Wednesday Oct. 12,
2011
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 115, No. 243
Partly sunny Today
Tonight
80
58
• Corinth, Mississippi • 24 pages • 2 sections
1 dead, 1 critical after wreck Log truck rear ends vehicle attempting to cross US 45 median BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Lawyer seeks reduced charges
One person is dead and another in critical condition following a collision between a log truck and a car in Corinth on Tuesday. Police Chief David Lancaster said Annie Dugard, 76, was pronounced dead at the scene on U.S. Highway 45 North. No address was available, but she is believed to be of the Baldwyn area, the chief said. The crash happened about 9 a.m., and northbound highway traffic was blocked until about 10:10 a.m. Three other occupants of the 1993 Mercury Cougar in which Dugard was a passenger were taken by ambulance to Magnolia Regional Health Center and airlifted from there to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis, Tenn. The car was driven by Jimmy Duderstadt, 47, of
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
An attorney for murder suspect Antonio Shields pointed to a history of trouble between the defendant a n d victim as he argued for a reduced charge and re- Shields duced bond in a preliminary hearing Tuesday morning. Corinth Municipal Judge John Ross Jr. re-
Please see WRECK | 13A
Corinth police begin the investigation of a fatal wreck on U.S. 45 North near the U.S. 72 interchange. Three other people were airlifted to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis. For more photos, see page 13A.
Please see HEARING | 5A
BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
American Legion teaches importance of the American flag, following rules BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@ dailycorinthian.com
Corinth Elementary students received a grand lesson along with rules to remember. Veterans with American Legion Post 6 handed out one-foot rulers to CES second graders and gave American flags to first graders on Tuesday. “Meeting with the kids makes us young at heart,” said Commander of The Military Order of the People Heart and Post 6 member James Weaver. “We get a chance to talk to them about respecting your country and the importance of the flag.” Students received the items during Integrity Time. “The students are taught a life lesson every week that follows the alphabet,” said volunteer Gentry Parker. Veterans were part of the lesson on Tuesday, stressing the significance
Submitted photo
The Archie Lee Memorial Dulcimer Fest — an event held to preserve, promote and teach one of America’s oldest stringed instruments — will culminate on Saturday at Tishomingo State Park.
Dulcimers return to Tishomingo BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
TISHOMINGO — Dulcimer enthusiasts and music lovers will come together this weekend for some oldtime pickin’ and grinnin’. The 33rd Annual Archie Lee Memorial Dulcimer Festival will be held Saturday, Oct. 15, in the Loochapola Lodge at Tishomingo State Park. The park holds two Dulcimer Festivals each year, the Archie Lee Memorial Dulcimer Festival on the third Saturday in October and the Hollis Long Memorial Dulcimer Festival on the third Saturday in April. These events are held to preserve, promote and teach the dulcimer — one of America’s oldest stringed instruments. “The festivals have become week long events which culminate on Saturday complete with craft vendors, dulcimer sales and demonstrations, food concessions and day-long entertainment,” said Bill Brekeen, park manager at Tishomingo State Park. The first festival was held in 1978 after the Mississip-
pi and Alabama Dulcimer Associations decided during an informal jam session at the park’s Loochapola Lodge to join forces and create the Ala-Sippi Dulcimer Association. The park’s 62 campsites traditionally fill to capacity at the first of the week with informal jam sessions throughout the week at various campsites. The dulcimer players perform during the week for the Tishomingo County Adult Day Care Center, which operates daily during the weekdays at the park. “The performance is thoroughly enjoyed by the area senior citizens who look forward to them each year,” said Brekeen. On Friday night, the players gather at the Lodge for supper and have informal jam sessions throughout the evening. The mountain dulcimer originated in the Appalachian Mountains. Although the slender body of the dulcimer is made in a variety of shapes — including teardrop, wasp-waist and hour-
of the United States flag. “Once a year we visit all the schools in Alcorn County to teach them about the flag,” said Weaver. “There have been lots of people die protecting it over the years.” Veterans passed out
over 200 flags to CES students and distribute 1,200 every year to county first graders. Members of the American Legion are also involved of giving out rulers to second graders. “It helps to reinforce the rules they have in
school and it also lets them know there are rules to follow everywhere in the world,” said veteran James Null. The rulers have the Golden Rule — “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you” — printed on the front.
Health center’s Napper talks progress, success BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Magnolia Regional Health Center CEO Rick Napper spoke at a meeting of Corinth’s Kiwanis Club at the Weaver Center on Tuesday. Napper discussed the progress MRHC has made in the recent past, including the seven years since he became the hospital’s chief executive, the current expansion of the hospital, its economic footprint and answered questions from Kiwanis members. The hospital has seen a dramatic increase in customer satisfaction,
Please see MUSIC | 3A
Index Stocks....11A Classified......5B Crossroads ....4B Taste......3B
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Veteran James Weaver passes out a flag to Corinth Elementary student Adriana Pech. Veterans with the American Legion Post 6 also handed out rulers to students Tuesday.
Weather......5A Obituaries......3A Opinion......4A Sports...8-9A
the CEO said, with the level of outpatient satisfaction rising from 4 percent in 2007 to a 94 percent to date in 2011. “Look at that climb,” Napper said. Another area of achievement is MRHC’s overall inpatient customer satisfaction score. “I’m very proud to present to you that in the last quarter of this year we scored in the 99th percentile — only 1 percent of hospitals in the United States scored better than we did on patient satisfaction,’ Napper said. Other areas of improvement
included the physician satisfaction (from 14 percent in 2007 to 89 percent in 2011), Emergency Department satisfaction (from 2 percent in 2007 to 58 percent in 2011), and ambulatory surgery satisfaction (from 18 percent in 2007 to 98 percent in 2011). Napper’s discussion also focused on the hospital’s expansion, with the construction of new OB/GYN facilities, the hospital’s renovation to meet standards for more space between floors, a new Please see NAPPER | 3A
On this day in history 150 years ago The Confederate steamer “Theodora” runs the Union blockade at Charleston, S.C., bearing passengers James Mason and John Slidell, commissioners to France and England. By Tom Parsons, National Park Service Ranger