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Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 201
Partly Sunny Today
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87
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • 1 section
Inmate escapes, found hiding in ditch BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@dailycorinthian.com
A Booneville man being held in the Prentiss County jail on burglary and larceny charges escaped from a parked patrol car while shackled at the hands and waist and was discovered a short time later hiding submerged in a nearby ditch. Matthew Branch Arnold, 24, of Booneville had been taken to a doctor by a deputy who then stopped at Booneville Discount Pharmacy to have a prescription filled - leaving the prisoner locked in the back of the patrol car. Arnold was dressed in orange prison clothing, hand-
cuffed behind his back and shackled at the feet. Prentiss County Sheriff Randy Tolar said Arnold kicked out the back driver’s side window of the car and fled on foot. After approximately an hour, Deputy Keith Lovell spotted the prisoner trying to cross a ditch between MetroCast cable and Unity Broadcasting on North Third Street, one street west of the pharmacy. The suspect then attempted to elude officers by hiding under an overhang in the bank of the ditch with only his nose above the water to allow him to breathe. Booneville Police
Department Detective Jerry Bridges noticed the water looked different in the area and then spotted the submerged prisoner. Arnold was taken back into custody at 1:49 p.m., approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes after he escaped. Tolar said he had been in the Prentiss County Jail since June 13 on burglary and larceny charges filed by Booneville PD. He will now face an additional charge of felony escape. The sheriff said they appreciate all those who assisted in Please see WATERLOGGED | 2
Photo courtesy Prentiss County Sheriff’s Department
Prentiss County Deputy Keith Lovell leads escapee Matthew Branch Arnold out of a ditch, where the prisoner had attempted to hide by submerging himself under the water after escaping from a patrol car.
Drainage districts eye tax option BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The Bridge, Phillips and Elam Drainage Districts are making preparations to exercise their taxing authority. Milton Sandy Jr., chairman of the Elam Creek Drainage District, delivered notice of the intended tax to the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors Monday morning along with final paperwork on the fourth of the five priority drainage projects approved
by the Tombigbee River Valley Water Management District. The concurrent drainage districts are seeking a tax of twotenths of 1 mill on property within the districts beginning in fiscal 2013. Sandy said it is a “token” amount that will generate about $15,000 per year and cost $2 on a property with a value of $100,000. In an afternoon session, supervisors focused on the county budget and completed the pro-
posal which will go to a public hearing at 9 a.m. on Sept. 4. The Board of Supervisors is proposing no change to the millage level of 53. One reason for the drainage district tax is “so we can pay legal and engineering costs to consolidate these three drainage districts into one,” said Sandy. “Our intention is to consolidate into one drainage district and annex property within the city of Corinth, which is us-
ing the drainage districts for storm water drainage.” Another reason is to be better positioned for grants. “You have to prove that you have taxing authority, and you have to prove that you can maintain the improvements that the Corps of Engineers or any kind of government agency helps you with,” said Sandy. Please see DISTRICT | 2
Boys & Girls Club garners education award BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
“Telling Teens” is tops in Mississippi. The Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Mississippi received the best club honor for the musical production used to promote its after school program. The local club was presented the Mississippi Program Award in Education & Career at a banquet hosted by the Boys & Girls Club of America and Mississippi Area Council. “I have won program awards the last five years, but this is the first one in education,” said unit director Christy Grice. Grice, who was named unit director of the Corinth club last
June, won previously in the art & life skills category. “The goal of the project was to develop a core of teenage storytellers who would promote the club and share the benefits of being a member as well as the benefits of building community partnership,” said the unit director. Grice used the story of “The Wizard of Oz” to show the benefits. The club’s version of the classic had Dorothy discovering the Boys & Girls Club and all it has to offer. “I was looking for something to the keep the kids interested,” she said. “I think they really Please see AWARD | 2
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Unit Director Christy Grice and the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Mississippi received the Boys & Girls Club of Amercia and Mississippi Area Council program award in the education and career development category.
‘Controlled burn’ sees 3 FDs respond BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
A controlled burn at a Pisgah residence got the attention of a number of concerned motorists Monday morning. The Pisgah Volunteer Fire Department received a call just after 9 a.m. about a structure fire on the corner of U.S. 45 and County Road 8200, just across the line in Prentiss County. When firefighters arrived at the scene a few minutes later they learned that it was a controlled burning of an old manufactured home, said Pisgah Fire Chief Gary Yancey. “It was a controlled burn, but a concerned passerby saw it and called it in,” said Yancey. “But it was an old trailer they had been tearing apart for a couple of weeks. The windows were gone, wires and two-by-fours were showing — it was an old trailer being demolished.” Yancey said the firefighters didn’t realize the call wasn’t an emergency until they arrived at the scene. “I guess we can consider it a training session,” the fire chief said with a laugh. “If it had been the real McCoy, we’d have been Please see BURN | 2
Photo contest has 50 entries; deadline to enter is Aug. 31 BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Crossroads Museum Director Brandy Steen hands a photo contest entry.
The Crossroads Museum is asking local photographers to put forth their best shots. The entry period for the annual photo competition is open and continues through Aug. 31. About 50 entries have been submitted thus far. “What I’ve seen so far are really good,” said Museum Director Brandy Steen. “I’ve gotten a lot of vacation photos.” The museum hopes to see a spike in participation this year, and Steen notes that anyone might have a winner on the camera phone in his or her pocket. “Someone asked me the other day if they could enter a photo
Index Stocks........7 Classified......14 Comics...... 12 Wisdom...... 11
Weather........5 Obituaries........ 3 Opinion........4 Sports........8
of a sunset they took using their iPhone,” she said. The answer is yes — as long as an 8x10 print can be made, it’s eligible. “I encourage anyone who has taken a photo they are proud of to enter the contest,” said Steen. The competition is for amateur photographers who do not derive more than half of their income from photography, and the photos cannot have been previously published. Photos must have been taken since 2010 and may be entered in the categories of architectural landscapes, natural landscapes, people, pets and animals, blossoms, vacations and digitally edited. With the exception of the va-
cation category, photos must have been taken in the local tristate region. Contest entries will comprise an exhibit for the month of September at the museum with an opening reception and awards ceremony on Sept. 7. The museum changed its previous plan to have the exhibit at the library. The cost is $10 per entry for the first three photos and $5 per entry thereafter, with the number of entries determining the cash prizes. Photos may be digital, film, black and white or color. Photos should be submitted in the 8 by 10 format and should not be framed or matted. Photos Please see CONTEST | 2
On this day in history 150 years ago Aug. 21 — President Davis orders that General David Hunter and “all other officers who drilled, organized, or instructed slaves with a view to using them as soldiers to kill whites were to be considered outlaws. If captured, they were not to be treated like prisoners-of-war but held for execution as felons.”
August is National CATARACT Awareness Month
Dr. John Shipp, M.D.
Cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss worldwide, affecting nearly 22 million Americans age 40 and older. By age 80, half of all Americans will have cataracts. Cataracts are a natural result of aging when the eye’s lens turns yellow and cloudy. Symptoms of cataracts may include blurred vision, difficulty seeing at night, glare or sensitivity to light, faded colors, need for brighter light for reading, and frequent changes in eyeglass prescription. --- If you are experiencing trouble with your vision that may be due to cataracts, call (662) 286-6068 to schedule your cataract evaluation.
Eye Care Specialists 3302 W. Linden St. Corinth, MS 38834 (662) 286-6068