Northeast MS Daily Journal (Tupelo, MS) articles from July 2011

Northeast MS Daily Journal (Tupelo, MS) archives from July 2011

Bikers raise money for Smithville.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Danza Johnson July 31--SMITHVILLE -- Police Chief Darwin Hathcock was speechless Saturday at the sight of 250 motorcyclists rolling into his town. The riders, many of them fellow law enforcement officers, started their ride in...

Candidates make final pitch.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Bobby Harrison July 31--JACKSON -- Candidates statewide are spending the final weekend before Tuesday's party primary elections scrambling for votes. In the most heated campaign of the summer, Treasurer Tate Reeves and Senate...

Data drives changes in Shannon Middle turnaround.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Chris Kieffer July 31--EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the fourth of a series of articles examining the efforts to improve student performance at Shannon Middle School. SHANNON -- As Shannon Middle School educators begin the second year of...

BRIEF: Voters must choose a party primary Tuesday.
July 31, 2011... July 31--Tuesday is the first step in a three-tiered state election process, and voters across Mississippi will have to make a choice between the Democratic and Republican primaries. You can't vote in both. That means choosing which races and...

Pundits predict heavier GOP turnout.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Patsy R. Brumfield July 31--Outgoing Gov. Haley Barbour's legacy blooms Tuesday with expanded Republican influence statewide, political observers predict. "You'll see a reverse turnout over 20 years ago when Kirk Fordice first ran...

3Qs: Joyce Loftin, Lee County circuit clerk.
July 31, 2011... July 31--In each county, the circuit clerk is the local registrar of voters. The office also assists political parties with primary elections and oversees general elections. The Daily Journal's Patsy Brumfield posed these questions to Lee County...

Thousands receive free school supplies.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Danza Johnson July 31--TUPELO -- Many parents summed up Saturday's back-to-school event Saturday with one word -- blessing. The United Way of Northeast Mississippi sponsored Saturday's Back 2 School Resource Fair at the...

Itawamba County Board of Supervisors asked to decrease spending, not increase taxes.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Adam Armour July 31--The fallout from a possible countywide tax increase has already begun. The Itawamba County Board of Supervisors recently entertained a visit from New Salem Community resident Leo Roeske, who expressed his...

Ole Miss chancellor reflects on Rebels' programs.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Parrish Alford July 31--Dan Jones became chancellor at Ole Miss on July 1, 2009. He's seen good times and bad times in Ole Miss athletics and approaches a very high-profile department at the university in a manner different than...

BRIEF: Preseason camps near for Bulldogs, Rebels.
July 31, 2011... July 31--Mississippi State and Ole Miss will gather this week for preseason football camp in preparation for the 2011 season. Here are some key dates for each team: MISSISSIPPI STATE --Monday: All players report --Thursday: Practices...

BRIEF: MHSAA District I meeting Wednesday at Tupelo High.
July 31, 2011... July 31--The fall MHSAA District I meeting will be held on Wednesday at the Tupelo High School cafeteria. Dinner will be served from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the high school and junior high spirit coaches and District I meetings will take place...

Weather puts pressure on farmers.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Carlie Kollath July 31--PLANTERSVILLE -- Jamie Rogers describes much of his corn field as burnt. The leaves that should be green are brown and crunchy. The ears are about half the size of ones that got rain. Same goes for the...

The Coffee Club: Old guys gather for good times.
July 31, 2011... Byline: M. Scott Morris July 31--PONTOTOC -- Wilting violets won't do at Hardee's when the old men get together. "If you don't have a thick skin, don't come in here," said Judge James L. Roberts Jr., 66, a member in good standing of the...

Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo, Leslie Criss column.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Leslie Criss July 31--"Books let us into their souls and lay open to us the secrets of our own." aWilliam Hazlitt "My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter." aThomas Helm "There is no trickier subject...

OUR OPINION: More light clarifies picture for Smithville.
July 31, 2011... July 31--A lot of light shed on big, vexing problems makes a huge difference in just a week for Smithville residents, who face the rebuilding of their town of 900 from the rubble of a killer tornado on Aprll 27. A strong, bipartisan and...

Tax-Free: Back-to-school offer draw crowds.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Dennis Seid July 30--TUPELO -- Charlotte Kennedy and her son, Tanner, got an early start to their tax-free holiday shopping spree on Friday. The Amory duo were waiting at American Eagle Outfitters before the doors opened at 9...

AG: Guns now legal on college campuses.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Errol Castens July 30--Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Klingfuss says a new law will make it legal for some civilians to be armed on college campuses in Mississippi. Klingfuss told the Mississippi Campus Law Enforcement...

