010914 daily corinthian

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Thursday Jan. 9,

2014

50 cents

Daily Corinthian

Cloudy Today

Tonight

43

35

40% chance of wintry mix

Vol. 118, No. 8

• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • 1 section

5 house fires prompt warnings BY KIMBERLY SHELTON kshelton@dailycorinthian.com

With the winter season at its peak and arctic air devastating the Crossroads, residents are doing anything and everything they can to stay warm. They are wearing protective layers, cranking up the heat and sip-

ping warm liquids, all in an attempt to ease cold weather symptoms. Over the past several weeks, Alcorn County has had at least five homes decimated by flames. At least one fireman was injured in the fires. “While fire is a cozy, pleas-

ant element, it can also be a destructive one,” warned Ricky Gibens, director of Alcorn County Emergency Services. “Be fire wise and remember that things that help you, could hurt you.” According to the Mississippi State Department of Health,

Mississippi has one of the highest fire mortality rates in the nation. “Older adults, young children and people in substandard housing or mobile homes are at the highest risk for fire-related deaths,” said MSDH. Safety tips from MSDH in-

clude: • Space heaters are convenient for heating up small areas, but they are also one of the leading causes of house fires. If a heater is old or has been it storage, it is always wise to Please see FIRES | A2

Trapper rids arena of skunks

Frozen pipes affect residents

BY STEVE BEAVERS

zsteen@dailycorinthian.com

BY ZACK STEEN

educators being paid a full month of work rather than a partial month. C u r Parks rently a teacher must work at least 15 days in order to be paid for a full month. “I have received a lot of

When water freezes, it expands. Some Alcorn County residents have been affected this week by frozen pipes as extremely cold temperatures stalled over the Crossroads. “I came home from lunch Tuesday and water was coming out from under my back door,” cried a stunned LeeAnn Howie. “I was heart broken.” Howie’s home on Geisler Lane was severely damaged by the water and a near total loss. “The house was built on a concrete slab and the water pipes run through the attic,” she said. “Everything was damaged ... the floors, walls and ceiling.” Howie immediately contacted her insurance agent, who called in a restoration emergency company and booked a hotel room for Howie and her eightyear-old daughter, Sydney. According to The Weather Channel, pipes normally freeze following a complete ice blockage. Continued freezing and expansion inside the pipe causes water pressure to increase between the ice blockage and the closed faucet. It’s this increase in pressure that leads to pipe failure. One way to try to prevent a possible pipe burst is letting a faucet drip during the extreme cold weather. Opening the faucet will provide relief from the excessive pressure that builds between the faucet and the ice blockage when freezing occurs. Howie’s home was the exception. “This wasn’t supposed to happen,” said Howie. “We did everything we were told ... left the water dripping and left our cabinet doors open.” Howie was one of many local residents who reported plumbing problems on Wednesday, the result of single-digit temperatures in the area. One Corinth area plumber wanted to clear up a misconception. “People don’t realize the cold and hot water needs to be left dripping,” advised Jason Roach, owner of Roach Plumbing and Electrical. “The hot water pipe will actually freeze faster then the cold water pipe.” In case anyone does have a pipe burst, Roach stressed the water should be turned off at the meter and all faucets should be turned on full blast. Local hardware and home improvement stores have seen an increase in traffic due to the weather.

Please see LEGISLATURE | 2

Please see PIPES | 2

sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com

The Crossroads Arena was been dealing with a stinky situation. Six skunks invaded the multipurpose facility this week before being evacuated from the premises Wednesday afternoon by a local trapper. “It was bad in there,” said trapper Ozzy Hendrix about a hour after removal of the animals. According to Hendrix, the skunks found a way into the building and were located in a 6-foot cavity of a wall. “They aren’t afraid of anything … they walked right into the cage,” said the trapper. Getting rid of skunks isn’t something new to Hendrix. “I catch them all the time,” he said. “I caught 26 under one house in the county a few years ago.” The smelly varmints were taken care of just in time. The Arena is set to host the Alcorn County Basketball Tournament for the 10th straight season beginning tonight and continuing through Saturday.

Two arrested for selling of prescriptions BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com

The Alcorn Narcotics Unit arrested two people Friday in separate instances of alleged prescription pills sales. The unit arrested Felicia Walker, 49, of West Harris Circle, and charged her with two counts of sale of a controlled substance after an investigation into Walker selling her prescription medication. Narcotics Officer Darrell Hopkins said officers purchased drugs from Walker on two occasions. Her bond was set at $20,000. Also charged is Brittany Lynn Skinner, 20, of County Road 209, Burnsville. She turned herself in after Alcorn narcotics officers contacted her about selling her prescription pills. Officers previously made a purchase from Skinner and another female, Hopkins said. Bond was set at $10,000 for Skinner. The narcotics unit is seeing Please see ARRESTS | 2

Submitted photo

Shane Brooks is all about music.

Brooks rocks on despite weather BY KIMBERLY SHELTON kshelton@dailycorinthian.com

Strong winds ravaged the city, and the streets of downtown Corinth were all but desolate save for a few brave souls who hesitantly ventured out to the coffee house. The bone chilling weather had no effect on Shane Brooks and not even the moist air could dampen his spirit. He arrived at KC’s Espresso dressed as if he’d stepped straight off the stage and into the crowd. Brooks described the electricity he feels on stage as “the greatest feeling in the whole world, other than being a parent.” The musician began playing guitar when he was 14 years old, but his love of music began much earlier. For him, it was an escape. A means of satisfying the yearning deep within. He’s all about the music ... rock music, to be exact. “I love rock music. My favorite song would

BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com

This week began the threemonth long Mississippi Legislative session and lawmakers face a long agenda. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Gov. Phil Bryant placed emphasis on making sure money is spent well. Both seek to reduce the state’s use of “one-time money,” such as winnings from lawsuit settlements or federal grants, to pay for recurring expenses. “Eliminating money for recurring expenses is very important,” said District 4 Sen. Rita Parks (R-Alcorn,

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Please see BROOKS | 2

Teacher pay raises, funding focus of upcoming legislative session

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Weather...... 10 Obituaries........ 6 Opinion........4 Sports...... 12

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Tishomingo). “We want to continue only funding priorities and help lower the state’s total debit.” Parks has also been working on a teacher pay amendation that would result in

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most certainly be “Sweet Child of Mine,” a song made famous by Guns N Roses. “Kiss” was revealed to be his all time favorite band with “Creed” and “Guns N Roses” trailing slightly behind. “I’d rather play music full-time than work,” admitted the musician as he lounged at a table near the window. A seasoned professional, he explained that stage fright is no longer an issue for him. “I get more excited than nervous,” said Brooks. The 41-year-old bassist opened up about his experiences while touring with the Kimberlie Helton band. When asked how he became involved with the band, he explained that his wife worked with Helton’s best friend, Teresa Walker of Henderson Tenn., and he had casually inquired to see if she was looking for anyone. “I contacted her through Facebook, sent a friend request and it just took off from there,”

On this day in history 150 years ago Brig. Gen. William Sooy Smith arrives in Corinth at the head of 2,500 cavalry. Smith is Sherman’s Chief of Cavalry and is in pursuit of the elusive Nathan B. Forrest and his new recruits from West Tennessee.

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