Wednesday Sept. 7,
2011
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 115, No. 213
Partly sunny Today
Tonight
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 22 pages • 2 sections
Officials dedicate new Highway 30 Bypass BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@ dailycorinthian.com
Corinth edges closer to final 2012 budget BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
State and local officials gathered Tuesday to celebrate the completion of the new Highway 30 Bypass around the city of Booneville. The new bypass creates an eight-mile southern route around the city of Booneville and makes an easier and more direct connection between Highway 30 on the east and west sides of the city. Northern District Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert said the new road will ease congestion in the area, create new opportunities for economic development and improve safety for motorists in the area. “The safety in Prentiss County will be improved in ways we’ll never be able to quantify,” said Tagert. He joined with others
construction in 2007. The first phase was completed
Corinth leaders continue to crunch the numbers to come up with a fiscal 2012 budget. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen tackled budget matters in two separate meetings Tuesday — a lengthy work session in the morning followed by a public hearing on the proposed budget later in the day. The proposed budget contains no change to the property tax rate. That will still yield some increase in revenue because the total of assessed property values in the city rose. The public hearing drew no feedback from residents. A number of firemen attended the meeting but did not speak, and the issue of holiday pay was not discussed by aldermen in either session Tuesday. The board plans to have a special meeting next Tuesday to consider adopting the budget, which becomes effective Oct. 1. In the latest discussions, the board moved towards relying on the $1.12 million reserve fund to address grant matches that may be required during the year rather than pursuing a bond issue. That means proposed road projects such as Proper Street and South Parkway at U.S. Highway 72, funded through the Local Surface Transportation Program, can stay on the agenda, with the board considering
Please see BYPASS | 5A
Please see BUDGET | 5A
Staff photo by Brant Sappington
Mississippi Northern District Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert speaks Tuesday morning during the opening of the new Highway 30 Bypass around Booneville. Dignitaries listening include Mississippi Speaker of the House Billy McCoy, Booneville Mayor Joe Eaton and Prentiss County Board of Supervisors President Mike Huddleston. at the ceremony in praising the efforts of local and state leaders in making the road a reality. The
project was first considered as early as 1994 and construction began on the first of two phases of
Supervisors hear Body Walk teaches healthy lifestyles county jail update BY STEVE BEAVERS
sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Annie and The OrganWise Guys are taking students on a walk. Through the body. The puppet spokespersons are part of the Mississippi Body Walk program designed to educate children on the importance of being physically active. Around 600 students are set to take the walk this morning and Thursday morning at the Mississippi State Extension Service. “There are nine different rooms with each room being a different organ,” said Body Walk Coordinator Katie Bouchillon. “Each station gives children activities to do.” A group of 6-8 students can go through the exhibit every five minutes. At each station volunteers with the Alcorn Career and Tech Center’s Teacher Academy along with center nursing students will present a five-minute activity. Students are slated to make their way through the stations of the Brain,
BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
A light agenda for the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday included brief updates on the new justice center, a budget presentation from the park and a board appointment for the Siege & Battle of Corinth Commission. With the county jail getting closer to making its move to the new South Harper facility, the board learned that the communications tower is scheduled to be erected next Tuesday morning. County Engineer Ricky Newcomb said all Internet and phone lines are in place, but efforts are being made to identify a possible issue with the fiber lines. Jail Warden Chad Roberts said the current jail population is 248 state inmates and 56 joint county inmates. Joint inmates available for labor have helped replace bleachers at Alcorn Central, said District 2 Supervisor Jeff Patterson. In other business: ■ Park Director Todd Witt gave a brief overview of what’s happening at the park to accompany his proposed budget. “We’ve had a bumper year out there,” said Witt. “We had 768 kids in our spring and summer baseball and softball program. We’ve gained 226 kids in two years.” About 300 are participating in football. “Our park is just overflowing,” said Witt. “We’re there to provide our citizens with recreation opportunities and they are taking advantage of it … We need you more than we ever have with the increases we’ve had.” Please see UPDATE | 5A
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Sierra Childers uses Annie in a presentation for Body Walk. Mouth, Stomach, Heart, Lung, Bone, Muscle, Skin and Pathway for Life. “The focus is teaching children about healthy choices,” said 4-H agent
Tammy Parker. Parker said the local extension center had to book the program six months in advance. “This is our first time
and I’m excited because it also gives us a chance to promote 4-H,” said Parker. Please see BODY | 3A
Battle of Farmington reenactment announces agenda BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
FARMINGTON — Event organizers have announced the agenda for the 149th Anniversary Reenactment of the Battle of Farmington. On Sept. 15-18, the town of Farmington will host a reenactment of the battle of Farmington,
free of charge for spectators and reenactors alike, on the actual site where the battle was fought. “We’re planning for a big event this year,” said Farmington Mayor Dale Fortenberry. “It’s about doubled in size each year, and we’re looking forward to a big crowd this year.” The battle of Farmington, also known as “The Farming-
ton Races,” was fought on May 9, 1862, after the town witnessed a period of intermittent skirmishes following the big, bloody battle of Shiloh. The reenactment will feature over 600 living history reenactors from 16 states, including 20 pieces of artillery, 60 mounted troops and several hundred infantrymen. The usual amenities
Index Stocks....13A Classified......4B Comics......3B Crossroads ....2B
Weather......5A Obituaries......3A Opinion......4A Sports...8-9A
will be provided, as well as period sutlers, for this event on a battlefield that stretches across 160 acres of rolling hills. “The Farmington Reenactment is free to all who want to attend, and we just ask that you come and bring your family and help us to honor our history and heritage and have a good time,” said Fortenberry.
Fortenberry and the event’s organizers wish to thank the Farmington Baptist Church for allowing the use of their building; Bro. Tim Nall for his assistance; and the landowners, Ray and Judy Hughes, for allowing them to hold the event on their property — the original site of Please see REENACTMENT | 3A
On this day in history 150 years ago Robert Elliot of Freedom, Maine was jailed in Fort Lafayette, NY, “The American Bastille” for raising three unauthorized militia companies to fight the arrest of deserters, resist the draft and oppose new taxes.