Boating
accident
leads to drowning
Published
Saturday, May 10
By Kenny Goode
The Banner-Independent
A boating accident in southern Prentiss County Thursday afternoon
has claimed the life of a Baldwyn area man.
Melvin Ragin, 74, was fishing alone in a small aluminum boat on Burns
Lake, located at 166 Bethany Road, west of Baldwyn.
Witnesses said the boat overturned with Ragin falling into the water.
He was not wearing a life preserver, according to Prentiss County
Deputy Coroner Eddie Barnett, who investigated the accidental drowning.
Several persons fishing along the shore witnessed the accident and
Ragin was retrieved from the lake by Bobby Stubbs before medical personnel
arrived on the scene.
Efforts to resuscitate the Baldwyn man were unsuccessful and he was
airlifted to a Tupelo hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The
incident was called in around 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Ragin was the father
of Roy Ragin who is a deputy at the Prentiss County Sheriff's Department.
Thursday's fatality was the second in Prentiss County this week with
a one-vehicle automobile accident on Tuesday near Cairo claiming the
life of a Snowdown community man, Bobby Ray Tucker, 48. exciting new
features were all
Industry bringing
jobs to McNairy
Published Saturday, May 10
By By Jeff York
For the Daily Corinthian
SELMER, Tenn. -- A new industry will be moving to Selmer from
California this summer and should bring at least 80 jobs to McNairy
County. This announcement is the second piece of positive economic
news for the county this week.
"We are always happy to have a new company decide to make a decision
to move to McNairy County," said Ted Moore, McNairy County's
Economic Development coordinator. "This news gives us a little
momentum to build on."
American Meat Equipment hopes to have their business in Selmer operating
at full-force by September. The company makes the Butcher Boy brand
of meat cutting equipment.
This new industry will be looking for a lot of machinists, welders,
fabricators and those that will work in the shipping and receiving
area of the company.
The nearest location is in Savannah and their number is 731-925-5095.
Creator
of StrummWear
bracelet visiting Corinth
Published
Saturday, May 10
By L.A. Story Houry
Staff Writer
A unique new Mississippi fashion jewelry designer will be visiting
Corinth today -- she is a growing success story and she is only 16-years
old. Nicole Ballard of Madison, started StrummWear this year with
a line of guitar string bracelets that are causing quite a stir. She
will be appearing at Lipchic Boutique, located at 116 Fillmore Street,
from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. today.
Lipchic owner, Brenda Barbour, said she decided to feature Ballard
in her store after a phone call from the young entrepreneur¹s
mother. Ballard¹s mother had seen a Lipchic ad that ran in Mississippi
Magazine and she wanted to talk to Barbour about having a trunk show
featuring Ballard¹s bracelets.
³I love anything made in Mississippi and I was impressed. Nicole
is not very well known yet, so I decided to have a meet the
designer¹ day,² said Barbour.
Ballard, according to her biographical information, has always had
strong entrepreneurial instincts, having done things like a childhood
coffee stand for neighborhood commuters, artsy photography and handmade
fashion accessories.
The bracelets, called StrummWear, that she is becoming known for began
last fall when she borrowed a guitar string and pick from her boyfriend
with the intent of making a personal keepsake.
The primitive guitar string bracelet was a hit with her friends at
school -- many of them asked how much she would charge to make one
for them, too. Ballard has embraced a new genre known as ³music
fashion.² The bracelets are handmade with genuine guitar and
bass guitar strings and real guitar picks.
Customers can create their own unique design and express their individuality.
The bracelets can come in a variety of string thickness, seven guitar
string colors, four bass string colors and over 40 unique guitar picks
make for hundreds of possibilities.
Even more than a new grass roots fashion trend, Ballard¹s company
StrummWear -- has a Christian message. It is also a ministry. Every
package that reaches customers¹ hands carries the following message
-- ³The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments
all the days of our lives in the house of the Lord.² (Isaiah
38:20.)
The StrummWear logo and every guitar pick charm carries their Trinity
icon that represents the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. A portion
of all profits are donated to Christian ministries.
The fact that the young designer¹s business is also a ministry,
was another reason Barbour is so enthusiastic about Ballard.
Barbour noted that 10 percent of Ballard¹s fashion line that
is sold at Lipchic, will be left in Corinth and donated by Ballard
to the Women¹s Resource Center.
Ballard will be at LipChic Boutique from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.
Contact Brenda Barbour at 662-287-2954 for more information..
Tennessee
River Run kicks off
Published
Friday, May 9
By L.A. Story Houry
Staff Writer
PICKWICK
DAM, Tenn. -- Big goals and exciting new features were all part of
the program at Darryl Worley's Tennessee River Run Kickoff Party.
Now in its seventh year, Darryl Worley's Tennessee River Run will
span two weekends instead of one -- making it more likely to reach
the new monetary goals of the massive, charity fundraising event.
