The second quarter of 2006 saw joint management of a countyfacililty end, a college softball championship, and traffic snarlswhile a good number of citizens were honored for their talents orachievements.

:April

Checking books out of the Lincoln County Regional Public Librarybecame a lot more automated April 5 when the library switched to anew card system that uses a bar code to speed up the process. Thechange required library patrons to get new library cards.

Twenty-six members of the Mississippi School of the Arts Choraleperformed at historic Carnegie Hall in New York in early April. Thetrip was funded through statewide donations.

Discussions for the city to withdraw from the management of theLincoln County Multi-Use Facility began April 18. Aldermen citedlack of participation by city residents and rising costs at the8-year-old facility for their decision. In an agreement reachedApril 21 with county supervisors, the city sold its interests inthe facility to the county.

Traffic patterns and morning commutes were disrupted April 20 ascity and county emergency response personnel participated in adrill to simulate a train derailment downtown. As part of the”accident,” emergency personnel simulated an evacuation of thedowntown area after nine adults and a child “succumbed” to chlorinegas.

More than 200 bicycle racers, including a national champion anda hometown defending champion, converged on Brookhaven April 21 forthe 5th Annual Human Performance Center Mississippi Grand Prix BikeRace. Jason Rogut, 27, of Grapevine, Texas, won the main event.

Nearly 4,700 trees were given away April 24 at the MississippiForestry Commission by the Mississippi Urban Forest Council in aprogram designed to replace trees lost to Hurricane Katrina.

:May

Brookhaven resident Cheryl Sproles was honored to receive theEudora Welty New Playwright Award by the New Stage Theatre inJackson for her scripting of “More Than Life.” The play was firstperformed by the Brookhaven Little Theatre in 2003.

Brookhaven was selected as the most scenic city in the state for2006 by the Mississippi Urban Forestry Council. Brookhaven was thethird city in the state to receive the award.

Monticello resident Shanteau Tirello was crowned Mrs.Mississippi USA May 6 during the state pageant in Jackson.

The Copiah-Lincoln Community College Lady Wolves fastpitchsoftball team won the MACJC State Tournament May 7 in Wesson bydefeating Northeast Community College 2-0. It was the Lady Wolves’first fastpitch championship.

Members of the Brookhaven Forensics and Debate team competed inthe national High School Mock Trial Championship in Oklahoma City,Okla., in mid-May. The team won the state championship inMarch.

Traffic along Highway 51 through Brookhaven was disruptedthroughout the month as crews contracted through the MississippiDepartment of Transportation worked to repave the road and makeimprovements at several intersections.

A delegation of Brookhaven paramedics from the King’s DaughtersMedical Center ambulance service traveled to Brookhaven, N.Y., toreceive recognition for their efforts during Hurricane Katrina.

Brookhaven native Ashley Palomarez was thrilled May 28 to becrowned in Starkville as the first Miss Mississippi US Teen.

:June

The discovery of the decomposing body of a transient man June 8near the Interstate 55 off-ramp near the Brookway Boulevardintersection sparked a brief investigation into the man’s identity.He was identified a few days later from a metal plate insertedduring an earlier surgical procedure. The man died of naturalcauses.

Volunteers installed new playground equipment in June atBicentennial Park. The three-day project was funded through aMississippi Development Authority grant.

Lincoln County Civil Defense Director Clifford Galey wasre-elected to the Mississippi Civil Defense/Emergency ManagementAssociation Board of Directors in June. Galey, the 2005-2006 vicepresident, was elected to serve as the District Nine vice presidentand chairman of the board for 2006-2007 fiscal year.

A group of 27 youth and 11 adults from Cypress United MethodistChurch in Cypress, Texas, rolled into Brookhaven June 12 for fourdays of painting, cleaning, building and remodeling homes andchurches. The group assisted in projects sponsored by Kynett, Crumpand Macedonia United Methodist Churches.

Officials broke ground for the long-awaited Mental Health CrisisIntervention Center on Brookman Drive Extension in Brookhaven June19. The center, which is still incomplete, will provide short-termtreatment for individuals in 10 counties in SouthwestMississippi.

The Highway 84 Bypass in Monticello opened for four-lane trafficJune 20. The opening nearly completes a project to four-laneHighway 84 from the Louisiana state line at Natchez to the Alabamastate line near Waynesboro.

Brookhaven Police Department Sgt. Clint Earls and Police K-9Felix brought home the top dog honors from the United States PoliceCanine Association Region 26 Competition for the third consecutiveyear.

The Lincoln County School District announced it woulddiscontinue its advanced vocational-technical instruction becausethe program could not be financially justified for the amount ofparticipation. The district continues to offer basic vocationalinstruction.