090915 daily corinthian e edition by Daily Corinthian

McNairy County MCHS senior takes on project of new planetarium.

Sports Lady Warriors hit the road in softball and volleyball.

Prentiss County Enrollment levels off in Booneville School District.

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Wednesday Sept. 9,

2015

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Daily Corinthian Vol. 119, No. 216

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• Corinth, Mississippi • 20 pages • Two sections

4 sentenced in corruption case Nelms gets 12 years in prison

Pleas heard in corruption investigation

BY JEBB JOHNSTON

jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com

jjohnston@ dailycorinthian.com

Officials described it as one of the largest public corruption sentences in memory Tuesday as former Second District Supervisor Dal Nelms was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison. Standing before Judge Paul Funderburk in Alcorn County Circuit Court with his uncuffed hands clasped behind his back, Nelms expressed remorse for the circumstances that brought him there. “I apologize for betraying the trust of the public that elected me to a very important office,” he said. “I’ve shamed myself and I’ve shamed my family, and I’m sorry for that.” Nelms pleaded guilty to embezzlement by a public official, two counts of false representation to defraud government and two counts of fraudulently obtaining public funds. He was sentenced to 30 years with 18 years suspended, leaving 12 years to serve, followed by five years of probation. He was ordered to pay

you stated, ‘So help me God,’” said Funderburk. “There may have been more blatant violations of the public trust than yours. I can’t recall any in recent times. Almost like you

Three men connected to former Second District Supervisor Dal Nelms were sentenced Tuesday in Alcorn County Circuit Court Rhodes for their involvement in the county corruption case. William Paul Rhodes, 55, the former county purchase clerk, pleaded guilty to one count of hindering prosecution, one count of fraudulently Mitchell obtaining public funds and one count of false representation to defraud government. Judge Paul Funderburk handed down a net sentence of 15 years in custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections with Peters 10 years suspended, leaving five years to serve, followed by five years of probation. He must also pay restitution of $72,466.28; a

Please see NELMS | 3A

Please see SENTENCES | 2A

Staff photo by Steve Beavers

Dal Nelms is led to the Alcorn County Courthouse on Tuesday morning. restitution of $308,244.71 to Alcorn County plus a $5,000 fine and court costs of $3,157.50. He was placed in custody of the Prentiss County sheriff to await transport to a Mississippi Department of Corrections facility.

The judge rebuked Nelms and suggested he deserves more time than he is getting. He spoke of the oath of office Nelms recited when he took office, swearing to obey the law. “And at the conclusion of it,

Dexter named Yellow Creek Port director Alcorn campuses closer BY ZACK STEEN

to new waste system

zsteen@dailycorinthian.com

IUKA — Tupelo native Robert Dexter will be sworn in as the new executive director of the Yellow Creek Port Authority in Tishomingo County on Thursday. Dexter will fill the post left vacant following the October 2014 death of longtime director Eugene Bishop. “The board is glad to have Robert as the new port manager,” said Port Authority President Benny DeVaughn. “He is a man that has proven himself in business and will be a good manager to carry the Port forward.” Dexter is a former operations start up manager for GRAMMER, Inc., in Tupelo. He has also worked as an operations manager for Southern Components in Lee County. “Robert is a respected leader in the Northeast Mississippi’s business community with a proven record of success,” said Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Glenn McCullough, Jr. “Robert is committed to growing Mississippi’s economy, and I have

BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com

Staff photo by Zack Steen

New Yellow Creek Port Authority Executive Director Robert Dexter met with deputy director Tina Williamson and Port Authority President Benny DeVaughn on Tuesday. Dexter will be sworn in on Thursday.

“Robert is a respected leader in the Northeast Mississippi’s business community with a proven record of success.” Glenn McCullough, Jr. Mississippi Development Authority executive director

Please see DEXTER | 2A

FARMINGTON — Alcorn Central school campuses are one step closer to getting rid of the stink. Farmington Mayor Dale Fortenberry said this week that he has secured almost all the grant money needed to connect the school’s on-site waste system to the City of Farmington sewer system. “We have already been approved for a $200,000 grant,” said Fortenberry. “We are waiting on one other before we can begin the studies.” Fortenberry said environmental and historical land studies will have to be completed before construction can begin. “We will also be using some of our leftover EPA money to help fund the project,” he said. Earlier this year, the Alcorn School District granted the city a standard easement to enter into an agreement to connect the school to the city’s sewer.

The agreement states if grants to fund the construction and installation of the connection is not secured by the city then the school district is not obligated to follow through with the project. Currently an older on-site water treatment plant provides sewer services for all three Alcorn Central schools. “This project is going to be a reality,” the mayor said. “I can’t really put a time frame on it, but it is going to happen.” Fortenberry believes this is a sign of progress for the school system. “That sewer system has been causing trouble at the school and a stink near the football field for years,” he said. “Soon the city will be able to provide a long term fix to the problem and I couldn’t be happier about it.” Fortenberry said he has received help from District 2 Rep. Nick Bain, District 1 Rep. Lester “Bubba” Carpenter and Please see WASTE | 3A

25 years ago

10 years ago

Farmers continue to struggle with a lack of rain. Alcorn County Agriculture Program Assistant for the Mississippi State University Extension Service Lowell Hinton predicts a 25 percent reduction in cotton production due to the dry weather.

