Daily Corinthian E-Edition 010513 by Daily Corinthian

Saturday Jan. 5,

2013

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Daily Corinthian Vol. 117, No. 5

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• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • 1 section

Cemetery owner pleads guilty to misusing funds Hight sentenced to 4 years, must repay more than half million dollars BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@dailycorinthian.com

Cemetery owner Wayne Hight was ordered to serve four years in prison and pay more than a half million dollars in restitution Friday after pleading guilty to four counts of misappropriating pre-need buri-

al funds. Assistant District Attorney Richard Bowen said around 1,000 individuals could be affected by Hight’s misuse of the funds over the nearly 40 years he has owned Forrest Memorial Park in Alcorn County and Oaklawn Memorial Park in Prentiss

County. Bowen said Hight deliberately failed to retain the portions of funds paid for pre-need services in trusts required by state law. Hight, 74, pleaded guilty Friday in Alcorn County Circuit Court to two counts of misapplying or con-

verting pre-need funds at Oaklawn Memorial Park and two counts of the same charge at Forrest Memorial Park. He was sentenced to 10 years each with six years suspended and Please see PLEA | 2

Hight

City approves new tourism board members BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com

Staff photo by Steve Beavers

Allen Curry Walden was the first baby delivered at Magnolia Regional Health Center in 2013. The baby is the first child of Nancy and Bobby Walden Jr. He was born Jan. 2 and was delivered by Dr. Patrick Hsu.

Couple welcomes first baby of 2013 BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com

Allen Curry Walden was the first of the new year. The initial child of Nancy and Bobby Walden, Jr. was also the first baby born at Magnolia Regional Health Center in 2013. “He was my birthday and Christmas gift wrapped in one,” said Bobby Walden, who celebrated his birthday on Dec. 20. Allen Curry was born at 10:40 p.m. on Jan. 2. The new-

born weighed 5 pounds and 11.8 ounces. Delivered by Dr. Patrick Hsu, the child was 18.5 inches long. “We are excited to have him,” said Nancy Walden. “We knew he was going to be a New Year’s baby, but we didn’t know he was going to be the first one.” With the exception of being tired, both new mom and dad are doing well, according to MRHC Unit Manager for Women’s Health Rita Holley.

“Everything has gone fine,” said Holley. The Waldens have been impressed with their stay at the hospital. “The folks are really nice, and Dr. Hsu is great,” said Nancy. According to the Waldens, Allen Curry won’t be the last of the clan. “We want him to have a brother or sister,” said mom. “There is nothing like growing up with one.”

The Corinth Board of Aldermen proposed a list of appointees for the Corinth Area Convention and Visitors Bureau’s new board of directors in a special meeting on Friday. The city’s appointee to the board is Laura Albright, wife of Corinth businessman Trey Albright. She will serve a three-year term. Joint city and county candidates for the board are: Billy Taylor, owner of Taylor’s Fish & Steak, for a one-year term; Danny Timmons, executive manager of Little’s Foods, for a two-year term; Russell’s Steak House owner Russell Smith for a three-year term; Pauline Sorrell (CB&S Bank) for a one-year term; and Generals’ Quarters Inn owner/ operator Luke Doehner for a two-year term. The county also has one indvidual appointee to the board. Supervisors have not yet acted on filling that position. Sorrell and Doehner were members of the the previous tourism board that was terminated on Wednesday. Because board members are elected for staggered terms of four years, the aldermen specified different term lengths for each new appointee to serve.

Sheriff’s investigators make theft arrests BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com

The Alcorn County Sheriff’s Department recovered more than 30 stolen items following the arrest of two Corinth men Wednesday night. Amos Matthew Bradley, 38, of 241 County Road 713, Corinth, and Steven Wayne Mitchell, 37, of 148 County Road 715, Corinth were arrested and both remain jailed at the Alcorn Justice Center while the investigation continues. “We received a call about a vehicle coming on to private property,” said Darrell Hopkins with the Alcorn Narcotics Unit. “Investigators found a stolen vehicle on the property and while there they witnessed a subject pull up and attempt to load the vehicle.” Bradley was arrested while loading a 1986 Ford F-350 that had been stolen in Corinth. The trailer he was loading the truck on was also stolen. Officers also found the subject in possession of methamphetamine “The vehicle had damage where he was trying to have it crushed,” added Hopkins.

