Saturday June 30,
2012
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 157
Blazing sun Today
Tonight
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 12 pages • 1 section
Officials warn of very dry conditions BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
With the landscape becoming increasingly dry in the current heat wave, officials urge extreme caution for any fireworks activities for Independence Day or any type of outdoor burning until conditions improve. All requests for permits for burning of any kind are currently on hold in the City of Corinth because of the dry conditions. The county is not under a burn ban, but it may come before the Board of Supervisors for consideration on Monday. Fireworks are illegal within Corinth, although they are commonly used on Independence Day and New Year’s. “People should be aware that they can be ticketed for shooting fireworks in the city,” said Fire Chief Rob Price. Even without drought conditions, July 4 is the most fireprone date across the U.S. Price encourages extreme caution for people using fireworks for the holiday, which is forecast to have continued hot and dry weather with a high temperature in the upper 90s. “Any kind of spark could ignite a grass fire,” said Price. “I would also encourage people to be careful while cooking out
and to properly dispose of charcoal ashes.” People doing yard work will need to let the debris sit until conditions improve, he said. County Fire Coordinator Ricky Gibens has been considering requesting a burn ban. According to the Mississippi Forestry Commission, eight counties, including five in northwest Mississippi, have enacted bans in the last few days. County firefighters have dealt with some substantial grass fires. “The heat and humidity and dry conditions really makes it prime for woods and grass fires,” said Gibens. “We’re not saying that you can’t shoot fireworks, but you should be very cautious. The big thing is to shoot them in areas where there are rocks, concrete or asphalt and not in residential areas where they could hit a rooftop or a grassy patch. It won’t take but a spark to get things going.” He strongly discourages the burning off of fields or brush piles. People who do ignite a controlled burn should notify the 911 office or nearest fire department beforehand to advise them of the burn. Please see HEAT | 3
Staff photo by Bobby J. Smith
Corinth’s Charlene Swinford stands by the ‘This is America!’ fireworks pack — the most costly package offered by Discount Fireworks, just west of Corinth on U.S. 72. Big sellers this year include the eternally-popular bottle rockets and novelty items. Discount Fireworks opens at 9 a.m. and stays open late and is one of several stands along U.S. 72. Officials urge extra caution this year when lighting fireworks due to the extreme dry conditions.
CT-A wants to ‘transport you’ BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Corinth Theatre-Arts board is offering season passes to the local theater company’s 20122013 season. The title of the new season is “Let the Arts Transport You.” CT-A will stage eight productions this season, with a wide range of material, from family classics and musicals to more serious fare that tackles some of the toughest issues of contemporary life. Season tickets are $70 for adults and $35 for students. If purchased individually, the regular price for a single show’s ticket is $12. “It’s a good deal,” said Managing Director Tommy Ledbetter. “You can use the season ticket any way you want — you get eight admissions.” The season tickets can be purchased at the Crossroads Playhouse on Fulton Drive. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. The season’s first offering
will be “Footloose,” the classic tale of teen rebellion and repression. Coming in early August, “Footloose” is a youth production for actors from the age of 12 to 21. Auditions for “Footloose” were held in early June, and this adaptation of the hit movie from the 1980s will hit the stage Aug. 3-5. Coming in September, Neil Simon’s “Rumors” is an adultthemed farcical story of confusion and miscommunication. This offering is classified in CT-A’s new ratings system as a “Second Stage” production — more appropriate for an adult audience. Auditions will be held Aug. 6-7, and “Rumors” will spread Sept. 7-8 at the Crossroads Playhouse. “You Can’t Take It With You,” taking the stage Oct. 1921, is domestic comedy with an absurdist twist. It is the story of love, dating and a Russian ex-duchess reduced to working as a waitress. Auditions for this PG-13 production will be held Sept. 10-11.
Officers climb Mt. Woodall for comrades BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
tirement home denizen named Kris Kringle — whose good deeds reveal that he is the real
A multitude of Mississippi cops will flock to the state’s highest point this weekend to participate in an event to honor their fallen comrades. On Saturday police officers all over the country will travel to the highest point in their home states in honor of law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty in that state. The Magnolia State’s Cops on Top Summit for Heroes will be held at Woodall Mountain, located in Tishomingo County in the southern outskirts of Iuka. The gathering of law enforcement officers will honor the lives of Mike Walter, a senior investigator for the Pearl Police Department who was shot and killed by a sex offender this
Please see CT-A | 3
Please see CLIMB | 3
Staff photo by Bobby J. Smith
Corinth Theatre-Arts Artistic Director Cristina Skinner and Managing Director Tommy Ledbetter look over the program for CT-A’s 2012-2013 season. The Christmas classic “Miracle on 34th Street” will be staged Dec. 14-16. It is a magical story of holiday goodwill that focuses on an elderly re-
Local pastor praises new Southern Baptist president BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
That first time was all Mickey Trammel needed. The Baptist preacher knew. Trammel’s feeling proved true last week when Rev. Fred Luter Jr. was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention — becoming the first African-American leader of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. “Fred is the president because of the kind of person he is,” said Trammel. “He is going to bring a positive influence for Southern Baptists and it is good to see we are willing to select the right man regardless of the color of his skin.” The Tate Baptist pastor in Corinth heard the new Southern Baptist leader speak in 2001, the last time the convention was held in New Orleans. “It was an outstanding sermon,” said the Tate pastor. “It was obvious he was a gifted
speaker and I truly believed that one day he would be president of the Southern Baptist Convention.” Trammel left the conLuter vention determined to have Luter speak at his Central Baptist Church in Golden one day. Golden Central Baptist Church started a building project a few years following that first encounter. The church would finish the plan in 2007, increasing its sanctuary size to almost 900. “The first thing I did was get Fred to come and speak,” said Trammel of the completion of the project. Golden, located near Belmont and Red Bay, Ala., is a small town of around 200. Trammel
Submitted photo
The Rev. Fred Luter’s first trip to northeast Mississippi was a memorable one. The new president of the Southern Baptist Convention was greeted by a packed house at Central Baptist Church in Golden in 2007. didn’t know what to expect as he picked up Luter from the airport for his first visit to northeast Mississippi. “I had no idea of how many people would be there,” he said. As the two made their way into Golden, they discovered the church parking lot was covered with others parking anywhere they could near the
Index Stocks........7 Classified......14 Comics...... 13 Wisdom...... 12
Weather........5 Obituaries........ 3 Opinion........4 Sports...... 10
building. “There was an electricity that night and Fred stills talks about it today,” said Trammel. “I remember saying to a little elderly lady in the church ‘that I’m pretty sure this is the most people that has been in the church’ and she replied ‘Son, this is the most people that has ever been in Golden.’”
Trammel went on to host the pastor two other times in Golden and once more at Tate Baptist. Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Church in New Orleans, has also been to Oakland Baptist and Wheeler Grove Baptist through the years. For two years after Hurri-
On this day in history 150 years ago Fifth day of the Seven Days Campaign. The Battle of Frayser’s Farm is a Union victory. President Lincoln asks Gen. Halleck to send 25,000 infantry to the East from Corinth, “but not if it endangers any place you deem important to hold.”
Please see LUTER | 3