MATT TOLBERT ENJOYING LIFE IN THE MAJORS
NELSON POISED FOR BREAKOUT SOPHOMORE SEASON
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T H E
D A I L Y
MISSISSIPPIAN
TUESDAY, JULY 13, 2011 | VOL. 100, NO. 158 | THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER
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THE UNIVERSITY
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MISSISSIPPI | SERVING OLE MISS
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OXFORD
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THEDMONLINE.COM
Oxford asks local residents WINCHESTER TO PROVIDE MORE THAN AMMO to better maintain yards BY JACOB BATTE News Editor
On June 5, a motion was brought forth at the Board of Aldermen meeting to punish Oxford residents who do not cut their grass regularly. Randy Barber, building official for the city of Oxford, brought the motion up at the meeting. Currently, the law states that a three-week notice must be given if the grass is too tall. If not cut, the expired notice will be brought up to the Aldermen, followed by two more weeks for the land owner to cut down the growth. The current motion would expedite the time on getting the grass cut. A notice will be given but the land owner will have just 14 days to cut his or her grass. If the grass is not cut by the given amount of time, the city will hire a contractor to cut the grass for the resident. While punishment has yet to be discussed, Barber believes the offender will be fined $1,500 or the cost of labor. According to Barber, the
motion is for the health and sanitation of Oxford. “This will keep mosquitoes, snakes and some rodents from breeding in the city,” he said. “And we want to keep Oxford beautiful.” The motion has to make it through three public readings. The first one was June 5 at the Board of Aldermen. The second meeting, which will be a public hearing for the motion, will be Tuesday, July 19. On the third reading, the board will vote on the issue. If the second reading goes well, the board can decide on whether or not to vote on the issue then. Billy Stein of Oxford is surprised this law even needs to exist in place. “It is ludicrous to me to think that someone would allow their grass to grow 12 inches,” he said. Despite the large fine for tall vegetation, Stein thinks the city is being too laid back on the issue. “If you’re going to enforce it with a fine, you should be more firm with the punishment,” he said.
PETRE THOMAS | The Daily Mississippian
BY ANDREW KENNEDY The Daily Mississippian
The growth of north Mississippi has been noted recently, with Olive Branch being named the fastest-growing city in the United States, and Oxford is contributing to the state’s growth with the addition of Olin-Winchester ammunition plant. Construction on the new ammunition factory in Lafayette County Industrial Park continues through the summer despite the
heat. With expectations of being functional by the end of the year, over 200 jobs will be available for work in the new plant. Olin Corporation is expanding its Wincester ammunition facility, which began operating in 2003. Shortly after the company began,xs it also started providing military packaging, and together, the two operations employ around 350 people. Olin is moving its Winchester Centerfire operations to Oxford from East Alton, Ill., and expects
to employ around 800 workers in the next five years. Max Hipp, president and CEO of the Oxford Chamber of Commerce, said that the city can look forward to another 1,000 jobs being created over the next five years, with even more “spin-off ” jobs coming too, connected to the Winchester plant. “We’re talking a huge economic impact to the region of about $50 See WINCHESTER, PAGE 4
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLARION-LEDGER EDITOR MOVING TO MISSISSIPPI PUBLIC BROADCASTING JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Ronnie Agnew, executive editor of The Clarion-Ledger newspaper, has been appointed executive director of Mississippi Public Broadcasting. In a posting on its website, the newspaper reported that Agnew will take up his new post in August. He had been with the newspaper for more than 10 years. MPB’s last executive director, Judith Lewis, resigned in September 2010. Since her departure, Jay Wood has served as interim executive director. Agnew, 48, of Madison, is a
Saltillo native and graduate of the University of Mississippi. He has spent more than 20 years working for Gannett Inc. newspapers, including the Hattiesburg American and The Cincinnati Enquirer. In a statement, Leslie Hurst, president and publisher of The Clarion Ledger, said “Ronnie Agnew is an outstanding journalist and consummate professional. The Clarion-Ledger family is saddened to lose our long-time editor, but we wish him well as he embarks on this new adventure. He has served the newspaper and
our readers — both print and digital — well, and I am thankful for his leadership during his tenure with us. We will miss him very much. Our loss is MPB’s gain.” Bob Sawyer, chairman of the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television, which runs MPB, praised the selection of Agnew. “I know Ronnie will bring new energy to Mississippi Public Broadcasting. The other board members and I were impressed by his media expertise, content management skills, and enthusiasm for Mississippi,” he said.
PETRE THOMAS | The Daily Mississippian