Issuu

Thursday Feb. 12,

2015

50 cents

Daily Corinthian Vol. 119, No. 37

Much colder Today

Tonight

No chance of rain

• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • One section

Court delays police shooting case BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@dailycorinthian.com

A trial in a civil lawsuit filed against the city of Booneville and two police officers by the family of a man who died after being shot during an altercation with police has been moved to the summer. The suit against the city and officers Brian Mays and Rusty McCoy filed by the family of

he was shot by McCoy on April 23, 2012. Both officers were cleared of any criminal wrongdoing in the case after evidence was presented to a Prentiss County grand jury. The grand jury refused to issue any criminal indictment against either officer. Curtiss died following the shooting which occurred as officers responded to a 911 call

David Andrew Curtiss had been scheduled to go before a federal jury beginning Feb. 23. An order filed this week has rescheduled the trial for Aug. 31 in U.S. District Court in Aberdeen. Mays, McCoy and the city were sued in 2013 by Curtiss’ sons who claim their father’s civil rights were violated through the use of excessive force and other violations when

reporting a disturbance outside the home of his ex-wife, Cheryl Curtiss, on Stanley Street Extended. The family’s civil suit argues Curtiss was unarmed, posed no threat to the officers and was complying with McCoy’s orders when Mays shot him first with a Taser stun gun and then McCoy shot him with a handgun while he was incapacitated from the

stun gun shot. The suit claims the officers used unnecessary force and argues officers were provided with insufficient training in the use of force by the police department. The city and the officers have filed a response to the lawsuit denying all claims against them made by the family. They have sought a dismissal of the case.

Inmates bring pot into jail Main Street leader BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com

A pair of state inmates are headed back to Parchman. Walter Lee Tutor, 22, and Dustin Lowe, 26, were caught by guards attempting to bring marijuana into the Alcorn County Regional Correctional Facility on Tuesday. “They each had marijuana duct taped to their leg when they came in off work detail at separate times,” said Darrell Hopkins with the Alcorn Narcotics Unit. The unit was contacted by guards and took possession of the marijuana, according to Hopkins. Both have been charged with

felony introduction of a controlled substance into a correctional facility and their bond set at $10,000. Tutor tried to smuggle Lowe 15 ounces of weed into the facility while Lowe had approximately a pound of marijuana when stopped by guards. “Supposedly, someone in prison had given them $100 to bring the dope in,” said Hopkins. Hopkins said prisoners who are on work detail come up

with creative ways to get the dope. “Sometimes they will call local people and have them drop it in a can of something then Tutor throw in it the garbage if they are working with the street department,” said Hopkins. “They think of all kinds of ways to get it.” Both men will be transported back to the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman and lose their inmate work program status.

leaves for school job BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com

Main Street Director Taylor Coombs will soon take on a new job with the Corinth School District. The district’s board of trustees approved the hiring of Coombs Monday evening for a job that includes data management for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy Grant as well as marketing for the district. She will leave the Main Street post and begin that job on March 2. “I am extremely excited about being involved with promoting the district that I am a product of and have loved my whole life,” said Coombs. “Corinth School District holds a huge spot in my heart, and I am thrilled to be a part of the future of Corinth. I am looking forward to working with local partners and leaders in our community to

Taylor Coombs communicate the accomplishments and innovative future.” Coombs has been director for Main Street since February 2013 and leaves the downtown-boosting organization on good terms. “I have loved every minute Please see COOMBS | 2

Quinn improving in Memphis hospital BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com

Staff photo by Steve Beavers

Ann’s floral designer Belinda Webb expects to be busy come Saturday. Related photo on Page 2.

Men — remember loved one on Valentine’s BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com

Don’t forget. The male population in the area should remember those two words come Saturday. Another thing to keep in mind for men is you don’t have to break the bank when showing the woman you love how much you care on Valentine’s Day. “You can do anything … it all depends on what your budget is,” said Ann’s co-owner Kim Roberts. “We offer a nice arrangement for only $25.” The store had over a 1,000 roses arrive Tuesday in preparation of Saturday’s big day. “The flowers were cut in South America on Saturday and in our store on Tuesday to be

“The longer the stem the better the rose is,” she said. Another tip for men is to not wait to the last minute. “We advise giving the florist a day’s notice if at all possible,” said Roberts. “Anything they think of when it comes to flowers, we have.” Employees will be working extended hours to get ready for Valentine’s Day. “We will be working late into the night on Friday and then come in two hours earlier on Saturday,” said Roberts. Roberts offered one last piece of advice. “This is the biggest time of the year for roses,” she said. “But memories are what last … it’s the meaning behind the flowers that people won’t forget.”

“They are really big this year. The roses are so unusual that you don’t see them often.” Kim Roberts Ann’s co-owner processed,” said Roberts. Tie-dyed roses have become the signature gift for Valentine’s Day. “They are really big this year,” said Roberts. “The roses are so unusual that you don’t see them often.” Roberts also encouraged men to go for the longer stem roses.

Index Stocks........8 Classified...... 13 Comics........ 9 State........ 5

On this day

Weather........7 Obituaries........ 6 Opinion........4 Sports...... 10

Rick Quinn is gradually making improvements in a Memphis hospital five weeks after his near-fatal wreck. The Corinth businessman suffered serious injuries in a Jan. 9 wreck when he apparently lost control of his BMW in the Afton subdivision in North Corinth. He left the roadway, hit a tree and overturned into a lake, where firefighters found his vehicle fully submerged in frozen water. Once pulled from the water, Quinn was resuscitated and transported to Magnolia Re-

gional Health Center. He was later flown to Regional One Health in Memphis where he remains. “Dad has begun the rehabilitation process,” said his son Matt Quinn. “He’s very alert and getting back to his old self -- happy and cheerful.” The younger Quinn said his father will start full-time rehab within the next week, but will remain at the Memphis hospital for an unknown time period. “We’re all so thankful for the prayers and well wishes Please see QUINN | 2

Third graders required to show literacy proficiency BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com

Mississippi is requiring third-graders to show proficiency in literacy this year in order to pass, and school districts across the state are getting ready. In Corinth, letters are going out to parents this week, and the school district is planning parent meetings to discuss

specific things that parents and the school can do to be prepared. The 3rd Grade Reading Summative Assessment is scheduled to be administered during the window of April 10 to 23. The 50-question test consists of 25 percent secondgrade skills and 75 percent Please see LITERACY | 2

in history 150 years ago

The results of the electoral college are released and Lincoln is officially elected with 212 votes while Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan receives 21 votes. There is a small skirmish near Waterloo, Alabama.

Happy Valentines Day from your friends at

Blue Chair Rum $ 99 750 ML

Ezra Brook $ 99

1.75 L

Evan Williams $ 99 750 7 50 ML

2015 Hwy 72 E. Corinth, MS. 38834 • 662-594-1877

Canadian Rich & Rare $ 99

1.75 L

Hanger One $ 99 750 M 75 750 ML

New Amsterdam $ 99

1.75 L

Mon. - Sat. 10 A.M.- 9 P.M. • www.JRwinespirit.com

Local/State

2 â€˘ Daily Corinthian

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Senators back effort to force balanced budget BY JEFF AMY Associated Press

Staff photo by Steve Beavers

Getting ready for Valentineâ€™s Day Designer Belinda Webb works on a floral design for Valentineâ€™s Day Relate story and photo are on Page 1.

