Prentiss County Booneville moves ahead with tourism tax effort
Tippah County Human remains identified
Features Snapshot Saturday features local hunter
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Saturday Jan. 7,
2017
75 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 121, No. 6
Sunny; cold Today
Tonight
32
11
0% chance of rain
• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • One section
Snow snarls traffic, Former officer sentenced in shutters area schools
child porn case
BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@dailycorinthian.com
The Crossroads area ground to a halt Friday morning as an arctic air mass combined with moisture in the atmosphere to bring the new year’s first taste of snow and ice. Snow began falling on the area in the early morning hours, snarling traffic and shuttering schools and businesses. School districts throughout the area cancelled classes or dismissed early on Friday. Alcorn County, Corinth, Tishomingo County, North Tippah County, South Tippah County, McNairy County and Hardin County schools were all closed due to the weather. Booneville and Prentiss County schools dismissed at 11:30 a.m. Friday. Numerous vehicles slid off the slick roads. Alcorn County Emergency Management Director Ricky Gibens said there were a large number of minor crashes and vehicles off in ditches but he wasn’t aware of any major injuries due to the weather. There were no reports of trees down or power outages from the storm. Alcorn County Deputy Fire Coordinator Jackie Farr said Glen, Biggersville and Farmington volunteer fire departments opened their stations up as emergency shelters for motorists stranded by wrecks in the freezing temperatures or anyone else needing shelter from the cold. Gibens said residents need to continue to be weather aware
Staff reports
A former Selmer Police Department lieutenant has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for accessing child pornography on a hidden website. Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence Thursday. According to information presented in court, Tony O. Miller, 36, of Finger, Tenn., was a member of a website dedicated to sharing child por-
BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Mark Boehler
Four-year-old Zoe Giaccaglini marvels at the new fallen snow while playing in her yard at the corner of Bunch and Polk streets. through Saturday morning as Friday’s icy slush could refreeze over night creating another round of potentially hazardous travel conditions in the early morning hours.
A winter weather advisory issued by the National Weather Service for the region warned of the continued threat of hazardPlease see SNOW | 2
The Corinth Police Department landed a third year of funding for the Hot-Spot Policing Project, which increases the department’s presence in South Corinth. The Board of Aldermen accepted the approximately $114,000 grant this week. It provides funding to cover the salary and benefits of two police officers and a new patrol vehicle, a Chevrolet Tahoe.
Officers assigned to the project are Erin Hill and Edward Evans. “They are required to go and spend a lot of time communicating with the younger generation,” said Police Chief Ralph Dance, “to try to build relationships with the community and these kids that are coming up, to let them know that we are there to help them and protect them. It’s really Please see GRANT | 5
People of the Crossroads Johnna Kolaks, Pickwick
Special to the Daily Corinthian
Dr. John Shipp, M.D.
Please see SENTENCE | 2
Grant is renewed for policing project
MRHC welcomes first baby of 2017
Sheena Fender and Larry Grisham welcomed their son, Dakoda, into the world on Monday, Jan. 2.
nography. Miller used special technology to access it regularly between early January and March 2015. The website could not be found using traditional search engines, like Google or Bing; members had to use special technology designed to conceal their identity in order to access it. Images of minor children engaging in sexual activity with adults were featured on the website. Some of the minors were under 12
As many individuals were spending the first days of the new year wrapping up a few days off with family, Sheena Fender and Larry Grisham were spending some quality time with family of their own. Their time, however, was a little bit different than most. On Sunday, Jan. 1, Fender and Grisham welcomed their son, Dakoda James Grisham, into the world. Weighing 7 lbs. and 3 oz., Dakoda made his entrance both happy and healthy, at the same time earning him the title of being the first baby born at Magnolia Regional Health Center in 2017. “He’s my little miracle,” said
Staff photo by Bobby J. Smith
Johnna Kolaks is a relative newcomer to the Crossroads area, having moved from St. Louis, Mo., a year ago. She lives in Pickwick and drives into Corinth each day to work at her job — an administrative assistant at the Corinth Academy of Cosmetology on Cruise Street. Kolaks said her job involves keeping the accounts in order with QuickBooks, taking care of the bills that need paying and other managerial duties. Her favorite thing about Corinth, she said, is the people. “And the downtown area is adorable,” she added. As a resident of Pickwick, he main hobbies include water skiing and any kind of water sports. The move to the area has also helped bring Kolaks nearer to her family, she said, with her parents living just a short drive away in Oxford.
Please see BABY | 2
25 years ago
10 years ago
Corinth aldermen vote to join the Northeast Mississippi Solid Waste Authority, a regional group aimed at working together to comply with state regulations.
Biggersville’s Lady Lions claim the 2007 Alcorn County Championship. Corinth’s boys win the boys’ trophy.