Issuu

Daily Corinthian

Tuesday Jan. 8,

2013

50 cents

Vol. 117, No. 7

Mostly sunny Today

Tonight

0% chance of rain

• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • 1 section

Possible explosion destroys home BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com

BIGGERSVILLE — An evening fire destroyed a two-story home Saturday. “When we arrived fire was coming out of every window of both stories of the home,” said Biggersville Fire & Rescue Chief Patrick Claunch. “We immedi-

ately asked for additional help.” Biggersville Fire & Rescue was on the scene within nine minutes of the fire that happened around 6:38 p.m. at 303 County Road 513. The twostory home of Terry Rider was burned to the ground with the exception of the garage and apartment of the 6,500 square-

foot house. “It was one of the largest house fires we have worked,” added the chief. Rider and his son, Ethan, were in the apartment when the fire happened. Rider’s fiancée, Dot Starnes, was in another part of the home, Claunch said. “She heard a pop or explo-

sion then looked outside to see flames,” said the chief. The three were able to escape with only their three dogs before the home became fully involved. “The cause has yet to be determined, but it appears to be accidental,” said Claunch. Claunch said the cause is still under investigation.

Area volunteer fire departments from Kossuth, Southwest, Rienzi, Pisgah, Jacinto, Farmington and Wenasoga all assisted in the fire. “We pretty much had every department there,” said the Biggersville chief. Biggersville firemen remained on the scene until 1:15 a.m.

Homicide suspect surrenders in McNairy

Drive-Thru

BY JEFF YORK

Trinity Health Clinic ended Sunday with a new feature — an unintentional drivethru window. Around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, a customer of the nearby Medical Plaza Pharmacy added a large hole to the north side of the building by unsuccessfully attempting a driving maneuver. “The lady was driving through the alley behind us, thinking she could get to the Medical Plaza drivethru. When she realized she couldn’t, she tried to back up, her foot got caught on the gas pedal and she rapidly backed up through the side of the building,” explained Trinity Nurse Practitioner Cynthia Pearson. “She was backed into the building past the driver’s door. She made me a drive-thru!” The runaway car destroyed a storage room, a reception room and a nurse’s office. No one was inside the building at the time of the accident. Trinity Health Clinic employees and friends pitched in Sunday evening to board up the damage and get the clinic ready for business Monday. While the adjuster has not Submitted photo A friend of the business Chip Trulove helps with the cleanup at Trinity Health Clinic on Sunday. yet arrived to assess the dam“He’s the guy we call when somebody drives through a wall,” said nurse practitioner Cynthia PearPlease see DRIVER | 2 son.

For the Daily Corinthian

LEAPWOOD, Tenn. — An Enville man was arrested Sunday afternoon in McNairy County in connection with a New Year’s Day fatal shooting in Dickson, Tenn. Justin Keith Treece turned himself in to Tennessee State Trooper Kenny Lamberth in the woods around Pine Ridge Road and Pickens Road in northeastern McNairy County. Law enforcement officers with the sheriff’s departments from McNairy, Chester and Hardin counties, plus the Tennessee Highway Patrol and TWRA helped during the search. “The Chester County Sheriff’s Department got a tip around 11 a.m. that he was in the Enville area and we later got a tip from a hunter around noon that saw a vehicle that matched Treece’s vehicle,” said McNairy County Sheriff Guy Buck. Please see SUSPECT | 2

Appointments approved by supervisors

Driver backs through Trinity Health Clinic BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com

BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com

The Alcorn County Board of Supervisors on Monday approved six appointments to the tourism board following the city’s appointment actions on Friday. Supervisors unanimously approved the appointment of Sandy Mitchell to the one seat on the board that is solely a county appointee. Mitchell is district clerk with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Alcorn County and is involved in planning activities such as the county fair and livestock show. She replaces John Ross Jr., whose term was to run through October 2015. There is one condition on Mitchell’s appointment, however. Supervisor Gary Ross noted that her salary comes through the county and inquired if that may be a conflict. If Attorney Bill Davis finds no conflict, the appointment will stand. Supervisors concurred with Please see BOARD | 2

Farmers can find it all at show CodeRED

system is month away

BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com

Christmas Day for farmers will come about a month later than the actual holiday. The Crossroads Arena will be bringing all kinds of goodies on the wish list of many farmers with its Alcorn Farm Machinery-Home & Outdoor Show on Jan. 17-19. “This is a good way to help our local dealers since agriculture is such a large industry in the state,” said operations manager Greg Moss. “Our first show went well and was beyond our expectations … it got everyone’s attention on how big it could be.” Moss learned Monday that an excess of $4.5-$5 million in equipment is committed to the auction set for Jan. 19 at 10 a.m. “There will be things for the weekend farmer to the

BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com

Please see SHOW | 2

Please see CODERED | 2

Staff photo by Steve Beavers

TriGreen Equipment’s Chip Trulove (left) and Crossroads Arena Operation Manager Greg Moss discuss the upcoming farm show to be held at the arena Jan. 17-19. ones who farm thousands of acres at the show,” said Moss. “It will be pretty impressive whether you are a farmer or not.” TriGreen Equipment’s

Index Stocks........7 Classified......14 Comics...... 11 Wisdom...... 10

Chip Trulove is glad to have a show right the company’s back yard. “This is the answer to all

The CodeRED notification system is about a month from going live in Alcorn County. The Board of Supervisors on Monday gave authorization to execute the contract documents and move forward with the system. The first-year cost of $16,552 will be split with the City of Corinth. When the system goes live in about 30 days, phones will ring with a test call. “They will do what they call an ‘all call,’” said EMA Director Ricky Gibens. “They will call every number that’s in Alcorn

Weather........5 Obituaries........ 3 Opinion........4 Sports........8

On this day in history 150 years ago Col. Robert C. Murphy, commander of the Union supply depot at Holly Springs, is fired for his poor performance during Gen. Van Dorn’s raid. He travels to Washington, D.C., and becomes a clerk in the Post Office Department.

January is GLAUCOMA Awareness Month Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness and may have no symptoms to warn you! x x x Dr. John Shipp, M.D.

Over 2.2 million Americans have glaucoma but only half of those know they have it. More than 120,000 are blind from glaucoma in the U.S (9-12% of all cases of blindness). The best way to protect your sight from glaucoma is to get tested so it can be treated if needed.

Call 662-286-6068 to schedule your glaucoma eye screening today.

Glaucoma Nerve Damage

Eye Care Specialists 3302 W. Linden St. Corinth, MS 38834 (662) 286-6068

2 • Daily Corinthian

Local/Region

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Hot topics await ’13 session Reid says he misspoke

with disaster comparison

BY EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS Associated Press

JACKSON — Mississippi lawmakers gavel into session at noon today with a broad range of issues to debate during the next three months. They’ll consider allowing widespread development of charter schools, which are public schools that would be free of some state regulations. They’ll examine ways to improve children’s reading skills in the early elementary grades. They could argue about expanding Medicaid, but any proposals will face tough scrutiny. Gov. Phil Bryant and other Republican leaders say the state can’t afford to put hundreds of thousands more people on the government insurance program. But health advocates say expansion could pump big money into the state economy. Roy Mitchell, director of the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program, said putting more people on Medicaid could lead to a healthier and more productive workforce. “We ask that our policy makers closely examine this opportunity,” Mitchell said Monday. This is the second year of state officials’ fouryear term. People who want to read bills are mostly out of luck so far. The legislative website on Monday still listed 2012 as the current session, and a House spokeswoman said the site was unlikely to be updated until later this week. The site usually provides the public a way to scroll through the hundreds of bills that are filed each year.

BY JIM ABRAMS Associated Press

AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis

Senate staff member George Swanigan shampoos the carpet Friday in the Senate chambers at the Capitol in Jackson. Lawmakers are expected to hit the floor running today with a number of hot-button issues including charter schools and the state’s fiscal status. Legislators face an early April deadline to finish a state budget for fiscal 2014, which begins July 1. Bryant and the 14-member Joint Legislative Budget Committee have released separate proposals, and lawmakers are expected to take some ideas from each. Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday that while charter schools won’t solve all of Mississippi’s education problems, they would be “an additional tool in the toolbox.” Speaking during a forum sponsored by the Capitol press corps and Mississippi State University’s Stennis Institute of Government, Reeves also said he believes charter schools should be allowed

anywhere communities want them. Some education officials have said charters should be allowed only in areas where schools are struggling. “That is a decision parents should make,” Reeves said. Bryant proposes spending $15 million to strengthen literacy training for teachers in early elementary grades, with a goal of making sure children can read at the proper grade level by the time they finish third grade. He said fewer than half of Mississippi students are proficient at that level now. Reeves said he believes most lawmakers support a stronger emphasis on reading, but he said details remain to be debated.

ly use the system. The Alcorn School District will join the system going into its second year, when the cost will decrease to $12,250. The school district currently uses a different system. Smart phone users can download a mobile app for CodeRED notifications. In other business: ■ The board received proposals for solid waste disposal services from Waste Management and Waste Connections. The current contract expires in July. The proposals were taken under advisement with no details discussed. ■ The board reappointed Greg Cooley to the workforce investment board. ■ In jail financials,

Warden Doug Mullins reported billing for December including $275,124.74 for the housing of state inmates in the regional jail; $7,500 for state inmates housed in the county jail; $31,000 for Corinth inmates; and $1,100 for Farmington inmates. ■ Supervisors approved observance of Monday, Jan. 21, as a county holiday for the birthdays of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert E. Lee. ■ The board received the oath of office from election commissioners Bobby McDaniel, John Peebles, Billy Bearden, Keith Settlemires and Wendell Dixon. ■ Because of the MLK holiday, the next board meeting will be 9 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 18.

