Daily Corinthian E-Edition 032013

Wednesday March 20,

Daily Corinthian

Mostly sunny

2013

50 cents

Vol. 117, No. 68

Today

Tonight

60

24

0% chance of rain

• Corinth, Mississippi • 20 pages • Two sections

Tourism hires director, funds Kiwanis event BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com

The Corinth Area Convention and Visitors Bureau granted a $3,500 funding request for the Corinth Kiwanis’ 16th Annual Leon Fraizer Memorial Gospel Singing. The CACVB has also hired a new executive director. Christy Burns, currently an employee of Mississippi Polymers, will start work at the Tourism Office early next month. Burns is a for-

mer downtown business owner, served on the Main Street Corinth Board of Directors and is active with the Corinth Touchdown Club. Kiwanis member Kevin Mitchell presented the gospel singing funding request to the regular meeting of the Tourism Board on Tuesday. Over the last 15 years the event has raised approximately $158,000 for scholarships given to over 200 area students,

Mitchell said. Scholarships are more than $1,000 each. Of all those who attend the concerts, roughly 60 percent come from out of town, Mitchell told the board, including many who travel from other states following their favorite gospel music groups and singers. Many attendees also spend the night in area motels, Mitchell said. Another popular aspect of the event is the two-night Talent Search contest. The first and

second place winners get the opportunity to open for the headliners on the second night. The Leon Fraizer Memorial Gospel Singing is one of the Kiwanis’ biggest fundraisers of the year. This year’s headliner will be well-known gospel entertainer Ivan Parker. The event will be held this summer at the Corinth Coliseum Civic Center. The board also tabled funding requests from the NAACP

and Easom Outreach (for the Easom Homecoming); the Rienzi Heritage Committee (for the Rienzi Reenactment); and Main Street Corinth (for the Slugburg-

Burns er Festival).

Woman loses 175 pounds Shooting victim loses part of foot Robber faces grand larceny, aggravated assault charges BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com

IUKA — A Tishomingo County man remains hospitalized in good condition after being shot by an acquaintance Friday morning. James Bennett, Jr. was shot and robbed early Friday morning by Kevin Ceron Swinney in the Carter's Branch community near the Alabama state line, according to Tishomingo County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Jeff Palmer. Bennett was shot in the lower leg by Swinney at his County Road 958 home around 10 a.m. March 15. The

victim, transported by Air Vac after being found, remains in the North Mississippi Medical Center after losing part of his foot in the shooting. “He laid in his home several hours after being shot before finally being able to crawl out of the house where he was found by a passerby,� said Palmer. Swinney, who lived a half mile from the victim on CR 958, took the victim's wallet, truck and cell phone, leaving him unable to call for help. “A witness said he (Swinney) came to Bennett's resiPlease see SHOOTING | 2A

Mobile resource center begins maiden voyage BY BOBBY J. SMITH McNairy County native Heather Shelton Gum weighed in at 367.5 pounds on Feb. 14, 2011. She now weighs 195 pounds, 25 pounds of which remain excess skin.

Mother will appear on ‘The Doctors’ TV show BY JEFF YORK For the Daily Corinthian

A mother’s love for her two daughters helped inspire her to lose 175 pounds in the past two years. Now everyone in her family remains proud and relieved. Heather Shelton Gum, a former Ramer, Tenn., resident and 1986 graduate of McNairy Central High School, weighed 367.5 pounds on Feb. 14, 2011. She made her decision then to alter her eating patterns and lose a significant amount of weight.

Gum will appear on today's episode of “The Doctors,� with the theme “Your Skin: Feed it, Fix it, Tuck it.� The television medical talk show will air at 2 p.m. on ABC (WPTY-Channel 24 and WBBJ-Channel 7). “I was brought up in the clean your plate society,� said Gum. “I was never force fed, but I just always ate too much. I would sneak over to Sonic for their onion rings and to Burger King for their chicken sandwich when I was in high school.� Gum went to Metabolic Re-

search Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., near where she lives and it changed her life. The company told her what foods to eat and to weigh her portions of food. She also attends the support group TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly). “I never knew a digital scale battery would die,� she said, laughing. “I could tell pretty instantly there was a change in my body after I got on their program.� Please see GUM | 2A

bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com

The Excel By 5 Mobile Resource Center will embark on its maiden voyage today. The Mobile Resource Center will help spread the word about Excel By 5’s mission of early childhood development as it visits the parts of the community where it can do the most good. “The goal is to take the resource center to the at-risk communities on a quarterly schedule, as well as the daycares,� said local Excel By 5 Certification Manager Susan O’Connell. “With well trained volunteers, the strategy will be to visit with parents about the importance of early brain development by reading, talking, touching and

playing with their children, so their children are better prepared for kindergarten and life.� The Mobile Resource Center is the first of its kind for an Excel By 5 community. Today and Thursday the Mobile Resource Center will visit the Excel By 5 participating daycares in the county as well as several neighborhoods to let parents know about the resources that are available for young children in the most formative stage of development — birth to age five. “We want to let them know what is available and where they can find us if they need us,� said Bobby Capps, the Excel By 5 Family and Parent Focus group Please see EXCEL | 2A

Cash Express sponsors community-wide Easter Egg Hunt Saturday BY MARK BOEHLER editor@dailycorinthian.com

Children who love to hunt Easter eggs for prizes and candy will get a second chance this year in a community-wide setting at Crossroads Regional Park. Cash Express is sponsoring an community-wide Easter Egg Hunt from 3-5 p.m. this Saturday at the city park as over 40 local businesses have donated over 300 prizes. There will be two inflatables,

refreshments, live entertainment, coloring contest and lots of prizes, said Amy Lancaster of Cash Express. “Local businesses have really supported this huge event for children,� said Lancaster. “It's going to be a great day. The community has really responded.� Cash Express' first year egg hunt is not to be confused with the 9th annual Community Egg Hunt sponsored by Corinth/Alcorn Parks and Recreation De-

partment to be held Saturday, March 30 at noon during Easter weekend. “We thought this was a great way to give back to the community,� noted Lancaster. “It's been great and so heartfelt. Everything will be given to the kids -- we just need them to come on out.� The prize list is extensive and includes a $100 gift certificate from Wal-Mart, $20 gift certificate from Taylor's Escape, free

Index Stocks......8A Classified......5B Comics......3B State......5A

Weather......9A Obituaries......6A Opinion......4A Sports....11A

Malco tickets, $5 gift cards from Pappa John's, free pizza and Tshirt from Cafe Mike's, 50 free kids' meals at Ryan's, 75 small fries from McDonald's, $10 gift cards from Russell's Beef House “and the list just goes on and on,� noted Lancaster, who is being assisted in the event by fellow employees Brianna Plunk, Melissa Butler and Beth Ann Benjamin. There will be T-shirts, Easter egg baskets, gift cards, coupons

and plenty of candy, she said. The egg hunt is for kids up to age 10, but children of all ages are encouraged to attend the event, she said. Kids need to bring an Easter basket. “This is our way to do something special for the kids in our community,� added Lancaster. “We hope everyone comes out to enjoy the event with us.� (For additional information contact Cash Express at 662396-2389 or 662-287-7668.)

On this day in history 150 years ago The Steele’s Bayou expedition is slowed to a crawl as Confederates cut down trees to block the Federal gunboats. Three Southern regiments of infantry are sent to the area in attempt to capture the entire Union force. '

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