Wednesday May 22,
2013
50 cents
Taste
Home & Garden
Less is more when making a great burger.
Salvia gives gardens a cottage feel.
Page 1B
Page 14A
Daily Corinthian Vol. 117, No. 121
T-storms Today
Tonight
82
61
60% chance of t-storms
• Corinth, Mississippi • 22 pages • Two sections
Liquor, beer vote too close to call BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
IUKA — More than 40 years after Tishomingo County’s last vote on ending prohibition, the result was so close it couldn’t be decided Tuesday night, although “for” votes maintained a razorthin advantage. The fate of legal liquor, beer and light wine sales rests in the hands of 67 residents who completed affidavit ballots that will be counted sometime today at the Tishomingo County Courthouse. The
timing was unclear, because court will be in session, and Circuit Clerk Donna Dill said the count will likely wait for court to adjourn for the day, possibly by noon. The liquor vote was accompanied by a rare county-wide vote on the sale of beer and light wine. For liquor, votes in favor numbered 3,232, and votes against numbered 3,213, a margin of 19 votes. For beer and light wine, “for” votes numbered 3,219, and “against” votes numbered 3,175, a margin of 44. With 67 affidavits outstanding, nei-
ther proposition could be called. Those totals include all machine, absentee and curb-side votes. Absentees numbered 342. The Iuka area generally gave the largest vote in favor of legal sales. “For” also carried comfortably at the North Burnsville and Tishomingo precincts. Contrary to the expectations of petition organizer Charles “Tubby” Aldridge, apart from Tishomingo, much of the south end of the county voted strongly against the sale of liquor and beer. Boxes such
as East Belmont, Belmont, Dennis and Golden voted “against” by large margins. Aldridge, who watched the numbers roll in throughout the night with a courtroom full of spectators, felt the election would ultimately go his way. “I never would have thought it would have been this close, actually,” he said. “If the people that said they was going to vote for it had come out and vote, it would have won big-time. The diehards that are against it, they are going
to show up. They got theirs.” Voter turnout was 50.1 percent. The debate over legal sales was quiet Tuesday night as the crowd focused on the numbers announced by Dill and displayed on a large screen. There were few signs of persuasion one way or the other outside the building. A thoroughly rusted old Ford pickup had a “vote against” flyer taped to the door on each side and a couple more taped to the back window. Around the corner, another truck displayed a large “for” banner.
10 million gallon water treatment facility dedicated BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Hook’em Horns
Kossuth High School senior Hunter Mitchell captures the moment of the 2013 KHS Graduation on Monday night. Corinth will close out the commencement year on Friday with its 7 p.m. ceremony at the Crossroads Arena.
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves was among the speakers at the dedication ceremony to Corinth’s new $50 million water treatment facility on Tuesday. “We’ve heard repeatedly from people in our state, that our number one priority in our state must be job creation, what we do to bring better and higher paying jobs to Mississippi,” said Reeves. “Government does not create jobs. It creates an environment that encourages the private sector to invest capital and create
jobs. Your governments here have done just that.” The lieutenant governor said the water treatment facility is a long-term investment in job development and congratulated everyone involved in the project for having foresight many years ago. “Politicians think in fouryear cycles,” he said, “but true public servants are able to look beyond the next four years and make sacrifices and decisions for projects like this.” Located approximately sevPlease see DEDICATION | 3A
City board delays action on zoning variance for school BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Citing the need for further study, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Tuesday delayed action on a requested zoning variance for a Christian school to locate near Harper and Shiloh. Pathway Christian Academy, currently located on Proper Street, would relocate to the property neighboring the Shiloh Road
branch of Regions bank and begin holding classes there in August. The property is a former residence that most recently was used as a daycare, and neighbors in the area have opposed past requests to change zoning there. In this case, the request is for a variance allowing a school to operate, and the zone would remain residential. The board of adjustment/planning commission met Monday
night and gave approval for the request contingent upon meeting several stipulations made by the building inspector. Mayor Tommy Irwin said the request is new to the Board of Aldermen, and he wants them to get fully informed on the matter because of the past history of requests at this address. City Attorney Wendell Trapp said it appears neighbors are not opposed to the school as long as
the zoning continues to be residential to prevent other possible uses in the future. Myra Rencher, representing the school, said it has about 40 students and is currently located in the old Happy Campers Daycare. The building inspector has listed some items such as emergency lights and handicap accessibility that must be addressed. In other business:
■ The board approved an onpremises beer license for Smith restaurant and an off-premises beer license for B-Mart. ■ Aldermen reappointed Jimmy Johnson to the library commission. ■ Jay Baxter addressed the board with a complaint about temporary advertising signs for The Warehouse being removed by the city.
Reeves discusses priorities in Kiwanis/Rotary gathering BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves spoke to a joint meeting of the Corinth Rotary and Kiwanis on Tuesday at Shiloh Ridge. Reeves’s talk focused on what’s been going on in the state capitol over his first 16 months as lieutenant governor. “What I’ve tried to do is bring fiscal responsibility, get the budget under control, reform the public schools so every kid has the opportunity for success and work with cities and counties if the opportunity is
ready to prepare resources to grow our job base,” said Reeves. Reeves said the number one priority for government must be job creation. “The government creates an environment that encourages the private sector to invest capital and create jobs,” said Reeves. During his time in office, Reeves has worked to cut taxes by eliminating inventoStaff photo by Bobby J. Smith ry tax — a tax that is in place in Mississippi Rotary and Kiwanis members welcomed Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves for lunch on but not the surrounding states, he said. The Tuesday. Pictured here are Rotary President Jason Marlar, Clayton Stanley, of Capitol Resources, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeve and Kiwanis President Jason Please see REEVES | 6A Grisham.
Index Stocks......8A Classified......5B Comics......3B State......5A
Weather....10A Obituaries......6A Opinion......4A Sports....12A
On this day in history 150 years ago Vicksburg Campaign. Grant orders another frontal assault against the Vicksburg defenses, but is thrown back. He determines to conduct a siege of the city. President Davis calls on Gen. Braxton Bragg to bring the Army of Tennessee to the relief of Vicksburg, who unable to comply.
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