051515 daily corinthian e edition

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Friday May 15,

2015

75 cents

Daily Corinthian

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Tonight

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50% chance of thunderstorms

Vol. 119, No. 113

• Corinth, Mississippi • 20 pages • Two sections

Robbery suspects held without bond BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com

Three people are being held without bond in Alcorn County jail following a Tuesday afternoon armed robbery, assault and high-speed pursuit. George Arvel Downs, 29, of Glen; Christopher Autis Robinson, 37, of Corinth; and Alisha Danielle Coughlin, 25, of Corinth, have been

charged with the armed robbery of 25-year-old Tiffany Burrell inside her home at 76 County Road 327 in the Cummings Town community. “The three suspects were apparently meeting the victim at her home to purchase or sell some items,” said Reggie Anderson, an investigator with the Alcorn County Sheriff’s Department. Downs and Robinson, each car-

rying a weapon, made entry into Burrell’s home around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday and demanded all subjects get on the ground. Several items were taken from the home. Burrell was assaulted during the robbery. She was transported by ambulance to Magnolia Regional Please see SUSPECTS | 2A

Downs

Coughlin

Robinson

Park expansion bids reviewed BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com

Staff photo by Jebb Johnston

Officers assess the scene where a four-wheeler collided with the back of a Farmington police car.

Pursuit ends with runaway 4-wheeler BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com

Farmington Police Chief Tony Holmes decided to put his patrol car between a runaway four-wheeler and oncoming highway traffic Thursday afternoon. It happened following a highspeed pursuit that originated in Tishomingo County and entered Alcorn County around 3:30 p.m. Law enforcement

officers at the scene said Tishomingo County had pursued a subject identified as Timothy White, a suspect in a residential burglary, and Alcorn County deputies and Farmington officers got involved. “I sacrificed my car for the oncoming traffic,” said Holmes. The man had been in a car but ditched the vehicle for the Kawasaki four-wheeler at a county residence.

Holmes and Farmington officer Steve Odle were attempting to force the man to slow down when the four-wheeler collided with the Farmington SUV driven by Odle west of the intersection with County Road 218. Holmes then managed to stop the four wheeler as it continued down the highway. He said it appeared White had moderate injuries. No one else was injured.

The county engineer unsealed bids for the expansion of Crossroads Regional Park Thursday morning, and a decision on awarding the bid will follow in a later special meeting. The Alcorn County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting for the bid opening with representatives of the park board and city board also present. Kent Geno of Cook Coggin Engineers said it would be “very ambitious” to have everything tabulated by Monday’s regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors. “There are so many alternatives, and there are going to have to be some decisions made,” he said. Five contractors bid on the project. In addition to the base bid, contractors provided figures for numerous possible additions to the base bid as well as possible deduc-

tions. The base bids were: ■ Michael Pittman Construction Co. of Corinth — $5,251,531.01 ■ Edge Construction LLC of Tremont — $5,363,512.89 ■ Worsham Brothers, Inc., of Corinth — $5,619,202.21 ■ Roberts Builders, Inc., of Ripley — $5,761,911.94 ■ CIG Contractors, Inc., of Corinth — $5,947,367.30 Geno said the engineering firm had estimated roughly around $5.1 million for the project, which includes the widening of Clark Street, five new ball fields, new parking, five soccer fields, new restrooms, improvements to the tennis courts, paving of the gravel lot adjacent to the tennis courts, a new playground and sand volleyball courts. The possible additions to the base bid include ditch improvements near the railroad with riprap and pipe, a pePlease see BIDS | 2A

Local police officers honored at luncheon BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com

National Police Week brings an opportunity to show gratitude to those sworn to protect and serve, and some local restaurants and individuals have answered the call. Corinth police officers were treated to a feast on Tuesday in the annual luncheon honoring officers for their work. Corinth Police Department’s grant writer, Katie Drewry, believes it is a calling more than a job for those who join the police force. “They are truly service-centered people,” she said. “In a crisis, they run into the situation and help people. They have that protective instinct about them.” National Police Week is observed each May to honor those who serve in law enforcement and to remember those who have fallen in the line of duty. It began in 1962 when President Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which it falls as National Police Week. “They really do have such a dangerous job,” said Drewry.

“In a crisis, they run into the situation and help people. They have that protective instinct about them.” Katie Drewry Corinth Police Department’s grant writer “We’ve seen it with recent events nationally and in our state in Hattiesburg. It brings it home and reminds us how much they risk each day.” In working with the police department, she has found the officers to be “some of the nicest people you would meet.” The week’s activities in Mississippi included a candlelight vigil at the Mississippi Fallen Officers Memorial in Jackson Tuesday evening. The contributors to this year’s luncheon for Corinth officers were Coca-Cola, Cracker Barrel, Dilworth’s Tamales, The Dinner Bell, Pizza Grocery and Vicari.

Staff photo by Steve Beavers

Joleigh Boler (left) and Virgie Brawner give Disney character Goofy a big hug. The Corinth-Alcorn County Special Needs Kids is putting together a fundraising campaign for a 2016 trip to Disney World. A meeting to go over fundraising plans will be held Sunday.

Havis’ Kids set organizational meeting BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com

Havis’ Kids are getting ready for another trip. The first order of business for the Corinth-Alcorn County Special Needs Kids is putting

together a fundraising campaign. An organizational meeting for the group is set for 2 p.m. Sunday at 101 – formerly the Sportsplex. “The meeting is for new fami-

lies who are interested in going on the trip to Disney Word,” said group director Havis Hurley. “They need to show up with some ideas on how to raise Please see HAVIS | 2A

25 years ago

10 years ago

Alcorn School District Superintendent Tony Parker leads a study of improvement needs in the district. Parker says the effort will help determine future development and expansion plans.

Gene Fitts, one of the anniversary event planners, shares church history with the newspaper as Corinth’s First Baptist Church prepares to mark 150 years since the church began with a meeting under an oak tree at the corner of Franklin and Childs Street.

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