Friday Dec. 23,
2011
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 115, No. 305
2011 Christmas Basket Fund ‘A Community Tradition’
Donations to basket fund near $27,000 The spirit of giving this Christmas season is alive and well in the Alcorn County area. Donations continue to arrive for the 16th annual Corinth Rotary Club/Daily Corinthian Christmas Basket Fund. A $25,000 fundraising goal was set so 1,100 food baskets could be given to local families on Saturday, Dec. 10. It was a record number of baskets and the community has responded in a big way. Baskets were given away based upon the faith the goal would be reached and the faith has now turned into fact with the goal not only being reached, but surpassed. So far $26,930 has been raised. Donations include $100 from A.H. Taylor; and $50 from Lora Ann Huff in memory of Leroy Hopkins. Donations will continue to be accepted through Christmas Day and are a perfect time to make a tribute to a loved one. Contributions to the Christmas Basket Fund can be made “in honor of” or “in memory of” a special person or persons. The tribute will be published in the Daily Corinthian. Donations can be brought by the newspaper office or mailed to: Daily Corinthian, Attn.: Christmas Basket Fund, P.O. Box 1800, Corinth, MS 38835.
CT-A needs young actors for 2 plays BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Corinth Theatre-Arts is looking for young actors to take the stage in two upcoming productions. “We’re looking for youth of all ages through 19,” said CT-A Managing Director Tommy Ledbetter. “No preparation or experience is required — all you’ve got to do is show up for the audition and read a page of the script.” Auditions for “The Fisherman and His Wife” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes” will be held Monday, Jan. 2, and Tuesday, Jan. 3, beginning at 4 p.m. at the Crossroads Playhouse. Tryouts for both productions will be held on both dates. “The Fisherman and His Wife” is based on one of the Brothers Grimm’s most famous fairy tales, the story of a good man content with very little and the destruction caused by his dissatisfied wife after an encounter with a magical fish with the power to grant wishes. The cast will require approximately 12 actors. Sponsored by Northside Mini Storage and LINK, “The Fisherman and His Wife will be performed on Friday, Feb. 24, at 7:30 p.m. It is also a traveling production, and will be taken to several schools in Please see CT-A | 3A
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 22 pages • 2 sections
Port authority lands grants Funds will build spec building, railroad spur in industrial park BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@dailycorinthian.com
BURNSVILLE — A pair of improvement projects in the works at the Northeast Mississippi Waterway Industrial Park could pay big dividends for future economic development in the region.
The Yellow Creek Port Authority has received a pair of grants from the Mississippi Department of Transportation Multi-Modal Fund that will be combined with port authority funds to construct a spec building and begin the first phase of construction to connect a rail
line to the barge terminal at the industrial park. TAP Alliance members say the projects will greatly improve the attractiveness of the industrial park to potential industries. The group, which represents economic development organizations and local
governments in Tishomingo, Alcorn and Prentiss counties, is focused on working together to bring new industry and employers to the region by combining resources and strategies for the benefit of all involved. Please see GRANTS | 2A
Retirement of voting printers OK’d BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The U.S. Department of Justice has given approval for Alcorn County to stop using the external printer modules attached to the county’s electronic voting machines. Abandonment of the printer attachment has been a trend among Mississippi counties that use electronic voting machines. Prentiss County is among those
that have already stopped using the extra paper trail. The printers were intended to give voters confidence that their vote was recorded by allowing them to look at it on paper, but election officials believe it is rarely utilized by voters. Also, “If you have any trouble, that’s where 99 percent of it is — usually a paper jam,” said Circuit Clerk Joe Caldwell. If the printer runs out of pa-
per before a voter has finished casting his vote, the voter has to wait for the printer module to be reloaded. Removing the printer will reduce those types of delays, Caldwell said. Caldwell said he doesn’t know of any problems that have arisen in counties that have stopped using them. “We still are going to have a paper printout,” he said. “There is a printer made into
the system.” The printer module is an optional add-on that the state purchased when many counties were moving to the electronic touch-screen machines in order to comply with federal law. It allows voters to see their votes through a clear plastic window on the module attached to the right side of the Please see PRINTERS | 2A
ACHS BearBots team competes at regionals BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
An area school wrapped up the inaugural year of its robotics program by participating in a regional competition. The Alcorn Central High School Technology Discovery BearBots robotics team went up against teams and robots from around the nation in the 2011 South’s BEST Robotics Competition at Auburn (Ala.) University. Over 50 robotics teams competed in the event on Dec. 2-3. The local group finished 19th. The 2011 ACHS BearBots team has four members: freshmen Isaac Byrom and William Odom; a sophomore, Shari Armstrong; and a junior, Joshua Nix. “I was very pleased with our students,” said Lillie Weaver, ACHS Technology Discovery instructor and BearBots coach. “We placed 19th and competed against teams with 20 to 30 members.” The competition required the BearBots to work in pairs Please see BEARBOTS | 2A
Submitted photo
The ACHS Technology Discovery BearBots team wrapped up the inaugural year of the school’s robotics program with a trip to Auburn University to compete in the 2011 South’s BEST Robotics competition. The 2011 ACHS BearBots team has four members: freshmen Isaac Byrom and William Odom; a sophomore, Shari Armstrong; and a junior, Joshua Nix.
Civitans spread Christmas cheer with annual Kids Day BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Submitted photo
Telephone Pioneer Club member Edna Earl Orr visits with the man from the North Pole during the Corinth Civitans’ annual Kids Day. Edna’s husband, the late Jimmy Orr, was a Civitans member when Kids Day started 35 years ago. The Telephone Pioneer Club works with the Civitans to make Kids Day a reality.
Index Stocks...... 7A Classified......5B Comics......4B Wisdom......3B
Weather......5A Obituaries......3A Opinion......4A Sports...8-9A
The Corinth Civitans are doing their part to bring Christmas joy to a group of local children. The Corinth Civitans Club recently held its annual Kids Day — a day dedicated to helping local children have a special Christmas. “Kids Day is one of my favorite times of the year. The Corinth Civitan theme this year is ‘Enriching lives through service’ — what better way to serve the community,” said Civitans President Tina Bugg. “Also it is a great way to put the theme into action by helping share the true meaning of Christmas by helping children.” It all started back in 1976 or ’77, remembered Tommy Stine, a long-time Civitan and current board member. The Civitans wanted to do something to bring a brighter Christmas
to area kids who needed it. It began with two Alcorn County kids and a clothes-buying trip to Belk. This year the Civitans brought their brand of Christmas joy to 12 children, all in kindergarten and first grade at schools in Corinth and Alcorn County, and all chosen by their teachers. The event was held Dec. 14. The days begins when the kids arrive at the Civitans’ regular meeting place, Hillandale Country Club. “We feed them a nice lunch — this year it was chicken tenders and hamburgers — and make them the center of attention,” Stine explained. Right about the time lunch ends, Santa Claus arrives, bringing sacks of “goodies” for the kids and a willingness to sit for pictures and listen to Christmas wishes. Please see CIVITANS | 2A
On this day in history 150 years ago Great Britain gives the United States one week to return the Confederate agents taken from the mail packet Trent. England threatens to recall her ambassador and break of diplomatic relations if the demand is not met.