Friday Feb. 13,
2015
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Daily Corinthian Vol. 119, No. 38
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 20 pages • Two sections
Irwin will not seek U.S. House seat BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
The mayor is staying put. Corinth Mayor Tommy Irwin told a small group Thursday people from around the state had approached him about running for the vacated congressional seat of the late Alan
Nunnelee. Nunnelee, 56, passed away Feb. 6 from complications pertaining to a brain tumor. He had been the District 1 U.S Representative since 2011. Governor Phil Bryant has not yet set a date for a special election to fill the position.
“I am grateful, but our work here is not through … it’s just beginning,” said Irwin prior to a special called meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Irwin went onto to say the board will recognize the late congressman with a resolution at the next board meeting.
“It’s so sad what happened,” he said. Nunnelee unseated Prentiss County Democrat Travis Childers in 2010 for the District 1 seat. The mayor also took the time before the meeting to share an idea which would benefit the city. “We have some exciting things
to talk about like a conference center,” he said. “We could get all kind of business here if we have the venue ... we have to always keep moving forward.” In board business, aldermen approved sending downtown area zoning and code plans to the planning commission.
New candidates join races for state House BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Big heart Two-year-old Kadynce King shows she has a big heart when it comes to helping her grandmother, Pam Lewis, at the Design Dept. Florist.
A pair of new names have joined races for local seats in the state House of Representatives. Lauren Childers qualified Thursday to run as a Democrat in House District 3, the seat held by incumbent Republican Tracy Arnold of Booneville. Lisa Benderman Wigginton also qualified Thursday as a Democrat in House District 1, the seat currently held by incumbent Republican Lester “Bubba” Carpenter. Both incumbents have already qualified to seek reelection. Childers is a regional admissions counselor for the University of Mississippi and is the daughter of former U.S. Representative and Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers. Arnold, the se-
nior pastor of The Vineyard Church in Prentiss County, began serving in the House in 2012. District 3 covers Prentiss County and a portion of southern Alcorn County. Benderman is retired from the Alcorn School District where she served until last July as federal programs director and previously served as assistant principal of Alcorn Central High School. Carpenter, a longtime paramedic, has served in the House since 2008. District 1 represents Tishomingo County and portions of Alcorn County. Alcorn County’s other state representative, incumbent Democrat Nick Bain, remains unopposed for re-election in House District 2. Candidates for statewide and county offices have until Friday, Feb. 27 to qualify to seek office.
Kossuth High School principal to step down in June BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
Kossuth High School will have a new principal when the 2015-16 school session begins in August. The resignation of principal Mike Kimmons was accepted this week during the regular monthly meeting of the Alcorn School District. Kimmons will leave his post on June 30. He has held the po-
sition since July 2013. The board also accepted the resignations of Alcorn Central High School bus driver Tazel Choate and KHS bus driver Alison Wade. Both drivers left the wheel on Jan. 9. In other news: ■ The board approved the hiring of Cammie Bishop as a preK teacher assistant at Rienzi Elementary School and Rebecca Penny as a interventionist at
Biggersville Elementary School. Sharon Bostick, Martha Brooks, Floyd Lamb, Andy McElyea and Lauren Nelms were also hired as substitute teachers for the district. ■ Seven tutors were hired for after school tutoring programs at Alcorn Central Middle School. The tutors will be paid with state Title I funds. Those hired included Rae Palmer, Dottie Roach, Susan
Martial arts class teaches self-defense
BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
kshelton@dailycorinthian.com
Please see SELF-DEFENSE | 2A
and directors for the 2015-16 school year. Those returning in the fall include Ritchie Williams, John Anderson, Chris Butler, Joe Horton, Chad Lindamood, Nellie Massengill, Brandon Quinn, Brian Phelps, Sam Roberts, Stan Platt, Peggie Bundy, Randy Holt, Rose Seaborn, Van Carpenter, Rodney Hopper, Kimberly Woodard, Dr. Stephanie Clausel and Tammy Johnson.
VFW hosts annual Valentine’s dance
BY KIMBERLY SHELTON Refusing to become victims, students at the Crossroads Martial Arts Family Karate Center are taking lessons in the self-defense art known as Krav Maga. Literally translated as “contact combat” in Hebrew, Krav Maga was developed by Hungarian-Israeli martial artist Imi Lichtenfield for use in the Israeli military. A combination of many techniques, the self-defense system is sourced from grappling, wrestling, Aikido, boxing, Combat Sambo, Muay Thai, Judo, Wing Chun and Jujutsu. “It focuses on real-world situations such as what to do in the cases of home invasion, car jacking, gun and knife
Holt, Lisa Smith, Lisa Lamberth and Cassandra Weathers. ■ The board approved Alcorn County Technical Center director Rodney Hopper to allow Lee Busby to serve as a volunteer auto mechanics instructor. Busby will fill the spot left open while current instructor Jim Mathis takes medical leave. ■ The board also approved the rehiring of more than a dozen administrators, principals
Staff photo by Kimberly Shelton
Charlie McDaniel, longtime Corinth Carpet store owner, practices Krav Maga self-defense techniques with classmate Brandon Gahagan.
Index Stocks......8A Classified......3B Comics......9A State......5A
Weather....10A Obituaries......6A Opinion......4A Sports....12A
VFW Post 3962 has a sweet treat planned for Valentine’s Day. Post 3962 will host its annual Valentine’s Day Dance on Saturday night. The fun gets underway at 8 p.m. and continues until midnight. “Everyone has a good time at the dance,” said Ladies Auxiliary President Edie Simpson. “It’s a safe environment and a great place to be with friends … it’s good clean fun.” Simpson hopes to have at least 200 people take in the fun at the dance. A sweetheart basket is being raffled during the night. Tickets are $1 each or $5 for
25 tickets. Cost to attend the dance is $5. A post member can bring one guest for free. Chocolate strawberries will be available for $1.50 each. All the proceeds from the event will be used to help veterans and their families. “Some people forget we are a non-profit organization,” said Simpson. The local post is involved in such things as flag retirement ceremony each Flag Day in June, Patriotic Pen Essay Contest, Boy Scout of the Year Award, supporter of Pine Vale Children’s Home, along with charitable support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Salvation Army, Mississippi Burn Foundation and the VFW Children’s Home among other things.
On this day in history 150 years ago Lincoln scolds heavy-handed military commanders in West Tennessee, “the object of the war being to restore and maintain the blessings of peace and good government, I desire you to help, not hinder, every advance in that direction.”
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