Tuesday Nov. 19,
2013
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 117, No. 275
Sunny Today
Tonight
58
36
o% chance of rain
• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • One section
C Spire details next steps in gigabit race BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The race for gigabit per second Internet service will heat up in a couple of weeks. Steve Davidson, manager of product development for C Spire, said in Monday’s town hall meeting that a web address where Corinthians can begin to sign up will possibly be live the week after Thanksgiving. Representatives of C Spire who traveled to Corinth to speak directly with citizens did not reveal which neighborhoods in the city will be
targeted. Those yet-to-be-named areas will need to have a certain number of people pay $10 and indicate which services they want in order to turn their “fiberhood” green and secure the service. “That number is going to be different from fiberhood to fiberhood,” said Davidson. It could be 40 percent in one area and more or less in another, depending on population density. He said the company is anxious to get started.
“Our goal is by the end of the calendar year, somebody, somewhere, has tipped in that category so we can start getting to work in January,” said Davidson. The launch of service from there is expected to take several months. The service will provide speeds of 1 gigabit per second for both downloads and uploads, and C Spire says the number of users does not affect speed. “It is engineered completely different than anyone else … you will get what you pay for,” said
Allen McIntosh, director of retail operations. Davidson said the gigabit Fiber to the Home idea came as the company looked at its existing fiber network. “The genesis of this is: We have a lot of fiber in the ground today,” said Davidson. “And we started thinking: Google did it … why can’t we do that?” While cutting-edge Internet is the backbone of the service, residents at the town hall had just as many questions about the accompanying television service,
which will be available in packages of 135 and 180 channels. A full list of channels will be online when preregistration begins. High-definition and wholehome DVR services are included in the price. Premium and sports packages will be offered. Television and phone services are optional, but a customer must subscribe to the Internet service to get the TV or phone services. In the race to get a service Please see C-SPIRE | 2
Supervisors consider new tenant request BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Preparation of a countyowned building to be occupied by Flowers Baking Co. is coming down to the final touches. The Alcorn County Board of Supervisors on Monday considered the business’ request for a blue and white tile floor to be laid in the retail portion of the building. The county, which has invested in some improvements to the building for the new tenant, wants to split the estimated $4,000 flooring cost with the business. Several loads of gravel are also needed. With just a few parking spaces available in front of the building, Alliance President Gary Chandler said the business wants to extend
parking availability with an adjacent gravel area and also add a gravel area for employee parking. Some HVAC and plumbing work may also be needed to get the South Harper Road building ready for occupancy. The county recently inked a lease agreement with Flowers, which acquired Hostess, to use the building as a distribution point and retail business. Flowers has used another location in Corinth for distribution but has not previously had a retail business in the city. Final Touch was the building’s previous occupant. In other business on the county’s light Monday agenda: Please see REQUEST | 2
Submitted photo
The Armstrong family of Hunter (from left), Janessa and Kristen were reunited with their dog, Duke, on Wednesday. The dog was found safe in Chewalla, Tenn., after spending 21 months away from home.
Dog returns back home after 21 months away from family BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
CHALYBEATE — Duke is back home and his family couldn’t be happier. The four-year-old Labradoodle/Husky mix spent 21 months on the road away from the Armstrong family before being reunited on Wednesday. “It is a true blessing,” said Janessa Armstrong of Duke being found. “I am tickled to have him back … we love that dog.” Duke, who never wandered away from home, was discovered missing on Valentine’s Day of 2012.
“We believed he was dead,” said Armstrong of the dog given to her son, Hunter. He wasn’t. Duke turned up in the Chewalla/Hurley, Tenn. area where he was taken in by H.C. and Bonnie Johnson. “We found him wandering in the area,” said H.C. Johnson. “Bonnie and her mother, Virginia Howell, started feeding him and he just stayed around.” The Johnsons had Buster – as they called him – neutered and given shots as the couple provided a home for the lost dog. Duke was wearing a identi-
fication collar when he went missing. By the time he was found almost an hour away from his home, the collar was gone. “He was such a large dog even though he was a puppy,” said Bonnie of the dog found in late February. “He was very unusual for this neighborhood.” H.C. and Bonnie turned a big doll house into a new home for Duke. “Although he was big, he was gentle as a teddy bear,” said Bonnie. “We were going to take Please see DUKE | 2
Welcome Center gives back with open house BY HEATHER SMITH hsmith@dailycorinthian.com
The Alcorn County Welcome Center will host a Holiday Open House on Monday, Dec. 2 from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. “It was the travel counselors at the welcome center who planned the open house. All 13 welcome centers in Mississippi will be hosting an open house and each welcome center staff will be responsible for their open house,” said Alcorn County Welcome Center Supervisor Sherry Brown. “Our holiday open house is an opportunity to have the community members come to the welcome center and spread holiday cheer. It is also an op-
portunity for us to give back to the local restaurants through advertisements,” explained the supervisor. “We will be open for any travelers who come through that day. Next month will be Holiday Happenings theme month. Any holiday happenings will be promoted and we will have information about them displayed for travelers.” Kay Bain will be singing Christmas songs around noon. She has been there every year to entertain the public. There will be several door prizes available and food will be served. Pine Mountain Tree Farms will be donating a live Please see CENTER | 2
ACMS students go extra mile for veterans BY JOSEPH MILLER jmiller@dailycorinthian.com
Local middle school students went the extra mile to show their support and appreciation for veterans. Alcorn Central Middle School students wanted to let those who serve their country know how grateful they are for their freedom. ACMS students expressed their thanks with a special program on Veterans Day. According to Dana Potts, a teacher at ACMS, several speakers were present during the program. State Rep. Nick Bain, an Alcorn Central graduate, was one of the special guests on hand for the event. “He talked to students about why veterans should be thanked on a regular basis, highlighting
the many personal sacrifices they make to keep citizens safe,” said Potts. “Alcorn County School Resource Officer Denny Smith, Wade Cornelius (USAF), and Officer Jeff Palmer were also on hand to share their military experiences, including the hardships they faced to serve our country.” Potts added it was a topic that hit close to home. “When asked how many in the audience had family members or friends serving in the armed forces, almost every hand went up,” Potts continued. “The ACMS band performed patriotic songs, while the audience sang along to the ACMS chorus’ version of ‘America, the Beautiful,’ and one by one the students stood at attention, hands over hearts, as
Submitted photo:
ACMS students (left) Skooter Williams, Roger Brazil, Austin Green, Kristen Crum, Melanie McCalister, Zachary Saine, Morgan Hughes, and Zachary Freeman stand by the canned goods they helped collect to send to soldiers. Jonah Smith and Preslee Sartain sang ‘God Bless the USA’.” It is safe to say these students are proud of all the veterans and active military members who serve their counrty, not only on holidays, but every day, accord-
Index Stocks........8 Classified......14 Comics........ 9 State........ 5
Weather...... 10 Obituaries........ 6 Opinion........4 Sports...... 12
ing to the teacher. “We are so thankful all year round,” Potts said. “To give just a little back and put actions behind our words, our students participated in two school-wide service projects. They did care
packages filled with snacks, batteries and other necessary items, and sent them to soldiers serving overseas.” Also to brighten the holidays
On this day in history 150 years ago The Gettysburg Address. “Four score and seven years ago...” In 272 words, President Lincoln sums up the ideals of the republic and the need for preserving it. “That this nation under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Please see ACMS | 2