CODERED CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

and do a test call. Everybody is included. If your phone is registered in Alcorn County, whether it be a home phone, business phone or a cell phone, you will receive the call.” It is possible to opt out. However, with the important information that will be distributed, “I don’t know why anybody would want to opt out,” he said. The system will be used for information such as tornado warnings, road closings and other emergency situations. The notifications can be targeted to residents in specific areas. Corinth City Hall, Corinth Gas & Water and the 911 office are the agencies that will initial-

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday that he misspoke when he suggested in a Senate speech that damage from Superstorm Sandy was worse than that inflicted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In a short statement released by his office, the Nevada Democrat said he “simply misspoke” in comments Friday criticizing House Republicans for delaying legislative action to provide financial relief to areas of the Northeast hit by Sandy last October. Reid said the government had responded within days to help the people of Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana after the onslaught of Katrina, but “we are now past two months with the people of New York.” He said the people of New Orleans “were hurt, but nothing in comparison to what’s happened to the people in New England.” He noted that nearly a million people had lost their homes because of Superstorm Sandy. Reid and other Democrats were upset when House Republicans decided against acting on Senate legislation to provide disaster relief for Sandy before the congressional session ended last

AP Photo/Susan Walsh

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada walks out of the House Chamber on Capitol Hill on Friday. Reid said Monday that said he “simply misspoke” in comments Friday criticizing House Republicans for delaying legislative action to provide financial relief to areas of the Northeast hit by Sandy last October. week. On Friday House GOP leaders, after being criticized by fellow Republicans for delaying the disaster aid vote, pushed through a bill approving $9.7 billion to help pay flood insurance claims. The House next week is to take up a broader $51 billion package of aid. Reid’s remarks on Friday drew a sharp response from Sen. David Vitter, R-La., who said in a statement that “sadly, Harry Reid has again revealed himself to be an idiot, this time gravely insulting Gulf Coast residents.” Vitter cited figures from the National Hurricane Center that Katrina

caused 1,833 deaths and more than $108 billion in damage, compared to Sandy which led to an estimated 131 deaths and $65 billion in damage. Reid, in his statement Monday, said he was “proud to have been an advocate for disaster victims in the face of Republican foot-dragging,” and that he had worked with Louisiana’s Democratic senator, Mary Landrieu, to ensure that the people of the Gulf Coast had the resources they need to fully recover. Landrieu put out a statement agreeing that Reid “misspoke and has clarified his statement.”

Fish & Steak, replacing Chris Porterfield; and Luke Doehner of Generals’ Quarters Inn. Little had just been appointed to replace Melissa Carson and apparently did not wish to continue. On Friday, the Board of Aldermen appointed Laura Albright to the one seat that is solely appointed by the city board. Only Doehner and Sorrell are returning members on the seven-person tourism board. In a joint meeting last week, aldermen and su-

pervisors voted 9-1 to declare no confidence in the tourism board and remove them all as the result of a dispute over the tourism budget. Aldermen and supervisors accused the tourism board of intentionally overspending on staff salaries and other line items in the new budget which became effective Oct. 1. Tourism Director Kristy White has submitted a letter of resignation. The next regular meeting of the tourism board is Jan. 15.

helps us.” DeWitt Auctions Company, of Sikeston, Mo., will be in charge of the used-machinery auction slated to go from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. “Equipment will begin to move in here on Monday,” said Moss. There will plenty of sights for those who attend inside the facility during the free event. “As for the inside, there

will be things from lawn mowers to barbecue grills and even some arts and crafts,” added Moss. Greg Peterson, aka Machinery Pete, is set to be filming segments for his “Machinery Show” on Jan. 18-19. The show is televised on RFD-TV. “He will shoot the auction and get four Machinery Pete segments for upcoming episodes of the “Machinery Show” while

now in the Dickson County Jail, is set at $1,500,000. His arraignment date is Thursday at the City of Dickson Municipal Court. Treece was transported to the Dickson jail on Sunday night, according to Buck. He is the main suspect in the shooting death of Draper at a Holiday Inn Express in Dickson on New Year’s Day. Dickson Police will be meeting with McNairy County and Hardin County authorities this week to gather intelligence on the case.

Jackson, 23, was treated and released at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Draper died as a result of the shooting. Jessie Mulder, 20, of Selmer, showed up at her mother’s home in Selmer on Saturday and was questioned by investigators as a “person of interest” in the case, according to the Dickson Police. Mulder was with Treece when the shooting happened. Investigators have not released a possible motive for the shooting or the connection between Treece and Draper.

of repair will be around $30,000. The driver of the car and her passenger were

taken to Magnolia Regional Health Center after complaining of pain but were soon released.

