Wednesday Nov. 7,
2012
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Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 268
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 22 pages • 2 sections
Obama clinches four more years BY DAVID ESPO Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama rolled to re-election Tuesday night, vanquishing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and prevailing despite a weak economy that plagued his first term and put a crimp in the middle class dreams of millions. “This happened because of you. Thank you” Obama tweeted to supporters as he
celebrated four more years in the White House. After the costliest — and arguably the nastiest — campaign in history, divided government seemed alive and well. Democrats retained control of the Senate with surprising ease. Republicans were on course for the same in the House, making it likely that Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, Obama’s partner in unsuccessful deficit talks, would
reclaim his seat at the bargaining table. Romney led narrowly in the popular vote, by about 30,00 votes out of more than 98 million cast, with ballots counted in 74 percent of the nation’s precincts. But Obama’s laserlike focus on the battleground states allowed him to run up a sizeable margin in the competition for electoral votes, where it mattered. He won Ohio, Wisconsin,
Election turnout hits 15,000
Virginia, Iowa, New Hampshire, Colorado and Nevada, seven of the nine battlegrounds where the rivals and their allies poured nearly $1 billion into dueling television commercials. Romney was in Massachusetts, his long and grueling bid for the presidency at an unsuccessful end. He won North Carolina among the battleground states. Florida remained too close to call.
The election emerged as a choice between two very different visions of government — whether it occupies a major, front-row place in American lives or is in the background as a less-obtrusive facilitator for private enterprise and entrepreneurship. The economy was rated the top issue by about 60 percent of voters surveyed as they left their polling places. But more Please see OBAMA | 11A
City will vote on liquor sales Corinth’s only referendum will be held on Dec. 11; petition had 3,000 names against sales, and the board may have decisions to make The Corinth Board of Al- afterward about any restricdermen on Tuesday set a spe- tions that may be imposed, cial election for Dec. 11 on the if voters approve the sale of liquor. Mayor Tommy Irwin sale of liquor in the city. The board accepted the city said he is already inundated clerk’s verification of the peti- with questions such as how tion effort and set the election many liquor stores the city as required by law. Alderman would have. The petition effort began at Large Mike Hopkins cast in Sepa “no” tember v o t e , as the making it result of a 5-1 vote a new on setstate law ting the allowing election. citizens “This in cities petition of 5,000 has gone or more through populae v e r y tion loproper Mike Hopkins cated in c h a n Alderman at Large a county nel, but that has I have been so overwhelmed with voted dry to pursue an eleccitizens against it, that I have tion on the sale of liquor. In other business, the board to vote no,” said Hopkins. The petition needed the accepted a $40,000 bid from signatures of 20 percent, or Triangle Maintenance of Co2,395, of the city’s registered lumbus for cleanup of accuvoters, and the clerk verified mulated debris at the inert more than 2,400. The peti- landfill. Street Commissioner tion contained more than Jim Bynum said the city is 3,000 signatures, said Roach. under orders from the MisIn the board’s workshop sissippi Department of Envipreceding the meeting, At- ronmental Quality “to get our torney Wendell Trapp said inert landfill back in shape” the election is a vote for or promptly or face a fine. BY JEBB JOHNSTON
jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
“This petition has gone through every proper channel, but I have been so overwhelmed with citizens against it, that I have to vote no.”
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Three-year-old daughter Palin watches as mother April Holley votes in the South Corinth precinct Tuesday.
Alcorn County overwhelmingly votes for Republicans BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Voter turnout fell a little short of four years ago as Alcorn County voters endorsed Republican challenger Mitt Romney as their presidential choice.
Voter turnout was right at 15,000, falling short of the 2008 presidential election total of 15,354, which was the county’s highest turnout to date. Election officials, including the circuit clerk and election commissioners, had
predicted another record this year. Circuit Clerk Joe Caldwell said it appeared early on that a record-breaker could happen. “Even before the polls Please see LOCAL | 12A
Voyles wins school board position in only contested race Incumbents prevail in election commissioner races; runoff set BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Voters elected James Voyles to the Alcorn School District Board of Education on Tuesday, and one election commissioner race is headed to a runoff. Voyles, a pastor at Mission Hope Church, led the field of four candidates in the special election for 2nd district school board with 716 votes, or 35 percent, followed by Jeramie Roach, 511; David Boren, 442; and Jimmy Newcomb, 371. School board races do not have runoffs. Third district voters will need to return to the polls in three
weeks, however, to choose an election commissioner. Challenger Jimmy Harwood (R) led the three-man field with 1,255 votes, or 41 percent, followed by incumbent Billy Bearden (D) with 1,080 and Everett Lee Davis (D) with 672. Harwood and Bearden will advance to the runoff. In the other contested election commissioner races, incumbents prevailed. In the 1st district, incumbent Bobby McDaniel (R) won with 2,131 votes to 1,009 for Tim Chapman (D). Second district incumbent
John Peebles (D) had a close race with challenger Ray Nash, winning 1,211 to 1,040. Nash carried the Jacinto box. Keith Settlemires (D) won reelection in the 4th district, beating Jim Blalock (R) by a vote of 1,629 to 1,183. Fifth district incumbent Wendell Dixon (D) was unopposed and received 2,149 votes. The school board winner, Voyles, will complete the unexpired term of the late Peggy Bain. Her son, Dale Bain, had temporarily filled the post but did not enter the special election.
Index Stocks...... 7A Classified......5B Comics......3B Wisdom......2B
Weather ......5A Obituaries......3A Opinion ......4A Sports ......8A
Voyles, who has a daughter attending Northeast and a granddaughter in kindergarten, said he has worked with young people for more than 20 years in the ministry and has “the passion to help them, especially those that don’t seem like they’re going to just walk into success easily. I think that we need build success around them so that they can find it a little easier.” He said he came from a poor family and sees children having similar struggles today. “I would love to see more structure in our schools, and I would love to see equal opportu-
nity for all — give everybody the same opportunity whether it’s the basketball court or the classroom,” said Voyles. “On the vocational side of it, I understand that all the kids are not going to college. I feel like we have to open some kind of door of opportunity in the vocational area to train them for specific things that they like.” Unopposed for another sixyear term on the county school board were Carroll Morton, 3rd district, who received 1,366 votes, and Mary Kathryn Coleman, 4th district, who received 1,542 votes.
On this day in history 150 years ago Exasperated with the lack of activity by the Army of the Potomac, President Lincoln fires Gen. George B. McClellan and replaces him with Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside. Burnside’s mutton-chop whiskers are forever known as “sideburns.”
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