THE Daily
Thursday, October 16, 2025
MISSISSIPPIAN theDMonline.com
Volume 114, No. 8
Proposed rezoning for asphalt plant near Taylor sparks resistance, developer addresses community concerns RAEGAN SETTLE Managing Editor
Local developer JW McCurdy wants to build a hot mix asphalt plant eight miles south of Oxford and three miles east of Taylor, Miss. He is facing one big hurdle — the proposed site for the facility must be rezoned from A-1 Rural to I-2 Heavy Industrial to move forward with construction. The owners of Falkner Farms across the highway believe they will face significant loss-
es if the rezoning is approved. The potential property rezoning for the plant, Magnolia Materials, has stirred widespread disagreement over land use among Lafayette County residents. Individuals opposing the rezoning have taken to hanging posters, distributing stickers and organizing community meetings to encourage opposition efforts. On Sept. 22, the Lafayette County Planning Commission voted 3-1 to recommend that the land be rezoned. A stand-
OLIVIA CANGELOSI / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Proposed site for asphalt plant on Mississippi Highway 328
A look inside ADLAKHA Sarah Adlakha hopes to win the primary against incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith next spring. SEE PAGE 5
GEORGIA PREVIEW Ole Miss matches up against Georgia in what could be its toughest game of the season. SEE PAGE 9
FIFTH YEAR College athletes challenge the NCAA in legal battles with hopes of changing current eligibility rules. SEE PAGE 10
FLU SHOTS The university needs an immune system boost – free flu shots for students. SEE PAGE 11
ing-room-only turnout gathered for two hours of public comment largely in opposition of the rezoning. The vote will go before the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors on Monday, Oct. 20. Following the planning commission meeting, the “Save Taylor” website and Instagram page were launched to advocate against the rezoning. The Instagram account surpassed 300 followers in just a few weeks of activity. The posts spread awareness about meetings, actions that interested individuals should take and arguments in opposition to the rezoning, requesting donations to support community outreach and legal counsel. McCurdy, owner of MR Construction, began discussions of building an asphalt plant in June. In July, he toured a similar facility in Columbia, Mo., and submitted an application to the Lafayette County Planning Department to rezone a 40-acre plot of land he owns on Mississippi Highway 328 for the facility. The plant will be majority-owned by McCurdy in conjunction with local,
OLIVIA CANGELOSI / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Reed Falkner admires his cattle at Falkner Farms on Oct. 13. unnamed silent partners. Many of the opponents of the rezoning plan have rallied around Falkner Farms. The family-owned business supplies pasture-raised eggs and grass-fed beef. Informed by agricultural experts, the owners worry about a drop in egg production and potential pasture, feed and water contamination from particulate matter discharged by the plant that could compromise the health benefits of their products, risking the
sustainability of their business. Public meetings draw crowds of skeptics Lafayette County Director of Development Services Joel Hollowell shared his evaluation of McCurdy’s application at the planning commission meeting, recommending that the property be rezoned. If the rezoning is approved
SEE ASPHALT PLANT PAGES 2-3
Vance, Kirk headline UM TPUSA event CAMERON LARKIN Digital Editor
Turning Point USA announced via Instagram Wednesday that Vice President JD Vance and Charlie Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk, will speak at the University of Mississippi on Wednesday, Oct. 29 as part of the “This is the Turning Point Tour.” Before TPUSA Founder and CEO Charlie Kirk was killed at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, he was scheduled to appear on the UM campus for “The American Comeback Tour” on Oct. 29. “It is an honor for the university to welcome the nation’s Vice President and Mrs. Kirk to our campus,” UM News and Media Relations Director Jacob Batte said in a statement to The Daily Mississippian. “As a public institution with a dynamic learning environment, the university is pleased for our students to have the opportunity to engage with Vice President Vance and Mrs. Kirk on issues of the day.” Lesley Lachman, president of Ole Miss Turning Point USA, provided the following statement following the announcement that Vance and Erika Kirk would speak at UM: “We are thrilled that the work of Charlie is going to go on and even grow,” Lachman said in a text to The Daily Mississippian. “This announcement of Erika and Vice President Vance stepping in demonstrates the importance of Turning Point USA and its message. Ole Miss is a shining example of (c)onservative values while being an elite university in the U.S., so it is no wonder we will be amplifying it from Oxford.” The event will take place in the Sandy and John Black Pavilion, with doors opening at 3 p.m. and speakers set to begin at 5 p.m. Event information can be found on the official TPUSA website.
Erika Kirk and JD Vance Batte provided details about security protocol for the event in his statement. “The safety of our campus community is always our top priority,” Batte said. “While we cannot share specific security measures for safety reasons, University Police are working closely with event organizers and public safety officials to uphold a secure campus environment.” Rhodes Canfield, a senior sports and recreation administration major from San Diego, expressed his excitement about Vance coming to campus. “I feel like after the death of Charlie (Kirk), it’s huge for Turning Point to get someone at such a high position to come and speak here,” Canfield said. “It really shows that the movement is and was about more than just Charlie — it’s about his ideas and the conservatism he brought to the table.” Loki Swain, a sophomore multidisciplinary studies major and Oxford native,
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: OLIVIA CANGELOSI
does not agree with Vance or Erika Kirk politically but encourages people to go to the event and have “productive conversations.” “While I strongly disagree with JD Vance and Erika Kirk on almost every political stance they uphold, they should be welcomed in coming to college campuses while having dialogue and debate and encouraging productive conversations,” Swain said. Swain plans to attend the event. “Whatever our differences, we all benefit when we treat each other with basic dignity and respect — just as the Ole Miss Creed says. I plan to go to the event to hear and learn about different viewpoints,” Swain said. The Daily Mississippian reached out to the Office of the Vice President for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication. Aidan Poniatowski and Noah Walters contributed reporting.