Bradley was charged with possession of controlled substance methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and grand larceny. His possession of a .270 rifle enhanced the drug charge. Further investigation led to the arrest of Mitchell. “He was found at the place of his employment with two bags of meth in his pocket,” said Alcorn County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Reggie Anderson. Mitchell is charged with possession of controlled substance methamphetamine. Around 36 items were later recovered in the Kossuth area. Other charges are expected as the investigation continues. Some of the items recovered include a riding lawn mower, leaf blower, truck tool box, trailer, pressure tanks and other tools. Cost of the items is believed to be around $25,000-$30,000. Anderson and Hopkins were assisted in the case by investigator Heath Thomas, narcotics officer Jason Willis, depuPlease see ARRESTS | 2

Please see BOARD | 2

Civil War tour includes Corinth BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com

Staff photo by Steve Beavers

Alcorn County Sheriff’s Department Investigators Heath Thomas and Reggie Anderson were part of an investigation that recovered more than 30 stolen items in the Kossuth area.

Index Stocks........7 Classified......14 Comics...... 13 Wisdom...... 12

“As the law dictates, each member is to fulfill staggered terms,” said Ward 1 Alderman Andrew Labas. “Terms are technically four years long, but I think in the spirit of the law going forward we need to do it in the way it was proscribed in the bill that’s established for us.” The joint city/county candidates will have to be approved by the county supervisors in a meeting on Monday. Before the meeting on Friday two aldermen met with two supervisors to discuss the city’s nominees. Labas said he believes the county will approve the board members proposed at the city meeting on Friday. “We feel like we’ve got a good board put together,” he said. The entire CACVB board was ousted on Wednesday by a 9-1 vote in a joint meeting of aldermen and supervisors. Labas made the motion for the board’s dismissal after saying he no longer had confidence in the board because it has not adhered to the tourism budget that was written by the city and the county after the two boards rejected the proposed tourism budget for fiscal 2013.

Weather........5 Obituaries........ 3 Opinion........4 Sports...... 10

A class from Maryville College will visit Corinth’s Civil War sites as part of a 12-day tour analyzing the causes and effects of the Civil War in Tennessee. College professor and author Dr. Aaron Astor’s class will visit Corinth on Jan. 19, near the end of the tour. “Corinth and its railroad crossroads was the real goal of the whole Union Shiloh campaign in late March and early April 1862,” explained Astor. “I thought it would be really important for our students to see how Civil War events in Tennessee were vitally connected to places and events immediately outside the state.” The tour will spend a day visiting the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center and Shiloh National Military Park. “The Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center is one of the most impressive visitors cen-

On this day in history 150 years ago President Jefferson Davis, recently returned from a trip around the country, speaks to a crowd in Richmond. He rails against the Northern army. “Every crime which could characterize the course of demons has marked the course of the invaders.”

Please see TOUR | 2

2 • Daily Corinthian

Local/Region

Things to do Today Guild exhibit

at the Michie, Tenn. civic center.

Jeremiah Briggs’ artistic works are the featured January exhibit at the Corinth Artist Guild Gallery. The gallery is also featuring a collection of Jesse Ables’ snow scenes during the month. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday. Viewings by appointment are also available. Contact the gallery located at 507 Cruise St. in Corinth, at 662-665-0520.

‘Just Plain Country’

Democrat breakfast The 7th District Democrats are hosting a breakfast today at 8 a.m.

Just Plain Country performs at the Tishomingo County Fairgrounds in Iuka every Saturday from 7-10 p.m. Good family entertainment.

Shiloh museum A museum dedicated to the Battle of Shiloh and area veterans is open next to Shiloh National Military Park. It is at the intersection of state Route 22 and Route 142 in Shiloh, across from Ed Shaw’s Restaurant. Information: Larry DeBerry, 731-926-0360.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Today in History Today is Saturday, Jan. 5, the fifth day of 2013. There are 360 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Jan. 5, 1983, President Ronald Reagan announced he was nominating Elizabeth Dole to succeed Drew Lewis as secretary of transportation; Dole became the first woman to head a Cabinet department in Reagan’s administration, and the first to head the DOT. On this date: In 1781, a British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burned Richmond, Va. In 1925, Nellie T. Ross of Wyoming became America’s first female governor. In 1933, the 30th president of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, died in Northampton, Mass., at age 60. Construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge. In 1943, educator and scientist George Washington Carver died in Tuskegee, Ala., at age 81. In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisen-

hower proposed assistance to countries to help them resist Communist aggression in what became known as the Eisenhower Doctrine. In 1970, “All My Children” premiered on ABC-TV. In 1972, President Richard Nixon announced that he had ordered development of the space shuttle. In 1993, the state of Washington executed Westley Allan Dodd, an admitted child sex killer, in America’s first legal hanging since 1965. Ten years ago: Two Palestinian suicide bombers set off back-to-back blasts in central Tel Aviv, killing 15 Israelis and eight foreign nationals in the bloodiest attack in six months. Five years ago: A Piper Navajo Chieftain crashed off Kodiak Island in southern Alaska, killing six of 10 people aboard. One year ago: Speaking at the Pentagon, President Barack Obama launched a reshaping and shrinking of the military, vowing to preserve U.S. pre-eminence even as the Army and Marine Corps shedded troops.

