Saturday Feb. 22,
2014
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 118, No. 46
BY ZACK STEEN The Alcorn School District recently announced jaw dropping figures regarding district wide fuel cost savings. Superintendent Gina Rogers Smith reported the district has spent $19,943.17 less on fuel costs so far this
school year compared to the amount spent last school year. “These savings are a direct result of the district deciding to park all vehicles in 2012,” said Smith. “We are just now starting to see really big savings.” In previous years, school district employees have been
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • 1 section
Vehicle changes fuel savings zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
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allowed to drive their school district vehicles home. The use of school vehicles and fuel costs were expenditures that were evaluated in order to reduce district costs. At a May 2012 meeting, the board of directors voted to park all vehicles district wide resulting in school employees not being allowed to
drive school vehicles home. In the 2011-12 school year, the district used $340,671.86 on gas and diesel costs. After the order to park, the district used $309,459.65 on fuel during the 2012-13 school year. So far during the current school Please see SAVINGS | 3
Who is the big winner? $1 million ticket sold BY JEFF YORK
Smith
For the Daily Corinthian
Cottages focus of Home & Garden Tour BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
The Friends of the VerandahCurlee House committee met this week to announce the dates of this year’s Corinth Home & Garden Tour. The sixth annual event is set for April 4-5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Corinth. Home tour chairperson Laura Albright said the tour would feature three cottages this year. The Taylor Street homes of Becky Williams and Chad Dickerson and the Main Street home of Brittany and Joshua Bryant will be included on the tour. “These three homes are smaller then the homes we have featured in the past,” Albright said. “They are very unique and historic homes. I think people will really enjoy seeing them.” The popular fine art slient auction will be held in Charlie and Beverly Gooch’s garage next door to Dickerson’s home on Taylor Street. Several tents featuring items for sale will be setup on the green space between Dickerson’s home and the Gooch’s garage. “We’re planning a teddy bear tea party for the kids this year,” Albright added. “It will have an Easter bunny or Alice in Wonderland theme.” Albright has a personal tie to the historic Verandah-Curlee House. Her grandmother served as the docent for many years. “She lived in the guest house behind the Curlee House,” Albright said. “I remember spending a lot of time at the house. Sometimes, I feel like my grandmother’s spirit is still there.” The first year chairperson brings new ideas of making the
Staff photo by Zack Steen
Corinth Artist Guild president Sonny Boatman, LINK representive Stacy Brooks and Corinth Home & Garden Tour chairperson Laura Albright discuss plans for this year’s event. tour more fun and festive. “I think the event should be a little less formal,” she said. “I want to bring music out of the chapel and into the yards of the homes on the tour.” The committee hopes to make the home tour more education friendly this year by hosting local school groups on April 4. The home tour is the banner fundraiser for the Friends of the Verandah-Curlee House. In five years, the group has do-
nated $72,000 to help restore the historic house. Built in 1857 by one of Corinth’s founding fathers, the Greek Revival house was used in the Civil War as headquarters for Gen. Braxton Bragg. “Our goal this year is $18,000,” Albright said. “That would put our total in donations at $100,000 generated from this great event.” The house is currently in the middle of a major $2 million renovation.
The Siege and Battle of Corinth Commission hopes to offer the public an opportunity to see the progress during a special opening during the home tour. The home tour is the latest addition to an already busy weekend in the Crossroads. Other events happening on April 5 include the first Green Market at the Corinth Depot, the Crossroads Chili Cook-Off and a lawn and garden show at the Crossroads Arena.
Someone is the area is now a millionaire. A customer at White Oak Shell in Milledgeville was one of two $1 million winners in Tennessee following Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing. A lottery player in California won the $425.3 million jackpot. The drawing created 50,998 winning tickets in Tennessee, including two $1 million winners. The other winning ticket sold in Tennessee was in LaVergne. The Tennessee Lottery has now had a total of 135 players who have won $1 million or more since inception. “We always encourage the players to check their tickets after a Powerball drawing,” said Kym Gerlock of the Tennessee Lottery. “There are different ways to win the game besides the jackpot and million dollar winners.” The White Oak Shell will receive a $5,000 bonus from the Tennessee Lottery for selling the winning ticket. White Oak Shell is located on Hwy. 22 in the northeast corner of McNairy County. The two winners with the $1 million prizes will have 180 days to claim their winning ticket at the lottery headquarters in Nashville. No additional information is available until the prizes are claimed.
