Friday Nov. 16,
2012
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Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 276
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 24 pages • Two sections
Charges filed against cemetery owner BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@dailycorinthian.com
The owner of two cemeteries in Prentiss and Alcorn counties has been indicted on felony charges for allegedly failing to properly handle pre-need funeral funds at Oaklawn Cemetery in Prentiss County and the secretary of state’s office is seeking to sell both cemeteries at auction. District Attorney Trent Kelly and Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann announced Thursday the return of a felony indictment against Wayne Hight of Corinth by the Prentiss County Grand Jury on two counts of misapplying or converting preneed funeral funds. Each count carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. The indictments are related only to activities at Oaklawn Cemetery in Booneville. Hight was arrested Tuesday and has been released on a $10,000 bond. Kelly praised the secretary of state’s staff for their hard work and dedication in following up on the complaints from citizens regarding the cemetery. The district attorney said the criminal investigation remains open but he is unable to com-
Staff photo by Brant Sappington
Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann (center) is joined by Prentiss County Sheriff Randy Tolar (left) and District Attorney Trent Kelly during a news conference announcing the indictment of cemetery owner Wayne Hight and civil proceedings seeking the sale of two cemeteries owned by Hight. ment on the possibility of any additional charges in the future. Hight is also the owner of a Forrest Memorial Park near Corinth. That cemetery and Oaklawn Memorial Park have
been held in receivership by the Secretary of State’s office after an investigation uncovered a more than half-million deficiency in the pre-need accounts last summer. Hosemann said
their investigation turned up almost no funds in the required accounts. Unless a purchase is funded with an insurance policy, state law requires 85 percent of the
funds obtained through preneed sales of vaults, memorial markers and other related services be placed in a trust. The Secretary of State’s office has filed a civil action in Prentiss County Chancery Court against Wayne Hight, along with Nancy Hight and Brad Hight, asserting a deficiency in the perpetual care account at Forrest Memorial Park of $167,760 and in the pre-need trust account of $305,761. Hosemann’s office is seeking an order allowing both cemeteries to be sold at auction. The bidders will be asked to offer assistance to those affected by the situation. The secretary of state said the long-term goal is to get the cemeteries into the hands of a private individual who will take care of them as they should be and properly provide for those who have contracted with them. Public hearings were held last summer as the secretary of state’s office sought to determine exactly how much money was missing and how many individuals were affected by the case. Hosemann said as many as Please see CEMETERY | 2A
Horse stolen; help NTSB issues Hinkle plane sought for its return crash preliminary report BY JEBB JOHNSTON BY JEBB JOHNSTON
jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The Corinth Police Department is seeking tips on the theft of a horse early Thursday. It appears the black Tennessee Walker was stolen from a pasture at a Kendrick Road residence between 1 and 2 a.m. Thursday, said Detective Capt. Ralph Dance. The suspects apparently attempted to take two horses but only got one. The resident discovered that the horse was missing when someone notified him that the other horse was loose. Dance said it appears the horse was loaded into a trailer and taken down the railroad tracks in the direction of the overpass. He is hoping someone may have seen some activity in the area and could provide a valuable tip in the case. The two horses were in the pasture at the time of the theft. The suspects also went into the barn and took a Western saddle. Dance said the horse is like a
jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
Submitted photo
This Tennessee Walker was stolen from a pasture on Kendrick Road early Thursday. pet to the family, and they want it returned. Information may be reported to the police department at 286-3377 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-773-tips or on-line at crimestoppersms.com.
The National Transportation Safety Board recently released its preliminary report on the crash of a small plane into a soybean field in southern Alcorn County in September. It happened about 3:15 p.m. on Sept. 21 in the Hinkle area as Ron Noland of Hermiston, Ore., was flying a Cessna 150G from Atlanta to Oregon and a mechanical problem occurred. The pilot and his wife had no apparent injuries. Noland had purchased the plane in Georgia and received two hours of dual instruction in the plane. After departing from Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport, he flew for approximately two hours with no problems at 4,500 feet when a loud sound came from the engine compartment. The engine cowling shook violently and the engine experienced a total loss of power, according to the report.
File photo by Bobby J. Smith
The pilot and officials look over the plane crash site in the Hinkle area on Sept. 21. Noland attempted to restart the engine during the descent. Although the propeller continued to turn, the engine did not re-
start, and Noland decided to land in a soybean field near County Please see NTSB | 2A
Longtime Alcorn school board member Caldwell dies BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Marvin H. “Bobby” Caldwell was a man dedicated to helping others. The longtime Alcorn County School Board member passed away Thursday at his home, leaving behind a long list of accomplishments during his 36 years as part of the board. “He was one of the few who didn't care who got the credit as long as the kids got their due,” said Alcorn County Supervisor Jimmy Tate Waldon. “It was an honor to serve with him.” Waldon served with Caldwell, 88, on the school board for 14
“I cannot better define a communityminded person than him.” Jimmy Tate Waldon Alcorn County Supervisor years. “I cannot better define a community-minded person than him,” said Waldon. “He was always there to do what needed to be done and never gloated or asked for any recognition in return. He cared about people and kids.” The contractor served six terms of six years each from 1970-2006
on the board. He was credited with starting the Kossuth High School Band and helped in purchasing its first uniforms. The former school board member continued to help with fundraising events of the band even after retiring. “He was faithful to his school (Kossuth), but he cared for all kids,” added Waldon.
Index Stocks...... 7A Classified......6B Comics......5B Wisdom......4B
Weather......5A Obituaries......3A Opinion......4A Sports......8A
In March of 2007, state representatives Harvey Moss, Rickey Cummings and Billy McCoy authored House Resolution 44. The resolution commended Caldwell for faithful service on the Alcorn County School Board and congratulated him on his retirement. “He was the go-to man on projects at the schools,” said his former colleague on the school board. “Bobby knew all the dos and don'ts.” Known for his Brunswick stew, Caldwell was always there to help the numerous organizations in his hometown of Kossuth such as the Boys Scouts and KHS athletic teams.
“People would say if you cut him, he would bleed maroon,” said Waldon. “There are so many people he touched over the years.” A 32nd Degree Mason, the lifelong member of Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church participated in organizations such as the Shriners, Scottish Rites, Eastern Star and York Rites. Services for Caldwell are set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Magnolia Funeral Home Chapel of Memories. Visitation is 5-8 p.m. tonight and from noon until service time Saturday. “Bobby loved life,” said Waldon. “His glass was always halffull and never half-empty.”
On this day in history 150 years ago In Virginia, Gen. Burnside steals a march on Gen. Robert E. Lee and arrives across the Rappahannock River from Fredericksburg without opposition. In Arkansas, a Federal expedition sets out from Helena to attack the Arkansas Post on the Arkansas River.
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