BOARD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

the Board of Aldermen on the five seats designated for representatives of the restaurant and hotel industries and which are jointly approved by the city and county. Those individuals are Russell Smith of Russell’s Steak House, replacing Phil Little; Danny Timmons of Little’s Foods, replacing Glennan Grady; Pauline Sorrell of CB&S Bank, replacing Ricky Marecle; Billy Taylor of Taylor’s

SHOW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

equipment shows,” said the sales manager. “A show like this gives us a chance to meet customers and show them what we have.” TriGreen will have right at $2 million in equipment for sale during the show. “The Arena has been good to us,” said Trulove. “What helps them also

SUSPECT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Now Available at

Historic Downtown Corinth Corinth, MS 38834 662.286.5041

A Little Gift Goes A Long Way

Buck said officers contained the area where Treece was hiding and after he left his vehicle to run into the woods, he later came out of the woods to surrender to Lamberth. Treece is being charged with felony murder and attempted 1st degree murder in the death of Matthew Draper and shooting of Draper’s cousin Cody Jackson. Draper and Jackson are both from Hartsville in Middle Tennessee. The bond for Treece,

DRIVER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

age, Pearson said they “guesstimate” the cost

Local/Region

3 • Daily Corinthian

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Deaths Gene Curtis RAMER, Tenn. — Funeral services for Gene Autry Curtis, 75, were held at 11 a.m. Monday at Shackelford Funeral Directors in Selmer with burial in Lorraine Baptist Church Cemetery. Mr. Curtis died Wednesday, January 2, 2013. Born June 25, 1937 in McNairy County, he was a pipe fitter millwright. Survivors include his wife, Helen Ayers Curtis of Ramer; a daughter, Lisa Contreras and husband Don of Seattle, Wa.; and a son, Michael Gene Curtis and wife Lisa of Orlando, Fla. He was preceded in death by his parents, William Andrew Curtis and Ruby Morgan Curtis; two sisters, Lois Curtis and Mildred Kiddy; and four brothers, Dewey Edward Curtis, Jessie Curtis,

Granville Curtis and John Fred Curtis. Jetta Forsythe officiated. Visitation was 5:30-9 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

Jerry Mathis

Funeral services for Jerry “Tiny” Kenneth Mathis, 64, of Corinth, were held at 2 p.m. Monday at Corinthian Funeral Home Chapel with burial in Valley of the Dogwood Cemetery. Mr. Mathis died Saturday, January 5, 2013 at Magnolia Regional Health Center. Born September 16, 1948, he was retired from Glidewell Trailer Company. He loved to watch girls basketball and softball teams play. Survivors include his wife, Joyce Streetman Mathis of Corinth; and a sister, Rachel Rowland of Corinth.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Edgar Mathis and Pearl Childs Mathis McRay; and two sons, Billy and Wayne Mathis. Bro. Charlie Martin and Eddie Joe Davis officiated. Visitation was 5-9 p.m. Sunday and from noon until service time Monday at the funeral home.

daughter, Tammie Mullally of Memphis; three sons, James Pierce and wife Beth of Knoxville, Tenn., Malcolm Pierce and wife Barbara of Garland, Texas, and Mark Pierce of Ramer; two sisters, Mary Lou Gable of St. Louis, Mo., and Mattie Sue Kirk and husband Jerry of Adamsville, Tenn.; two brothers, Thomas Dewey Foster and wife Glenda of Ramer and Roger Dale Foster and wife Christina of Bartlett, Tenn.; seven grandchildren; and five great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Julie Ann Pierce; her parents, Jesse Eugene and Thelma Christine Lacefield Foster; and a brother, Jesse Franklin “Buddy” Foster. Darren Stapleton officiated. Visitation was 4:30-8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

Erma Pierce

RAMER, Tenn. — Funeral services for Erma Jean Pierce, 76, were held at 1 p.m. Monday at Shackelford Funeral Directors in Selmer with burial in Antioch Church of Christ Cemetery. Mrs. Pierce died Saturday, January 5, 2013 at Jackson Madison County General Hospital. Born July 18, 1936 in Ramer, she was a member of Antioch Church of Christ. Survivors include a

Guys has Mega Millions winner BY JEFF YORK For the Daily Corinthian

There was a $1 million dollar lottery winner in Guys over the weekend when someone won the Mega Millions online game Friday at C Baby’s. The Tennessee Lottery had not released the name of the winner as of Monday afternoon because officials said the winner had not claimed the jackpot. The winning ticket is the 102nd worth $1 million or more since the lottery began in Tennessee in 2004. The winner

has 180 days to claim the prize. C Baby’s, a convenience store in Guys, will receive a $5,000 bonus for selling this winning ticket. The store is located at 1250 Old Highway 45 S. Guys. A player can play the Mega Millions game by selecting any five numbers from 1 to 56 and one Mega Ball from 1 to 46, or choose Quick Pick and let the computer randomly pick any or all of the player’s numbers. If a player matches any of the nine winning num-

