032317 daily corinthian e edition

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Prentiss County School launches pre-K program

McNairy County New app highlights music performances

Tishomingo County Duathlon raises $3,000 for Boys & Girls Club

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Thursday March 23,

Daily Corinthian

Warmer

2017

75 cents

Vol. 121, No. 70

Today

Tonight

74

59

0% chance of rain

• Corinth, Mississippi • 14 pages • One section

New bill reforms campaign finances BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com

Tighter guidelines are on the horizon for campaign sending in the Magnolia State. Lawmakers agreed on a new campaign finance reform bill on

Wednesday with the passage of Senate Bill 2689. The measure will next move to Gov. Phil Bryant for his approval. Right now, public officials across the state can spend campaign money any way they like,

as long as they pay income taxes on money taken for personal use. Some take large sums when they retire. Experts say the practice makes campaign contributions perilously close to bribes. Mis-

Statues come to life

sissippi is one of only five states that still allow elected officials to pocket campaign money for personal use during or after their careers. If passed, the bill would ban lawmakers and other elected

officials from spending money for non-campaign purposes such as a mortgage payment, funerals, clothing, automobiles, tuition or undocumented loans. Please see FINANCES | 2

Domestic violence trial enters 2nd day began to see changes in his behavior — he would become easily agitated and lash out with words. She said the first physical violence occurred in the week before their wedding. Defense attorney Clay Nails questioned why she would marry a man if he was harming her. “Because I loved him,” said Moore. She said Smith was having trouble finding a job after moving back, and she thought the stress was the reason for his behavior. She told of an occasion when he slammed her head into the wall and then threw her against another wall, leaving a hole. She described two other instances when he choked her, once lifting her off the floor with his arm around her neck. The child was allegedly injured when left alone with Smith while Moore was at work. Nails questioned why she would leave the child alone with Smith if she was afraid of him. Moore said her job was the family’s only source of income, leaving her no choice. The next day, she discovered bruises on the child. She testified that he tried to keep her from seeing the child for as long as possible when she got home from work, telling her to

BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com

Staff photo by Mark Boehler

A bronze statue in the Corinth Contraband Camp appears frozen in time after an ice storm in February, 2015. The statue will come to life in the future thanks to a grant given to the local tourism office.

Grant helps with new camp feature BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com

The life-size bronze sculptures at the Corinth Contraband Camp will soon come to life. The augmented reality project will happen thanks in part to a $10,000 grant awarded to the Corinth Area Convention

and Visitor’s Bureau from the Mississippi Hills Heritage Area Alliance. “This is a really cool project where basically the statues will come to life in front of visitors via their handheld device,” said Tourism Director Christy Burns. “I believe this may end

up being the first augmented reality project in Mississippi.” Burns said a video would appear on a visitor’s device while standing in front of a statue. The video, she said, would explain what the statue depicts.

Museum transforms into time machine BY L.A. STORY lastory@dailycorinthian.com

IUKA — Tishomingo County’s Old Courthouse Museum will become a time machine transporting people back in time during the third annual Renaissance Day. The museum located at 203 East Quitman Street in Iuka will be the setting for Renaissance Day 2017 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 15. “It’s been a hit. This is just an old-timey day. It’s an opportunity for people to come to see how things were made and it’s a laid back setting,” said Cindy Nelson, Executive

CHI CHI $ 99

9

1.75L

Please see GRANT | 2

The trial of a Corinth man accused of child abuse and domestic violence entered its second day Wednesday with his former wife among those taking the witness stand in Alcorn County Circuit Court. In December 2015, a grand jury returned a two-count indictment accusing Michael Lynn Smith of causing bodily harm to a child under the age of five and strangling or attempting to strangle the woman who was his wife at the time. The day opened with continued questioning of Heather Russell, the Corinth Police Department detective who investigated the case. Compared to other child abuse cases she has investigated, “This is the worst case that I’ve seen,” she said. The alleged victim was three years old at the time of the offense, and Russell said she appeared to be in pain when she met with her. Testifying for the prosecution, Smith’s former wife, Kelsey Moore of Booneville, described several instances of violence against herself and the discovery of injuries on her daughter. After the two became romantically involved and Smith moved back to Corinth from Louisiana, Moore said she

Please see TRIAL | 2

People of the Crossroads Jeff Eldridge, Corinth Between his son’s travel ball games and his cleaning and restoration business, Jeff Eldridge keeps the road hot. The local Servpro professional co-owns the seven-county franchise with his wife, Dana. The two both went to Mississippi State and graduated with completely different degrees. “We both gave up everything to do something different,” said Eldridge. “We got into the Servpro business 14 years ago and haven’t regretted it.” Originally from Kilmichael, Miss., the couple has two children, 20-year-old Northeast Mississippi Community College student Peyton and 13-year-old Corinth Middle School student Taylor. A member of Oakland Baptist Church, Eldridge enjoys hunting, fishing and sports. “Taylor keeps us pretty much busy with football, baseball and soon, soccer,” added the proud father.

Director of the Tishomingo County Historical & Genealogical Society and the operating entity of the Tishomingo County Courthouse Museum, which serves as their headquarters. Among the demonstrations, will be blacksmithing, needlecraft, and leather-working. “We will have a mountain hunter coming to display his furs. We will have homemakers who will demonstrate canning,” Nelson added. This year with the Easter holiday, a special visitor will Please see MUSEUM | 2

Staff photo by Zack Steen

25 years ago

10 years ago

United Way of Corinth and Alcorn County celebrates a successful fundraising drive, raising $465,000 in pledges. Herman Gray serves as honorary fundraising chairman.

Kingsford celebrates the official opening of their charcoal manufacturing plant near Glen.

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

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