Evadale residents' message to people who ask whether the small town will consider removing the Confederate flag from the crest painted on buildings and signs throughout the school district is straightforward: The crest features the rebel flag molded in the shape of a shield under the words "Rebel Pride" and a Confederate kepi hat. Many have expressed support for the crest and the rebel flag, which they said is not a divisive symbol but an emblem of school pride, and have blamed local media for unwanted attention. "The Evadale mill pays our taxes with the understanding that our elected officials and the communities they represent are responsible for making decisions about how those tax dollars will be spent," paper mill spokeswoman Penny Sullivan said in a statement. The parent company, MeadWestvaco, finalized a merger Wednesday with RockTenn, becoming WestRock, a $16 billion publicly traded company and the second-largest U.S.