Saturday March 21,
Daily Corinthian
Warmer
2015
50 cents
Vol. 119, No. 67
Today
Tonight
70
49
0% chance of rain
• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • One section
Supervisor has week to hire attorney BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Circuit Judge Jim Pounds on Friday gave Second District Supervisor Dal Nelms one more week to find an attorney. In Alcorn County Circuit Court Friday morning for his delayed arraignment on charges stemming from an alleged embezzlement scheme, Nelms told the judge that
he has had trouble securing an attorney. Several attorneys simply didn’t want to take the case or know someone who is involved, he said. Nelms said he is possibly going to hire Oxford attorney James Justice but needs some more time to get funds to him. Pounds is giving Nelms until next Friday and said the supervisor will be held in contempt if he is not
ready to proceed at that time. Assistant District Attorney Richard Bowen said he had heard from Justice, who had another court commitment Friday morning and could not attend. Bowen did not object to the one-week delay. On Jan. 6, the court rejected Nelms’ application for indigence for the purpose of having a courtappointed attorney after he said he
could not afford to hire an attorney. On Friday, Bowen reiterated his objection to Nelms’ indigence, mentioning some of Nelms’ assets, including two houses, albeit with liens against them, and a vehicle. He is also employed. Nelms is charged with 156 criminal counts, including embezzlement Please see NELMS | 2
Nelms
Robbery suspects enter guilty pleas BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Two men accused of the armed robbery of a Dollar General store entered guilty pleas Friday morning in Alcorn County Circuit Court. Judge Jim Pounds handed down day-for-day sentences for George Atkins Jr., 32, and Paul Allen Downer, 25, who were both listed as residents of Selmer, Tenn., at the time of their arrest in December 2013. Pounds sentenced the two to 25 years in custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections with 17 years suspended, leaving eight years to serve, minus time already served, followed by five years
of post-release supervision. The defendants must pay restitution totaling $3,253 and a $1,000 fine. They could have received as much as life sentences, the judge said. Police described the robbery of the Shiloh Road store as a setup involving an employee in which the robber was directed what time to come into the store. It happened about 10 o’clock on a Saturday night, according to the police report, while a clerk had the safe open. The man wore a black ski mask and brandished a handgun. Please see SUSPECTS | 3
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Shining Star gymnast Brooklyn Duffey works on her bars routine.
Scam artists keep Gym meet has a big impact targeting residents BY STEVE BEAVERS
Event schedule
sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
No one with the Crossroads Arena took part in any of the individual events of the Mississippi Gymnastics State Championships on Friday. That didn’t stop event organizers from handing out plenty of 10s for the multi-purpose building. “They have been easy to work with,” said Nancy Lay, Mississippi State Administrative Committee Chair. “The building is nice and big which is something we like.” The state championships got under way at 8 a.m. Friday. The competition to crown the best in the state continues through Sunday. After local motel rooms got full, some local citizens agrees to house judges for the compe-
Please see GYMNASTICS | 2
Today
Tan #6348
$
7,495
$
123 00
or. .......................... 8:30 – Awards
per month
$
13,995
Silver #8715 BY STEVE BEAVERS $ 00 $
203
per month
Black #6766
15,995
or. ..........................
$
per month
Annual Spring Fling educates, connects $
$
or. ..........................
$
White #0023
350 00
per month
Silver #0710
$
7,295
or. ..........................
264 00
or. ..........................
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188 00
14,695
or. ..........................
per month
214
Please see FLING | 3
119 00
7,995
15,995
or. ..........................
per month
25 years ago
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234 00 White #4258
26,995
or. ..........................
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per month
405 00
Junior Auxiliary hosts new ‘Bunny Brunch’
or. ..........................
$
per month
138 00
Silver #7833
$
18,995
or. ..........................
$
280 00
$
342 00
per month
Black #8952
$
11,995
or. ..........................
$
per month
207 00
White #5111
$
22,995
or. ..........................
per month
Red #5060
$
14,995
Tan #5923
tive event$will feature 00 spring 256 375for 24,995fun or. kshelton@dailycorinthian.com and excitement the en-
BY KIMBERLY SHELTON $ 00 $
or. ..........................
