Fires, flu 4th quarter newsmakers

Published 6:00 am Tuesday, December 30, 2003

It was a busy final quarter in the area with far-rangingimplications.

Brookhaven aldermen continued to mull garbage issues while alsobeginning a trial on the city’s annexation efforts. The countydealt with wildfires and the opening of two expanded public schoolcampuses.

The trial of a McComb attorney and general election results alsocaptured a string of headlines.

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October

Past, present and future students converged on the WhitworthCollege campus Oct. 4 as the Mississippi School of the Artspresented its first public open house for the community.

The trial of a McComb defense attorney accused of sellingmarijuana to an inmate in the Lincoln County Jail opened Oct. 14.The trial lasted a week before the judge ruled a mistrial after thejury was unable to reach a verdict. A second trial is expected tobe held in Spring 2004.

The Lincoln County School Board donated a building to New ZionHead Start Oct. 21. The transfer allowed the district to remove abuilding from their property rolls that was significantlyincreasing their insurance premiums and allowed the Head Startorganization to remain in their present location. Under thestipulations of the sale, Head Start must return the building tothe school district should they ever decide to move.

Firefighters battled with grass fires continuously throughOctober and into November as the county withered after weeks withno rain, prompting some fire officials to call the county a”tinderbox.”

November

The Nov. 4 general election put new faces in a few countyoffices. Wiley Calcote defeated a Republican challenger to be namednew sheriff after defeating four-term incumbent Lynn Boyte in theAugust primaries.

Brookhaven Ward Three Alderman the Rev. Jerry Wilson alsodefeated a Republican challenger to move into county politics. Hecaptured the District One supervisor post.

Veterans Day was celebrated Nov. 11 with the unveiling of apicture of the Lincoln County War Memorial for display in theMilitary Memorial Museum in downtown Brookhaven. A wreath-layingceremony was also held at the memorial at the governmentcomplex.

The DAILY LEADER was named as the county’s Industry of the YearNov. 20 by the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce. Firstpublished in 1883, the locally-owned newspaper is the county’sfirst industry.

Brookhaven Academy Headmaster Dan Boyce officially announced hispending resignation Nov. 21. Boyce said he would serve until theend of the school year before returning to his native RankinCounty. The headmaster said his wife is expecting their first childand they wished to move closer to his family.

Bogue Chitto Attendance Center students began eating in theirnew cafeteria and Loyd Star Attendance Center students began tohold classes in their new classroom building after the Thanksgivingholidays. The two new buildings were funded by a $3.8 million bondissue. Construction at the district’s other two campuses,Enterprise and West Lincoln, was continuing.

Brookhaven’s annexation trial, which began Nov. 5, was recessedindefinitely Nov. 25 after testimony was unable to be completedbefore Thanksgiving. The trial was scheduled to resume Jan. 26.

A Bogue Chitto woman became the third fatal victim of West NileEncephalitis in the state when she died of complications from thedisease Nov. 28.

The Bank of Brookhaven and The DAILY LEADER teamed up Nov. 25 togive some holdiay cheer to the needy by beginning a food pantryfund drive. The drive ran through Dec. 19 and raised nearly$8,000.

December

A national shortage of flu vaccine continued to make headlinesall through December as the local health department tried to meetincreased demands caused by an early flu season and a new strain ofthe virus. The health department received several shipments of thevaccine in December, but gave them out as fast as they receivedthem.

Dr. Howell C. Garner, president of Copiah-Lincoln CommunityCollege, was presented with the Wesson Chamber of Commerce’sCitizen of the Year Dec. 2. The award came in a year that thecommunity college was celebrating its 75th anniversary.

Drama and song filled the air outside and in as students of theMississippi School of the Arts presented their first publicexhibition of theater, vocal and visual talents Dec. 6.

Some soldiers with the Army Reserve’s 296th TransportationCompany, based in Brookhaven, reported symptoms of leishmania inmid-December. The soldiers contracted the skin disease whileserving in Iraq and were being sent to Walter Reed Army MedicalCenter in Washington for treatment.

Brookhaven Police Department officers caught a Louisiana bankrobber Dec. 15 after the suspect’s activities drew an officer’ssuspicion. The man is accused of robbing six banks in Louisiana andMississippi and was also arrested on several local drugcharges.

Construction of new traffic signals at the North Jackson Streetand Industrial Park Road intersection was completed in lateDecember.

Brookhaven aldermen accepted the deed to the Kids Kingdomcommunity playground in late December. The city became responsiblefor the maintenance and oversight of the park.

Wednesday: The top 10 stories of the year.