Friday June 1,
2012
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 132
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Ouiser (Barbara Rogers) turns her dog out at the shock of Shelby (Mary McRae) and M’Lynn (Twila Bridges).
Southern classic hits CT-A stage sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Plenty of tickets remaining for annual singing BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Tickets still remain for the 15th Annual Kiwanis/Leon Frazier Memorial Concert on Saturday at the Crossroads Arena. “We still have plenty of room and all seating is reserved,” said Kiwanis member Jimmy Rich, who is also the concert emcee. Rich says the public can purchase tickets “up until concert time.” Proceeds from the event fund the club’s annual scholarships. Last year, the Kiwanis Club awarded a $1,000 scholarship to 13 Alcorn County students. This year the club will have awarded $158,000 in scholarships to 202 students. A pair of artists with ties to the Gaither Family are on the schedule. Michael English — lead singer for the Gaither Vocal Band — and Gordon Mote — a blind solo artist and pianist for the Gaither Homecoming Tour — will headline the show. Tim Duncan, a graduate of Kossuth High School, and Frazier’s daughter, DuJuana Frazier Thompson, make up the local performers for the concert. Also scheduled to appear are Gene McDonald and Steve Ladd. “People have asked to get the Gaither Vocal Group in the past and I think we have come pretty close this time,” said Rich. “When they all come back on stage at the end, it will be something to see.” Please see TICKETS | 2A
The Cast Annelle — Ashley Johnson Truvy — Cindy Howie Shelby — Mary McRae M’Lynn — Twila Bridges Clairee — Anne Cross Ouiser — Barbara Rogers ana, where all the town’s ladies come to have their hair done. Truvy (Cindy Howie) owns the shop and doubles as the town’s chief advice giver while she dispenses shampoos. Howie — a first time CT-A performer — is helped at the shop by her eager assistant, Annelle — played by another CT-A newcomer, Ashley Johnson. Truvy hands out the advice
Tonight
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Court upholds law officer’s conviction Staff and wire reports
Delicate and also tough. The lives of six women will be portrayed in that fashion with the Crossroads Theatre-Arts performance of the Southern classic “Steel Magnolias” this weekend. Performances are set for Friday through Sunday at the Crossroads Playhouse on Fulton Drive. “It’s the same Southern classic that so many know and love,” said director David Maxedon. “The story is about six women and how they deal with life’s comings and goings.” The action is set in a beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisi-
Today
• Corinth, Mississippi • 18 pages • 2 sections
‘Steel Magnolias’
BY STEVE BEAVERS
Cloudy, cooler
to the town’s rich miser Ouiser (Barbara Rogers) along with eccentric millionaire Miss Clairee (Anne Cross), local social leader M’Lynn (Twila Bridges) and her daughter Shelby (Mary McRae), who is about to be married. “I loved the movie and it seemed like a wonderful thing to do,” said Johnson on the reason to get involved. Johnson hopes the audience sees Annelle as someone “that isn’t afraid to take chances” during the performances. McRae, a recent Tishomingo County High School graduate, will also be making her CT-A debut in the classic by Robert Please see PLAY | 2A
JACKSON — A federal appeals court panel has upheld the conviction of former Corinth police officer Jamie L. Brewer who pleaded guilty in 2011 to stealing money from drivers during traffic stops. Brewer had challenged his 46-month sentence handed down last year. A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Brewer on Wednesday. Brewer pleaded guilty to four counts of a nine-count federal indictment. He also was or-
dered to pay $2,257 in restitution to his victims. Prosecutors say he acted “under color of law” to deprive drivers of their constitutional right against unreasonable search and seizure. The incidents were alleged to have occurred on Sept. 17 and 18, 2010. Brewer was on patrol in Corinth from August 2008 until September 2010, when he was placed on administrative leave in light of the accusations Please see COURT | 2A
Officers arrest three for burglary BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
IUKA — Three individuals have been arrested by the Tishomingo County Sheriff’s Department for burglary of a dwelling. According to the sheriff’s department report, Zeaf Clark, 20, of Iuka; Elizabeth McKee, 28, of Iuka; and Robert Shane Parker, 39, of Alcorn County were all arrested and also charged with arson in connection to the burglary. Several electronic devices
and firearms were recovered in Corinth and returned to the victims. The Tishomingo County Sheriff’s Department was assisted by the Corinth Police Department and the Alcorn County’s Sheriff’s Department in the recovery of the items from a Corinth residence. Other arrests by the department were: ■ Zackary Puckett, 25, of Iuka, was arrested for two counts of Please see ARRESTS | 2A
Community unites in fight against cancer BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Cancer never takes a holiday, but tonight is a special night in the fight against cancer. Tonight the community will stand united. The 2012 Relay for Life of Alcorn County main event will
be held from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. at Crossroads Regional Park. Relay for Life is the flagship event for the American Cancer Society, a night when months of fundraising activities conclude and the community comes together to fight for a cure for cancer — and honor
the ones whose lives have been touched by the disease. “I’d like to invited everyone in Alcorn County to attended this year’s Relay for Life,” said Kristin Chittom, community representative for the midsouth division of the American Cancer Society. “My vision is
to see a world with more birthdays and to find a cure, and we need your help.” The theme for this year’s Relay for Life is “Cancer Never Takes a Holiday,” encouraging teams to use holidays as Please see RELAY | 2A
Dark day changes woman’s life BY JEBB JOHNSTON
‘Gossip 2’
jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Carol Norton will always have a limp to remind her of a dark day that changed her life. But her family and friends know that she will always have a smile to chase away those memories. The Tiplersville resident admits to being a class clown and joker throughout her life, but fate dealt her a bad hand in 2004 when a drunken driver crossed into her lane on the highway and nearly wiped all the smiles away. “I might not can do everything I used to, but I’ll try my best,” said Norton, who found the inspiration to write during her recovery from that terrible day in her life. Her play “Gossip 2” returns to Corinth’s Coliseum Civic Center at 7 p.m. Saturday. Hundreds filled the venue for a previous performance of the play, which centers on
Gospel stage play 7 p.m. Saturday Coliseum Civic Center Tickets $12 at the door a gossipy group of women at a beauty shop who find their way to the gospel. Norton plays the main character, Miss Gina. “She knows everybody and she knows everybody’s business,” said Norton, who is thinking about getting involved with Corinth TheatreArts productions. Despite the tremendous struggle she faced to recover from the 2004 crash, Norton has kept her sunny outlook on life, even calling the crash “a blessing.” But it wasn’t easy in the early days when her
Submitted photo
Please see NORTON | 2A
Carol Norton, the lead character in “Gossip 2,” gets down to some dancing in a scene from the play she wrote.
Index Stocks...... 7A Classified......4B Comics......3B Wisdom....10A
Weather......5A Obituaries......3A Opinion......4A Sports......8A
On this day in history 150 years ago The Battle of Seven Pines continues to be fought east of Richmond, Va. Late in the afternoon, Gen. Robert E. Lee assumes command of the Army of Northern Virginia in place of the wounded Gen. Joseph E. Johnston.