Corinth animal shelter to stay open.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Lena Mitchell July 30--CORINTH -- Board members of the Corinth-Alcorn County Humane Society will be working feverishly through Sunday to place animals now housed at the county shelter. In June the humane society board voted "to...

Road group tries to avoid replay of previous battle.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Emily Le Coz July 30--TUPELO -- Five years ago, two engineering firms' bids for the Major Thoroughfare Program contract sparked a weeks-long political standoff and, for the first time ever, a split contract. Now, those same firms are...

BRIEF: Tupelo bus routes available on website.
July 30, 2011... July 30--TUPELO -- Bus stops and times for the Tupelo Public School District for the upcoming school year are now available on the district's website. Those routes can be accessed by visiting www.tupeloschools.com, going to the "About Our...

Reeves, Hewes in tiff over consolidation.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Bobby Harrison July 30--JACKSON -- The Republican candidates for lieutenant governor, who have battled over several issues during a contentious campaign, are now fighting over the divisive issue of school district consolidation in the...

Tupelo's Nesmith named reserve officer of the year.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Danza Johnson July 30--TUPELO -- Former Tupelo councilman Bill Nesmith doesn't volunteer to receive awards but it's sure nice when he gets one. Nesmith was named Tupelo Police Reserve Officer of the Year by his peers in the Tupelo...

SWAT team averts potential suicide in Union County.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Errol Castens July 30--MYRTLE -- A retired police officer who threatened to kill himself at his rural Union County home is in treatment after a SWAT team subdued him and took him into protective custody. Officers from the Union...

Pettit takes over TCPS soccer program.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Gene Phelps July 30--TUPELO -- Marty Pettit has some lofty goals for Tupelo Christian Prep's inaugural girls and boys soccer teams. "I haven't met my first boy or girl, but our goal will be to win the division," said Pettit, who...

BRIEF: MSU's Sherrod signs with Packers, $6.6M.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Brad Locke July 30--Former Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod signed a four-year, $6.6 million contract with Green Bay on Friday, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The deal includes $5.32 million in guaranteed...

BRIEF: Colts sign speedy Joe Horn, not former Saint standout.
July 30, 2011... July 30--Football fans were scratching their heads Friday when the Indianapolis Colts announced the signing of wide receiver Joe Horn. No, Peyton Manning won't be throwing passes to the former ICC and New Orleans Saints standout Joe Horn...

BRIEF: Dickerson reaches milestone.
July 30, 2011... July 30--Buddy Dickerson recently reached another milestone in his baseball-coaching career at Chesterville. He coached his age 12-13 Chesterville Badgers to a 700th career victory. To see more of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal or to...

12-year-old sprinter making name for herself.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Gene Phelps July 30--TUPELO -- Reid Chapman doesn't run for second place, she runs to win. Shanta Eiland, the program director for Tupelo's Department of Parks and Recreation, said the 12-year-old athlete's desire to compete --...

European trip will cost MSU $150K.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Brad Locke July 30--Sending the men's basketball team to Europe will cost Mississippi State a nice chunk of change, but the thinking is that the benefits will be well worth it. The Bulldogs' week-long, five-game exhibition tour...

Tiger-Cats on road tonight.
July 30, 2011... Byline: John L. Pitts July 30--Why would a 27-year-old who never played college football make a 10-hour round trip just to play for a couple of hours in a semi-pro game in front of a handful of fans? "Love of the game," said Charles...

Flat Tire Grille prepares for opening.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Dennis Seid July 30--TUPELO -- James Bryan has a little bit of everything on the menu at the Flat Tire Grille. His restaurant, located in the former Ruby Tuesday in The Mall at Barnes Crossing, opens Monday. Bryan said diners are...

Carlock Kia open, eyes permanent location.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Dennis Seid July 30--TUPELO -- Carlock Kia is back in business, but its location is temporary. Having reopened in the former location of its sister dealership, Carlock Toyota, on South Gloster Street, the Kia franchise will be...

Firm Foundation: Exhibit in Union County traces churches' history.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Galen Holley July 30--NEW ALBANY -- Christians were active in the area when the Chickasaw still lived there, but the first churches date officially from about 1838. Last Wednesday a robust crowd packed into the Union County...

Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo, Galen Holley column.(Column)
July 30, 2011... Byline: Galen Holley July 30--The '75 Chevy pickup didn't have a tape deck, so we bought a battery-powered radio at Wal-Mart and rode around all day with it sitting on the seat between us. The Carpenters' greatest hits made a fine...

