KOSCIUSKO —
Holmes County and the Town of Pickens mourned the loss of Pickens Mayor Joel Gill Monday during funeral services held at Pickens United Methodist Church.
A past candidate for Mississippi agriculture commissioner and U.S. Congress, Gill died as a result of injuries sustained in a one-car accident October 18 on Highway 17 near Pickens. He was 61.
Mississippi Highway Patrol Sgt. Ben Williams said Gill's car ran off the road and struck a tree and on Friday it wasn’t clear the cause of the accident.
Gill’s wife, Ann, described him as a kind man and his death came as a shock.
"He was so kind. He would help anybody," she said.
Gill, a Democrat, was elected mayor in 2009 and had served as an alderman twice in Pickens – from 1989 to 1993 and again from 2005 to 2009.
He was a Democratic candidate in last year's race for commissioner of agriculture, losing to Republican challenger Cindy Hyde-Smith.
Gill along with his family ran the family cattle business, MS Order Buyers Inc., which deals in six states and grossed more than $30 million a year, according to his campaign Web site.
Burial was held at Lakewood Memorial Park in Clinton.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Local News
Pickens Mayor dies in auto accident
- Local News
-
-
Grand old lady shines: City of Kosciusko celebrates first phase of The Strand with lighting ceremony
It was a night to take a stroll down memory lane for Kosciusko residents and head to a place where a host of memories were made.
-
City looks at Sunday beer sales
The City of Kosciusko is looking at changes in the beer ordinance, including selling beer on Sundays.
-
Woods wins Ward 4 alderman in Kosciusko race
Jeffrey Woods was elected as Kosciusko Ward 4 alderman on May 7. Woods received 90 votes to fellow challenger Earl Kern’s 66.
-
Kosciusko City Schools fill remaining slots for upcoming year
Kosciusko City Schools Superintendent Dr. Tony McGee said that he felt the staff for the upcoming school year was set following approval of hires Monday night at the school board meeting.
-
City arrests by police department
The Kosciusko Police Department reported the following arrests.
Monday’s arrests included:
– Tiffany Tierra Fletcher, 20, was arrested for first offense shoplifting on M.L.K. Drive by Capt. Herbert Dew. -
City considers using service to find retailers
With the current economy and the merger of Merchants and Farmers Bank and Renasant Bank, Kosciusko Mayor Jimmy Cockroft presented the idea of hiring a firm to aid in the recruitment of retailers during the board of aldermen meeting at city hall May 7.
-
Do school bus drivers undergo background checks?
Castro was a school bus driver from 1991 to 2012, during which time he was accused of domestic violence. Do they perform background checks on school bus drivers?
-
The connection between breakfast and academic achievement
Most people know it's hard for children to pay attention in school without eating breakfast. But now a team of researchers has found out why that is.
-
Celebrating birthdays: Relay for Life tonight at coliseum
The American Cancer Society knows how important each and every birthday can be and so does five-year cancer survivor Xochie Doty.
-
Rainy days and Mondays
Emergency responders worked to load an automobile crash victim onto a stretcher following an accident in front of Family Check Advance on Highway 12 Monday morning.
- More Local News Headlines
-