Young doctor embraces rural practice Associated Press

FULTON â€” After 21â „2 years as a family physician in Fulton, Dr. Ben Kilman is exactly where he wants to be. His patient population stretches from newborn to 99. He already can claim a handful of four-generation families. â€œIâ€™ve wanted to do family practice since I was 5 years old,â€? Kilman said. â€œI liked knowing about everything. In rural family practice, you get to go very broad.â€? The 31-year-old Kilman has gotten his wish. He routinely finds himself managing cases that he would refer if he were practicing in a town like Tupelo, where specialists are

available around the corner. His older patients often would rather not drive out of town. â€œWe do things here I would not if I was in a bigger city,â€? Kilman said. â€œBeing in Fulton enables me to go a lot more in depth in certain diseases.â€? Kilman is one of five primary care physicians in Itawamba County clinics. They, along with 10 nurse practitioners, cover the 23,300 people who live in Itawamba County as well as much of the surrounding rural areas along the state line. Like most Mississippi counties, itâ€™s considered a shortage area. â€œFulton is fairly well covered,â€? especially compared to

some areas, Kilman said. â€œNo extended hours is the biggest gap.â€? Personally and professionally, Kilman was predisposed toward rural primary care practice. He grew up on the outskirts of Clinton, and his wife Nicole grew up in very rural Start, Louisiana. A big city wasnâ€™t on their wish list. His aspirations to focus on primary care in a rural area got another lift in medical school with a rural medicine scholarship that required him to work in an underserved area. â€œIt helped me leave medical school with a smaller burden,â€? Kilman said.

JACKSON â€” State senators want to sign Mississippi onto a plan for a nationwide constitutional convention that would force the federal government to balance its budget and require statesâ€™ permission to increase the national debt. The Senate voted 30-18 Wednesday to pass Senate Bill 2389, part of a nationwide effort by conservative groups including the Goldwater Institute and the American Legislative Exchange Council, to get three-fourths of states to call such a convention. It seeks to limit the conclave to a single vote on the balanced budget proposal written in the law, and to provide for automatic approval of the pre-agreed amendment by the states that adopt the compact. Under typical plans for a convention, states would have to act twice, to call a convention and then ratify proposed amendments to the U.S. Constitution â€œThe compact basically rolls all that process into one,â€? said Byron Schlombach, director of the Center for Economic Prosperity at the Goldwater Institute of Phoenix, Arizona. He said Alaska and Georgia have adopted the compact so far. If adopted, the federal government would have to get permission from a majority of states to increase debt. Mississippi Senate Finance Committee Chairman Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, repeatedly warned other senators that he believed the United States is only a few years away from being refused further borrowing by creditors. â€œIf youâ€™re looking at the national debt, it is skyrocketing

right now,â€? Fillingane said. â€œYou simply cannot sustain that.â€? The plan won support from state Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, who lost an insurgent primary challenge last year to U.S. Sen Thad Cochran, R-Miss. Supporters say one underlying goal is limiting the powers and expansion of the federal government by limiting its access to money, and McDaniel launched an attack on spending echoing his campaign. â€œIâ€™ve heard more about farm subsidies; Iâ€™ve heard more about post offices,â€? McDaniel said. â€œItâ€™s on borrowed money. It has to stop. For love of God, we have to stop the spending.â€? Opponents noted Mississippi may be the state most dependent on federal funding. Of the $20 billion that last yearâ€™s Legislature appropriated, almost $9 billion was federal money. â€œIf it was not for our big brother known as the federal government, Mississippi would be in trouble,â€? said Sen. Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland. â€œWeâ€™d either be paying triple what we currently pay in taxes or weâ€™d be providing fewer services.â€? Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory, zeroed in on part of the plan that would allow a special exemption from state approval if Congress wanted to replace income taxes with a national sales tax, saying that would shift the tax burden from the rich to the poor. â€œThis is simply an idea to reduce federal spending and to make sure the wealthiest people in the nation pay even less in taxes than they do now,â€? Bryan said. The measure moves to the Mississippi House for more debate.

LITERACY

QUINN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

from everyone in Corinth and Alcorn County. There are a lot of loving people in the community that has been so dear

to us during this hard time,â€? Matt said. â€œSpecial thanks to Pastor Dennis Smith, and all the firefighters, EMS and police who helped save dad.â€? A well-known pharma-

cist, Quinn owns Medical Plaza Pharmacy with locations on Alcorn Drive and Harper Road. â€œOur family appreciates all the prayers and support from the com-

munity we love and dad loves. Alcorn County is the best community in the world ... I feel that from the bottom of my heart,â€? added Matt. â€œWeâ€™ll all be home soon.â€?

tion and the Main Street Board.â€? The new job entails collaboration with school and district staff to promote effective commu-

nication, planning and implementation of activities, collaboration with partners, and promoting the sustainability of the Innovative Approaches to Literacy Grant and

other district programs and activities. Coombs is a broadcast journalism graduate of the University of Mississippi. She completed a minor in art-graphic design.

COOMBS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

of Main Street,â€? she said. â€œI hope to still be 110 percent involved as much as I can be with promo-

+PFcT 4IPFT ),//025( 67 s &25,17+ 06

3+21( -ON 3AT Â? Â?A M Â?TOÂ? Â?P M Â? 3UN Â? Â?P M Â?TOÂ? Â?P M Â?P M

.@CHDR $NNSR 6Q UP

2)) 900 .FOmT 8PNFOmT

:( +$9( 6DIHW\ 7RHV 3ODLQ 7RHV 0HWJXDUG 6OL 6OLS 2Q /DFH 8SV 6L]HV :LGWKV ' ((((

Check out the classifieds daily

Daily Corinthian

â™Ľ More Than Just A Boutique â™Ľ s l a r o l F l u f i t u a Be elivery D able Avail

Unique Jewelry Susan Shaw

Tuesday - Saturday 9:30 - 5:30 662-287-3606 1808 Shiloh Road â€˘Corinth, MS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

third-grade skills. â€œThe challenge is going to be students will take those tests, but the cut score will not be approved by the State Board of Education until May 15, and then the first opportunity for retest will be May 18 through 22,â€? said Superintendent Lee Childress. â€œSo, that wonâ€™t give us much time to remediate those children that we have identified. However, there will be another opportunity in June for them to be retested, which will give us an opportunity to do some additional remediation and intensive intervention

with those students.â€? The district will look at an extended-year program focused on reading to help those students. The testing is a result of the 2013 LiteracyBased Promotion Act, which requires thirdgrade students to pass the assessment unless they qualify for a good cause exemption, which is available in limited circumstances. The new law has made reading instruction a major focus of kindergarten through third grade. Throughout the school year, teachers have provided intensive reading instruction to students reading below grade level.

Your Valentine Headquarters

Gifts Starting at $5

FREE

t Spring Scarves Gift Wrapping t Candles t $Bndy t Gooseberry Gift t Jewelry Cards t Collegiate Items

Treat Your Valentine To Something Sweet

1425 South Harper Rd. Corinth, MS 662-286-MEDS (6337) www.facebook.com/GooseberryFrozenYogurt

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Today in History

Local/State

Daily Corinthian • 3

Across the Region Former superintendent plans to run again

Today is Thursday, Feb. 12, the 43rd day of 2015. There are 322 days left in the year.