ber combinations, they are winners. It costs $1 a playslip to participate in the online game Mega Millions. The player can add $1 for the Megaplier to multiply their winnings by two to four times. If you buy Megaplier on your ticket, and match five of five white balls, you win a million dollars. The longshot odds of winning the $1 million jackpot in Tennessee is one in 175,711,536. Christine Spence, of Stantonville, was the last McNairy County winner

in the lottery. She won $227,600 playing Cash 4. Spence bought the winning ticket at Louie’s Grocery & More in Memphis. C Baby’s last winning ticket was bought by Bobby Devers, of Corinth. He won $10,000 playing the Red Hot Slots game. Guys resident Angie Maness was the lottery’s first winner of the instant ticket “Win for Life” grand prize in December 2004. The Lottery considered the win as a $1 million prize.

Rita Burns Carter

Funeral services for Rita Burns Carter, 84, are set for 2 p.m. Wednesday at McPeters Inc. Funeral Directors Chapel with Bro. Roger Wood officiating. Burial will follow in the Dogwood Cemetery. Ms. Carter died Monday, January 7, 2013 at Southern Magnolia Estates in Golden. She was born August 28, 1932 to the late Erit Herman and Vera Mason Burns. She was a retired graduate of Corinth High School, Blue Mountain College, University of Mississippi and a Specialist in Elementary Education, having taught for 22 years in the Alcorn County School System. She was a member of Harper Road Christian Church. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers, Jimmy, Lamar, Hugh, and Buckshot Burns; and nephew, David Burns. Survived by her nieces, Barbara Goggins, Sherry Mace, Kathy Burns, Christy Cooper; nephew, Keith Linsley; and a host of other family and friends. Family will receive friends Wednesday from 1 p.m. to service time. McPeters Inc. Funeral Director is in charge of arrangements.

Obituary Policy The Daily Corinthian include the following information in obituaries: The name, age, city of residence of the deceased; when, where and manner of death of the deceased; time and location of funeral service; name of officiant; time and location of visitation; time and location of memorial services; biographical information can include date of birth, education, place of employment/occupation, military service and church membership; survivors can include spouse, children, parents, grandparents, siblings (step included), and grandchildren, great-grandchildren can be listed by number only; preceded in death can include spouse, children, parents, grandparents, siblings (step included), grandchildren; great-grandchildren can be listed by number only. No other information will be included. All obituaries (complete and incomplete) will be due no later than 4 p.m. on the day prior to its publication.

Things to do Today NAACP schedules reunion planning meeting The NAACP is having a planning meeting for the 2013 Homecoming/Reunion tonight at the Johns Street Community Center in Corinth at 6 p.m. Any interested persons should attend and bring their ideas.

Guild exhibit to feature Briggs’ works

Implant death yields more charges Associated Press

JACKSON — A second person faces a charge of murdering a Georgia woman who died from an illegal buttocks implant in Mississippi in March, authorities said Monday. The Mississippi attorney general’s office said in a news release that 39-year-old Natasha Stewart of Memphis, Tenn., was arrested Jan. 3. The release said she waived extradition and will be returned to Mississippi. Stewart, who also goes by the name Pebbelz, was indicted on charges of murder, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, authorities said. It wasn’t immediately clear whether she had an attorney. Morris Garner, who also goes by the name Tracey Lynn Garner, was previously charged with depravedheart murder and is said to have performed the procedure at his house in Jackson, Miss., on 37-year-old Karima Gordon of Atlanta. Investigators have said the silicone-like substance that was injected into Gordon caused blood clots in her lungs and killed her. Depraved-heart murder is a legal term for an action that demonstrates a “callous disregard for human life” and results in death. It carries a life

sentence. Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood has said Garner had no training or license to perform the implant procedure. Hood had said earlier in the investigation that Gordon, who had served in the military and wanted to become a model, found Garner after meeting someone on the Internet known to authorities at that time only as “Pebbles.” Gordon met the woman in person in New York City and paid her $200 for the referral to Garner, according to Hood. Gordon drove to Mississippi with a friend to have the procedure but became ill a few hours later. Her friend called Garner and asked what to do, and he told them to buy some cough medicine, authorities say. Gordon died at a Georgia hospital a few days later. Deaths from illegal cosmetic procedures have happened sporadically around the country as people seek cheaper alternatives to plastic surgeons. A New Jersey woman pleaded not guilty last year after authorities charged her with giving a man a fatal dose of silicone during a penile enhancement procedure. Prosecutors say the suspect in that case had no medical training.