PLEA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Staff photo by Steve Beavers

Alcorn Narcotics Unit officers Darrell Hopkins and Jason Willis helped recover stolen items in a recent arrest of two Corinth men.

ARRESTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ties Mackie Sexton and Caleb Marolt along with Corinth Police Department investigators. In another arrest, Jeremy Eric Fullwood, 39, of 3226 Kendrick Road, Apartment 9, was charged with felony pos-

session of a controlled substance methamphetamine following a traffic stop by Hopkins and Willis. Officers detected the odor of meth after stopping Fullwood on North Harper. “After receiving consent to search the vehi-

cle, we found a .22 pistol and bag of meth,” said Hopkins. Fullwood faces an enhanced drug charge because of the firearm. His bond was set at $5,000 by Judge Jimmy McGee. He remained jailed at the justice center as Thursday night.

central to the political and military struggle between the opposing capitals, the real epicenter of the Civil War was Tennessee,” he explained. “The Volunteer State served as a gateway to the Deep South and a barrier between border state Kentucky and the rest of the Confederacy.” Another factor making the Tennessee Civil War experience more compelling were the internal divisions between the Unionists in East Tennessee and the Confederates in Middle and West Tennessee. “To understand Tennessee’s Civil War is to grapple with both military strategy and campaigns through the state, and the political and social fault lines over geography, class, slavery and trade between the three Grand Division,” Astor

said. Astor describes his January course as an experimental voyage into the heart of Tennessee’s Civil War. Half the time will be spent visiting historic sites of Civil War significance — from large battlegrounds to remnants of guerrilla-style struggles over conflicting loyalties. The course will also cover the emancipation of Tennessee’s slave population and the Reconstruction-era struggle over the meaning of freedom. Astor is associate professor of History at Maryville College, located in Blount County, not far from Knoxville, Tenn. He is the author of the book “Rebels on the Border: Civil War, Emancipation, and the Reconstruction of Kentucky and Missouri.”

TOUR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ters in America — it’s worth a visit in its own right,” Astor pointed out. The professor said the stop at the Interpretive Center does a great job of explaining the Shiloh battle and campaign as well as the following Battle of Corinth in October 1862. While in town, the tour will also visit the Crossroads Museum at the Corinth Depot for its interpretation of the importance of Civil War railroads. Then it will move on to Shiloh, where the class will purchase the driving tour CD and tour the battlefield. Astor said Tennessee’s story in the Civil War is just as important as what happened in Virginia and the Eastern Theater of the war. “While Virginia was

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four to serve on the two counts in Prentiss County and the first count in Alcorn County with those sentences to run at the same time. On the second Alcorn County count Circuit Judge Paul Funderburk sentenced him to a suspended 10-year sentence to run consecutive to the other three counts, leaving him with a total of four years to serve immediately and an additional 16 years suspended. He must serve five years on post-release supervision after completing his prison sentence. The state had sought identical sentences on each of the four counts, but Funderburk deviated from the state’s recommendation on the final count. Hight was also ordered to pay a total of $569,588.80 in restitution to the victims to be split among the two cemeteries with $19,923.69 to the perpetual care fund at Oaklawn, $76,143.63 to the pre-need fund at Oaklawn, $167,760.48 to the perpetual care fund at Forrest Memorial and $305,761 to the pre-need fund at Forrest Memorial. Additionally he must pay a $1,000 fine on each count charged and various court costs and assessments. Both cemeteries were taken over last year by the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office and placed into receivership with plans for them to be sold. Bowen said as part of the plea agreement the state has agreed not to seek charges against anyone else in connection with the crimes and said they believe Hight is alone responsible. Hight and his family have also agreed to sign

over all of their ownership in the cemeteries to the state-appointed receiver now controlling their operation. The defendant tearfully apologized for his crimes and said he understands he has let down people who have trusted him through his lack of diligence in handling the funds entrusted to him. “I want to apologize and say that I didn’t mean any harm at all to these other people that I’ve known most of my life. I’m sorry,” he said. Ruth Glidewell told the court she and her husband had paid Hight for pre-need services and now she would not be able to properly bury her aging husband when he dies due to Hight’s actions. “I could not bury him, your honor, and that’s not right. We worked and saved and paid that money in and we should have restitution some way,” she said. Dorothy Wilbanks also said she and her husband had paid Hight for many years for pre-need services and she now has had to purchase the same services again because they discovered the funds aren’t there for him to provide the services she paid for. Funderburk emphasized the seriousness of the charges against Hight. “We’re not here talking about lack of diligence. We’re here today about, for lack of a better term, stealing,” said the judge. Hight was immediately taken into custody at the conclusion of the hearing after Funderburk denied a request by his attorney Louis Holliday to allow him to remain out on bond Friday night and report to the sheriff’s department on Saturday. Prosecutors and the de-

