Independent Appeal
Hometown Christmas See all the ways to celebrate locally inside!
Making McNairy County headlines for 115 years
Volume 116, Number 29, Wednesday, November 29, 2017
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Residents offer feedback on park plan By Joel Counce
The next meeting will be held at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 12 at the Marty in Adamsville. The draft plan input session is slated for 6 p.m. on Feb. 20 with the final plan to be presented March 13 in Selmer. “We’re very happy with the turnout and the feedback,” said Brown Pearman Russell CEO Richard Russell. “The people who show up at these meetings have the most interest and passion ... it is something they have given thought to.” Feedback discussed in the meeting in-
Contributor
Representatives from Brown Pearman Russell, LLC and Community Development Partners met with 24 McNairy County residents and community leaders to discuss the future of the county’s parks. Monday’s Town Hall meeting at the Selmer Community Center was the first of three meetings scheduled to gather feedback from residents.
cluded information from more than 400 surveys filled out by McNairy County residents and asked four questions of attendees: • What do you like or dislike about existing park and recreation facilities and programs? • What new park and recreation facilities are needed? • What new park and recreation programs are needed? • What sources of funding are you will-
ing to support to improve existing facilities or develop new facilities and programs? Answers were written on large post-it note style sheets and placed on the wall. Residents were asked to place blue dots next to things they felt were most important. Though the state contract is through Selmer, it also applies to municipalities throughout the county and the McNairy
See PARK, 6A
Woman dies in holiday accident
Aldermen look forward to new term By Joel Counce Contributor
The November election left the Selmer Mayor and Board of Aldermen intact. Selmer Mayor John Smith won reelection by a count of 876 to 399 over former aldermen Nicky Atkins. Atkins was replaced in the interim race by Troy Moore, who was elected by a tally of 558 votes to 282 for Fred Yarbrough, Jon Ross Reaves with 289 and Daniel Patterson with 76. Aldermen running for reelection for a regular four-year term were Johnny Norris and John Finlayson.
For the Independent Appeal
See TERM, 6A
Risk of fires increases as temps drop By Joel Counce Contributor
The risk of house fires increase with temperatures dropping during the holidays. The National Fire Protection Association website lists cooking equipment as the number one cause of fires at 46 percent, but says 19 percent of all deaths are caused by fires from cooking equipment. While heating fires account for only 16 percent of house fires, it also accounts for 19 percent of all house fire related deaths. “Space heaters need to be plugged in directly to an outlet,” said McNairy County Fire
See RISK, 6A
Staff Photo by Steve Beavers
Hometown Christmas ready to be unwrapped Eight-year-old Kaytlyn Peak was among the first ones to check out the “Holiday Splash” at the Dixie Park Splash Pad on Saturday, Nov. 25. McNairy County residents will have more opportunities to get into the Christmas spirit during Saturday’s 6th Annual Hometown Christmas in downtown Selmer.
HOLCUT, Miss. – A Michie woman died from exposure in a Thanksgiving accident in Tishomingo County, Miss. Seventy-five-year-old Stella Poindexter was found by a hunter lying in the road, according to the WTVA television station in Tupelo. Mrs. Poindexter was found around 8 a.m. on Nov. 23 and about a mile from the Holcut Memorial on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Poindexter was taken to North Mississippi Medical Center-Iuka and later died at the hospital, according to Tishomingo County Coronor Mack Wilemon. “She probably was out there all of Wednesday night in just regular clothes,” said Wilemon. Wilemon said the temperature on Nov. 22 was around 23 degrees. Poindexter’s husband – Herschel Poindexter – was found alive at a bathroom in the remote area about a mile from the memorial. Eighty-four-year-old Herschel Poindexter was taken to Magnolia Regional Health Center in Corinth and remained hospitalized as of Tuesday. It is believed Herschel Poindexter became disoriented while driving and drove into a fence at the memorial, according to Wilemon. He apparently could not turn the car around because the vehicle’s transmission did not work. The couple was believed to be headed home to Michie. (WTVA in Tupelo, Miss. contributed to this article.)
Organizers bringing Christ to community through event By Steve Beavers Assistant Editor
Three ing surecolumn: it does by Saturday.
It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas. Organizers of the 6th Annual Hometown Christmas are mak-
Downtown Selmer will be the site of numerous events leading up to the Hometown Christmas parade at 5:30 p.m. “It is all about bringing Christ to the community,” said Shannon
Two column:
6th Annual Hometown Christmas
Speth, a member of the Christmas committee overseeing the event. “We want everyone to enjoy Christmas and that’s why ev-
Artist comes from line of creators Contributor
Staff Photo by Joel Counce
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See CHRIST, 6A
Believe in McNairy By Joel Counce
Susan Smith loves making new and different things.
erything will be free downtown.” Court Avenue in downtown will be closed at 2 p.m. as activities begin at 2:30 with the show-
ing of “Elf” at the Latta. The movie is being hosted by the McNairy County Economic and Community Development and Chamber of Commerce.
Believe in McNairy
MICHIE – Susan Smith comes from a long line of creators. The Michie native has been sewing as long as she can remember and has a house full of treasures her mother and father created. “My mother was an artist and my father built things,” she said. “This is just a way of life for me.” Her home is decorated with art she created. There are hand-painted door signs, jewelry, doilies and decorated pumpkins among some of her art projects. “I don’t like to do the same things,” said Smith. “I like to do new
Santa Claus coming to town for dinner at the community center.
and different things.” Her love of art prompted Smith to open Shabby Rose Creations. She has an art room arranged by cabinets, bins and drawers. The room contains a work bench her father made and a desk he owned. It also has things her mother painted. “I miss them,” said Smith of her parents. She collected some old doors and boards her dad had before he passed away. “I got them out and painted them, and I’ve made things out of them,” said Smith. “I don’t use anything for what it’s supposed to be used for.” Her parents at one time owned a frame shop.
City of Adamsville event will put spotlight on downtown stores.
z Opinion 7A z Obituaries 8A z Events 9A z Community & Lifestyles 9A z Sports 1B z Campus 3B z Classifieds 6B
“People would come in and bring daddy a picture and he would make a frame for it,” she said. Smith retired after working 35 years as a nurse at Magnolia Regional Health Center in Corinth, Miss. Smith fell into the business of making home decor. “I’ve always sold stuff to people if they wanted it made,” she said. “I just started doing shows ... I figured it could give me some happy money.” Smith made clothes for dolls and sold them at Funky Freckles, a shop she owned with her daughter, Molly Young. They also sold children’s clothes.
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See ARTIST, 6A
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