BOONEVILLE — Prentiss County’s races for superintendent of education and constable south picked up candidates within the last week. Former superintendent of education Judith Jumper Perrigo qualified as a Democratic candidate for superintendent of education. Previously qualifying is current superintendent Randle Downs. Rusty Rutherford qualified as a Democratic candidate in the constable south race. Previously qualifying is current southern district constable Harry Allen. Potential candidates have only a little over two weeks remaining to qualify for the 2015 election. Qualifying deadline is Friday, Feb. 27 at 5 p.m. Potential candidates must file their paperwork with the Prentiss County Circuit Clerk’s Office.

Today’s Highlight in History: On Feb. 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was born in present-day Larue County, Kentucky.

On this date: In 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded. In 1914, groundbreaking took place for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. In 1915, the cornerstone was laid for the Lincoln Memorial. In 1924, George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” premiered in New York. In 1959, the redesigned Lincoln penny — with an image of the Lincoln Memorial replacing two ears of wheat on the reverse side — went into circulation. In 1963, a Northwest Orient Airlines Boeing 720 broke up during severe turbulence and crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing all 43 people aboard. In 1973, Operation Homecoming began as the first release of American prisoners of war from the Vietnam conflict took place. In 1995, Iron Butterfly bass player Philip “Taylor” Kramer disappeared; four years later, his skeletal remains were found inside his wrecked minivan in a ravine near Malibu, California. In 1999, the Senate voted to acquit President Bill Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice.

All of the local incumbents have qualified for reelection with five incumbents (constable north, constable south, justice court judge south, fourth district supervisor and superintendent of education) facing opposition as of early Wednesday. Voters head to the polls for the party primaries on Aug. 3. The general election is set for Nov. 3. Candidates who have qualified are: Sheriff: incumbent Randy M. Tolar (D). Circuit Clerk: incumbent Mike Kelley (D). Chancery Clerk: incumbent David “Bubba” Pounds (D). Tax Assessor: incumbent Steve Eaton (D). Tax Collector: incumbent H.W. (Rusty) Cole (D). Constable South: incumbent Harry L. Allen (D); Rusty Rutherford (D). Constable North: incumbent Sammy D. Henderson (D); DeVaughn W. Kelly (R).

State Representative 18th District: incumbent Jerry Turner (R).

Justice Court Judge North: incumbent Debra Hall Moore (D). Justice Court Judge South: incumbent Angela White Pounds (D); Billy Sartin (D). Supervisor District 1: incumbent James Ray Plaxico (D). Supervisor District 2: incumbent Matt Murphy (D). Supervisor District 3: incumbent Mike Kesler (D). Supervisor District 4: incumbent Mike Huddleston (D); Robert W. Botts (D). Supervisor District 5: incumbent Larry Lambert (D). County Attorney: incumbent Allison A. Worley (D). Coroner: Incumbent Greg Sparks (D). Superintendent of Education: incumbent Randle Downs (D); Judith Jumper Perrigo (D). District Attorney: incumbent Trent Kelley (R). State Senate District 5: incumbent J.P. Wilemon Jr. (D). State Representative Third District: incumbent Tracy Arnold (R).

Prentiss Republicans host Lincoln dinner BOONEVILLE — The Prentiss County Republican Party will host their annual Lincoln Dinner on Feb. 16, at 6:30 p.m. at Waller Hall on the Northeast Mississippi Community College. The keynote speaker will be Jeremy Martin, Northeast Mississippi Service Coordinator for the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office. The cost of the dinner is $20 with reservations to be made by Feb. 12. Reservations may be made by calling 662728-2227 or 662-416-9106. Checks should be made payable to the Prentiss County Republican Party and mailed to 39 CR 7010, Booneville, MS 38829. The event is open to the public but seating is limited.

Rival proposals filed to end Health officials roll out statewide stroke network Cleveland schools oversight velop protocols for first responders, hospitals and doctors. Mississippi is the first state to have three networks in place. “It’s a great collaboration,” said Jim Craig, director of health protection for the Mississippi State Health Department. “It’s about getting the right patients to the right facility in the right amount of time.” The first link in the chain is getting people to recognize a stroke and act quickly, Newell said. If someone has a sudden attack of dizziness, numbness, especially on one side, trouble talking or understanding, they don’t need to wait more than five minutes for symptoms to resolve. Call 911. “You need to take it seriously,” Newell said. Under the protocols, emergency medical crews are using assessment scales to check for suspected stroke patients and heading for the closest hospital that can identify and start treatment. Mississippi hospitals can designate themselves as one of three stroke-ready levels based on the care they can provide. Most hospitals are designated as Level 3 stroke hospitals. They have CT scanner and the clot-busting drugs available.

Associated Press

TUPELO — A statewide collaborative network is giving strokes the heart attack treatment. The Mississippi Stroke Network system of care is up and running. Similar to the STEMI (heart attack) and trauma systems, the goal is to quickly identify and treat strokes, minimizing the damage to the brain. “It provides a structure to make sure patients are treated in a timely manner,” said Tupelo neurologist Dr. Sam Newell. Strokes, which are the fifthleading cause of death in Mississippi, occur when blood flow is cut off to part of the brain; they can be caused by a clot or by bleeding. The strokes caused by clots can be treated with a clotbusting drug tPA. It must be given within three hours of the onset of symptoms, and doctors have to rule out a bleeding stroke or other possible conditions, like brain tumors, before it’s administered, Newell said. Neurologists from around the state, the Mississippi Healthcare Alliance, the Mississippi State Department of Health, the Mississippi Hospital Association and the American Heart Association all worked together to de-

One year ago: Legislation to raise the U.S. federal debt limit and prevent a crippling government default cleared Congress. Tina Maze of Slovenia and Dominique Gisin of Switzerland tied for gold in the Olympic women’s downhill at Sochi; it was the first gold-medal tie in Olympic alpine skiing history.

In Cleveland, two middle Associated Press GREENVILLE — Attorneys for schools and two high schools have the Cleveland School District and co-existed for decades. One set is the Justice Department will meet all black; the other, school offiwith a federal judge next week to cials say, is well-balanced for race. In 2012, the school district discuss the ongoing lawsuit over how to desegregate the school filed a proposal to desegregate East Side High School and D.M. system. U.S. District Judge Debra M. Smith Middle School. The school Brown will meet with attorneys system wanted to introduce magnet programs at both schools to Feb. 20 in Greenville. The two sides have filed com- help attract white students from Cleveland High School and Marpeting desegregation plans. The Cleveland school district is garet Green Jr. High School. Magnet schools have a specific seeking to come out from under federal oversight that has been in theme or mission that drives place since 1965, when plaintiffs their curriculum, such as fine sued the Bolivar County school arts or science. Magnet schools system, including Cleveland, to still must be racially balanced. Instead, U.S. District Judge end white-only and black-only Glen H. Davidson ordered the schools. The school district and the Jus- Cleveland schools to open the tice Department are embroiled in two high schools and two middle what appear to be the same legal schools to all students and drop arguments raised in 2011. That’s attendance zones defined as one when the Cleveland schools sued on each side of the railroad tracks that split the town. The plan was to end federal oversight. The Justice Department pro- never implemented. The two sides were told to try poses a school consolidation plan that would result in a single again. Legal battles over school degrade structure in the Cleveland School District, in which all stu- segregation have persisted since dents in grades 6-12 would at- the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown tend one middle school and one v. Board of Education decision high school beginning in the in 1954. In the 1960s, school districts across the South were sued 2016-2017 school year. The Cleveland School District and given desegregation orders, has come with two proposals — which put them under Justice one supports open enrollment Department scrutiny. More than a dozen school systems in Missiswith some additional programBLACK FRIDAY ming; a second, calls for addi- sippi have gone to court to come out from under such orders. tional magnet programs.