Local cooking teams are seeking support for “Feed the Coast”. Led by Hog Wild festival organizer Joe Franks, the teams are preparing to travel to the Gulf Coast for two weeks to provide food for storm victims and emergency volunteers.

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2A â€˘ Wednesday, September 9, 2015 â€˘ Daily Corinthian

â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…â˜…

â˜… â˜… â˜… â˜… â˜… â˜… â˜… â˜… â˜… â˜… â˜… â˜… â˜… â˜… â˜… SENTENCES Hello, Iâ€™m Dimple Caldwell asking you to vote for my grandson Ben Caldwell, candidate for Alcorn County Sheriff. Public service has a special meaning in our family. My late husband Bobby served on the Alcorn County School Board for thirty-six years. It was a labor of love for him - one I was honored to support. Our son Joe is your Alcorn County Circuit Clerk, a post he has been privileged to hold for sixteen years. Our son Lane worked for the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. He died in the line of duty, having put service before self. Iâ€™m proud of our familyâ€™s public service history despite the sacrifice and occasional sadness it has brought us. Iâ€™m proud of my grandson Ben. His training and experience have prepared him for a career of service in law enforcement. I had the same concerns as any grandmother when Ben volunteered for the United States Marines - a concern that grew when he deployed to Afghanistan attached to the National Security Agency as an intelligence analyst. Ben came home from that experience a mature young man, having learned leadership. He came home to serve, first as a patrolman with the Corinth Police Department, then detective and soon after detective sergeant in narcotics prior to joining the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. I experienced both joy at seeing his career advance and concern when he accepted Laneâ€™s former position. Ben has served our country, our city and our state. Now he seeks to bring his training, experience, energy, and desire to the job of Alcorn County Sheriff. Please vote for Ben Caldwell for Alcorn County Sheriff on November 3. My family and I would appreciate the opportunity to continue serving you and your family. Sincerely,

Dimple Caldwell

Paid for by Dimple Caldwell

CONTINUED FROM 1A

fine of $5,000; and court costs totaling $1,894.50. Rhodes will not begin serving his time until after he is sentenced in U.S. District Court on a charge of mail fraud. He pleaded guilty to that charge last week, and the Alcorn sentence is to be served concurrently with the federal sentence. Assistant District Attorney Richard Bowen described the offenses, which included manipulating the bid process on a pickup sold to the county and sending photos of the auditorâ€™s investigatorsâ€™ notes to Dal Nelms when the investigators were working out of the supervisorsâ€™ office. Rhodes first told the court he did not wish to make a statement but then said he has â€œnobody to blame but myself.â€? Jimmy Ray Mitchell, who previously pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining public funds and false representation to defraud government, was

sentenced to five years in custody with one year in the house arrest program and the rest suspended, pending successful completion of that program. He was also sentenced to five years probation and has paid restitution of $95,382.35. He was accused of conspiring with Nelms through the business North Mississippi Pipe Solutions, which Bowen said existed only on paper. Because of his cooperation with investigators, he was sentenced on only two of the six counts on which he had pleaded guilty. In remarks to the court, he said he apologizes for his wrongdoing. His attorney, Tony Farese, said he was pleased with the outcome. â€œMr. Mitchell has been a law-abiding citizen all of his life and then found himself in a terrible situation as a result of making some poor decisions with a lifelong friend, Dal Nelms,â€? said Farese. Mitchell owns a print-

ing business and is a former Corinth alderman. Danny Roy Peters, 63, pleaded guilty to one count of false representation to defraud government and was sentenced to five years in custody with one year of house arrest and the rest suspended, pending completion of the house arrest program, followed by four years of probation. He was fined $5,000. Bowen said Peters assisted Nelms in a scheme to submit fraudulent claims for labor and equipment and cashed some checks from the county for work that he didnâ€™t perform. But Petersâ€™ involvement was â€œrelatively minorâ€? compared to the other defendants, he said. Rhodes, Mitchell and Peters were arrested and charged last December. Another plea is scheduled for this morning at the Alcorn County Justice Center because of a scheduling conflict with the courtroom at the courthouse.

long time port employee and deputy director Tina Williamson as he works to secure outside resources and attract new busi-

ness to the area. DeVaughn said Dextertâ€™s leadership will be key as the port continues to grow. â€œWeâ€™ve got a lot of great things on the horizon,â€? said DeVaughn. â€œMississippi Silicon at our Burnsville port is slated to open in about three weeks and we also hope to make an announcement soon about another new business locating in the Port.â€?

DEXTER CONTINUED FROM 1A

faith he will do a great job.â€? Dexter will work with

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Daily Corinthian • 3A

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Today in History Today is Wednesday, Sept. 9, the 252nd day of 2015. There are 113 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On Sept. 9, 1965, Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitched a perfect game against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. Final score: 1-0.

On this date: In 1776, the second Continental Congress made the term “United States” official, replacing “United Colonies.” In 1919, some 1,100 members of Boston’s 1,500-man police force went on strike. (The strike was broken by Massachusetts Gov. Calvin Coolidge with replacement officers.) In 1956, Elvis Presley made the first of three appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” In 1971, prisoners seized control of the maximum-security Attica Correctional Facility near Buffalo, New York, beginning a siege that ended up claiming 43 lives. In 1986, Frank Reed, director of a private school in Lebanon, was taken hostage; he was released 44 months later.

