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2012
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Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 60
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • 1 section
Time left to file homestead exemption BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
A few weeks remain for homeowners to file for homestead exemption. With the normal deadline of April 1 falling on a Sunday, Tax Assessor Kenneth Brawner said he plans to have his office open on Saturday, March 31, from 8 a.m. until noon for homestead filing. The homestead exemption is
an ad valorem tax credit given by the state for home ownership. People who need to consider filing include those who built or purchased a new home during the past year and those who reached age 65 or became 100 percent disabled during the last calendar year. Brawner said his office wants to see everyone who is entitled get the property tax break. “It’s not something that is
done at closing when a home is sold,” Brawner said. “This is something that people have to come into the office and apply for.” People moving in from other states sometimes simply don’t know about the homestead exemption, he said. The office has seen the pace of filing slow during the last couple of years with fewer homes being built during the recession. Last
year saw 535 new filings, a decrease from previous years, and the number stood at 360 as of Monday. Brawner said he will not be surprised if this year’s number falls short of last year’s 535. Items needed to file for exemption include Social Security number (both, if a married couple); Alcorn County license plate numbers; the purchase price of the property; and, if ap-
plicable, proof of Social Security disability entitlement showing the beginning date of disability or a disabled veteran’s claim number. The state provides a reimbursement to counties for homestead exemptions. Alcorn County received $344,978.28 for the latest year. Contact the assessor’s office for more information at 2867733.
Motorists can expect road closures State OKs building funding
BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
As two roadway construction projects continue across town, Corinth motorists can expect some temporary road closings next week. Contractors have begun work on the Proper Street and Fillmore Street improvement projects. The Proper Street project includes milling and paving of the street from Cruise Street to Young Street. Depending on the weather, there will be temporary closings for the Fillmore Street project on Wednesday and possibly Thursday, said Felix Rutledge, owner of Rutledge Contracting of Tupelo. Next week’s project on Fillmore Street includes milling — removing three to four inches of old asphalt — and paving. Rutledge said his team plans to close a block of Fillmore at a time, beginning at the intersection of Fillmore and Childs Street. “We don’t want to close any more than we have to,” Rutledge said. “Since there will be trucks coming in and turning around we’re going to temporarily close parts of the street just to be safe.” While he is hopeful the operation will be finished by the end of Wednesday, construction and temporary road closings may continue on Thursday, he said.
BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
projects include some handicap accessibility ramps, mainly on Fillmore, and some limited sidewalk repair. The area to be paved on Proper Street was closed recently as
The Corinth School District will receive $5 million in qualified school construction bond funding for building projects. The Mississippi Department of Education recently approved the district’s application. The funds come from a pool of money that remained available through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act. “We appear to have a buyer in terms of a bank for those, which is definitely a good spot to be in,” Superintendent Lee Childress told the board of trustees in a Friday meeting. “It appears, according to the attorneys, that after the direct payment from the federal government is made on this issue that we will get an interest rate of zero percent or just a little bit above zero.” The district looks to close the deal by about mid-April, and no effect on local taxes is anticipated. In addition to the new softball complex, the other projects to be undertaken focus
Please see CLOSINGS | 2A
Please see FUNDS | 2A
Staff photo by Bobby J. Smith
Corinth drivers can expect temporary closings on Fillmore Street beginning Wednesday as the street improvement project continues. Vehicles regularly parked on the side of Fillmore will need to be moved during the construction, Rutledge said. He will be on Fillmore Street early Wednesday asking people to park in other places as work continues on the project.
“It won’t be too inconvenient for everyone,” he said. “The traffic is really not that bad, anyhow. The big part will be the people who park there.” The Fillmore project is an extension of the street’s prior milling and paving work. The
Easter photos raise funds so Hurley’s special kids can get food vouchers BY MARK BOEHLER editor@dailycorinthian.com
Although Havis Hurley's effort to take a group of special needs kids to Disney World has made it's initial fundraising goal, the continued outpouring of support from the community will hopefully help provide food vouchers for the children. The $25,000 goal was needed for motel rooms, Disney World tickets and transportation, noted Hurley, who will be taking approximately 45 special needs kids and their chaperones on the five-day trip this summer. “We are now working on food vouchers for all the kids,” explained Hurley. “It is extremely expensive to eat in those theme parks. We still need help. We are so blessed.” With those thoughts in mind, several fundraisers are still planned to help Hurley's trip, including two local amateur photographers who are offering a fundraising Easter photo shoot to help the effort. Bill Avery and Lisa Wilbanks — known for their photo exhibits at the Corinth Library
“It is extremely expensive to eat in those theme parks. We still need help. We are so blessed.” Havis Hurley Trip organizer — will be taking 8-by-10 Easter Bunny and family portraits for $10 each with all proceeds to benefit Hurley’s effort. Since announcing the special photo fundraiser several weeks ago, Avery said 17 people are already signed up to take part. “Response has been great,” said Corinth resident Avery, a retired boat salesman turned shutterbug. “We are looking forward to more people taking advantage of this opportunity. We also want to get the word out that the effort will go toward food vouchers for the kids, so the need to continue to help Havis with his trip is still there.” Avery and Wilbanks will shoot family portraits, children or any combination desired by family. They have made arrangements for a studio with a couple of choices of backdrops inside a
house on Jackson Street. To pull off the undertaking, the photographers require appointments. All photos will be taken at 815 Jackson St. behind First United Methodist Church. Family portraits will be taken March 12-13 during Spring Break and March 20-24. Photos with the Easter Bunny will be taken for only two days, March 24-25. The two photographers plan 20 minutes for each sitting, so appointments are required. “This is a fun project and I'm glad to do my part,” added Avery. (To make an appointment, have the date and time frame in mind and call 662-415-1999 or 662-287-4129. Those are also the phone numbers for questions or e-mail to billavery@bellsouth.net.)
Index Stocks........7 Classified......14 Comics...... 13 Wisdom...... 12
Weather........5 Obituaries........ 3 Opinion........4 Sports...... 10
Photo by Bill Avery
Havis Hurley will take a group of about 45 special-needs kids and their chaperones to Disney World this summer. An Easter photo project will help get food vouchers for the children who make the trip. “We are blessed,” said Hurley about the outpouring of support for the project.
On this day in history 150 years ago March 10 — General Braxton Bragg gives orders to commence building entrenchments around Corinth. At Hampton Roads, Va., the CSS Virginia and the USS Monitor engage in the epic battle of ironclad ships. The fight was inconclusive.