Saturday Dec. 28,
2013
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 117, No. 308
Cloudy Today
Tonight
56
39
50% chance of rain
• Corinth, Mississippi • 18 pages • 1 section
Pedestrian struck, killed
2013 Christmas Basket Fund
Staff, wire reports
IUKA — Officials are investigating a pedestrian fatality near Iuka. According to an Associated Press report, 51-year-old Debra Wilbanks was struck by a southbound vehicle while attempting to cross Mississippi
“A Community Tradition”
Basket fund nears $20,000
Highway 25 on foot. The accident happened around 6 p.m. about a mile south of Iuka where Wilbanks had parked her vehicle on the northbound shoulder of the highway when she got out of her vehicle for an unknown reason. The Mississippi Highway
Patrol reported four fatalities statewide during the Christmas holiday period, which ran from Monday evening to midnight Thursday. “Troopers observed heavy traffic on travel days while light traffic was reported on Christmas Day,” said Lt. John-
ny Poulos. The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign continues through Thursday. “Responsible decisions are required to ensure all of our families traveling on our roadways make it safely to their destinations,” he said.
Couple brings authentic Thai food here
The spirit of giving is alive and well in the Crossroads area as generous donations are arriving daily 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 could be given away to local families on Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Crossroads Arena. Baskets were given on faith and hope the goal will be reached. The total increased to $19,986 after the most recent donations arrived. They are $50 from Emily S. Burgess in memory of Wayne Burgess; $100 from Mr. & Mrs. Harrison Spear in memory of their son, Len Spear; $100 from William and Virginia Cotton; and $50 from Linda Blalock in memory of Kenneth and Polly Jackson. 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. Since the goal wasn’t reached by Dec. 26, all tributes will continue to be published in the Daily Corinthian until Dec. 31. 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.
BY KIMBERLY SHELTON kshelton@dailycorinthian.com
When Matt Black met Lynn Rittem, it was love at first bite. The couple met while working together at a Thai restaurant in Memphis and have been married now for six years. It was their dream to one day open up their own restaurant. After a lot of saving and searching for just the right location, the dream finally became a reality when Blazing Noodlez opened its doors in downtown Corinth. “We heard through the “Thai grapevine” that The Green Mango was up for sell and bought it,” explained Black. The restaurant replaced The Green Mango on April 23 and has enjoyed prosperity ever since. “I was prepared to do whatever it took. Even if that meant I’d be washing dishes at 1 a.m,” said 36-year-old Black, a native of Memphis. Popular with both locals and out-of-towners, Blazing Noodlez has something special for everyone. “We can adjust the spice in any dish,” remarked Black. Lynn Rittem, 37, the culinary genius behind the food, began cooking in Thailand at the age of six. She has credited her paternal grandmother for teaching her to love and prepare dishes. Rittem was born in Bangkok, Thailand and raised in Uttaradit. Her authentic dishes and personal touches have made for some-
Staff photo by Mark Boehler
Matt Black and Lynn Rittem met while working together at a Thai restaurant in Memphis. Now married for six years, the couple brought their Thai food ideas to Corinth seven months ago to open a restaurant. thing truly unique. “She is a cooking machine,” said her husband. She often experiments in the kitchen while still maintaining the cultural integrity of her dishes. “We offer a taste of Thailand without ever having to venture out of Mississippi,” agreed the couple. “Lynn is a country girl at heart,” Black mused fondly.
“Thai food really is country food, just a different country. It’s fusion food, that is a melting pot of flavors and combinations. “ “It burns calories”, said Rittem, an important thing for those who wish to trim their waistlines and or preserve their figures. Blazing Noodlez has strived to represent the five colors and
science of flavors on each plate. In order to keep the public aware of what is going on, Blazing Noodlez will post a new special each day on Facebook and has plans to set up new signs in their windows. A new vegetarian soup is also in the works for those who wish to enjoy the flavors withPlease see RESTAURANT | 2
Mid 2013 brought changes, challenges Wildlife Supper moves to January BY JEBB JOHNSTON
jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
(Editor’s note: This is the second of a three-part series recapping notable headlines from the past year.)
