Saturday Aug. 4,
2012
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 187
Thunderstorm Today
Tonight
94
76
• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • 1 section
Audit report says $35,000 missing BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Former Crossroads Arena general manager Reggie Churchwell says he never handled or deposited the advance ticket sales money that allegedly went missing.
Former Crossroads Arena manager says he never handled advance ticket sales money that allegedly went missing The annual audit exceptions report published by the state auditor’s office this week included
one item from Alcorn County — a written formal demand in the amount of $34,678.29 is-
sued on Oct. 20, 2011, for missing funds. An audit exception indicates that a violation of the
law or an accounting error has resulted in a misappropriation or an incorrect expenditure of public funds and must be repaid. The report states only that Please see AUDIT | 2
Pickup truck crashes through Corinth business Driver faces DUI charge BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
An allegedly drunken driver crashed his truck through the front of a Corinth business on Tate Street Friday morning. At 9:28 a.m. the Corinth Police Department received a call stating that a man had plowed through the front wall of Taylor Heating & Air in a white 1997 Ford F-150 and immediately fled the scene. According to witnesses, the driver had “gassed it” while going over the nearby railroad tracks. Then the truck slid sideways in the road and slammed into the business. The truck went through a plate glass window, entered the building and crashed into an interior wall. Damage was extensive. “After he drove in the building, he jumped out and ran about 200 or 300 yards, where they caught him,” explained Corinth Police Deputy Chief
Staff photo by Mark Boehler
Please see CRASH | 2
A Corinth police officer and tow truck operator survey the damage inside Taylor Heating & Air after a pickup truck crashed through the business Friday morning.
School buses begin Supervisors begin work on budget rolling next week BY JEBB JOHNSTON
jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Buses are set to roll and that means motorists need to slow down. A new session of school will begin Wednesday in Alcorn County, with Corinth City Schools going back on Thursday. Some area school systems begin classes Monday, including McNairy County. “We want motorists to be cautious that buses will be back on the road starting Wednesday,” said Alcorn School District Assistant Superintendent Wayne Henry. “They need to remember to not pass when buses are loading and unloading.” Henry said speed is a problem when buses have to travel four-lane highways. “Motorists could do a better job of slowing down before and after school,” he said. “It’s tough getting in and out at a place like Biggersville.” Motorists should pay extra attention to speed limits in the school zone and when buses have the stop signal out. Because thousands of Mississippi children begin and end their days with a trip on a school bus, transportation safety is an ongoing focus. Nationwide, the yellow buses transport over 10 billion students more than 4 billion miles annually. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that more school-age pedestrians are killed between the hours of 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. than any other time of day. Since 2000,
130 school-age pedestrians (younger than 19) have died in school transportation-related crashes. Of that figure, approximately 67 percent were struck by school buses, 27 percent by other vehicles and six percent by vehicles functioning as school buses. Additionally, close to 800 children are killed annually and many more injured going to and from school in a vehicle other than a school bus, according to the National Safety Council.
Proof of residency The Corinth School District is reminding parents and guardians that the district is required by the state to have two current proofs of residency on file for a student to be eligible to enroll. The proofs of residency must be updated for the 2012-13 school year and documented yearly according to the State Auditor’s office. Acceptable documents to support proof of residency include: ■ Filed Homestead Exemption Application Form ■ Mortgage documents or property deed ■ Apartment or home lease ■ Utility bill — only one will be accepted ■ Driver’s license ■ Voter precinct identification ■ Automobile registration Parents should provide the needed documentation to their child’s school at the start of the 2012-2013 school year.
Alcorn County supervisors spent morning and afternoon sessions combing through the budget on Thursday, examining cuts and discussing possible changes. The Board of Supervisors asked all departments to make a 2 percent cut. The preliminary numbers on the table show revenue of $18,972,228 and expenses of $18,969,341. The board had a discussion with 911 Director Teresa Burns, who said her department is facing increasing costs. “All of these years I’ve been
ty recently began asking agencies to contribute to funding 911. Burns said the office is experiencing increased costs for equipment and has recently taken on dispatching for the sheriff’s department. In other areas, the board wants some discussion with the park commission and is taking a close look at solid waste management. The county must finalize its budget by Sept. 15. With three supervisors working on a county budget for the first time, the board decided to get an early start this year.
New BMC president starts her duties For the Daily Corinthian
BLUE MOUNTAIN — Between stepping around the cardboard boxes in her new home and sniffing the overflowing vases of flowers in her new office, Dr. Barbara Childers McMillin’s first day as president of Blue Mountain College has been “amazing.” “The whole day, so far, has been amazing,” McMillin said while taking a mid-morning break. “It’s been a wonderfully moving experience. I know the florist has been busy. “It has been delightful and I am truly grateful for the warmth, the encouragement and the prayers that have come our way.” McMillin, the eighth president of BMC, said she knew it was going to be a good beginning when early-on she was able to meet with a couple of prospective students. “That was exciting,” she said. “I haven’t had a chance to meet
Index Stocks........7 Classified......14 Comics...... 13 Wisdom...... 12
really proud that we’ve been able to stay within the funds of the resources coming in from the landlines and cell phones,” said Burns. But those fees collected on monthly phone bills are no longer enough and the office faces a shortfall, she said. “We don’t want to put millage on to subsidize it,” said 3rd District Supervisor Tim Mitchell. The board is requesting information on the fees that other 911 offices charge various agencies, such as fire departments and police departments, for handling their dispatching. The director said Lee Coun-
Weather........5 Obituaries........ 3 Opinion........4 Sports...... 10
Dr. Barbara Childers McMillin (center), the new president of Blue Mountain College, meets with Dr. David Shankle, chairman of the business department, and Dr. Sharon Enzor, vice president for academic affairs, on her first morning on the job. with many student groups during the transition and that’s what I’m most looking forward to.” One of McMillin’s first meetings was with Dr. Sharon Enzor, vice president for academic affairs, and Dr. David Shankle, chairman of the business department.
“We are looking at what it means to integrate our faith with our learning opportunities in the classrooms, and that is something I am extremely interested in,” she said. “I want us to talk more about thinking Christianly.” Please see PRESIDENT | 2
On this day in history 150 years ago President Lincoln orders a draft of 300,000 militia to serve on active duty. This draft will not be put into effect. In New Orleans, Gen. Butler orders a tax on “secessionists” of $341,916 to feed the poor of the city.