per month
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per month
Hopping in early for Junior tire family. #0569 Black #6009from 10 Auxiliary, the EasterGrayBunny will Slated to be held $ 00 $ 00 $ $ make a special appearance at a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Satur16,895 or. .......................... 299 23,995 or. .......................... 358on per month per month the first ever “Bunny Brunch.” day, March 28 at The Franklin Sponsored by Black McPeters/ Courtyard, guests will enjoy a #6348 Tan #2757 Memorial$ Funeral Homes, fun station$loaded with00 arts and 00 $ $ the 18,995 Corinth 18,495 or. .......................... 273 or. .......................... 280 Board of Alderman per and month per month Please see BRUNCH | 2 Mayor Tommy Irwin, the fes-
Gray #1832
$
Leather, White #6348
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Silver #5644
$
Gray #5644
Center. It is a project of The $ 10,995 or. .......................... $ 156 00 Alliance Community Developper month ment Council. Red #0346 “Our annual spring fling is $ $ a way our Senior Connector 13,895 or. .......................... 199 00 per group reaches out to the com- month munity and offers valuable inRed #2081 formation,” said Community 00 $
$
per month
Red #5745
12,995
per month
jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
234 00 Silver #0076
17,895
per month
The annual spring fling is set to connect seniors with the information they need for better living. Plans are being made for the 2015 Senior Connector Spring Fling on April 23 at 10 a.m. at the MSU Extension
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Session 5: Bronze Local citizens are being C o u n t y 8 a.m. – Open Stretch bombarded by scam artists. man was Black, Crew, 4x4 #3232 Sunday White #6555 Red #9592 $ 00 Commis00 $ $ s c a m m d 8:20 – Introductions $9,495 or. .......................... $ 159 00 Public Service 23,995 or. .......................... 359 25,795 or. .......................... $e387 8:30 – Competition per month Session 9: Silver per monthsioner Brandon Presleyper hasmonth out of 10:40 – Awards stepped in and asked for help $1,050 by 8:30 a.m. – Open Stretch Blue #2770 Red, #4844 Eddie Bauer, Blue #3876 the scam$in Session 6: Level $4 to prevent a popular 8:50$– Introductions 00 $ 00 scheme $ $ 165 234 418 9,795 15,995 27,795 or. or. or. .......................... .......................... .......................... 10:45 a.m. – Open Stretch by scammers. December. 9 – Competition per month per month per month 11:05 – Introductions Presley sent a letter to the The caller, 12 p.m. – Awards 11:15 – Competition CEO of Publishers Clearing who identi- Presley Session 10: Maroon #9459 Level 3 White #9539 Red #3942 $ 00 $ $ $ $ fied him2 p.m. – Awards House$ 234 this week,00calling on or. Age Divisions: 179 A,B,C,D,E 357 00 10,595 or. .......................... 15,995 or. .......................... 23,895 .......................... Session 7: Level per 5 month12 p.m. – Open Stretch per monththe famous sweepstakesper giantmonth self as PCH President David & Gold to aid in alerting consumers of Green, told the man he had 12:20 – Introductions White #9898 #4311 Silver #5656 2:15 p.m. – Open Stretch a scam$ usingTan its name. won $2.5$ million and 12:30$– Competition 00 00 00 a new $ $ $ 215 328 288 14,795 21,995 19,495 or. or. or. .......................... .......................... .......................... 2:35 – Introductions per month2:20 – Awards The “Jamaican Lottery Mercedes. All he had to do per month per month 2:45 – Competition Scam” erroneously uses the was send $1,050 for taxes. Session 11: Level 3 5:15 – Awards company’sBlackname to induce A Kossuth woman AgeWhiteDivisions: #5348 #4431 Diesel. Red #2410 was 00 $ into sending $ a male named $ Session 8: Level $6 victims by F,G,H,I 218 00 money 562 00 Ja10,895 or. .......................... $ 155 14,995 or. .......................... 36,995 or.called .......................... & Platinum per month2:30 p.m. – Open Stretchper monthoverseas. Over the past per year,month mie Miller, telling the retired 5:15 p.m. – Open Stretch more than a few local indi- women she had just won 2:50 – Introductions Gray #1280 Red #7640 White #4507 5:35 – Introductions $ viduals ed the $Daily $250,000$ from Publishers 3 – Competition $ 00 $ have notifi00 $ 225 398 17,995 or. .......................... 26,495 or. .......................... 15,995 or. .......................... 234 00 5:45 – Competition per Corinthian of being targeted 4:30 – Awards month per month per month by the scam. Please see SCAM | 2 $
BY JEBB JOHNSTON
A
23,495 or.N.......................... or. .......................... a i r y sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Tan, #9551
$
13,995
or. ..........................
$
per month
203 00
Gray #6712
$
22,995
or. ..........................
per month
$
342 00
On this day in history 150 years ago Tan #4093
$ first 00 $ Local band Law of Nature$14,995 prepares to cut its $ Bentonville, — The 00 Confederates under Joe Johnston are suc280 18,995 or. .......................... 218 Battle of or. ..........................N.C. album. The band features per localmonth high school stucessful in blocking a Union force from flanking their line, but they are unable per month dents Jennifer Knight (vocals), Jeff Stark (drums), to continue fighting and begin a withdrawal toward Smithfield. This marks the Karen Estill (bass) and Chapman Welch (guitar). end of the last conventional battle of the American Civil War. The end is in sight.
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