Tuesday May 22,
2012
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 123
Citizens don’t want bridge open or repaired
Today
Tonight
78
52
• Corinth, Mississippi • 18 pages • 1 section
Jail’s finances concern board
Aggie mania
BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
County supervisors hear requests to improve roads on a daily basis. On Monday, the Board of Supervisors received a rare request for the opposite: not to fix a dilapidated bridge that has been closed for years on County Road 346 and to leave the road closed. Residents have noticed the surveying of property happening in the area, and a few attended the meeting to voice a request that the bridge not be fixed. District 2 Supervisor Dal Nelms said funds are in hand for a bridge replacement project, and the county is looking at moving forward with plans. Samuel Wigginton said the community has enjoyed the lessened traffic and a safer environment for children since the bridge went out of use about eight years ago. He said it is also costing the county less to maintain the narrow road since it gets less traffic. “The community has been extremely thankful that it has been closed,” said Matthew Wigginton. “It had become almost like a race track in the area. It was dangerous to the people, dangerous to the children. It was not uncommon for mailboxes to be run over on a weekly basis.” County Road 346 is located northeast of Jacinto. The board took no action on the request. In other business affecting the 2nd district, Nelms is transferring a 1999 Sterling truck and trailer to the 1st district with $10,000 of the funds going toward repayment of the 2nd district’s debt to the 4th district. Nelms said he is making an effort to pay off the debt to the 4th district, even though it dates back to Danny Crotts’ time on the board. In a previous meeting, 4th district supervisor Gary Ross asked that the 2nd district begin to pay off the debt. Apparently only $10,000 was previously repaid on the $60,000 loan, which was made when the 2nd district could not pay salaries or bills.
Mostly sunny
BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Photos by Amy Mercer
Kossuth High School baseball has hit mania level as the Aggies’ state championship game has been postponed to 4 p.m. Wednesday due to expected bad weather in the Jackson area. Kossuth tied the series vs. Southeast Lauderdale at 1-1 with a 9-3 victory on Saturday. Anna and Skylar Threadgill, wife and daughter of KHS Baseball Coach Daniel Threadgill, wish the team good luck with a send-off ceremony at the school last Thursday. Kossuth fan Jeff Bobo excites the crowd during Saturday’s game, while KHS senior Austin Emerson drums up support for the Aggies. The final game to determine the 3A state champ was first scheduled for Monday. Related photo, Page 2.
The Alcorn County Board of Supervisors hopes to see more black ink on the ledger for the new regional jail facility. Irb Benjamin, consultant for the regional jail project, met with the board Monday to discuss concerns about the jail finances. “As we look here each month, even though it has gotten better, we’re still in the red,” said Board President Lowell Hinton. “We are concerned.” A breakdown of the numbers since September shows only one month, January, had a net profit. The most recent month, April, had total expenses of $385,686 and revenue of $362,650, for a net loss of $23,036. The toughest month was November, with a net loss of $195,980. But Benjamin assured the board that the start-up months are often bumpy due to unanticipated expenses, and the numbers will turn around with some management tweaks. “The fact that your cash flow appears a little jumbled up on the front end, that’s to be expected,” he said. “It happens to most every project. The important thing is we’ve got a 20-year contract to carry us with the cash flow and the inmates out there.” Cash flow is running about $380,000 monthly, including payments from the Mississippi Department of Corrections for the housing of state inmates. “During the course of the last six to eight months, we’ve been steadily incurring one-time expenditures that have kept your costs up,” said Benjamin. “Those one-time cost items have pretty much diminished. From this phase forward, you’re just maintaining your numbers and managing expense costs.” He said the project was made more complicated by some of the logistical challenges of combining different law enforcement agencies into a single facility. Also, inmates did not move to the facility as early as anticipated, and that Please see FINANCES | 2
Magnolia auxiliary honors volunteers BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Magnolia Regional Health Center Auxiliary recently held its annual meeting to honor volunteers who have attained milestones in their accumulated hours of service. “MRHC’s Auxiliary are better known as the ‘pink ladies’ or ‘khaki gents’ but to me they are ladies and gentlemen that exemplify the meaning of true volunteerism,” said Renee Bullard, MRHC Auxiliary Liaison. “It is with great pleasure that I have the opportunity to work with these outstanding volunteers.” Auxiliary member Barbara Wayne said Auxiliary members are willing to give their time to others in the community. They provide at least four hours a week to provide care and assistance at the hospital. What’s in it for the volunteers? Wayne said each volunteer receives personal goodwill from those they serve and the respect of the hospital staff. Also, they enjoy being with
people and contributing to the community. “Volunteers want to be connected to the people of our community and enjoy spending time with them,” she said. “They want to be part of the service that improves the health of the people in our region.” Auxiliary volunteers are honored yearly for their first 100 hours of service, then in 500-hour increments. Magnolia CEO Rick Napper paid tribute to the Auxiliary’s contributions. “For the thousands of hours put into their job, the Magnolia Regional Health Center’s Medical Auxiliary goes unrecognized for their hard work and dedication to our facility and patients,” said Napper. “We, as an organization, value their willingness to volunteer and give of their free time.” Auxiliary Service Awards for 2011-12: (100 Hours) Annette Griffin, Pat Newcomb, Gay Null and Ruth Ann Phillips; (500 Hours) Judy Fos-
ter, Peggy Osborn and Alice Prater; (1,000 Hours) Sandra Blackburn, Barbara Gray, JoAnn McDonald, Margaret Orem, Jannice Shadburn and Wanda Works; (1,500 Hours) Joyce DuQuette, Margaret Maness, Loretta Newton, Barbara Wayne; (2,000 Hours) Mary Coleman, Tommie Rafidi and Katheryn Samples; (2,500 Hours) Louella McDonald and Donna Orlick; (3,000 Hours) Charlotte Icardi; (3,500 Hours) Betty Smith; (4,000 Hours) Ruth Cook and Peggy Treadway; (4,500 Hours) Burlene Whirley; (5,000 Hours) Marilyn Easter; (6,000 Hours) Betty Hauser and Minnie Ulmer. The Auxiliary also elected officers for the year. They are: President, Lorettta Newton; President Elect, Linda Garrett; First Vice President, Joyce DuQuette and Dorothy Duncan; Second Vice President, Peggy Treadway; Secretary, Donna Orlich; and Treasurer, Pat Please see VOLUNTEERS | 2
Index Stocks........7 Classified......14 Comics...... 11 Wisdom...... 10
Weather........5 Obituaries........ 3 Opinion........4 Sports........8
Submitted photo
Newly elected MRHC Auxiliary officers are (seated) Joyce DuQuette, Linda Garrett and Loretta Newton; (standing) Betty Smith, Pat Fowler, Donna Orlich and Peggy Treadway.
On this day in history 150 years ago Beauregard’s plan to attack north and east of Corinth is called off due to the inability of Gen. Van Dorn to get his troops into position. Van Dorn reports: “I have been delayed by bad management and stupidity of officers. I am sick with disappointment.”