Across the Region Belmont gets ready for annual festival TISHOMINGO COUNTY – Committee members are gearing up for Saturday’s Belmont Bear Creek Festival at Shook Park on Mississippi Highway 25 in Belmont. The long running festival will feature an antique car show, arts and crafts vendors, food, games and music. The annual car show will take place on the streets surrounding Belmont City Hall. For more information, contact

Enrollment levels off in Booneville schools BOONEVILLE — Enrollment has leveled off in the Booneville School District, giving officials an opportunity to address growth over the past two years. Superintendent Todd English said the district has 1,365 students enrolled for the 2015-16 school year. The number represents no major increase or decrease from last year. Enrollment has risen for the past two

WASTE CONTINUED FROM 1A

District 4 state Senator Rita Potts Parks “The area legislators have really stuck their head out for us,” said Fortenberry. “They have made phone calls and helped put us in the right offices and in front of the right people to help make this happen.”

Highway patrol reports Labor Day numbers Mississippi Highway Patrol Troopers investigated more than 55 wrecks in North Mississippi during the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Between Friday night and midnight Monday, 58 wrecks were reported. There were 20 injuries reported from the Greenwood, Batesville, New Albany and Starkville troops. Troopers also reported a total of 72 DUIs. Statewide, 4,925 citations were issued and 132 crashes were investigated. There were four fatal wrecks reported in South Mississippi. MHP says more citations were issued this year compared to 2014, but troopers did see a reduction in DUI arrests and seatbelt violations overall.

McNairy senior wants new planetarium BY JEFF YORK For the Daily Corinthian

SELMER, Tenn. — An idea of a small girl may turn out to be a great legacy for her at McNairy Central should the school find the funding for a new planetarium. Allie Ray wondered as a child while walking around the high school what was behind the locked doors in the big room at McNairy Central. She did not find out until she was a freshman the room was a planetarium that has not been working for almost 20 years. “I’ve gotten a good response so far to my senior project idea,” said Ray. “This is going to be interesting and I am looking forward to it.” Ray said she has given some thought to becoming a school teacher and returning someday to teach a class in the planetarium.

Sarah Allison, a Biology teacher at MCHS, is going to mentor Ray with her senior project. It is hard to tell who is more excited about the project, the teacher or the student. Allison, a 2001 graduate of McNairy Central, wants to add a different dimension to her alma mater. McNairy Central students have to do a ‘senior project’ as part of their graduation requirements. Ray decided last year that her project was to find a way to get the planetarium working again before she left MCHS. A new planetarium will cost $150,000, but that figure has not fazed the optimistic Allison and Ray. The lighting and surround sound would cost around $40,000 and the projector would cost $70,000. Dr. Ron Butterfield, a retired professor at Freed-Hardeman,

NELMS

has taken an interest in the project and could be a key to obtaining grants to help pay for the planetarium. “He is one of the best grant writers around and still teaches a class on it at Freed-Hardeman,” said Allison. “He is going to be a co-mentor for Allie on her project.” Dr. Butterfield was at MCHS for a school evaluation in 2006 and inquired about the possibility of restoring the planetarium. Allison was turned down when she broached Dr. Butterfield’s idea to the school’s principal. The original planetarium opened when the school did in 1969 and has not been in operation in many years. There is a Gofundme account that has already gotten attention to help prepare the room for the planetarium. The goal is $6,000 to help professionally clean the

CONTINUED FROM 1A

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per reported. Biloxi police Major Jim Adamo and other officials have said it shows a progressive approach in law enforcement and public safety throughout Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties. Police in Gulfport, the state’s second-largest city, reported the region’s greatest use: 108 stun-gun discharges over 20 months. Local agencies own 636 Taser-brand stun guns, with the largest number, 127, owned by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. A Justice Department study in 2011 showed stungun use by police had decreased injuries by 50 percent or more. Adamo agreed with other officials who maintain Tas-

Associated Press

had your own little play house. You have caused your fellow supervisors and your fellow elected officials and the majority of the citizens of this county a great deal of embarrassment by this.” District Attorney John Weddle said the stiff sentence should send a message. “I cannot speak from total certainty, but I do not believe there has been a case in Mississippi of a public official corruption case that has received a sentence of 12 years to serve,” he said. State Auditor Stacey Pickering sat in the jury box observing the sentencing, which was followed by a press conference. He again spoke of a “culture of corruption” in Alcorn County and said his office’s already lengthy stay in the county is not over. “We are continuing to work leads,” he said, and encourages any tips to be reported to his office. Nelms had been held at the Prentiss County Jail since his arrest on an unrelated grand larceny charge involving the theft of money from a Corinth auto parts store.

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room, paint the walls, and put in new carpet. “We are going to use the money to give the room a good cleaning,” said an excited Ray. “Our goal is for the room to look new when we get the planetarium working,” in her ever optimistic voice. The planetarium room now is a storage area for old textbooks and supply items used by the school’s janitors. Tennessee only has three functioning planetariums within 100-miles of McNairy County and none of those is at a high school. McGavock High is the only high school in the state with a working planetarium.

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Ten years ago: Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Brown, the principal target of harsh criticism of the Bush administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina, was relieved of his onsite command.

