KOSCIUSKO — January

Bryan Weaver said it was definitely going to be an adjustment going from principal at Greenlee Elementary School to his newly elected position of Attala County Schools superintendent. He said he’s gone from a school setting with more than 450 students to being the leader of the entire district with a small central office staff.  His first day in office started by visiting all four of the county schools and holding meetings with central office staff on Monday.



The Attala County Supervisors are looking for land for a new jail. During a special called meeting on December 28, the supervisors went into executive session to discuss three or four parcels of land for the project. The building of a new correctional facility has been on the table with the Attala County Board of Supervisors for some time in order to continue housing state inmates.



Two Attala County men have been charged with murder following the Saturday afternoon shooting death of Cedric Montae Sharkey, 24, of Sallis. According to Sheriff William Lee, Barry Ware, 42, and Frankie Barber, 52, both white males, were taken into custody following the incident.



Holmes Community College’s new presence in Kosciusko and Attala County was announced by the president Glenn Boyce at the Kosciusko Rotary Club at the noon meeting Monday. Boyce said he is hopeful that Holmes will move into its new location – county-owned and former Milwaukee Electric Tool Building on West Jefferson Street – by August, construction permitting.



Selected among several local outstanding youth, Sonja Merrie’ Floyd will compete against other Boys & Girls Club members for the Mississippi Youth of the Year title and a $1,000 college scholarship from Tupperware Brands Corporation.  



A man given two life sentences for the shooting deaths after his admission of guilty was on the list of former Gov. Haley Barbour’s pardons.  According to the Sept. 10, 1992, edition of  The Star-Herald, Larry Darnel Roby, 33, of Jackson,  shot Terry Lowrey twice and he was found dead at the residence of Essie Roby, his ex-wife.  



A new appointment for Durant's chief of police was revealed by the board of aldermen Tuesday night Jan. 17. Investigator John Haynes is slated to take over after current Chief Jerry Bankhead retires at the end of this month.



February

A weekend shooting has left one dead and another behind bars, according to the Kosciusko Police Department. When officers responded to a call for a shooting on Rone Street on Sunday, they found Latresa Johnson dead of a gunshot wound. Investigators have charged Jason Lee Parker, 29, with murder, possession of a weapon by a felon and possession of a stolen weapon.



The signs in the windows of Sears on Veterans Memorial Drive in Kosciusko read: “Store Closing Sale,” “Entire Store on Sale,” “Nothing Held Back.”  Employees at the Kosciusko location did not discuss the closing with the media Tuesday.  



Students from Kosciusko Lower Elementary will soon be hitting the radio airwaves with SmokeFree Mississippi spokesperson and radio/TV personality Paul Ott. They recorded, along with several students from the Jackson-area, at the SmokeFree Mississippi press conference at the State Capitol on Jan. 25 in Jackson.



One man accused in the shooting death  of Cedric M. Sharkey, 24, of Sallis, is out on bond, while the other remains behind bars in the Attala County Jail after a preliminary hearing was held on Wednesday, February 1, in Attala County Justice Court.  Frankie Barber, 42,  of Sallis, was released on bond last week and Barry Ware, 52,  of Sallis, remains in jail.



Like all public school districts in Mississippi, the Attala County School Board is in the process of adopting a policy on sex-related education. House Bill 999, which was passed by the Legislature last year, requires each district to adopt a policy to implement abstinence-only or abstinence-plus education into the curriculum by June.



Progress is under way toward restoring a landmark building in Durant that has sat in disuse for years. The Durant Historic Preservation Commission, established by the Durant Board of Aldermen, is seeking to repair and restore the town's train depot.  



The Mississippi Association of Independent Schools recently conducted a preliminary accreditation visit to Presbyterian Day School in Kosciusko, the first formal step in a process that leads to full accreditation by the Jackson-based accrediting agency. The school currently provides instruction to children in K5 through fifth grade in facilities at the First Presbyterian Church on Smythe Street.



Groundwork has begun in Durant for the construction of a new Dollar General store on Highway 12. A new 12,406 square foot facility is scheduled to be built next to the current Dollar General.



A trial date in Attala County Circuit Court has been set for the two men accused in the shooting death of Cedric M. Sharkey.  Frankie Barber, 52, and Barry Ware, 42, who are charged with murder, have a trial date of March 28.



