Tuesday June 4,
2013
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Daily Corinthian Vol. 117, No. 132
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • one section
Main Street Corinth earns accreditation BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Corinth has been designated as an accredited National Main Street Program for its success in revitalizing the downtown area. “I’m excited about the national accreditation,” said Taylor Coombs, director of Main Street Corinth. “I think that it may give Corinth a little something extra that each community involved will benefit from.”
The Mississippi Main Street Association recently announced Corinth’s accreditation as a National Main Street Program for meeting the commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Main Street Center. Main Street organizations are evaluated annually by the Mississippi Main Street Association, which works with the National Main Street Center to identify local programs that
meet its performance standards. Valecia Crisafulli, acting director of the National Main Street Center, congratulated this year’s nationally accredited Main Street program for meeting the established performance standards. “Accredited Main Street programs are meeting the challenges of the downtown in the economy head on and are successfully using a focused, comprehensive revitalization strat-
egy to keep their communities vibrant and sustainable,” said Crisafulli. The evaluation criteria identifies communities that are building comprehensive and sustainable revitalization efforts. It includes standards such as developing a mission, fostering strong public-private partnerships, securing an operating budget, tracking economic progress and preserving historic buildings. Mississippi’s Main Street
programs play a strategic role in stimulating economic development in the state, said Bob Wilson, executive director of the Mississippi Main Street Association. Last year Mississippi Main Street cities generated 228 new businesses, 53 expansions to existing businesses, 1,248 new jobs, 111 facade rehabilitations and 160 upper floor housing developments. Also, more than Please see ACCREDITATION | 2
Gun rights group approved for rally BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
A group planning a rally in support of gun rights gained approval Monday to use the courthouse grounds for the event. The Alcorn County Board of Supervisors approved the request with the stipulation that no firearms be brought onto court square. Bobby McDaniel and Jay Anthony told the board of plans for the Firearm Freedom Day, which is set for Saturday, July 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Some concern emerged during the discussion about whether the law allows guns on the courthouse grounds, but the organizers agreed to a stipulation of no guns in order to gain approval of the request. “We expect hundreds of outof-towners into town for this event,” said Anthony, a member of the Alcorn County Tea Party Patriots. “We can’t think of a better month than July to celebrate the constitution.” He said it is a nonpartisan
event that promises “a fun, good, clean day.” Anthony encourages people to bring a lawn chair and “listen to these guys speak about our constitution and the fact that Mississippi has reaffirmed the second amendment.” Scheduled speakers include Henry Ross, retired Navy commander; Danny Bedwell, chairman of the Mississippi Libertarian Party; the Rev. Clayton “Blackhawk” Self, a Tea Party activist; and various local officials. McDaniel said one reason for the event is to thank the local legislators for their support of House Bill 2, which clarified the state’s concealed weapons law but is getting attention for language it contains regarding “open carry.” Plans for the event also include music, self-defense demonstrations, food booths and kids’ activities. In case of rain, it moves to the American Legion. Anthony said security and first aid will be on hand.
Submitted photo
Split proposed for Rising country star to play largest voting site at Hog Wild BBQ Festival
Rising country star Chris Janson has signed on as part of the entertainment for this year’s Hog Wild BBQ Festival.
BY JEBB JOHNSTON
jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Chris Janson — a country music star on the rise — has signed on to play at the Hog Wild BBQ Festival the first weekend in October. Janson has built nationwide buzz from his single “Better I Don’t,” which received wide airplay and cracked the country top-100 charts earlier this year. “I’m really excited about Chris Janson playing,” said Main Street Director Taylor Coombs. “He’s going to be a great entertainer — and who knows how
big he’ll be by October?” Janson’s career as a songwriter took off last year with the breakthrough success of Tim McGraw’s “Truck Yeah,” but the 27-year-old was already a seasoned veteran of the Nashville honky-tonk music scene. Born in Missouri, Janson came to Nashville at age 18. After sitting in with the house band on Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” he was hired to play four shows a day at the famous Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge on Nashville’s Lower Broadway. Since then he has appeared
in the Neil Young concert film “Heart of Gold,” toured with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Hank Williams Jr., shared the stage with Emmylou Harris and written songs with Rodney Crowell. Janson cites a wide range of influences, from Waylon Jennings to the Ramones. He is currently in the studio working on his debut full-length album with producer Keith Stegal, who has recorded albums with Alan Jackson and the Zac Brown Band. The release is planned for later this year.
Election officials are proposing to split Alcorn County’s largest voting site into two precincts. Fourth District Election Commissioner Keith Settlemires told the Board of Supervisors that he would like to see the College Hill precinct at the American Legion on South Tate Street split with the north Biggersville fire station becoming a new precinct. College Hill is fairly evenly divided between city and non-city residents — 1,553 are Corinth residents, and 1,380 live outside the city. Corinth residents would continue to
vote at the American Legion, and county residents would vote at the new fire station on U.S. Highway 45 south of Corinth. After observing several cycles of elections, Settlemires said he believes the change would help ease the crowds and eliminate confusion for poll workers who must determine which voters can vote for county superintendent of education. With more than 2,900 voters on the books, sometimes people are left standing in line outside in hot or rainy conditions, he said. Please see SPLIT | 2
Suspect Dutschke indicted in poisoned letters case Associated Press
JACKSON — A federal grand jury has indicted a Mississippi man suspected of sending poisonlaced letters to President Barack Obama and other officials. The 5-count indictment, which was made public on Monday, charges 41-year-old James Everett Dutschke with developing, producing and stockpiling the poison ricin, threatening the president and others and attempting to impede the investigation.
If convicted on the charges, he could face life imprisonment and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. Dutschke was arrested April 27 at his home in Tupelo. He is suspected of mailing ricin-laced letters on April 8 to Obama, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Lee County, Miss., Justice Court Judge Sadie Holland. Dutschke has denied any involvement in the letters. George Lucas, an attorney for Dutschke, said he had not yet
seen the indictment and had no immediate comment. Dutschke is the second person to be charged in the case. The first, entertainer Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, was arrested on April 17, but the charges were dropped six days later. After his arrest, Curtis said he was framed. Curtis said he knows Dutschke and they feuded over the years. Dutschke, a former martial arts instructor, has unsuccessfully run for public offices, including a
Index Stocks........8 Classified......14 Comics........ 9 State........ 5
Weather...... 10 Obituaries........ 6 Opinion........4 Sports...... 12
2007 challenge of Holland’s son, Democratic state Rep. Steve Holland. Authorities said a dust mask Dutschke removed from his former martial arts studio and dumped in a nearby trash can tested positive for ricin and the DNA of two people, including Dutschke. Authorities haven’t said who else’s DNA was on the mask, but an FBI agent testified during a preliminary hearing that most of the genetic material on it be-
longed to Dutschke. Authorities said Dutschke used the Internet to make three purchases of castor beans, from which ricin is derived, and researched how to make the poison. The FBI has not revealed details about how lethal the ricin was. A Senate official has said the ricin was not weaponized, meaning it wasn’t in a form that could easily enter the body. If inhaled, ricin can cause respiratory failure, among other symptoms. No antidote exists.
On this day in history 150 years ago The 54th Massachusetts Infantry is busy setting up their tents at their new camp in Port Royal, South Carolina. This is the first Negro regiment raised in the north and they are remembered in the remarkably accurate film “Glory.”