Thursday July 26,
2012
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 179
Partly sunny Today
Tonight
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • One section
Friday opening set for Kimberly-Clark road BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The long wait for the official opening of the Kimberly-Clark Access Road will come to an end on Friday. The road will remain barricaded until Friday morning, when officials will gather at 9 a.m. to cut the ceremonial ribbon on the thoroughfare connecting U.S. Highway 72 and
Civil War tour signs come down BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
A series of signs that told the story of Corinth’s Civil War history for 15 years will soon come down. On Tuesday officials from the National Park Service met with Mayor Tommy Irwin, Street Commissioner Jim Bynum and District 1 Representative Bubba Carpenter to discuss the removal of outdated signage from the original Corinth Civil War driving Tour. The 44 signs were installed in 1997 as part of the Siege & Battle of Corinth Commission’s driving tour of local Civil War sites. The Corinth Tourism Office recently completed a new driving tour and the old signs were causing confusion among visitors, said Park Ranger Tom Parson. “Over the years, the Tourism Office changed the driving tour, but the signs were never changed,� Parson explained. “It’s very confusing for people coming from Shiloh who are on Please see SIGNS | 2
Volunteers sought for Iuka festival BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Organizers of the 25th Annual Iuka Heritage Festival and Battle of Iuka 150th Anniversary reenactment are seeking sponsors and volunteers to help put together the biggest Labor Day weekend celebration in the town’s history. “We’re expecting 20,000 people coming into town,� said Event Coordinator Lee Ann Robertson, “and we need volunteers for pretty much everything.� Volunteers are needed for parking, VIP and desk services, to direct traffic, to check people in and to give directions. Robertson said the community has pulled together for the festival, donating their time and talents, and that many groups are working together to make the upcoming events successful. “I feel better about it every day,� she said. Prospective volunteers should call Robertson at 662Please see FESTIVAL | 2
Kendrick Road. The ceremony will be held south of the first bridge on the road off U.S. 72 with parking on the south side of the first bridge. Board of Supervisors President Lowell Hinton said the county is anxious to officially open the long-awaited road for traffic. “It is going to mean a lot of relief in that whole area getting to
and from Kimberly-Clark,� he said. “The time that it is going to save is going to be a big help for the people in the county as well as taking these trucks off Kendrick Road. It’s going to be a real asset to our county.� He said it also improves safety by reducing congestion in the Five Points area and opens up the potential for economic development. It’s also nicely
scenic, he said, and “I think people are going to enjoy driving through there.� With the repair of some hairline cracks in one of the bridges, the project moved past the last obstacle that had delayed its opening. “The structure was always safe,� assured Hinton. But the hairline cracks meant the bridge did not pass inspection by the state aid office. The
county approved Eutaw Construction’s plan to use an epoxy sealant to fill the cracks and prevent water seepage. “It’s a very safe and very proven method,� said Hinton. The contractor also provided a seven-year replacement bond — the maximum possible time frame. Since that repair, the bridge has passed inspection.