The higher reaching fundraising goal is to double the net profit of
the annual event from $100,000 to $200,000, according to an announcement
by Rendy Lovelady. Lovelady is half of Worley's new management duo
that includes Lovelady and Tracy McGlocklin. Together they comprise
RLM Management.
Read story
Peru student
earns degree
with help from local donors
Published
Friday, May 9
By Brant Sappington
Staff Writer
As Samuel Vargas walked across the stage to receive his diploma from
Mississippi State University Saturday, he took the final steps of
a journey that began more than six years and 3,000 miles away when
a young man from Peru dared to dream of a better life for himself
and his family. Vargas, who still walks with a pronounced limp caused
by a violent reaction to the polio vaccine at the age of two, says
receiving his degree is proof that with dedication and support people
can overcome the obstacles life puts in their path.
Read story
Program
helps kids deal with grief
Published
Friday, May 9
By L.A. Story Houry
Staff Writer
Children, ages 6-18, who have suffered loss in the form of death,
divorce or any other separation from an important relationship, can
now get the support they need to grieve.
Licensed Professional Counselor and National Certified Counselor,
Jaylene Whitehurst, M.Ed., offers help for suffering kids with the
Children's Grief Support Group to be held at her HeARTwork Center
for Creative Living.
The support group is a service Whitehurst is providing free of charge
-- she said the work was literally a "work of the heart."
"Children's grief support has been a particular interest of mine
for a long
time," said Whitehurst. "If we, as adults, can help children
normalize grief and support them, so that throughout their lives,
when bad things happen -- losses and disappointments -- they can grieve,
feel it, and get support somewhere or connect with someone rather
than turning to behaviors that only compound the problem. I think
it helps kids to be less likely to turn to addictions with drugs,
alcohol or sex as they become adults."
One of the goals Whitehurst wants to accomplish is to provide grief
support -- within an atmosphere of safety -- to those young people
who are experiencing loss.
Children need the safety to express those feelings because a child
might suppress their feelings, but the feelings will not merely disappear.
Whitehurst's intention is to keep the grief support groups divided
in two
age categories -- 6-12 year olds and 13-18 year olds. She wants to
keep the groups manageable and intimate and does not intend to have
more than six children per group.
The 6-12 year olds will meet on the first and third Tuesdays of the
month from 4-5 p.m., and the 13-18 year olds will meet on the second
and fourth Tuesdays of each month from 4-5:30 p.m.
The counselor asks that the adult having guardianship of the child
(that is a parent or guardian) can request service by calling Jaylene
Whitehurst at 662-808-0902 for details.
.
Selmer's
United Stainless
expands workforce
Published
Thursday, May 8
By Jeff York
Special for Daily Corinthian
SELMER, Tenn. -- An opportunity to talk about positive news in
economic development is a welcome relief for government officials
in McNairy County.
United Stainless has announced plans to more than double their workforce
at their tube manufacturing facility in Selmer. The expansion will
create 55 new jobs and will increase their employees to around 100
at the Selmer facility.
Read story
New director
named
Published
Thursday, May 8
By Jebb Johnston
Staff Writer
Shirley McClamroch is moving to Main Street.
An advertising account executive since 1997, McClamroch has been hired
as Main Street Corinth director by The Alliance and is set to begin
work June 16. For about a month, she will learn the ropes of the job
from outgoing director Susan Joiner, who leaves the post on July 15.
"What stood out when we were talking to Shirley was her passion
for Corinth, her passion for downtown," said Alliance President
Gary Chandler.
Read story
County
makes assault arrest
Published
Thursday, May 8
Staff reports
A Ripley man has been charged with aggravated assault after allegedly
firing into a vehicle on U.S. Highway 72 West.
The Alcorn County Sheriff's Department was notified by E-911 of a
report of a man being shot at while traveling on the highway near
the Tippah County line.
Sheriff Charles Rinehart said in a statement that Jeffery McGee told
deputies responding to the call he was westbound on the highway when
another vehicle pulled up beside the 2005 Ford Explorer he was in
and the driver shot three times at his vehicle.
An investigation by Sheriff's Department Investigator Jerry Rogers
led to the arrest of Bradley Shane Rather of Ripley. He has been released
after posting a $10,000 bond.
The sheriff said the shooting remains under investigation. Deputy
Tony Davis responded to the initial call.
In a separate, unrelated case, the sheriff announced three people
face drug charges following a traffic stop on Friday.
In a statement released by the sheriff, he said Laura A. Bevens, Michael
Wallace and Michie Wallace have been arrested and charged with felony
possession of a controlled substance for allegedly being in the possession
of cocaine.
Bevens has also been charged with two counts of prescription fraud
and Christy Gilmer has been charged with one count of prescription
fraud. Bond for Bevens was set at $9,000 and for the other three suspects
at $3,000 and all remained in custody as of Wednesday afternoon. Holds
had also been placed on Bevens and Michie Wallace by the Corinth Police
Department.
The sheriff said the false prescriptions were passed in late April
at Smith Drug Store in Rienzi.
