Friday March 22,
Daily Corinthian
Cloudy with rain
2013
50 cents
Vol. 117, No. 70
48
44
80% chance of rain
Checkpoints net felony drug arrests BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@dailycorinthian.com
BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Please see TOURISM | 2A
Tonight
• Corinth, Mississippi • 20 pages • Two sections
Tourism board focuses on funding The Corinth Area Convention and Visitors Bureau are revamping the forms used by local groups to request funding to promote events. Currently the CACVB has two different forms used by applicants. Board member Sandy Mitchell made the motion to develop a new form for funding requests. “I think there’s some confusion as to how it is now, and we need to make a userfriendly format,� Mitchell said. CACVB Interim Administrator Ann Thompson said the new form should include material that will explain the form in greater detail. The board discussed whether they should require a representative from the organization requesting money to present the request to the board in person and decided that while it would be helpful, it will not be mandatory. The motion specified that Mitchell, Thompson and board member Laura Albright will work together designing the new forms. The Tourism Board also discussed the difficulties of granting funds to organizers of local events in the aftermath of the recent cuts to the CACVB budget. The board tabled several requests for funding until it could meet some time later with the city and county officials who determine the budget. Board Member Danny Timmons explained the tight financial situation with Corinth Alderman J.C. Hill, who attended the Tourism Board meeting to discuss the NAACP’s upcoming homecoming celebration for former students of Easom High School and other area schools.
Today
Photos by Lisa Wilbanks
Members of the American Legion and related organizations in Corinth are collecting cell phones to benefit soldiers. Among those participating in the project are (back row, from left) Jim Horton, Peggy Maxwell, Tina Hurst, Davey Null, Larry Enos, Sandy Enos and (front row, from left) Rodney Hardin, Mike Hurst, Chuck Hinds and Brad Lambert.
Cell phone effort helps soldiers stay connected BY BRANT SAPPINGTON bsappington@dailycorinthian.com
An effort by the local American Legion post and associated groups is aimed at making it easier for soldiers serving overseas to stay connected to their loved ones back home. The Cell Phones for Soldiers program is collecting used cell phones in both working and non-working condition. Organizer Tina Hurst explained the phones are recycled and the national organization provides a soldier with a 90-minute phone card for each cell phone turned in. The cards can be used by the soldiers for either phone calls or video chats. The program is organized locally by American Legion Post 6, the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary Unit 6, the American Legion Riders and the Sons of the American Legion. Hurst said more than 4,000 phones have been collected over the past three years. She said the phone cards
Rodney Hardin holds into a large pile of cell phones that will be recycled to provide phone cards for soldiers. make a huge difference in the lives of the soldiers because
they allow them to afford to call home more often. Families of servicemembers, especially those in the National Guard, often face financial struggles while their loved one is away serving and the phone card program is a way to remove one of those burdens while helping keep them connected. The groups are also collecting working cell phones which are donated to the SAFE Inc. shelter for women in Tupelo. The working phones are cleared and reprogrammed to only allow them to call 911 and provided to the women served by the shelter so they have a reliable way to call for help in an emergency, explained Hurst. Phones can be dropped off at the Corinth Police Department office in the Criminal Justice Center on Harper Road or at KC’s Espresso in downtown Corinth. For more information on the program, call Hurst at 662415-9938.
A series of weekend safety checkpoints have led to a trio of felony drug arrests in Prentiss County. Sheriff Randy Tolar said the checkpoints were set up to monitor compliance with seatbelt, child restraint, drivers license and other traffic laws and are funded through a grant providing funds to pay overtime for deputies to man them. “Officers also closely look for individuals that might be driving under the influence or have other violations,� said Tolar. During last weekend’s checkpoints officers made three felony arrests related to drug possession. Melinda Jan Osborn, 42, of Dennis was charged with possession of a controlled substance. Bond was set at $2,500. Teashia Tranae Armstrong, 20, of 106 MLK Drive, Booneville, was charged with possession of a controlled substance (approximately 11⠄2 ounces of marijuana). Bond was set at $2,500. Tommy Leon Gray, 45, of 65 North Main Street, Rienzi, was charged with possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine). Bond was set at $10,000 on the felony charge and $2,000 for other misdemeanor violations. A hold was placed on him by the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Deputies also wrote numerous citations and made more than 20 arrests for misdemeanor charges during the checkpoints. In a separate, unrelated case, a Rienzi man was charged last week after deputies were called to a report of a suspicious fire. Jonathan Aaron Peacher, 28, of 21 Highway 365, Rienzi, was charged with possession of chemicals with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine. Bond was set at Please see ARRESTS | 2A
Wheeler Grove hosts Real Evangelism Conference Event continues through today BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
WHEELER GROVE — Today is the day. Thursday was the time for over 500 worshipers to come together for a period of refreshing at the Real Evangelism Bible Conference morning sessions held at Wheeler Grove Baptist Church. The church kicked off its eighth annual three-day conference Wednesday. Three services were held Thursday with Bro. Gerald Harris and Bro. Bailey Smith speaking during the morning service. “God knows what we need ‌
we just need to open up and let him lead,â€? said Wheeler Grove pastor Bro. Kara Blackard to open the service. Harris delivered a sermon titled “The Precious Blood of Christâ€? with his text coming from 1 Peter 1:18-21. “They’re people who want to take the blood out of worship service,â€? said Harris. “But there is nothing in this earth more precious than the blood of Jesus ‌ we are not redeemed by silver and gold but by the blood of Jesus.â€? The preacher went on to Please see EVANGELISM | 2A
Staff photo by Steve Beavers
Wheeler Grove’s Betty Gant (left) passes out registration cards during the Real Evangelism Conference.
Index Stocks......8A Classified......3B Comics......9A State......5A
On this day in history 150 years ago
Weather....10A Obituaries......6A Opinion......4A Sports....11A
The Steele’s Bayou expedition ends in failure for the Union. William T. Sherman’s infantry and Adm. David D. Porter’s fleet are forced to end yet another attempt to flank the defenses at Vicksburg. Grant continues to wait until Spring to mount his real, and ultimately successful, expedition.
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