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Saturday Oct. 12,
2013
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Kossuth Belmont
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Daily Corinthian Vol. 117, No. 224
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • 1 section
History lives at Farmington BY JOSEPH MILLER jmiller@dailycorinthian.com
Living historians were on hand to help portray what life was like in the Civil War on Friday in Farmington for the Alcorn County school students on School Day. Farmington Mayor Dale Fortenberry was one of the reenactors on hand at the event, along with several other participant, like Dr. E.C. Fields, Jr. of Collierville, Tenn. Fields portrays General Ulysses S. Grant and said that he is so proud to be a part of this great day with the students. “The importance of today is that through living historians like myself — and the others who are out here — is that they get to see what the men looked like back then and they get to talk to men who are extremely knowledgeable about their characters,” Fields explained. “We enable the students to part the curtains of history and look back down the corridor of time to see and to hear what it was really like during that time of 1862.” Alcorn County schools sent bus loads of fourth through eighth graders in to take part in the school day. Part of the history presented to the students was about what hap-
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Event to honor photo winners BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
“These kids get a chance to come out here and see first hand about what parts of the Civil War was like,” Putt said. “These students get to learn valuable facts out here today that most parents (including myself) don’t know about.
Many people have gazed upon the faces of Mt. Rushmore, but not often through a crevice in the rocky landscape. Nine-year-old Mach Riddell found that unique perspective for his Crossroads Museum Photo Contest entry, focusing on a single face through a slender diagonal opening between the rocks. Museum Director Brandy Steen, who is hosting a reception for this year’s photo contest on Sunday, Oct. 20, from 2 to 4 p.m., was impressed, along with the judges, by this year’s talented young shutterbugs. “We had such great entries from younger people that we have decided to add a junior contest next year along with
Please see FARMINGTON | 2
Please see RECEPTION | 3
Staff photo by Joseph Miller
Farmington Mayor Dale Fortenberry speaks to a group of middle schoolers at the 151st Battle of Farmington School day on Friday. pened back on April 6-7 in 1862, when the Battle of Shiloh brought the sounds of booming guns and cannon fire and the dead, dying, wounded, and surviving soldiers of the Confederate Armies were trekked back through Farmington on their way to Corinth. On May 3-5 battles between
the Union and Confederate forces took place in Farmington. Sherry Putt, a seventh grade teacher at Kossuth Middle School, said that this was her first time at this event and that she really enjoyed getting a feel for the history and thought the kids did as well.
Spence named Youth of the Year BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Cortez Spence has taken advantage of the opportunities afforded him. The Corinth High School sophomore’s desire to be better has been a driving force in his young life. His aspiration is one of the many reasons the 15-year-old was selected the Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year. “A lot of things go into being selected youth of the year,” said Corinth Club Unit Director Christy Grice. “Cortez put in the time to do all of them.” Spence, a member of the
Warrior band, had to write a series of essays on such things as What the Boys Club means to me, Why is a Post Education Important, and another about life goals. “I was willing to do the work and wasn’t going to get mad if I didn’t win,” said the local winner. “It was a new experience and something which has helped my communication skills.” His grandmother, Rebecca Spence, noted her grandson has benefited from time around so many who have played a Staff photo by Steve Beavers
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Cortez Spence has been selected the Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year.
Local family cheering on ‘The Voice’ contestant BY ANGELA STOREY astorey@dailycorinthian.com
Perhaps no one in the Crossroads area enjoyed watching NBC’s “The Voice” as much recently as Art and Alice Southern of Booneville, especially when country music singer Blake Shelton picked their grandson, Justin Chain from Fort Payne, Ala., to be a member of “Team Blake” during the blind auditions. “I was thrilled with him,” Art Southern said about his 23-year-old grandson’s rendition of “She’s Country.” And adds Southern, a retired truck driver, “I think I inspired him to sing.” It’s very possible because as a teenager, Southern sang with Wheeler native Hayden Thompson, a rockabilly performer, on Booneville radio station WBIP. Southern also sang on the Dixieland Jamboree on Friday and Saturday nights in the former Von Theatre location in downtown Booneville.
Staff photo by Angela Storey
Art and Alice Southern of Booneville were excited to see their grandson, Justin Chain, perform on NBC’s ‘The Voice’ during the blind auditions. Their grandson is now a member of country superstar Blake Shelton’s team on the show. “He’s always wanted to sing,” Southern says of his grandson. “I told him to reach down in his diaphragm and sing with his
heart.” “The Voice’s” Blake Shelton apparently heard it as he turned his chair within seconds
Index Stocks........8 Classified......14 Comics........ 7 State........ 5
Weather........9 Obituaries........ 6 Opinion........4 Sports...... 12
of Chain’s song. Another “Voice” judge, Adam Levine called Chain more country than Blake Shelton. Viewers of “The Voice” also learned Chain survived a near fatal motorcycle wreck in Ft. Payne, Ala., and during his recovery decided to use music to inspire others. His parents are Andy and Belinda Chain (Art’s daughter). Belinda called the Southerns to let them know he was going to be on The Voice Tuesday night, Oct. 1. Chain moved to the Nashville area to pursue his singing career and on his Facebook page the 23-year-old describes himself as a singer/songwriter who currently works at the Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac dealership in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Chain’s grandparents are familiar with his songwriting having listened to him sing two of the songs he wrote as they sat on the porch of their former home in Lookout Mountain,
Tenn., as he played guitar and sang a song about leaving Fort Payne. “He sang that and said, ‘Pappy, what do you think about this?’” Alice Southern said. “We both liked it.” Alice and Art Southern have quite a story themselves, having been teenage sweethearts growing up in Booneville. However, as life sometimes happens, both found themselves going separate ways and eventually marrying others. Alice’s first husband, Jim, died eight years ago and Art’s first wife, Devonne, who is Justin’s grandmother, passed away in 2002. And, now after the passage of 53 years, Art and Alice have found each other again. They married three years ago and are enjoying life together in their home on West Church Street where the view is wonderful from their inviting front porch
On this day in history 150 years ago Gen. Sherman is in Corinth for the first time in over a year. He will stay for six days while he moves his Army to the relief of Chattanooga. Union troops advance against the raiding column, pushing the Confederates back into Mississippi.
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