fendant acknowledge it is unlikely Hight will be able to pay any additional restitution in the near future. As part of the plea agreement, he affirmed he has no other assets available to make restitution at this time and Bowen said the district attorney’s investigation has shown that to be true. District Attorney Trent Kelley said his office will continue its efforts to locate any assets that might be used to provide restitution in the future. Hight was originally indicted last year on the two counts in Prentiss County in connection with Oaklawn Cemetery. He agreed to enter the pleas in Alcorn County to an information which is a statement of criminal charges agreed to without an indictment from a grand jury and waived his right to have the case presented to a grand jury to determine if an indictment would be issued. Both cemeteries were placed in receivership under the control of the state last summer after Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann announced an investigation had uncovered a deficiency of more than $500,000 in pre-need trust accounts at the two cemeteries. Hosemann said at the time their investigation showed almost no funds were in the required accounts. Hosemann’s office plans to have the cemeteries sold at auction with the winning bidders to be required to offer assistance to those affected. Public hearings were held last summer after the cemeteries were placed in receivership to help officials determine how many individuals were affected by the case.

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The budget dispute followed the city’s and county’s request that $250,000 of the $583,000 tourism budget be set aside for use by Crossroads Arena. CACVB Director Kristy White resigned on Thursday with a statement to the city and county. “[W]ith a 45 percent budget redirection; a drastic salary cut for all full-time staff members — based not on performance or revenue issues; and, finally, the dismissal of the entire, seated board of directors, I feel as if there has been a vote of ‘no confidence’ by the local leadership in my abilities as executive director,” the letter states. “Furthermore, I will not remain in a position where the performance of the staff and board of directors is so grossly undervalued.”

Local

3 • Daily Corinthian

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Deaths Bonnie Clark

IUKA — Funeral services for Martha “Bonnie” Clark, 59, are set for 2 p.m. Sunday at Pleasant Grove Church of Christ with burial at Pleasant Grove Cemetery. Mrs. Clark died Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. She was preceded in death by her parents, R.G. and Omie Morris Thacker; and her brother, Travis Thacker. Survivors include one daughter, Laura King (Mike O’Hara) of Southaven; four sisters, Janie Keel of Iuka, Cleta Whitaker of Burnsville, Brenda Smith (B.G.) of Counce, Tenn., and Penny Crumbley (Danny) of Cullman, Ala.; three brothers, Jerry Thacker (Annette), Keith Morris and Roy Thacker (Sherry), all of Iuka; two grandchildren, Amber King Kettler (Jered) and Randy King; and one greatgrandchild. Rick Jones will officiate. Visitation is today from 5 until 9 p.m. at Cutshall Funeral Home in Iuka. The body will lie in state at the church for one hour prior to service time on Sunday.

Dianne Savage

Funeral services for Opal Dianne Savage, 57, of Corinth, are set for 2 p.m.

Billy Bain

Sunday at Holly Baptist Church with burial at Holly Cemetery. Ms. Savage died Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, at her residence. Born March 4, 1955, she presently worked at Rogers Supermarket as a cashier. She worked at Wal-Mart Savage in the past and also at ITT for many years. She was a member of Holly Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her father, Paul Andrew Savage. Survivors include her mother, Viola Cummings Savage of Corinth; her brother, Paul Monroe Savage (Cheryl) of Corona, Calif.; and her sisters, Mattie Ruth Savage Bullard of Oakland, Tenn., Betty Jo Savage Fleetwood of Booneville, Ida Louise Savage Hogge (David) of Goose Creek, S.C., and Lorraine Savage of Corinth. Bro. Tim Edwards will officiate. Visitation is today from 5 until 8 p.m. at Magnolia Funeral Home. The body will lie in state on Sunday from 1 p.m. till service time at Holly Baptist Church. Magnolia Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

GLEN — Funeral services with military honors for Billy David Bain, 82, are set for 2 p.m. today at Magnolia Funeral Home Chapel of Memories with burial at Love Joy Cemetery. Mr. Bain died Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, at his residence. Born Oct. 1, 1930, he retired from APAC. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War. He was a member of Burnsville First Baptist Church. He was kind to everyone and never met a stranger. He was the perfect daddy. He loved fishing, going to ballgames and watching his grandchildren participate. He was preceded in death by his father, Henry Lee Bain; his mother, Azlee Pharr Bain; his brothers, Thurston Bain and Harold Bain; his sister, Dorothy Woodruff; his mother-in-law, Virtle Mann; and his father-in-law, William Henry Mann. Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Sue Mann Bain of Glen; his daughters, Kathy Ward and husband David, Vicki Malone and husband Brent, and LeAnn Tucker and husband Mike, all of Glen; nine grandchildren, Billy Tucker and wife Jenni, Kayleigh Tucker, Phillip Davis, Cari Davis, Rebecca Ward, Mat-

