Tuesday Dec. 3,
2013
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 117, No. 287
2013 Christmas Basket Fund “A Community Tradition”
Basket Fund goes to $3,355 The spirit of giving is alive and well in the Crossroads area as donations are beginning to arrive for the 18th Annual Corinth Rotary Club / Daily Corinthian 2013 Christmas Basket Fund. The civic club and newspaper have set a $25,000 community fundraising goal this year so 1,000 food baskets can be given away to local families at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Crossroads Arena. If the number of applications are any indication, the need this year will be an all-time high for folks who need help with a good holiday meal. The total remains at $3,355 after the most recent donations arrived. They are $100 from Kathi and Tommy Irwin in memory of Charlie Irwin and Bill and Jean Anderson; $100 from Arvolle and Hazel Brown; $1,000 from the Magnolia Racking Horse Association; $1,650 from Eddie and Shelley McKinney; $50 from R. Christy Morgan in honor of Jan Stricklin; and $25 from Dora and Tommie Whittemore in memory of Gerry “Doc” Austin and Fred Cardenas. Donations can be the perfect time to make a holiday tribute to a special person. Contributions can be made “in honor of” someone living or “in memory of” someone who has passed. They can be family or friends, co-workers, employees, bosses or even groups who have made an impact on a person’s life. All tributes will be published in the Daily Corinthian until Christmas Day. Donations can be brought to the newspaper office at 1607 Harper Road or mailed to the Daily Corinthian, Attn: Christmas Basket Fund, P.O. Box 1800, Corinth, Miss. 38835.
Purple Heart monument design OK’d BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The Board of Supervisors on Monday gave approval to the design plans for a Purple Heart monument at court square. “Dedicated to the recipients of the nation’s oldest military decoration ‘The Purple Heart’” will be inscribed across the 50inch top piece of the monument, which will be at the northeast corner of the courthouse. A 6-foot wide base will support a 45-inch tall monument inscribed with the Military Order of the Purple Heart emblem and the words, “My stone is red for the blood they shed. The medal I bear is my country’s way to show they care. If I could be seen by all mankind maybe peace will come in my lifetime.” Steven Eaton of Modern Woodmen said Purple Heart recipients and veterans will be Please see DESIGN | 2
Mild Today
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • 1 section
Private entity to manage jail BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The Alcorn County Regional Correctional Facility is getting new management. The Alcorn County Board of Supervisors on Monday approved entering a contract with Mississippi Correctional Management, Inc., for operation, maintenance and man-
agement of the facility. That motion came after the board voted unanimously that it wants to contract with a private entity to run the jail. The arrangement will need approval of the Mississippi Department of Corrections before being implemented. Irb Benjamin, president of Mississippi Correctional Man-
agement, has been a consultant for the county throughout the planning, construction and opening of the new jail. He said he is ready to get started as soon as MDOC Commissioner Christopher Epps gives approval. “This is in line with what we do every day,” he said. Sheriff Charles Rinehart
said the top priority is continuing the flow of state inmates to the facility, and he believes contracting with Benjamin’s business is the best option. Another possibility was letting the state take over operations. It is a two-year contract that will cover the rest of the sherPlease see JAIL | 3
CT-A offering season tickets BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Mayor Tommy Irwin inks the proclamation for Fiber-to-the-Home in his downtown office at City Hall.
Proclamation another step in obtaining fiber service BY JOSEPH MILLER jmiller@dailycorinthian.com
Here ye ... here ye ... the Mayor of Corinth would like to make a proclamation. Well, he would like to sign a proclamation, and did so on Monday afternoon in his downtown office at City Hall. Mayor Tommy Irwin inked the C-Spire proclamation to make it official and to help complete another step to bring the 1 gigabyte service to the Crossroads community. “A key now for us is we got the fiber and we know it’s going to come to us, now we need to be the one who gets it first,” Irwin
said. “In order for that to happen, we have to get folks to sign up for the services.” Part of the proclamation states, “Fiber-to-the-Home will have a major impact on our educational system and create opportunities for our younger citizens, both today, and in the future.” The proclamation also says it will enhance and open doors for our local health-care industry, and will help with the recruitment of new industries which will add jobs and promote community growth. A date for those who are interested in signing up has not been set at this time.
“A key now for us is we got the fiber and we know it’s going to come to us, now we need to be the one who gets it first.” Tommy Irwin
The Crossroads Theatre-Arts has the perfect stocking stuffer. Season tickets. “We still have a few available,” said CT-A Artistic Director Cris Skinner. Season tickets are $70 each and offer seven anytime seats for the remainder of the 20132014 season. Normally, seven tickets would cost $84, according to Skinner. “It’s like getting a free ticket,” she added. The tickets do not have to be used at one time,” according to the artistic director. “They can be split up and shared with friends,” she said. CT-A’s remaining shows include: “The Miracle Worker,” Dec. 12-15; “Ransom of Red Chief,” based on the classic O.Henry story, Feb. 28; “Sordid Lives,” a hilarious Texas-family comedy and Second Stage production, April 3-6; and the musical “Big River,” May 22-25 and May 29 through June 1. The tickets can be purchased by calling the CT-A at 662-2872995, emailing corinth.theatre. arts@gmail.com or by going by the CT-A, from 1-6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday.
Corinth mayor Please see CT-A | 2
Alcorn Welcome Center holds open house BY JOSEPH MILLER jmiller@dailycorinthian.com
Folks in Corinth pride themselves in community involvement. On Monday, several residents put their words into action by coming to the Alcorn County Welcome Center’s open house to show their support for the event. The welcome center promotes their annual open house as having community members come and spread holiday cheer. It also acts as a way for the center to give back to the local restaurants through advertising. “We love coming down here every year,” said Janette Tyson, a native of Corinth. “This is my hometown and I always support it. I have been around this wonderful city for over 50 years, and days like today is why I love it.” For an extra incentive to get people out to the welcome center, Kay Bain was the performer of the day who sang Christmas songs to all the guest on hand.
Local residents (from left) include Janette Tyson, Hazel Cotner and Madell Jones. All of them came to the Alcorn County Welcome Center’s open house to show their support for the community. “I really enjoy coming to visit with people and show my support, and I love to hear Kay [Bain] sing her songs,” said Hazel Cotner. “I have been
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coming to this very event for over 20 years and I think Kay has been singing about the same as many years.” Another native of Corinth,
Charlie Baldwin said he appreciated and supported the efforts of our welcome center. Please see CENTER | 2
On this day in history 150 years ago Gen. James “Pete” Longstreet withdraws his army from the outskirts of Knoxville, Tenn., marking an end to his unsuccessful bid to capture the city. He places his men in winter quarters in Greenville.