Published: December 30, 2008 08:43 am      

The Year in Review: Year filled with surprises in Attala County, beyond

During 2008, local and area residents saw many changes through the pages of The Star-Herald. From the tragedy that followed the explosion of Longhorns Steakhouse and the death of Folk artist L.V. Hull to the triumph of Gena Hill’s weightloss challenge in People Magazine and those of historic significance with the election of President Barak Obama.



January

The families of 7-year-old Christian Joynes Griffin and 4-year-old Romello Dewon Winters, both of Kosciusko, have brought in the New Year with some saddening news.

The two children, who were visiting their mother, Aundria Jones, in Memphis, Tenn., lost their lives together early New Year’s Day, when a fire broke out at the apartment complex.

According to a Memphis Police statement, the 29-year-old mother, who left her sons alone so that she could celebrate on New Year’s Eve, has been charged with criminally negligent homicide.



Storms ripped through Attala, Choctaw and Holmes Counties on Jan. 10, with the most severe damage in Holmes County.

“I am blessed,” said Goodman resident Mildred Redmond on Friday, Jan. 11, morning while viewing what was left of her home on Highway 51 that she shares with her three sons and husband. There is no roof and only a few walls standing.

Redmond was in the hallway of her home when the tornado touched down Thursday afternoon, Jan. 10.

The tornado has been categorized as an EF3 (enhanced Fujita Scale level 3 or severe tornado) by the National Weather Service.



“It’s a little bit worse than sticking your tongue to a bug zapper,” Randolph Cheek, a Kosciusko resident, said Thursday afternoon, Jan. 17, after he voluntarily subjected himself to the Kosciusko Police Department’s black-silver X26 TASER.

Cheek, who was zapped in the shoulder, said he just wanted to see what it felt like.

He said he could feel the electronic pulses popping but he was totally immobile.

Cheek was not the only one to feel the taser’s sting last week.

As part of being trained to operate and carry the tasers, members of the KPD were also subjected to a zapping of the taser. Police officers went through a course that included a safety briefing, taser exposure, eight-hour course, including the operation of the taser and proper use and orientation and finally, hands on taser training.



The plan for Texas Gas Transmission, LLC, to lay 14 miles of underground natural gas pipeline through Attala County is moving right along, a company spokesperson said.

It is projected that by spring of this year the company will begin constructing the expansion that would begin in Greenville and end in Kosciusko, Stephen Gonzalez, Texas Gas’ manager of communications, said.

It is estimated that by early 2009 the gas line would be operational, Gonzalez said.



February

“I felt some satisfaction that we were being sincerely heard,” Attala County District 2 Supervisor and Board President Charles Fancher said. “I think we planted a seed.”

A delegation consisting of Supervisors Fancher, Tim Pinkard and Kary Ellington, Chancery Clerk Gerry Taylor, Kosciusko Mayor Jimmy Cockroft and Alderman Henry Daniel, Kosciusko-Attala Development Corporation CEO Steve Zea and Paul Powers with Entergy traveled to the nation’s capitol on Monday, Jan. 28, to meet with congressmen or their staffs.

Equipped with facts and figures the eight-man group took three projects to our nation’s capitol. There are plans for an Emergency Operations Center, project of making Highway 35 South a four-lane and more skilled labor training.



The Kosciusko City School Board approved administrators for the upcoming school year with some slight changes at their Monday night meeting.

Kosciusko Junior High Principal Tony McGee, who has been principal for five years, will be headed to the Central Office next year as the assistant superintendent.

Superintendent David Sistrunk said the addition of McGee was discussed with school board and it is the school board’s intention to make this a smooth transition when he decides to retire.

“This will allow the school district to have a trained person available when the time comes” to select another superintendent, Sistrunk said.



Joseph Howard Meredith, 39, son of Kosciusko native James Meredith, who integrated the University of Mississippi in 1962, died from complications of lupus Feb. 8 at the Laredo Medical Center in Laredo, Texas.

Meredith was an assistant professor of finance in the College of Business Administration, Division of International Banking and Finance Studies at Texas A&M International University in Laredo.