Education leaders plan town meetings Associated Press

CLEVELAND — The Mississippi Department of Education is holding meetings this week to discuss how to draw lines for the election of school board members in two new districts in Bolivar County. The town meetings will run through Thursday with a final meeting scheduled for Jan. 14. North Bolivar School district will merge administratively with Mound Bayou School District. The West Bolivar School District will merge with Shaw and Benoit School Districts. The Cleveland School District will remain as it was before the passage of 2012 law that requires school administrative consolidation in any Mississippi county with more than five separate school districts. The date for the administrative consolidation is July 1, 2014.

Jeremiah Briggs’ artistic works are featured at the Corinth Artist Guild Gallery.Briggs is a special education teacher at North Side High School in Jackson, Tenn., The gallery is also featuring a collection of Jesse Ables’ snow scenes. Regular 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.

Senior activities include Wii sports class The First Presbyterian Senior Adult Ministry is hosting a Wii sports class for senior adults on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. There is no cost to participate. Call the church office at 286-6638 to register or Kimberly Grantham at 284-7498.

Activity center events open to seniors The Bishop Activity Center is having the following activity today — Exercise, SportsPlex. Senior citizens age 60 and above are welcome and encouraged to attend. Daily activities include crafts, jigsaw puzzles, quilting, table games (Dominoes & Rook), washer games and Rolo Golf.

Shiloh museum dedicated to battle, vets A museum dedicated to the Battle of Shiloh and area veterans is open next to Shiloh National Military Park. It is located at the intersection of state Route 22 and Route 142 in Shiloh, across from Ed Shaw’s Restaurant. The Shiloh Battlefield & World War II Museum is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. For more information call Larry DeBerry at 731-926-0360.

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Opinion

Mark Boehler, editor

4 • Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Corinth, Miss.

Other Views An ‘honest discussion’ about cost of Medicaid expansion in Mississippi BY DAVID J. DZIELAK There has been great interest and much discussion about whether or not to expand Medicaid eligibility for adults in Mississippi as prescribed by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Along with the interest and discussion there is a considerable amount of rhetoric, half-truths and fact bending about the costs and benefits of expanding Medicaid in our state. What I would like to do is state the facts as we know them and clear up several misconceptions about the cost of expanding Medicaid. Fact number one: Implementation of the provisions of the ACA even without expanding eligibility will increase the cost of the Medicaid program. This is because the ACA mandates expansion of coverage for current eligibility groups. Medicaid coverage for foster children will be extended from 21 to 26 years of age. Children age 6-18 who are currently covered at 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) will be covered up to 138 percent of the FPL. The ACA resets the way eligibility is determined by applying IRS standards to household composition and whose income counts toward eligibility. These changes can result in greater eligibility. Pressure from the health insurance individual mandate, referrals from the new health insurance exchange and loss of employer coverage will encourage individuals currently eligible for Medicaid benefits, but are not enrolled in the program, to enroll. This is known as the “woodwork effect” and is the largest driver of ACA induced spending in the Medicaid budget without expansion. Additionally, administrative expenditures will increase due to the increased number of beneficiaries and eligibility modernization requirements. These costs will be matched by the federal government at the current federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP), not at 100 percent which is often quoted. Fact number two: The “woodwork effect” is real. Recall in 2000 and 2001, there was a concerted effort in Mississippi to enroll children in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In that one year enrollees 0-18 years of age in CHIP increased by 18,872; in that same year 65,520 children 0-18 years of age who were eligible for Medicaid but had not enrolled, were added as Medicaid beneficiaries. When awareness is increased, enrollment grows. Fact number three: Expansion to 138 percent of the FPL will not be completely financed by the federal government for the first three years of expansion. The ACA stipulates that the federal government pay 100 percent of the medical services costs for years 2014-2017. As mentioned above, there will be an increase in administrative costs to the Mississippi Division of Medicaid (DOM) to enroll an expected additional 220,000 to 370,000 individuals in the program. Fact number four: Milliman Inc. is an internationally recognized actuarial firm and has detailed knowledge of current and past enrollment and spending patterns. These were used to model cost for complying with the mandatory requirements of the ACA and for expanding Medicaid eligibility. The Milliman report on the cost of Medicaid expansion in Mississippi is accurate, unbiased and based on the timeliest information we have today. The estimates range from $609 million to $1.032 billion in state dollars. Fact number five: The fate of Disproportionate Share Hospital Payments (DSH) is unknown at this time. DSH provides financial assistance to hospitals that serve a large number of indigent and uninsured patients. The ACA substantially reduces DSH payments beginning in 2014. There has been no guidance or rulemaking by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on whether or not DSH payments will be reduced in states that do not expand Medicaid eligibility. In fact, one could argue that reducing DSH payments in states that do not expand Medicaid is unduly coercive and prohibited by the Supreme Court ruling. Medicaid funding issues are complex, but cost issues attributed to the ACA are clear. It will cost our Medicaid program substantially more money to comply with these new federal regulations. (David J. Dzielak, Ph.D. is executive director of the Mississippi Division of Medicaid.)