Sale!

GRAND OPENING 10% OFF

when you spend $20 or more Expires 3/15/15

Fast, Filling Healthy, Delicious Open 7 Days A Week

formerlyy J. Brown’s di

We are making room for Spring! Come check out our

Sun.-Thurs. 11AM-9:30PM Fri. & Sat 11AM - 10PM

60% OFF

selection!

113 Booneville Trace, Booneville, MS

662-728-2999

CALL IN • TAKE OUT • DINING

412 Fillmore St. • Corinth, MS 662.665.1287

Owner - Jeanne Blackaulder

Min. $5.00 - No Check

CORINTH Come See Us!

Scarves • Hats • Jewelry Clothing • Gift Items & More!

PLUS SIZES AVAILABLE! 801 Foote Street

(in with Corinth Dry Cleaners)

662.587.5774

Monday-Saturday 10:00-5:30

P.O. Box 1800 Corinth, MS 38835

Come C ome ssee ee Jan!!! Jan!!

Your 5-Star Corinth Banking Team

BUYING OR SELLING IN

New Boutique! New Owner! Marea Wilson Salesperson 662-643-7298

Home Delivery 52 weeks - - - - - - - $139.85 24 weeks - - - - - - - - $73.85 12weeks - - - - - - - - - $38.85

www.fmbms.com

Download FMB Mobiliti for your smartphone today!

Mail Rates 52 weeks - - - - - - -$198.90 24 weeks - - - - - - - $101.60 12 weeks - - - - - - - - $53.45

To start your home delivered subscription: Call 287-6111 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For your convenience try our ofﬁce pay plans.

Miss your paper? To report a problem or delivery change call the circulation department at 287-6111. Late, wet or missing newspaper complaints should be made before 10 a.m. to ensure redelivery to immediate Corinth area. All other areas will be delivered the next day.

USPS 142-560 The Daily Corinthian is published daily Tuesday through Sunday by PMG, LLC. at 1607 South Harper Road, Corinth, Miss. Periodicals postage paid at Corinth, MS 38834

Postmaster: Send address changes to: P.O. Box 1800, Corinth, MS 38835

www.dailycorinthian.com

Opinion

Reece Terry, publisher

Mark Boehler, editor

4 • Thursday, February 12, 2015

Corinth, Miss.

Brinker: Metropolis produced more than just one super man STARKVILLE — In the DC Comics I read as a boy, Metropolis was since 1939 a grand city that was home to Superman and The Daily Planet newspaper, where Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent worked and kept a close eye on Lois Lane. But in the real world, there’s a real town in southern Illinois that lays substantial claim to the comic book hero and it’s called Metropolis, Illinois. The town’s newspaper is called The Metropolis Planet. On Jan. 28, the newspaper ran an obituary of a real life hero and a truly super man. His name was Stanley R. and he died on Jan. 16 at Sid Salter Brinker the age of 71. Columnist Brinker grew up on a farm and played high school basketball in Metropolis High School in the late 1950s before winning a basketball scholarship in 1960 to play for Mississippi State College’s Maroons and legendary head coach Harrison “Babe” McCarthy. By 1963, Mississippi State’s basketball teams had missed multiple trips to the NCAA tournament. For three consecutive years, Mississippi State had won the Southeastern Conference title and with it the right to play in NCAA postseason action. But each time, the school had been forced to abide by the “unwritten rule” that kept white Mississippi college teams from playing against integrated teams. In 1963, MSU President Dean Colvard and McCarthy risked their careers and some believe their lives by arranging to sneak the team out of Mississippi to face the integrated Loyola University of Chicago Ramblers. A photo of Brinker shaking hand with Loyola player Vic Rouse and a similar photo of MSU’s Joe Dan Gold shaking hands with Loyola’s Jerry Harkness made Sports Illustrated and every newspaper in the country. The 1963 “Game of Change” — as it came to be known — changed college basketball in a fundamental way. Brinker and his teammates weren’t there as barrier breakers. They simply wanted to compete. Brinker would later say: “The only thing I thought was, ‘We’re finally going to be able to play NCAA,’ not that we’d go play Loyola Chicago or against an integrated team or anything like that. It was just, we’re going to get to go play.” Brinker took part in reunions events a halfcentury later — two in Chicago and one in Starkville as MSU hosted the old Loyola players along with our own. I spent time with Brinker and talked with him about how the 1963 game impacted his life and work. Stan went on to play a couple of years of semi-pro ball, scoring 43 points in one game. In 1966, Brinker joined the U.S. Air Force. His tours of duty included Maxwell Air Force Base; Binh Thuy, Vietnam; Andrews AFB; Eglin AFB; Wright Patterson AFB; and the Pentagon. He rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel and played instrumental parts in the defense programs including laser guided bombs; the F-15 Fighter program, where he served as chief of contracts; and former President Ronald Reagan’s “Star Wars” missile defense program. Retiring from the Air Force in 1987, Stan and his wife, Jan, ran a motel and marina in the Florida Keys and then began a 20-year second career as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA in Bradenton, Florida. The Brinkers retired to Grant, Alabama, in the Guntersville Lake area southeast of Huntsville. Brinker was survived by his wife, two sons, five grandchildren, a sister and three brothers. I will remember the broad smile on Stan’s face when he re-enacted the handshake with Loyola’s Harkness on the court in MSU’s Humphrey Coliseum in 2013 – both men beaming through shining eyes as they honored those players and coaches present and those who had gone on before them both. What a super man Stan Brinker truly was. Even in that losing effort to Loyola in 1963, Brinker knew what a tremendous victory for fair play and sportsmanship was won that day in East Lansing, Michigan and he remained proud of being part of it all of his marvelous life. (Daily Corinthian columnist Sid Salter is syndicated across the state. Contact him at 601-507-8004 or sidsalter@sidsalter.com.)

Prayer for today My Father, help me to choose the road that leads to my work, and may I not fail to reach it, by wandering away from it. Keep me in touch with the human side of life, holding in mind that “Truth and honesty are the noblest works of God.” Amen.

A verse to share Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. — Romans 8:1-2

Reaching the masses The New York Times comes to the mailbox in fits and starts, sometimes three papers a day, often none at all. The hard copy was my Christmas gift for my husband and, admittedly, for myself. We both hate reading newspapers online. Despite the lateness and feast-or-famine delivery, it is good to be almost buried alive in newsprint. Whenever I need a fix, I grab up whatever section is handiest, and always find news of interest and discover things I did not know before. This morning I plucked the obituary page, B-16, of a week-old issue. I read that Rod McKuen had died. He was a poet, songwriter and butt of many critics and jokes. McKuen laughed at his detractors all the way to the bank. He lived in Beverly Hills in an bedroom, 15,000-square-foot mansion ....” Everyone in the early 1970s had one of his books or records or, at the least, a greeting card with his ro-

mantic poetry as text. If my college dormitory in the early 1970s was any indicaRod Rheta tion, Johnson McKuen was the poet of Columnist the people, at least those who loved emotional writing about love, loss, cats and flowers. The poet believed his incredible success had “soured the critics,” The Times said. It’s an age-old pattern. If something becomes too popular, has mass appeal, it can’t possibly be any good. At least that’s the way the critics read it. As if to prove McKuen’s theory, on Page B-15 was the obituary of Colleen McCullough, author of “The Thorn Birds,” which sold 30 million copies and became a popular television mini-series. She died the same day as McKuen. McCullough wrote 20

