Friday Oct. 14,
2011
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 115, No. 245
Plenty of sun Today
Tonight
76
48
• Corinth, Mississippi • 22 pages • 2 sections
Wright faces video, photo charges BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
CORDOVA, Tenn. — The director of a Corinth hospice center is facing felony charges after being accused of secretly taking pictures and videos of naked women in a Tennessee tanning salon. Daniel Wright, 38, was arrested after a co-worker at Alliance
Hospice in Corinth informed law enforcement officials about the contents of two of Wright’s flash drives. Wright is the director of business development at Alliance Hospice, which was contacted for comment, but declined. According to published reports, Wright told the co-worker about
taking pictures and videos of women using the tanning beds at the Tan-N-Go salon on North Houston Levee Road in Cordova. The co-worker took the story to the police and a search warrant for Wright’s two flash drives revealed 91 photos of women undressing and naked — and three videos of a 17-year-old girl.
Pumpkins, gourds available at farmers market locations BY JEBB JOHNSTON
Wright
Corinth celebrates Halloween on the traditional date BY JEBB JOHNSTON
jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Local growers are offering the results of what is described as a decent pumpkin crop for the fall season in Alcorn County. Colorful pumpkins and gourds can be found at the two farmers market locations on Shiloh Road and on Fulton Drive. “Pumpkin production has been variable in the county this year,” said Patrick Poindexter, county director for the Mississippi State Extension Service. “Some have been really good and some are having some big issues.” The isolated trouble spots in pumpkin production were weather-related. “We went from excessive rain to really dry and excessive heat,” he said. “That’s had an impact on pumpkins as well as things like watermelons and gourds.” Pumpkin production was also variable across the state. Stanley Wise, former county agent in Alcorn County, grows pumpkins in Pontotoc County and was worried that he would have none this year. “It’s been a really tough year for pumpkins,” he told MSU Ag Communications. “It’s been extremely hot, and that has affected our pollination. Heat basically sterilizes the plants for a time, but after the weather cooled off, the pumpkins began to pollinate. Our crop is late this year.” When handling pumpkins, Poindexter said the main thing to remember to keep them looking healthy is to avoid bumps and impacts that will weaken the tissue and initiate rot. A pumpkin that rolls around in a car trunk or the back of a truck will probably not fare well. Wiping the pumpkin down with a cleaning solution such as Clorox can help prevent mold
He was arrested Tuesday and charged with unlawful photographing in violation of privacy and especially aggravated exploitation of a minor. His bond was set at $50,000. In March 2010 Wright was arrested for indecent exposure after allegedly exposing himself to a jogger in Franklin, Tenn.
jjohnston@ dailycorinthian.com
Get the costumes and candy bags ready: Corinth will observe Halloween on the traditional date of Oct. 31. Halloween falls on a Monday this year, and many people have been asking if the city would designate a different day for trick or treating. City officials say they are not inclined to make any changes this Halloween. An informal poll of the Board of Aldermen found them in favor of sticking with Monday, Oct. 31, and Police Chief David Lancaster said he recommends sticking with the actual date. “Historically, the city
does not change it,” said City Clerk Vickie Roach. Last year was a rare exception. With Halloween falling on a Sunday, one of the aldermen pushed for a resolution moving activities to a different night. It has only been changed one other time since the late 1990s. The police chief encourages parents to make safety a priority for any Halloween activities. “Parents should carefully go through all of the candy before their kids eat it,” said Lancaster. He encourages parents to take children to the homes of people they know and stay in well-lit areas. Please see HOLIDAY | 3A
Couple faces wire, mail fraud charges BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@ dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Mark Boehler
Josh Hunt of Kossuth and his friend Hannah Wilbanks arrange pumpkins and different varieties of gourds on a trailer at the Farmer’s Market on Shiloh Road in Corinth. The two were also selling hay and corn stalks to be used for autumn decorations during their first attempt of selling homegrown goods at the local market. Other items ready to sold by local producers include mustard and turnip greens, mums, tomatoes, okra and squash. growth, he said. A good selection of produce is still available at the
farmers markets, including tomatoes, okra and squash, and Poindexter said the
normal fall crops, such as kale and turnip greens, are starting to come in.
A pair of former local funeral home operators face new federal charges after being indicted for wire and mail fraud in an alleged scheme to illegally obtain financing on a Tupelo home. Marie and Michael Salts of Booneville were indicted last month in U.S. District Court in Oxford on one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud. Marie Salts entered a plea of not guilty last Wednesday, Oct. 5 and remains free on a $5,000 bond. The indictment, which presents the prosecutors’ case against the defen-
dants, alleges the couple were seeking to purchase a new home in Tupelo in 2008 following a fire that destroyed their previous residence. They had agreed to a purchase price for the new home of approximately $438,125, but were not able to obtain financing due to previous financial difficulties. Instead, they purchased the new house through the use of what is known as a “straw purchaser” a person who obtains a loan and makes the home purchase in place of the actual buyer and with no intent to live in the house or make payments on the loan themselves. Court documents indicate Roy Clark, a former Please see COUPLE | 3A
Booneville Fall Festival opens tonight; Saturday schedule full of events BY TRUDY FEATHERSTON Main Street Booneville Executive Director
BOONEVILLE — The 20th Annual Booneville Fall Festival has arrived and, according to the predicted weather forecast, it looks as though it is going
to be a beautiful weekend for the festival. The festival weekend schedule is filled with several fun and exciting activities. Judging for the Fall Festival Decorating Contest began this morning. Today’s activities will
begin with Historical Cemetery Tours in the Booneville Cemetery, hosted by the Prentiss County Genealogical and Historical Society. The cemetery tours will provide an informative view into the lives of some of Booneville’s early pioneers including
Index Stocks....13A Classified......4B Comics....12A Crossroads ....3B
Weather......5A Obituaries......3A Opinion......4A Sports....10A
George E. Allen, Dr. W.H. Sutherland, Dr. Wick and Mildred Anderson, Alice Robertson, Bartley Boone, Seth Pounds, Marion Smith, Nelwyn Murphy, and Jettie Nunley. In case of rain the event will be moved to the upstairs courtroom of the Prentiss
County Courthouse. Tonight’s Opening Ceremony will take place immediately following the Cemetery Tours. The Opening Ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. at the Triangle/Booneville Hardware area. The Battle of the Bands will begin at 6:30.
Saturday will be a very busy festival day. Beginning at 9 a.m. the Booneville Lions Club will once again be hosting the Soapbox Derby. The derby will take place on the street in between the Prentiss Please see FESTIVAL | 5A
On this day in history 150 years ago The Richmond Dispatch reported, “The King Cotton Guards, from Vicksburg, Miss., arrived yesterday ... armed with Mississippi rifles, and the men look as though they were familiar with their use.” By Tom Parsons, National Park Service Ranger