TUESDAY October 11, 2011
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 115, No. 242
Housing sees 1 start in quarter
Tonight
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Arena hosting People’s Summit
SpongeMom SquareHit
BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Elected officials are ready to listen. Citizens are getting the chance to meet with leaders during the People’s Summit of North Mississippi. The event is set for October 18 at the Crossroads Arena with a meet and greet portion scheduled for 6 p.m. The Summit is slated for a 6:30 p.m. start. “It’s often hard to get
jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Please see HOUSE | 3
Today
• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • 1 Section
BY JEBB JOHNSTON Commercial and residential remodeling projects made up the bulk of third quarter construction activity in the city. Projects from July through September totaled $3,084,946, about on par with the second quarter’s $3,095,943 and up from the first quarter’s $2,330,506. The total compares favorably with the third quarter of 2010, which had projects totaling $2,012,550. The housing sector had one new construction start during the quarter. Magnolia Regional Health Center had the single largest project during the quarter at $1.2 million for its women’s clinic to be located at 3714 U.S. Highway 72 in the New Hope Road area. W&S Construction is the contractor. Papa John’s Pizza is set to return to the city at 2019 Highway 72 East. The business pulled a permit at the end of August for a $12,500 remodeling job. Other significant remodeling projects included Corinthian Furniture, $250,000 for repair of damage from the fire earlier this year; Gardner’s Supermarket, $192,100 for store improvements;
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a chance to talk with our elected leaders at a local level, but the Summit will give people an opportunity for some oneon-one time,” said event organizer Lisha Hopper. Tickets to the event are $40. A table for eight can be reserved for $320. The People’s Summit is a fundraiser for the Northeast Mississippi Republican Party but isn’t limited to party folPlease see SUMMIT | 2
Angel Tree applications will be accepted next week BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Mark Boehler
Corinth Elementary School PTO mom Allison Lewis takes one for the team Saturday during the sponge toss event at the CES Fall Festival held from 10-1 outside the school. The event is a huge fundraiser for the CES PTO. For more faces from the fall fest, see page 2.
Angels with the Salvation Army are getting ready to provide a brighter Christmas for local children. The Salvation Army will be taking applications for its annual Angel Tree on October 17-21 by appointment only. The week will be the only time applications will be taken. “There is a lot of work that goes into the sign up process,” said director Michelle Miles. “We want to be able to get these children out for adoption by the weekend after Thanksgiving.” Adoptive parents are usually told that $50 is
the general amount to spend on each child. The Salvation Army will have the child’s clothing sizes and a few toys they have requested. “Each family must provide proof of any income and monthly expenses along a photo ID and birth certificates for the children,” said Miles. “If anyone adopts a child we will provide a tax receipt they need for a tax deduction.” The Angel Tree — in its seventh year — covers children 0-12 year of age. Local groups wanting to take part in the program by either adopting a child or family can do so by calling Miles or Cynthia Burcham at 287-6979.
Roundup could No quit, all quilt for 83-year-old woman boost education BY BOBBY J. SMITH
bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
BY JEFF YORK For the Daily Corinthian
SELMER, Tenn. — An idea to take a few pennies each month to help a pair of education related programs has great potential in McNairy County. The “roundup” plan would take the money over the whole dollar on utility bills to help fund the programs. Selmer Mayor David Robinson has brought up the idea for utility customers to contribute the extra money to help the McNairy County Board of Education pay for the One to One program and the REDI program to help local students attend any of Tennessee’s community colleges, technology schools or UT-Martin/McNairy County-Selmer. “The mission would be to show industries that we get it here and are willing to help our students become a more well educated workforce,” said Robinson. “This would be something that everyone could afford because you are only talking about a small
amount of money each month.” Robinson estimated the average customer would pay $.50 a month or $6 a year. If all 7,600 customers of Selmer Utility opted in the program, it would generate $45,660 a year or $22,800 for each of the two educational programs. If the monthly bill is $6.77, a customer would pay $7 with the 23 cents difference going to the program. If their bill is $6.49, they would still pay $7 with 51 cents added to the program. The mayor said 100 percent of the money given would go to the education-based programs. The One to One program puts laptop computers for every student in classrooms throughout the McNairy County School System. This program has enhanced learning in various ways since the program was started by the system’s technology coordinator Terry Burns. The REDI program Please see BOOST | 2
When the deadly and destructive EF4 tornado swept through Smithville on April 27, Lola Kinkennon was inspired to do something to help the survivors. The 83-year-old West Corinth resident decided to use the experience she’d accumulated over a quarter-century career of working in garment factories to make beautiful — and warm — quilts for the people who lost everything in the spring’s tragic storm. “After working in the garment factory so long I didn’t know if I’d like sewing or not — but I love sewing,” Kinkennon said. Now she has 29 quilts completely finished, all stacked on a couch in her living room, with more quilts on the way. “I do most of the work in here,” she explained. “I didn’t have a sewing room and I wasn’t using this room for anything else.” While the big commercial sewing machine is in another room, the living room contains her smaller sewing machine for detail work and many more projects she’s working on, throws and “little bitty”
Index Stocks........ 7 Classified...... 13 Comics...... 12
Weather......5A Obituaries......3A Opinion......4A
Staff photo by Bobby J. Smith
“I just love this one right here,” said 83-year-old Lola Kinkennon, a West Corinth resident. Working in her living room, Kinkennon has made 29 quilts — so far — to donate to the Smithville tornado victims before the onset of winter. pillows for nursing home residents, saddle bags to go on the front of walkers for disabled people and a warm flannel throw she made for a cancer patient. If she already has the top and lining done, Kinkennon can finish a quilt in a day. She started out using small squares of material for her quilts, but she began using larger squares of material in order to complete them faster. “I got tired of doing
the little blocks. I make them out of big ones now. They’re colorful, they’ve got fiber between them and they’ll be just as warm,” she said. A few weeks ago she considered donating them to a local charitable organization that was holding a sale to benefit the tornado victims, but she decided against this course in favor of her current plan. “I’d rather give them away,” she said. “I really
want to get them down there before this winter.” Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta town of Rosedale, she has lived in Corinth for the last 46 years. She has five children who all still live in the region. If there’s one activity that Kinkennon has more experience in than sewing, it’s helping people. For 27 years she volunteered her time helping to
On this day in history 150 years ago Oct. 11, 1861 -- Union Brigadier General William S. Rosecrans placed in command of the Department of Western Virginia. His success at this post will lead to a transfer to North Mississippi the following May.
Please see QUILT | 2