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BILOXI — Stun guns get used on an average of more than four people a week in south Mississippi, The Sun Herald reported. The newspaper said a survey answered by 14 of the area’s 15 law enforcement agencies found that all have stun guns, and officers used their stun guns at least 253 times over the past 20 months. The Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics says stun gun use by police nationwide increased from 60 percent of departments in 2007 to 81 percent in 2013. Some agencies in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties bought stun guns at least 10 years ago, ahead of the curve, and all others soon followed, the newspa-

ers reduce injuries and can help protect bystanders. Police may draw a gun but are less likely to use it — and people tend to believe that people who pull out a Taser will fire it, Adamo said. He said Biloxi officers pulled out their Tasers 50 times last year, but discharged them only 25 times. The threat was enough the rest of the time, he said. “Most people who know about Tasers don’t want anything to do with it,” Adamo said. Gulfport Police Chief Leonard Papania said his officers pulled out Tasers 135 times in the past year, and discharged them 108 times. Of 6,518 arrests, he said, 1.7 percent involved Taser use.

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Opinion

Mark Boehler, 4A • Wednesday, September 9, 2015 editor Corinth, Miss.

Ben Carson is a superior outsider While Jeb Bush feuds with Donald Trump and others kowtow to him, only one candidate is seriously gaining on him. Ben Carson is now tied with Trump in one Iowa poll and is Rich close in others. His rise sugLowry gests that it’s possible to catch the populist wave roiling ReNational publican politics and yet not Review be an obnoxious braggart. Ben Carson is a superior outsider to Donald Trump. He is more gentlemanly and more conservative, with a more compelling life story. He is a man of faith who, despite his manifest accomplishments, has a quiet dignity and winsome modesty about him. Ben Carson is a throwback, whereas Donald Trump is a boldfaced name straight out of our swinish celebrity culture. What they have in common is that they are political neophytes who are memorable communicators precisely because they speak and carry themselves so differently from other candidates. Although the similarities stop there – Carson is what Trump calls “low energy,” and yet he makes it work for him. Few politicians have ever wielded soft-spokenness to such rhetorical effect. Carson aced the Fox debate when in his closing statement he didn’t puff himself up and attempt to soar like candidates always do, but gently said a few nice things about his background as a surgeon, with a touch of humor. It was a hit. If you like your outsider not to favor higher taxes, not to have once opposed the ban of partial-birth abortion, not to speak favorably of socialized medicine and not to have been an erstwhile booster of Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton, Ben Carson (or Carly Fiorina) is a much better bet than Donald Trump. And Carson is altogether a more sympathetic figure. He rose from nothing; Trump took over the family real-estate business. Carson’s mom was one of 24 kids, had a third-grade education and worked as a domestic; Trump’s father amassed a fortune of $300 million. Carson is a serious Christian who has a powerful testimonial about getting down on his knees as a young man unable to control his temper and saying, “Lord, unless you help me, I’m not going to make it.” Trump says he likes “The Art of the Deal” better than any book except the Bible, but he appears to have read just one of them. Trump is the most blatantly secular major presidential candidate since Howard Dean, and will have to do well in the Iowa caucuses that have been won most recently by Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee and George W. Bush – all men who were earnest about their faith. Trump is, to say the least, of a different mold. He is a successful creature of our culture of conspicuous display and tasteless braggadocio. It’s no accident that he played himself in WWE wrestling dramas, or that he names everything after himself, or that he doesn’t have enough superlatives for own personal qualities and wealth and accomplishments. Carson has certainly made the most of his own renown, churning out best-sellers and raking in the speaking fees, but he operates from a baseline of self-respect and respect for others. It’s impossible to imagine him engaging in juvenile insult wars with random targets of his ire. Or imagine him calling a female journalist a “bimbo” for asking unwelcome questions. Ben Carson stands for something different. His personal story shows how true class isn’t about riches, but about character. Donald Trump has all the finest things and, I’d hazard to guess, barely as much class as Ben Carson’s penniless mother struggling to raise her sons had in her pinky. If conservatives want to flirt with or support an unconventional candidate, Carson provides the opportunity to do it without a guilty conscience. (Daily Corinthian columnist Rich Lowry can be reached via e-mail: comments.lowry@nationalreview.com.)

Prayer for today Loving Father, help me to realize that I am not living in the right way nor the right place if I am discontented, or happy in trifles and untruth. Help me to find my place, and with thy help may I stand firm and confident. Amen.

A verse to share “Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.” Mark 15:32

Mexican donkeys and happy days FISHTRAP HOLLOW — I had decided it was time to write a political column. If nothing else, to let the half of my readership who routinely admonishes me against writing political columns know I wasn’t listening. “You’re not qualified to write about politics,” someone who disagrees with my opinion will declare each time that I do. I shake my head in wonder that anyone could imagine there’s a place where the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter line up and receive political commentary certificates. Qualified? Now there’s a couple of pedigreed pontificators. As someone who has written about politics whenever it moves me for 40 years, I know for certain you don’t have to be an older white man in a bow tie to hold forth. Anyone can do it. A few of us even get paid to do it. I don’t do it often, because the older I get, the more it bores me. I have sensed