He received a doctorate from the University of Mississippi in business administration in 2002, earning the Outstanding Doctoral Student Achievement Award.



Wilson Jackson was shocked to find out that Jerry Montez Winters pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter in the shooting death of his son, Chad Jackson, late Tuesday, Feb. 12.

Winters, 21, of Kosciusko, will serve 20 years with the Mississippi Department of Corrections with no probation once he is released.

“We weren’t notified about what was going on,” Jackson, who expected the trial to begin on March 11 since he had received a supena, said. “It’s like a slap in the face. It’s hard to live with that.”

McAdams High School Basketball coach Chad Jackson, 33, was found dead of a single gunshot to the head behind the steering wheel of his tan Chevrolet Tahoe by a State Forestry Commission agent off Highway 19 North across from the fire tower Nov. 1, 2006.



Three New York guys are sure enjoying Southern food and Southern hospitality as they make their way from Georgia to California.

Matthew Durkin, Ken Stannard and Andrew Wahila have been running since Feb. 1 on what they all consider a dream as they trek 2,800 miles through the United States.

On Monday night, they found themselves in Downtown Kosciusko in search of good food after a long day of running.

With two baby joggers packed with a digital camera, cell phones, GPS, water, food, camping equipment, clothes and medical supplies, they take to the open road not knowing who they will meet or what to expect.



March

The Attala County Board of Supervisors and others addressed their concerns about Atmos Energy moving utilities for the county road projects and an issue that is slowing down growth at the Industrial Park to Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley at the board meeting on Monday morning.

“This has been a long drawn out deal over several different projects,” Supervisor and Board President Charles Fancher said. “I know I have had some issues in the past.” Currently, Supervisor Tim Pinkard is having some problems with Atmos moving some gas lines and it is holding up work on bridges in his district.

“I feel that utility companies are making a profit and they should try to work with these communities and fix these problems, Presley said.



There is a lot of wisdom to be learned out on Mississippi roads, television personality Walt Grayson said Thursday, Feb. 28, at the Leadership Attala’s Bus boys C.A.R.E. dinner at the Oprah Winfrey Boys & Girls Club. The dinner was held to raise funds to purchase a bus to transport Attala County children to the club.

Grayson, who is known for his WLBT “Look Around Mississippi and Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s “Mississippi Roads,” got his start as the weekend weather man on WLBT and he was being groomed to be veteran weatherman Woody Assaf’s replacement.



Family and friends gathered outside the Attala County Courthouse Thursday morning, March 6, minutes after Jeffrey Holman was convicted of armed robbery.

All of them expressing their disbelief and sadness.

Holman, 19, of McCool, was sentenced to 22 years in prison by Circuit Court Judge Joseph Loper after a jury found him guilty on Wednesday evening, March 5.

Holman and his co-defendant, George Dotson Jr., 26, of Weir, are serving time for the November robbery of the Ellis Country Store in McCool, where they took $358.



Larry Haynes, 18, of Ethel, pleaded guilty to the sexual battery of his then 3-year-old female cousin during Attala County Circuit Court Monday, March 10.

Haynes, who faces 17 years in prison and five years supervised probation, was charged in early October after the Attala County Sheriff’s Department was contacted by the Choctaw County Medical Center in Ackerman.



Frederick B. Miller Jr., 18, was found guilty of accessory to murder after the fact Monday after the jury deliberated for approximately an hour.

Miller, who was barely 17 at the time of the crime, was sentenced to one year and six months for trying to help find the gun Jerry Montez Winters used to shoot McAdams High School Basketball Coach Chad Jackson in the head on Nov. 1, 2006, in a woody area on Highway 19 North.



Oprah Winfrey Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Kelvin McGruder said the Kosciusko club received more than $28,000 on March 18 from Attorney General Jim Hood. Payouts were based on attendance.

Hood distributed $800,000 to 20 Boys and Girls Clubs around the state, nearly a year after the money was promised.

"This is one of the best parts of my job, working in the area of prevention and also with the Boys and Girls Clubs," he said.



April

An altercation between two Choctaw Indians left one shot to death shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday morning at the Mexican bar on Highway 43 North in Kosciusko.

