Thursday Sept. 20,
2012
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Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 227
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 18 pages • Two sections
Narcotics unit busts 3 on meth charges BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The Alcorn Narcotics Unit has placed felony drug charges against three individuals in two cases this week. Charged with felony possession of methamphetamine are: ■ Plesant Airel Hopkins, 31,
of County Road 156, Corinth ■ Russell Allen Cormier, 23, of Booneville ■ Michael Brandon Johnson, 32, of Milledgeville Road, Enville, Tenn. A checkpoint conducted by deputies on Kimberly Clark Road on Wednesday resulted in
the arrest of Plesant Hopkins. Deputies found that Hopkins’ license was suspended, and a search of the vehicle uncovered a clear bag containing methamphetamine, said Narcotics Officer Darrell Hopkins. The arrest of Cormier and Johnson happened Tuesday
while narcotics officers were monitoring a residence following complaints of drug activity. Officers stopped Johnson after he left the residence and found he had a suspended license. A check of the vehicle, in which Cormier was a passenger, revealed methamphetamine, nee-
dles and a pipe used to smoke methamphetamine, said Hopkins. Cormier was on probation and will be held for the Mississippi Department of Corrections. All of the subjects were awaiting bond as of 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Caterpillar plant fire quickly contained BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Beacon of Hope
Crossroads Center for Emotional Care Community Education Director Dana Jenkins and the center will be celebrating 20 years of caring for those suffering from mental and emotional disorders. The event is set for 4-6 p.m. today in the conference center at Magnolia Regional Health Center.
A Tuesday night fire at Caterpillar was quickly contained by the Corinth Fire Department. The fire was reported at Caterpillar's remanufacturing facility on Cardinal Drive around 8:18 p.m. “There wasn't much to it,” said Corinth Fire Chief Rob Price. “It looked like there was more fire than it actually was.” When firemen arrived on the scene, flames were coming out of the roof according to Price. The plant had already been evacuated when a fire unit was dispatched inside the plant while another was on top of the building. The blaze was limited to a piece of equipment, according to a plant statement released on Wednesday. “A majority of the fire was coming out of a vent,” said the chief. No one was was injured and the building suffered no damage. Employees were allowed to return to work later that shift. The city's four pumpers and ladder truck all responded to the call. The Sheriff's Department and an ambulance from Magnolia Regional Health Center were also on the scene. Price said his department left the scene at 9:09 p.m. “We appreciate all the firefighters who responded to the call at our facility last night and our first responder employees who reacted promptly to the situation,” said Mississippi Remanufacturing Operations Manager Roberto Ortega.
Aldermen approve variance for apartments near middle school BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Corinth aldermen on Tuesday approved a variance request that will allow construction of a four-unit apartment building near Corinth Middle School. The apartments will adjoin an existing four-plex on Douglas Street facing Warrior Circle. The four-plex was originally planned in 2004, but the project did not move forward at that time. Since then, the zoning of the area has changed to exclude multi-family residences. The existing four-plex was
built with the intent of adding another and already has the needed firewall in place, said attorney Bill Odom, representing new owner Rebecca Burcham. The new construction will mirror the existing building. The request was handled as a variance rather than a zoning change because the lot size is less than 2 acres, but that led to some concern about giving adequate notice to the neighborhood. Unlike a zoning change, a variance does not require notification by signage and does not require the gathering of signatures of adjoining property
owners. In recommending approval of the variance, the board of adjustment required signage to be placed. No opposition to the plan has been stated, and aldermen approved the request. The board also approved a variance request for the replacement of a tree-damaged garage at the Colon and Nell McGee residence on Webster Street. In other business: ■ In executive session, the board approved a pay structure adjustment for the sewer de-
partment. ■ The board approved renewal of insurance with Blue Cross Blue Shield and Am First with a rate reduction of 5 percent, which will save $35,000 in the coming year. ■ In property cleanup, the board adjudicated for demolition a house at 216 Penn Street. The dilapidated structure is not secure and has an open cistern on the property, according to Code Enforcement Officer Kim Ratliff. The board gave a continuance to Oct. 2 for 815 Sixth Street, where the owner is expected to have mowing done
this week. The board set new public hearings for 5 p.m. Oct. 2 for four other properties — the Melvin McClamroch estate on Meigg Street, the Tom Collins estate at the corner of Crater and White, the Lasley estate at the corner of Dorsey and White, and the Chambers property at 1515 Meigg Street. The board voted to adjudicate the actual cost plus a $500 penalty at 1123 North Madison, 1521 Jackson and 920 Cass. ■ Milus Copeland addressed the board about an employment matter in closed session.
Corinth generating tourism buzz in national and regional media BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Corinth is generating some media buzz near and far. Corinth’s offerings as a travel destination are being recognized by media outlets ranging from a regional magazine to a national publication with a circulation in the millions.
The upcoming Grand Illumination will be included in the calendar of the October Issue of “Southern Living” magazine. The Corinth Area Convention & Visitors Bureau staff submitted Corinth’s Grand Illumination for the “Southern Living” calendar many months ago, said Tourism Director Kristy
White. “The editors only select two or three events per state,” White said. “Obviously, Grand Illumination struck a chord with them and will hopefully pique the interest of the approximately 2,830,000 readers of the magazine.” The Grand Illumination will
Index Stocks........ 7 Classified......14 Comics...... 12 Wisdom...... 11
Weather........5 Obituaries........ 3 Opinion........ 4 Sports........8
be held Nov. 2-3. The Civil War history of the Crossroads City was recently featured on a CNN.com list of “12 fascinating Civil War sites,” and Corinth in general will soon be the focus of an article in “CLICK,” a magazine by the publishers of the Desoto Times-Tribune.
“In many cases, word of mouth is a powerful tool. With both the CNN feature and the ‘CLICK’ magazine in DeSoto County, their decision to feature Corinth and Alcorn County was unsolicited,” White said. “But as soon as the CVB staff Please see TOURISM | 2
On this day in history 150 years ago Price manages to withdraw his army and escape Grant’s trap in the Battle of Iuka. A tally of the casualties reveals 2,306 men killed, wounded and missing. Price begins a march toward Ripley for a junction with Gen. Van Dorn’s army.