Donald Burns turned 100 on Friday but has no plans of slowing down. Burns, a World War II veteran, celebrated his birthday with some yoga at Raytown Christian Church.
By Candace McKenzie
Apr 9, 2021 7:00 AM
When 64-year-old Carl Plessala first moved to Mississippi seven years ago, he wanted to start a new life.
He stumbled upon a pamphlet that advertised classes at a community college. The idea intrigued him, but there was one problem: He was among the thousands of Mississippi adults who couldnât read or write.
Plessala grew up in Louisiana, and he didnât take school seriously. He called himself âa class clown,â which he said was a way to mask his low confidence in reading and writing skills. He entered the workforce and never learned to read or write.