Daily Corinthian E-Edition 050913

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Thursday May 9,

2013

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Daily Corinthian Vol. 117, No. 111

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Tonight

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• Corinth, Mississippi • 18 pages • One section

Board considers veto power for mayor BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com

The Corinth Board of Aldermen will consider giving the mayor veto power. Like the discussion of an appointed police chief, it is an item Ward 1 Alderman Andrew Labas brought before the board on Tuesday. Aldermen voted to

table the discussion until the next board meeting. “I think it’s good to have checks and balances within government,” he said. “In essence, what this veto or tabling power would allow the mayor to do is to postpone an action that this board takes until the next regularly scheduled board meeting.

It would take a change of the city charter to do that. In order to override the veto, it would be a simple majority. It would allow more time for deliberation and consideration.” City Attorney Wendell Trapp said such power is limited by law with certain areas exempt from veto power.

Alderman Michael McFall, noting the mayor already has the tie-breaking vote, said he wants more information about how it would work. In other business: ■ The board gave Crossroads Regional Park permission to use city-owned property just west of Clark Street on the

north side of Droke Road for a new activity at the park. “We are currently in the process of getting ready to construct a nine-hole disc golf course,” said Park Director Todd Witt. “I’ve got several people that are really into the disc golf com-

Welcome Center organizes picnic BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com

The picnic and pickin’ were packed on a perfect day. The Alcorn County Welcome Center’s “Picnic on the Patio” brought out the travelers on Wednesday. Tourists were treated to a free hot dog lunch and the music of the Hatchie Bottom Boys. “We were able to take advantage of a pretty day with our first event on the patio,” said welcome center supervisor Sherry Brown. “A lot of out of state travelers got a good first impression of what we do.” According to Brown, close to 150 attended the event that went from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. “There was no parking left,” she said. “People began rolling in at 11 a.m.,” added center employee Debbie Ryan. To go along with tourist appreciation day, the welcome

center is also observing music month. Local artist Tony Bullard had some of his paintings related to music in the state on display during the day. “The picnic was a little different, but I think everyone enjoyed it,” said Brown. The supervisor said travelers from Iowa, Oregon, Florida, Texas and Missouri all attended the event. The Corinth Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Tishomingo County Tourism Office and Crossroads Museum will on hand to greet travelers. “I really appreciate all the volunteers who helped and the businesses who donated,” said Brown. The Alcorn County Welcome Center sees an average of 12,000 travelers during the season compared to around 9,000 in the winter. Last May, 9,351 people traveling stopped at the center.

bjsmith@dailycorinthian

The time is almost up to cast votes in a contest that could provide a free wheelchair accessible vehicle for a Corinth High School grad and police officer who was paralyzed in the line of duty. Mark Ayers is a 1989 CHS grad and former Corinth PD officer. In 2006, working with the Olive Branch Police Department, he was shot in the chest by an unknown subject while on patrol as a Field Training Officer. The injury to his spine left him paralyzed from the upper chest down. “He is grateful to come away from the incident with his life, even though he has faced incredible challenges as a result of his injuries,” said him step-

mother, Linda Ayers. “Even the simplest of tasks has become difficult to master. We want to help make Mark’s life better.” That’s why his family and friends are seeking the community’s help in winning a contest held by the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA) for three “Local Heroes” to receive a free wheelchair van. A “Local Hero” is anyone in a community who is dealing with or overcoming mobility challenges, according to NMEDA. The top-three Local Heroes to receive a customized wheelchair vehicle will be chosen from written or videotaped stories submitted to www.MobilityAwarenessMonth.com. Because Ayers’ entry was submitted about six weeks

BY JEBB JOHNSTON

Staff photo by Steve Beavers

Alcorn County Welcome Center’s Elesha Wigginton passes out hot dogs and chips during the “Picnic on the Patio” held on Wednesday.

