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Tippah County BMC Alcorn County graduates

Prentiss County Firefighters may add medical response

Alcorn County Civil Air Patrol plans exercises

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Thursday May 19,

2016

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Daily Corinthian

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Vol. 120, No. 121

• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • One section

Tourism tax collections top $120,000 BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com

Tourism tax proceeds Corinth topped $120,000 the first time as the special continues to show growth. Both the city’s sales tax version and the tourism

in for tax ditax

posted gains in deposits made this week. The funds received reflect sales activity in local establishments during the month of March. The 2 percent tourism tax on food and lodging generated $120,081.56 for the month, an

increase of 4.7 percent, or about $5,400, from a year earlier. The previous high mark, set last July and reflecting sales made in May 2015, was just under $118,000. Crossroads Arena General Manager Tammy Genovese

points to the venue’s busy March calendar with events every weekend, including car races, monster trucks and a rodeo, as evidence of a high-visitation month in the city. “We had around 15,000 people in the arena for the month

‘Once Upon a Time’

of March,” she said. For the fiscal year, the tourism tax has brought in $875,050.92, increasing about $59,000, or 7.2 percent, from the prior year. Please see TAX | 2

Man indicted in sexual battery case count of computer luring and three counts of exploitation An Alcorn County grand of a child, according to court jury returned indictments in- records. cluding charges of fondling, The indictment dealing sexual battery and with sexual battery others against a Tishoaccuses him of sexual mingo County man. penetration of a child Michael Shane Casunder the age of 16 beabella, 37, of County tween July 2010 and Road 282, Iuka, was June 2012. served with the indictThe indictment acments and arrested cusing him of fondling last week. He posted a states he touched a total of $40,000 bond child under the age on Thursday and was Casabella of 16 at the Corinth released. Sportsplex and at her The indictments include home. It also accuses him of three counts of fondling, two counts of sexual battery, one Please see INDICT | 3 BY JEBB JOHNSTON

jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com

McNairy hospital ceases operation

Staff photo by Zack Steen

Corinth High School seniors Kaleb Nelms, DJ Russell and Connor Horner are members of the Redneck Yacht Club in the Class of 2016’s “Once Upon a Time” edition of Follies. The show is set for tonight, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.

Corinth High School seniors present Follies BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com

The last hurrah for Corinth High School’s Class of 2016 begins tonight. More than 100 seniors will participate in the CHS Follies’ “Once Upon a Time” variety show at the school’s auditorium at 7 p.m. tonight, Friday and Saturday. General admission tickets are

$7 and can be purchased at the door prior to each performance. Running on only a few hours of sleep, Director Taylor Coombs said this year’s show will be one of the best. “This class of kids are really enjoying Follies,” she said. “There’s singing, dancing and comedy -- a little something for everyone to enjoy.” The 2016 class is the last

Student recognition now part of meetings BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com

Student recognition will now be a part of future Alcorn County school board meetings. The changes began earlier this month when three students were honored. The proposed recognition program came from P16/Parent Advisory Council chairperson Jodi Fiveash. “One of the many goals of the P16 is to improve the achievements and recognition of our students,” Fiveash told board members. “One way of doing this is to allow teach-

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group to attend the now dormant East, West and South Corinth elementary schools. “The entire show is built around the kids taking a walk down memory lane showcasing their time spent at each school,” added Coombs. “In addition, there are several really great skits poking fun at some of the

For Daily Corinthian

SELMER, Tenn. — The doors closed for the final time Wednesday for Tennova Healthcare, leaving over 100 people without jobs and McNairy County without a hospital. Tennova oﬃcially closed the healthcare facility at midnight Wednesday. The company had announced they

Please see FOLLIES | 2

would close the hospital in March and lay oﬀ their 129 employees. McNairy County Mayor Ronnie Brooks has been working to alleviate the healthcare problem for the county. The mayor sounds encouraged that McNairy County will not be without local healthcare for a long time. Please see HOSPITAL | 6

Kossuth graduation

Staff photo by Zack Steen

Summer Corder was the lone Kossuth High School senior who decorated their graduation cap prior to the 2015 commencement. More than half of the Class of 2016 added embellishments to their celebratory head grear on Tuesday night at the Crossroads Arena. Katie O’Bannon was one of the 109 graduates who did just that by adding daisies to her cap. For more photos, see Sunday’s Daily Corinthian.

ers to nominate students for special recognition at future board meetings.” Prior to the unanimous vote by board members to make the student recognition a permanent part of future board meetings, three students were recognized. Rienzi Elementary School teacher Hannah Jones honored fifth grader Justin Moss. “Justin is reading on a 10th grade level,” said Jones. “He has also received more accelerated reader points than any other student this year.” Please see RECOGNITION | 6

25 years ago

10 years ago

M.B. “Moby” Brawner is recognized for 30 years of public service. The Wheeler Grove resident served as a justice of the peace for 16 years and an election commissioner for 14 years.

Kossuth High School’s Julia Platt wins the state championship for Class 3A in the discuss throw at the annual state track meet.

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Local/Region

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Civil Air Patrol conducts exercise in Corinth BY KIMBERLY SHELTON kshelton@dailycorinthian.com

Roscoe Turner Airport will be the site of a joint exercise as the Mississippi (MSWG) and Tennessee (TNWG) Wings of the Civil Air Patrol visit the airfield to conduct their activities. Weather permitting, flying on Friday, May 20 and will continue throughout the weekend. Exercises will conclude on Monday, May 23. Members from both Wings will work together to simulate real-life Search and Rescue and Disaster Relief and Recovery scenarios, in preparation for their biannual Operations Evaluation. “Not only is the first time the Civil Air Patrol has conducted their activities at Roscoe Turner, but it is also a multi-state venture which is rare because the Mississippi and Tennessee Wings haven’t done so before,” said Corinth-Alcorn County

Airport Manager Donna Briggs. “During natural disasters such as tornadoes and other emergencies such as a missing child or person, the Civil Air Patrol steps up to help locate missing persons as well as those injured in disasters.” Wings throughout the country are observed and graded by the United States Air Force (CAP/USAF) every two years. The purpose being to determine a given Wing’s readiness to perform missions assigned to it by the USAF, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC), federal, state and local agencies. “This is the first time that two Wings will be graded jointly and separately,” said MSWG Incident Commander, Lt. Col. Hank Rogers. “The purpose is to see how well adjoining states can share their assets and personnel over a multi-day mission.” “Not since Operation Deep-

water Horizon has the MSWG had the opportunity to work so closely with an adjoining Wing,” he continued. “Our goal is to demonstrate to the United States Air Force our ability to work as a team to accomplish the tasks assigned to us.” Roscoe Turner Airport was chosen as the location for the exercise due to its close proximity to the Mississippi and Tennessee State Lines. It also aﬀords the opportunity for both Wings to emulate real world tactics and procedures as if it were a real mission. Returning to Corinth, the actual OPS/ EVAL will be conducted the second weekend in July. During the event, both Wings will bring their their aircraft, aircrews, ground teams and Urban Direction Finding Personnel. In addition to lost individuals and tornadoes, the practice will include scenarios such as simulations of missing aircraft,

post flooding rescue and recovery eﬀorts. Counter drug interdiction will also be covered. “The Civil Air Patrol will demonstrate its latest aerial photography equipment, designed to provide departments of HLS, FEMA, MEMA and other state and federal agencies the tools they need to make damage assessments and decisions on where and when to send needed manpower and materials.” The exercise will receive one of four possible Operations Evaluation ratings: unsuccessful, successful, excellent and outstanding. The Mississippi Wing scored an overall Outstanding on their 2014 evaluation. A non-profit organization with 57,000 members nationwide, the Civil Air Patrol is the oﬃcial auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and has been performing missions for America for 75 years.

