Today: 50-Page Special Edition Tuesday Oct. 18,
2011
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 115, No. 248
BY JEBB JOHNSTON After a third instance of theft of expensive tires, a Corinth auto dealership is offering more reward money for information putting the thieves behind bars. Crossroads Automotive on U.S. Highway 72 West experienced two instances of tires stolen in July, and it happened
again about three weeks ago, said Dee Dee Smith, detective with the Corinth Police Department. In the most recent occurrence, suspects took rims and tires off a 2012 Avalanche from the detail shop on Galyean Road near the main dealership. In July, individuals took tires and rims from a 2011 GMC Sierra pickup
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 50 pages • 3 sections
Bad blood
Dealership offers $1,000 reward to help catch rim, tire thieves jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Thunderstorm
and a 2011 Yukon. The crimes occurred between 4 and 5 a.m. The detective speculated that the culprits parked nearby and walked through the woods to get to the car lot. The tires and rims are described as having a value of $3,600 to $4,000 per set. Similar crimes occurred at dealership lots in Tupelo and Olive Branch, and
Brother fatally shoots sibling
Smith said they may have all been committed by the same suspects. Crossroads Automotive is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to a conviction. Information about this case may be reported to Smith at 286-3377 or through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-773-tips or crimestoppersnems. com.
BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@dailycorinthian. com
PRENTISS COUNTY — A Jumpertown-area man is dead after being shot multiple times by his brother after allegedly forcing his way into the brother’s home
while armed with an axe handle. Prentiss County Sheriff Randy Tolar said deputies responding to a report of a shooting discovered the body of Arthur Dewayne White, 48, of 282 County Road Please see KILLING | 3A
Harvey Moss reflects on 28-year House career BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Once a shy boy who dreamed of getting into lawmaking, Corinth’s Harvey Moss will soon leave office as one of the Legislature’s most senior members. In the last of his seven terms in the Mississippi House of Representatives, he took on the title of House majority whip. “As far as I know, I’m the first majority whip in the state of Mississippi,” said Moss. “I’d gladly go back to the old time when you didn’t need one.” Coupled with the retirement of Speaker of the House Billy McCoy, northeast Mississippi is ceding a considerable chunk of political power. “We’ve had some strong leadership and it’s paid dividends,” said Moss. “We’ve had the speaker. Prentiss had the speakership about 24 years if you count Tim Ford. Then we had the president pro
Staff photo by Jebb Johnston
Rep. Harvey Moss sits at his desk in the Taylor Street office, where he shared space with the late Jim Dean, former legislator and city judge, for many years. Moss is retiring after 28 years as District 2 representative. tem of the senate for eight years.” In January 1975, the young attorney began his
practice in the same Taylor Street office he still maintains today. Moss got his first taste of real
Tropical paradise
politics that same year, running for county attorney. “I did learn a lot about
politics when I ran for county attorney and didn’t get elected,” he said. “I got to meet a lot of people and got a pretty fair vote for a guy that just got out of law school.” At Ole Miss, he served in the student senate. “I majored in political science and always had an interest in politics, which is strange because I was very shy in high school,” said Moss. He had his eye on the district 2 House seat early on. “But timing is everything in politics, and I decided ‘83 was the time to try,” he said. The incumbent, Jet Wilson, had decided not to run again, leaving an opening that Moss was able to sieze as a rural Democrat, taking office in 1984. The two other representatives for parts of Alcorn County, Billy McCoy and Mack Loyd Wadkins, were beginning their second terms.
Legislative achievements In Moss’ first term, the first major program the local delegation tackled was to equalize education funding through the Chickasaw Session funds. “It was a big step,” he said. “We worked real hard and only had four or five votes against it.” The legislation that he calls the highlight of his career came just a few years later in the form of the 1987 highway program which led to the four-laning of U.S. Highways 72 and 45. He recalled a meeting in 1986 with other northeast Mississippi legislators who wanted to pursue a highway bill. “We started thinking about how could we get a highway program,” said Moss. “We had some hearings in ‘86 and everybody said, ‘You don’t have Please see MOSS | 5A
CES principal isn’t fooling around when it comes to students doing well BY KIM JOBE Corinth School District Project Director
Staff photos by Mark Boehler
Dale Walker of 1112 North Parkway in Corinth shows off one of two papaya trees he has grown in his combination vegetable, fruit and flower garden. The 80-year-old Master Gardner grew the plants from a seed of a papaya purchased in a local grocery store. The tropical plant can’t take cold weather and Walker is hoping the papaya fruit ripens before the first frost. “This has really amazed us this year,” said Walker’s wife, Ann, about the eight-foot tall papaya trees. Walker said gardening and landscape work on his three acres off Parkway is his favorite hobby.
Index Stocks...... 7A Classified....11A Comics....13C Crossroads ..10B
Weather......5A Obituaries......3A Opinion......4A Sports......8A
When Corinth Elementary School Principal Denise Webb-Harrell dons her jester hat, she isn’t simply fooling around. Instead, the educator is looking for classes of students qualified for a HAT Party. Pulling around a HAT Party Bucket, wearing the silly jester hat and dancing to some festive music, Webb-Harrell randomly enters classrooms at CES checking to make certain the students all have completed three tasks: H - all must have their homework; A - all must be in attendance that day; and T - no student could have been tardy. If the chosen class’ teacher answers each question correctly, the students may choose a prize from the HAT bucket. On a recent Wednesday morning, Webb-Harrell sought HAT Party participants for the first time. The festive music the principal traipsed into classrooms using ranged from “R-O-C-K in the USA” to Kelly Clarkson’s rendition of
Photo by Kim Jobe
Corinth Elementary School Principal Denise Webb-Harrell wears her jester hat while passing out candy to some of her students. “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” to Chris Ledoux wailing “Life is a Highway” from another Corinth School District staffer’s iPod. Of the 31 classes Webb-Harrell visited
On this day in history 150 years ago President Lincoln and his cabinet discuss the imminent retirement of General-in-Chief Winfield Scott. Due to ill health and pressure from Gen. McClellan, he voluntarily retires. By Tom Parsons, National Park Service Ranger
Please see HAT | 3A