Saturday Sept. 15,
2012
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Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 223
BY JEBB JOHNSTON Election officials hope to give the voter rolls a thorough cleaning before the presidential election. Updating voter information can help things move more smoothly at the polls and on election night when the ballots are counted. “The presidential election is the one where we have hundreds of affidavit ballots,” said Crystal Starling, deputy circuit clerk. The office estimates there were at least 200 to 250 affidavit ballots cast in the 2008 presidential election. The clerk’s office has a list of 4,884 voters currently considered “inactive.” Plans are being made to advertise the full list in the Daily Corinthian in a couple
of weeks in hopes of getting those names off the inactive list. Each name will be published along with the person’s voter identification number to alleviate confusion among people who have the same names. A voter can find his or her identification number on the voter registration card. “If a voter is considered inactive, what that means is they are allowed to vote but at this point it would be by affidavit ballot,” said Starling, “because we have gotten returned mail on them at some point, so we don’t have their correct address. We do not make people inactive unless we have had a notice sent back saying ‘bad address.’” Affidavit ballots are examined for legitimacy. In elections with large numbers of absentee ballots, some of them may not
be examined until the following day. Anyone who falls into the inactive category can get his voter status back to active by correcting the mailing address with the clerk’s office. People moving from one address to another is the most common way that problems arise with the voter rolls. “We don’t get notification from 911 or anybody else when a person moves,” said Starling. “They have to contact us.” People who are considered inactive and have not voted in the last two federal elections may be purged from the rolls, although “nobody will be purged before this election,” said she said. Another group of people who may want to check on their status is those who registered to
vote while applying for a driver’s license. “We have had a lot of people that register through the driver’s license, but that doesn’t always go through,” said Starling. “If they haven’t received a voter registration card, they should contact the office to verify they are registered to vote.” Presidential elections bring the biggest turnout, and signs are pointing to the same this year. “We have got people registering to vote like crazy,” she said. “We’re averaging about 10 per day.” People have three more weeks in which to register and be eligible for the Nov. 6 election. For questions about voter status, contact the clerk’s office at 286-7740.
School Days offer battlefield, crafts history BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Over 2,000 local students learned about the area’s Civil War history during the School Days at the 150th Anniversary Battles of Farmington and Corinth reenactment. “The School Days have been extremely successful,” said Mayor Dale Fortenberry on Friday. “We had about 1,000 kids Thursday and about 1,100 or 1,200 today.” Students from area schools spent the days moving from one station to another, learning Civil War history from reenactors portraying generals, infantrymen and artillerymen, as well as several craftspeople who demonstrated their 19th century arts. “We started at 8:30 this morning, and we’ll be here till 2 p.m., talking about the war and our equipment,” said John Childress, a 17-year-old reenactor who, along with other members of his regiment, demonstrated different aspects of the lives of common Civil War soldiers. Childress is a student at Alcorn Central High School. At one point on the battlefield General Ulysses S. Grant — portrayed by E.C. Fields Jr. — explained the war from a commanding officer’s point of view. As a large group of students sat watching him attentively, General Grant paced the ground with cigar in hand, explaining the details of command in a suitably gruff voice. “We’re going to do this in a
BY STEVE BEAVERS Motocycles will hit the road to remember the tears. The Trail of Tears Remembrance Association Inc. will make a stop in Corinth on Sunday at 9 a.m. The stop is part of the 12th Annual Trail of Tears Motorcycle Ride from Chattanooga, Tenn. to Wewoka, Oklahoma. “The main ride begins today,” said association president Jim Dunn on Friday afternoon. “We expect more than 8,000 riders with good weather predicted.” Dunn said the ride through Corinth will see around 175-250 riders. “We will leave Tuscumbia, Ala. at 8 a.m. sharp.” he said. The group is scheduled to stop at Harper Square Mall. “We would like the public to come out and show support to the riders,” said Dunn. “Riders come from all over the United States and include Native Americans who represent several tribal nations.” Dunn and the numerous rid-
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‘Snake!’ Man shot in foot BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
One person accidentally shot another in the foot after apparently spotting a snake Thursday afternoon. Robert G. Johnson, 32, of Beechwood Circle, Corinth, was taken to Magnolia Regional Health Center with a wound in his right foot, according to the Corinth Police Department report. Police Chief David Lancaster said it appears the individuals involved were walking along Mason St. Luke Road about 4 p.m. when one of them, a juvenile, suddenly yelled “snake!” and fired a small handgun at the ground. He apparently missed the snake and hit the right side of Johnson’s foot. The police report states Johnson's foot had a small round wound. A call was placed to Alcorn 911 from a machine shop on Mason St. Luke Road. The police department is treating it as an accidental shooting.