a pattern in politics, as in all of life. But I can’t let my detractors think they, Rheta instead of Johnson sheer boredom with Columnist the process, have silenced me. So I was about to sit down and commence on Trump and all things ridiculous and reactionary when my two dogs began barking their heads off. Three donkeys were standing in the driveway. It was as if Harry Truman had sent them down from the Happy Days Again Ranch on High to inspire my writing. I couldn’t believe my eyes. If they had been llamas, just another day at the office. A neighbor down the way raises llamas that take a field trip away from their own field every now and then. And goats wouldn’t have

been a big surprise. Neighbors in the opposite direction harbor goats. I get the occasional cow, and a horse or two has spent an afternoon in the hay field. Stray dogs and cats are dropped here, at the end of the road, with a regularity that’s depressing. Our county sees no need for an animal shelter, so lowlifes often drop a litter by the mailbox. But the donkeys were a new wrinkle. I called the sheriff’s department, and by and by they sent a deputy who had no clue what to do, either. The donkeys were tame and wore halters and ran toward me instead of away when I tried to shoo them from a potted chrysanthemum. “I just don’t know, ma’am,” the deputy said, joining me in staring at the three animals – two black, one white – that were, in turn, staring down my concrete pig. Already he had made phone calls to the usual animal-harboring suspects.

“If we find the owner, they’ll have to pay for any damage.” Hardly the point. I knew somebody somewhere had paid for these sleek beauties. My road doesn’t get much traffic, so I left the donkeys grazing in my unfenced field and went inside to make sure I wasn’t the only columnist in the nation who hadn’t weighed in on Donald Trump. I looked out later and a nice couple was hitching the three donkeys to the back of a truck to lead them home, a couple or three miles away. The trio had been missing since 4 a.m., the wife said. I asked the donkeys’ names, but the lady said their papers had Mexican names she couldn’t pronounce. Maybe Donald Trump has a point about immigrants. They wander around causing trouble. (To find out more about Daily Corinthian columnist Rheta Grimsley Johnson and her books, visit www. rhetagrimsleyjohnsonbooks.com.)

The point of no return In aviation it’s called the point of no return. That point in a flight when catastrophe strikes and the airplane, because of low fuel or mechanical impairment, cannot make it safely back to its take-off point. That’s where we are with the dangerous Iran nuclear deal, the theocratic Islamic Republic of Iran and the 34 shameless Senate Democrats who bowed to pressure and announced their support for the flawed pact, thereby guaranteeing that the president’s veto of any measure of disapproval cannot be overridden. While that still leaves, as of now, 66 senators opposed to the deal and a large majority in the House likely opposed to it as well, the way things work, or don’t work in Washington, the Iran Nuke Deal will likely stand. I have asked this question before in this column, but here it is again: Why would the United States, or any country, trust a theocratic regime whose extremist clerics command the elimination of Israel and America and promise zealots that, if they die while committing acts of terror, they are guaranteed a first-class ticket to

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Heaven? Promises of stringent inspections are meaningless, especially Cal when Iran Thomas has already said it will Columnist never allow outside access to its military sites. Ali Akbar Velayati, the Iranian security adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has stated firmly that, “Regardless of how the P5+1 countries interpret the nuclear agreement, their entry into our military sites is absolutely forbidden. The entry of any foreigner, including IAEA inspectors or any other inspector, to the sensitive military sites of the Islamic Republic is forbidden, no matter what.” Iran has also vowed to continue to produce its own soil samples for international inspectors. This is like an athlete scheduling his own “random” urine tests for sporting officials who suspect the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The very notion of stringent inspections proves that the regime’s level of credibility is only slightly below that of

Hillary Clinton. Tehran’s Mehr News Agency reported that Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s senior nuclear negotiator at the Assembly of Experts, a body of Islamic theologians charged with supervising the activities of the supreme leader of Iran, said, “...the Islamic Republic of Iran, overall, has achieved what it was seeking in the negotiations, while protecting its national glory, imposing its will on the powers.” Question: If Iran is not developing a nuclear weapon, why does it need long-range missiles? Iranian military leaders have bragged that such missiles could strike the United States. What with, if not a nuclear bomb? The Obama administration, enabled by too many spineless members of Congress who make one wonder how they can even walk upright, has cleverly and dangerously signed a deal with the Iranian devil for which it will not have to take responsibility should things go south. And that is not likely to occur until after President Obama has left office and some of these other Neville Chamberlains have retired or been defeat-

World Wide Web: www.dailycorinthian.com To Sound Off: E-mail: email: news@dailycorinthian.com Circulation 287-6111 Classified Adv. 287-6147

ed. When the missiles with their nuclear warheads head for Israel, and Tehran threatens to strike American cities if we rush to defend the Jewish state, as Richard Nixon did during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, what will the next administration, or the one after that, do? Blame will not be a sufficient defense. The administration suggests that this bogus deal avoids war with Iran. History teaches that buying time with an evil regime not only delays the inevitable conflict, but makes that conflict more costly when it occurs. To complete the metaphorical circle, here’s part of a lyric from “Past the Point of No Return” from “The Phantom of the Opera”: “Down once more to the dungeon of my black despair... “Down we plunge to the prison of my mind... “Down that path into darkness deep as hell!” We may not be in “hell” yet, but with this deal we can feel the heat and it isn’t caused by “climate change.” (Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com.)

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Editorials represent the voice of the Daily Corinthian. Editorial columns, letters to the editor and other articles that appear on this page represent the opinions of the writers and the Daily Corinthian may or may not agree.