“Many volunteers who serve in the Civil Air Patrol are former military, retired military or physicians,” said Briggs. “So, CAP is made up of people from a wide variety of diﬀerent backgrounds.” “This exercise is good for the airport because of the increase in aviation fuel sales and the hangar fees that activities like this typically bring,” she added. “It is also good for the community because Wings will be booking local hotels and coming together as one to see what our little town looks like and what we have to oﬀer. Hopefully, they will come back once the exercise is over.) Taking to the evening sky at 5 p.m. on Friday, spectators can expect to see anywhere from two to 10 planes in the air. (For more information about CAP, visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com.)

People of the Crossroads Danny Wilbanks, New Albany

Danny Wilbanks knows the supermarket business. Wilbanks has spent over 40 years in the business. “I have been in it my whole life,” said the Gardner’s Supermarket general manager. The 65-year-old, whose father was a meat cutter, has been with Gardner’s for 44 years, starting in 1972. The store was purchased by the late Jimmy Gardner in 1965. Over the past five years, Wilbanks has made the commute from New Albany to Corinth. He has been married to Cathy for 16 years and they have four sons. “I love people,” he said of his reason for staying in the line of work. During his spare time, the Corinth native likes to work around the house, play golf and fish.

Staff photos by Zack Steen

Corinth High School senior Cortez Spence practices his singing skills in preparation for tonight’s opening of Class of 2016 Follies.

TAX CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The city’s sales tax diversion was the highest May deposit to date at $553,593.88, an increase of about $20,000, or 3.8 percent, from a year ago. Eight of 12 municipalities in the region posted gains as total diversions across the state rose by 4.1 percent. With four months remaining in the fiscal year, Corinth’s share of sales tax has climbed by 1.6 percent cumulatively with an FY 2016 total of $4.196 million. In other special taxes from the region, the Ripley tourism tax gener-

ated $26,192, rising 9 percent, and the Tishomingo County tourism tax yielded $1,538, oﬀ from $2,858 a year ago. Other sales tax results from the region (percentages rounded): • Booneville — $163,366.59 (+6%) • Burnsville — $13,914.25 (+9%) • Farmington — $3,039.89 (-10%) • Glen — $1,607.12 (-17%) • Iuka — $69,463.82 (+3%) • Kossuth — $3,525.72 (+26%) • Rienzi — $4,237.80 (-17%) • Ripley — $119,746.64 (+9%) • Tishomingo — $11,806.56 (+11%) • Tupelo — $1,911,673.39 (+17%) • Walnut — $18,832.38 (-10%)

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CHS seniors Quentin Patterson, Armad Wicks, Tairek Johnson, Dee Brown and Antares Gwyn will put on a Jackson 5 skit in tonight’s Follies.

FOLLIES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

P.J. Savell dances like a ballerina during a skit featuring a rewritten version of the popular hit song, “7 years.”

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student’s favorite teachers they had along the way.” Other skits will include Redneck Yacht Club and the Jackson 5, along with spotlights on student musicians. “The senior members of the Warrior band drumline are featured, as well as several students who play piano,” said the director. Another skit pays tribute to Austin Digby, the fellow classmate who lost his life in a vehicle accident in August 2014. “The class wanted to do something to remember Austin,” said Coombs. “They’ve put together something really nice that will showcase some of Austin’s favorite things.” Coombs said she couldn’t put the show on without help from the students’ parents. She also gave thanks to five local musicians who’ve dedicated their time and talents for many years providing live music for Follies. Performing in the pit again this year are Allen Woodhouse, Brian Graham, Brandon Bingham, Scotty Michael and Kendall Frazier.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Today in History Today is Thursday, May 19, the 140th day of 2016. There are 226 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On May 19, 1962, actress Marilyn Monroe sang “Happy Birthday to You” to President John F. Kennedy during a Democratic fundraiser at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

On this date: In A.D. 715, Pope Gregory II assumed the papacy. In 1536, Anne Boleyn, the second wife of England’s King Henry VIII, was beheaded after being convicted of adultery. In 1780, a mysterious darkness enveloped much of New England and part of Canada in the early afternoon. In 1913, California Gov. Hiram Johnson signed the Webb-Hartley Law prohibiting “aliens ineligible to citizenship” from owning farm land, a measure targeting Asian immigrants, particularly Japanese. In 1924, the Marx Brothers made their Broadway debut in the revue “I’ll Say She Is.” In 1935, T.E. Lawrence, also known as “Lawrence of Arabia,” died in Dorset, England, six days after being injured in a motorcycle crash. In 1943, in his second wartime address to the U.S. Congress, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill pledged his country’s full support in the fight against Japan. In 1958, British actor Ronald Colman died in Santa Barbara, California, at age 67. In 1973, Secretariat won the Preakness Stakes, the second of his Triple Crown victories. In 1981, five British soldiers were killed by an Irish Republican Army land mine in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. In 1992, in a case that drew much notoriety, Mary Jo Buttafuoco of Massapequa, New York, was shot and seriously wounded by her husband Joey’s teenage lover, Amy Fisher. Vice President Dan Quayle sparked controversy by criticizing the CBS sitcom “Murphy Brown” for having its unmarried title character, played by Candice Bergen, decide to have a child.

Local/Region

Daily Corinthian • 3

Across the Region Tupelo No bond for suspect in cab driver slaying TUPELO — A suspect accused of robbing and killing a Tupelo cab driver has been denied bond. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports a judge ordered 23-year-old Leonte Gates to be held without bond during his court appearance Tuesday afternoon. Gates faces multiple charges including capital murder in the death of 55-year-old Charlie Williams, who was robbed and killed on Friday. His body was found by passing motorists that night. After more than two days on the run, Gates called 911 on Monday to turn himself in on the charges, which also include armed robbery, grand larceny and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. Gates remains held at the Lee County-Tupelo Adult Jail. He returns to court July 5 for arraignment.

Blue Mountain BMC grads include natives of Alcorn BLUE MOUNTAIN — Blue Mountain College held its 143rd commencement exercises on Saturday, May 7. Dr. Larry Robertson, senior pastor of Hilldale Baptist Church in Clarksville, Tenn., was the commencement speaker for both the morning and afternoon ceremonies. Robertson, a BMC alumni, challenged graduates to be what God created them to be and to do all that they could do for Him. For Robertson, the day had an added meaning because his daughter, Morgan, was a member of the 2016 graduating class. The BMC Class of 2016, included 78 women and 54 men for a total of 132 graduates, seventeen of whom received the master’s degree. This year’s graduate class included the great, great, great grand-

daughter of the founder of Blue Mountain College, Cindy Lowrey Pugh. Graduates represented 8 states: Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas; and 2 foreign countries: Serbia and Venezuela. The majority of the class members were from the Mississippi counties of Tippah, Union, Lee, Alcorn, Prentiss, Pontotoc, and DeSoto. This year’s commencement brings a total of 7,358 alumni (95 of whom are graduates of the master’s program). Alcorn county graduates included: Sheldon Marshall Cook (B.S. – Kossuth); Hannah Beth Johnson (B.S. – Corinth); Natalie Joy Bonds Mallard (B.S. – Corinth); Mary Lauren Marino (B.S. – Summa Cum Laude – Corinth); Amanda Gayle Mask (B.A. – Corinth); Jana Lynelle Vanderford McCalla (Master of Education – Rienzi); Emily Claire Sewell (B.S. – Corinth); and Justin Taylor Whitaker (B.S. – Corinth).