Eason Outreach reflects on progress BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Bobby J. Smith
Freeman’s Battery leads a hands-on artillery demonstration for students from Alcorn Central Middle School. military manner: I talk and you listen,” said the general. “I’m a major general. You can tell I’m a major general because I’ve got two stars.” At another area of the battlefield, a group of students from Alcorn Central Middle School participated in a hands-on demonstration by Freeman’s Battery and learned how to load and fire a Civil War era cannon.
The firing of the cannon every half-hour was the signal for all the groups to move on to the next learning station. “We come every year, usually for a two-hour presentation, but this year they’ve got a lot more things set up being the anniversary,” said Alcorn Central fifth grade teacher Ginger Hancock. “The boys love all this — the knives, guns and pea-shooters.”
Hancock said the School Days is a good way to get kids interested in history. “It really brings the history to life. That’s our heritage,” she said. “A lot of young people are used to video games and live action, and they won’t learn the same out of a book like they will here, where they’re bringing it Please see HISTORY | 2
Trail of Tears ride brings attention to historical event sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • One section
Officials address inactive voters jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
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ers make the trek each year in remembrance of Native American tribes displaced due to the Indian Removal Act of the 1830s. “The main thing is to keep it ever present in the minds of people,” he said. “Our goal is to educate the public on this monumental and dark historical event.” In addition, the ride also raises scholarship funds for Native Americans. Last year, six scholarships were awarded with around $300,000 provided to Native Americans over an 18year span. The ride began on Friday and is set to conclude with the arrival in Oklahoma on Monday afternoon. Billed as the largest motorcycle ride in history with an estimated 25,000 riders, the event remembers those forced to leave their homes and relocate in Oklahoma. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 called for the voluntary or forcible removal of all Indians from the eastern United States
to Oklahoma. Many Native Americans refused to leave voluntarily and were rounded up by the military. General Winfield Scott ordered the removal of 17,000 Cherokees who refused to leave and thus began the “Trail of
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Tears.” Detachments of soldiers arrived at every Cherokee home and drove men, women and children out with only the clothes on their backs. The Native Americans were forced into encampments while awaiting removal.
The Easom Outreach Foundation is preparing to begin delivery of hot meals from the former Easom High and South Corinth campus. Supporters gathered earlier this week to reflect on the work achieved thus far at the campus and to welcome a site visit by grantors who have contributed financially to Easom Outreach’s work at the campus. “We want to thank everybody for being so supportive of this program and so supportive of this community,” said Omisade Burney-Scott, representing the Center for What Works at the Rensselaerville Institute, administrator for the Appalachian Regional Commission grant Easom received. The campus served as a site for the summer feeding program for youth coordinated by the school district. “We had a total of 39 volunteers,” said Samuel Crayton, chairman for Easom Outreach. “Some of them have already signed on for the hot meals program. I think it was over a thousand hours that they volunteered this summer. Some of them did food, some of them did programming, and some brought people here.” The volunteers dealt with a lively group of children throughout the summer. “The only thing the children need is some guidance,” said David Harris, one of the volunteers. With the hot meals program ready to launch next week, Easom has decided, for now, not to open it up to walk-ins from the community. It will focus instead on delivery of meals to elderly and shut-ins, coordinating its deliveries with the Bishop Center. Mayor Tommy Irwin thanked those who have dedicated time to launching the programs at the former school campus.
On this day in history 150 years ago “Stonewall” Jackson captures the Union garrison at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia and takes over 12,000 prisoners. General Lee at Sharpsburg, Maryland orders his army to consolidate on the banks of Antietam Creek to meet the Union Army of the Potomac.