It was a busy second quarter in 2003, with news events rangingfrom tornadoes to murder convictions and city garbage problems to anew museum.

April

A tornado ripped through northern Lincoln County April 6 causingextensive damage in a 17-mile long and five-mile wide swath in theLoyd Star community.

There were no injuries, but approximately 10 homes, 17 mobilehomes, two businesses and nine farms were destroyed. Seventeenhomes, five mobile homes, two businesses and eight farms wereseverely damaged while many others sustained minor damage. In all,about 140 structures were destroyed by the category F2 tornado,which had winds estimated at between 70-100 mph.

Legislation to provide $2 million for the start of the classesat the Mississippi School of the Arts was signed into law by Gov.Ronnie Musgrove April 17.

William Jerry Coon of Ruth, a 20-year veteran of the LincolnCounty School Board, died April 15 of a lengthy illness. His wife,Kay Coon, was appointed to the board April 22 and won the specialelection in November to fulfill her husband’s term. A softballfield at Enterprise Attendance Center under construction at thetime was named in his honor.

May

More than 2,000 people showed their support for the annual Relayfor Life to benefit the American Cancer Society May 3. More than$76,000 was raised to fight cancer.

Wesson’s former mayor, Bill Tigner, and the Board of Aldermenwere at odds in May over a railroad crossing on Seventh Street.Tigner wanted it closed, citing safety concerns, while aldermencalled the crossing a lifeline into the town.

The railroad had offered crossing gates at the Main Streetcrossing and $30,000 if the town would close the Seventh Streetcrossing, which has had a few vehicle versus train collisions, butno fatalities. Despite Tigner’s objections and advice from therailroad, the board elected to keep the crossing open.

The Lincoln County School Board added $320,000 in additionalprojects to campus expansion work funded by a $3.8 million bondissue when construction bids for the project came in under theprojected cost.

Brookhaven officials on May 6 authorized $400,000 in accumulatedfederal funds to pave several downtown streets in 2003. The fundshad to be matched by a 20 percent local contribution.

At Mayor Bill Godbold’s request, Brookhaven aldermen approved anarchitect to begin developing plans for a new city hall that wouldbe built on land across from the government complex. The new cityhall plan was scrapped later in the year in favor of otherprojects.

Brookhaven police officers rushed a house to arrest a manthought to be suicidal after a four-hour standoff May 16. The manwas arrested without injury and charged with aggravated assaultafter threatening authorities with two knives.

Wesson Mayor Bill Tigner resigned during the Board of Aldermen’smeeting May 19, citing work conflicts after accepting a promotionthat would require him to travel to South America frequently.

The Multi-Use Facility reopened in the third week of May. Thefacility was closed earlier in the month following reports of anoutbreak of a highly-contagious horse disease known as thestrangles. The facility was closed only as a precaution to helpprevent the spread of the disease.

Brookhaven officials continued to grapple with garbagecollection woes in May as they considered privatization of all citygarbage and trash services.

Hundreds of veterans and well-wishers turned out May 24 indowntown Brookhaven for the Veterans Parade and opening of theMilitary Memorial Museum in the old train depot.

Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck applauded recent successes in the area duringa visit here May 27 while attending a joint meeting of theBrookhaven Lions Club and Kiwanis Club. Specifically, Tuck laudedthe Mississippi School of the Arts.

Firefighters worked feverishly for more than four hours May 31to save two Smith Street homes, but were unable to do so. Therewere no injuries, but both homes were lost.

June

School issues threw a cloud on talks about a new industrial parklocation in early June. The proposed site on 550 acres west of thecity is within the Brookhaven School District.

Lincoln County School District Superintendent Perry Miller, andsome county supervisors, believed the county district should alsobenefit from the money that would be generated by industrieslocating in the park. Legally, however, the board discovered a fewweeks later there was nothing they could do to make the locationbenefit both districts.

A McComb defense attorney was arrested June 5 and charged withselling marijuana to an inmate of the Lincoln County Jail. The casewent to trial in October, but ended with a mistrial when the jurywas unable to reach a unanimous verdict. A second trial is expectedin Spring 2004.

Denbury Resources Inc., an independent oil and natural gascompany engaged in acquisition, development and explorationactivities, expanded its operations in June. Industrial DevelopmentFoundation officials said the expansion represented a $40 millioninvestment in Lincoln County and the potential for new jobs.

The problem of methamphetamines was explored in a series ofarticles in June. Methamphetamine abuse is on the rise and poses adanger not only to the user, but to others as well.

A study conducted and released by the newspaper Chronicle ofPhilanthropy in June named Lincoln County the most charitablecounty in the state and ranked it eighth in the nation amongmid-size counties. Franklin County also ranked high in thesurvey.

The capital murder trial of Cearic Barnes ended early June 9when the 19-year-old pleaded guilty to murdering Marvin Durr.Durr’s body was found inside his burned car on South WashingtonStreet June 18, 2002.

In return for the guilty plea, the capital murder charge waslowered to murder and an arson charge was not pursued. Barnes willserve life in prison with a possibility of parole at age 65.

Jerrard T. Cook was sentenced June 13 for his role in the Durrmurder. Cook pleaded guilty to capital murder in November 2002. Hewas sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of paroleor other form of early release.

About 800 plaintiffs in a lawsuit over alleged oil fieldcontamination by Chevron settled with the company in June for $5.5million. The settlement ended nearly 10 years of litigation abouthealth fears and allegations of radiation and contamination duringChevron’s oil exploration and recovery operations in the BrookhavenOil Field.

Nearly 10 houses and several streets were flooded during heavyrains June 14-15.

A section of West Manufacturer’s Boulevard was closed forseveral days in late June while Department of Environmental Qualityofficials conducted soil testing at the county’s speculativebuilding site.

Monday: July through September.