Friday April 11,
2014
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Daily Corinthian Vol. 118, No. 86
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 22 pages • 2 sections
Sexual battery gets man 12 years BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
A judge sentenced an Alcorn County man to serve 12 years on a sexual battery charge. Daniel Lee Willis, 39, pleaded guilty to the charge during the March-April term of Alcorn County Circuit Court. Judge
James Roberts sentenced Willis to 30 years in custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections with 18 years suspended, leaving 12 to serve, followed by five years of probation, according to court records. He must pay a $1,000 fine and $1,000 to the Mississippi Chil-
dren’s Trust Fund. The indictment from June 2013 states that Willis on or about Oct. 23, 2012, engaged in sexual activity with an individual under 18 while in a position of trust or authority. Roberts ordered Willis to have no contact with the victim
or victim’s family by any means and to register as a sex offender. In other cases, the term included a trial last week ending in a guilty verdict for James Johnson, 54, on a charge of aggravated domestic violence. Judge Jim Pounds imposed a 20-year sentence with 10 years
suspended, leaving 10 years to serve, followed by five years of probation. The judge also imposed a $4,000 fine. The indictment from March 2013 states that Johnson committed aggravated domestic Please see WILLIS | 2A
Hospital offering free health event For Daily Corinthian
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Thomas Norman (left) and Corinth Unit Director Christy Grice helped Boys & Girls Club State Youth of the Year runner-up Cortez Spence surprise State Rep. Nick Bain with a special thank you Tuesday.
Spence thanks Bain for opportunity BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Cortez Spence didn’t forget to say thank you. The Boys & Girls Club State Youth of the Year runner-up wanted to show his appreciation to State Rep. Nick Bain for his kindness following the competition in Jackson. Boys & Girls Club Unit Director Christy Grice and Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Thomas Norman helped the Corinth High School student say thanks in a surprise fashion Tuesday morning. “I am taken aback,” said Bain of the gift bag presented to him by the trio. “I am proud of the example Cortez is setting. Helping young people achieve what they want to achieve is a
blessing of my job … you can’t put a price on that.” Bain sent a copy of the photo that appeared in the Daily Corinthian of Spence and Rep. Jeramey D. Anderson at the awards luncheon. “He made me feel special along with the club,” added Spence. “I realized he was thinking of me and I wanted to give him a little token of my appreciation.” A member of the Corinth Warrior band, Spence earned a $1,000 scholarship from The Alliance for his runner-up finish. He also will be allowed to compete in the competition again next year. “We are going to keep grooming him for next year,” said Norman.
“Our goal is for him to win the award,” added Grice. Spence met Anderson, a former winner of the club honor, during the competition. Anderson is the youngest African American elected to the legislature in U.S. history. At 22, Anderson was also the youngest member elected to the Mississippi Legislature. “It was a great experience for me,” said Spence. “I have a great support system.” “It’s important to keep legislators informed of what the club is doing,” added Norman. “We have to get the word out on the many great things the club offers kids.” The youth of the year winner earns $50,000 and an opportunity to meet the president.
“A Healthy You” community health event is scheduled for Saturday at the MRHC Harper Road Campus at 1001 South Harper Road from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. This event is free to the public and will address health issues identified by our recent Community Health Needs Assessment with preventive health advice and education. The top health issue in our area as identified by our Community Health Needs Assessment is obesity. The other top health issues identified were cancer, access to primary care physicians, coronary heart disease, stroke, patient compliance, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This health event will start our participants with a “Know your Numbers” personalized
card. This card will list our participants height, weight, waist circumference and blood pressure readings as taken by our experts, as well as the normal ranges of these and also LDL and HDL cholesterol for men and women. Booths on cancer prevention, smoking cessation, patient compliance, stress management, dietary information and proper exercise will be available to each participant. There will be a “Kids Get Fit” area for middle school aged children to play with jump ropes, hula hoops and volley ball. The MRHC Food and Nutrition Department will provide healthy cooking demonstrations and the MRHC Rehabilitation Service Department will Please see MRHC | 2A
Seminar to discuss SoCo BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
SoCo is the happening place in downtown Corinth. The Wick Street area, known as SoCo because of its south of the main Corinth railroad tracks location, has seen a resurgence of structural renovation and retail activity in the last two years. The two businessmen behind the recent transformation of what was once an eyesore of crumbling buildings and over-
grown vegetation are Trey Albright and Stuart Green. The Alliance will host the two business partners at the SoCo District Lunch Business Seminar today at 12 p.m. at Corner Slice Pizza on Wick Street in downtown Corinth. “The area has seen an amazing transformation,” said Alliance Community Development Director Andrea Rose. Please see SOCO | 2A
Candy Classic tennis tournament celebrates 35 years on the courts BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
Crossroads tennis players will take the court next month for the 35th Candy Classic Memorial Tennis Tournament. The United States Tennis Association sanctioned event is set for May 27-June 1 at the Corinth High School Tennis Complex. “We are excited about another year of the Candy Classic,” said Tournament Chairperson Dr. Robert H. Perry. “In 2013, the tournament helped raise more than $7,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.” The tournament provides two USTA sanctioned events offering a junior and adult division. The junior division normally consists of around 50 players, while the adult division contains 120 to 130 players. Though most players are
from Corinth and North Mississippi, the six-day-event welcomes players from around the state and country. “We offer very unique experience for tennis players by offering both a junior and adult division at the same tournament,” said Perry. “As far as I know, we are one of only a few tournaments in extensive in this area that offers both divisions.” Perry said the tournament is very family friendly. “An entire family can come out and play in our tournament,” he added. “Both a dad and son or mom and daughter can compete.” The tournament honors the memory of Candy Hammond, the daughter of Doug and Martha Hammond, who died of leukemia shortly after her 10th birthday in 1964. The tournament was renamed in memory of Candy
in 1977 after originally being called the Corinth Invitational. Perry hopes to see more younger tennis players participate this year. “Last year we received our first entries in the 10 and under small court division,” said Perry. “This year we have been focusing on ways to raise those young participation numbers.” The entry deadline for the junior division is May 24, while the deadline for adult division is May 27. All participants will receive a t-shirt. A court-side picnic lunch will be provided for junior players, while a court-side picnic supper will be provided for adult players on the opening day of each division. (For participation and sponsor information, contact 662287-4561 or 662-284-5475. Registrations are to be submitted online at mstennis.com)
Index Stocks......8A Classified......4B Comics......9A State......5A
RENTAL
Weather....10A Obituaries......6A Opinion......4A Sports....12A
Staff photo by Zack Steen
Kossuth Elementary School second grader Brayde Mitchell gets ready for next month’s Candy Classic. See related photo on page 2A.
On this day in history 150 years ago The USS Nita captures the Confederate vessel “Three Brothers” near the mouth of the Homosassa River, Florida. The Nita was a wooden side-wheel steamer captured from the Confederates while running supplies from Cuba.
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