books in all, but it was the Australian love story involving a beautiful wife’s illicit affair with a handsome Catholic priest that sold best and made her millions. McCullough wasn’t a darling of the critics, either. Reviewers “took the author to task for sins ranging from stilted dialogue to the profligate use of exclamation points,” The Times said. Like McKuen, McCullough didn’t seem to give a fig what the critics thought. At least it didn’t stop her from typing. Known for her speed, she could write up to 30,000 words a day, which might sound like a lie if, say, William Faulkner had said it. I’m not sure there’s a moral to this Tale of Two Obits, except, maybe, love is a state that allows, even demands, escapist literature. The critics can pan poetry that’s too accessible, or judge harshly a plotline punctuated with exclamation points, but if the ob-

jective is to communicate, these writers did. This measure of worth for literature doesn’t always work. One would have to dismiss Shakespeare and Harper Lee as hacks. I’ve never read “The Thorn Birds” and haven’t thought about Rod McKuen in decades. But I know from personal experience it is every writer’s wish to have written something, anything, which people actually will read. Both writers had terrible childhoods. They wrote about them in their respective memoirs. Perhaps that’s why they erred on the side of sentimentality and romance in their work. Perhaps they, too, were escaping, from “crowded rooms and lonesome tunes and very little sky...,” as poet McKuen wrote. (To find out more about Daily Corinthian columnist Rheta Grimsley Johnson and her books, visit www.rhetagrimsleyjohnsonbooks.com.)

Hyphenated-Nation As if we aren’t already divided enough by race, class, gender, political party, economic status and sexual orientation, the federal government is reportedly thinking about creating a new category of Americans just in time for the next census. According to the Associated Press, “The U.S. Census Bureau will test the new Middle East-North Africa classification for possible inclusion on the 2020 census if it gets positive feedback about the proposed change by (last) Sunday, when the public comment period ends.” Americans of Arab descent have previously been classified as “white” in the census, but carving out a special category for them will allow this group access to federal dollars and likely create another group to which politicians can pander for votes. The unofficial “motto” of the United States has been E. Pluribus Unum: out of many one. The traditional idea behind the slogan was that the Founders were creating a single nation out of many (13) colonies. It wasn’t about uniformity, but unanimity. While people then differed about politics and all sorts of

Reece Terry

Mark Boehler

publisher rterry@dailycorinthian.com

editor editor@dailycorinthian.com

Willie Walker

Roger Delgado

circulation manager circdirector@dailycorinthian.com

press foreman

other things – and still do today, sometimes vehemently – the Founders identified a Cal strain runThomas ning through the new Columnist America that united us not only in language, but in the singular pursuit of liberty and religious freedom. Our identity as a nation would not be where we came from, if an immigrant, but where we choose to live. With the exception of World War II and more recently the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, in modern times that unanimity has been fragmented by “groups” competing for national attention, face time on TV, political influence and money. Our national motto today could easily be, “out of one, many.” Hyphenating Americans dilutes our sense of what it means to be an American, just as pouring water into a glass of milk dilutes and eventually replaces the milk. Thomas is a Welsh name, but to my knowledge my ancestors never saw themselves as “Welsh-Americans.” In the mass migra-

tion of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, people came from other countries to America because they believed this land was a better one for themselves and their children than the one they were leaving. They wanted to assimilate and for their children to become fully American with all of the opportunities that the name implies for people willing to work. Division does not serve the interests of the country, or the interests of a divided people. It only serves the political interests of those promoting division. Promoting division along racial and class lines is driving us apart at a time when our enemies seek to destroy us. While fomenting internal strife might get you a TV program, it does nothing to guide people toward a better life. Comedian Whoopi Goldberg resents being called African-American. She has said, “I’ve visited Africa ... and I’m American.” She has also said such hyphenations “divide us as a nation and as a people.” She is right. The Founders were concerned about divisions, beginning with political parties. John Adams said:

World Wide Web: www.dailycorinthian.com To Sound Off: E-mail: email: news@dailycorinthian.com Circulation 287-6111 Classified Adv. 287-6147

“There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.” George Washington agreed. In his farewell presidential speech, Washington said: “The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism.” They were talking about divided parties. Imagine what they would think now that our divisions have multiplied and America now resembles a family quarrel with no winners and much to lose. No good can come of this. None has. (Cal Thomas’ latest book is “What Works: Common Sense Solutions for a Stronger America” is available in bookstores now. Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com.)

How to reach us -- extensions:

Newsroom.....................317 Circulation....................301 news@dailycorinthian.com advertising@dailycorinthian. Advertising...................339 Classifieds....................302 com Classad@dailycorinthian.com Bookkeeping.................333

Editorials represent the voice of the Daily Corinthian. Editorial columns, letters to the editor and other articles that appear on this page represent the opinions of the writers and the Daily Corinthian may or may not agree.

State/Nation

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Across the Nation Associated Press

Stocks change little after quiet day NEW YORK — Stocks indexes closedessentially flat after a quiet day of trading. Energy stocks fell Wednesday after the price of oil took another tumble. Traders were watching a meeting of European finance ministers where Greece was seeking more favorable terms for its rescue loans. The Dow Jones industrial average edged down six points, less than 0.1 percent, to 17,862. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index was little changed from the day before at 2,068. The Nasdaq composite rose 13 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,801. The price of oil fell $1.18 to $48.84 a barrel in New York. Oil has lost more than half its value since last June as supplies increase and demand weakens. PepsiCo rose 2.5 percent after reporting earnings that were better than analysts were expecting.

‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ puzzles given to kids MONESSEN, Pa. — Parents in a Pennsylvania school district are turning 50 shades of red over word search puzzles given to middle school students based on an erotic novel and movie. The students in Monessen were given puzzles based on “Fifty Shades of Grey” that contained terms including “spanking,” ‘‘submissive,” ‘‘leather cuffs” and “bondage.” Other words on the list were more explicit. Parent James Carter complained about it at Tuesday night’s school board meeting, saying he tried to question the school’s principal and dean of students, but they refused to talk when he insisted on recording their conversation. “I wanted to record the conversation because a lot of parents had questions about it, and I was denied that,” Carter told the board. Monessen district officials said at the meeting that they couldn’t discuss the issue because they just learned about it Monday. Superintendent Leanne

Spazak said the circumstances of the puzzle are under investigation. One school board member who didn’t attend the meeting told WTAE-TV that the puzzle was a big mistake. “It was a huge but unintentional error and collected from the five students involved as soon as it was realized,” Roberta Bergstedt wrote in an email. “Unfortunately one copy was taken by a student who then posted it on social media.” The movie opens in theaters Friday. It’s based on a best-selling book by E L James about a college student and her torrid affair with a 27-year-old billionaire with a penchant for bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism.

Juror taken off trial for personal reasons FALL RIVER, Mass. — Another juror was dismissed in the murder trial of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez on Wednesday, marking the second time in two weeks a panelist has been removed from the case. Superior Court Judge Susan Garsh told jurors after a short session Wednesday morning that they may have noticed another empty seat in the jury box. “That was for reasons that were entirely personal to that juror,” Garsh said. “It has nothing to do with this case.” She did not elaborate. It was the same explanation Garsh gave to jurors last week when she dismissed another juror. In that instance, Garsh said in court out of the jury’s presence that there was evidence the juror had discussed the case in detail and expressed the belief that it would be difficult to convict Hernandez without a murder weapon, which has never been found. Hernandez is charged in the 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins. The panel is now made up of 16 jurors, and 12 will ultimately decide Hernandez’s fate. Alternates will be selected randomly immediately before deliberations.