BRIEF: Episcopalians turn to social media for growth.
July 30, 2011... July 30--The Episcopal Church is urging congregations to embrace social media websites like Facebook and Twitter in a push to highlight the Internet as a tool for church growth. The church released a 12-page white paper July 20, listing...

OUR OPINION: Terror, sadness need deeper relief.
July 30, 2011... July 30--Hundreds of memorial services worldwide have been held or are scheduled soon for the 77 people killed in Norway by an extremist set on bloodshed for what he believes is a political party's role in the alleged Islamization of Europe. ...

Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo, M. Scott Morris column.(Column)
July 30, 2011... Byline: M. Scott Morris July 30--Our camping trip almost didn't happen this past weekend. It was hot -- July in Mississippi hot -- and my 6-year-old son wasn't enthusiastic. "Really," Evan said, "I want to stay home and play video games...

Itawamba County prepares to mark 175th birthday.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Adam Armour July 30--Itawamba County will turn 175 years old this November and plans are under way for a celebration. "One hundred and seventy-five years only comes around every 175 years," Itawamba County Development Council...

Barbour bids Neshoba farewell.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Bobby Harrison July 29--PHILADELPHIA -- Outgoing Gov. Haley Barbour, giving what he said was his last speech at the Neshoba County Fair, said he has always wanted to do a speech that was nothing but jokes. "My first joke would be...

Superintendent search firm to meet with Tupelo public.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Chris Kieffer July 29--TUPELO -- Tupelo residents will have an opportunity soon to share their vision for the future leader of the city's school district. The firm conducting the search for Tupelo's next school superintendent...

Smithville police still patrol, though not much left.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Danza Johnson July 29--SMITHVILLE -- When Darwin Hathcock patrols the streets of Smithville these days there's not much to see. Since the April 27 tornado destroyed more than 80 percent of the town, including nearly every...

Snowball Shoppe is a popular stop.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Dennis Seid July 29--TUPELO -- On a steamy, hot day, a snow cone or ice cream seems to hit the right spot. For more than 20 years, The Snowball Shoppe has been doing just that, with scores of flavors and toppings poured over and...

Nunnelee supports Boehner debt plan.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Emily Le Coz July 29--TUPELO -- A Republican proposal to raise the national debt ceiling and stave off potential financial disaster won the support of U.S. Rep. Alan Nunnelee, R-Miss., who called the plan imperfect but honorable. ...

Governor hopefuls scurry for votes at annual fair.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Bobby Harrison July 29--PHILADELPHIA -- Gubernatorial candidates scurrying for votes before Tuesday's party primary elections made a final pitch Thursday at the historic Neshoba County Fair. For the most part, the candidates stuck...

School supply fair Saturday.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Carlie Kollath July 29--TUPELO -- Don't bother showing up for free school supplies Saturday if you didn't preregister for the United Way's Back 2 School Resource Fair. The United Way of Northeast Mississippi has 4,008 kindergarten...

Fifth Circuit rejects Tacker's appeal.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Patsy R. Brumfield July 29--NEW ORLEANS -- A federal appeals court upheld biodiesel entrepreneur Tommy Tacker's federal fraud conviction Thursday. Tacker, 58, of Aberdeen was convicted in 2010 on 10 counts that he knew about and...

Fulton native headed to China to represent U.S.
July 29, 2011... Byline: John Wilbert July 29--The girl with the "really country-sounding Southern accent" happens to be the best player on the University of Memphis tennis team. The Fulton native may get a hard time from her teammates and coach for the...

Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo, Brad Locke column.(Column)
July 29, 2011... Byline: Brad Locke July 29--Renardo Sidney has spent much of his college career separated from his teammates, so you'd think that would be a situation he and his coaches would want to avoid. Alas, when the Bulldogs board a plane bound for...

BRIEF: McPhee signs four-year, $2.18M deal with Ravens.
July 29, 2011... July 29--Former Mississippi State defensive end Pernell McPhee signed with the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, according to Ravens Insider. McPhee signed a four-year deal worth $2.18 million, with a signing bonus of $144,560. He was drafted...

BRIEF: Jennings hits first HR, goes 3 for 4 to push Rays.
July 29, 2011... July 29--OAKLAND, Calif. -- Desmond Jennings hit his first career home run and later added a two-run double in a seven-run seventh inning and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied from five runs down to stun the Oakland Athletics 10-8 on Thursday. ...

BRIEF: Lee County Tiger-Cats host youth event on Saturday.
July 29, 2011... July 29--The semi-pro Lee County Tiger-Cats are hosting a "Rebuilding the Youth" event at Front Street Park on Saturday. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a football camp featuring MSU wide receiver and Tupelo High grad Chad Bumphis. At...

