Prentiss County Traffic stop leads to drug charges.
Shiloh Park announces holiday schedule.
Tishomingo County School officials suspend coach.
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Wednesday Dec. 23,
2015
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Daily Corinthian
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Vol. 119, No. 306
• Corinth, Mississippi • 24 pages • Two sections
Bonding firms paid for audit BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Basket Fund nears $12,000
The bonding company of two defendants in the state auditor’s investigation of Alcorn County has made payment on the costs of prosecution and investigation. The Tupelo office of the district attorney for the First Circuit Court District received $30,000 from the Office of the State Auditor on Friday. The
funds came from the bonding company associated with Dal Nelms, the former Second District supervisor, and Paul Rhodes, the former county purchasing clerk. “It’s an investigative fund assessment that the court assessed against these folks when they pled guilty,” said District Attorney John Weddle. “Typically, we do those assessments so the defendants can pay the
expenses we have in prosecuting these cases.” Funds owed to Alcorn County as a result of the year-long government corruption investigation are pending. “The Office of the State Auditor plans on returning additional funds to Alcorn County in January,” said Sarah Smith, spokeswoman for the auditor’s office. Nelms, currently in custody
The spirit of giving this holiday season is alive and well in the Alcorn County area. Donations continue to pour in for the 20th Annual Corinth Rotary Club / Daily Corinthian Christmas Basket Fund. A $25,000 fund raising goal was set so 1,000 food baskets could be given to local families on Saturday, Dec. 5. Baskets were given away based upon faith the goal will be reached. It’s two days before Christmas and the goal is almost at the half-way point. So far $11,985 has been raised, meaning $13,015 still has to be raised to meet the goal. Recent donations include
Christmas set to bring big storms BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
ment. “We also provided each school with a sheet of plywood for a cut out,” he said. “Photos posted on our Facebook wall with the cut out will fetch that school extra votes in the contest.” Students were required to tie in their school and the Ford emblem to the window design. From Alcorn Central High School, students Lauren Walker, Ashley Manahan, Brandon Turner, Joe Harbor,
For hopes of a white Christmas, the weatherman says keep dreaming. The Mid-South outlook this week will instead bring balmy temperatures and the possibility of tornadic storms today. “We’re looking at all threats right now as far as damaging winds and large hail,” said Meteorologist Jim Branda with the National Weather Service in Memphis. “We’ll have significant churning in the low levels for storms to rotate and possible tornadoes to form.” The severe weather scenario is taking shape today with warm and unstable air streaming into the area ahead of an approaching cold front. “There could be a couple different rounds,” said Branda. “You could see some morning convection and then late in the afternoon, into the evening hours, a better potential for something severe coming through Northeast Mississippi.” The county is in an area that will see an enhanced risk of severe weather, with chances decreasing north of I-40. After a stormy eve of Christmas Eve, other rounds of thun-
Please see MURALS | A2
Please see STORMS | 6A
Please see FUND | 6A
Staff photo by Zack Steen
Art students from all four Alcorn County high schools participated in the Third Annual Long Lewis Art Competition earlier this month. A photo of each school’s Christmas themed handpainted mural appears on page 2A today.
Voting starts in art competition BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
Results please event officials BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
The 3rd Annual Physician’s Urgent Care Lighthouse Thanksgiving Classic was a slam dunk. Number four should be even better. “We couldn’t be happier the way everything worked out,” said event organizer Vince Overholt. “We already have a ton of teams lined up for next year … on paper, the classic should be better next year.” Next year comes quick and has organizers already thinking about ways to improve the annual high school basketball event at Corinth High School. “Friday’s attendance was excellent … probably better than the first two years,” said Overholt. The attendance for Saturday’s final two games was down, according to Overholt. The Egg Bowl had something to do with the number being lower than Please see TOURNAMENT | 5A
of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, was served with a civil demand last December for $308,244.71. Rhodes, who is awaiting sentencing on a charge of mail fraud in U.S. District Court, was served with a civil demand for $72,466.28. The Alcorn County investigation remains open and “we’ve still got a few things we’re looking at,” said Weddle.
High school students showed off their artistic talents recently in the 3rd Annual Long Lewis Ford Art Competition. School supporters can now cast their vote for their favorite Christmas themed handpainted mural. A photo of each school’s mural is on the Long Lewis Facebook page awaiting likes, shares and tags. The mural with the most activity will win the contest. “Each school was assigned
four windows to use. We supplied them with a quart of seven different paint colors and other needed supplies,” said Long Lewis operations manager Jeremy Hartnell. “Once the murals were completed, we took pictures and posted them on our business Facebook account.” All four Alcorn County high schools have until Dec. 31 to promote their mural. The mural with the most likes, shares and tags at the end of the contest will win a $500 cash prize to be used as needed in the school’s art depart-
Highway patrol beefs up enforcement over holidays BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
State police will beef up patrols and conduct checkpoints for the Christmas holiday period. The Mississippi Highway Patrol starts its Christmas enforcement efforts at 6 p.m. today, and it continues through midnight Sunday. Safety checkpoints will focus on child restraint, seat belt laws and removing impaired
drivers. “Additional troopers will be assigned to interstate and highway systems in order to combat careless and reckless driving along with speeding and distracted driving issues,” said MHP Capt. Johnny Poulos. Last year’s Christmas period had no fatalities out of 148 crashes investigated by MHP. “We ask all motorists to make responsible decisions
and include safe driving in their plans,” said Poulos. Driven by falling gas prices and other favorable factors, the American Automobile Association projects the number of people hitting the road for the holidays will top 100 million for the first time — a 1.4 percent increase from last year and the seventh consecutive year of growth. In the last few days, the national average gasoline price
dropped below $2 a gallon for the first time since March 25, 2009. Average retail gasoline prices in Mississippi have fallen 1 cent per gallon in the past week, averaging $1.78 per gallon Sunday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 2,014 gas outlets in Mississippi. GasBuddy projects further declines into early January as demand bottoms out ahead of a seasonal increase as spring approaches.
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Magnolia Hospital offers the latest in help for chronic back pain. Neurosurgeon Dr. William Brown offers implantation of the new nerve stimulation device.
Alcorn County Master Gardeners continue their efforts to beautify the grounds of the county courthouse with the planting of 11 new trees through a grant from CARE. The trees were selected with the advice of foresters Preston Padgett and Jeff Ware.
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