Tishomingo County American Legion hosts holiday music.
McNairy County AiM assists in national study.
Shiloh Battlefield hosts Indian mound hike.
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Vol. 119, No. 276
• Corinth, Mississippi • 24 pages • Two sections
Officers elected to tourism board BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Corinth Area Convention and Visitors Bureau board members had a busy first day to kickoff the new fiscal year. The tourism board spent two hours going through a heavy agenda on Tuesday. New officers were elected to lead the seven-person board in 2016. Russell Smith was once again selected board president.
Ricky James succeeds Pauline Sorrell as vice-president and Sandy Mitchell was elected secretary/treasurer. The board discussed the option of rotating officers in the future before nominating new officers. Two funding requests were approved. The Col. W.P. Rogers Sons of Confederate Veterans received $3,000 for its 7th Annual Corinth Civil War & Mili-
taria Show and Sale. The show is set for March 12-13 at the Crossroads Arena. “The show really brings people in,” said spokesman Larry Mangus. “It is a very popular show … we turned away 10 dealers last year because we didn’t have the room.” Corinth’s Symphony Orchestra was granted $2,000 to be used for the annual Christmas Concert on Sunday, Dec. 6. The
request was made to use funds for payroll reimbursement of musicians. “This is the 25th year for the symphony and that is a big deal,” said conductor Maurice Weatherall. “We want this to be a show piece for the entire season … there will be a lot more out of town people for the Christmas show than in the spring.” Tourism director Christy
Burns shared with the board Grand Illumination is set for Nov. 5, 2016. The event is part of the National Park Service’s Centennial celebration. “We are looking at establishing a committee and having the first meeting in January,” said Burns. Board members were also Please see TOURISM | 2A
Arena searches for new manager BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
The Crossroads Arena is in the market for a new general manager. Tammy Genovese recently announced to the board she would be leaving in early 2016. Genovese, who took over as general manager on January 15 of 2013, succeeded Kathryn Dilworth, who resigned on Dec. 27, 2012. “We will start advertising for the job next week,” said board president Dr. Hardwick Kay. Kay commended Genovese for her work while at the facil-
ity. “ S h e t u r n e d the image around and made it one of the best attractions in Corinth,” he said. “She has also put us in Genovese good position with several promoters.” Genovese is expected to also be available once the resignation is official should the board need any assistance, according to Kay.
Kossuth United Methodist Church pastor Mark Nail works on an outside display to promote the church’s FUEL program.
FUEL presents holiday program Regional prison asks BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
KOSSUTH — There will be some gobbling for the gospel tonight at Kossuth First United Methodist Church. FUEL (Forever, Unending, Eternal Love) students will be presenting their Thanksgiving Program at 5:30 p.m. A traditional Thanksgiving meal is scheduled following the pro-
gram at the L.C. Follin Christian Life Center. “When I got here, I expected FUEL to be an extension of school that was a bridge here,” said church pastor Bro. Mark Nail. “What I found out was the program is an extension of the church.” About 70 kids – K-12th grade – attend the program each Wednesday following school.
“This church took advantage of an unique situation of being close to a school and applied the Great Commission,” said Nail. “This is their church,” added FUEL founder/program director Anthia Follin-King. “This is the only church some of them know.” Each of the 70 children will Please see FUEL | 2A
for officer applicants Staff Reports
Alcorn County Sheriff-Elect Ben Caldwell and the new administration at the Alcorn County Regional Correctional Facility are currently accepting applications for employment as correctional officers.
Qualified individuals are asked to pick up an application from the Alcorn County Regional Correctional Facility office at 2839 South Harper Road, Corinth. Caldwell is the new director of corrections of the facility.
Developer seeks to take advantage of brownfield properties BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The City of Corinth continues to offer an opportunity for developers to get assistance in bringing dormant brownfield properties back to life. Representatives of EarthCon Consultants and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality talked about the brownfields program with Corinth Kiwanis on Tuesday. The city received a $400,000 grant in 2014 to help property owners or potential buyers obtain phase one and phase two assessments
on sites such as old gas stations. An underground tank is a common issue for brownfield sites. “The perception is that they’re contaminated,” said Norman Kennel, geologist with Earthcon. “They may or may not be.” Half of the grant is designated for sites with possible petroleum contamination, and the other half is for sites that may have other hazardous materials, such as asbestos. Kennel sees many advantages to redevelopment of brownfields. “If you develop a green space, it leads to more sprawl,” he said.
“There might not be utilities. It’s going to cost you for infrastructure, roads, etc., so we’re trying to reuse properties that are already inside the city. Usually they have really good locations.” The phase one assessment includes a study of records and maps and an interview with the owner. Phase two, if needed, involves taking samples and can include the removal of an underground tank so that the soil underneath it can be inspected. The process protects a potential buyer from liability issues for existing contaminants.
Assistance is also available for cleanup, and an incentive program is available for development of brownfield sites, paying back two-and-a-half times the money spent on cleanup. Willie McKercher of MDEQ’s Groundwater Assessment and Remediation Division said the city benefits from the revival of dormant property with new tax revenue coming in. Examples include an old gas station in Starkville that is now a coffee house, The District at Eastover development in Jackson and a conference center at Missis-
sippi State University’s former physical plant building. In Corinth, some of the grant money has been used for assessments at the Wurlitzer building, some buffer property around the city’s inert landfill, the former Kroger property, and some land that will be used in part of the upcoming grantfunded drainage basins flood control project, among others. Anyone interested in obtaining an assessment should contact Director of Community Development and Planning Dave Huwe at City Hall.
25 years ago
10 years ago
A countywide earthquake drill helps responders prepare. Civil Defense Coordinator Edwin Byrd says the drill is a response to predictions of a major earthquake coming on the New Madrid Fault.
Longtime Alcorn County Emergency Management Coordinator Ray Gene Holloway retires. Holloway expressed appreciation for the support of county officials and the community during his years of service.
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