BRIEF: Hall looking for new team after Giants acquire Beltran.
July 29, 2011... July 29--Nettleton's Bill Hall is looking for a new team after the San Francisco Giants designated him for assignment on Thursday. The Giants made that roster move -- the typical prelude to waiving or releasing a player -- to make room for the...

BRIEF: Powe signs with Chiefs, joins former teammates.
July 29, 2011... July 29--Just in time for the start of camp today, former Ole Miss nose tackle Jerrell Powe signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. Powe (6-2, 335) was a sixth round pick (199th overall) for the Chiefs, who also have three other former Rebels on...

SWAT team averts potential suicide in Union County.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Errol Castens July 29--MYRTLE -- A retired police officer who threatened to kill himself at his rural Union County home is in treatment after a SWAT team subdued him and took him into protective custody. Officers from the Union...

BRIEF: Panola man convicted in wife's death.
July 29, 2011... July 29--JACKSON -- The Mississippi Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from a Panola County man convicted of murder in 2009 in the death of his wife. Dennis Cosby was sentence to life in prison for the death of his wife, Wendy,...

Food allergies affect 8 percent of U.S. children.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Michaela Gibson Morris July 29--Food allergies aren't caused by peanuts alone. "Peanut gets a lot more attention," said Tupelo allergist Dr. Matt Oswalt. It's the most common of the IgE-mediated food allergies, which can cause the...

Support Groups.
July 29, 2011... July 29--These support groups are set to meet in the next two weeks: ACTS -- Alcohol Chemical Treatment Series -- is a curriculum-based self-help, recovery and educational program for anyone wanting to recover from alcohol or drugs, and...

Health Calendar.(Calendar)
July 29, 2011... July 29--fitness Ongoing --Adult swimming lessons for ages 13 and up are available at the NMMC Wellness Center in Tupelo. Private and semi-private lessons available. Instructor Barb Baumann is a master swimmer and American Red Cross...

OUR OPINION: Revisit tax holiday in 2012.
July 29, 2011... July 29--Today and until midnight Saturday retailers in most towns across Mississippi will not collect sales tax on eligible clothing and footwear items costing $100 or less. It's a form of tax break and economic stimulus rolled into one,...

Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo, Errol Castens column.(Column)
July 29, 2011... Byline: Errol Castens July 29--As long as I could remember, Grandmama's memories seemed to have replaced her dreams. By the time I was in second grade, she'd buried her husband and two sons. She had rheumatism and heart trouble. ...

Incumbent touts results, challengers offer their ideas in Lee County Superintendent race.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Chris Kieffer July 29--Four seek job as Lee County schools' leader Voters will have their first opportunity on Tuesday to weigh in on the four men vying to lead the Lee County School District. Incumbent superintendent Mike Scott...

OUR OPINION: Post office closings come with the losses.(Financial report)
July 28, 2011... July 28--An announcement by the U.S. Postal Service that it is considering closing 3,700 post offices nationwide, including dozens in Mississippi, differs somewhat from similar, previous news because it offers an alternative that is new, but...

Rep. Nunnelee will support Boehner bill.
July 28, 2011... July 28--U.S. Rep. Alan Nunnelee (R-Miss) has issued the following statement in support of the Budget Control Act, known as the Boehner bill: "I have decided to support the Budget Control Act. This plan, while not perfect, honors the...

BRIEF: BancorpSouth exec Cowsert resigning.
July 28, 2011... July 28--TUPELO -- Gregg Cowsert, BancorpSouth's vice chairman and chief credit officer, is retiring Sept. 30, the company said Wednesday. Cowsert joined the company in 1990. In 1996, he was promoted to executive vice president. Later that...

Dennen Steel breaks ground.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Lena Mitchell July 28--IUKA -- Dennen Steel CEO Andy Dennen was joined by dozens of local, county, state, federal and other officials in breaking ground on a new plant site at the Yellow Creek Port in Tishomingo County Wednesday...

Smithville to get financial boost with aid package.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Joe Rutherford July 28--Financial help for Smithville is on the way. Participants in a collaborative effort seeking to place the town on reliable financial footing during its recovery from a devastating April tornado announced key...

Reeves, Hewes clash at Neshoba County Fair.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Bobby Harrison July 28--PHILADELPHIA -- The Republican candidates for lieutenant governor bickered about everything from hunting licenses to who is in reality a career politician Wednesday at the Neshoba County Fair. With time running...