Prayer for today Lord, may today’s rising sun remind us that your light is for the healing of the nations. Amen.

A verse to share Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. — Isaiah 40:3 (NRSV)

Education will dominate legislative session JACKSON — Want to know who’ll control the narrative of the 2013 Mississippi legislative session? Look first to the lawmakers who will handle education proposals, and to the private groups lobbying for or against charter schools. Also look to those who’ll write the budget, handle a bond package and tackle the complex questions tied to health care policy. It’s been just over 30 years since Democratic Gov. William Winter pushed reluctant lawmakers to enact the Education Reform Act of 1982, a broad package of changes that included the start of compulsory attendance, the addition of teachers’ aides and the creation of kindergarten in public schools. And, it’s been nearly 16 years since lawmakers overhauled the decades-old school funding system with the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, a complex (and often ignored) formula that seeks to give each school district enough money, in theory, to meet midlevel academic standards. Current state leaders are itching to make their own

changes to education. Their biggest push is to get public charter schools, Emily which are Wagster designed to Pettus have more flexibility in Capitol Dome academic offerings, operating hours or disciplinary approaches. Gov. Phil Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn, all Republicans, say charter schools should foster innovation that could improve academic performance. Critics, including Democratic former Secretary of State Dick Molpus, say officials now are taking too narrow an approach to education policy. “The charter school legislation’s going to suck all the oxygen out of that legislative session,” Molpus said. “If 10 schools get established at 500 apiece, that’s 5,000 students. That’s less than 1 percent of the students in Mississippi.” Molpus was among the Winter staffers who helped steer the Education Reform

Act into law. In 1995, Molpus unsuccessfully ran for governor. Bryant and Reeves, and their aides, have been talking to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush about changes he made in his state, including putting a greater emphasis on ensuring children become strong readers while they’re in early elementary school. Legislators are expected to consider proposals modeled after the Florida approach. Some other potential power players this session: ■ Sam Bounds, executive director of the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents, provides a direct link between administrators back home and lawmakers at the Capitol. An undecided House member or senator might turn to Bounds to understand the implications of education proposals. ■ Mississippi First, a nonprofit group, has been shoulder-deep in a wide variety of education proposals the past couple of years, including advocating that schools teach evidence-based sex education courses. This session, the group is deeply involved in

pushing for charter schools in academically struggling parts of the state. ■ Nancy Loome leads the Parents’ Campaign, a nonprofit group that aggressively seeks full funding for the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. Loome sends frequent email updates to tens of thousands of people, generating the kind of attention that’s hard for legislators to ignore — even if they grumble about the tactic. ■ House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jeff Smith, R-Columbus, will push again to get a bond package after Reeves wouldn’t agree to a House proposal in 2012. ■ The Republican chairmen of the Public Health committees -- Sen. Dean Kirby of Pearl and Rep. Sam Mims of McComb -- have the most influence over whether lawmakers consider expanding Medicaid under the 2010 federal health care law. Although GOP leaders say expansion will be too expensive, they can expect pushback from vocal Democrats, including Steve Holland of Plantersville in the House and Hob Bryan of Amory in the Senate.

Republicans are surviving their own Dunkirk At the Potsdam conference with Harry Truman and Josef Stalin, Winston Churchill learned that the voters of the nation he had led for five years through World War II had just voted to throw him out of office. “It may well be a blessing in disguise,” said his wife, Clementine. “At the moment, it seems quite effectively disguised,” replied Churchill. Republicans must feel that way today. For they have survived their own Dunkirk. That Republicans suffered a rout, as the British did with the fall of France and evacuation at Dunkirk in 1940, is undeniable. The party that blocked tax increases since George H.W. Bush agreed to raise Ronald Reagan’s top rate of 28 percent to 35 percent, thus repudiating his “no-new-taxes” pledge, just signed on to one of the largest tax increases in history. Payroll taxes on working Americans will rise by a third, from 4.2 percent of wages and salaries to 6.2 percent. For couples earning $450,000, the tax rate rises from 15 to 20 percent on dividends and capital gains, and from 35 to 39.6 percent on ordinary income. The death tax will rise from 35 to 40 percent on estates

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over $5 million. Obamacare will push those rates up further. And Pat now we Buchanan learn the bill was stuffed Columnist with tax breaks for windmills, NASCAR owners and Hollywood. Why did Republicans go along? Had they not, taxes would have risen for everyone. And Obama would have postured as the tax-cutting savior of the middle class by proposing to restore the Bush tax cuts for every couple earning less than $250,000. The GOP defense: We took this rotten deal to prevent a worse one. And what, if any, is the “blessing in disguise?” Obama has no more leverage. The Bush tax cuts for the 98 percent are now permanent. To block further tax hikes, all the House need do, from now to 2017, is stand united and just say no. Obama is thus almost certainly staring at four more trillion-dollar deficits to match the last four, and he has no leverage to force Republicans to provide him with new revenue.

