Southern Hospitality at it’s finest

Southern H ospitality at it’s finest

Local ‘heroes’ open their homes to Mississippi Lineman

Welcome the stranger is an often repeated injunction in the Bible, but two Pierce Countians literally put that in action for a group of linemen all the way from Mississippi.

For over a week, Amanda Turner, Angela Manders and Blackshear City Councilman Corey Lesseig helped provide some of the comforts of home to nine linemen helping repair the power grid in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

The linemen, hailing from the Corinth, Mississippi’s Alcorn County Electric Power Association (ACE), have been enjoying the hospitality of the Lesseig and Baggs homes right in the heart of Blackshear. By chance or perhaps Providence, both homes were unoccupied, making them the perfect places to shelter weary workers. There were 9 workers, 2 men to a truck plus the foreman, operating 4 cherry-picker trucks, split between the Lesseig and Baggs residences.

Originally, the Mississippi natives were staying near Alma in a huge communal tent with approximately 100 other electrical workers. It was so crowded, that many of them had taken to sleeping under the stars or in their trucks.

Then, Turner and Lesseig found out about the linemen’s need for a place to stay via the tried and true manner of the South — the grapevine.

Amanda Turner’s son Carter, is a well known competitive dog trainer at Mossy Pond Retreivers in Offerman. A fellow dog trainer and friend of her son local to Corinth heard of the linemen’s need. He called Carter and soon Amanda Turner was on the phone with Councilman Lesseig.

Living conditions for the electrical workers were less than ideal. Hotels were full and no Airbnb’s were available. Initially, Turner wanted to ask Lesseig if he still had a five-man tent he could possibly loan them. The plan soon became much more than that.

Lesseig and his wife had family business in St. Louis and were due to depart early in the morning after Turner’s call, business in St. Louis and were due to depart early in the morning after Turner’s call, but the workers were welcome to stay. Husband and wife felt it was the least they could do to help those helping return power to an area stricken by the powerful hurricane.

“There wasn’t any food, because there was no power, so we had already cleaned out the fridge and freezer,” Lesseig said. “But there were plenty of beds and clean sheets.”

In a sign of trust rare in this age, the Lesseigs and Baggs families turned over use of their homes to strangers sight unseen. Lesseig told Turner “we’ll leave the back door unlocked” and got on the road to St. Louis.

Before he left, Lesseig left out an Ole Miss hat for the workers to sign as a memento. “I told my kids, this is what real heroes do— helping people.”

Turner and some youthful helpers took care of the snacks and drinks. As sponsor of the Junior Beta Club of Pierce County Middle School, local students made it their monthly service project to supply the linemen with things to munch on and drinks to keep them hydrated.

Turner said that the crew foreman Don Arnold was very responsive and appreciative, and that the Chief Operating Officer of ACE has reached out multiple times, seeking to make sure his transplanted workers weren’t overstaying their welcome.

Turner assured him the linemen were all very polite and grateful. “Six of the nine are mine and Corey’s (Lesseig) children’s age,” said Turner. “If my kid was out on the road like this, I would want someone to extend them the same hospitality.”

As often happens in the midst of hardships, strangers became friends. Some coincidental connections were also discovered. Lesseig and his wife both attended the University of Mississippi so there was already a sense of kinship. Upon returning from St. Louis, they discovered one of the linemen was a fellow Marine like Lesseig. Still another had an acquaintance in common with the councilman, a taxidermist that ran a hunting club.

There were also shared joys. Working two men to a truck, two of the linemen had to leave early, headed back to Mississippi for the impending birth of one worker’s child.

“His wife had told him he could go help after the hurricane,” Turner said, “But he better be back in time.”

All of which meant there were only seven left to feed at what would be a farewell dinner the last night. Lesseig smoked pork loin on the grill to be served with green beans and mac and cheese. Turner brought the banana pudding.

Both had wanted to feed the linemen many times, but their grueling schedules made it difficult to coordinate. Each day they would be up before the dawn and not return until 9:30 p.m. When it was discovered that they would leave for home on Saturday, breaking bread with their new friends became high priority.

The next day, the linemen were headed for home, but strong bonds were formed. Turner said, “They have assured me if I have a need to be in Corinth, I have at least 10 homes open to me and any help I could need.”