“Let our HOME take care of your home medical supply needs” Oxygen • Victory Back Braces • Cpap/ BiPap • Hospital Beds • Power Wheel Chairs • Rollators • Lift Chairs • Walkers • Nebulizers • Knee, Ankle Braces • Diabetic Shoes, Socks • Cast Shoes

HMP

TN/MS Handgun Carry Class Now Certified Mississippi “Enhanced” Carry Permit Class-NRA Certified Instructors 1 Day • Sat., February 14, 8:30 a.m. LUNCH & RANGE INCLUDED

Call Ahead for Reservations

Tri-State Gun Club 2645 Damon Rd Counce, TN Take Hwy 350 to CR 375, turn left onto CR 375, bear right, turns into Damon Rd. Gun Club is 3.7 miles on the right

80 Yrs. Experience!

Across the State

Wednesday was the first day back in court since Feb. 5. Jurors spent Friday on a police-escorted motor coach tour of various sites important to the case, including Hernandez’s home and the crime scene. On Monday and Tuesday, court was canceled because of snow. On Tuesday afternoon, the court released Garsh’s decision to grant prosecutors’ request for immunity for Jenkins, which could compel her to testify or face time behind bars. Jenkins appeared in court in her usual spot, sitting behind Hernandez. The two smiled at each other, and Hernandez complimented Jenkins on her new hairstyle, then winked at her. She laughed in response. As Hernandez left court at the end of the session, he whispered, “I love you” to Jenkins. Testifying on Wednesday were police officers and a firefighter who responded to the scene where Lloyd’s body was found. Hernandez’s lawyers have tried to portray the investigation as shoddy. The trial was scheduled to resume Friday.

Grave urination charges dropped BALTIMORE — Baltimore County prosecutors have dropped the charges against a Cleveland Browns fan caught on video urinating on former Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell’s grave last summer. Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger said the disorderly conduct in a cemetery charge against 62-year-old Paul Serbu, who posted a video of himself on the Internet urinating on Modell’s grave, was dropped Tuesday. Shellenberger said Serbu wrote an apology letter to the Modell family, and agreed to appear on David Modell’s radio show and “subject himself to questioning about the incident.” Shellenberger added that prosecutors learned after the incident that Serbu suffers from medical problems that “may have led to his lack of judgment.” Serbu could have faced up to two years in jail and a $500 fine.

Associated Press

House OKs raise for assistant teachers JACKSON — The Mississippi House has voted to give assistant teachers a substantial pay raise. The base pay for the job is $12,500 a year. A bill that was debated Wednesday originally would have set the base pay at $13,500. The House accepted a proposal by Democratic Rep. Cecil Brown of Jackson to set the base pay at $15,000. Some local school districts provide salary supplements for teachers and assistant teachers. It is unclear whether the pay plan will survive as legislators work on the state budget the next couple of months. The raise for assistant teachers could get scaled back to the original proposal. The plan is in House Bill 582.

Phillips loses appeal of murder conviction JACKSON — The state Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of Ronnell Phillips of second-degree murder in the 2011 death of Cassandra Rice. Phillips was sentenced to 40 years for seconddegree murder in Lamar County in 2013. Prosecutors say Phillips and three others fired more than 10 rounds into Rice’s home. One of the rounds struck Rice in the head killing her while she slept. Prosecutors say Rice’s daughter had previously dated Phillips and when the relationship ended he continually harassed the family through phone calls, texts and confrontations. The Appeals Court rejected Phillips’ arguments that he was denied a fair trial when a police officer commented on Phillips’ refusal to make a statement and when a witness testified he was a gang member.

901-262-8072 “Non-Profit”

Columbia; and Donald Walton, a contractor from Vicksburg, have all notified the U.S. District Court of their intentions to change their pleas to guilty. All three are free on bond. Harvey-Irvin, Walton, and Croom are accused in the indictment of federal program fraud and other charges. The agency received federal money to operate the Head Start program. Harvey-Irvin through GCCAA allegedly paid Croom $649,047 in consultant contracts in exchange for Croom paying Harvey-Irvin $91,961 in kickbacks. The two, the indictment says, then conspired to launder the money by making cash deposits into a bank account Harvey-Irvin set up. In another indictment, Walton is charged with conspiring to commit federal program fraud by accepting and paying bribes. According to the indictment, HarveyIrvin through the agency awarded $365,282.20 in construction contracts to Walton’s business, Walton Construction. In exchange for the contracts, Walton allegedly paid Harvey-Irvin $31,000 in kickbacks.

$2.5 million bond set for fatal shooting VICKSBURG -- Bond has been set at $2.5 million for a Louisiana man held on charges related to a fatal shooting at a Vicksburg nightclub. Vicksburg Police Chief Walter Armstrong said the shooting occurred about 2 a.m. Sunday outside LD’s nightclub where officers were breaking up a fight. Armstrong says 22-year-old Kentrell Williams of Tallulah, Louisiana, is charged with

murder, possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a stolen firearm. He says the victim was 32-year-old Jimmy Johnson of Tallulah. Williams had an initial court appearance Monday. Armstrong says the club was still open and hosting a party when the shooting happened. He says it’s unclear how many people were outside the club when the shooting occurred.

Man pleads guilty to kidnapping, assault BAY ST. LOUIS — A Mississippi man will spend the next 25 years in prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a Hancock County woman. Mark Andrew Rice, 53, was sentenced Tuesday by Circuit Judge Chris Schmidt after he pleaded guilty to the charges stemming from an investigation that began in September 2013. Hancock County deputies said they responded to a report of a domestic dispute at a Bayside home. That is where they found the victim in the front yard and Rice near death from an attempted suicide inside the home. District Attorney Joel Smith said Hancock County deputies responded to a Sept. 7, 2013, call at a woman’s Bayside home to find her in the front yard and Rice “near death” from a suicide attempt in the main bedroom. Rice and the woman had been in a long-term relationship and he was a guest at her home earlier in the day, investigators learned. He later returned to the home, and bound and assaulted the woman, Smith said. Then he slit his wrists, authorities said.

