Friday Jan. 25,
2013
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 117, No. 22
Rain Today
Tonight
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28
60% chance rain
• Corinth, Mississippi • 20 pages • Two sections
New tourism board talks budget, direction BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
The new tourism board on Thursday talked about the budget, how funds available to Crossroads Arena will be handled, and a plan to put the Green Market and Chili Cook-off events under the direction of the Crossroads Museum. The board also formed committees to look at budget issues and to review applicants for the executive director position,
which the board agreed to begin advertising in four newspapers. The program director position is not being advertised. Mayor Tommy Irwin and City Clerk Vickie Roach attended a portion of the meeting for a discussion, and Anne Thompson, the former program director, also attended the meeting. She is back in the CVB office as an interim tourism employee. Parttime employees currently working in the office are Nita Parson
and Ada Brinker. Board President Luke Doehner said the budget needs some examination. One-third of the budget for salaries was spent in one quarter of the year, and Doehner said there are expensive contracts that were set up by the previous board that he would like to see terminated. The budget committee includes Thompson and board members Laura Albright and Sandy Mitchell. The new board had questions
about the procedure by which the pot of funds allocated for the arena will be doled out. Irwin told board members that it is still the same procedure — the arena will submit a request to the tourism board for consideration. If the full $250,000 is not used during the course of the year, Roach said that is something the tourism board should take into consideration when formulating the next year’s budget. The unused funds would remain in the
tourism account, she said. Doehner is recommending that the Green Market and Chili Cook-off events be handed over to the museum. The events generate some profit which, in the past, has gone toward funding the next events or to charity. If the museum runs the events, the museum would become the beneficiary of any money generated. The museum board was to Please see BOARD | 2A
Icy rain enters weather forecast BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
detailed tour of the expanded facility and services. “We are pleased with the turnout,” said a smiling MRHC CEO/ President Rick Napper. “This continues a vision we began several years ago. And it just keeps on growing and growing.” Renovations now make the south side or side facing the sur-
A chance of some icy precipitation returned to the forecast overnight and this morning for primarily northern portions of the MidSouth. The National Weather Service in Memphis posted a freezing rain advisory for west Tennessee counties as far south as Chester County until 9 a.m. The Florence area of Alabama is also under a freezing rain advisory, while a winter weather advisory was posted west of the Tennessee River. The forecast for Corinth called for a cold rain with a low of 37 degrees and with precipitation moving out of the area by noon today. Temperatures are expected to climb into the upper 40s. Ice accumulations of less than a tenth of an inch are expected in the advisory areas, potentially affecting travel. Following several days of winter weather last week, the icy threat is ushered in by the combination of a shallow Arctic air mass and a weak low pressure center moving across the South.
Please see MRHC | 2A
Please see FORECAST | 2A
Staff photo by Mark Boehler
Magnolia Regional Health Center’s Mark Studdard strolls through the new main entrance and admissions area at the local medical care facility, which hosted an open house Thursday to showcase the changes.
‘A new era’ MRHC provides sneak peek into future of medical care BY MARK BOEHLER editor@dailycorinthian.com
A new era begins at midnight on Sunday, Feb. 2 at Magnolia Regional Health Center. That’s when the local medical facility opens its new front entrance, revealing massive and modern changes to its emergency and radiology services. Milestones include a Level III Trauma Center in its expanded
emergency services and the latest top-of-line and state-of-the-art digital equipment in radiology for such services as MRIs, X-rays, cat scans, ultrasounds and mammograms. There will be more modern and expanded waiting and admission areas for patients and their families, all built with the ultimate goal of the best care for the patient in the most efficient way for
the dedicated caregivers. There were plenty of wide open eyes, “oohs” and “aahs” from both community members and hospital employees as MRHC hosted an open house Thursday to give everyone a sneak peek into the future of medical care for the Crossroads area. Several hundred turned out for the community open house segment where visitors were given a
Kimberly-Clark, and employees donate over $175,000 to United Way BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Kimberly-Clark is making a difference in the community. KC continued its giving back on Wednesday by presenting a check to Corinth-Alcorn County United Way Executive Director Betsy Whitehurst. “I can’t praise KimberlyClark’s involvement in the community and especially with United Way enough,” said Whitehurst. “Without their support financially as well as in volunteer capacities, many of the positive programs here
would not be possible.” Through fundraisers such as bowling and golf tournaments along with silent auctions and the sale of smoked pork among other events, KC was able to present a check for $175,996. “It’s fun to do and it’s good for the community,” said nonwovens mill fundraising chairwoman Gail Taylor. “We look forward to doing it every year and are fortunate we can help the less fortunate.” Dio Ortega was the fund-
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Kimberly-Clark Professional’s Dio Ortega (left) and Kimberly-Clark Nonwovens Mill’s Gail Taylor present a check to Betsy Whitehurst, Corinth-Alcorn County United Way executive director.
Please see DONATION | 2A
Index Stocks...... 7A Classified......6B Comics......5B Wisdom......4B
Weather......5A Obituaries......3A Opinion......4A Sports......8A
On this day in history 150 years ago The governor of Massachusetts, John Andrews, authorizes the recruitment of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the first regiment of Negros to be raised in the North. The story of the 54th will later be made into the Hollywood movie “Glory.”
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