Saturday July 21,
2012
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 175
Mostly cloudy Today
Tonight
95
70
• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • One section
Heat takes toll on cyclist
Man jumps to death from Harper overpass BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
A man jumped from the railroad overpass on South Harper Road near the Proper Street intersection in an apparent suicide Friday evening. Thomas Howard Williams, 52, was pronounced dead at Magnolia Regional Health Center at 7:20 p.m., said Deputy Police Chief Scotty Harville. The man dove from the bridge and landed on the railroad tracks, he said. Motorists passing over the bridge saw the black male leaning against the railing at
the top of the bridge in the hiking and biking trail lane, and someone made a call to 911 at 6:20 p.m. out of concern for his welfare. Corinth police and Magnolia EMS responded. Emergency officials were unable to get to the man before he jumped. Police stopped northbound and southbound traffic on Harper during the response. The man was still alive when the ambulance took him from the scene, but was in grave condition, Harville said. The man’s address was unclear Friday night.
Heat, sporadic rain cause issues for crops BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
The recent period of record heat and drought followed by sporadic rainfall is causing problems for crops in the Alcorn County area. “Some of the most dramatic effects we have seen, in particular, are in the corn crops,” said Patrick Poindexter, county director of the MSU Extension Service. With the rainfall in the area “hit and miss,” some parts of the county have seen as much rain as ever and others remain dry. In Alcorn County the damage has been very variable. Extreme heat and drought during corn’s pollination period causes missing kernels or causes the corn not to fill-out,
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Chris Greig refueled with a couple of slugburgers from Borroum’s in downtown Corinth while making a stop on his 5,000-mile bike ride from Alaska to Florida.
Grieg is 4 days behind schedule on 5,000-mile trek BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Chris Greig is behind schedule. The Canadian cyclist isn’t letting that keep him from sharing good stories as he makes his way on a 5,000-mile bicycle ride to Miami, Florida. “It’s been pretty hard ... harder than I thought it would be,”
said the cyclist while taking a break in front of Borroum’s Drug Store. “The heat has taken me by surprise.” The 25 year-old from Toronto stopped in Corinth on Friday with his next destination being Birmingham, Ala. “I never really thought I would get it done in 30 days, but I have tried my best,” he
said. Greig, out to set a record for the longest unsupported bicycle ride, was able to catch his breath and refuel with a couple of slugburgers and fries from Borroum’s. He was due in town on Monday before his trip got delayed. Please see RIDE | 2
so ears are shorter and the crop yield is less. Some of the corn planted later may produce a better yield than the corn planted earlier in the season. Poindexter emphasized this year’s corn crop in Alcorn County is not a complete loss. “We’ve had really unpredictable showers,” he said. “It’s been really, really odd.” Farmers and hay producers are also reporting infestations of armyworms — a pest named for its eating habits that can decimate crops if allowed to thrive and reproduce. Poindexter said producers need to monitor their fields for the presence of black birds Please see CROPS | 3
Demolition plans set for several local homes BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Several declining residential properties are set for demolition following adjudication by the Corinth Board of Aldermen. Following the board action, it generally takes two weeks to 30 days for the structures to be demolished, according to Kim Ratliff, code enforcement officer. The board acted on the fol-
lowing properties on Tuesday: ■ 1103 Tate Street — Adjudicated for demolition. The house on the property was damaged by a fallen tree. ■ 926 South Fulton — Adjudicated for demolition. The out-of-town owner previously complied with a request to have the structure boarded up but has not followed through with demolition. The city says Please see HOMES | 2
Alcorn County 4-H/FFA Beef Cattle Show returns to the county fair BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The returning county fair will again have the Alcorn County 4-H/FFA Beef Cattle Show as one of its signature events. It’s set for 9 a.m. Sept. 15 at the Crossroads Arena Cattle Barn, and the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors agreed this week to provide $4,000 to help put on the event.
The annual show has enjoyed a steady increase in participation. “Other than the Mid-South Fair and the Neshoba County Fair, we have the largest livestock show in all of north Mississippi,” said Danny Joe Turner, one of the event organizers. The 2011 show had 37 showmanship participants and 76 head of cattle, rising from 28
showmanship participants and 57 head of cattle in 2010. Turner said there have already been inquiries from a wide area about this year’s livestock show. A new addition to this year’s event will be a showmanship clinic to help the young participants polish their presentations. “We’re going to have some folks come in, show them how to clip the cattle, how to groom
them, how to get them ready and show them,” said Turner. The 2011 show had expenses totaling $7,100, including $2,700 in premiums paid to youth exhibitors. Matt Karisch will serve as judge. Registration will be from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14. It is a beef-only show with buckles to be awarded to champions and reserve champions.
Entries are $10 per head, and the deadline is Sept. 3. In other requests before the county supervisors this week, Tupelo-based SAFE presented a fiscal 2013 budget request for continued funding of $1,500. Director Deborah Yates said the organization provided 86 days of service to victims of domestic violence from Alcorn County at its shelter during the past year.
Despite rain, organizers deem 25th Annual Slugburger Festival a success BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Although dampened by the rain, the 25th Annual Slugburger Festival was a precursor to better festivals to come. One of the main achievements of this year’s Slugburger Festival was the level of national interest the event received. From its listing as one of “America’s Wackiest Summer Events” to a mention on the ‘Today’ show, the festival received more nationwide attention than it ever
has before. “The nationwide attention that Corinth got, a lot of it goes back to the Corinth Area Convention & Visitors Bureau helping us put together the World Slugburger Eating Contest,” said John Orman, president of Main Street Corinth. “Through Major League Eating and Tourism’s sponsorship, we had a lot of national attention that makes more people want to come and will set us up for the future.” The first-ever Major League
Eating sanctioned event was a success, Orman said. “We had a few sprinkles, but the rain held off and we had a few hundred people come out. We definitely plan on continuing that tradition,” he said. On Thursday night the Slug Idol talent contest was postponed until Friday due to the wet weather, but the karaoke party went on as planned and was well-attended. The carnival remained open but attendance was sparse. Many people
Index Stocks........7 Classified......14 Comics...... 13 Wisdom...... 12
Weather........5 Obituaries........ 3 Opinion........4 Sports...... 10
changed their minds about going out when the night began rainy, Orman said. Friday night’s Jamie Davis & Soul Gravy concert was a huge success, with over 1,000 concertgoers showing up for the popular Northeast Mississippi band. The carnival also had a great night — possibly the biggest carnival night in Slugburger Festival history. The heavy rain Saturday caused the festival’s headlining entertainers, country duo Love
and Theft, to cancel. The main stage would be an electrical hazard in the rain, Orman explained. Although the main act canceled, Nashville songstress Karen Waldrup and Alcorn County native Ben Mathis entertained inside the beer tent. Festival organizers had taken out flood insurance prior to Saturday’s near-rainout. “It wasn’t a total loss, but we did have insurance on the rain,” Please see FESTIVAL | 2
On this day in history 150 years ago Gen. Braxton Bragg places into motion his operation to move his army east and counter the Federal advance towards Chattanooga. The main column of the Federals is at Tuscumbia with some as far east as Huntsville.