A 1996 Mercury Cougar and a laptop computer allegedly used to make
the false prescriptions were also seized during the arrest.
Sheriff's Department Narcotics Investigator Reggie Anderson is in
charge of the investigation and Deputies Thomas, Wooten, Sexton and
Mayhall assisted with the arrest.
Wreck
claims life
Published
Wednesday, May 7
By Kenny Goode
For the Daily Corinthian
A one-vehicle accident early Tuesday morning in Prentiss County
on Highway 356 has claimed the life of a Tishomingo County man.
Bobby Ray Tucker, 48, of 26 CR 206, Tishomingo, died after his late
model Ford vehicle apparently ran off the edge of the pavement, hit
a culvert and flipped multiple times. Cause of the accident is still
undetermined and under investigation.
Deputy Coroner Eddie Barnett said Tucker died at the accident scene
of trauma injuries. Barnett said Tucker appeared to have been wearing
his seatbelt and added family members said he had gone to a nearby
store to purchase a soft drink.
The accident, which is being investigated by the Prentiss County Sheriff's
Department and the Mississippi Highway Patrol, was timed at 7:30 a.m.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by
McMillan Funeral Home of Booneville.
Officials get
look at new jail
Published
Wednesday, May 7
By Brant Sappington
Staff Writer
Local officials got their first chance to review plans for the
county's new regional jail and justice center on Tuesday as the process
of refining and finalizing the design of the complex got underway.
Irb Benjamin with MCM Jail Development, Management and Consulting,
spent much of Tuesday morning going over the design for each segment
of the complex with the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors and the
heads of each department to be housed there.
Read story
AC
students bringing classic musical to playhouse
Published
Wednesday, May 7
By L.A. Story Houry
Staff Writer
In an interesting twist to a high school musical, the Alcorn Central
High School Drama Club will be joined by their school principal, Tim
Cannon, as they present "Fiddler on the Roof."
The musical is set to be performed at Corinth Theatre-Arts' Crossroads
Playhouse on May 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Read story
Aldermen set
stage for demo
Published
Wednesday, May 7
By Jebb Johnston
Staff Writer
Corinth aldermen on Tuesday set the stage for more property demolition
and heard a presentation on the school bond issue. Public hearings
were on the agenda for six properties -- 1417 Allen Street, 1415 Ross
Street, 215 Pierce Street, 110 Johns Street, 500 Jobe Street and 412
Violet Street.
Read story
Officials
discuss
preservation of landmark
Published
Tuesday, May 6
By Jebb Johnston
Staff Writer
State
officials visited Corinth Monday to see the serious deterioration
problems at the Verandah-Curlee House Museum and to discuss a possible
path to preservation for the National Historic Landmark.
Read story
Supervisors
discuss
landfill needs
Published
Tuesday, May 6
By Brant Sappington
Staff Writer
Alcorn
County supervisors are poised to move forward with planning for a
new county rubbish landfill in preparation for the eventual replacement
of the county's existing landfill.
Read story
Efforts
underway to clean up city
Published
Tuesday, May 6
By Jebb Johnston
Staff Writer
The
eradication of unwanted houses in the city is currently moving at
a brisk pace as Corinth makes a renewed push on property clean-up.
Last week saw the removal of a burned-out duplex at 114 Penn Street,
located about one block off of Cass.
Longtime neighbor Ed Walker said he is glad to see it go.
"They have been doing dope up in here," said Walker.
Problems continued at the property even after it was struck by fire,
he said.
With no response from the property owner on the city's urgings to
clean up, the lot was adjudicated by the Board of Aldermen and ordered
to be cleaned.
Only an empty lot will remain, and the bill for the work will be added
to the owner¹s property tax bill.
The Penn Street demolition follows recent removal of houses at 1003
and 1007 Johns Street and 811 Scale Street.
Voluntary demolitions combined with those ordered by the city will
result in the removal of more than a dozen dilapidated houses as the
city works through its current list of targeted properties.
"Property owners have torn down about four or five in this area,"
said Maddox. "People are tearing them down to sell the lots and
rebuild on them. We're looking at probably 15 or 16 houses after we
get through with this list that have come down this year."
Others that were on the list for imminent demolition were 100 Montgomery
Street and 1417 Allen Street.
Properties expected to go after this week's Board of Aldermen meeting
include 1415 Ross, 215 Pierce, 110 Johns, 500 Jobe and 412 Violet.
"There's still a lot of work to be done," said Maddox. "With
any city, you're always going to have dilapidated property and grown-up
lots."
Aiding the effort is a $10,000 revolving fund established by Corinth
Alcorn Reaching for Excellence to help defray the city¹s expense
in cleaning up lots. Up to one-third of the cost of a house demolition
may be paid from the fund. When funds are recovered from property
owners, the money is to be returned to the fund.
It can be years before that money is recovered, depending on when
the tax bill gets paid. Overgrown lots and "junk cars" may
also be targeted this year.