ACE Power Election Today — 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Prentiss County Booneville police make felony arrests
McNairy County Chamber elects new officers
New! Local faces in Selfie Tuesday
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Tuesday Aug. 9,
2016
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Daily Corinthian
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Vol. 120, No. 191
• Corinth, Mississippi • 18 pages • One Section
Christmas Eve plane crash victim dies BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@dailycorinthian.com
The daughter-in-law of a Booneville physician has died almost eight months after suffering severe head injuries in a Christmas Eve plane crash near the Corinth-Alcorn County Air-
port. Lauren Chase died Sunday in Texas where she had been moved to a hospice facility the previous week, according to posts by the administrator of a web page set up to provide updates on her progress and
raise funds to offset her medical costs. Lauren Chase, who was married to Dave Chase, son of the plane’s pilot Dr. David G. Chase Sr. of Booneville, was seriously injured in the crash of the single-engine turboprop plane
last Christmas Eve morning as it attempted to return to the Corinth-Alcorn Airport shortly after takeoff. A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board focuses on a battery compartment panel that appar-
ently opened after takeoff. The pilot, Lauren Chase’s father-inlaw Dr. David G. Chase Sr. of Booneville, told investigators the door opened partially after takeoff and started flopping up Please see CRASH | 5
Police seek shooter BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Corinth police are investigating a weekend shooting at a residence on Gaines Road. Capt. Dell Green said it happened about 12 a.m. Sunday when Brandon Burkett, 28, of 3305 Gaines Road, went to investigate the sound of glass breakage. Finding the window broken out of his back door, he opened the door to look outside and was shot. Suffering a wound in the abdomen, Burkett then ran to
Police Officer Fred Washington delivered a teddy bear to 2-year-old Scarlett Weikleenget on the family’s last day in Corinth.
2 vie for power board BY ZACK STEEN
Officers honored after break-in BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
After a recent stay in Corinth, one Brandon family is thankful for what they call the Corinth “Peace” Department. Linnea and Aaron Weikleenget and their two-year-old
daughter Scarlett spent 10 days in Corinth. The Weikleenget’s operate a traveling sales team and were holding an event in late July at Crossroads Chevrolet Buick GMC. The normal night of July 25 ended in shock when the
New project leader loves to work with city’s youth BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
If she’s not busy working to keep youth off tobacco products, Anjanette Ratliff is working to make them stronger leaders. She recently began advisory duties for the Mayor’s Youth Council and became project director for the Mississippi Tobacco Free Coalition of Alcorn and Tippah Counties. The coalition’s local office is now located upstairs at City Hall. With a new school year just started, she will be rounding up another group of Corinth High School students to get involved with the council. “I love working with the
Weikleenget’s discovered their Toyota SUV had been broken into while it was parked in the Holiday Inn Express parking lot. “We had walked from our Please see OFFICERS | 5
a gas station at the corner of Highway 72 and Norman Road, where 911 was called. He remained hospitalized at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo Monday morning and is expected to be released in the next day or two, said Green. Burkett never saw the shooter, and an interview with the victim Monday morning did not yield any new leads. To report information about this case, contact the police department at 286-3377 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-773-tips.
zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
Two Alcorn County residents will vie today for the two open seats on the Alcorn County Electric Power Association Board of Directors. All customers and members are welcome to vote in the election, set for 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the ACE office at 1909 South Tate Street. Incumbent Bobby Roberts
will appear on the ticket along side association member Harrison Childs. Other board members not up for reelection this year include J.B. Darnell, Mark Gardner, Jerry Brawner and Sam Tull. Each board member holds a three-year term. The board is responsible for reviewing the association’s fiPlease see BOARD | 2
People of the Crossroads Nickey Cummings, Burnsville
youth,” said Ratliff. “Being a pastor’s wife, I am around children and I teach them about the word of God. I thought this would be a good way for me to be more involved in the community, get to know more kids and parents, and help develop them as leaders.” In the last few years, youth council members got involved in community service such as serving as 10K race volunteers, conducting a book drive for The Lighthouse and helping with landscaping at the high school. Ratliff recently took youth council participants to the anPlease see RATLIFF | 3
Staff photo by Zack Steen
When not at his day job at Columbia Pipeline in Corinth, Nickey Cummings is serving as fire chief for Burnsville Volunteer Fire Department. The 52-year-old has been a member of the department since 1986, and truly loves to help people. “Whether it’s a house fire, wreck or someone in need of medical attention, it is a great feeling to be able to respond and help in their time of need,” said Cummings. “We make a lot of our calls during the late night hours and when my pager goes off, I’m ready to get up and go.” A member of both the Tishomingo County Electric Power Association board and the Yellow Creek Port board, Cummings is married to Janie. They have one son, two granddaughters and a third grandchild on the way.
25 years ago
10 years ago
Farmington and Central School roads get improvements as resealing work begins. Billy Bain with APAC says the work will make the roads much better.
Kossuth High School wins their eighth straight county slow pitch softball title in the annual county tournament.
Doug Ann Michael Rick Jumper Hardin McCreary Jones
Neil Paul
Marea John & Alexis Wilson Brenda Rudd Hayes
Roger Audrey Carl Clark McNair Jones
2782 S Harper Rd
www.jumperrealty.com