State/Nation

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Across the Nation Associated Press

Burglar forced to call 911 LAUREL, Del. — Authorities say a burglar who broke into a middle school got stuck on an elevator and was forced to call 911 for help. Local media outlets report that police say 19-year-old Michael Claude of Laurel broke into the school Monday. Officials say he was riding down the hallways on a buffing machine before he got on the elevator. After he got stuck, police say, Claude called 911 for help, and an elevator maintenance service was able to open the doors. Police say Claude was found wearing a Laurel letterman jacket that did not belong to him. He was charged with third-degree burglary, criminal mischief and theft. He was released on $3,800 bond.

Gray’s family settles lawsuit over death BALTIMORE — The family of Freddie Gray, who died after being critically injured in police custody, reached a tentative $6.4 million wrongful death settlement with the city of Baltimore, resolving civil claims about a week after the first hearing in the criminal case against six police officers, officials said Tuesday. Six Baltimore police officers face criminal charges stemming from Gray’s death. Gray, who was black, was critically injured April 12 in the back of a prisoner transport van after he

was arrested. His death sparked protests, rioting and unrest that shook Baltimore for days. The settlement still needs the approval of a board that oversees city spending. That board meets Wednesday.

Husband accused of staging deaths DENVER — A man accused of pushing his wife to her death off a cliff as they hiked in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park to celebrate their anniversary might have killed his first wife in what also appeared to be a freak accident nearly 20 years earlier, prosecutors allege. They made the argument as the federal trial for Harold Henthorn, 58, opened Tuesday. Investigators say he carefully plotted to shove Toni Henthorn about 130 feet off a cliff in a remote area where the couple had been hiking on Sept. 29, 2012. Henthorn had taken her to see the autumn colors and snowy peaks at the park to celebrate their 12th wedding anniversary. As they wandered off the trail to capture the view, Toni Henthorn, 50, paused to take a photo. She tumbled face first over the ledge, according to autopsy reports that did not draw conclusions about whether she fell or was pushed. Harold Henthorn could not explain to investigators why he had a park map with an “X’’ drawn at the spot where his wife fell, prosecutors said. Henthorn was the

only witness to his wife’s fall, which prosecutors said was reminiscent of the death of his first wife, Sandra Lynn Henthorn, who was crushed when a car slipped off a jack while they were changing a flat tire in 1995 . Henthorn has not been charged in his first wife’s death, but police reopened the investigation after a grand jury indicted him on a firstdegree murder count in Toni Henthorn’s fall.

Barbershop fined for refusal of service WASHINGTON, Pa. — A Pennsylvania barbershop has been fined $750 for refusing to cut a woman’s hair. Barbiere advertises itself as a high-end gentlemen’s barbershop and offers complimentary beers and spirits. The Washington barbershop was recently fined by the state’s Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs for gender discrimination. Owner John Interval tells the (Washington) Observer-Reporter the fine “infringes” on his shop’s environment. Interval says, “Guys come here as a kind of a little getaway, to be around other guys.” The female customer had booked hair appointments online for herself and her boyfriend. She asked for a short haircut known as a wave but was turned away. Interval says his staff recommended other shops and even offered to pay for a haircut at someplace else to compensate for the inconvenience.

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Daily Corinthian • 5A

Across the State Associated Press

Police headquarters taking shape TUPELO — The concrete second floor has been poured and workers have started on the third floor and roof of the new Tupelo Police Department building. West Brothers Construction project supervisor Jim Shackelford tells the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal it takes three to five days for the concrete to cure enough to remove the scaffolding from one floor to bring it up to prepare for the next floor. The use of structural concrete costs a little more, but it is sturdier and will last longer. “If a tornado comes through, it might blow out the windows and the walls, but the structural frame will still be here,” Shackelford said.

4-year-old boy, dog rescued from well BROOKHAVEN — After spending three hours in an old water well, a 4-year-old boy was rescued along with his dog in southern Mississippi as emergency workers cheered. Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency Director Clifford Galey says Gabe Allbritton was in the yard with his grandmother when he disappeared Monday afternoon. Galey said rescuers tried several times of hoist the boy up with a rope. He said they finally made a seat with the rope, the youngster climbed in and was pulled to safety.

Galey said the dog was pulled up next when it stepped into a loop that was tightened quickly. He said the dog had been missing for about a week and the boy must have heard him bark. He said the youngster took several steps and fell into the hole which was overgrown with weeds.

North Pike schools test residency claims MCCOMB — North Pike School District trustees are giving students suspected of living out of district three chances to prove residency, and the district has hired a firm to help crack down on residency verifications. The Enterprise-Journal reports the trustees approved an agreement with Southwest Security Co. for residency verifications. Superintendent Dennis Penton said North Pike has 180 affidavits regarding students’ residency that need to be

verified, but the district lacks a resource officer. He said the projected cost of hiring someone to do this is about $16 per hour plus mileage. Families waiting on verification will have three chances to prove that the student who is supposed to live within school limits lives there before the student will be removed from the district.

State reaches 22 cases of West Nile JACKSON — Four new cases of West Nile virus have been confirmed in Mississippi, bringing the total to 22 cases so far this year. The Mississippi State Department of Health said Tuesday that Madison County has two of the new cases of the mosquito-borne illness. Hinds and Yazoo counties have one new case each. One death was previously reported in Attala County.