A 15-year-old Choctaw female was shot twice in the leg and side and remains at University Medical Center in Jackson in stable condition.

Daniel “Danny Jim” Goodman Jim, 20, of Philadelphia, has been charged with the murder of Deneetria Schrock, 22, of Neshoba County.



Members of the Kosciusko Heritage Foundation and the Kosciusko Tourist Promotion Council meet Monday afternoon at the Kosciusko-Attala Development Corporation and continued their meeting at the Natchez Trace Visitors’ Center to discuss ideas for improving the center with local architect Art Cook.

“We want to get (tourists) from the visitors center into the community,” KADC CEO Steve Zea said. “I want them to spend money and stay in Kosciusko.



The Kosciusko Mayor Jimmy Cockroft and Board of Aldermen recognized James Rasberry of Rasberry Construction at their meeting Tuesday, April 1, for the work he has done to help assist the people of Kosciusko get new homes with grant funds.

The board was not the only organization to recognize Rasberry’s hard work.

Cockroft and Rasberry traveled to Jackson on March 27, where the City of Kosciusko was named the Best H.O.M.E. (Home Investment Partnerships Program) Buyer Assistance Project by Governor's Community Projects of Excellence Awards Program.

The award was based on the first 20 homes Rasberry built. A total of 50 homes have been finished.



Kosciusko attorney Jim Davis Hull, 60, has pleaded guilty to three counts of false statement relating to health care matters in late March according to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi clerk’s office.

Hull was arrested by the FBI and charged with 19 counts of health care fraud, including conspiracy charges, associated with his partial ownership and operation of Mississippi Care Partners, Inc., Oct. 2, 2007.



Kosciusko folk artist L.V. Hull, who had a unique touch with the paint brush, died Tuesday at Montfort Jones Memorial Hospital following an illness. She was 65.

Funeral services are incomplete. Winters Funeral Home will announce arrangements.

L.V., self-taught, painted on anything that was available. She transformed bottles, jugs, cardboard cartons, shoes, hats and other items into art treasures she painted or decorated. The yard at her home on Allen Street in Kosciusko was filled with her art, ranging from brightly painted shoes and hats to discarded ceiling fans, tires, vacuum cleaners, pots, pans, telephones, television sets, and a myriad of other articles.



The Attala County Sheriff's Department confiscated approximately 30 marijuana plants from a shed Monday morning from 303 Veterans Memorial Drive in Kosciusko, near Kosciusko High School.

“I had received some information on it and after a short investigation we went in,” Sheriff William Lee said.

David Lynn Salers, 53, and Tom Collins 63, were taken into custody.



Several Attala County residents got close to a tornado late Friday afternoon, April 18, as a tornado touched down on the border of Attala and Leake Counties in the Dossville Community.

The tornado was classified by the National Weather Service in Jackson as an EF1 or Enhanced Fujita Scale Level One.

According to Attala County Emergency Management Director Danny Townsend, no structural damage was reported in Attala County.



May

The Kosciusko Police Department nabbed two men Monday night on Highway 43 South near Hugh Ellard Park as the result of an ongoing investigation.

Chief R.J. Adams said after an investigation and multiple drug buys, Jackie G. Tucker and Ross W. Ferguson have been charged.

"I hate to see crystal meth keep popping up, but I am glad that we got these two off the street for a little while," Adams said.

Tucker, 48, of Neshoba County, was charged with one count of sale of a controlled substance.

Ferguson, 43, of Carthage, was charged with two sales of crystal methamphetamine and possession of crystal methamphetamine.



At funeral services for Kosciusko businessman Dewitte Belk Tuesday afternoon, he was remembered for his quiet manner, his work ethic, his generosity and his love of family.

Belk, 72, owner of Mitchell Metal products in Kosciusko, died April 26, 2008 at St. Dominic/Jackson Memorial Hospital in Jackson following a brief illness.



The Monday shooting death of Charles Jones, 73, is under investigation officials said Tuesday.

Jones was found dead of a single gunshot wound at a Bi-way Road residence, Attala County Coroner Sam Bell said.



