Today: A special 40-page holiday edition
Thursday Nov. 26,
2015
$1.50
Daily Corinthian Vol. 119, No. 283
Partly sunny Today
Tonight
69
57
0% chance of rain
• Corinth, Mississippi • 40 pages • Four sections
Chief: Shop ’til you drop, but safely BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
With shoppers flocking to Black Friday sales, thieves may be on the hunt for easy pickings. The Corinth Police Department is reminding shoppers to
keep safety in mind while visiting the busy retail areas this week. “It’s a time to be a little more vigilant,” said Police Chief Ralph Dance. “We have already had officers checking the park-
ing lots of the retail areas and walking through stores. We will be doing that through the weekend.” Purses are often targeted. “We’ve had several lately that have lost their purses,” said
Dance. “You should always keep it close, never leave it open and never turn your back on it while it’s sitting in the buggy.” Also keep an eye on credit and debit cards at checkouts — there have been instances of
cards being photographed and then used on the Internet. Between visits to shops, “Be sure to lock packages in the trunk and don’t leave them visPlease see DANCE | 5A
Living Free marks 10th anniversary
Early ‘turkey’ bird
BY JEFF YORK For the Daily Corinthian
Staff photo by Zack Steen
JCPenny General Manager Vickie Gilmore shows off a diamond art bracelet on sale for Black Friday.
Retailers primed for Thanksgiving Day shoppers BY ZACK STEEN zsteen@dailycorinthian.com
With each passing year, it seems Black Friday sales start earlier than ever. This year, there’s not many big box retailers who aren’t opening on Thanksgiving Day. JCPenny doors are set to open at 3 p.m. today, and the employees at the Corinth store are primed for the big day.
“They are surprisingly ready,” said General Manger Vickie Gilmore. “We are doing a few special things for everyone who is working Thanksgiving Day and they’re happy -- we are like a big family around here.” Gilmore said customers will likely to be lined up outside the store entrance on Turkey Day. “This is the second year we have actually opened on
Thanksgiving and last year we did really well,” she said. The Corinth native added that merchandise is going to be marked down lower than ever and free coupons will be given to each customer while supplies last. “We will be giving out supersavings and instant-savings Please see SHOPPING | 3A
A local ministry with a very humble beginning on faith and one set of keys has helped many Crossroads area families the last 10 years. Living Free Ministries recently held its 10th anniversary celebration. When Tommy Wilson had an idea to open a non-residential ministry in Corinth, he visited Teen Challenge in Savannah, Tenn., for three months to study their program. Wilson then took some of what Teen Challenge did and added some of his own ideas to make it work successfully. Alcorn Baptist Association Missionary Kenny Digby gave Wilson the keys to the association’s building to hold their first meetings. Wilson and a group of friends began meeting in 2005. The Living Free founder said they would take up an offering each week and would get $17 each week for a long time. These meager funds helped LF keep going in the early days of the ministry. Magnolia Funeral Home allowed them to host their meetings in their building behind the funeral home and that allowed Living Free to continue their growth. It did not take many years
before the ministry was able to buy both buildings behind the funeral home. The ministry has managed to retire the debt on both structures. “I’m just amazed at the growth of Living Free over the last 10 years,” said Wilson. “I had no idea we would get the financial support from the community to allow us to be debt free.” Wilson said a goal of the ministry is to teach “givers to become takers” which has helped many people to give back to the ministry over the years. “Our meetings are a safe place to attend and make new friends,” remarked Wilson. “You are not going to be judged by anyone and will get loved on to allow you to get back on track in your life.” Living Free will feed close to 10,000 meals this year through their various weekly meetings. “Many families come because of this physical need, but when you meet a physical need and get to know people, the doors are opened for spiritual needs to be met,” said Wilson. A special day every year for the ministry is a big meal on Christmas Day. The holiday Please see MINISTRY | 5A
Arts council hosts holiday variety show BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
It’s becoming a tradition alongside putting up the tree, hanging the stockings and giving gifts. The community is invited to gather at 7 p.m. Tuesday for the ninth annual presentation of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” the Corinth Area Arts Council’s Christmas variety show featuring local vocalists, musicians and dancers, at the Coliseum Civic Center. “People seem to look forward to it and bring their families to kick off the Christmas season,” said Cindy Mathis, who orga-
nizes the show with Chad Dickerson. “We enjoy finding new talent to share with the community.” Proceeds from the $10 ticket price help to maintain the building, which is the primary responsibility of the arts council. Funds from past shows have helped with projects such as improved stage lighting and new carpet and furnishings in the inner lobby. Those improvements help keep the 1924 theater in top form for events such as weddings, receptions, recitals and meetings. The show brings together talent of all ages to perform a mix
10
All Pints
Please see SHOW | 5A
Staff photo by Jebb Johnston
Lauren Walker (from left), Taylor Dodd, Maria Price and Luke Price are among the participants in the Corinth Area Arts Council’s “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” Christmas concert.
25 years ago
10 years ago
The Alcorn School District revises its policy on transfers of students, requiring that all transfers must be approved by the board of education. Gentleman Jack
The Corinth School District is among state districts honored by the Mississippi School Board Association with the Lighthouse Leader Award Blue Ice for having all Vodka schools with Level 5 accreditation and meeting all No Child Left $Behind 1598 progress standards.
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of traditional and contemporary Christmas tunes. Magnolia Wind, a bluegrass gospel group, will bring a different genre to this year’s show. Other groups taking part for the first time are the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Choir and the Doren Family, an instrumental group. The First Baptist Church Men’s Quartet will return. Youth taking the stage include Lori Sisk’s Second Grade Challenge Class from Corinth Elementary School, the Corinth Middle School Seventh and Eighth Grade Choir and the
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