Wednesday Nov. 23,
2011
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 115, No. 279
Partly sunny Today
Tonight
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 22 pages • 2 sections
Corinth PD moves to new home BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The Corinth Police Department is settling into its new home at the Alcorn County Justice Center. The department began the process of moving its opera-
tions from City Hall to the South Harper Road complex on Friday. “Most everything is now here at the new building,” said Police Chief David Lancaster. “We still haven’t got all of our computers totally working and don’t have some of our records moved yet.”
But the department was close to having everything back up and running Tuesday afternoon. The old police station offices and jail at City Hall are now vacant, awaiting some future use. “If anyone needs police services, they need to come to this
building,” said Lancaster. “The only thing that has changed is the location of the department.” He has heard some concerns from people about the department moving “out there,” but he said citizens are going to get the same coverage.
“We are still patrolling the entire city,” said Lancaster. “With computers in their cars, the officers can stay in their area and complete reports without having to return to the police staPlease see MOVE | 2A
$500,000 trust deficiency sends two cemeteries into Receivership For the Daily Corinthian
Prentiss County Chancellor John Hatcher has signed an order placing Oaklawn Memorial Park of Booneville and Forrest Memorial Park of Corinth under Receivership. Both cemeteries are owned and operated by Wayne Hight of Corinth. “Both cemeteries currently have zero dollars in their trust accounts. The Secretary of State’s Office cannot allow a cemetery with over a half-million dollars deficient in their trust accounts to continue servicing Northeast Mississippians,” said Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann. An investigation by the Secretary of State’s Office found the preneed and perpetual care trust accounts for Oaklawn Memorial Park deficient in the amount of $62,084.91,
which includes the amounts originally held in trust at the time of purchase. The trust accounts for Forrest Memorial Park were found deficient in the amount of $473,521.48, including amounts originally held in trust at the time of purchase. Currently, the total deficiencies combined for both cemeteries are $535,606.39. “Now that the Receiver has been appointed, we encourage Mississippians to continue paying on grave spaces and burial merchandise they have purchased at these two cemeteries to Mr. Ross,” said Hosemann. Consumers can be assured that their payments to the Receiver will be set aside and trusted and therefore availPlease see CEMETERIES | 2A
Board OKs backing for upcoming events BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
The tourism board approved sponsorships for two upcoming events during the regular meeting for November. The first event funding the board approved was for the Corinth Symphony Orchestra’s annual Christmas concert. “The cost of producing a concert with the scale of the Christmas concert normally costs upwards of $6,000,” wrote Lee Ann Story Sikora, president of the symphony board. “We hope to raise some of that money through season passes and advance concert ticket sales, but none
of these are guaranteed to bring in what we need to have to pay our musicians and advertise in time for the concert. The tourism board approved a $2,000 sponsorship to assist the symphony with advertising costs. This year’s concert, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” will be held at 2:30 p.m., on Sunday, Dec. 4, at the Corinth Coliseum Civic Center. The second group to receive funding was Corinth and Alcorn County’s community-based poetry group, Crossroads Poetry Project. Please see BOARD | 2A
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Gobble, gobble The fourth-grade class of Anthia Jo Follin-King at Kossuth Elementary along with The Music Makers under the direction of Molly Windham presented a patriotic and Thanksgiving program. Fourthgrader Isabella Thompson played the part of the turkey in Follin-King’s traditional production. Kossuth veterans took part in the program before the pilgrims and Indians took the stage for the 36th year at KES. See more photos from the program, Pages 15A and 16A.
First UMC plans special services for upcoming Advent Season For the Daily Corinthian
The Rev. Prentiss M. Gordon Jr. and the congregation of First United Methodist Church would like to invite the community to join the church family as they celebrate the coming of Christ during this Advent season. “For the liturgical church, the season of Advent is a time to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Christ child, once again, into the world,” said Rev. Gordon. “The Advent season begins Sunday, Nov. 27, and ends on Christmas Day, Sunday, Dec. 25. FUMC has a series of special services planned for every Sun-
day during Advent beginning with “The Hanging of the Green” on Sunday night, Nov. 27, at 5 p.m. in the Sanctuary of FUMC. On Sunday evening, Dec. 4, the church have a special program titled “Music of the Season” which will take place in the Fillmore Street Chapel. This program also begins at 5 p.m. and will be made up of a variety of church members playing instruments and singing familiar seasonal favorites. On Sunday evening Dec. 11, the FUMC Childrens Choirs will perform their Christmas musical “The Light of Christmas” at 5 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of the
church located on Jackson Street. “This is a delightful presentation filled with humor and fun, yet communicating the true ‘meaning of the season’,” noted Rev. Gordon. On this same evening, the FUMC Handbell Choir will be participating in St Paul’s Episcopal Church’s Lessons and Carols service at 6:30 p.m. St Paul’s church is located at the corner of Shiloh Road and Highway 350 in North Corinth. On Sunday morning, Dec. 18, the FUMC Chancel Choir, accompanied by a brass choir, organ, piano, flute and handbells will present its annual “Carols of Christmas” in
Index Stocks...... 7A Classified......4B Comics......3B Wisdom......2B
Weather......5A Obituaries......3A Opinion......4A Sports...8-9A
the Sanctuary of FUMC at the 10 a.m. worship service. “This should be a highlight of the Christmas season as the choir sings a variety of anthems ranging from hymn tunes to Spirituals,” noted Rev. Gordon. On Saturday evening, Dec. 24, the Christmas Eve Communion service will be held at 5 p.m. in the Sanctuary of FUMC. This is a warm, family friendly service and will include hymn singing, Holy Communion, special music, and will conclude with candlelight as the congregation exits the church in silence taking Please see ADVENT | 2A
First United Methodist Church
On this day in history 150 years ago “Birge’s Western Sharpshooters” are mustered into Federal service. The regiment was at the battles of Shiloh, Iuka and Corinth and served in the Corinth garrison until 1864. By Tom Parson, NPS Ranger