6A • Wednesday, September 9, 2015 • Daily Corinthian

Expulsion urged in affair cover-up Associated Press

LANSING, Mich. — The top lawyer for the Michigan House recommended Tuesday that one state lawmaker be expelled and another censured for misconduct stemming from an attempt to hide their extramarital affair. Brock Swartzle, general counsel for the Republican-led chamber and chief of staff to the speaker, said GOP Rep. Todd Courser of Lapeer should be kicked out in part because he has shown “little true remorse,” instead writing “mini-manifestos” on social media to deflect blame. He said a censure would be appropriate for Republican Rep. Cindy Gamrat of Plainwell, whom he described as contrite and more of an accomplice in the “bizarre” cover-up attempt. “Under any standard of appropriate behavior, Rep. Courser has failed in miserable and spectacular fashion,” Swartzle told a special six-member House committee considering discipline. Gamrat on Tuesday

admitted to official misconduct, misuse of public resources and asked for a censure. Courser, who is expected to testify today, submitted an apologetic letter also seeking a censure to “redeem myself in the public eye.” The panel is investigating whether to recommend that the 109-member House discipline the legislators. A censure — more serious than a reprimand — would allow the House to take away Gamrat’s committee assignments, staff and ability to send mailings to constituents. Only three lawmakers have ever been expelled from the Michigan Legislature. Courser, 43, and Gamrat, 42, have apologized but refused calls to resign. Courser has admitted that he arranged for a phony, sexually explicit email to be sent to GOP activists and others that said he had been caught having sex with a male prostitute. He said the tale would make the affair less believable in case it was exposed by an anonymous blackmailer

who was sending him and fellow freshman and social conservative Gamrat text messages demanding that he resign. The self-smear email — which an investigator read for the committee — called Courser a “bisexual porn addicted sex deviant” and “gun toting Bible thumping ... freak” and Gamrat a “tramp.” After an aide to Courser and Gamrat was fired in July, he gave The Detroit News a secret audio recording of Courser demanding that he send the email to “inoculate the herd,” an apparent reference to Courser’s supporters. While the aide refused and the email was likely legal, the plot was unethical and showed a “callous lack of respect” to the public, according to an initial House Business Office investigation. It also found that staffers were forced to lie about the couple’s whereabouts to facilitate their affair. On Tuesday, Gamrat tearfully read a nineminute statement to the committee apologizing and, in a reversal from

an earlier public apology, acknowledging that she discussed the email with Courser. She planned to meet with constituents Tuesday evening for the first time since the scandal broke more than a month ago. “While I did not know in advance of the specific and offensive things that were in the false email that was eventually circulated, I take full responsibility for my role in Rep. Courser’s plan and the resulting harm it has caused,” Gamrat said. “For this I offer my genuine apology.” She also said she should have done more to stop mistreatment of staffers she and Courser shared together in an unusual office arrangement. Asked by a panel member if she could still be an effective lawmaker, Gamrat said “a lot of healing ... needs to be done,” but it should be left to voters to decide that question. Courser, who attended the hearing with his attorneys, will testify Wednesday, said lawyer Dan Randazzo.

Deaths Gaylyn Short Good

BEAUFORT, S.C. — Funeral services for Gaylyn Short Good, 51, are set for 1 p.m. Thursday at Magnolia Funeral Home Chapel of Memories with burial in Henry Cemetery. Mrs. Good died Wednesday, September 2, 2015 at Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Gaylyn, a beloved and cherished mother, daughter, sister and friend, was born March 4, 1964 in Memphis, Tenn. to Charles Richard Short and Lynn Tyra Short. She unconditionally loved and served the local community as a Registered Nurse for Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Her incomparable compassion and selflessness was evidenced throughout her 27-year career. Her infectious laugh and bright Good smile will live on in the memories of her family and friends. Survivors include two daughters, Brandi Good (Scott Pickens) of Beaufort and Ashley Campbell of Beaufort; three grandchildren, Brantt Anthony, Brooklynn Anthony, Aubrey Campbell and a granddaughter on the way; her parents, Richard Charles Short and Lynn Tyra Short of Corinth; a brother, Mark Short of Corinth; a nephew, Casey Short and wife Brandy of Corinth; two nieces, Summer Short of Corinth and Kristin Short of Corinth; a cherished great niece; and great nephews, uncles, aunts, cousins, other relatives and host of friends. Pastor Harvern Davis will officiate. Visitation is noon to 1 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Pallbearers will be Mark Short, Casey Short, Steve Marvell, Larry Short, Scott Pickens, Billy Miller, Brian Turner and Doug Grace.