thew Ward, Tiffany Davis Bumpous and husband Jason, McQuade Quillen and Andrew Quillen; his brothers, Dale Bain and wife Retha of Alcorn County; his sisters, Betty Wasson of Pensacola, Fla., Patsy Hardwick Bain and husband Gene, and Peggy Hardwick and husband Tommy, all of Alcorn County; his sister-in-law, Louise Bain; his brother-in-law, Jack Woodruff; his special friends, J.T. and Judy Blakney and Mr. Allen Vines; several nieces, nephews, other relatives and a host of friends. Bro. Roger Wood, Bro. Doyle Ferrell and Bro. Scotty McCay will officiate. Pallbearers will be Jackie Woodruff, David Woodruff, Tim Woodruff, Ronnie Crawford, Finis Ivy, Dean Mielke and Roger Dale Bain II. Honorary pallbearers will be J.T. Blakney, Allen Vines, Jack Woodruff and Roger Bain. Visitation is today from noon until service time at Magnolia Funeral Home.

Jobless benefits extended Third suspect arrested in home burglary probe

The American Taxpayer Relief Act, which became law late Wednesday, extends the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program through Jan. 1, 2014. The federal benefits were slated to expire at the end of 2012 with claimants receiving their last payment the first week of January. EUC08 is a federallyfunded program providing unemployment benefits to approximately 30,000 Tennesseans who have exhausted the first 26 weeks of state benefits (maximum). The legislation only extends the deadline to receive existing federal benefits and does not add additional weeks. Tennessee claimants are currently allowed a maximum of 26 weeks of state benefits and an

additional 37 weeks of federal benefits. “This has been an uncertain time for those depending on unemployment benefits,” said Labor Commissioner Karla Davis. “I would encourage claimants to focus their job search by using our jobs database at Jobs4tn. gov and visiting a Tennessee Career Center.” The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development must still receive authorization from the USDOL to pay federal EUC08 claims. While the USDOL expects to have authorizations in place to provide a seamless transition, a delay of a week or more is possible. A retroactive payment would then be made to make up for lost weeks before resuming regular weekly payments. Those presently re-

ceiving federal benefits should continue their weekly certification that notifies the department by phone or Internet they are still unemployed. If claimants stop their certification, they will have to contact the claims center to verify their unemployment status and could face a delay in their benefit resumption. Claimants should also continue to complete at least two work searches per week in order to meet the requirements for receiving federal benefits. Claimants can check the status of their unemployment benefit deposit by logging in to https://ui.tn.gov with their personal identification number. If their account shows the benefit amount is “released,” the deposit will be available within 48 hours.

Ag committee honors Cochran WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) was recently named the ranking member on a key Senate committee. Cochran issued the following statement regarding his selection as ranking member on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry for the 113th Congress. “I am pleased the members of the Senate Agriculture Committee have entrusted me with the opportunity to be their ranking Republican member. I will use the experiences I’ve gained in serving on the committee since 1979 to

Cochran joined the Agriculture Committee after being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1978. help quickly advance a new Farm Bill that will meet the needs of our country’s farmers, small businesses and those who rely on the nutrition programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction. I look forward to working with Chairman Stabenow and members of the committee in this new Congress, and I thank Sen. Roberts for his dedicated service as the ranking member during the 112th Congress.”

Cochran joined the Senate Agriculture Committee after being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1978. He has previously served as committee chairman from 2003 to 2005. Cochran will also continue to serve on the Senate Committee on Rules, as well as the Committee on Appropriations where he is expected to remain the ranking member on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

BY JEFF YORK Special to the Daily Corinthian

ADAMSVILLE, Tenn. — A third suspect allegedly involved in a home burglary Dec. 28 in Adamsville was arrested Wednesday in Sheffield, Ala., by the McNairy County Sheriff’s Department. The three facing charges are Steven and Sharon Hicks, of 11575 Hwy. 69 S. in Savannah, and John Beckham, of the same address. A fourth person, Billy Joe Little, was questioned in connection with the burglary but released six hours later by the sheriff’s department. When Beckham was arrested at a motel in Sheffield, he waived extradition and was brought to the McNairy County Jail, according to McNairy County Sheriff Guy Buck.