McNairy Co. Tennessee 2016-17 hunting seasons set McNAIRY COUNTY — The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission approved the state’s 201617 hunting seasons at its May meeting at the Arnold Air Force Base Gossick Leadership Center. The state’s hunting seasons are annually established each year during the TWFC’s May meeting. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency made its recommendations during the April meeting. Additional recommendations were made by commission members. For big game hunting seasons, the TFWC changed the definitions of antlered and antlerless deer. Previously, a deer with antlers less than three inches in length were considered antlerless. With the commission’s change,

HENDERSON, Tenn. — The Nowhere Band will present an entirely live reproduction performance of 1960s Beatles’ music June 3 at 7 p.m. in Williams Auditorium, located in the Chester County Middle School. The event is sponsored by the Henderson Arts Commission. Based in Florida, The Nowhere Band blends period costumes and authentic instruments

BOONEVILLE — Booneville firefighters could soon be coming to the rescue in a new way. Aldermen gave verbal approval Tuesday to allow the fire department to prepare a proposal to begin responding to emergency medical calls in the city. Firefighters, certified as emergency medical responders, would respond to life-threatening emergency calls as first responders providing immediate lifesaving care until an ambulance could get on the scene. Fire Chief Jerry Wallace said almost all of his department’s members are already EMR certified and capable of responding. They would work closely with the local ambulance service and their role would be to help stabilize patients by getting to some areas of the city quicker due to the location of stations throughout the city and serving as a backup to the ambulance service to provide help in the event all local ambulances are already on calls. Aldermen directed the department to bring them a detailed proposal with response protocols, insurance and liability information and other information to a future meeting.

In other business, the board: • approved a variance request for Boone’s Camp Event Hall, to be located in the former Boone’s Camp Antique Mall building. The new owners, David and Donna Russell, received permission to have an apartment for themselves on the ground floor of their business. The city’s zoning laws ordinarily only allow apartments on the upper floors of buildings in the downtown district. • approved the purchase of a van to transport work program inmates, pending determination that the vehicle is in full working condition. The motion also requires inmates to only be used when they can be transported in the cab of a city vehicle until the van is available for use. Concerns had been raised previously about possible liability issues due to inmates being transported in the beds of city trucks. • received an update from Booneville and Prentiss County Main Street Executive Director Trudy Featherston who discussed possible plans to host a farmers’ market downtown on several Saturdays during the summer. She said the idea has come from requests from the public and they don’t want to compete with the ongoing market at the agricenter but rather just host the event a few Saturdays during the summer to bring people downtown. Final plans and dates for the event will be announced in the future. Featherston also thanked all those involved in the recent Hometown Heritage festival including city employees, volunteers and others. She said the event was a success and noted appreciation for North Mississippi Medical Center’s Careflight emergency medical helicopter team which brought their chopper to the festival and gave tours and information to attendees.

intercourse, deviant sexual intercourse or sexual contact with him, or to engage in a sexual performance, obscene sexual performance or sexual conduct for his benefit.” Two additional counts

in the same indictment accuse him of causing a child under 18 to engage in or simulate the engagement of sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such

conduct. A fourth count of the indictment accuses Casabella of receiving a photograph of a child under 18 engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The grand jury returned the indictments April 27.

an antlerless deer is now any deer with no antler protruding above the hairline, and antlered deer are any male or female deer with antlers protruding above the hairline. From now on, a deer harvested with any antler protruding above the hairline will count toward the statewide antlered deer limit of two. The commission approved two additional deer hunting units, C and D. The antlerless bag limit for archery is four and one during the muzzleloader season in these units. For gun season, the bag limit is one in Unit C for the first 16 days and one in Unit D for the first seven days. Some previous Unit A and B counties are now in other units. (An updated deer unit map is available on the TWRA website). Four counties were added to Unit L which border the Mississippi River. Lake, Dyer, Lauderdale and Tipton counties are the new additions making all West Tennessee counties now classified in Unit L. A significant change came to fall turkey hunting. The TFWC voted to reduce the fall bag limit to one for all counties currently open for fall turkey hunting. A hunter may harvest a turkey in each open county. Also changed was the bag limit for the Young Sportsman from one bird for the two-day hunt to one bird per day.

Henderson The Nowhere Band will honor Beatles

with modern lighting and a talented quartet of musicians to create their tribute performances. The band is comprised of Steve Lavelley as Paul, Chuck Noonan as John, Donavan Christenson as George and Dave Radford as Ringo. Tickets to the event are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. A special VIP package is offered for $25. Advance tickets and the VIP package are available online at the Henderson Arts Commission’s Facebook page under Events. Additional information about the band and their performances is available at thenowhereband.com.

Booneville Firefighters may add medical response

INDICT CONTINUED FROM 1

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Opinion

Reece Terry, publisher

Mark Boehler, editor

4 • Thursday, May 19, 2016

Corinth, Miss.

A life slightly out of focus FISHTRAP HOLLOW — A photographer friend, Marc Lamkin, whose specialty is seeing what others don’t, paid a visit here when I was far away and hadn’t been around in months to smooth the covers or weed the beds. It was his idea, and I had to be persuaded. He made me a little book with his photos. I was astounded at what he saw. Marc missed the permanent burn pile where old pizza boxRheta es and perforated balls from Johnson the gum trees and pinecones and broken limbs pile up for Columnist months in a soggy sculpture until conditions are right for conflagration. He shot over that and captured the prize concrete pig my niece long ago named Wilbur, wildflowers in the foreground, my old barn in the background. I love Wilbur. He photographed the old doily I hung over the ceiling light in the living room, something I copied from a French postcard and thought softened the box store’s cold features. Hundreds of people have walked beneath that light, almost brushing their heads against the cloth curlicues dangling from the low ceiling. Nobody else ever noticed. When I bought this place, the kitchen was the largest room in the house. After knocking down a few walls and closing in porches, I’ve created bigger spaces. But the kitchen remains the heart of the house, a constantly evolving room with busy colors and much clutter, no scheme or metered rhyme. Marc photographed the kitchen in black and white, except for one red chair, the yellow glow of fire in the old wood stove and a few blue and green bottles in the window. He controlled colorful mayhem and produced a tidy shot using primary colors. The greenhouse was full of pink flowers instead of the rakes and spray bottles and weed-whackers that usually fill it. That was a happy accident, because a green-thumbed neighbor used the building for her considerable flowers this past winter. Marc captured the filtered pink light. There were other things – the old sign from a failed weekly newspaper that hangs on a wisteria vine, a propane tank painted with sunflowers, the glass eye of my father’s blue marlin, the red bed on the porch, the lion’s head on the arm of an old rocker. What he did, what makes his work extraordinary, was manage to see my home the way I see my home, a thing of beauty and a joy forever. He even made a cloth mop hanging over the top of the pump house a study in workaday patterns, the straight lines of the metal roof contrasting with the limp mop noodles. I sit at my desk right now and edit out the boxes piled around my feet because this little house lacks storage. I look past the paper shredder and the old undershirt I’m saving for a dust rag and a contraption called a “grabber.” I look over all that and out the picture window to a white rose bush blooming. I keep my life slightly out of focus. I am adept at ignoring the flaws and seeing potential beauty in this world I’ve created. I do that to live here. “Our homes are like our hometowns,” Marc said when I thanked him. “We can cuss and degrade them, but let someone else do that and we’re all over them.” I guess he made pictures the way he did to avoid a fight. (To find out more about Daily Corinthian columnist Rheta Grimsley Johnson and her books, visit www.rhetagrimsleyjohnsonbooks.com.)