Clerk who fought gay marriage released from jail BY ADAM BEAM Associated Press

GRAYSON, Ky. — The Kentucky county clerk jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples was released Tuesday after five days behind bars, emerging to a tumultuous hero’s welcome from thousands of supporters waving large white crosses. “I just want to give God the glory. His people have rallied, and you are a strong people,” Kim Davis told the crowd after stepping outside, her arms raised like a victorious boxer, to the blaring “Rocky”-sequel theme song “Eye of the Tiger.” Her lawyer refused to say whether she would defy the courts again. “Kim cannot and will not violate her conscience,” said Mat Staver, founder of the Liberty Counsel, the Christian law firm representing Davis. As for whether she will issue licenses, Staver said only: “You’ll find out

in the near future.” The Rowan County clerk whose defiance has made her a hero to many on the religious right walked free after the federal judge who ordered her locked up lifted the contempt ruling against her, saying he was satisfied that her deputies were fulfilling their obligation to grant licenses to same-sex couples in her absence. But U.S. District Judge David Bunning also warned Davis not to interfere again, or else she could wind up back in jail. Davis, 49, has refused to resign her $80,000-a-year job. As an elected official, she can lose her post only if she is defeated for re-election or is impeached by the state General Assembly. The latter is unlikely, given the legislature’s conservative slant. As the surprise news of her impending release spread, a crowd of dozens of supporters who had gathered on the jailhouse lawn for a previously scheduled

rally swelled to thousands. They broke into “Amazing Grace” and “God Bless America” and waved signs, flags and crosses. Cries of thanks to Jesus echoed through the crowd as Davis emerged next to Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and her husband, Joe, who was in overalls and a straw hat. Huckabee and fellow GOP White House candidate Sen. Ted Cruz visited her at the jail just after the decision came down. “If somebody has to go to jail, I’m willing to go in her place,” said Huckabee, a former Baptist minister and Arkansas governor. “She has shown more courage than any politician I know.” Natalie Ferguson, who came to the rally from Elora, Tennessee, said: “We have to stand because if we sit back and be quiet, you know then as a Christian community we’re going to get run over.” Davis was locked up on Thursday for the boldest act of resis-

tance by a public official yet to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that effectively legalized same-sex marriage across the nation. Citing “God’s authority” and her belief that gay marriage is a sin, Davis, an Apostolic Christian, stopped issuing all marriage licenses. Two gay couples and two heterosexual ones sued her. Bunning ordered Davis to issue the licenses, and the Supreme Court backed him. But she still refused and was held in contempt of court and hauled off to jail in handcuffs, igniting protests from religious conservatives. They rallied for days at her office, at the jail and outside the judge’s home. Five of Davis’ six deputy clerks — all except her son, Nathan — agreed to issue licenses to gay couples with Davis behind bars. In lifting the contempt order, Bunning asked for updates on the clerks’ compliance every two weeks.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PROPOSED 2015/2016 BUDGET ALCORN COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI The Board of Supervisors of Alcorn County, Mississippi, will hold a public hearing on its proposed budget for fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, on September 14, 2015, at 9:00 A.M. in the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors Building located at 305 South Fulton Drive, Corinth, Mississippi. 5.24 mill increase will be considered in the ad valorem tax revenue in the proposed budget for the next fiscal year. Alcorn County is now operating with projected total budget revenue of $16,264,325, (51 percent) or $8,168,926, of such revenue is obtained through ad valorem taxes. For next fiscal year, the proposed budget has total projected revenue of $17,301,625. Of that amount, (51 percent) or $8,823,828, is proposed to be financed through a total ad valorem tax levy. For the next fiscal year, the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors plans to increase your ad valorem tax millage to 111 mills. The millage rate attributed to county operations is 58.24 mills and the millage rate attributable to county school operations is 52.76 mills. Any citizen of Alcorn County, Mississippi, is invited to attend this public hearing and will be allowed to speak for a reasonable amount of time and offer tangible evidence before any vote is taken. A final decision on the proposed budget will be made on September 14, 2015, following the public hearing in the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors Building located at 305 South Fulton Drive, Corinth Mississippi.

ALCORN COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI By: __________________________ Lowell Hinton, President Board of Supervisors

Drilling boom ups spill risks Associated Press

CROSSROADS, N.M. — Carl Johnson and son Justin, who have complained for years about spills of oilfield wastewater where they raise cattle in the high plains of New Mexico, stroll across a 11⁄2acre patch of sandy soil — lifeless, save for a scattering of stunted weeds. Five years ago, a broken pipe soaked the land with as much as 420,000 gallons of wastewater, a salty drilling byproduct that killed the shrubs and grass. It was among dozens of spills that have damaged the Johnsons’ grazing lands and made them worry about their groundwater. “If we lose our water,” Justin Johnson said, “that ruins our ranch.” Their plight illustrates a side effect of oil and gas production that has worsened with the past decade’s drilling boom: spills of wastewater that foul the land, kill wildlife and threaten freshwater supplies. An Associated Press analysis of data from leading oil- and gasproducing states found more than 180 million gallons of wastewater spilled from 2009 to 2014 in incidents involving ruptured pipes, overflowing storage tanks and even deliberate dumping. There were some 21,651 individual spills. The numbers are incomplete because many releases go unreported. Though oil spills get more attention, wastewater spills can be more damaging. Microbes in soil eventually degrade spilled oil. Not so with wastewater — also known as brine, produced water or saltwater. Unless thoroughly cleansed, salt-saturated land dries up. Trees die. Crops cannot take root. “Oil spills may look bad, but we know how to clean them up,” said Kerry Sublette, a University of Tulsa environmental engineer. “Brine spills are much more difficult.” In addition to extreme salinity, the fluids often contain heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury. Some ranchers said they have lost cattle that lapped up the liquids or ate tainted grass. “They get real thin. It messes them up,” said Melvin Reed of Shidler, Oklahoma. “Sometimes you just have to shoot them.”

Daily Corinthian • Wednesday, September 9, 2015 • 7A

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