Saturday June 7,
2014
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 118, No. 134
Thunderstorm Today
Tonight
89
70
50% chance of rain
• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • 1 section
Cracker Barrel set to please Corinth Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Austin Chism removes a limb from a tree that crashed into his truck during Thursday’s storm.
Workers escape injury in storms BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Alvin Chism made it out just in time. So did his sons. Chism, owner of Precision Level and Square of Selmer, Tenn., and his sons were busy installing new windows at the home of Robin Hopson on Proper Street when Thursday’s storm hit Corinth.
“I saw the trees swirling around and all of a sudden I felt like I needed to pull the trucks up,” said Chism. He was able to move his truck before a tree landed on his son’s Ford truck. “It was on us before we knew it,” said Chism. “I got out of my truck and started Please see STORMS | 2
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Cracker Barrel’s Lakeshia Floyd serves guests during a friends and family event Friday.
Restaurant ready for Monday opening Corinth man arrested BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Pleasing people. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store put its mission statement into motion Friday by cooking for close to 160 people during a friends and family event. The restaurant officially opens Monday at 6 a.m. “Whenever we go in a community like Corinth, it’s always a lot of fun,” said Jim Keller, Cracker Barrel Corporate Communications Manager. “We are really excited to be in Corinth … it’s a great community and everyone has welcomed us with open arms.” Corinth became the 12th
Cracker Barrel location in the state. The restaurant chain, known for treating its guests as family and its home-style food, has 628 stores in 42 states. Corinth’s site employs 185. “We love Mississippi,” added Keller. “Everything we do is geared to pleasing people … when they come through the door, we want them to feel at home.” Corinth Mayor Tommy Irwin was beyond excited to see the Cracker Barrel dream realized. “There is no better friend in the food business like Cracker Barrel,” said the mayor before the almost-packed facility at 1900 U.S. Highway 72 West.
“It’s a historic day and great things are going to come from this.” A long line of selected guests showed up early for the 8-9 a.m. event. “We have been itching for this day,” said Josh Turlington, senior associate manager. “Cracker Barrel is happy about the excitement of us being here in Corinth.” Around 200 people were expected to be served the first part of the day Friday as Cracker Barrel puts the finishing touches on its newest location. In all, close to 1,000 will be fed leadPlease see OPENING | 2
in drug investigation Staff reports
A Corinth man was arrested Friday following an investigation of suspected drug activity. Gregory Peacher, 48, of 801A Cass Street, was charged with two counts of sale of a controlled substance. Bond was set at $20,000. The Alcorn Narcotics Unit made the arrest as the result of complaints about alleged drug activity at Peacher’s address. “We are receiving a lot of complaints of people selling their medication, along
with their children’s medication, just to make a quick dollar,” said Narcotics Officer Darrell Hopkins. “We encourage Peacher anyone with information of people selling their medicine or any other drug within Alcorn County to contact the Alcorn Narcotics Unit.”
Alcorn District hosts Exhibit shares life through the lens Pre-K registration day BY JEBB JOHNSTON
jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
Pre-K registration is in full swing in the Alcorn School District. “It is extremely important for all potential pre-k students to register now,” said Curriculum Coordinator Tammy Johnson. “The child must be four-years-old on or before Sept. 1 and be potty trained in order to enroll.” The district will host a special Pre-K registration day for students from 4 to 7 p.m., on June 19 at their office on Manpower Road. “Parents will need to bring the child’s social security card, birth certificate and proofs of residence,” said Johnson. “Students will also
be screened during the special registration day.” Grant money from the Alcorn-Prentiss Pre-K Early Learning Collaborative is funding the addition of one new classroom and 20 new students. The almost $1.5 million grant will be doled out over the next three years. It will be split between Corinth and Alcorn County school districts and the Prentiss County School District. “Previously we hosted only two pre-k classrooms at Glendale Elementary and Rienzi Elementary,” said the coordinator. “The grant will fund an additional classroom at Please see PRE-K | 2
The art gallery is featuring a sampling of favorite photos from local shutterbug Bill Avery. Known for his scenes such as a bear fishing for food in the wild, Avery’s exhibit includes photos from British Colombia, the American West and other far-flung locales, as well as a number of portraits and other wildlife shots. The gallery will host an opening reception with Avery on Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m., and the exhibit will run through June 28. The photo enthusiast took up the hobby around the time he retired. He has sharpened his skills through trial and error and enjoys sharing the good results with the community. “I’m still self-teaching,” said Avery. “I have not been able to
Index Stocks........8 Classified......14 Comics........ 7 State........ 5
Staff photo by Jebb Johnston
The Corinth Artist Guild Gallery is featuring a collection of photos by Bill Avery, including this image of a rancher in Wyoming. find a school that I could make arrangements to go to, so I’m learning by making mistakes.” While he enjoys the land-
scape and wildlife photos, he is having fun exploring the posPlease see AVERY | 2
On this day in history 150 years ago
Weather........9 Nation........ 6 Opinion........4 Sports...... 12
A brigade of Sturgis’s cavalry rides to Rienzi and breaks the Mobile & Ohio Railroad. In the belief that the Federals are marching across the state to reinforce Sherman in Georgia, Forrest orders his scattered troops to converge on Baldwyn.
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