Tuesday April 2,
2013
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 117, No. 79
Mostly cloudy Today
Tonight
58
38
30% chance of rain
• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • One section
Bonding company will cover missing funds BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The bonding company for former Crossroads Arena manager Reggie Churchwell will pay the amount of a demand for missing funds from the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office. In Monday’s meeting of the Alcorn County Board of Su-
pervisors, Board President Lowell Hinton signed a release and assignment for payment of $34,678.29 to the county by Travelers Casualty and Surety Company. “This is, in essence, a full repayment of those funds that were missing from the arena under the bond from the prior
manager,” including principal, interest and the auditor’s investigative costs, said Board Attorney Bill Davis. In October 2011, the auditor’s office issued a written formal demand for the sum that was allegedly missing from the facility, which is owned by the county and city governments.
Churchwell denied any wrongdoing. He maintained that the arena used an outdated accounting system and did not monitor the handling of money by two other arena employees who were not bonded. “It seems that since I am the only employee with a bond that this is what the State of Missis-
sippi is going after,” Churchwell said in his answer to the state’s request for payment. He spent five years as manager ending with his dismissal in August 2009. In other business, the board heard further comments from Please see FUNDS | 2
Supervisors make switch in waste disposal operation BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
After a lengthy discussion Monday afternoon with two waste disposal businesses, the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors agreed to a 10-year contract with Waste Connections Inc. The board had proposals on the table from Waste Management and Waste Connections for waste disposal and operation of the transfer station. The board has an existing contract with Waste Management through July. Waste Connections had a slightly higher proposed tipping fee, but supervisors felt the lower proposed fee to be
Submitted photo
Travis Tritt will be appearing in concert at the Crossroads Arena on May 17.
Travis Tritt kicks off first concert of year at Arena BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
T-R-O-U-B-L-E is coming to the Crossroads Arena. Travis Tritt is bringing his musical talent to the facility on May 17. One of the leading country singers of the early 90s, Tritt will be the Crossroads Arena's first concert of 2013. “I am beyond excited,” said Crossroads Arena General Manager Tammy Genovese. “Travis is a fun entertainer and the perfect opportunity we were looking for here at the arena …
it's going to be a fun concert.” Tickets for the 7 p.m. show go on sale Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m. VIP seating is $53 while the rest of the floor reserved seating is $38. General Admission riser seating is set at $28. “Travis is doing a pretty full year and we are glad he is choosing to come by here,” added the general manager. A Marietta, Ga. native, he signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1989. Tritt released seven studio albums along with a greatest hits package for the label on his way to putting to-
BY JEBB JOHNSTON
Please see TRITT | 2
Please see DISPOSAL | 2
Liquor special election scheduled May 21 in Tishomingo County jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
gether a string of platinum albums and Top Ten singles, including three number one hits. “He is one of those bluesy Southern rock guys that draws fans,” said Genovese. Seven of his albums are certified platinum or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America. His 1991 album It's All About to Change is the highest certified at triple-platinum and leads off with one of his popular songs “Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)”
charged to businesses bringing rubbish and debris to the transfer station was in the best interest of county residents. The county aims to direct rubbish away from the existing landfill site. The vote was unanimous. The terms are $22.98 per ton for waste delivered by Alcorn County on its collection vehicles with no fuel surcharge and no annual adjustment of the tipping fee based on the consumer price index. Residents bringing rubbish to the transfer station will pay a $5 minimum, and each load is subject to being weighed. Businesses
IUKA — The Tishomingo County Board of Supervisors on Monday set a special election for May 21 on the legalization of liquor, wine and beer sales. While most recent efforts in Mississippi are moving toward city elections, this is a countywide election, with voters from North Crossroads to Dennis eligible to have a say. The man behind the petition, Charles Aldridge, has been gathering signatures for three years. “It feels good,” he said Monday afternoon, “but it will feel better when it’s over. I think it’s going to win.”
Aldridge said many people didn’t believe he would ever succeed in getting the issue to the polls, and he is proud to have proven them wrong. Circuit Clerk Donna Dill, whose office has verified the signatures along the way, said the petition contains 2,651 names, exceeding the required number of 2,593. Aldridge, who has been a vocal proponent of legalization, said he plans to continue his advertising efforts, and he’s already having a big sign made for the back of his truck. He believes the county loses a great deal of tax revenue to other areas where liquor and beer are available.
Poetry club puts together collection of redneck poems BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Members of Crossroads Poetry Project have published a book containing their compositions of a localized literary style: the “Bubbaku” — haiku-style poems with redneck subject matter. “Bubbaku: A collection of haiku poems for the more enlightened redneck” is a collaborative effort by members of the group. It features over 70 haikus by writers of all levels of experience, from high school students to professionals. Contributors include: L.A. Story Sikora, Keith Sikora, Rhonda Nash, Milton Wallis, Derrick Roberts, Sandy Childs, William McMullin, Jaylene Whitehurst, Jordan Houry, Whitney Houry, John J. Dun-
phy, Brooks Bishop, Blake Stacy, A.J. Spears and Susan Adams. “This is by people who just wanted to have fun with it,” said CPP board member and book editor L.A. Story Sikora. “It’s all tongue in cheek, and we don’t want anybody to get offended.” The book was two years in the making, Sikora said. The idea for “Bubbaku” came out of one of the group’s readings at KC’s Espresso in downtown Corinth. At a point in the reading, members of the group began throwing ideas back and forth about haikus with a hillbilly theme. “There were a bunch of people there who didn’t know what was going on, who weren’t Please see ‘BUBBAKU’ | 2
Staff photo by Bobby J. Smith
Crossroads Poetry Project board member L.A. Story Sikora and Vice President Milton Wallis discuss the finer points of “Bubbaku” — their name for the group’s recently published book of hillbilly haikus.
Index Stocks........8 Classified......14 Comics........ 9 State........ 5
Weather...... 10 Obituaries........ 6 Opinion........4 Sports...... 12
On this day in history 150 years ago The Richmond “Bread Riots.” A small group of women march on Capital Square to protest the lack of bread. The group swells to over a thousand and begins to loot and pillage stores. President Davis threatens to fire on the crowd with the militia which finally quells the mob.