Friday Jan. 13,
2012
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 11
Sunny Today
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• Corinth, Mississippi • Two sections • 18 pages
Officials seek missing man BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
IUKA — Tishomingo County officials are seeking information about a man last seen by his family a month ago. Robert Paul Martindale, 55, of 18 County Road 473, Iuka, was reported missing by his family, who last saw him on Dec. 6. According to the Tishomingo County Sheriff’s Department, Martindale is a truck driver,
and it is not unusual for him to be away for short periods of time without contact. However, the family became concerned when Martindale officials in Lowndes County found his vehicle but no
sign of Martindale. The missing man is described as 6 feet tall and weighing approximately 190 pounds with brown eyes and gray hair. He has a small tattoo on his left arm and another tattoo on his right hand. The sheriff’s department is seeking any information about the location of Martindale. Call 423-7000 or submit information online at tishomingocountysheriff.com.
Rotary celebrates 75 years
In other news, the sheriff’s department reported recent drug arrests: ■ North Mississippi Narcotics Unit and deputies executed a search warrant at 1014 North Highway 365, Burnsville, resulting in the arrest of Samantha Stewart Wright and Rodney Wright. The two were charged with conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, possession of two or more precursors with the intent to manufacture
Keenum must pay $1 million restitution BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Past Rotary president David Palmer looks over the display commemorating the 75th year of Rotary at the Crossroads Museum.
Crossroads Museum hosts club exhibit BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Service Above Self. That motto has been a permanent fixture in Corinth since 1936. The Corinth Rotary Club commemorated its 75th year in the crossroads with a meeting at the Crossroads Museum on Thursday. Part of the festivities was a display — which now has a permanent home at the museum — chronicling the activities of the club over the years. “Rotary has always been active in the community,” said
“The club is involved in so many good things that help the community. I wanted to be a part of that.” John Orman Rotary Club member 1963-64 Rotary President David Palmer. “There have been a lot of good times together here in Rotary.” Corinth Rotary was officially organized on Nov. 23, 1936, with 23 charter members. The club was admitted to Rotary
International the following month on Dec. 7. “Rotary does so much around the world,” said 199899 President Jennie Hibbard. “It’s more than what is hapPlease see ROTARY | 2A
methamphetamine and felony child endangerment. The arrests occurred Dec. 6. ■ A traffic stop by North Mississippi Narcotics and deputies led to the arrest of Jaclyn Prentiss, 28, and Brad Davis, 45. Officials charged the two with possession of pseudoephedrine and conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. Information led to two search warrants and additional arrests in Prentiss County.
Additional details have been released regarding the sentencing of a former Booneville attorney on a charge of bank fraud. Former Booneville attorney Thomas Keenum has been ordered to pay more than $1 million in restitution in connection with his sentencing on one count of bank fraud. Keenum was sentenced on Dec. 30, to serve 22 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to illegally obtain loans against a property he owned in Alcorn County. In August 2010 he pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted to falsifying title opinions on property he owned in Alcorn County in order to fraudulently obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars of loans against the property. Keenum admitted he sought and obtained documents from other local attorneys indicating the property had no liens against it based on information he provided to the attorneys, when in fact he knew other loans were already in place against the property. The names of the attorneys who provided those title opinions have not been made public. A final judgment in the criminal case was officially filed with United States District Court on Thursday, Jan. 5, detailing the specifics of Keenum’s sentence. In addition to the 22 months in the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons, the former attorney most also serve five years probation after his release.
Keenum must report to begin serving his sentence before 2 p.m. on Feb. 27. The sentencing order requests that he be incarcerated at an appropriate federal medical center where he can receive treatment for medical issues. The judgment states Keenum must pay a total of $1,083,121.41 in restitution to a long list of institutions including: ■ $110,317.43 to Community Bank of North Mississippi ■ $157,091.15 to BancorpSouth ■ $266,872.62 to Community Spirit Bank ■ $123,518.96 to Peoples Bank of Ripley ■ $15,602.25 to First American National Bank ■ $10,000 to Duncan Lott ■ $75,000 to Allied World Assurance Company ■ $287,219 to CNA Insurance ■ $37,500 to Great American Insurance Co. The restitution must be paid beginning with a lump sum payment of $100 that was due immediately at the start of sentencing and then in equal monthly installments beginning while incarcerated. In June of 2011, Keenum was permanently disbarred from the practice of law by the Mississippi Supreme Court based on the recommendation of the Mississippi Bar Association after Keenum sought the permanent disbarment. Keenum announced his retirement and the closure of his Booneville law practice in January 2009, citing declining health.
Project Attention Kossuth 7th grader wins spelling bee honors civil rights leader’s legacy BY JEBB JOHNSTON
jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
With the correct spelling of “doubtful,” victory became a certainty for Kossuth Middle School’s John Riley Stanford. The seventh-grader took the crown and a $50 prize at the Alcorn County Spelling Bee hosted Tuesday night by Corinth Middle School at the CHS auditorium. His word wizardry earns him a spot in the regional competition in Memphis, Tenn. Stanford emerged victorious after 21 rounds that saw students make correct spellings of words such as “binoculars,” “astrophysicist” and “harassment.” The audience demanded a definition of one correctly spelled word — “chickabiddy” — and gave the speller a round of applause. The word is a term
BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Project Attention is set to celebrate the promise of youth and the legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The annual observance of King’s birthday will take place Saturday at 5 p.m. at the South Corinth school campus. As always, the children who participate in Project Attention’s activities will feature in the program. Children who penned winning essays on the theme of “I am a promise ... I am a possibility” will read their work. “It is going to be a reflection of what the kids are saying about how they are a promise and can go as far as they want,” said Shirley Rolland, activities facilitator for Project Attention. “But they have got to work to do it, and they have that opportunity now because of the things that Dr. King did for us.” Another highlight of the program will be a reunion of the group Seventy-Six Voices that brought Please see PROJECT | 2A
Index Stocks...... 7A Classified......5B Comics......4B Wisdom......3B
Weather......5A Obituaries......3A Opinion......4A Sports......8A
Photos by Kim Jobe / Corinth School District
Alcorn County Spelling Bee winners are (from left) John Riley Stanford, KMS, first place; Alyssa McAlister, KMS, second place; Chris Miller, ACMS, fourth place; and Lauren Walker, ACMS, fifth place. Not pictured is third-place winner Anna Ortega of Corinth Middle School. of endearment, especially for a child. When his last remaining opponent stumbled on
“genuine,” Stanford followed up with the correct spelling of “doubtful.” Forty-nine students
from ville,
Corinth, BiggersKossuth, Rienzi,
Please see SPELLING | 2A
On this day in history 150 years ago U.S. General-in-Chief George McClellan still refuses to talk to President Lincoln or the cabinet about his upcoming military plans. He disagrees with the president’s recommendations and gives only the barest details about his own preparations.