The president threatens that before he signs on to new spending cuts, Republicans will have to “make the rich pay their fair share.” The GOP response should be: We will work with you on spending cuts, but there will be no more tax increases. If higher taxes are a condition you impose for spending cuts, there will be no spending cuts. John Boehner and the Republicans got their clocks cleaned in these negotiations because they believed the president was dealing in good faith. But the ideology and the interests of the Democratic Party dictate not only preserving federal programs, but expanding the numbers of beneficiaries, already near 100 million. For the larger the number of beneficiaries, the larger the bloc of voters for the party of government and the greater the opposition to any who would dare to cut government. The question for Republicans is what they do now, besides say no to new taxes. Most Democrats are not going to agree to freeze or cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare, food stamps, federal aid to education, Head Start, Pell Grants, housing subsidies, welfare, earned income tax

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credits or unemployment checks. These are the party’s pride and joy. As for the Republicans, is it wise to propose cuts in Social Security and Medicare, upon which Republican seniors depend, when they know for certain Democrats will reject those cuts and take credit for doing so? Will Republicans recommend cuts in defense and foreign aid and a rollback of the U.S. military presence abroad? Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham already want to know why we are not intervening in Syria. Soon, some Republicans will be beating the drums for strikes on Iran. Republicans Chris Christie and Peter King already want to know why Congress has not forked over $60 billion to repair the damage done by Hurricane Sandy. Let the Democrats take the lead, drive the car, propose the tax hikes, refuse to make the spending cuts and answer for where we are in 2016, because, right now, it looks as though we are headed for an even bigger cliff. For the next two years, the best offense may be a good defense. (Daily Corinthian columnist Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of “Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?”)

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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 • Tuesday, January 8, 2013 • 5

State Briefs Associated Press

Med school building holds groundbreaking JACKSON — Leaders are hailing a new medical school teaching building as a way to improve Mississippi’s health. Gov. Phil Bryant, University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones and others broke ground Monday on a new $63 million building that would allow the school to add another 30 to 40 students per class. The Bryant administration steered $10 million in federal grant money to help get construction started. But Bryant and university leaders are looking to the Legislature to authorize state bor-

rowing to pay for rest. Bryant’s goal is for lawmakers to borrow $25 million this year and $25 million in 2014 to pay for the 5-story, 151,000 square-foot building. Medical school students are taught in a building that opened in 2000 and in the hospital built in 1955.

Women sentenced on robbery charges GULFPORT — U.S. District Judge Walter J. Gex III has sentenced a mother and daughter from Texas to prison terms on charges of bank robbery. The Sun Herald reports that Evie Mearlene Herrin, 58, and Amelia Darci

Crew, 30, both of Cleveland, Texas, were fined $5,000 each. Gex sentenced Herrin to 5 years and 10 months in prison for using a BB gun to hold up a Regions Bank on U.S. Highway 49 on March 26. Crew was sentenced to 3 years and 10 months. Herrin and Crew pleaded guilty Oct. 1. They are charged in Louisiana with robberies of a bank in Kinder, La., in February and another in Sulphur, La., in March. They are charged in February heist in Henderson, Texas.

Motion: Smith not fit to stand trial GREENWOOD — Law-

SALE SALE SALE

yers for Dr. Arnold Smith say he is severely mentally ill and should be hospitalized so he can get better. The Greenwood Commonwealth reports that Smith’s legal team filed in Leflore County Circuit Court a statement from a psychologist who found Smith, 70, is unable to adequately defend himself against charges in an alleged murder-for-hire plot. Judge Breland Hilburn took under advisement this past week a motion from the defense to send Smith to a mental health hospital for treatment and a motion from prosecutors to have Smith examined by doctors at the Mississippi State Hospital at Whitfield.

Smith is charged with murder as the alleged instigator of a plot that ended with the death of gunman Keaira Byrd and the serious wounding Derrick Lacy. Byrd allegedly had been hired to kill attorney Lee Abraham, who represented Smith’s ex-wife in their divorce years ago.

Palazzo called for swift aid after Katrina BILOXI — U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo says he voted against funding to pay the Hurricane Sandy flood insurance claims because of the deficit, but as the chief financial officer for the Biloxi Public Housing Authority in 2005, Palazzo asked for

federal relief despite the nation’s debt. The authority listed $38.5 million in in “Total Funds Needed Right Away” in a handout published one month after Hurricane Katrina hit Mississippi’s coast. Palazzo has been criticized for joining 66 other House Republicans who voted Friday against adding $9.7 billion to pay National Flood Insurance Program claims. The bill passed the House and Senate, with Palazzo the only Mississippi representative or senator opposing it. Congress had to bail out NFIP after Katrina’s devastating losses, resulting in an $18 billion NFIP debt.

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6 • Tuesday, January 8, 2013 • Daily Corinthian

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