May • Alcorn County agrees to pay a civil penalty of $15,000 stemming from violations at the landfill on Proper Street. • Ward 1 Alderman Andrew Labas proposes consideration of appointed versus elected police chief, but the discussion is quickly shelved. • Robert Shane Parker gets a 15year sentence on a charge of leaving the scene of an automobile accident that resulted in death. The charge stemmed from the death of 85-year-old John D. Calvery, a resident of County Road 180, who was struck by a vehicle while picking up trash along the road about a mile off Farmington Road in April 2011. • The Alcorn County Board of Supervisors meets for the first time in the renovated former sheriff’s department building on Fulton Drive, ending 23 years of meeting upstairs at the Alcorn Chancery Building. • In an election too close to call until the next day, Tishomingo County votes in the legal sale of liquor, beer and wine with 3,267 votes “for” and 3,225 votes against. • As treated water from the TennTom flows into the Corinth water supply, the new surface water treatment plant is dedicated. • Travis Tritt performs at Crossroads Arena. • The body of a missing man,
Troy Lee Harrison Jr., 33, of County Road 729, is found off County Road 702. • The old gas station at 600 Fillmore is toppled after the building begins to collapse during asbestos removal. The city fines owner John Dodd $6,000. • Jeff Rencher of Alcorn County purchases Oaklawn Cemetery in Booneville.
June • Rienzi voters elect two new aldermen — Dale Leonard and Betty Williams. • County law enforcement arrests Roger Sharp of County Road 750 and his son, Robert, for making moonshine and making moonshine stills to sell on the online auction site eBay. • Rick Napper resigns as CEO at Magnolia Regional Health Center. Chief Operating Officer Ronny Humes becomes the new CEO. • Farmington Baptist Church pastor Timothy Daniel Nall is arrested on a sexual battery charge. • As the jury deliberates in a wrongful death suit, the children of Geraldine Mullins reach a settlement with Pacer-Pittman Propane on the gas explosion which led to her death. • The Crossroads Arena Board of Directors votes to obtain a liquor license.
July • County supervisors agree to split the College Hill voting precinct, cre-
Index Stocks........8 Classified...... 15 Comics........ 7 State........ 5
Weather........9 Obituaries........ 6 Opinion........4 Sports...... 12
ating a new precinct at the north Biggersville fire station. • Aldermen appoint Jackie Coombs to the board of Crossroads Arena, replacing Sam Tull. • Theresa Lahey, 44, of Walnut, dies in a three-vehicle crash at U.S. 72 and Salem Road. • A judge orders former medical office manager Donna Trim to serve five years in prison for embezzlement of $144,000 while employed with Corinth Medical Specialists.
August • Alcorn County’s rubbish site closes to the public, standing by only for emergency use. • The Alcorn School District hires Mike Kimmons as Kossuth Middle School principal. • The Alcorn Narcotics Unit confiscates “Spice” being sold at a truck stop on Highway 45. • The City of Corinth is dismissed as a defendant in the Kmart flooding lawsuit. • With the new school year, Corinth School District enrollment rises 5 percent. • The rape of a woman at Crossroads Regional Park puts the community on edge. A second rape follows at a Corinth residence, and police arrest Garnett Hughes, 25. • Corinth police investigate a pair of shootings that happen hours apart and leave two men injured. • Frederick Patterson, 49, is charged in another non-fatal Corinth shooting. (The “Top 10 Stories of 2013” is coming up on Wednesday.)
BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Wildlife cooks are getting an early start to showcase their unique dishes this year. The 29th Annual Alcorn County Wildlife Tasting Supper is being moved from its usual March time to Thursday, Jan. 16 for 2014. A date change is the only adjustment for the popular event, according to committee member Sandy Mitchell. “The Wildlife Supper is always a fun-filled and family event,” said Mitchell. “We have a lot of great cooks who take wild game and incorporate it into a traditional meal.” Doors open at 4:45 p.m. for the 6 p.m. event at the Crossroads Arena with the door fee being one wildlife dish per person. If no dish is brought, cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 5-12. Kids under five will be admitted free. “Moving the date helps us both,” added Mitchell. “It helps the Arena cut down on the cost of moving dirt in and out of the building, and the supper is still held during hunting season which benefits us.” More dirt events at the Crossroads Arena pushed the event up this time and that’s fine with Mitchell. “The Arena is always so great in helping us put this together,” she said. “We are glad they were able to secure more events for the dirt this year.” Last year, the annual supper was held in Feb. with just over 600 attending. The Alcorn County Soil and Water Conservation District along with the Mississippi Forestry Commission, Mississippi State Extension Service, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and USDA–Natural Resources Conservation Service combine to coordinate the supper each year. Please see WILDLIFE | 2
On this day in history 150 years ago The Confederate Congress closes a loophole in the draft. No longer will wealthy men be allowed to hire substitutes in lieu of being drafted into service. The old line “a rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight,” at last comes to an end.