after the contest began, his family is asking everyone possible to vote every day and ask their friends to do the same. Votes will count as two if the voter answers the bonus question correctly. Answers will be posted each morning on the Facebook event page for “Mark Ayers, OBPD.” Voting ends at midnight on Friday. To vote for Ayers visit www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com/entrant/mark-ayers-olive-branch-ms/. The contest is held in commemoration of the inaugural National Mobility Awareness Month in May. Ayers began his journey to try to make a difference in 1988 as a high school junior when he joined the Mississippi Army National Guard. In 1991 he vol-

unteered to serve his country in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He completed his military service in 1995, receiving an honorable discharge. Even after his traumatic injury in 2006, Ayers continues to work for the Olive Branch Police Department. Fellow police officer J. Scott Pittman says he and Ayers have been like brothers since they first met in the seventh grade. Even way back then, Pittman remembered, Ayers was a person with a great drive to help others. That will to make the world a better place never left Ayers, and now he needs some help from the communities he has always strived to serve. “He has done so much for so Please see CONTEST | 2

Longtime McNairy Central principal to retire BY JEFF YORK For the Daily Corinthian

SELMER, Tenn. — McNairy Central Principal Cecil Stroup has announced that he will retire at the end of this school year. Stroup will complete 43 years in education and has been an administrator for 38 of those years. Coach Stroup is still well known in the Crossroads area for his outstanding success on the football field as a head coach at Walnut High and Alcorn Central. He also served as principal at both schools. Stroup, 64, spent a dozen years as the boss on ‘the Hill’ at MCHS. He had retired from Mississippi after working at

Alcorn Central for 16 years, 12 years at Walnut and one year at Mooreville High. “Cecil is a great guy and a great school man,” said McNairy County Director of Schools Charlie Miskelly. “A lot of schools give out certificates to say someone is a principal, but they do not turn out a school man.” The main reason Stroup has chosen to retire is to help his oldest son Rivers, who is battling cancer. Rivers is a principal at Thrasher High and has been battling cancer since December. He has been so sick after chemotherapy that he has lost over 60 pounds. “I want to help Rivers and

I am in a position to do that now,” said Stroup. “I still love what I do and enjoy coming to school every day.” Stroup gets to MCHS around 4:30 a.m. each school day and gets his paper work done prior to school being in session. He said that once the tone sounds to begin school that it is hard for him to do office work. The retiring MCHS principal said former Tennessee Gov. Ned McWherter had the right idea when he made the law to have the director of schools appointed by the school board instead of through an election. “Gov. McWherter had the right idea to take politics out of the schools,” said Stroup. “You

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Aldermen act on gas station jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com

Paralyzed officer seeks help to win accessible vehicle BY BOBBY J. SMITH

Please see VETO | 2

Weather...... 10 Obituaries........ 6 Opinion........4 Sports...... 12

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hire good people and then get out of their way to let them do their jobs.” When he reflects back on his life Stroup points out that he has spent 59 of his 64 years somewhere in a school house. “I was chopping long rows of cotton back in the Mississippi Delta when I was young and knew that was not how I was going to make my living,” said Stroup. “I had two aspirations when I was growing up. I wanted to be either an attorney or a football coach. Looking back now, I believe I made the right choice.” Stroup said that if he had to

The Corinth Board of Aldermen wants the owner to stabilize the partially demolished gas station building at 600 Fillmore Street. In closed session Tuesday night, the board voted to: ■ file charges in municipal court for violation of the preservation ordinance and for commencing demolition without a permit, and to seek imposition of a fine for one day’s violation; ■ require the owner to shore up the roof of the building to the satisfaction of the city building inspector in order to stabilize the structure; and ■ encourage the owner to follow through with the certificate of appropriateness procedure set out in the preservation ordinance. Owned by John Dodd, who renovated the neighboring property for Dodd Eye Clinic, the building was partially demolished on April 13 before the city ordered the demolition to stop because the city had not issued a demolition permit and the Corinth Preservation Commission had not issued a certificate of appropriateness, which is required because the building is part of the Downtown Corinth Historic District. The city’s position is that the situation jeopardizes its certified local government status with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the U.S. Department of the Interior, which makes tax benefits possible for those who invest in restoring historic buildings.

Supervisors approve appointments BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com

The Alcorn County Board of Supervisors acted on several board appointments this week. Supervisors concurred with the city board’s motion to appoint Ricky James to the Corinth Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors. He is filling the unexpired term of Luke Doehner, which runs through October

Please see STROUP | 2

Please see BOARD | 2

On this day in history 150 years ago Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, the third highest ranking general in the Confederate Army, is sent to Mississippi to assume overall command in the Western Theater.

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2015 Hwy 72 E. Corinth, MS. 38834 • 662-594-1877 • Mon. - Sat. 10 A.M.- 9 P.M. • www.JRwinespirit.com


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