Transfer of a principal and several resignations were accepted at Monday night’s meeting of the Attala County School Board.

Brian Weaver, principal at McAdams High School for the past four years, is transferring to Greenlee Elementary School as principal, upon the recommendation of Supt. Larry Stevens. Rusty McKnight, who has served two years as Greenlee principal, resigned to accept the principal position at French Camp Academy.



HOLMES COUNTY – Holmes Community College Head Football Coach Danny Robertson had plans for running back Cortex Bowie next season on the gridiron.

Those plans came to an end early Saturday morning when the 20-year-old was killed in a drive-by shooting on Interstate 55 near Durant.

Holmes County Sheriff Willie March said a white Ford Explorer pulled up to Bowie’s Mercury Sedan and several gunshots were fired but Bowie was shot only once through the shoulder.

He was transported to the (University Medical Center – Lexington) hospital, where he died, March said. Bowie’s passenger was unharmed.

NEWPORT – A gas explosion has left at least one man injured and a restaurant destroyed in Newport on Highway 14 Tuesday afternoon.

Dowdle Gas Company employees were working on a gas line behind Longhorn’s Steakhouse when an explosion happened. It is unknown at this time if they were injured.

According to Attala County Sheriff William Lee, Felix Hutchison, the father of Longhorn co-owner Stacie Sizemore, was badly burned and was taken to the Montfort Jones Memorial Hospital. He was quickly airlifted for further treatment.

Attala County firefighters and volunteers worked for several hours to put out the flames as bystanders watched from a nearby church.



Friends and family gathered Tuesday morning to remember the late Danny Tavares by erecting a sign in his honor at the site of his now-vacant automobile dealership on Highway 12.

It will be a year on Sunday, since Tavares, 52, was found dead of an apparent homicide at his dealership.

“We are a big family and we aren’t going to let it die,” Kay Patrick, Tavares’ aunt said.



Gas prices continue to rise throughout Kosciusko and local consumers are learning that the pump isn’t the only place where they are paying for it.

From the grocery stores to personal lifestyle changes, people are definitely feeling the pinch which doesn’t look like it will ease up any time soon

Lynn Malone, store manager for Exxon has heard complaints from customers for quite a while now, “I think it’s ridiculous right now.”



The Kosciusko Mayor and Board of Aldermen are one step closer to their $2.5 million bond issue for the paving of city streets and parks after passing on parts of the bond issues Tuesday, May 6.

The board passed a no protest resolution since no one turned in a petition against the projects, preliminary official statement to sell the bonds, bond resolution and the transcript certificate authorizing and issuing of $2.5 million and to advertise the notice of bond sale.



Two juveniles have been detained in the break-in and vandalism of the Ethel High School Football Field House, Attala County Sheriff William Lee said.

The ACSD responded to the school Monday morning before school started and found that the suspects had entered the field house through a busted window.

Paint was thrown in the hallway, on the floors of the high school and junior high locker rooms and on helmets, shoes and football pants.



June

Two principal positions in the Attala County School District were filled Monday night during the board’s regular meeting.

Mrs. Katie Hughes Jamison, with 26 years experience as an educator, was named principal at McAdams High School, and Dietrich Harmon was named principal at Long Creek Elementary.

Mrs. Jamison, who has served as Kosciusko Junior High School librarian for 16 years, also spent 11 years as a classroom teacher at McAdams High.

Dietrich Harmon was named principal at Long Creek Elementary replacing Arnold Harris who is taking a position in the Holmes County School District. Harmon has taught science at McAdams High School for the past four years.



From the coast to Kosy, Gulfport native Mike Colletta has established himself as an entrepreneur of landscaping in his field of work. Colletta has come to Kosciusko seeking stability from life on the road.

For about two months now Colletta’s Garden Center has been set up on East Jefferson Street in a small lot past the Gateway Theater.



After more than six years, an inmate has been charged in the 2002 murder of local catfish farmer, Charles Green.

Attala County Sheriff William Lee said a warrant was issued to a Mississippi Department of Corrections inmate Darrell McBride on Thursday, June 5, in the Kemper County Correctional Facility.

