082115 daily corinthian e edition

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McNairy County SWTDD invites commissioners to new program.

Prentiss County Prentiss school board considers early withdrawals.

Sports Local high school teams prepare to kick off season.

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Friday Aug. 21,

2015

75 cents

Daily Corinthian Vol. 119, No. 200

Partly sunny Today

Tonight

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64

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• Corinth, Mississippi • 22 pages • Two sections

Essary latest charged in county probe BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com

Agents with the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office made another arrest Thursday in connection with the ongoing government corruption investigation in Alcorn County. Douglas Alan Essary, 57, of County Road 620, was served with four indictments containing a total of 60 counts with charges including

fraudulently obtaining public funds and false representation to defraud the government relating to work on watershed sites and dump sites, according to documents filed in the Alcorn County Circuit Clerk’s Office. He was also served a demand for repayment of funds totaling $44,168.17. Essary, owner of Essary Truck

Sales and Parts and a construction contractor and vendor with Alcorn County, was booked at the county jail and released after posting $20,000 bond. The indictments accuse him of conspiring with former Second District supervisor Jimmy Dallan “Dal” Nelms and former purchase clerk William Paul Rhodes to defraud the county with inflated invoices

for emergency watershed work in the county and dump site cleanup. He had obtained a contract with the county to repair watershed sites and allegedly inflated the number of hours worked and the cost of labor and equipment rental. Essary is accused of submitting fraudulent invoices relating to Please see ESSARY | 6A

Essary

Wounded police officer released from hospital lice department for about seven months, was shot in the chest and left shoulder while patrolling Bell School Road early

BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com

Kevin Parker Jr. is eager to get back on the job. The Corinth police officer was discharged from North Mississippi Medical Center on Thursday, two days after being shot at close range by a male subject. “He is still sore with a hole in his left shoulder, but he is in real good spirits,” said Corinth Police Chief Ralph Dance after talking with the officer Thursday. “He was ready to get out of the hospital and back to work.” Parker, a member of the po-

Staff photo by Steve Beavers

Corinth Police Chief Ralph Dance (right) talks with Alderman Ben Albarracin during a special called meeting to announce the matching of a reward by the U.S. Marshals in the shooting of police officer Kevin Parker Jr.

City board matches reward for details in officer shooting Service. The board passed the motion of Alderman Andrew “Bubba” Labas to match the $5,000 reward and $500 contribution of State Rep. Nick Bain. The reward now stands at $11,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the man responsible for shooting Corinth police officer

BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com

The Corinth City Board of Mayor and Aldermen displayed its allegiance to those who protect and serve. During a special called meeting on Thursday, the board voted to match a reward being offered by the U.S. Marshals

Kevin Parker Jr. early Wednesday. Aldermen can match up to $15,000 for information in the case. “I can’t say enough about our mayor and aldermen,” said Corinth Police Chief Ralph Please see REWARD | 6A

Parker

Wednesday. The officer’s bulletproof vest was responsible for keeping him alive. Parker’s body armor was Please see PARKER | 6A

Mononucleosis keeping Kossuth students at home “We have seen and diagnosed a lot of mono in the very short time frame.” Known as the “kissing disease,” mono is an infection virus which often spreads by social contact such as sneezes, handshakes or even sexual contact. “It’s called the ‘kissing bug’ and even though it can be spread that way, it can also be spread a lot of other ways,” said Thornton. “It can actually spread through any bodily

BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com

KOSSUTH — Seventhgrader Taylor Glidwell found herself in the doctor’s office Thursday morning. The Kossuth Middle School student was tired, had a sore throat and was sneezing. Gildwell and her mother waited patiently for her test results inside the Faith Family Clinic. “Ever since school started back two weeks ago we have seen an influx of school age kids in the clinic,” said Nurse Practitioner Kelly Thornton.

Please see MONO | 2A

Veteran musician still loves to sing country music BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com

GLEN — Joe Rickman loves what he does. Since the age of 14, the local artist has been singing country music. Rickman was captivated by the style of Johnny Cash at a young age. Today, he still specializes in the music of the late Cash and performs many of his songs. “People today don’t seem to like country music,” said the 72-year-old Rickman. “These new artists don’t dress the style like country singer Porter Wagoner did … all the artists like him have died out.”

Rickman first hit the stage as a rhythm guitarist for the band Bobby Hardin and the Wildcats at the Coliseum Civic Center. In 1962, he recorded the single “Lonesome Love/Lonely Heart,” for Westwood Records of Jackson, Tenn. “I spent the whole day putting it out,” said Rickman with a smile. “I think I did it three or four times just to get it right.” Both songs were written by rockabilly artist Bobby Hardin and have been reissued on CD by European labels. Rickman recorded another single for the Thomasine label in 1988, and in recent years

various homemade CDs. He also played guitar on an album by the gospel family band the Smilin’ Eight from the Booneville area. The veteran musician, who has been inducted in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and Mississippi Folklife Museum, is also a regular performer at the Rockabilly Festival in Selmer, Tenn. He Please see RICKMAN | 2A Photo courtesy of Mississippi Folklife Museum

Artist Joe Rickman still loves singing country music.

25 years ago

10 years ago

A new 7-mile loop of natural gas supply lines is being installed on Harper Road through the South Industrial Park to Kendrick Road. Corinth Gas and Water Manager Ron Lilly says the work will boost gas supplies to the city and Farmington Road and strengthen the system in the northern area.

Darryl Worley announces plans for the fourth annual Tennessee River Run at Pickwick Landing State Park. Worley will be joined for the concert by the legendary Ronnie Millsap and country newcomer Jamie O’Neal.

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