Corinth Amory
45 15
14 0
Thrasher Biggersville
42 0
Belmont 61 Alcorn Central 19
Daily Corinthian
Saturday Nov. 2,
Booneville Kossuth
2013
50 cents
Vol. 117, No. 262
Breezy Today
Tonight
64
38
0% chance of rain
• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • 1 section
Guilty plea entered in armed robbery wire from Crossroads Arena and catalytic converters from vehicles belonging to Crossroads Regional Park. Demarkquez L. Williams, 18, of Wick Street, entered a plea of guilty on two indictments and one criminal information — armed robbery and sale or
BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
A Corinth man pleaded guilty to armed robbery and a couple of other criminal charges Thursday afternoon in Alcorn County Circuit Court. In another case, a woman pleaded guilty in the theft of
transfer of a stolen firearm in Alcorn County and burglary of a dwelling in a Prentiss County case. Williams was arrested by the Corinth Police Department after investigation of a shooting and robbery and another shooting and attempted robbery that
happened several hours apart on Aug. 18-19. Judge Thomas Gardner III sentenced Williams to 20 years in custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections with 10 years suspended, followed by five years of probation and a $1,000 fine on the armed
robbery charge. It is a day-forday sentence that will not allow early release. Williams has been incarcerated for several months. Gardner imposed a suspended 20-year sentence on Please see PLEA | 2
Flu season is in full swing Staff photo by Steve Beavers
One individual was taken to Magnolia Regional Health Center following a one-vehicle crash on CR 218 Friday afternoon.
Man pulls victims from burning car BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
FARMINGTON — Dustin Callens didn’t know what he heard. He just knew it was loud. Callens pulled out three passengers of a burning car which crashed into a power pole at house 254 on County Road 218 at 12:49 p.m. Friday. “I thought something had fell off the porch,” he said of the one-vehicle crash. “I ran outside and started helping them out of the car.” According to Callens, the battery of the Dodge car burst catching the car on fire. “Speed was obviously a factor,” said Farmington Deputy
Chief Jerry Mayhall. “The car left the road a couple hundred feet before it hit the pole.” Eric Thompson, 39, of 17 CR 188, Corinth, was the driver of the 1999 Dodge Neon. His son, Noah Thompson, 14, was in the passenger side of the vehicle. Eighteen year-old Blake Carpenter, was seated in the right rear of the car. Noah Thompson was transported via ambulance to Magnolia Regional Health Center after being attended to on the porch of the Callens’ home. None of the three individuals were wearing a seat belt, according to the accident report. The car was traveling north
on CR 218 when it left the right side of the road, running over an address sign at house 252 before hitting the pole. “We heard the crash and saw the car on fire,” said homeowner Sheila Callens of the accident in her yard. “One of the neighbors ran to get a fire extinguisher and put out the fire.” Fireman with the Farmington Fire and Rescue Department arrived later to make sure the fire was completely extinguished after it had began to smoke again. Eric Thompson was charged with reckless driving and no insurance, according to Mayhall.
4-legged fashion show benefits shelter BY HEATHER SMITH hsmith@dailycorinthian.com
As the fall season approaches, the CorinthAlcorn Animal Shelter will host “Canine Fall Fashions,” a fashion show for pampered pets of all shapes and sizes. “Anybody and any pet can participate in the fashion show,” said Corinth-Alcorn Animal Shelter Volunteer Director Charlotte Doehner. “Any pet you have that you would like to dress up, either in a fall fashion or their Halloween costume, can enter.” “The entrance fee is $10 and the money goes to help the shelter”, said Doehner. “We are going to have some special music and the event is going to be held at the American Legion Post #6. We are asking the pets to come up on the stage, with their owners, and show off their style,” explained Doehner as she described exactly what the contestants would be asked to do. “Since this event is intended to be fun for everyone, there will be no winner.” “Our photographer that does all of our wonderful Facebook pictures, Phyllis Driver, will be there and we will do a little feature story on each one,” said Doehner. In the days following the events, they will be posting photos and stories about each contesPlease see SHOW | 2
Crossroads residents should be aware the flu season is well underway. The Mississippi State Department of Health is reporting its first confirmed cases of the influenza (flu) in the state for the 2013-14 flu season. According to the MSDH Public Health Laboratory, all of the confirmed cases are influenza A (2009 H1N1) and are covered by the current flu vaccine. State Health Officer Dr. Mary Currier said they are now starting to see confirmed flu cases in Mississippi. “This not only indicates the flu has been detected in the state, but it also serves as a reminder that now is the best time to get your flu shot,” said Currier. “The flu shot takes one to two weeks to produce immunity, and although the flu season usually peeks in Jan-March, it sometimes reaches high levels as early as December.” According to a news release by the MSDH in Jackson, individual flu cases are not re-
ported to them. The agency monitors flu activity through the Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) Sentinel Surveillance System, made up of healthcare centers, pediatricians, primary care physicians, and hospital emergency departments who report the percentage of patients with flulike symptoms to a statewide database. Healthcare providers participating in the system also submit respiratory samples for flu testing to the MSDH Public Health Laboratory. MSDH uses this information to determine the spread of flu in the state, according to the release. The flu vaccine is currently available at all county health departments in the state. The Alcorn County Health Department is located at 3706 Jo Ann Drive, Route 10, Box 16, in Corinth and is open on Monday-Friday. (For more information, call the Alcorn County Health Department at 662287-6121.)
Missionary shares story of God’s call BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Heather Smith
This happy pooch shows off a popping pink hat in preparation for today’s canine fashion show benefitting the Corinth-Alcorn Animal Shelter.
Index Stocks........8 Classified......14 Comics........ 7 State........ 5
Weather........9 Obituaries........ 6 Opinion........4 Sports...... 12
SELMER, Tenn. — God puts individuals in the lives of others for a reason. Missionary Crystal Reece believes the ones God placed in her life were done so in order to mold the 41-year-old for His purpose. The 1990 McNairy Central High School graduate recently had her first book published, detailing how her life has been shaped by the influences of those people. “God gives us certain people for a reason,” said the 2009 Urshan Graduate School of Theology graduate. “He is always with us and answers all prayers, even if it’s not the answer we desire at the moment.” In the book “Island Splashes,” Reece talks about her call-
Submitted photo
Crystal Reece, a Selmer, Tenn., native, recently had her book “Island Splashes” published. The book talks about the influences in the life of the licensed minister. ing into the missionary field. “God places trust in everyone,” she said. “The book is more than a memoir, it’s a chronicle of how God has
On this day in history 150 years ago A Pennsylvania committee plans the ceremony for a new cemetery dedicated to the fallen Union soldiers from the Battle of Gettysburg. Members send an invitation to President Lincoln to speak, and to their surprise, he accepts.
Please see REECE | 2