3 to plead guilty to embezzlement GULFPORT — Three people charged with embezzling money from the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community Action Agency in Gulfport will enter guilty pleas on Feb. 19. Over the past two weeks, Linda HarveyIrvin, the agency’s former director; Markuntala Croom, a contractor from

Stop the Harassment & Keep your Property

Southern Carports Features Dersken Portable Buildings

QUICK - EASY - LOW COST

Buy or Rent to Own

Affordable flexible payment plans

Treated • Painted & Metal Buildings 8x10’ to 16x32’

ZERO down payment gets you a fresh start with

Home Medical Products, INC. 207 North Harper Road Corinth, MS. 38834 662-396-9996

Daily Corinthian • 5

101 West College Street, Booneville, MS

Call and Pre-Order today! • Chocolate Covered Strawberries • Long stem Roses in box • Balloons

Gift Certificates Available Manicures, Pedicures, Hair Extensions, Eyelash Extension, Hair Cuts, Hair color, Spray tans, Wax & more

FULL THROTTLE SALON Owner: Jessica King

Stylist- Amber Austin, Danah Mincey,Melanie Harris, Alicia Mitchell, & Jessica King

1301 Hwy. 72 E., Corinth, MS • 662-665-1275

Starting at $6458 per month +tax

NO CREDIT CHECK • NO SLAB NEEDED *NO SECURITY DEPOSIT • on 36 month terms FREE DELIVERY & SETUP 915 Hwy. 72 W. Corinth • 662-415-1984 Mon–Sat. 9–5 • American made

Labs-n-Lace Let us help you

Under New make your night special! Management! New line of lingerie Bachelorette/Bachelor items and other party favors 1405 Hwy 72 E Corinth, MS 662-808-LABS (5227) Fax: 662-286-6900

6 • Thursday, February 12, 2015 • Daily Corinthian

Parking dispute sparks 3 killings Associated Press

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — A long-running parking dispute between neighbors motivated a man to kill a woman, her newlywed husband and her sister at a quiet condominium complex near the University of North Carolina, police said Wednesday. A Muslim advocacy organization asked authorities to address speculation — much of it on social media — about possible religious bias in Tuesday’s shooting of the three Muslims. “We understand the concerns about the possibility that this was hate-motivated, and we will exhaust every lead to determine if that is the case,” Chapel Hill police Chief Chris Blue said in an email. The couple had graduated from North Carolina State, and one was studying to be a dentist at UNC. The sister was an undergraduate at N.C. State. UNC’s chancellor called it a loss for both campus communities, and the school planned a vigil Wednesday evening. “This was like the power couple of our community,” said Ali Sajjad, president of N.C. State’s Muslim Student Association. Craig Stephen Hicks,

46, was charged with three counts of firstdegree murder in the shooting of Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, and wife Yusor Mohammad, 21, both of Chapel Hill, and Razan Mohammad AbuSalha, 19, of Raleigh. Hicks appeared briefly in court Wednesday. He is being held without bond and will be appointed a public defender. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for March 4. Police said Hicks turned himself in and was cooperating. They said the preliminary investigation showed the parking dispute was the motive. Hicks’ wife, Karen Hicks, and a former roommate of Barakat confirmed that Craig Hicks had been part of a long-running parking dispute. “I can say that it is my absolute belief that this incident had nothing up do with religion or the victims’ faith, but in fact was related to longstanding parking disputes my husband had with various neighbors regardless of their race, religion or creed,” Karen Hicks said. One of her attorneys, Robert Maitland, said Hicks had tried to resolve the parking dispute

with the homeowners association several times without success. Imad Ahmad, who said he lived with Barakat for more than a year, said Hicks would knock on their door about once a month to complain the two men were parking in one of the spaces designated for visitors in addition to the one space reserved for each residence. “He would come over to the door. Knock on the door and then have a gun on his hip saying you guys need to not park here,” said Ahmad, 24, who said Hicks carried the handgun in a holster. “He did it again after they got married.” Another attorney for Karen Hicks, Michele English, said Craig Hicks had a concealed weapons permit. But outrage spread among some American Muslims who viewed the homicides as an outgrowth of anti-Muslim opinions. Many posted social media updates with the hashtags #MuslimLivesMatter and #CallItTerrorism. “Based on the brutal nature of this crime ... the religious attire of two of the victims, and the rising anti-Muslim rhetoric in American society, we urge state and

federal law enforcement authorities to quickly address speculation of a possible bias motive in this case,” Nihad Awad, of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said in a statement. Durham district attorney Roger Echols said he couldn’t discuss motive or whether Hicks could be charged with a hate crime. U.S. Attorney Ripley Rand said his office was monitoring the investigation but that it was not yet a federal investigation. He said the shooting appeared to be “an isolated incident.” Gerod King of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said that agents were in touch with the U.S. attorney’s office and that investigators hadn’t ruled out a hate crime. At UNC, Barakat was a second-year dental student. Mohammad was scheduled to begin dental studies in the fall. Both graduated from North Carolina State University, spokesman Mick Kulikowski said. Barakat received a business administration degree in 2013. Mohammad received a biological sciences degree in December. Abu-Salha was a sophomore design major, Kulikowski said.

NYC officer pleads not guilty to manslaughter Associated Press

NEW YORK — A rookie police officer pleaded not guilty Wednesday to manslaughter, official misconduct and other charges in the shooting death of a man in a pitch black stairwell of a Brooklyn public housing complex. Officer Peter Liang appeared briefly in a Brooklyn courtroom as the charges, which also include criminally negligent homicide and assault, were unsealed in the death of 28-year-old Akai Gurley. Liang’s attorney, Stephen Worth, maintained the shooting was an accident. The officer was released without bail. Gurley was killed on Nov. 20 while visiting the Louis Pink Houses, a public housing complex in Brooklyn’s East New York neighborhood, to get his hair braided. Liang, who had been an officer for about 18 months, and his partner

were patrolling the complex where reports of violent crime had spiked. The stairwell was completely dark and Liang had his gun drawn as they descended onto an eighth-floor landing, prosecutors said. Meanwhile, Gurley opened the door into the seventhfloor landing after giving up his wait for an elevator. Liang, gun in his left hand and a flashlight in his right, fired a shot, prosecutors said. The bullet ricocheted and struck Gurley in the chest, who made it down two flights of stairs before collapsing. Assistant District Attorney Mark Fliedner said Liang was supposed to have kept his finger off the trigger and to the side of the weapon. “The defendant ignored this training. ... As a result, Mr. Akai Gurley is dead,” he said. Immediately after the shooting, Fliedner said, Liang and his partner

“FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD” Few verses in the Bible are better known and loved than the words of Jesus as recorded in John 3:16; “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Consider four great lessons that may be gleaned from the Savior’s words. 1. The Divine Initiative. “For God so loved the world.” Without the love, mercy, and grace of our Heavenly Father, we are hopelessly and helplessly lost in our sin. “He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) God loves you!!! 2. The Divine Gift. “He gave his only begotten Son.” Nothing could more clearly demonstrate the love of God than His willingness to allow his spotless, sinless Lamb to be sacrificed for us “while we were yet sinners”(Romans 5:8) He died for you!!! 3. The Divine Call “Whosoever believeth in Him” The perfect sacrifice has been made. Heaven has given its best for mankind and calls upon us to put our faith in Him Those hearers on Pentecost (Acts2), the Samaritans (Acts 8), the Ethiopian(Acts 8),the Philippi an jailor (Acts 16), and other believers were obedient to the gospel call, confessed Christ and were baptized. He is calling you !!! 4. The Divine Inheritance. “Should not perish, but have everlasting life.” What a beautiful thought!! Even though all have sinned, God has made it possible for us to not only escape ‘its condemnation, but enjoy the inheritance that is “incorruptible, undefiled, and fadeth not away.” He has prepared a place for you!!! We invite you to study and worship with us at the Danville church of Christ.

DanvilleTimChurch of Christ Carothers- Minister

481 cr 409 Corinth MS • c/o 471 cr 513, Rienzi MS • 662-287-0312

retreated to the eighth floor instead of rendering aid. Liang said to his partner: “It was an accident. I’m going to be fired,” according to court documents. When other officers responded and started to help Gurley, Liang came down the stairs, but “just stood there,” Fliedner said. Gurley was taken to a hospital where he later died. Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said prosecutors didn’t believe Liang intended to kill Gurley. “But he had his finger on the trigger and he fired the gun,” he said. Worth denied that Liang did nothing after the shooting. “It’s a tortured attempt to make the defendant look heartless. Nothing could be further from the truth,” he said. Thompson said after the shooting that he would convene a grand jury to investigate, and the results came back less than three months later, about the time it takes grand juries to consider other criminal cases. He said prosecutors owed it to Gurley to do a thorough investigation. He said they interviewed dozens of witnesses and visited the stairwell himself.

