Thursday March 22,
2012
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 70
T-storms Today
Tonight
73
56
• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • 1 Section
Wrong way driving leaves 2 dead, 1 seriously injured BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
An 11 year-old child is in critical condition at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital following a bicycle accident on Tuesday. The Corinth Police Department Accident Reconstruction Unit was called to the scene. No charges were filed.
11-year-old boy remains critical after vehicle hit BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
An 11 year-old is in critical condition from injuries suffered in a bicycle accident Tuesday evening. Gabriel Williamson, 11, of Childs Street, is listed as critical in Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, according to hospital spokesman Sarah Burnett. Williamson was struck by motorist Bobby Worsham, 42,
of Corinth, as he attempted to cross Bunch Street on his bicycle around 4:39 p.m. Worsham’s 1998 Jeep Cherokee was traveling west on Bunch when the child crossed in front of him. “A group of children had crossed the street prior to the accident,” said Corinth Assistant Police Chief Scotty Harville. The child was thrown for-
ward after contacting the center of the vehicle, according to the assistant chief. A huge oak tree could have played a part in the accident, which rerouted traffic around Bunch Street for almost an hour. According to Harville, the tree could have obstructed the view of both the driver and child. No charges were filed in the accident.
A car traveling in the wrong lanes of U.S. Highway 45 collided head-on with another vehicle just south of Corinth Tuesday night, killing two people and seriously injuring a third. The Mississippi Highway Patrol said Peggy Gray Wages, 59, of Baldwyn, and Jeffery Dale Bonds, 48, of the Coleman Park area near Iuka, each died at the scene. A 49-year-old passenger in the 1999 Chevrolet Malibu driven by Wages was airlifted to North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo with lifethreatening injuries. MHP declined to identify the male passenger. Biggersville Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Allen was among the first firefighters to arrive on scene, where he found car debris spread over an estimated 50 yards. “I have been with the Biggersville Fire Department since 1998, and this is by far the worst wreck I have seen,” he said. Funeral services for Wages, a retired nurse’s aide, are set for 2 p.m. Friday at Kesler Funeral Home Chapel in Baldwyn. She is survived by a daughter of Corinth, Charylee Danielle Gray Swindle.
Funeral services for Bonds are set for 2 p.m. Friday at Cutshall Funeral Home Chapel in Iuka. MHP said Wages was traveling southbound on U.S. 45 in the left lane and Bonds was headed in the wrong direction in a 1997 Saturn when the two cars hit head-on in the left southbound lane about a half mile north of the 45 South Truck Stop. MHP said evidence at the scene indicates Bonds was possibly under the influence of alcohol. None of the vehicle occupants wore a seat belt, according to Trooper Casey Mayo. Coroner Jay Jones, who described it as one of the worst accident scenes to which he has responded, said it was speculated that the Saturn entered the highway from the truck stop or County Road 511 because there had been no prior report of a car traveling the wrong way. Firemen used extrication equipment to remove the victims from the vehicles. Biggersville and Kossuth FDs responded. Motorists in the southbound lanes faced a lengthy traffic delay as officials investigated and cleaned up the wreck scene. Traffic began to move again at about 9:15 p.m.
City of Corinth supports funding for Highway 9 BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The Corinth Board of Aldermen had a light agenda Tuesday that included a resolution of support for the proposed Highway 9 north four-lane. Following similar action by the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors on Monday, the board adopted a resolution encouraging the Mississippi Sen-
ate to reject any corresponding bill associated with House Bill 791, which was recently passed by the Mississippi House. Language in the house bill takes the previously designated $40 million off the table for construction of the northern Highway 9 improvements in Union County. Supporters believe the highway improvements would in-
crease Alcorn and neighboring counties’ chances of landing a Toyota supplier by decreasing the drive time to the plant. Local officials attended a hearing on the matter at the Capitol on Tuesday. In other business: ■ The agenda included several property cleanup items. Jim Cotner of 1106 Ross Street addressed the board, expressing
frustration and concerns about the city’s demands on the property. Mayor Tommy Irwin said he will meet with the Cotners to discuss the cleanup and possible solutions. The board gave a continuance to April 17 for 213 North Parkway and adjudicated cleanup costs of $1,495 at 608 Wenasoga Road with a penalty of $500. ■ Aldermen approved a tax
exemption request for Automatic Machine Products relating to an expansion of operations. ■ In zoning requests, the board approved setback variances for a storage building at 1300 Pine Road and a pool house at 2111 Oak Lane. The board set a public hearing for April 17 on a zoning change request by David Latch.
Shoate Creek Bridge opens Friday at cost of $36,000 3 attend literary celebration BY STEVE BEAVERS
sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
An Alcorn County road is set to reopen following the completion of a bridge project. Work on the Shoate Creek Bridge on CR 260 is scheduled to be complete for the reopening on Friday. “This bridge project has been a long time coming,” said 2nd district supervisor Dal Nelms. “We are extremely grateful to the Tombigbee River Valley Water Management District for their hands on involvement and know because of their help we have another bridge that will serve the district for years to come.” The old bridge consisted of two big culverts that had rusted and forced the road to constantly be under water after heavy rains. “It was a mess,” said Nelms. The Tombigbee River Valley Management District also went in and rechanneled the creek to flow better under the bridge. Construction on the project took just over two weeks. The new 30 by 22 concrete bridge also improved the crossing for motorists, changing it from a one-lane bridge to two-lane.
For the Daily Corinthian
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Alcorn County 2nd District Supervisor Dal Nelms (left) and district employee Keven Moss go over plans for the Shoate Creek Bridge to be reopened. District workers were busy finishing up road beds and grading the road on Wednesday to get ready for the opening. Total cost on the project was
$36,000, according to the supervisor. Nelms says $20,000 was for materials while the other $16,000 made up the labor charge.
Index Stocks........7 Classified...... 13 Comics...... 12 Wisdom...... 11
Weather........5 Obituaries........ 3 Opinion........4 Sports........8
“I never thought it would be installed this quick,” said the supervisor. “We still have plenty of things like this to work on in our district.”
BOONEVILLE — Northeast Mississippi Community College was well represented recently at the twenty-third annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration at the Natchez Convention Center. With this year’s theme “Legends, Lore, and Literature: Storytelling in the South,” Northeast instructor and William Winter faculty scholar Bill Stone, director of learning resources Glenice Stone and William Winter scholar Lauren Hinton of Corinth were among literary legends such as the former governor during the threeday conference. William Winter Scholars from all of Mississippi’s community colleges, colleges and universities were recognized as a group in the opening ceremonies at the Natchez Convention CenPlease see LITERARY | 2
On this day in history 150 years ago March 22 — “Corinth cannot be taken without meeting a large force,” reports General Grant. “A general engagement would be inevitable.” He had just learned that 13 trains had arrived in Corinth, each train bearing twenty cars of Confederate reinforcements.