Local
2A • Daily Corinthian
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
COLLECTOR:
SENATE, HOUSE: ‘I’m ready to
Burns won East, North, West boxes
get to work,’ congressman says CONTINUED FROM 1A
CONTINUED FROM 1A
new tax collector also had big numbers at Kossuth (566) and Central (511). Burns won the East Corinth, North Corinth and West Corinth boxes. The General Secretary for the Corinth Scottish Rite picked up almost 100 more votes than he did in the August runoff. He finished with 5,798 votes in his victory over Zane Elliott, earning all but one box in the August victory.
SMITH: School leader will take office in January CONTINUED FROM 1A
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Election question Poll worker Linda Burnett (left) and assistant polling officer Marsha Briggs go through the Farmington roll during Tuesday’s election.
her vote total from the August runoff. She earned 4,175 votes or just over 60 percent in the win against Seago in late August. “It was a beautiful day for voters and they got out and voted,” said the winner. Rogers Smith will take office on Jan. 1, 2012. “I’m going to be the principal of Biggersville Elementary and enjoy every minute of it until January,” she said.
RACES: Corinth PD officer Hinds defeats Bradley for Post 1 Constable CONTINUED FROM 1A
finished with 3,041 votes over Weeden’s 2,579.
Constable In the Post 1 Constable race Chuck Hinds, a veteran Army infantryman and current Corinth PD officer, won over Scotty Bradley, the information & technology director of Transc a r e AmbuHinds lance, w i t h 3,042 votes over Bradley’s 2,483. “I want to thank God for keeping his hand on me for the past year and thank my wife for her patience and hard work as cam-
paign manager,” said Hinds, w h o a l s o thanked his family, supporters and his Jones fellow candidates for an exceptionally clean campaign. “At the beginning of the election, all of the candidates said the winner would have to buy lunch for the others at the end,” he added. “It looks like lunch is on me!” Incumbent Roger Voyles swept the election for Post 2 Constable over challenger Stephen Gayer with over 85 percent of all votes cast as he carried all the precincts in the post except for Bethel. “It’s a beautiful day!” said Voyles. “I want to
thank G o d , m y family and all the voters and my supporters in Post 2. McGee They’ve elected me to this office for four terms now, and for that I am eternally grateful.” Voyles said he ran on his experience, his qualifications, the job he’s been doing and the job he’ll continue to do. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning on the job,” he added, “and I want to thank everybody for the tremendous vote.”
Coroner In the Alcorn County Coroner’s race, longtime funeral home employee
J a y Jones w a s elected o v e r E M S a n d paramedic G a i l B u r cham P a r -
Voyles
rish. Jones netted 7,593 votes over Parrish’s 3,498 — and carried every precinct in Corinth and Alcorn County. “I want to thank the citizens of Alcorn County for giving me the opportunity to serve as their next coroner, and I look forward to the next four years,” Jones said. “I’ve been doing this job, and now it’s time to switch titles from deputy coroner to chief — and I look forward to serving the citizens.”
Bain led with 3,772, or 51.5 percent, to Wood’s 3,550. “I’m ready to get to Jackson. I’m ready to get to work,” said Bain. ”I’m ready to bring jobs up to Alcorn County. I’m ready to protect our conservative values up here and make sure that our state employees’ retirement is taken care of and make sure that our educators get what they need to do their jobs.” While campaigning, he said the need for jobs and concern about public e m ployees’ r e tirement were t h e t o p issues Carpenter voters discussed. He described Wood as a “fine, worthy opponent.” “I commend him on a good, hard-fought race,” said Bain. He follows Harvey Moss (D), who did not seek reelection after 28 years in the post. “Thank you so much to Alcorn County,” said Bain. “I’m not going to let you down.” Wood carried five precincts — East Corinth, East Third Street, Kossuth, North Corinth and West Corinth. The Senate district 4 race was a nail-biter that left apparent winner Rita Potts Parks (R) reluctant to declare a win until the official results emerge in the neighboring counties. She did, however, express thanks for the vote and, like the others, said she heard voters’ call for jobs while on the campaign trail. The unofficial dis-
TURNOUT: Eminent domain initiative enjoyed the strongest support of the three initiatives CONTINUED FROM 1A
SUPERVISOR: Democrat Nelms finished with over half the votes cast CONTINUED FROM 1A
want to thank the Good Lord for giving me this opportunity, and I want to thank my friends and family for their hard work and support. But I know the real work is ahead of us and I’ll be asking for help again as we face the challenges ahead of us.” Residential builder and developer Dal Nelms (D) defeated Independent Billy Paul Burcham and Republican Jon Newcomb in the District 2 supervisors race. Nelms finished with over half of the total votes cast, with 1,237 (53.36
p e r cent) — over B u r cham’s 2 2 2 (10.42 p e r cent) a n d NewRoss comb’s 768 (36.04 percent). During the campaign, Nelms paid tribute to his father, the late Grady Nelms, who was always known to carry toothpicks. The younger Nelms was defeated by less than 20 votes in the 2007 District 2 Supervisor race.