Buck said the break-in happened around 4 p.m. at the home of Ryan Sisk at 183 Pickens Road in Adamsville. Sisk came home while the burglary was in progress and noticed a vehicle backed up to his house. “He went in his house and saw that his gun safe was empty,” Buck said. “He got his handgun that was in another place and shot the rear tire out when the suspects were trying to get away.” Buck said the suspects left the car soon after leaving the home. The Hicks entered a home in Leapwood to ask to use the phone because their car had broken down, but the person they called turned them in to law enforcement, according to the sheriff. The Hickses and Beckham are being charged

with aggravated burglary and theft of property. Their bonds were set at $100,000, and their arraignments were set for Thursday. The Nissan Maxima used during the burglary will be seized by the state because it was used during the commission of a felony. All 11 guns taken during the burglary have been recovered by the sheriff’s department. The items still missing are jewelry, a laptop and a bow. Buck praised all the officers that braved the bad weather to help in the search for the burglary suspects. “I can’t praise the officers enough for coming to help search in cold and rainy weather,” said Buck. “It was miserable weather, but I had officers that volunteered to come in to help us in the search.”

Modern names dominate top 10 list Tennessee’s modern tradition for the top names for new babies has held out again in 2012, with William and Emma taking the top spots for a second consecutive year as the most popular names given by new Tennessee parents. William has been the number one name chosen for new baby boys born in Tennessee for six straight years. Emma repeats as the most popular name for Tennessee baby girls after taking the top spot on the list in 2011. While the most popular names for both girls and boys born in 2012 in

Tennessee remain largely unchanged from the previous year, some new names have made their way into the top 10 list of boys’ names this year. The top 10 names Tennessee parents chose for their new babies born in 2012 are as follows: ■ Girls — Emma, Ava, Olivia, Isabella, Sophia, Abigail, Madison, Chloe, Addison, Emily. ■ Boys — William, Mason, Elijah, James, Jacob, Jackson, Ethan, Noah, Liam, Michael. The list of Tennessee’s most popular names for boys includes three new entries this year: Ethan, Liam and Michael. Wil-

liam has been the top choice for boys’ names in Tennessee since 2007. There are no new entries in the top 10 list of Tennessee girls’ names this year, although the rankings of those names have changed since 2011. TDH collects data on baby names from birth certificates, an area in which the Tennessee Department of Health touches the lives of all native Tennesseans. The Tennessee Office of Vital Records reviews, registers, amends, issues and maintains the original certificates of births that occur in the state.

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Opinion

Mark Boehler, editor

4 • Saturday, January 5, 2013

Corinth, Miss.

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Enforce current laws instead of disarming law-abiding citizens BY RAY GARRETT In the wake of the recent murder of 20 school children, the issue of gun control is again a primary topic of public debate. The foremost responsibility of any government is the protection of its citizens. However, fulfilling this responsibility does not in any way justify the disarming of law abiding citizens so as to strip them of their ability to protect their homes and families. What a government concerned with protecting the lives of those it governs should do is to actually enforce those laws already in place to prevent persons who should not be allowed to possess firearms from doing so. Where proper our government should strengthen these laws provided such does not merely serve to deprive law abiding citizens of their right to protect themselves and their families. For example, Mississippi already has a law prohibiting persons who have been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm, but do any of your readers recall a person actually serving a significant sentence for violating this law? Therefore, all law abiding citizens should call upon their elected officials to immediately begin active enforcement of this law and to strengthen it in order to deter and prevent criminals from possessing firearms which they could use to harm law abiding citizens. Requiring any felon convicted of being in possession of a firearm to serve a minimum of five years without the possibility of probation or early release would accomplish much. Persons convicted of a felony would be deterred from possessing firearms as a conviction for this crime would result in a minimum mandatory prison sentence. Persons who have no regard for the law would be removed from society and no longer be a threat to law abiding citizens. The existing law should be modified to make the arrest and prosecution of anyone violating this law mandatory, removing any discretion in arresting the person found to be in violation of this law. It should also prevent the reduction of this charge to a lesser crime. Acting upon this proposal would make us safer without infringing upon the rights of a single law abiding citizen to protect themselves. This is just the view of one Christian-American citizen and as such will not result in any change unless my fellow citizens join me in calling upon our state legislature to take the action I have proposed during the upcoming legislative session. I also urge my fellow citizens to call upon our senators and representatives in Congress to propose similar legislation for dealing with this problem on a national level without infringing upon the second amendment rights of law abiding American citizens. (Preston Ray Garrett is an attorney and counselor at law with Garrett, Friday & Garner, P.L.L.C. based in Oxford.)

