kim Roberts and Sondra Ellis own this ladies apparel and floral operation which was started by their mother in 1981. Currently, they have five employees. Like so many small businesses, the coronavirus pandemic has been one of the biggest challenges they have ever faced. The Paycheck Protection Program, combined with state assistance, helped them to weather COVID-19 and to keep their employees on the payroll. As of August 8, 48,545 Mississippi businesses have received assistance through the PPP. We want to see Ann's of Corinth and all of our small businesses succeed. We will continue to do everything in our power to support them.

The late Jack Clifford "Soap" Francis, a native of Amory, served America during World War II. Soap was a freshman at Mississippi State University when he enlisted. While serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps, he was a navigator on 35 missions in Europe. During the Battle of the Bulge, his crew's B-24 Liberator came under fire, crippling the bomber. They managed to land the plane after being escorted across the English Channel by other bombers. Soap, pictured front left, maintained ongoing friendships with his fellow crew members after the war. 

In 1956, Soap married Mary Elizabeth "Lib" Barrett and raised a family in Amory. Oliver Stanley, a close friend of the couple, said Soap was a friend to all and loved serving his community in numerous roles. "Soap was a fun-loving guy," Oliver said. "He always had something humorous to say. He would tell everyone that he was 90 years old and had perfect attendance in Rotary!"

Soap was a great American Patriot - proud to defend the freedoms we all enjoy. It was an honor to have an American flag flown in his honor over the U.S. Capitol. If you would like to have a flag flown in honor of a loved one or friend, please let us know.

Kaleb Digby is participating in our fall internship program. We are glad to have this outstanding young man on our team. Kaleb, son of Kenny and Becky Digby, is a native of Corinth. The University of Mississippi graduate is also a member of the Mississippi National Guard, serving as a First Lieutenant (1LT). While pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice, Kaleb was deployed for more than 9 months to Kuwait and Syria. I am proud of all that he has accomplished in service to America! Kaleb will enjoy learning about the variety of ways that we serve our constituents. "I feel blessed to be here," Kaleb said. "I hope to put what I learn to good use and eventually work for a federal agency on Capitol Hill."

Everybody's Eli

- Rep. Kelly honored the life of Eli Kent of Fulton in the Congressional Record.

Let me know if there is anything my office can do to assist you. You can keep up with the latest news by signing up for my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.