Prentiss County Booneville East Egg Hunt will be Saturday
Pickwick State park has weekend activities
Corinth Noted singer will perform for Living Free
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Wednesday Mar. 23,
2016
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Vol. 120, No. 71
• Corinth, Mississippi • 20 pages • Two sections
Tourism funds eating events BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Let’s eat. The Corinth Area Convention and Visitors Bureau board paved the way for a pair of local events to do just that in the coming months. The 9th Annual Crossroads Chili Cook-Off and 29th Annual Slugburger Festival and World Slugburger Eating Championship were two of three events approved for funding during a lengthy meeting on Tuesday. Green Market also received sponsorship at the regular monthly meeting. “Your goal is our goal – bring people to Corinth,” said Steve Knight with the Chili CookOff. “We have increased the prize money this year because that is how we advertise.”
“Corinth is the eaters favorite place to come. They love the people and the event.” Sara Beth Green Main Street board member The April 2 cook-off features professional chili cookers from around the country in an attempt to land $3,000 in cash prizes. The board agreed to fund $1,000 upfront. The remaining portion of the $3,000 request would be granted by reimbursing $50 for each hotel
room used by competitors in the cook-off. The Slugburger Festival was approved for $14,500 – up from $11,300 received last year. Funding will be used primarily for Major League Eating (MLE) sanctioning. “The Slugburger Eating Championship gets Corinth coast-to-coast reach,” said Main Street Director Brent Johnson. “We are the biggest reach in Corinth.” “Corinth is the eaters favorite place to come,” added Main Street board member Sara Beth Green. “They love the people and the event.” The annual Slugburger Festival is set for July 7-9 in downtown. The board agreed the notoriPlease see EVENTS | 2A
Wreck victims remain critical Staff Reports
A pair of individuals involved in a Monday wreck remain in critical condition at Region One (The Med) on Tuesday afternoon. Twenty-year-old Jonathan Forsyth of Corinth and 76-yearold Lula Youngblood were both listed as critical. The two were involved in a two-vehicle crash around 4:53 p.m. Monday on U.S. Highway 72 west near County Road 745. According to the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Forsyth was traveling east in a 1997 Mazda Miata, and attempted to turn onto County 745 when he ap-
parently pulled into the path of a 2000 Ford F150 driven by Youngblood, who was traveling west on U.S. 72. Both drivers were airlifted to Region One in Memphis. Units from the Alcorn County Sheriff’s Department also responded to the scene.
Woman dies in wreck Just eight minutes earlier at approximately 4:45 p.m., state troopers responded to a twovehicle crash in Tippah County on Highway 4 east near HanPlease see WRECK | 6A
McMairy community mourns loss of its hospital BY JEFF YORK For the Daily Corinthian
SELMER, Tenn. — Pam Horton loved being part of a healthcare family. The announced closing of Tennova Healthcare — McNairy Regional Hospital — has saddened Horton and many other people in McNairy County and others who have either employed or was a patient at the healthcare facility since it opened in 1962. Tennova announced Friday they would close the hospital on May 18 and lay off 129 workers, leaving McNairy County without a hospital. Hospital officials informed employees on March 18 the hospital and its affiliated clinics would end all services due to major repairs and declines in patient use. Horton, who worked at the hospital for 29 years, has an unique perspective on the clos-
“I loved working there with some really caring people. They always gave my family good care. What some people do not realize now – with no emergency room, the closest hospitals to be taken are Corinth, Savannah, Jackson and Lexington.” Pam Horton Former employee of McNairy Regional Hospital; first baby born there on June 23, 1962 ing of the facility. She was the first baby ever born at the hospital on June 23, 1962. She also gave birth to her children, Rafe and Callie Horton, at the hospital. “I loved working there with some really caring people,” said Horton. “They always gave my family good care. What some people do not realize now –
with no emergency room, the closest hospitals to be taken are Corinth, Savannah, Jackson and Lexington.” “My heart is broken. I loved our hospital,” said retired nursing supervisor Brenda Watkins, as the facility was known for many years as McNairy County General Hospital. “We did great work there, many lives saved, in-
BY ZACK STEEN The Board of Supervisors on Monday approved a resolution that could increase future inmate population at the Alcorn County Regional Correctional Facility. The board adopted a resolution which asks state lawmakers to pass local and private legislation to permit Alcorn County to contract with other states and the federal government for the housing, care and custody of minimum or medium security offenders. “There is a significant amount of excess space currently in the jail,” said board attorney Bill Davis. “To house
Staff photo by Zack Steen
Chris Porterfield, 49, is a mainstay at Corinth Coca-Cola Bottling Works. After 19 years of dedication to the local company, Porterfield recently took over the reins as control/risk director. “My job is to pro-actively prevent or reduce losses,” he said. The Alcorn County native has been married to his wife, Amy, for 22 years and the duo have two children, Jake, 16, and Maggie, 14. “We used to enjoy taking trips and going camping, but these days we seem to work too much,” he said. “We do have two Great Dane German Shepherd dogs, who keep us busy while eating us out of house and home.” One of the founding members of the Alcorn County Fair, Porterfield is an active volunteer. “I love making Corinth better,” he said.
Please see INMATES | 2A
25 years ago
10 years ago
Site work is set to begin on the new Corinth High School Academic and Performing Arts Center on Harper Road. The project is funded through a $5.6 million bond issue approved by voters.
Selmer, Tenn., Fourth Street Church of Christ minister Matthew Winkler is found dead in his home of a shotgun wound. His wife, Mary Winkler, would later be convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the sensational case that brought national media attention to the region.
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Please see HOSPITAL | 2A
Chris Porterfield, Theo
inmates and take up that excess space would be an additional revenue stream for the county.” Board president Jimmy Tate Waldron said no contracts are currently available. “This is something we have talked about in the past, and even though we don’t currently have anything in place right now, we don’t want to not be able to react if something does come along,” said Waldron. With only 240 inmates currently being held at the regional correction facility, Sheriff Ben Caldwell said there’s room for another 120.
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tiple seriously injured people and took care of them until helicopters became available to take them to trauma facilities. Everyone needs to pray another healthcare facility comes into our community to provide lifesaving services.” “I’ve worked there for 15 years and have enjoyed an amazing and exciting career,” said LeighAnne Cox, an Echo tech at the hospital. “We have saved many lives and have so many great memories. It really hurts my heart to hear this sad news. This area will suffer from the closing. I pray all the employees will find jobs.” Melba Huggins, who works in internal medicine and the pediatric clinic, said “We are losing our only means of emergency, inpatient care and radiology services within the county. We are losing the only board cer-
People of the Crossroads
Resolution addresses inmate population zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
cluding my own. My best friends were there and some remain today. I have cried a lot since they announced it was closing.” “My heart is absolutely breaking, thinking about all those wonderful people who have stood behind their company faithfully for many, many years,” said Debra Replogle, who was a nurse at the hospital for 19 years. “I watched an awesome group of people there save my husband’s life there and I had my babies there. I learned way more there than in any fancy 20-story building in Nashville.” A nurse who worked for 20 years as a nurse at the Selmer hospital, Anita Meek makes some valid points about the county not having a hospital in the future. “What do you think is going to happen when we have a tragic accident like Cars for Kids?” said Meek. “We stabilized mul-
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