Prayer for today

‘Fiscal cliff’ bill more of the same Everything that everyone loathes about Washington was present in the “fiscal cliff” bill just passed by Congress. It is 153 pages long; most members probably hadn’t read all of it before voting on it; it was delivered in the middle of the night; it was loaded with pork -- the mother’s milk (to mix a metaphor) of politicians -- and while the country is already swamped with massive debt, it contains massive giveaways to satisfy interest groups and campaign contributors. Did I mention the bill raises taxes on top of the coming Obamacare taxes, but does nothing -- nothing -- to address the debt problem? As with previous congresses, this one (again) delayed the debt issue for two months and will have to face it again, along with what to do about the debt ceiling. Only expletives that can’t be printed in a family newspaper accurately characterize this bunch, so I’ll have to settle for pathetic, unprincipled and irresponsible. This “fiscal cliff” was a construct created by Congress. The additional revenue from productive businesses and individu-

als earning more than $400,000 and couples m a k i n g $450,000 won’t put Cal more than Thomas the tiniest dent in the Columnist deficit and do nothing about the $16 trillion debt. According to the Congressional Budget Office the ratio of new taxes to spending cuts is 41 to 1. This assumes the cuts actually materialize, which is unlikely. If they do, they will merely be window dressing. We’ve seen it all before. Democrats play this game more effectively than a nimble-handed magician. According to Americans for Tax Reform, in 1982, congressional Democrats promised President Reagan “$3 in spending cuts for every $1 in tax hikes.” Reagan agreed. He got the tax hikes immediately, but had his political pocket picked when Democrats never came through with the spending cuts. It was the same with President George H.W. “read my lips, no new taxes” Bush. In 1990, “...Bush agreed to

$2 in spending cuts for every $1 in tax hikes. The tax hikes went through... Not a single penny of the promised spending cuts actually happened.” Democrats run this play so often you would think by now Republicans might have devised a better defense. But just like the smear that Republicans are anti-woman because they oppose spending tax dollars on free contraceptives and abortion, or lack compassion for the poor because they oppose increasing federal programs that don’t actually help the poor become less so, Republicans get trapped into voting to increase taxes in exchange for more empty promises to cut spending ... eventually. And the country is the one that loses. Conservatives sent a large number of “tea party” members to the House in the 2010 election, hoping to fix government. It hasn’t worked because the political culture there has been contaminated by an untreatable virus and even those with the best intentions soon acquire the infection. Eighty-five Republicans voted for the monstrous

bill (151 stood on principle and voted against it) because their leaders said that if they didn’t it would hurt the party’s chances in the next election. Think of how the media would treat them. One didn’t have to be in the room to “hear” what was said because it’s always the same. Give up your principles because the next election is paramount. And after the next election and the one after it, nothing changes. The country should make up its mind. Do we want a government that lives within the boundaries of the Constitution -- limited, financially stable and spending only on what the Constitution says it should -- or, do we want a nation whose initials should be changed to ATM, dispensing goodies to any and all without regard to the financial health and welfare of this and future generations? Passage of this bill seems to indicate the choice has been made and ATM has won. It is a sorry affair for which we, and future generations, will be sorry, indeed. (Readers may e-mail Daily Corinthian columninst Cal Thomas at tmseditors@tribune.com.)

Lord, your disciples have witnessed to a law that is higher than the laws of human institutions. Make us such witnesses, Lord. Amen.

A verse to share If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. — 1 Corinthians 13:1 (NRSV)

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Happy holidays, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, North Korea With Christmas now in the rearview mirror, it is perplexing that some farleft bloggers are still bemoaning the fact that Newsweek magazine proclaimed that folks who respect the traditions of the Christmas holiday “won” the battle against secular progressives who want to diminish the birth of Jesus in the public square. Because of that ongoing angst, and because I am still in the Christmas spirit, I offer some travel tips to the anti-Christmas crew in preparation for this December. If you don’t like Christmas, book your trip now. ■ North Korea: According to reporting by ForeignPolicy.com, that feisty little country does not permit the celebration of Christmas, and anyone caught worshiping Jesus can be tortured or executed. Sounds like Rhode Island. Right now, there are about 70,000 Christians in North Korean labor camps decking the halls with rocks and

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concrete 10 hours a day. The North K o r e a n leader, Kim Jong-un, even threatBill ened “unexO’Reilly pected consequences” The O’Reilly if the South Factor Korean government allowed lights on trees within view of the border. Kim calls that a provocation and a mean form of “psychological warfare.” ■ Saudi Arabia: All nonMuslim religious activities are banned in public, so unless Santa puts a prayer rug in his sleigh and heads directly for Mecca, he is persona non grata in this nation. The Saudis even have a religious police force that runs around checking to see who has been naughty and nice in the Islamic context. According to ForeignPolicy, several dozen Christmas trees imported from Holland were seized by

Saudi authorities, hacked to pieces and sent back to the Netherlands. So there. No Christmas for you! ■ Cuba: Fidel Castro banned the holiday in 1969 saying Cubans were needed to harvest sugar cane on December 25, and don’t even think about Christmas dinner. That ban lasted three decades until the Pope told Comrade Fidel to knock it off. Most Cubans are Catholic and didn’t really appreciate the government calling Santa a symbol of “consumerism” and “mental colonization.” When asked what exactly the “colonization” deal meant, Santa replied: “Ho, ho, ho.” Today the Communist government does not decorate buildings (there is little private property in Cuba) but does allow Cubans to put up Christmas stuff inside. However, the Cuban air force is likely to fire on any reindeer intruding on the country’s air space. Cuba, Saudi Arabia and