Even before the shooting, the New York Police Department had been changing how it assigns and trains new officers. Under former Commissioner Raymond Kelly, the NYPD assigned rookie officers as reinforcements in parts of the city that have seen increases in crime. The Pink Houses had been the scene of a recent spike in shooting, robberies and assaults. Under William Bratton, new officers are no longer funneled into high-crime precincts as extra manpower, but instead are assigned mentors who are more experienced officers and rotate through different jobs at precincts. Bratton said Thursday that police are reviewing whether to pair seasoned officers with newer officers during stairwell patrols. The case was closely watched following the Dec. 3 grand jury decision not to indict a police officer in the chokehold death of Eric Garner. That decision prompted mass protests decrying the grand jury system as biased, and fueled an already growing discord between the city’s rankand-file police and Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was viewed by critics as not publicly supporting police after the decision.

McPeters Funeral Directors Yesterday • Today • Tomorrow 1951 Corinth•• 662-286-6000 662.286.6000 1313E.3rd3rdSt.,St.,Corinth

"OBAMACARE" OPEN ENROLLMENT FINAL DAY FEBRUARY 15TH

Ending Date for Enrollment February 15th CALL

CROSSROADS INSURANCE SERVICES Ginger Dillinger & Meredith King 2212 HWY 72E CORINTH, MS 38834

Deaths Bob Wood

DALLAS, Texas — Robert Foster “Bob” Wood died Sunday, February 8, 2015, after a brave battle with pancreatic cancer. The son of Dick Pender Wood, Sr. and Robena Looney Ashburn Wood, Bob was born August 1, 1947, in Dallas, Texas. He was a lifelong resident of University Park where his father served as City Attorney for 37 years. After graduating from Highland Park High School in 1966, he graduated from Texas Tech University. His passion for Texas Tech football was unparalleled. Rarely missing a game, Bob was frequently spotted on the sidelines supporting his beloved team. Bob began his career at H.B. Hughes Company in Dallas as a Wood sporting goods manufacturer’s representative. On April 1, 1985, he and his partners founded Bob Wood and Associates. During the subsequent 30 years, Bob and his team represented many amazing brands including, but not limited to, Adidas, Badger, Fila, Gatorade, Johnson & Johnson, Nokona, Spalding and Under Armour. He developed a loyal customer base of retailers, high schools, and professional teams. In 2000 he was inducted into the Sporting Goods Agents Association Hall of Fame. Bob’s larger than life personality, contagious smile, rich laughter, and loving spirit will live forever in the hearts of his family and friends. He was a fiercely loyal and infinitely proud husband, father and grandfather. He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Pat Sandy Wood; son, Grant Wood and wife Kay; daughter, Sandy; granddaughters, Anne Marie, Ella and Lyda Wood; brothers, Dick (Claire) Wood and Frank (Sherri) Wood; and his nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews. In celebration of Bob’s life, a memorial service will be held in the Sanctuary of Highland Park United Methodist Church (www.hpumc.org) on Friday, February 13, 2015, at 10 a.m. Should friends wish, the family suggests contributions in lieu of flowers to the Texas Tech Red Raiders Club (Box 45055; Lubbock, TX 79409), the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (www.pancan.org), the Texas Sports Hall of Fame (1108 S University Parks Drive; Waco, TX 76706) or the Buckner Children’s Home (www.buckner.org).

Wendy Doyle

Wendy Hilburn Doyle died Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at Baptist Health Medical Center in North Little Rock, Ark. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Memorial Funeral Home.

Deloise Pratt

Funeral services for Deloise Boyd Pratt, 63, of Corinth, are set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Little Zion M.B. Church with burial in Liberty Cemetery in Kossuth. Mrs.Pratt died Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015 at Magnolia Regional Health Center. Born November 29, 1951, she was a 1968 graduate of Easom High School. She was disabled and a member of Little Zion M.B. Church. She is survived by children, Renardi Boyd and Billy D. Pratt; siblings, Mary Lillian Smith, Darlene Christian Beamon and Stanley Ray Boyd; Pratt and four grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Lula Mae Christian Stovall Boyd and Hillie Boyd; and siblings, Melvin Boyd, Wilson “J.B.” Boyd, Raynell Boyd Barrett, Anna Katherine and Barbara Christian. Pastor Chris Traylor will officiate. Visitation is 6-8 p.m. Friday at Patterson Memorial Chapel.

Senate passes bill to nix vehicle safety inspection BY JEFF AMY Associated Press

JACKSON — Some Mississippi senators haven’t gotten an up-todate vehicle safety inspection. Now they want other Mississippians to be able to forget about it, too. Senators on Wednesday passed a bill to repeal the requirement that vehicle owners get a $5 safety inspection each year. It got a push from Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, who endorsed the measure for the first time this year. The bill goes to the House for more debate. Proponents, including Republican Sen. John Polk of Hattiesburg, say too often no inspection is conducted. They also say cars are better-built now, and safety inspections are less needed. The brief safety inspection is supposed to include a check on whether headlights, windshield wipers, turn signals and the horn are working. Some senators say inspection stations don’t even do that much. Senate President Pro Tem Giles Ward, R-Louisville, said inspections have “outlived their use-

fulness. I do not disagree that maybe a more stringent inspection sticker would promote safety. But my inspection process is taking my driver’s license out of my wallet and taking a $5 bill out of my wallet.” Ward said he sent Senate pages out last month to look at vehicles driven by senators and staffers. Of those 88 cars and trucks, 23 had expired stickers and two had no stickers at all. “We have a responsibility, if we’re going to keep laws in effect, to at least abide by them,” he said. Sen. Billy Hudson, RHattiesburg, was among those who opposed the bill. He warned that abolishing inspection stickers would lead to “more accidents, more injuries and more deaths,” and called for a more effective inspection instead. “This system is broken,” Hudson said. “It needs fixing. But we don’t need to throw the baby out with the bathwater.” Sen. Kelvin Butler, DMcComb, proposed that the state instead just inspect older vehicles.

Daily Corinthian • Thursday, February 12, 2015 • 7

THURSDAY EVENING C A WATN ^ ^ WREG # # QVC $ . WCBI

WMC

% %

WLMT & > WBBJ _ _ WTVA ) ) WKNO * WGN-A + ( WMAE , , WHBQ ` ` WPXX / WPIX

MAX

0 3

SHOW 2 HBO

4 1

MTV

5 2

ESPN

7 ?

SPIKE 8 5 USA

: 8

NICK

; C

DISC

< D

A&E

FSSO

? 4

BET

@ F

H&G

C H

E! HIST

D E B

ESPN2 F @ TLC G FOOD H INSP I LIFE

J =

TBN

AMC

N 0

FAM

O <

TCM

TNT

Q A

TBS

R *

GAME TOON TVLD FS1

S T U K Z

Æ ;

OUT NBCS OWN FOXN APL

Ø ∞ ± ≤ ≥

HALL

∂ G

DISN

“ L

SYFY

7 PM