“When I ran last time he said, ‘We’ll do it again in four years.’ He passed away last year,” Nelms explained. “In the campaign we made boxes of toothpicks — they looked like small matchboxes.” In the third district Tim Mitchell, owner of Biggersville’s Mitchell Farms, beat independent candidate Keith W. Hughes with over three-quarters of the total vote cast. Hughes finished ahead in the South Corinth precinct, but Hughes won the district’s two other precincts — Biggersville and Rienzi — to cinch the supervisor’s seat.
District 4 was the setting of the closest supervisor’s race of the general election, with incumbent Gary Ross claiming 57.25 percent of the vote for a victory over Republican challenger Pat Barnes’ 42.75 percent. Ross carried the district, receiving a majority of the votes in both the College Hill and Kossuth precincts. The fifth district supervisor’s race was settled in the August 28 runoff election with incumbent Jimmy Tate Waldon finishing with a secure lead over Jimmy Travis Drewery.
ARNOLD: ‘We’ve got to make a difference for our district and our state’ CONTINUED FROM 1A
he said. “Now the real work begins. We’ve got to make a difference for our district and our state.” Arnold thanked all those who worked so hard on his campaign and emphasized the importance of every volunteer, family member, friend and voter who played
P.O. Box 1800 Corinth, MS 38835
a role in the win. He pledged to get to work from day one on trying to improve opportunities for the people of the third district. “My goal is to work to make Mississippi more business friendly to bring jobs to our people,” he said. He said he wants to focus on passing legislation to restrict illegal immigration,
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protect existing jobs and create better opportunities for job creation in the state. Arnold steps into a seat held since 1980 by McCoy, who announced earlier this year he would not seek reelection to the post. In addition to over 30 years of service in the house, he has served as Mississippi’s speaker of the house since January 2004.
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Arnold
trict-wide tally was 8,862 for Parks and 8,578 for Powell. In Alcorn County’s official totals, Parks led 5,878 to 5,540. Powell did not expect the outstanding absentee ballots in Tishomingo and Tippah counties to change the outcome. “The people have spoken,” he said. “I’m not sad. I’m not mad. When the people elected me to this office, I did the best I knew how to do. I accepted their call for me, and I’m accepting their call for me to step down.” Powell, seeking a second term, said he felt he was the target of a negative advertising campaign. “I just hate that the Republican Party got as nasty as they got,” he said. “I could have gone very negative, but I chose to take the high road and not go negative.” Powell said he has strived to work across party lines during his time in office. “I wish Ms. Parks well,” he said. For district 1, which includes five precincts in Alcorn County, Lester “Bubba” Carpenter of Burnsville enjoyed a solid victory over Democratic challenger Thomas McCarley, leading 2,066 to 836 in Alcorn County and 3,113 to 1,608 in Tishomingo County. “We worked very hard and ran a positive campaign,” said Carpenter. “I think that showed in the results.” He said many voters voiced concern about the state retirement issue. However, “Jobs and economic development is still number one in their hearts,” he said. Carpenter said he appreciates voters’ support and is looking forward to serving the people for another four years.
Young (D) easily carried his home county but fell short across the district. With 156 of 172 precincts, Trent Kelly (R) had 55 percent, or 36,285, to Young’s 29,428. In Alcorn County, Young led 6,993 to 4,108. Brandon Presley (D) won re-election as public service commissioner for the northern district and carried Alcorn County with 6,057 votes to Boyce Adam’s 4,725. Incumbent Northern District Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert (R) also won reelection and carried Alcorn County with 6,318 votes to Ray Minor’s 4,347. Alcorn County heavily favored outgoing Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant (R) for the state’s top office with 8,210 votes, 72 percent, to Johnny DuPree’s 3,110. Although the “personhood” initiative failed on the state level, Alcorn County gave support to all three initiatives. The “life at fertilization” initiative got 6,681 “yes” votes, or 61 percent, and 4,298 “no” votes. The eminent domain initiative, which passed, enjoyed the strongest
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support of the three in the county with 8,512 or 77 percent voting in favor and 2,539 against. Voter identification, which also passed, had 7,997 “yes” votes and 2,865 “no” votes. Alcorn County results for other contested state offices on the ballot: ■ Lieutenant governor: Tate Reeves (R) - 9,029; Tracella Lou O’Hara Hill (Ref.) 1,306. ■ Attorney general: Jim Hood (D) - 6,266; Steve Simpson (R) 4,746. ■ State auditor: Stacey Pickering (R) - 7,871; Ashley Norwood (Ref.) - 2,124. ■ State treasurer: Lynn Fitch (R) - 7,097; Connie Moran (D) 3,087; Shawn O’Hara (Ref.) - 483. ■ Commissioner of agriculture and commerce: Cindy HydeSmith (R) - 5,921; Joel Gill (D) - 4,197; Cathy L. Toole (Ref.) - 429. ■ Commissioner of insurance: Mike Chaney (R) - 7,336; Louis Fondren (D) - 2,706; Barbara Dale Washer (Ref.) - 569. The new terms of office begin during the first week of January.
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