Lee, who inherited the case in 2003 when he became sheriff, said strong physical evidence has implicated McBride in the case.

McBride, 33, of Attala County, has been serving an 18-year manslaughter sentence in the death of LaTricia Wilson since 2004. Wilson was murdered in 2003 in Leake County and her body was found in Attala County in Lobutcha Creek.

Green, owner of Acres O’Lakes catfish farm, was found mortally wounded by his wife, Nancy, at their Attala County residence March 4, 2002.



More than 35 people attending the Kosciusko-Attala Development Corporation-sponsored transportation meeting Thursday, June 5, at the Mary Ricks Thornton Cultural Center received very little information about the status of roadways in Attala County.

Northern Highway Commissioner Bill Minor told the group that there are two factors to building roads on the Vision 21 plan – Traffic and economic development.

Minor and Second District Highway Engineer Richard Allen told the group the current plan for four-laning in the area was Highway 12 to Durant and that there is a possibility of biding on the project in 2016.

Allen said the current report for the four-laning of Highway 12 has to go through Durant because of heavy traffic flow.



The case of a 14-year-old boy’s death, with Attala county ties, is still shrouded in mystery and has yet to be uncovered in South Korea. Michael White, son of Stephanie White, 39, was found face down in 15 inches of water in a sauna pool on May 10.

Stephanie is a lecturer at Yeungnam University in Gyeongsan who has also worked at Konkuk and Hoseo Universities throughout South Korea.

She is the niece of Emogene and Curtis Burrell of Sallis.

Stephanie and Michael, along with two of Stephanie’s friends went to the Hawaiian Sauna in Gyeongsan, of the North Gyeongsan Province. The men and women’s side of the sauna separated Michael and his mom for about two hours. At 9:45 p.m. they parted ways, then at around 11:45 p.m., sauna staff notified her that Michael was being taken to the hospital.



Chicken and tacos have joined under one roof on Highway 12, in Kosciusko, to serve the hungry patrons of the surrounding areas.

Deborah Ray, of Ethel, has been managing the Kosciusko KFC since 1984 and hasn’t missed a beat yet as she now assumes manager position at the co-branded fast food restaurant.

Catering to the people’s satisfaction is what drives this experienced manager to operate the two well-established and famous restaurants.



Five weeks have passed since Home Hardware, Kosciusko’s newest home improvement center, opened its doors. Owned by Jim Smith, based out of Natchez, and operated by former Scarborough Building employee Scott Coleman, the new hardware business has plugged itself in the former Discount Paneling location on Highway 12.

Coleman managed Discount Paneling six months before it closed in April 2007, has been in the hardware industry for fifteen years. He also was co-managing a home-based hardware business, Home Plus, with his father, Junior Coleman.

The 38-year-old self-motivated businessman now has focused his attention to making Home Hardware a great resource for the Kosciusko/Attala County area.



The Kosciusko-Attala Development Corporation has developed a new resource for economic development and community information, the KADC Website – www.kadcorp.org

The site contains much needed information for all the audiences that seek information about Kosciusko and Attala County. The site combines information that was contained in the past on several different Websites.

“We want to welcome individuals to this site and for everyone to understand that this is the best source for information about our community,” Steve Zea, KADC president, said.



The former BP service station located just off of the historic downtown Kosciusko square has received a drastic make-over as new owners Mark and Kelly Clay, new Sallis residents, have transformed the dilapidated location into a rejuvenated retro pump and go.

Town Pump will soon have gasoline and coffee flowing for customers who need any kind of fill up. The new business will feature two gas islands, one self-service and the other full service.



July

The Kosciusko Police Department has a lot to be proud of with the addition of officer Larry Brice Cole.

Cole, who just completed 10-week training at the police academy in Pearl, finished No. 1 in his class.

“No one from Kosciusko has finished No. 1 from the academy,” KPD Chief R.J. Adams said. Adams noted that KPD has had officers finish in the top 5.

Cole, 30, who hails from the McCool area, said he as wanted to protect and serve others.