Prayer for today Lord God, may I comprehend the sacredness of friendship. I thank thee for my friends, and for all the beautiful influences which they bring to my life. May I never hold friendship without the sincerity to return it. Correct my faults, and cause me to learn the secret of cheerful endurance, that I may be steadfast. Amen.

A verse to share “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.” — Ecclesiastes 7:5

Letters Policy All letters are subject to editing before publication, especially those beyond 600 words in length. Send to: Letters to the editor, Daily Corinthian, P.O. Box 1800, Corinth, Miss. 38835. Letters may also be e-mailed to: letters@daily corinthian.com. Email is the preferred method.

Have you heard this one about Trump? Donald Trump runs into the psychiatrist’s oﬃce in an uproar. “Doctor, doctor!” Trump shouts. “How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?” The psychiatrist sighs. “Only one,” the psychiatrist says, “but the bulb really has got to want to change.” “You’ve heard that one before?” Trump says. “Everybody has heard that one before,” the psychiatrist says. Then he reaches into his desk drawer and takes out a form. “Full name?” he asks. “John Y. Miller,” Trump says. “I know I’m going to regret this, but what does the ‘Y’ stand for?” the psychiatrist asks. “Yuuge!” Trump says. “Now please change into a swimsuit.” “Please leave,” says the doctor. “There are people with real problems in this country. I can’t waste time on you.” Trump grows quiet and hangs his head in shame. “You think I don’t know there are real problems?” he says. “Our national debt is more than $19 trillion, and we have more than 46 million people living in poverty. “Medicaid spending is expected to rise by 21 percent over the next 10 years. Social Security will rise 30 percent, and Medicare will rise 40 percent. “Also, I think I’m getting a zit on the end of my nose.” “I don’t see anything,” the psychiatrist says.

“ I t ’ s y u u g e , ” Trump says. “Enormously yuuge!” “A few seconds ago, I Roger was going to Simon throw you out,” the docColumnist tor says. “But you really do need help. Please lie down on the couch.” Trump walks over to a leather couch and lies down. The doctor says, “I am going to repeat some quotations to you, and I want you to tell me who said them.” Trump lies down on the couch. “Go ahead,” he says. The doctor removes a list from a desk drawer. He begins to read: “Who said this? ‘I hope corrupt Hillary Clinton chooses goofy Elizabeth Warren as her running mate. I will defeat them both.’” “Donald Trump!” Trump answers instantly. The doctor makes a checkmark on the list and moves to the next quotation: “Wow, Lyin’ Ted Cruz really went wacko today. Made all sorts of crazy charges. Can’t function under pressure – not very presidential. Sad!” “Trump,” Trump says. “The ‘Lyin’ Ted’ thing was the giveaway.” The psychiatrist makes another checkmark and says, “Which candidate said this of Carly Fiorina? ‘Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that?’” Trump stops and thinks.

“I’m not sure,” he says, “but it must be a candidate who is childish, insulting, abusive and immature.” “Exactly” says the doctor. “Now we are making progress. Do you also happen to remember suggesting that Ted Cruz’s father in some way aided the assassination of John F. Kennedy?” “Wow, talk about sick!” Trump says. “It must have been me.” “Some say it was also you who made fun of a disabled person and said Mexicans crossing the border are rapists, though you did assume some are good people.” “This is sounding more and more familiar,” Trump says. “Also, he has called women ‘fat pigs,’ ‘dogs,’ ‘slobs’ and ‘disgusting animals,’” the doctor continues. “And he wants to round up and deport 11 million people in this country who lack proper documentation and ban all Muslims from entering the United States.” “Warmer,” Trump says. “Definitely warmer.” “Also,” the psychiatrist says, “he wants to kill the families of terrorists in order to win the fight against ISIS.” “Bingo!” Trump says. “Definitely me.” “And you feel good about that?” asks the doctor. “It’s not a matter of good or bad,” Trump says. “That’s what you guys miss. It’s about winning, not philosophies or principles. “There’s this guy who is the chairman of the Re-

publican Party. He has this name like Prieb Rancid or Rance Priebus. And he was talking the other day about all these stories that are critical of me. He says, ‘I think that all these stories that come out – and they come out every couple weeks – people just don’t care.’ “And you know what? That’s exactly right! Here are all these terrible, terrible things I have said. The things I have said are wicked and awful. And I just keep winning and winning! So I guess people don’t care. “And if the people of the United States don’t care what kind of person their president is, why should I care?” The doctor grows quiet. “You may be right,” he says, “and this has troubled me. But keep in mind that you have been winning consistently only in the Republican primaries and caucuses. There is a bigger world out there, and in November, the whole country gets to vote on you. “And that is when you may get your comeuppance.” Donald Trump starts patting his pockets. “I don’t know what a comeuppance is,” he says, coming up with a small card from his pants pocket. “But I do have one question left: Do you validate?” (Roger Simon is chief political columnist of politico. com, an award-winning journalist and a New York Times best selling author.)

Losses without gains “If you won’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” – quote attributed to numerous sources Historically, when our nation has transitioned from one way of life to another, there has usually been some optimism about what was to come. That was true at the time of the American Revolution and it was true as we moved from an agrarian society toward the Industrial Revolution in the mid-18th through mid-19th centuries. Even during World War II, the song “White Cliﬀs of Dover” with its lyric “There’ll be love and laughter and peace ever after. Tomorrow, when the world is free,” looked forward to a better day. It didn’t quite turn out that way, as wars persist, but optimism kept us going with the hope that a new and better world was about to dawn. Today we are gripped not by optimism but by a deep pessimism, even cynicism, that permeates virtually every layer of our culture. According to a Real Clear Politics Poll, more than 66 percent of those surveyed think this country is headed

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in the wrong direction, yet like a man who is lost but refuses to ask for directions, we Cal keep barrelThomas ing full steam ahead. Columnist W h i l e politics has always been a rhetorical combat sport, the insults thrown by Donald Trump and his supporters have taken political discourse – if it can even be called that – to a new and depressing low. Such language keeps us from solving, or even discussing, the real problems this country faces. A book by an “anonymous congressman,” titled “Confessions of Congressman X,” is scheduled for publication on May 24, according to Daily Mail. com. In it, the writer, who is reportedly a man and a Democrat, mocks the country he supposedly serves as a “nation of naive, self-absorbed sheep.” He says he and most of his colleagues never read the bills they vote on and spend most of their time raising money.