'Rambling' Tupelo renewal effort to get focused.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Emily Le Coz July 28--TUPELO -- The organizer of a grassroots effort to revitalize Tupelo praised the results of Tuesday's kickoff meeting, but others doubted its early success. Highland Circle resident Jim Newman's gathering drew...

BRIEF: Herring wins Guntown alderman special election.
July 28, 2011... July 28--GUNTOWN -- Jeff Herring defeated Chad McMahan in a special election for a vacant position on the Guntown Board of Aldermen. Herring finished with 169 votes, while McMahan had 151. The election was held on Tuesday, but the result...

Retailers expect crowds for upcoming sales tax holiday.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Michaela Gibson Morris July 28--TUPELO -- Mississippi's sales tax holiday isn't Christmas, but for retailers, it's close. From 12:01 a.m. Friday to midnight Saturday, shops will not collect sales tax on eligible clothing and...

Tupelo sees streak of armed robberies, bank heists.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Danza Johnson July 28--TUPELO -- When dealing with armed robbers, police say the best thing victims can do is to calmly comply. Tuesday night's armed robbery of the Sprint Mart at 1720 North Gloster St. was Tupelo's sixth since...

S. Gloster irrigation could start a trend.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Emily Le Coz July 28--TUPELO -- City leaders this week gave their informal consent for what could become a permanent trend in Tupelo's roadside landscaping. The mayor and City Council on Tuesday unofficially supported a plan to...

Smithville police get a little help.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Danza Johnson July 28--TUPELO -- A motorcycle club on Saturday will support those in uniform protecting the streets. The Dixie Thunder Chapter of the Defenders of Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club in Tupelo is helping raise money to...

Ag hopefuls tout experience; Spell endorses Smith.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Bobby Harrison July 28--PHILADELPHIA -- The three Republicans and one Democrat vying to replace outgoing Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Lester Spell all touted their experience for the job Wednesday at the Neshoba County Fair....

Dean Faulkner Wells leaves behind her own legacy.
July 28, 2011... Byline: M. Scott Morris July 28--OXFORD -- The niece of one of Mississippi's most famous authors enjoyed her own literary success before she died. Dean Faulkner Wells died Wednesday at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford. She was 75, and had...

Officials laud Alcorn schools' solar collection project.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Lena Mitchell July 28--CORINTH -- The ribbon-cutting for a solar collection system on the campus of the Alcorn Career and Technology Center this week drew a couple dozen educators, government officials and others interested in...

Students get chance to build a robot.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Lena Mitchell July 28--CORINTH -- Caterpillar Inc. has an idea of how to recruit its own engineers and technology experts for the future. Corinth remanufacturing plant manager John Mocny presented information about a student...

Former MSU star expects more carries with 49ers.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Brad Locke July 28--Anthony Dixon was reclining under a tent at the San Francisco 49ers' practice facility on Tuesday, happy to be back at work and looking forward to a season with an expanded role. The NFL lockout is now a thing...

BRIEF: Former Rebels Masoli, Cornell sign NFL deals.
July 28, 2011... July 28--OXFORD -- Former Ole Miss players Jeremiah Masoli and Jonathan Cornell signed rookie free agent deals with NFL squads on Wednesday. Masoli inked with the San Francisco 49ers as a running back, while Cornell signed with the...

New McDonald's opens, puts 100 to work.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Dennis Seid July 28--TUPELO -- The newest McDonald's restaurant opened on Eason Boulevard at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, and by midmorning, the parking lot was jammed. It's the response franchise owner Rob Hudson was hoping for. His...

Bulldogs sign European forward.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Brad Locke July 28--Mississippi State is getting some immediate post help all the way from Latvia. The school confirmed Wednesday that the MSU basketball team has signed Kristers Zeidaks, a 6-foot-8 small forward, to a financial...

Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo, Patsy R. Brumfield column.(Column)
July 28, 2011... Byline: Patsy R. Brumfield July 28--Pardon me, if you hear me humming that truckin' Smokey and the Bandit theme song. It's been in my feeble brain since early last Thursday when I took off from Tupelo driving a 15-foot Budget rental truck...

Bulldogs' TD machine Ballard determined to succeed.
July 27, 2011... Byline: Brad Locke July 27--Vick Terry has been a welder for 21 years. He toils away in the heat and the cold -- depending on the time of year -- at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula. He has a dream and is determined to achieve it: Hang...

BRIEF: Sid Burt resigns as baseball coach at Bruce High School.
July 27, 2011... July 27--BRUCE -- Sid Burt will now have more time to attend to the cows on his farm. The Bruce High baseball coach of seven seasons resigned on Monday from his head coaching duties. His Trojans teams went a combined 82-82. Josh Dowdy...