Wednesday Sept. 5,
2012
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Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 214
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 20 pages • Two sections
County adopts budget; no tax increase BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The Alcorn County Board of Supervisors adopted the fiscal 2013 budget and set the tax levy with no increase Tuesday morning. After receiving no comments in the public hearing, the board adopted an $18.83 million budget that holds the county millage rate at 53. The county school tax levy is also unchanged at 49.76, for a total of 105.76 mills for those who pay county school taxes. General county holds at 25.85
mills, but the budget includes some small shifts in millage, such as the park going from 1.6 to 1.57 mills and the road districts going from 3.9 to 3.95 mills. Some departments and outside agencies are taking a 2 percent cut in the budget, which is effective Oct. 1. The total requested from department and outside agencies totaled $6,895,501, and the county has budgeted them at $6,481,489, down from the previous budget’s $6,756,759. Agency allocations:
■ Emergency management - $80,000 (requested $161,274, and received $86,400 last year) ■ Airport - $107,800 (requested level funding of $110,000) ■ Health department $133,097 (was $135,814) ■ Red Cross - $1,592 (unchanged; requested $5,000) ■ Animal shelter - $25,000 (unchanged; requested $60,000, citing increased labor costs because of a reduction in the availability of inmate labor)
■ Arts council - $24,500 (requested level funding of $25,000) ■ 4H livestock - $4,000 ■ Region IV Mental Health - $50,088 (requested level funding of $51,111) ■ Department of Human Services - $87,425 (was $89,210) ■ Human Resource Agency $127,400 (was $130,000) ■ Northeast Mississippi Community Services - $8,055 (was $8,220) ■ S.A.F.E. - $1,500 (was $1,550) ■ Northeast Regional Li-
City approves road zone change
Unique Apart … United Together
BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The Board of Aldermen on Tuesday approved stricter zoning on Droke Road as well as a couple of other zoning requests. After a second public hearing with no comments, aldermen approved the Droke Road change between Clark Street and South Parkway. The existing zoning of the area is R-2 medium-density residential, which allows two-family residential units. The zoning will change to R-1A, a singlefamily residential district with a minimum lot size of 10,000 square feet and no more than 40 percent of the area covered by structures. The zoning change came about because of concern
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Marianne Taylor (right) speaks with United Way Executive Director Betsy Whitehurst during the Corinth & Alcorn County Campaign Kickoff Luncheon on Tuesday at Hillandale Country Club.
United Way kicks off campaign BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
United Way still works. Tutor Marianne Taylor has witnessed the benefits of the charitable organization up close. Taylor shared the importance of United Way to the 16 local agencies it funds at the Corinth & Alcorn County Campaign Kickoff on Tuesday at Hillandale Country Club. “United Way has served more than 2,000 individuals that needed help with their literacy needs,” said the tutor with the
Corinth-Alcorn Literacy Council. “There is no way I can say thank you for doing something that enriches and empowers.” Taylor shared the story of a 70-year-old man she is helping learn to read during the joint meeting of the Corinth Kiwanis and Rotary. “It is hard to imagine going decades without being able to read things like signs or directions,” said the former head start education specialist in Birmingham, Ala. “He had to be very creative to cope.” The Memphis, Tenn., native,
brary - $136,269 (requested $143,000; was $139,050) ■ Crossroads Arena $110,250 (was $112,500) ■ Jacinto Foundation $24,578 (was $25,080) ■ Museum - $9,800 (was $10,000) ■ Soil Conservation $48,650 (was $49,643) ■ Extension Service $99,315 (was $103,315) ■ Planning & Development District - $18,500 (was $20,000) ■ Incubator facility - $14,700 (was $15,000)
who moved to Corinth about seven years ago, said the man “was so proud to be able to write his name for the first time.” “He knows he is important and people care about him,” she said. The kind of caring that makes United Way, whose local theme this year is Unique Apart … United Together, stand out. “That's one example when you give how United Way works,” said United Way of Corinth & Alcorn County PresiPlease see CAMPAIGN | 3A
about the possible construction of apartment duplexes near Corinth Elementary School and on an improved road. The planning commission had narrowly recommended the change to the Board of Aldermen in a 2-1 vote. In other zoning requests, the board approved a zoning change on Kendrick Road on property owned by Rick Quinn to accommodate multi-family apartment units. The property already has four apartment units that were grandfathered under R-1 single-family zoning at the time the property was annexed. Also, the board approved Dalton Family Partnership’s Please see ZONE | 3A
Katrina evacuees flee Isaac; return for reunion BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
For Nicholas Woodson — a nearly 7-year-old boy from St. Bernard Parish, La. — Corinth is a home away from home. Nicholas spent the first weeks of his life in Corinth. His parents, Charlene and Michael Woodson, traveled to Corinth in August 2005, after it became clear that their home was in the path of Hurricane Katrina. Last week the Woodsons returned to Corinth as evacuees from another storm — Hurricane Isaac. They used the trip as an opportunity to reintroduce Nicholas to the place where he spent his first months of life. “We really love your town,” said Nicholas’ mother. “It’s so
nice and quiet, there’s not a lot of people and the people are really nice. It’s my son’s home away from home.” Their trip to Corinth during Katrina was an adventure the family will never forget. Charlene was 81⁄2 months pregnant when they left home. Their first stop was Houston, Texas, where Charlene intended to have her baby. But this was not in the cards. As Hurricane Rita began bearing down on Texas, the Woodson family were forced out in a mandatory evacuation. Their next stop would be Corinth. Their home for the next several weeks was the Comfort Inn, now Please see REUNION | 3A
Corinth family keeps Korean Tol tradition alive BY MARK BOEHLER editor@dailycorinthian.com
The smiling toddler eyed the five objects before him. Daddy clutched the 1-yearold tightly as the crowd of friends and family was silent in anticipation. The child’s lifelong destiny was about to decided. And then, it happened. Despite all projections from the guests, the youngster grabbed a bundle of string. There were smiles and ap-
plause from the large crowd of witnesses. This was much more than a 1-year-old birthday party for Grayson Nickels. It was his ceremonial Korean Tol. And by going for the soft bundle of string, the son of Mia and Fred Nickels is now projected to have a long healthy life. “Who wouldn’t want their child to live a long life?” asked Mia about her son’s choice. The Corinth couple who re-
sides in the Bramlitt House decided to keep the Korean Tol tradition alive when they adopted their first son, John Holden, who is now four years old. The Tol is celebrated when a child turns 1 year old. For centuries Korea suffered a high infant mortality rate due to disease and lack of food. Still today, when a Korean child turns 1, Koreans believe there is much
Index Stocks...... 7A Classified......5B Comics......3B Wisdom......2B
Weather......5A Obituaries......3A Opinion......4A Sports......8A
Photo by Bryan Huff
Fred Nickels keeps a hold on son Grayson as the 1-year-old participates in his recent Korean Tol ceremony. Grayson went for the string, which means he will have a long life.
Please see TOL | 12A
On this day in history 150 years ago Gen. Sterling Price is informed Rosecrans’ army is at Eastport, Miss., and is ready to cross the river into Tennessee. He begins to move his army north from Tupelo to prevent the crossing. The information is incorrect. Rosecrans and his men are actually in camp near Jacinto.
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