“My main job,” he writes, “is to keep my job, to get reelected. It takes precedence over everything.” Given the behavior and history of so many members of Congress, who doubts his claim? It was thought once that our leaders should possess good character. In this election, however, it appears voters will be forced to choose for president – if they vote at all – between a boastful, superficial, narcissistic, misogynist and a corrupt, entitled, shady, lying, unaccomplished woman who has ignored her husband’s aﬀairs in the pursuit of power. Are these two candidates a reflection of our cynical and increasingly secular culture? They must be, otherwise so many voters would not have propelled them to the top of their respective parties. If we are willing to settle for less than the best, we can be sure that less is exactly what we will get. Another character quality that is in decline is modesty. A new Calvin Klein ad features an “upskirt” photo of a young woman’s un-

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derwear. Victoria’s Secret catalogs and shopping mall displays, visible to children, feature barely clad women with “come hither” stares. Some of the sexiest films ever made were produced during Hollywood’s “Golden Age” when women and men kept on most of their clothes. Films and TV today go for the blatant, mainstreaming sex scenes, flaunting nudity, so much so that a movie’s “R” rating could just as easily stand for “raunchy” as “restricted.” Scriptwriters put words in the mouths of actresses that “would make a sailor blush,” as the old saying goes. Yet, we are supposed to regard this as progress and equality. Do I sound “old-fashioned”? There is something to be said about old things. Some things endure because they have proven to work for the individual and for society at large. Nations built to last generally do; nations allowed to rot from within do just that. (Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com.)

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Iuka native will participate in archaeology program IUKA â€” Judson College junior Marianna Nichols, a native of Iuka, will be attending the Harvard University Summer Program in Ashkelon, Israel this summer. The 6-week program oďŹ€ers the opportunity for participating students to work alongside volunteers and a professional archaeological staďŹ€ to excavate Ashkelon, an important ancient seaport on the Mediterranean coast. Nichols will complete field training in methods of stratigraphic excavation, recording, and interpretation and will have opportunities to attend workshops on such topics as surveying, photography, ceramics, geology, GIS analysis, and conservation of artifacts. Nicholsâ€™s Ashkelon experience will continue the learning she began last summer when she worked as a Historic Trades Intern in the George Washington Entrepreneur Internship Program. As she volunteered with Mount Vernonâ€™s Archaeology Department at a slave

cemetery dig site, she recognized the projectâ€™s significance for her future: â€œThat opportunity was particularly significant for me because I want to go into archaeology and anthropology for my graduate work.â€? Her summer opportunity at Ashkelon holds special significance for the double History and Religious Studies major, who now adds â€œwith a specific focus on ancient religionsâ€? to her graduate school plans. With artifacts dating back to the Neolithic era and spanning occupations by Canaanite, Philistine, Persian, Christian, and Islamic peoples, Ashkelon is an important opportunity for Nichols, who dreams of becoming a college professor and traveling with her students to historic sites to study archaeology and anthropology. Her participation in the Mount Vernon and Ashkelon programs arenâ€™t Nicholsâ€™s first time to seize opportunities to explore the field of archaeology during her time

Iuka native Marianna Nichols will participate in a summer archaeology program in Israel. at Judson. Last spring, her paper â€œPompeii: Archaeology and the Life of a Cityâ€? won the award for best undergraduate conference paper at the regional Phi Alpha Theta

Alabama Regional Conference at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. Nichols earned other accolades at Judsonâ€™s Spring 2016 Honors Convocation, winning Out-

standing Student awards in both History and Religious Studies. In addition to her study abroad experience at Ashkelon this summer, Nichols has plans to

study overseas this fall. She recently learned of her acceptance into Oxford Universityâ€™s â€œScholarsâ€™ Semester in Oxfordâ€? Program for the Fall 2016 semester.

CREATE to hold state of the region meeting May 26 TUPELO â€” CREATE Foundationâ€™s Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi will host its 20th annual State of the Region meeting from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 26. The meeting will be held at the BancorpSouth Conference Center. The State of the Region meeting will feature three speakers, Don Nielsen, Blake Wilson, and Mike Tagert. Don Nielsen, a highly successful entrepreneur, has been absorbed in public education for the past 24 years as a Seattle, Washington school board member and as an author. Nielsenâ€™s book, Every School: One Citizenâ€™s Guide to Transforming Education, is a compilation of ideas that calls for meaningful changes to public education. Blake Wilson, President and CEO of the Mississippi Economic Council, is the leading spokesman for business interests within the state. He will be presenting the results of an MEC study on the condition of Mississippiâ€™s roads and bridges.

Mike Tagert, Northern District Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, will give his perspective on the status of the stateâ€™s highways and roads. Three written reports will be available for those in attendance. The Northeast Mississippi Regional Profile will be supplemented by the Progress Report on Regional Goals. CREATE Foundationâ€™s recently published 2015 annual report will also be distributed. The Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi has been CREATEâ€™s major program component for the past 21 years. The purpose of the Commission is to build regional cooperation and unity. It is comprised of 52 volunteer leaders from 17 counties. The Commission studies data, identifies key issues, sets goals, and works with numerous partners to address the issues and achieve the goals. The State of the Region meeting is free and open to the public. Advance reservations are not required. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.

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Kalib Strickland, Landon Richard, Jasmine Johnson, Brian Morales and David Friend were the first at MCHS to earn the industry certification Adobe Certified Associate (ACA).

Five students earn Adobe certification SELMER, Tenn. â€” CTE Supervisor Ronnie Teague is proud to announce a first for McNairy Central High School. Five MCHS students and their instructor have earned the industry certification Adobe Certified Associate (ACA). The certification is oďŹ€ered by Adobe as a means of verifying the test candidateâ€™s skill with Adobe Dreamweaver CS6, and their

knowledge of website design standards and digital communication. Seniors David Friend and Landon Richard, juniors Jasmine Johnson and Brian Morales, sophomore Kalib Strickland and instructor Lisa Forsythe have passed the exam which consists of 41 questions that must be completed in 40 minutes. The exam covers all aspects of the Dream-

weaver interface, and web design standards as identified by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the international organization that strives to maintain consistency cross-platform and crossbrowser worldwide. With this certification, students can gain entry-level employment in the web programming industry, or choose to start their own web design business for

extra income. Both Friend and Richard plan to continue their skills at college by majoring in computer programming. Johnson and Morales will work toward the Adobe Certified Expert certification during their senior year by adding two more software programs to their skill set, and passing the advanced exam next spring.

UM Law School Team designs legislation OXFORD â€” Gov. Phil Bryant has signed the Termination of Parental Rights Act, a piece of legislation proposed by the Termination of Parental Rights Study Group and designed by a team assembled by the University of Mississippi School of Law. The Parental Rights Study Group was convened at the suggestion of Chief Justice William Waller Jr. and chaired by former Associate Justice

Randy Pierce, who is director of the Mississippi Judicial College, a division of the UM School of Law tasked with educating and training Mississippi judges and court personnel. â€œAfter the Mississippi Supreme Courtâ€™s decision in the Chism v. Bright case, it became necessary for the Legislature to modify the then-existing statutes to provide a workable framework in termination cases,â€?