Farmington says no to movement of sewer lines for bridges BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
FARMINGTON — Discussion was lengthy at the meeting of the Farmington Mayor and Board of Alderman this week. The aldermen voted unanimously to not accept an agreement from Cook Coggin Engineering regarding the movement of sewer lines in the way of road construction. “Cook Coggin is going to replace two bridges on County Road 200,” said Mayor Dale Fortenberry. “They want the city to agree to move any sewer line in the way of the movement of old bridges and construction of new bridges.” Alderman Lowell Gann
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quickly made the motion to not accept the agreement. “I think the city shouldn’t execute the agreement as it is written,” said Gann. Fortenberry added the sewer line in question contains a 20inch pressure main. “This is the city’s main line. It
runs under Proper Street by the Animal Shelter,” he said. “ We can’t allow interruption of service, as well.” The board agreed to not pay for any utility to be moved with no interruption of service including future expansion. All final work on the sewer lines must also be approved by the city’s engineer. City Clerk Debbie Jackson will draft a reply to Cook Coggin on behalf of the board this week. In other business: ■ The board agreed to pay a $3,347 invoice from The Computer Shop, LLC. “They have been on site for the last three to four weeks
installing new software and updating our systems,” said Fortenberry. “This included the replacement of our main sewer computer, which was more than 12-years-old.” ■ The board approved the mayor’s request to pay for a hotel room for a one night stay in Jackson next week. “This is for the rescheduled Mississippi Municipal League Winter Conference from earlier this month,” said Fortenberry. “It was canceled due to snow and rescheduled for Feb. 26.” ■ The Farmington Sewer Department report for Jan. 22 - Feb. 17 included the outstanding balance of $27,158.74, the past due active amount of
$9,113.29 and the past due inactive amount of $25,221.93. The department placed 70 hang tags and four cutoffs were performed. ■ The Farmington Police Department report for Jan. 22 - Feb. 17 included 287 calls for service, 24 traffic stops, seven citations, two arrests and one traffic accident. The department also assisted the Alcorn County Sheriffs Department, EMS and the Farmington Volunteer Fire Department on several calls. ■ The next board meeting is scheduled for March 18 at 6 p.m. at the Farmington City Hall on Farmington Road. The public is welcome to attend.
Visitors Bureau to use USB drives as flexible new tool to sell city BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
The Corinth Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is turning to a different tool to sell Corinth. Website manager Mia Nickels introduced the idea of using a USB drive with tourism information instead of a printed
handout during the February meeting of the tourism board. Tourism director Christy Burns will pass on the two gigabyte drives to tour groups at the Travel South Show in West Virginia later this month. “The drive holds soft material such as data sheets, video and photo albums,” said Nickels of
the $6 device. “The information on the port can change daily and be customized to a particular event.” Initially, 100 of the devices are being made with the Corinth Area Convention and Visitors Bureau logo on the outside. “We are trying to replace our promotional stock with items
Index Stocks........8 Classified......14 Comics........ 7 State........ 5
Weather........9 Obituaries........ 6 Opinion........4 Sports...... 12
which are more adaptable to our needs,” said Burns. The new tool should also cut down on printing costs. “There will still be things that need to be printed, but you will now be able to print only a certain number needed,” added Nickels. “The drives will be something a person won’t just throw in their
bag and forget about.” Burns plans on taking 75 drives to the show in West Virginia. More of the devices will be passed out during the Select Travel event later this year. “The device is an easier way of selling all we have to offer in Corinth,” said the tourism director.
On this day in history 150 years ago Confederates under Gen. Nathan B. Forrest attack the rear guard of Sooy Smith’s cavalry at Okolona. Forrest’s younger brother Jeffery is killed and only the setting sun saves Smith from disaster. The Federals continue their retreat to Memphis.