Prentiss County Baldwyn man gets 30-year sentence
Tishomingo County Burnsville woman faces felony possession charge
McNairy County Register of Deeds corrects audit issue
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Wednesday Feb. 10,
2016
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Daily Corinthian Vol. 120, No. 35
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 22 pages • Two sections
Supporters: Keep schools open Bomb threat closes schools
BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
The rallying force behind the fight to keep Glendale and Rienzi elementary schools open pleaded to the Alcorn School Board of Education on Monday. “I’m a mom who wants to stand by what her children want,” said Jodi Fiveash, who has two children at GES. “Who is going to tell my children their school is going to close?” Fiveash and more than 150 supporters crowded the board room as Superintendent Larry B. Mitchell asked the board for permission to continue to investigate the closing of the two schools. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes – we just can’t go on like this,” said Mitchell. “We can’t increase our income on the state level, but on the local level, we could look at raising taxes.” Mitchell said the district is currently $5 million in debt with an additional $200,000 in interest adding to the total each year. He said the district could look at a tax increase as the current mileage rate is 52.74 mills and the state maximum is 55 mills.
Staff Reports
IUKA — A bomb threat closed Tishomingo County Schools early on Tuesday. Law enforcement agencies were summoned about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday to both Iuka Middle School and Tishomingo County High School after bomb threats were made to each school campus. Students were sent to the auditorium at each school as officers began their searches. Classes were dismissed at 1 p.m. due to the threat. This is the second bomb threat against Tishomingo County schools this year. The earlier one this year turned out to be a hoax.
Staff photo by Zack Steen
Alcorn School District Superintendent Larry B. Mitchell addresses the Board of Education and a crowded board room about the possible closure of Glendale and Rienzi elementary schools. “We have some wiggle room, if that’s the route the board wants to take,” he said. By closing Glendale and Rienzi schools, the preliminary figures could save the district
around $700,000, said Mitchell. The superintendent also mentioned closing middle schools at Alcorn Central and Kossuth as a way to save more
money “down the road.” “That amount will go a long way on repairing some school buildings,” said Mitchell. Please see SUPPORTERS | 5A
Concern voiced over streets’ cuts
School board approves new position BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
An argument between two veteran Alcorn County school board members erupted during the approval process of a new part-time position on Monday. Alcorn School District Superintendent Larry B. Mitchell asked the Board of Education to approve the job description of a director of transportation and school plant management position and the hiring of former school principal Gary Johnson. “I don’t see how we can go with a position that was done away with eight years ago because it was a waste of money
then,” said district one board member Russ Nash. “Now we are hiring someone parttime and paying them almost $40,000 a year. We’ve got all these people here petitioning to keep their school open and we are spending this kind of money on a new position.” The position would oversee upkeep on the district bus fleet and the management of custodial staff members at all district schools. Both duties are currently performed by Assistant Superintendent Ritchie Williams, according to Nash. District five board member Randy Wilbanks said McNairy County School District has a
person in a similar position. “I have a friend on the McNairy school board and he tells me their maintenance supervisor pays for himself — he has apparently got a lot of things done in their district and they are saving a ton of money with him in place,” said Wilbanks. Nash quickly pointed out, “this isn’t McNairy County — it’s Alcorn County and in my opinion this position is not justified.” A heated battle between Nash and board president and district three board member Carroll Morton continued. Morton told Nash, “that’s your personal opinion”
regarding whether the position is needed. “I just don’t think it’s good money spent in our current situation,” added Nash. “We could be using that money to help keep a school open.” Glendale Elementary School and the Alcorn Central campus are in Nash’s district, shared with district two board member Laura Studdard. “This is nothing more than a politically created job,” added Nash. Wilbanks, Morton, Studdard and district four board member Mary Coleman approved the hire, while Nash said, “heck no.”
BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The City of Corinth and local utility services will aim for better communication and longrange planning to help avoid cuts to freshly paved streets. Mayor Tommy Irwin and five members of the Board of Aldermen had a talk Tuesday morning with representatives of the Corinth Gas and Water Department, ACE Power and the city’s sewer department. The meeting was prompted by citizen complaints following a cut to Please see STREETS | 5A
Ribbon campaign shows support for cancer patient BY KIMBERLY SHELTON kshelton@dailycorinthian.com
A sea of tangerine will fill the Corinth Elementary School cafeteria on Saturday as volunteers and organizers gather from noon until 2 p.m. to create orange ribbons in honor of 14-year-old cancer patient Addie Paige Pratt. “The main purpose of the ribbons is to help keep Addie at the forefront of people’s minds and to remind them to lift her up and pray for her and her family during this difficult and trying time,” said Gentry Parker, founder of “In His Honor”– an organization devoted to pay-
ing it forward. “She is currently undergoing chemotherapy at St. Jude Children’s Research hospital and has a long road ahead of her. The hospital will of course be taking care of her medical bills, but there will still be travel and other necessary expenses for the family to shoulder.” “By creating and selling these orange ribbons as we did the yellow ribbons for Army Staff Sgt. William Seth Ricketts, we hope to be able to alleviate some of the burden so the family can focus solely on their daughter,” she added. A 9th-grader at Corinth High
School, Pratt was diagnosed on Monday with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a rare form of cancer which affects the blood and bone marrow with excess immature white blood cells. “As a parent myself, my brain can’t even begin to process what they must be feeling right now,” said Parker. “Since orange is the color for leukemia awareness, we felt the tying of these ribbons was a good way for us and the community as a whole to show our support.” “Her father, Michael Pratt, is always the first person to respond back to me when I post about someone in need, asking
what he can do to help. Few people truly realize just how much he is involved with and what he does for others,” she continued. “He has such a servant’s heart that it means the world to me to be able to do even a little bit of something for him in return.” Giving back to others, “In His Honor” was founded six years ago as a means of blessing others. “It originally began as yard mowing campaign to help elderly or disabled residents who Photo by Rob Brown / Tee Rage Photography
Please see RIBBONS | 5A
Addie Paige Pratt
25 years ago
10 years ago
Health Cleary of Corinth is elected Mr. Northeast Mississippi Community College. The honor is selected by a vote of the student body.
No injuries are reported as a pair of locomotives derail near Glendale School. Alcorn County Sheriff Jimmy Taylor says the accident caused major traffic problems at the busy crossing.
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