Prentiss County Grant will fund Booneville study
McNairy County MCHS students join program
Alcorn County Highway wreck injures 2 people
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Wednesday May 18,
2016
75 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 120, No. 120
County: Move brick mailboxes
Eave collapses
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30% chance of rain
Valid permit: Court sides with Silicon BY JEBB JOHNSTON
jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
A historic downtown Corinth building’s outside rooftop eave crumbled to the ground on Tuesday afternoon. No one was injured when a section of the roof at 501 Cruise Street collapsed at the busy downtown intersection of Cruise and Fillmore streets. At least four vehicles parked along the west side of the building were heavily damaged. Corinth police officers and fire fighters quickly responded to the scene where bricks continued to fall to the sidewalk for more than 30 minutes. Officers placed yellow tape around the scene and barricaded each end of the 400 block of Fillmore Street. A crowd of onlookers gathered at both ends of the barricades waiting for the next brick to fall. “It’s sounded like an earthquake,” said Lorie Beth Bobjak, a paralegal for Weeden Law Firm and the only person inside the building when it began to collapse. “I ran
Please see MAILBOXES | 6A
Please see COLLAPSE | 6A
Staff photos by Zack Steen
Corinth police officers and firefighters responded to 501 Cruise Street at the intersection of Cruise and Fillmore streets in downtown Corinth on Tuesday afternoon.
Vehicles damaged; nobody injured BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
Board member questions rehiring of BHS coach Interim Alcorn County school board member Lamar Walker recently questioned the absence of a long time coach for rehire. On a long list of employee hires and rehires for the 201617 school year, Biggersville High School football coach and teacher Ronnie Lawson was missing. “I didn’t see Ronnie Lawson’s name on this list ... I just wonder why his name isn’t on the list,” said Walker, who noted Kevin Austin’s name did appear on the list. Superintendent Larry B. Mitchell told Walker, “we
Tonight
jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Brick-fortified mailbox structures continue to be an issue for Alcorn County as supervisors plan road projects. For the safety of motorists, the Office of State Aid Road Construction prohibits fixed objects constructed close to the road. Members of the Board of Supervisors feel many people simply aren’t aware of the restrictions. The mailbox fortifications are often built to prevent standard breakaway mailboxes from being destroyed by baseball bats. Fourth District Supervisor Steve Glidewell said it’s “a hard conversation to have” when a resident has to be told that a mailbox built at great expense must come down in order for roadwork to proceed. That is the situation the county finds itself in now with planned state aid projects on County Road 400 and County Road 515, where mailboxes need to be removed or moved back from the road. There are four offending structures on Road 400 and one on Road 515. While the state aid office has apparently let some of these situations slide in the past, that is no longer the case. “You conform to their policy or they withhold the money to repair the roads,” said Board President Jimmy Tate Waldon. Glidewell said residents should contact their supervisor for guidance if they plan to build structures at the roadside. “It’s not just mailboxes,” he said. “It applies to any solid obstruction within 10 feet of the edge of the roads, whether it’s a nice gated entrance, whether it’s a mailbox, whether it’s steps
BY ZACK STEEN
Today
• Corinth, Mississippi • 20 pages • Two sections
BY JEBB JOHNSTON
zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
Mostly cloudy
At least four vehicles were heavily damaged by falling debris after the Cruise Street building’s rooftop eave collapsed.
The Mississippi Court of Appeals in a decision handed down Tuesday afternoon upheld a lower court verdict in favor of Mississippi Silicon in Burnsville regarding the validity of its environmental permit. A Tishomingo Chancery Court judge in August 2014 ruled in favor of the industry and the Mississippi Environmental Quality Permit Board in the suit filed against the two by Globe Metallurgical, Inc., a competitor of Mississippi Silicon. The court found that Globe’s request was untimely, and the court of appeals affirmed. “In essence, Globe is attempting a back-door maneuver to allow itself to be heard,” the written opinion states. “Globe had opportunity to voice its concerns about Mississippi Silicon’s permit. The permit was open for notice and comment for approximately a month before it was issued. Globe failed to make any comments or raise any concerns. After the permit was approved by the permit board, Globe again had time to request a formal hearing. Globe failed to do so. Furthermore, we note that Globe is a sophisticated party and, in all likelihood, applies for permits itself, making it familiar with the rules that apply to the permitting process. As such, the chancery court correctly applied the law, and summary judgment was proper.” Globe, based in Beverly, Ohio, has argued that MDEQ failed to give the public a chance to review the permit application and air quality impact models submitted by Mississippi Silicon and that the plant was, in Please see PERMIT | 5A
Biggersville graduates Staff photo by Kimberly Shelton
Biggersville High School seniors Brianna Huguley, Shelbie Rider and Kaylin Parvin enjoy the results of their hard work as they prepare to accept their high school diplomas. BHS graduated 30 students during their 2016 commencement on Monday night in the high school’s gymnasium. For more photos see the Daily Corinthian Sunday print edition.
have until May 27 to furnish him a letter or rehire him.” Walker said Austin, who has apparently been considered as a possible replacement for Lawson as BHS head football coach, is currently working in the Saltillo School District. “It just seems like we need some more time to look the whole thing over,” said Walker. “Why hire (Austin) opposed to Lawson?” Mitchell said such a decision would be the principal’s call. A Biggersville parent asked the board the same question last month. Please see SCHOOLS | 6A
25 years ago
10 years ago
Terry Don Armstrong, a native of Corinth, is promoted to lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force.
The Alcorn School District launches a new pre-GED program for 16-year-old students. Superintendent Mike Wamsley says the program aims to assist students at risk of dropping out.
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