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Pierce said. â€œI was on the court when Chism was handed down and agreed with that decision, as did a unanimous court. â€œHowever, the case magnified a need to study the TPR statutes. Chief Justice Waller asked me to chair a study group and to invite various stakeholders to participate.â€? Chism v. Bright essentially reversed a judgment by the Union County Chancery Court that took away parental rights from a father, saying all the prerequisites had not been met to do so. It also upheld the idea that there should be strict standards to apply when terminating the rights of parents. The study group members included David Calder, UM law professor and director of the schoolâ€™s Child Advocacy Clinic, and MJC staďŹ€ attorneys Bill Charlton and Carole Murphey. In addition to resolving the concern raised in Chism, the study group sought to clarify other aspects of TPR cases and improve the fairness and eďŹƒciency

of those proceedings. Based on the study groupâ€™s recommendations, Charlton worked closely with Calder and Murphey to draft the proposed legislation. Calder provided a practitionerâ€™s viewpoint in shaping the procedures and definitions included in the bill. Murphey assisted in organizing the overall structure of the legislation. â€œDavid Calder, our child advocacy clinical professor, has been a tireless advocate for children for over 20 years,â€? Said Deborah Bell, dean of the School of Law. â€œHis expertise, research and advice played an important role in the passage of this important legislation.â€? The passage of the legislation helps Mississippi take a step toward becoming a model child welfare state, Charlton said. â€œIt was a special honor serving with the distinguished members of the study group who likewise share that goal, and Justice Pierceâ€™s leadership as chair made it happen ... ,â€? he said.

6 • Thursday, May 19, 2016 • Daily Corinthian

Deaths Leroy Bonds

IUKA — Leroy Bonds, 89, of Corinth died Tuesday, May 17, 2016, at his residence. Arrangements are pending with Cutshall Funeral Home in Iuka.

Alan J. Lott

BOONEVILLE — Funeral services for Alan J. Lott, 2, of Booneville are set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Mt. Oliver MB Church. Visitation is set for 12 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m. Friday at the church. The toddler died Monday, May 16, 2016, at his residence. He was born Nov. 11, 2013. Survivors include his parents, Alan T. Lott and Veronica Foster; his siblings, Kianan Foster, Sy’on Lott and Sy’monn Lott; his grandparents, Syble Foster and Robert Nichols. The Rev. Summie Lott will oﬃciate. Patterson Memorial Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.

Larry Shumpert

BOONEVILLE — Larry Shumpert died Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at Baptist East in Memphis. Arrangements are pending with Patterson Memorial Chapel.

House bill would cut free meals at school BY MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Fewer students would receive free and reduced-price meals at school under legislation that Republicans pushed through a House committee Wednesday. On a vote of 20-14, the Education and Workforce Committee backed the bill, which would scale back the number of schools in which all students receive free or reduced-price meals. The measure would allow a trial period of so-called block grants for school meals in three states — meaning those states would no longer receive unlimited federal dollars for students who qualify for the free and reducedprice lunches, and states wouldn’t have to follow most federal nutrition standards. The legislation, which the full House will consider, would also roll back some healthier school nutrition rules championed by first lady Michelle Obama. Some schools say they are too restrictive and the healthier meals are not appetizing enough to students. Republicans, including bill sponsor Rep. Todd Rokita of Indiana and committee chairman John Kline of Minnesota, said the changes would help redirect

money to other programs while ensuring that those with the highest need are still guaranteed meals. Hunger and nutrition advocates from the American Academy of Pediatrics to the American Heart Association sharply criticized the legislation, saying it could mean that some children go hungry at school. “The bill would significantly weaken access to healthy, nutritious foods for our nation’s children,” said Dr. Benard Dreyer, president of the pediatrics group. The block grant provision, added by amendment in Wednesday’s committee meeting, even prompted opposition from the School Nutrition Association, which has called for major changes in the school meal standards put in place in recent years. The group, which represents school nutrition directors and the companies that sell food to schools, called the block grant idea “reckless” and said it would be a first step toward eliminating the federal guarantee that all children have access to the nutrition they need at school. The block grants “are an opening salvo in an aggressive, alarming attack on the future of school meals,” said Jean Ronnei, head of that group.

LESSONS FROM THE GARDEN When many of us were growing up, everybody had a garden. It was not an option. It was not a fad. It was a necessity. Folks are again planting gardens because they like to eat good food!! There are also some valuable spiritual lessons that have been learned in the garden. Let’s look at a few. Lesson number one is the importance of good, well prepared soil. In comparing the heart of man to soil, Jesus said “the good ground is he that hears the word, and understands it; which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” (Matthew 18:23) It is said of Ezra the scribe, “Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it; and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” (Ezra 7:10) How well your garden grows depends on the soil. How’s your spiritual soil? Lesson number two is the importance of the seed. That lesson was brought home to a good friend and neighbor of ours many years ago. He wanted to plant a rather large spot in his garden with cantaloupes. Imagine the shock, when he later discovered he had planted, not cantaloupes, but cucumbers. Everybody had plenty of pickles that year! Seed always produces after its kind. (Genesis 1:11) Paul said, “Whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap.”(Galatians 6:7) “The seed is the word of God.” (Luke 8:11) Good seed in good hearts brings good fruit. (John 15:8) What kind of seed are you planting? Gardens left untended grow up with grass, weeds and other undesirable things, and become worthless. A few years back, our garden was up, and doing well. We went on vacation for a little over a week, and came back to a wilderness that had been our garden. Neither It, nor I, fully recovered that year. Our lives are like that aren’t they? When we neglect our spiritual lives, they may be hard to recover. (Hebrews 6:1-8) (Matthew 13:7, 22.) What is growing in your garden? You might want to check. Probably the best part of having a garden is that ﬁrst picking of squash, fried with onions in a cast iron skillet!! Not only can we enjoy good things now, but by canning and freezing, yearround. But it only comes with patience and persistence. Work hard, pray, and wait. Harvest will come. “For in due season we shall reap if we faint not.” (Galatians 6:9) Are you ready for the harvest? We invite you to study and worship with us at the Danville church of Christ.

DanvilleTimChurch of Christ Carothers – Minister 481 cr 409 Corinth MS • c/o 471 cr 513, Rienzi MS • 662-287-0312

Superintendent backtracks on policy BY JEFF AMY Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. — Under fire from the governor and many Republican legislators, the Mississippi Department of Education now says it won’t follow new federal guidance on use of bathrooms and locker rooms by transgender students. State Superintendent Carey Wright made the announcement Wednesday in a brief statement, saying the department would “follow the lead of state leadership” and take no action until the state Board of Education discusses the situation. Mississippi education oﬃcials had said Friday they would follow the guidance by federal authorities calling for transgender students to be treated consistently with their gender identity. They cited a need for a “safe and caring school environment.” The move comes as Republicans in other states have opposed the guidance, with some seeking to join legal challenges. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Haslam questioned the need for a special legislative session to block it, as some lawmakers have

proposed. North Carolina’s GOP chairman called on Democratic state Attorney General Roy Cooper to clarify his position on the guidance. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and Republican lawmakers in Arkansas also issued fresh criticisms. The guidance isn’t legally binding. Courts haven’t definitively said whether federal civil rights laws protect transgender people. But schools that refuse to comply could lose federal education aid and face civil rights lawsuits from the government. Mississippi’s K-12 schools got more than $700 million in federal aid in the 2014-2015 school year. Federal dollars make up more than 30 percent of the budgets of districts serving the state’s poorest populations. State Board of Education Chairman John Kelly said the board will have a special meeting within the next two weeks to discuss the issue. “Dr. Wright and I had a general discussion, but it was her decision to reverse this,” Kelly said. He said his own position is “not important.” Wright was out-of-state Wednes-

day at a reading conference in Alexandria, Virginia. State board member Johnny Franklin said the nine board members had discussed Wright’s position among themselves. Franklin said he’d gotten more than 10 phone calls opposing Wright’s previous position and was “pleased” by Wright’s move. Franklin was education adviser to Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, who last week called for Mississippi to defy “federal coercion.” “As I said last week, the Mississippi Department of Education should not force the state’s school children to participate in the Obama administration’s social experiment,” Bryant said in a statement. “I am encouraged by Dr. Wright’s actions and hope she and the Board of Education ultimately see fit not to implement this outrageous directive. Franklin said Bryant, who appointed him to the board in 2014, hadn’t contacted him. But Wright’s hand may have been forced by an increasing number of lawmakers calling for her to be fired.