The message to those in attendance at the Kosciusko-Attala Development Corporation Quarterly Meeting is simple – If the people of Attala County and Kosciusko want to see more education and training from Holmes Community College then its in their hands.

Dr. Glenn Boyce, president of Holmes Community College, was the speaker at the lunch time meeting at Rib Alley’s The Front Room on Tuesday.

Boyce said he had to be driven by the leaders of the community to bring a bigger presence of HCC to the area.

With the departure of Milwaukee Electric Tool, the Attala County Board of Supervisors along with the KADC have been in talks with HCC and others about a projected workforce training center in the now vacant county-owned building.



In case you haven’t heard, a few of the Oprah Winfrey Boys & Girls Club members can be found within the pages of “Southern Living’s” July issue.

The boys and girls are shown having a good time cooking and eating healthy with Oprah’s former personal chef, Art Smith.



“A little bit of everything” is what they offer at one of Kosciusko’s newest businesses around, Anticipation Creations.

Relocating from Vaiden, the Sanders have taken on retail as a new venture for their prismatic careers.

Bradley, an agro-engineer, and Terri Lyn, a nurse, run the monogramming, baby craft, clothing and gift store on Court Square, in the former Parker’s Shoe Store location.



With aspirations of becoming a CEO, Wayne Buchanan is now one step closer to his dream as he moves on to becoming unit director for the Boys and Girls Club of Carthage/Leake County.

A native of Florence Ala., 27-year-old unit director for the Oprah Winfrey Boys and Girls Club of Kosciusko/Attala County has been with the organization for the past eight years getting his start in Florence after graduating from the University of Northern Alabama with a degree in social work.



In the wake of Entergy’s 28 percent rate increase, CEO and President Haley Fisackerly addressed government leaders and business people in Kosciusko at the Entergy Building on Friday. The company recently announced that customers will be paying more for their electricity until September. Entergy serves 5,000 homes in Kosciusko and Attala County.



A Kosciusko man implicated in a shooting death has died, Kosciusko Police Chief R.J. Adams said Friday afternoon.

Bennie Pitts, 69, allegedly shot and killed Charles Jones, 73, with a pistol on April 28 at a Bi-Way Road residence.

Pitts, who died in hospice care, was to be presented to the Grand Jury in August.



An argument Friday night left one man dead in McCool and another charged with his murder.

Emmery Payten “Sonny” Bell, 60, and Eddie Halderman, 57, had been arguing before the shooting, Attala County Sheriff William Lee said.

Halderman was dead when the Sheriff’s Department arrived at the residence on Attala County Road 2115.



The woman in charge of managing the City of Kosciusko’s money is saying goodbye.

City Clerk Janet Baird gave her resignation to Mayor Jimmy Cockroft and the Board of Aldermen Monday.

Baird will be taking a position with the Center for Governmental Technology at Mississippi State University and her last day as clerk will be Aug. 15.



August

City of Kosciusko is taking action to reduce and conserve their fuel consumption by going to a four-day work week, Mayor Jimmy Cockroft said in a letter Tuesday afternoon.

“Over the past few weeks as we have reviewed our current budget and the budget for the next fiscal year, we have looked at different ways we could reduce our fuel consumption and still be able to provide the services we are required to provide for our community,” Cockroft said.

Cockroft said the board of aldermen has agreed to allow some department in the city to begin the new work week. They started Aug. 1.

Those department working a four-day work week are Street, Solid Waste, Grounds and Wastewater. These departments will be working 10 hours a day from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“We are hoping that this helps with some of the overtime hours in each department as well,” Cockroft said. “We would ask that the public help us during this time by trying to let us know of problems and situations as soon as possible in order for us to schedule the necessary work and avoid as much overtime expense as we can.”

Cockroft said the city will also be conserving fuel by running routes in the city to pick up yard debris.

“It is our intention to begin running these routes on a weekly basis and to cut down on return trips thru neighborhoods after the route has already been covered,” he said. “This will be a tremendous saving to the city. We will publish those routes in the near future so that everyone is aware of when the trucks will run through their neighborhood.”

Call City Hall at 289-1226 for more information concerning the new schedule.