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North Korea give American secular progressives three good options by which to avoid Christmas in 2013. Also, there are no public displays of yuletide in Antarctica because there are no buildings. The country of Mali does not have much Christmas stuff going on, but watch out for al-Qaida. Finally, Bikini Island in the Pacific remains largely uninhabited, so there’s not much about Jesus on display. Finally, I hope there is calm this year, especially in December. As Yoko Ono is fond of saying, let’s give peace a chance (and, by extension, drop the whining about Christmas). If you can’t do that, Fidel and Kim will be happy to see you. (Daily Corinthian columnist and veteran TV news anchor Bill O’Reilly is host of the Fox News show “The O’Reilly Factor” and author of the book “Pinheads and Patriots: Where You Stand in the Age of Obama.”)

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Editorials represent the voice of the Daily Corinthian. Editorial columns, letters to the editor and other articles that appear on this page represent the opinions of the writers and the Daily Corinthian may or may not agree.

Daily Corinthian • Saturday, January 5, 2013 • 5

State Briefs Associated Press

Caledonia signs lease to allow fracking CALEDONIA — Caledonia officials will use an oil company to a fracking process to drill on townowned land. The Commercial Dispatch reports that the town signed an agreement with Fletcher Petroleum Corp. of Fairhope, Ala. The town received $100 for a three-year lease on a three-quarteracre parcel. Hydraulic fracturing involves drilling horizontally instead of straight down, using high-pressure jets of water, sand and chemicals to split the shale and release previously unreachable reserves of natural gas and oil. Foster Kennedy, who represents Fletcher Petroleum, says he has worked on more than 100 wells that use the process and has never encountered

a safety issue related to fracking. Mayor George Gerhart said he believes the fracking process was safe “as long as the process is done correctly.” Kennedy said there are several other wells in Caledonia, and at least two of them are still producing. He said all of them were erected without incident. However, the current fracking process was not used during the drilling of those wells. No startup date has been announced by Fletcher Petroleum.

Firm seeks new Gulfport port director GULFPORT— A firm has been hired to search for a new director for the Port of Gulfport. The Sun Herald reports that the port’s Board of Commissioners voted Thursday to hire Boyden Global Executive Search to find a new director.

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Commissioner John Rester said Boyden has conducted the previous four executive searches for the port and specializes in maritime executives. Boyden will search for three to five candidates to be interviewed by the board.

County deal reduces inmate medical costs HATTIESBURG — Forrest County officials have reached a deal with administrators of the county-owned Forrest General Hospital to reduce the cost of medical treatment for county inmates. The Hattiesburg American reports that the Forrest County Board of Supervisors agreed with hospital officials last month to lower the county’s share of inmate medical expenses from 50 percent to 35 percent. Board of Supervisors

President David Hogan said the new agreement will benefit the county by reducing medical costs. Also, the county will not have to employ medical personnel for its new jail. Forrest General Hospital will have staff at the jail, which lowers the cost of care and provides more security.

Natchez liquor store worker slain NATCHEZ — Natchez police say they are looking for four suspects in the death of a liquor store employee. Detective Jerry Ford tells the Natchez Democrat that investigators believe the four men were waiting for 49-yearold Tyrone Bernard when he closed the liquor store about 10 p.m. Wednesday. Ford says Bernard was shot during the scuffle and died a short time later.

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Ford says no arrests have been made and the investigation is continuing.

Court orders hearing on mental exam ABERDEEN — A federal judge has scheduled a March 22 hearing on the results of a mental evaluation for a Mississippi death row inmate. Last month, U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock granted prosecutors’ request for the examination of Mack Arthur King. Prosecutors sought the mental examination for King after a doctor who had done a previous evaluation declined to further participate in the case. Prosecutors said even though they had subpoenaed the previous doctor, they wanted a new evaluation to combat King’s ongoing claims that he suffers from mental issues and

shouldn’t be executed. King, now 53, was sentenced to die by a Lowndes County jury in the death of 84-year-old Lela Patterson in 1980. Patterson was beaten, strangled and drowned at her home during a burglary.

New owner has big plans for Viking Range GREENWOOD — The new owner of Viking Range says it is on a fast track to increase the company’s market share and profit margins. The Greenwood Commonwealth reports that the plans were outlined this week by Selim A. Bassoul, Middleby Corp.’s chairman and CEO. Middleby paid $380 million for Greenwoodbased Viking Range. Fred Carl Jr., Viking’s founder, will stay on as president and chief executive officer.

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6 • Saturday, January 5, 2013 • Daily Corinthian

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