Saturday April 7,
2012
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 85
Pleasant Today
Tonight
74
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • 1 section
March becomes warmest month on record BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The National Weather Service has combed through the records and found no warmer March or first three months across north Mississippi and west Tennessee. Mild temperatures allowed residents to save on winter heating costs and to get an early start on gardening. The Corinth Gas & Water Department is among those that has seen the impact of a balmy winter. “We normally come out of winter with [natural gas] storage at least under 40 percent,” said Gas & Water Manager John Rhodes. “This year, here we are out of the winter months, and our storage is about 80 percent.” Similar circumstances can be found across much of the country, including the northern states, he said. According to the National Weather Service Memphis Forecast Office, March was the warmest on record, with an average temperature of 63.8 in Tupelo, 9.8 degrees above normal, and 64.8 in Memphis, 10.8 de-
grees above normal. March had 19 days with temperatures at least 10 degrees above normal in Tupelo. Corinth had 16 days in March with high temperatures of at least 75 degrees, according to Corinthweather. net. The lowest temperature recorded in March was a low of 31 on March 4. The weather service said the warm March resulted from a lack of strong cold fronts moving through and a strong ridge of high pressure over the eastern U.S. It is also the warmest year to date through March 31, with an average temperature of 53.8 in Tupelo, 6.6 degrees above the normal, and 54 in Memphis, 6.8 degrees above the normal. The warm weather and lack of a late cold snap present the area with a “tremendous opportunity” for fruit and vegetable production, said Patrick Poindexter, county director for the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “I’m seeing a good deal of excitement generated by this warm weather,” he said. “Everybody is really busy right now as far as planting and
preparations.” He shares in the enthusiasm. “My blueberry bushes are loaded down, as well as my apple tree,” said Poindexter. The critical test is getting past the threat of last freeze around April 15. “If we can get past that and not have a freeze, we should have a bumper crop of fruit and a tremendous vegetable year,” he said. Disease and insect pressures could be concerns, however, as well as adequate summer rain. And the temperature does not have to go below freezing to cause problems. “Especially with these fruit trees, the temperature even bordering on freezing can cause a stresser, and the first thing they are going to do is shed their fruit,” said Poindexter. Although the chances of avoiding a late freeze are getting better each day, he said he remembers snow on April 21 just a few years ago. The weather service says the outlook for April through June calls for warmer than normal temperatures in northeast Mississippi and across the Mid-South.
Oakland Pre-school student Mabry Nelms enjoys a cool threat at a recent outside event when temperatures reached the high 70s. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dal Nelms.
Van Hedges collects Civil War treasures, especially anything with Corinth interest BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
In the second-floor office of a downtown Corinth business is an treasure of information for historians and students of the Civil War. The collection belongs to Van Hedges, president of Southern Insurance Consulting on Waldron Street. Hedges is a collector of any document that originated in or depicts Corinth during the American Civil War. The most numerous items in Hedges’ collection are the soldiers’ letters. “Over 300,000 soldiers were in Corinth during the course of the war,” Hedges said. “As you can imagine, that created a lot of paper.” Other documents include telegraphs, passes granting soldiers permission to go on leave or travel, parole papers and much. One document is an invitation to a New Year’s Eve officers’ banquet. A wide variety of life during the Civil War is represented in the collection of paperwork. Hedges’ collection of soldiers’ portraits is extensive as well. With two photog-
raphers’ studios in Corinth during the war, soldiers stationed in the town had ample opportunities to sit for a portrait photo. Many of the soldiers’ portraits are called carte de vistas, a small type of photograph that was popular in the mid 19th century. “Basically they were the baseball cards of the day. Soldiers would send them home and trade them with others from their unit,” Hedges said. While letters and carte de vistas are among the more numerous items in Hedges collection, “you will find a little bit of everything,” he said. One poignant item is a small, palm-sized New Testament that was found in the hand of a dead Confederate soldier after the Battle of Corinth. Inside the front cover is a message from the soldier addressed to his “dear” sister. “I’m on my way to Glory,” wrote the dying soldier. The most valuable item in the collection is the order by Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard for Please see HEDGES | 3
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The Open Youth Horse Show is set for 10 a.m. this morning at the Crossroads Arena.
4-H Club kicks off show year BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Bobby J. Smith
Van Hedges is a collector of documents related to Corinth in the Civil War. Here he holds the most valuable document of his extensive collection, General P.G.T. Beauregard’s orders for the evacuation of Corinth.
The gate has been open for the Open Youth Horse Show to barrel into the Crossroads Arena. Sponsored by the Alcorn County Showdeo 4-H Club and the arena, the youth show is set for 10 a.m. today. Registration begins at 9 a.m. “This is a way for the 4-H Club to kickoff its show season,” said 4-H agent with the Alcorn County Extension Service Tammy Parker. “We are really excited to have the county horse show at the arena and are working on making it an annual event here.” Please see SHOW | 3
Church service, egg hunt move to stadium BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
First Baptist Church members Suzie Glover (left) and Stephanie Tacker get some of the 6,000 eggs ready to be used for the church’s hunt on Sunday morning.
SELMER, Tenn. — First Baptist Church is going on the road to reach the lost. The church will move its annual Easter service to McNairy Central’s Don Whitaker Stadium on Sunday morning in hopes of bringing out more of the unchurched. “Our vision team was talking about things we could do and we came up with this outside the box way to reach people,” said church pastor Bro. Mark Thompson. “Lost people need Jesus and Easter is for them.” The outside service is replacing the church’s normal two-service time, which sees around 800 attend on Easter Sunday. “Easter with First Baptist” is set to begin at 9 a.m. with a meet and greet time with coffee,
Index Business........7 Classified......14 Comics...... 13 Wisdom...... 12
Weather........5 Obituaries........ 3 Opinion........4 Sports...... 10
juice and doughnuts. A community Easter Egg hunt will begin at 9:30 with over 6,000 eggs to be gathered by youngsters. “Out of the concept of having services at the stadium, the eggs became the draw,” said minister of music Bryan Essary. “With the exception of Judgment House, this is the biggest thing we have done.” First Baptist has set an attendance goal of 1,200. The church easily surpassed its target of 5,000 eggs filled with candy. From flyers, to in-house videos, and plastic coffee cups, the church has pooled all its assets to promote the unique service. “We want people to see that First Baptist Church wants to serve Jesus,” said Thompson. “We are praying for 1,200 people and that a number of them will be saved on Sunday.” The church’s outside the box
effort has created an excitement within the congregation, according to their pastor. “People are enthused and asking what they can do to help,” said Thompson. “When this was brought up it was suppose to be a thing to get everyone involved in church,” added Essary. “I haven’t heard anything negative, it has all been positive.” First Baptist will begin the 10 a.m. worship service with 20 minutes of music led by the worship choir, praise team, soloists and orchestra. “We will be hitting all gamuts with much more upbeat music followed by traditional hymns,” said Essary. Thompson’s message will be, “Why Three Crosses?” A nursery will be provided for newborn age through two years old.
On this day in history 150 years ago The Union army counterattacks at Shiloh and drives the Confederates from the field. The number of casualties is staggering. After two days of heavy fighting, the total is 23,746 killed, wounded and missing — more than all of the previous U.S. wars combined.