Heroes face off in Battle of the Badges BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Corinth policemen and firemen are read to draw blood today in their friendly competition for blood donations. It is the 11th year of the bloody Battle of the Badges rivalry between the Corinth Police Department and Corinth Fire Department. Each side is calling on the public to make donations with United Blood Services, which provides blood to Magnolia Regional Health Center and other northeast Mississippi hospitals, at the convention center of Crossroads Arena between 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Prizes are up for grabs. All UBS donors during July will be entered in an end-of-month drawing for a used vehicle from Barnes Crossing Hyundai Mazda, and all Battle of the Badges donors will be entered in a local drawing for a flatscreen television. “We’re looking forward to beating the police department and getting the trophy back,� said Fire Chief Rob Price, whose department lost a close battle in a score of 47 to 43 last
Staff photo by Bobby J. Smith
Corinth PD Sgt. Ben Moore defends the cup against Corinth firemen (from left) Dallas Sanders and Chris Mathis. year. “We encourage everyone to come out and give the gift of life. It’s very simple to do, and the need for blood is high right now.� Police Chief David Lancaster
said it’s a friendly competition, and he hopes people will participate. “The important thing is supporting the blood service and having blood available for our
people when they need it,� he said. Although the police department captured the trophy last Please see BATTLE | 2
Sales tax holiday offers savings for back to school BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@dailycorinthian.com
Back to school shoppers are being encouraged to shop locally as they take advantage of this weekend’s annual sales tax holiday. The state of Mississippi will not collect the state’s 7 percent sales tax on clothing or footwear costing less than $100 during a period from 12:01 a.m. Friday through midnight Saturday. With the start of school just around the corner, the holiday is designed to give parents a break on the costs new clothing and shoes for the upcoming school year. Corinth School District students head back to class on Aug. 8, followed by the Alcorn School District on Aug. 9. Prentiss County and North and South Tippah county districts return to the classroom on Aug. 6 and the Booneville School District starts classes on Aug. 7. Many area merchants will be
offering special sales and promotions during the holiday period and local officials encourage residents to take advantage of these benefits and support area businesses. “We just want to encourage everyone to shop locally,� said Kelly Rhinehart, Marketing and membership coordinator for The Alliance. Rhinehart said customers, businesses and the community all benefit when people do their shopping close to home. She said the city is filled with unique stores and shops offering all types of great items and staffed with local people ready to provide great service. By shopping locally residents help provide jobs for people in the community, avoid the expense of gas and travel time to go somewhere else and encourage merchants to continue serving the community. They also contribute to the betterment of the local community by keeping their tax dollars local. The sales tax holiday in Mis-
sissippi applies specifically to clothing and footwear priced at $100 or less. The Mississippi Department of Revenue defines clothing as “any article of apparel designed to be worn on the human body.� Pants, shirts, blouses, dresses, coats, jackets, belts, hats, undergarments and multi-piece garments sold as a set are included. Footwear includes any apparel for the human foot except items such as swim fins, roller blades, skates or skis. Accessories such as handbags, book bags, wallets, backpacks and similar items are not included and neither are any type of school supply such as notebooks or writing instruments. A complete, detailed list of eligible and non-eligible items can be found at www.dor. ms.gov. Surrounding states will also be hosting sales tax holidays in the coming weeks. Tennessee and Alabama will both hold their sales tax holiday periods
Mississippi’s Annual Sales Tax Holiday When: 12:01 a.m. Friday through midnight Saturday What’s Included: Sales tax will not be charged on any item of clothing or footwear with a sales price of less than $100. For more information: www.dor.ms.gov from Aug. 3 to Aug. 5. In Alabama the holiday will apply to clothing under $100, school supplies under $50, books under $50 and computers and computer equipment under $750. In Tennessee items included are clothing under $100, school and art supplies under $100 and computers under $1,500.
McClung returns home to lead Tishomingo school district BY JEFF YORK Special to the Daily Corinthian
An educator returning home will lead the Tishomingo County School District into the future as Superintendent of Education after spending time in other systems for over a decade.
Ben McClung began his duties as superintendent on July 1. He was hired by the Tishomingo County Board of Education on March 23 and will succeed Malcolm Kuykendall. Kuykendall retired after 42 years as an educator in June,
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including the last six as superintendent in Tishomingo County. Kuykendall was the 2012 Mississippi Superintendent of the Year. McClung was raised in the Paden Community and attended Tishomingo High School.
“The board was very impressed with Mr. McClung’s experience and his vision for our school district. We are excited about the future and are convinced that he will be able Please see MCCLUNG | 2
On this day in history 150 years ago
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Cotton sales resumed in Memphis. When it is discovered all of the gold and silver received in payment has been sent to the Confederate government, Gen. Grant orders all new payments to made with paper money. Anyone who refuses to accept greenbacks is to be arrested.
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