Attala County Sheriff William Lee said Emmery Payten “Sonny” Bell, 60, was released from the Attala County Jail Wednesday, Aug. 6, after the Grand Jury handed down a no bill. Bell was charged with the murder of Eddie Halderman.

The grand jury, after hearing the evidence and testimony, determined that there was not adequate evidence to indict Bell. Evidence was presented by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.

Bell and Halderman, 57, had been arguing before the shooting on Friday, July 25.



A Kosciusko man has been charged with manslaughter.

Attala County Sheriff William Lee said Kenneth Newbegin, 20, was charged at the Attala County Jail on Monday in connection with the death of Joseph Stonestreet. Newbegin is also known as Jordan Coleman.

According to reports, Newbegin was driving a Lincoln LS at a high rate of speed with Stonestreet and another passenger Jacob Simmons in early October.

When they came to the intersection of Highway 14 West and Highway 43 South, the vehicle went airborne off the road and struck a tree.

Stonestreet, 17, of Kosciusko, died of head trauma after he was thrown 30 to 35 yards from the vehicle.



Nadia Moak, 7, is back in Attala County with her family, Attala County Sheriff William Lee said.

Nadia was found in Bay City, Fla., with her estranged mother, Jessica Jean Moak, Wednesday night, Aug. 6, by law enforcement officials and returned to her home the next day.

Nadia was reported missing from her McCool home on Tuesday, Aug. 5, night and that she had been taken by her mother. Jessica has no visitation rights to the child.

Jessica is awaiting extradition to Mississippi and will be charged shortly there after.



Hart Pettit said he is ready to take on the task of being Kosciusko’s city clerk.

A native of Kosciusko, the 27-year-old was appointed to the position during a special meeting of the Kosciusko Mayor and Board of Aldermen Wednesday night, Aug. 20.

Pettit, who graduated Ole Miss with degrees in economics, real estate and fiance and a Masters of Business Administration, said he applied for the job because he wanted be at home in Kosciusko.

He is currently working at Pearl River Resort as a senior financial advisor and will assume his duties at City Hall on Sept. 5.

With a background in budgeting Auto Zone’s dollars, Pettit said he knew that the experience would be a “perfect fit” for the clerk position.



William Lamar (K.B.) Thompson who has completed 53 years employment with The Star-Herald is retiring.

He will be honored with a reception Friday, Sept. 5, 3 to 5 p.m. at Rib Alley Restaurant. The public is invited to attend.

Thompson began his newspaper career while a junior at Kosciusko High School working through the school’s Diversified Occupation (DO) Program. He went to school in the morning and reported to The Star-Herald at 1 p.m. and worked until 5 p.m. This schedule continued through his senior year and upon graduation from KHS he began full time employment.

Over his 53 years in the business, Thompson has experienced a complete revolution in the printing process. The hot metal process was used during his early years and he named “pouring lead” as his first job. This entailed melting the type to prepare the lead for typesetting the next paper.



September

When a person has lost everything and they say “Thank you” for the ice, water or rations that we provided that makes wearing this uniform worthwhile, Sgt. 1st Class Lonnie Griffin said of his recent trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast along with his Mississippi Army National Guard comrades.

The local ANG detachment headed to the Coast as part of Operation Secure Magnolia on Saturday, Aug. 30, preparing themselves for a Hurricane Katrina-like disaster and ready to serve.

Gustav, a Category 2 hurricane, hit Labor Day just 72 miles southwest of New Orleans, La., and brought wind gust of up to 70 mph and tidal surges of 6 to 11 feet into the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

“It was exciting to help a neighboring city,” Sgt. 1st Class Jackie Thompson said.

They were assigned to help in Jackson County and later went to nearby Waveland, where they distributed water, ice and rations.



Michael Harmon, 31, entered a guilty plea to manslaughter and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Tuesday, Sept. 2, receiving 30 years in prison.

Harmon had originally been charged with murder in the shooting death of his uncle, Johnny D. Winters that occurred in December.

Winters had been shot in the left side of the rib cage and there had been an altercation between Winters and Harmon before the shooting occurred.

Harmon, who was out on parole after serving time for a drive-by sh