On Wednesday, 27 Republican state senators among the GOP’s 32-member supermajority wrote to Wright and the board calling for “swift and decisive action on this urgent matter.” Asserting that federal oﬃcials are trying to “blackmail” Mississippi, the senators wrote that, “Dr. Wright made the decision to usurp the board’s authority and unilaterally issue the policy decision to acquiesce to the illegal demands of the federal government. For this, the superintendent must be held accountable.” That followed a letter Tuesday by 11 Republican House members asking Wright to reverse the department’s position or resign. “The policy of allowing boys or men into bathrooms and locker rooms with girls poses a threat to the safety and well-being of every school-aged girl in this state,” the group wrote. Rob Hill, state director of the Human Rights Campaign, says it’s the state’s tiny transgender population that’s at risk of harm if Mississippi doesn’t follow federal guidelines.

Trump unveils list of potential picks for court seat BY JILL COLVIN AND MARK SHERMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday released a list of 11 potential picks to replace Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court, a mix of federal and state judges that appeared tailored to win over conservatives still skeptical of his candidacy. The decision to release

such a list is highly unusual for a presidential candidate, and comes as Trump is working to unite a Republican Party fractured by his candidacy and assuage still-skeptical establishment Republicans who question his ability to win a general election. The list, which featured several prominent names floated repeatedly on conservative wish lists to replace Scalia, won immediate praise from those

Trump is trying to win over. Among the judges on Trump’s list is Joan Larsen, who serves on the Michigan Supreme Court. A former law clerk to Scalia, Larson delivered one of the tributes to the late justice at his memorial service. She served in the Justice Department oﬃce that produced the legal justifications for the enhanced interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, that critics

have called torture. Another pick is Don Willett, a justice on the Texas Supreme Court perhaps best known outside his state for his Twitter account, @justicewillett. Willett has openly mocked Trump to his more than 35,000 followers, including on Aug. 27, when he wrote, “Can’t wait till Trump rips oﬀ his face Mission Impossiblestyle & reveals a laughing Ruth Bader Ginsburg.”

meeting, a elementary student will be chosen for the pledge, a high school student for the prayer and a middle school student for recognition,” said Fiveash. There is no criteria for student selection, but should include students who may never be recognized for academic or athletic achievement. “I look forward to seeing a lot of other students get to come before our board for recognition,” Wamsley told members of the board. “There are a lot of students who may never win any academic award, and even though academics are very important, it is our job to teach the whole child and to teach them how to be better students.” Fiveash also gave the

board an update on P16 happenings “In the next few months, as a council we will be voting on an official name, electing officers, vote by-laws and vote on our regular meeting times,” she said. The P16 council will act as a place for parents to learn about the school system and be positively involved. In other recognition news: • Two teachers were honored by the board during the May meeting. Rienzi Elementary School teacher Sandra Nguyen was presented a certificate for her student’s achievements on the 2014-15 Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test results.

According to the Mississippi Department of Education, Nguyen’s sixth grade class recorded the number one overall highest PARCC test scores for Math in the state. Nguyen will teach her last class at the Rienzi school this week. Next month she’ll leave the Alcorn School District for Prentiss County where she recently accepted a teaching position in the Booneville School District. Biggersville Elementary School teacher Pat Sawyer was also recognized by the board and presented a certificate earlier this month. Sawyer’s 2014-15 sixth grade language arts class ranked number eight overall in the state on the PARCC tests, according to MDE.

uation,” said Brooks. “We need something for the healthcare security of the people in our county.” Brooks said two health-

care companies have been in discussion with the county oﬃcials about a partnership to serve McNairy County. The county mayor does not believe the county will have an in-patient facility in the future, but Brooks does beleive the county will be served by a successful hospital company. “I doubt will we ever have an in-care hospital again,” said Brooks. “I do believe we will have healthcare here that will give our residents some security.” Brooks said the Hospital Wing service is still in operation and Tennova is still providing ambulance service to the county. McNairy County General Hospital opened in June 1962 as a 49-bed hospital with five physicians on staﬀ. It would later become McNairy Regional Hospital. The Selmer hospital was sold to Method-

ist Healthcare in 1999 and Community Health Systems (now Tennova) bought the hospital from Methodist in 2003. A decrease in Medicaid funding hurt the hospital and caused the patient census drop from 1,700 patients a year in 2010 to around 500 in the past year. Brooks and Selmer Mayor John Smith have been working hard on providing a solution to the medical issue in the county. Tennova is now one of the largest healthcare systems in the Volunteer State with 11 hospitals and more than 80 physician clinics. The network includes approximately 1,800 licensed beds, 1,700 physicians on the combined active medical staﬀs, and 6,800 employees, with more than 51,000 admissions and 300,000 emergency department visits each year.

RECOGNITION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Glendale Elementary School Principal Elizabeth Wamsley honored sixth grader Faith Marble, who led the meeting’s pledge of allegiance. “Faith was nominated for this honor because of her outstanding character and work ethic,” said the principal. Biggersville High School Principal Chad Lindamood honored Class of 2016 Salutatorian Blaklie Mitchell. The senior gave the invocation prior to the board meeting. Future recognized students will be selected by teachers. Teacher selection will be done by the P16 council via a random drawing. “Prior to each board

HOSPITAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“I’m optimistic that we are going to be able to get something to help the sit-

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Tuesday, May 19, 2016

State/Nation

Across the Nation Associated Press

Victims: Secrecy is rights violationÂ CENTENNIAL, Colo. â€” Several victims of the Colorado theater shooting have filed complaints alleging the state corrections department violated their rights by refusing to reveal where the gunman is serving his life sentence, prosecutors said Wednesday. Several survivors of the 2012 attack that killed 12 and injured more than 70 have said they were upset after corrections officials quietly transferred James Holmes to an out-ofstate prison in January. The agency has repeatedly refused to tell the public â€” including prosecutors, survivors and the families of the dead â€” where or how he is being held. A state committee that handles victimsâ€™ rights complaints will address the issue at its Friday meeting. The panel could require prison officials to provide details of Holmesâ€™ confinement, but itâ€™s not clear whether they would be forced to comply. If the committee agrees victimsâ€™ rights were violated, it also could propose ways the department can keep victims better informed in the future. Holmes was convicted in August of opening fire in a crowded Denver-area movie theater in July 2012. Jurors could not agree that he deserved the death penalty, so he is serving a life sentence. Â

