With the Sunflower County courtroom filled to capacity last Tuesday night, Mayor Ken Featherstone and a completely new five-member board of aldermen took the oath of office and pledged to work together for the good of Indianola’s residents.
Joining Featherstone for the swearing-in were Ward 1 Alderman Alex Deason, Ward 2 Alderman Keith Spealman, Ward 3 Alderman Calvin Moton, Ward 4 Alderman Johnny Phillips and Ward 5 Alderman Rodreigus Young, all beginning their first terms on the board. City leaders, dignitaries and citizens crowded into the Sunflower County Courthouse as the officials were sworn in by Judge Gwendolyn Pernell, with guest judges present.
City Attorney Mack Arthur Turner told the crowd this is the first time in Indianola’s history, as far as he knows, that the city starts a term with an entirely new board, with only the mayor returning. He reminded the officials that voters have placed a position of trust in them and urged them to protect it “as long as you sit on this board,” even when votes are difficult or unpopular.
The program opened with remarks from Turner, followed by an invocation from the Rev. Adoris Turner II and the national anthem by the mayor’s wife, Cheryl McWhorter Featherstone. Pernell then congratulated Featherstone and the aldermen, calling the new term a “brand new season” for Indianola and saying she had no doubt the board is up to the new challenges it will face.
Turner also cautioned residents that aldermen cannot fix traffic tickets or water bills with political favors, explaining that such matters must move through the proper judicial and legislative processes. Speaking both to the board and to the public, he encouraged citizens to bring community concerns to the mayor and aldermen so issues can be placed on the agenda, debated in public and addressed through official action.
In his inaugural address, Featherstone framed the ceremony as more than a formality, calling it a “renewed covenant” of shared purpose, responsibility and destiny between city leaders and residents.” He said his administration intends to serve every resident “regardless of whether or not you supported me,” adding that elections may divide a community for a season, but “real leadership must unite us for a lifetime.”
Featherstone outlined several priorities for the next four years, including improving infrastructure, strengthening public safety through trust and accountability, supporting workers and local businesses, maintaining fiscal responsibility and transparency, and expanding services for youth and senior citizens. He said Indianola should become a destination that builds on its blues and entertainment heritage, promising to study successful cities and adopt evidence-based strategies that can transform the community.
Featherstone noted that the Mississippi Delta and the wider region are watching to see what Indianola does with its fresh start, calling the city “The Crown of the Delta” and saying its success will hinge on collaboration, not competition. He pledged to “embrace, engage and educate” the new board, stressing that the mayor and aldermen will “learn together, lead together and build together” as they seek to move the city forward.
Later, during a reception at Venue on the Bayou on Front Street, Deason said he is not originally from Indianola but he ran for office because he wants his two children to enjoy the same kind of small-town upbringing he experienced. He said the city must “build off the people that are still here” while encouraging former residents to give back even if they cannot move home, and he called volunteering a “lost art” that must be revived so younger residents care for elders who once nurtured them.
Deason added that every step the new board takes should be for the good of the entire town, not just individual wards. Other aldermen echoed his emphasis on cooperation, and the mayor and board together said they intend to put aside personal differences and focus on what is best for the citizens of Indianola.
The ceremony also featured an original poem, “Featherstone’s Flame: Forging Forward,” written and delivered by the Rev. Robert E. Kimble, who urged the city to “let the flags fly high again” and declared that “all things are possible with God.” Kimble’s poem described being mayor as more than managing streets and trash, portraying it as “lifting lives from broken ash” and giving hope “a steady wing” as Indianola seeks renewal.
Throughout the evening, the newly elected officials returned to the themes of faith, unity and shared responsibility, asking residents to support the new administration even when decisions are difficult. After the formal program, elected officials, dignitaries and residents gathered at Venue on the Bayou for a toast and refreshments, where the mayor and all five aldermen mingled with family, friends and community members and reaffirmed their commitment to work together on behalf of Indianola.
