Tuesday Oct. 30,
2012
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 261
Partly sunny Today
Tonight
61
35
0% chance rain
• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • 1 section
Selmer man dies in crash Driver was fleeing from MHP BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Nathan Holt gets ready to cast his vote in the presidential mock election.
Students learn importance of voting BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Voting got under way a week early at Kossuth Elementary. Around 90 intellectually gifted students cast their vote in the 2012 Presidential Election. The mock election was part of the Promote to Vote education project sponsored by the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office. Participating schools have until 3 p.m today for students to cast their ballot for either President Barack Obama or Republican candidate Mitt Romney. “The kids have really been ex-
cited,” said gifted teacher Sandy Blackard as students went into a booth to vote via the internet. Kossuth Elementary is among several local schools taking part in Promote the Vote. Alcorn Central Middle School, Biggersville Elementary, Biggersville High School, Corinth Elementary and Corinth Middle School also participated in the mock election. “I thought it was fun to learn how to vote,” said KES fourth grade student Jamie Hajek. Hajek’s classmate, Jes Patrick, said he made up his mind early on who he was going to vote for in the election.
“I decided to vote for the person I liked the best,” he said. Promote the Vote — done for every major election — is designed to teach the fundamentals of democracy to K-12 students and encourages civic responsibility. The program helps students improve their political decisionmaking abilities and increase their interests in current issues. “I gave them the speech on how important it is to vote and that they should take it serious,” said Blackard, as students Please see VOTING | 2
FALKNER — A Selmer, Tenn., man has died from injuries suffered in a one-vehicle wreck over the weekend. Jerry Matthew “Matt” Ward, 31, died Saturday at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. Ward had been transported to the hospital with life threatening injuries received from the crash. According to a report by the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Troopers attempted to stop the suspect for traveling at a high rate of speed when he tried to flee. Ward eluded officers for approximately 15 miles before he lost control of his 2000 Nissan pickup and crashed. The
accident happened around 10 a.m. Friday on Mississippi 370 near Falkner. “It is unclear why he refused to stop,” said Ray Hall with the Mississippi Highway Patrol. “He had a lengthy criminal history, including a previous felony fleeing charge.” The funeral for the certified welder is set for 3 p.m. Wednesday at Shackelford Funeral Directors in Selmer. Ward, a McNairy Central graduate, is survived by his parents, Jerry and Ann Ward; and a sister, Molly Latham. The crash is being investigated by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the Mississippi Highway Patrol Accident Reconstruction Team.
Police urge safety this Halloween BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@dailycorinthian.com
Little ghosts and goblins will be hitting the streets this week in search of candy and fun as the area celebrates Halloween and law enforcement officials are urging everyone to work together to ensure a safe and
happy holiday. Corinth Deputy Police Chief Scotty Harville said motorists need to be especially aware of children making their rounds on Wednesday — Halloween night. He said the national Please see SAFETY | 2
Corinth Symphony Orchestra seeks concert sponsors BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
The Corinth Symphony Orchestra needs the community’s help to continue its mission of enriching the area’s culture with one-of-a-kind musical experiences. One major change in the
2012-2013 season is that the Corinth Symphony Orchestra will not sell season tickets. The concerts will be funded by sponsorships only. The orchestra is currently raising funds for the upcoming Christmas concert — “Home for the Holidays” — scheduled for
Sunday, Dec. 2, at the downtown Corinth Coliseum Civic Center. “We want this concert to be more than just a concert,” said CSO Board President Lee Ann Story. “We want the Corinth Symphony Orchestra Christmas concert this year to be a
wonderful experience that will make people want to make this concert a part of their family Christmas tradition for years to come.” The 2012 Christmas concert will feature local singers, guest musicians, dancers, singers from the county middle schools
— and lots of surprises. But to bring the concert to the stage, Corinth’s orchestra needs the community’s assistance. “We have an amazing concert experience planned, but we Please see SYMPHONY | 2
Jobless rate Elliott begins job as municipal court clerk stands at 9.4 percent BY STEVE BEAVERS
sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@dailycorinthian.com
Alcorn County followed a statewide trend of rising unemployment rates for the month of September, posting a one percent rise compared to the previous month. The unemployment rate in Alcorn County stood at 9.4 percent for September according to the latest figures released by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. The rate is a one percent increase over August’s figure of 8.4 percent. The rate remains significantly lower than a year ago when unemployment in the county was 12.3 percent in September 2011. Statewide the rate also rose with Mississippi’s overall unemployment rate rising to 9.0 percent for September, up from 8.5 percent in August. The overall number of people employed in Alcorn County also fell slightly from August to September with 13,770 people emPlease see JOBLESS | 3
Zane Elliott hit the ground running on his first day as Corinth’s new municipal court clerk. The newly appointed clerk was expected to conduct over 50 initial court appearances on Monday during hsi first day on the job. “I am honored to be selected for this position and will do my best for the City of Corinth,” he said after being sworn in with wife, Robin, at his side. “This is an important job that is required to bring about justice.” Corinth aldermen appointed Elliott to replace Dianne Johnson, who recently retired after holding the position since 1980. “I have some big shoes to fill,” said the new clerk. “It will be an easy transition though, because Dianne had things set up well.” Corinth Mayor Tommy Irwin performed the swearing in at the Alcorn County Justice Center. Elliott, 50, is also manager of a real estate management company and sells used vehicles. The lifelong resident of Alcorn County is a Corinth High
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Corinth Mayor Tommy Irwin performs the swearing in ceremony Monday morning for new city court clerk Zane Elliott. School graduate and studied business administration at Mississippi State University. “I am ready to get my feet wet and move forward with city business,” said Elliott, the former management employee for Van-Atkins Department
Index Business........7 Classified......14 Comics...... 13 Wisdom...... 12
Weather........5 Obituaries........ 3 Opinion........4 Sports........8
Stores. A past worker in inventory control at ITT, Elliott ran for the office of tax collector in the 2011 election. The duties of the court clerk are: ■ Conducts initial appear-
ances on misdemeanor violations. ■ Sets dockets, tracks tickets, enters all proceedings in the computer system. ■ Prepares warrants and works closely with the jail, among other duties.
On this day in history 150 years ago Gen. Buell is officially relieved by Gen. Rosecrans and sent to his home in Cincinnati to await further orders. They never come. After a year, he will resign his commission and enter civilian life after 23 years of military service.