New rule to extendÂ overtime to millionsÂ COLUMBUS, Ohio â€” More than 4 million U.S. workers will become newly eligible for overtime pay under rules issued Wednesday by the Obama administration. The rule seeks to bolster overtime protections that have been eroded in recent decades by inflation. A diminishing proportion of workers have benefited from overtime regulations, which date to the 1930s and require employers to pay 1Â˝ times a workerâ€™s wage for work that exceeds 40 hours a week. Vice President Joe Biden announced the

changes at Jeniâ€™s Splendid Ice Creams in Columbus, Ohio. In the fast food and retail industries in particular, many employees are deemed managers, work long hours but are paid a flat salary that barely exceeds the income of the hourly workers they supervise who receive overtime pay. Under the new rules, released in draft form last summer, the annual salary threshold at which companies can deny overtime pay will be doubled from $23,660 to nearly $47,500. That would make 4.2 million more salaried workers eligible for overtime pay. Hourly workers would continue to be mostly guaranteed overtime. The White House estimates that the rule change will raise pay by $1.2 billion a year over the next decade. Some employers, though, might choose to reduce their employeesâ€™ additional hours to avoid paying overtime, thereby making the workersâ€™ schedules more consistent. Â

Yellowstone gauges hot spring damageÂ CHEYENNE, Wyo. â€” Yellowstone National Park rangers have not been able to contact or locate a group of Canadian men accused of walking onto a sensitive hot spring, and itâ€™s possible they have returned to Canada, a park official said Wednesday. â€œIt looks like from their social media feed that they were already back in Canada when the warrants were issued, but it is just really hard to say,â€? Yellowstone spokeswoman Charissa Reid said Wednesday. Rangers filed a criminal complaint Monday against three members of the group known as High on Life SundayFundayz for leaving an established boardwalk and stepping onto a geothermal feature where they snapped selfies and took video of themselves last Saturday. Several of groupâ€™s members are from Vancouver, British Columbia, and have a clothing line that they promote. The group initially

Daily Corinthian â€˘ 7

Across the State

posted pictures and video of their trek out on the Grand Prismatic Spring on social media, but all images that showed the men were later deleted. The group posted an apology on its website and social networks, expressing regret for their actions and offering to donate up to $5,000 to the park. In response to messages seeking comment about the matter, an email from one member of the group said they were not able to talk Wednesday and referenced the groupâ€™s posted apology. Â

Dry winter raises risk of dust storm TUCSON, Ariz. â€” Itâ€™s that time of year in the Southwest - and as far as Alaska - when dust storms take shape, raising health and safety risks as plumes of dirt take to the sky. A dry winter means the Southwest is seeing a greater number of dust storms. Experts say the infamous haboobs, as theyâ€™re known in the Phoenix area, will likely be active this summer when monsoon season begins. In southern Arizona, a series of dust blasts on Interstate 10 near the New Mexico border have shut down the highway at least seven times in the past few weeks, sending drivers on a 60-mile detour. The dust is coming from a farm near San Simon, Arizona, that was readied for planting but never seeded, leaving loose soil that is easily picked up by winds. Thatâ€™s caused zerovisibility storms that resulted in car accidents. Arizona State troopers now preemptively close the highway every time a storm approaches in an effort to keep drivers safe. State officials say theyâ€™re seeking fines against the farmâ€™s owner because he hasnâ€™t cooperated fast enough. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has watered the land to the tune of $20,000 a day for several days and is now using a biodegradable liquid designed to control dust erosion. The state plans to bill the landowner.

Associated Press

Summer trial likely for murder suspect PANOLA â€” A north Mississippi prosecutor says the man accused of burning a 19-year-old woman to death could be back in Mississippi for trial by mid to late summer. Panola County District Attorney John Champion tells The Commercial Appeal that he doesnâ€™t know how long it will take for Quinton Tellis to be processed into Louisianaâ€™s prison system after pleading guilty there. Tellis pleaded guilty last week to using the credit card of a woman who had been stabbed to death, but he was not charged in her death. The 27-year-old waived extradition to Mississippi, where heâ€™s charged with capital murder of Jessica Chambers in 2014 in Courtland. Prosecutors have not said whether they will seek the death penalty. Tellis is charged as a habitual offender.

Court upholdsÂ firing of ex-superintendent JACKSON â€” The Mississippi Court of Appeals has upheld the firing of a former Aberdeen School District superintendent. Chester Leigh lost his job after telling the districtâ€™s chief financial officer in 2011 to lease two sport utility vehicles for a security force Leigh wanted to create. The lease wasnâ€™t approved by the school board, and it was done without bids. The board fired Leigh in December 2011, and in the spring of 2012 the school district held a hearing about his job. The state took control of the Aberdeen School District in April 2012 after finding accreditation violations, and a conservator confirmed Leighâ€™s firing. Leigh appealed to the Monroe County Chancery Court. In a ruling Tuesday, the Court of Appeals confirmed the chancery courtâ€™s decision to uphold Leighâ€™s termination. Â

about a drunken-driving charge. Republican Sen. Terry Burton of Newton was charged with DUI after running a sport utility vehicle off of Interstate 20 and hitting a sign Saturday night in Scott County. Thatâ€™s according to a statement Monday from a Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman, Capt. Johnny Poulos. The 60-year-old Burton said Wednesday that his attorney had advised him not to publicly discuss the charge. Burton has been in the Senate since 1992. He represents District 31 in Lauderdale, Newton and Scott counties. In January, Burtonâ€™s colleagues chose him as president pro tempore, the second-ranking leadership role in the Senate. He presides over the Senate when Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves is not available. Â

Convicted murderer requests new trialÂ JACKSON â€” A man convicted of murdering a Greenville rapper is asking the Mississippi Supreme Court to overturn his conviction. Wednesday before a three-judge panel, lawyer Merrida Coxwell argued the murder conviction of Daner Ford should be thrown out because prosecutors improperly introduced evidence of an earlier shooting at a 2010 trial. Coxwell says discussion of that shooting had nothing to do with the crime of which Ford was accused, but he says it poisoned the jury even though a judge told jurors to ignore the remarks. Ford is one of four men

convicted of killing Marvin Stuckett, who was gunned down in 2008 following a fight at a nightclub. Stuckett was one half of the rap duo Needle in a Haystack, a group that had toured regionally and recorded multiple albums. Â

Sheriffâ€™s office faces wrongful arrest suitÂ COLUMBUS â€” A man has filed a federal lawsuit against the Lowndes County Sheriffâ€™s Office, claiming that authorities wrongfully arrested him in connection with the death of a New Hope man.News outlets report that Paul Vega filed the lawsuit last week, claiming that the sheriffâ€™s office violated his civil rights when deputies arrested and charged him with murder in the death of his friend 40-year-old Manuel Vasquez, in July. Vega said he notified authorities about Vasquezâ€™s disappearance in July and later called the FBI after he felt there was a lack of interest in the case on the part of the sheriffâ€™s office. The lawsuit accuses the sheriffâ€™s department of arresting him in retaliation for going to the FBI about the disappearance of Vasquez. It also says he was arrested without a warrant, probable cause or reasonable suspicion. Vasquezâ€™s remains were eventually found on Vasquezâ€™s property. His wife, Christina Martinez, has been charged with murder in connection with the death. Vasquezâ€™s mother-in-law, Lydia Martinez, has been charged as an accessory after the fact.

Sen. Burton has no comment on chargeÂ JACKSON â€” A top Mississippi lawmaker says heâ€™s following an attorneyâ€™s advice not to talk

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