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Daily Corinthian Vol. 115, No. 271
• Corinth, Mississippi •
Breezy Today
Tonight
72
61
22 pages • Two sections
A second chance
Speaker focuses on job creation at Cancer survivor and Alliance meeting longtime lawman takes reins at regional jail “I learned not to stress over a lot of things. There are very few things I stress over now.”
BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Bobby J. Smith
Longtime lawman and cancer survivor Doug Mullins is the new warden at the Alcorn County Regional Corrections Facility.
Longtime law enforcement officer Doug Mullins had his first official day on the job as the new warden of the Alcorn County Regional Correctional Facility on Monday, Nov. 7, 2011. A lawman since February 1977, Mullins is also a cancer survivor. Almost a year before he became warden, Mullins — who will turn 54 on November 18 — was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, a rare form of cancer in which malignant cells form in the tissue of the esophagus, the hollow, muscular tube
Doug Mullins Cancer survivor and jail warden that connects the throat and stomach. It was a ploy by his wife, Vicki, that got Mullins to the doctor’s office for a screening. Please see MULLINS | 2A
BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston @dailycorinthian.com
A Caterpillar executive described several areas that he said can make a difference in the quest for more jobs in remarks before The Alliance membership. Mark Stratton was guest speaker for the annual meeting of The Alliance Thursday evening. He is a former Corinth facility manager and current general manager in Caterpillar’s Americas Remanufacturing & Components Division who has direct accountability for production operations at six facilities, including Corinth and Booneville. “There is no magic wand that you wave and all of a sudden jobs get
created out of thin air,” said Stratton. “The best you can do is create an environment where free enterprise and commercial operations can flourish and grow and create those opportunities.” For Caterpillar, the world’s largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, global competitiveness is essential. “There is no other option,” said Stratton. “The growth is happening in other places as other people strive to enjoy the standard of living that we have developed.” He said factors making it difficult for U.S. corporations to comPlease see JOBS | 2A
Bus driver raising funds to take special students to Disney BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington @dailycorinthian.com
Mickey Mouse’s house can make a magical difference in the life of a child. That’s the belief and the vision behind a local man’s efforts to take more than a dozen special needs children and their parents to Disney World for the trip of a lifetime. Havis Hurley has spent his life working to better the lives of young people through work with the Boys and Girls Club in Florida and Mississippi and a lengthy stint as director of the Corinth Sportsplex. It was during his time living in Florida and working with the Boys Club (what is today known as the Boys and Girls Club) of Ft. Lauderdale that he came to fall in love with the magic of
Walt Disney World. In October of 1971 he attended the opening of the Magic Kingdom with a group from the club. Since then he’s made more than 4 dozen visits to the park with his own family and with groups of children who have never had the opportunity to experience the magic. “I think I’ve made about 53 trips down there and I just can never get enough,” said Hurley. Today Hurley serves as a bus driver, transporting approximately 18 children with special needs each day. He said working with these special young people gave him the idea to try to coordinate a trip to Disney for them. They’ve managed to put together a package including transportation, tickets and accommodations for 5 days that will
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Havis Hurley is putting together a fundraiser to take 18 children with special needs to Disney World. Their first fundraiser is set for Dec. 1 at Pizza Inn. Cost is expected to be around $450 per person for the trip. cost around $450 per person. He knows that’s a lot of money to raise
at a tough time in the economy, but they plan to work hard and he be-
lieves the community will help them make the dream a reality. Their
Warm Hearts, Warm Child effort collecting coats for kids BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington @dailycorinthian.com
Chilly weather is just around the corner and people will be scrambling to bundle up in a warm coat to protect themselves for the cold, but for many families in this area providing coats for their children can be a difficult task. Christy Grice, Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Corinth, said she sees young people every day whose families simply can’t afford to provide them a coat for the cold weather ahead. Out of this realization was born the idea for an effort called Warm Hearts, Warm Child. “We have our coats and we just think everyone does, but in this economy
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Boys & Girls Club Unit Director Christy Grice (left) and Sportsplex Director Grant Roberts go through coats for the Warm Hearts, Warm Child coat drive of the organizations. it’s hard for many families to provide for their chil-
dren,” she said. Grice’s organization
Index Stocks...... 7A Classified......5B Assistance ....2B Weather......5A
Obituaries......3A Opinion......4A Sports...8-9A Outdoors....10A
is partnering with the Corinth SportsPlex and
several local businesses to collect coats for children in need. The outerwear will be distributed as it is collected to young people who would otherwise not have a coat to wear. The director said she sees the struggles facing many families and knows it’s especially hard to meet these needs for young children who so quickly grow out of clothes and need something new. They are collecting new and gently used coats in good condition at both the Boys and Girls Club and the SportsPlex. Coats are needed in all sizes for children from first grade through high school seniors. Grice said their goal is Please see COATS | 2A
first fundraiser is set for Thursday, Dec. 1 at Pizza Inn in Corinth where he and others will be waiting tables and performing other tasks to raise money for the trip. Hurley said he’s seen firsthand how the Disney experience can broaden the horizons of children who might otherwise never have the opportunity to see this part of the wider world. “I explained to the kids, it’s 800 miles, it’s going to be a long ride, but when you get there it will be a life changer because you’ll definitely be different,” he said. Hurley said the Disney experience is so different from everyday life and it gives children a chance to expand their worlds and dream big. “It’s just such a different feeling when you’re Please see HURLEY | 2A
Coat Dropoff Locations Ann’s 108 E. Shiloh Road
The Boys & Girls Club 511 Clark St.
The Boys & Girls Club Administration Office 1500 N. Harper Road
First United Methodist Church 901 N. Fillmore
Corinth SportsPlex 1911 Webster Street
The Daily Corinthian 1607 S. Harper Road
On this day in history 150 years ago President Abraham Lincoln pays an evening call on Generalin-Chief McClellan, who snubs the Commander-in-Chief by skipping the meeting and going to bed. By Tom Parson, NPS Ranger