Thursday July 11,
2013
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Daily Corinthian
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Vol. 117, No. 164
• Corinth, Mississippi • 16 pages • 1 section
Arena submits break-even budget BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
The Crossroads Arena is preparing to tighten its belt. Members of the seven-person board discussed a proposed budget to be submitted to the Alcorn County Board of Supervisors and Corinth Board of Al-
dermen during a special called meeting on Wednesday. “The budget is based on us pulling our own weight,” said Arena General Manager Tammy Genovese. “It’s not set in stone, but we are going to try really hard.” Under the 2013-2014 budget,
the facility would break-even. The projected operating income would consist of $200,000 from city and county governments plus funds from tourism. A total of $30,500 is budgeted to come from sponsors of the multi-purpose facility.
Operating expenses – personnel/building/other – are expected to be $412,672, putting the building in the red at $182,171. A total of $534,152 is proposed to be made from events/ shows/rentals. Expense from those events is budgeted at
$351,980, leaving the Arena even overall. “We are planning to operate on budget as close as we can,” said the general manager. “Every day we are looking to be more efficient.” Please see ARENA | 2
Two-percent alcohol tax proposed in Tish County ficials deem appropriate, he said. The tax would be in addition to the normally collected sales tax of 7 percent. “This is really what I was after all the time, but first of all I had to get the alcohol here before I could go for this,” said Aldridge. “It’s time we do something for these kids. It’s always about grownups.” The tax would likely require action by the Mississippi Legislature to become reality.
BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
IUKA — Now that alcoholic beverages and beer are legal in Tishomingo County, an Iuka man wants an additional tax on them to benefit youth. Charles “Tubby” Aldridge, who successfully petitioned to get a referendum on the sale of beer and alcoholic beverages in the county, is proposing a 2 percent tax be added to alcohol sales to go toward projects for youth — playgrounds, skate parks or whatever of-
Please see TAX | 2
Staff photo by Jebb Johnston
Joseph Scarantino applies finishing touches to his sundial painting on the dome of a storm shelter in Farmington.
Stylishly Safe Storm shelter features sundial artwork
New Site man will have a voice in August trial Glen H. Davidson set Aug. 12 at 9:30 a.m. for the start of the trial in U.S. District Court in Aberdeen in an order issued Monday. Goodin allegedly threatened to use knives and swords to stage a violent attack at the library. The threats were made during chat conversations on Facebook with an unidentified library employee. Court documents show he
BY BRANT SAPPINGTON boonevilleeditor@bellsouth.net
BY JEBB JOHNSTON jjohnston@dailycorinthian.com
FARMINGTON — Ernestine Vugrin doesn’t just want to be safe … she wants to do it with style. With the help of 15-year-old aspiring artist Joseph Scarantino, her newly installed storm shelter features sundial artwork that adds a little flair to the dome that now occupies part of her backyard on County Road
236. “I like sundials,” said Vugrin. “It’s just a friendly thing to me. It was either that or a smilie face.” She and her husband, Robert, were among the many inspired to apply for a shelter grant following the tornado disaster in Smithville. They did not receive a grant and eventually decided to install a shelter on their own. “You hope you never have to
use it, but we’ve got it,” said Vugrin. When they visited the Corinth-Alcorn Animal Shelter during its recent open house, she was impressed with the student artwork recently painted on the walls, and that led her to seek out Scarantino to paint her storm shelter. She knew his painting would be the solution Please see SUNDIAL | 3
A New Site man accused of threatening a killing spree at the George E. Allen Library in response to demonic voices he said he heard in his head will face a federal jury in August. Robert Scott Goodin pleaded not guilty after being indicted in March on a single count of transmitting threats in interstate commerce and remains in federal custody. Senior U.S. District Judge
Please see TRIAL | 2
Mango’s Memorabilia Madness Local Civil War enthusiast puts extensive collection on display BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
A local Civil War enthusiast is sharing items from his massive collection of artifacts related to the Battle of Corinth at the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center. Corinth’s Larry Mangus has been collecting Civil War artifacts for about 25 years, since he made his first purchase of $5 in Confederate currency for a total of five greenback dollars. Now the bill is worth roughly $60. “Ever since then it’s been ‘Watch out Ebay, here I come’,” Mangus said with a big laugh. Now his collection has grown to approximately 3,000 items, including 2,000 pieces of currency, over 150 different autographs of Union and Confederate generals, war bonds, a couple of guns, and 54 canteens -- many of which have been identified and connected to a specific soldier during the war.
The current exhibit includes a bayonet that belonged to a member of the 2nd Texas Infantry, the unit that attacked Battery Robinett on the second day of the Battle of Corinth. The letters “W.B.” have been scratched into the bayonet’s socket. “I’ve been able to track down six W.B.’s in the 2nd Texas,” said Mangus. Another important part of the exhibit is a letter featuring the signature of Albert Sidney Johnston, the general who commanded the Confederate army at Shiloh until he was killed on the first day of battle. The letter is from the pre-war years when Johnston served as paymaster in Texas and includes a reference to another figure important to local Civil War history — Daniel Ruggles, the Confederate general associated with the artillery bombardment of the Hornet’s Nest at the Battle of Shiloh.
Staff photo by Bobby J. Smith
Park Ranger Tom Parson and Civil War collector Larry Mangus inspect a bayonet from the new exhibit at the Civil War Interpretive Center. Also in the exhibit is a paper signed by William S. Rosecrans, the Union general during the Battle of Corinth; and two
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small, carte de vista (CDV) soldier portraits made in Corinth, one at Armistead & White photo studio and the other at Ar-
mistead & Taylor. “They were photographed Please see COLLECTION | 2
On this day in history 150 years ago
Weather...... 10 Obituaries........ 6 Opinion........4 Sports...... 12
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In London, Charles F. Adams, the American minister to Great Britain, informs the foreign secretary that the U.S. is losing patience with England over the practice of building and outfitting blockade runners for the Confederacy.
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