March

Passersby the former Strand Theater building on North Madison Street will notice the facade is now brick.  City of Kosciusko workers removed the rusty-red exterior several weeks ago and, according to Mayor Jimmy Cockroft, there is a reason for that.  Initial bids on the roof and facade restoration came in $100,000 over the estimated value, he said.



Communication and perseverance are two traits superintendent for Durant Public School attributes to a notable eight-year term.  Glenn Carlisle, who announced his retirement in a December board meeting, said his decision was a struggle. "I had not talked about it with anyone," said Carlisle.



A Kosciusko college student was among the three arrested in Starkville and charged with kidnapping on Friday. Corey Skelton, 22, of Kosciusko, along with his Mississippi State University, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brothers, Donovan Carroll, 22, of Canton, and Frederick Oglesby, 21, of Hattiesburg were charged after the crime was reported to the Starkville Police Department. The three allegedly held a female MSU student against her will at a home on 411 Scales Street in Starkville.



Brittany Barton, Kosciusko High School student, was named overall winner of the Attala County’s Distinguished Young Woman in a program held Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Kosciusko Junior High School auditorium.



Taylor Casey began his duties on March 1 as director of the Attala County Extension Service in offices located on Fairground Road adjacent to the Central Mississippi Fairgrounds.



A third person has been charged in the shooting death of Cedric M. Sharkey, 24, of Sallis.  According to Attala County Circuit Court documents, Steven Barber, 26, has been charged with accessory to murder after the fact with a trial date of March 28. Bond was set at $5,000.  



Dr. Timothy J. Alford of Kosciusko has been appointed to serve as member of the American Academy of Family Physicians’ Commission on Membership and Member Services. He began his term on December 15, 2011, and will serve until December 14, 2015.



Frankie Barber and Barry Ware did not go to trial for murder Wednesday. The Attala County Circuit Clerk's office said court proceedings wrapped up last week with several plea agreements. Barber, 52, and Ware, 42, both of Sallis, have been charged in the shooting death of Cedric Sharkey.



The Attala County Sheriff’s Department aided in the recapture of a Richland teenager the afternoon of March 13. Through a tip from the ACSD,  the Richland Police Department found Albert Thompson, 16, at Hannah Heights Apartments in Ethel hiding between two mattresses.  



Netting at least 16 arrests throughout Holmes County from early morning warrants on Wednesday March 21, North Central Narcotics Task Force Director Chuck Harris said more are pending. In attempts to decrease violent crimes throughout Holmes County Harris said joint efforts with the Department of Corrections, Holmes County Sheriff's Department and the task force led to apprehending local residents known for drug and violent activities.



April

Montfort Jones Memorial Hospital is seeking supplemental financing for its construction/renovation project due to open in May through new market tax credit Financing.  Hospital administrator John Dawson along with chief financial officer James Thomas, the MJMH Board of Trustees and a host of consultants and attorneys have met with Attala County Supervisors and board attorney, Scott Pickle, multiple times over the past two months to discuss the possibility of MJMH seeking additional funding for its renovation/construction project through a federal program known as New Market Tax Credits.

 

Baring some minor changes to a lease agreement, the Attala County School Board approved to move the Federal Programs Office to the former Kosciusko Attala Development Corporation Building (Old Union Planters Building) on the Square by a three-to-one vote Monday  night. The lease would be for three years and rent would be $600.



The City of Durant is one of three other municipalities that have become passed comprehensive smokefree air ordinances.  



Starkville Municipal Court Judge Rodney Faver has dismissed charges, stemming from a March 1 kidnapping, against three Mississippi State University students. The Commercial Dispatch reports 22-year-old Corey Skelton of Kosciusko, 21-year-old Frederick Oglesby of Hattiesburg and 22-year-old Donovan Carroll of Canton were arrested and charged with kidnapping a female student in Starkville. Xaryl Pritchard of the Starkville Police Department says the victim, who signed affidavits for the kidnapping charges against the three, decided to drop the charges for unknown reasons last week.



The state Court of Appeals upheld the capital murder conviction of a Kosciusko man sentenced to life without parole for the shooting death of Jessie Earl Hill at the Hill Brothers Logging Shop. Barry Love also was sentenced to 65 years on two counts of aggravated assault, armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery.



May

Kosciusko High School senior Juan Rodriguez and his family cried tears of happiness when they got the news that his college education would be paid in full. Rodriguez is one of 1,000 students selected nation-wide as a Gates Millennium Scholar. He thought he had a “good shot” at getting the scholarship, which is considered a “full-ride” to the school of his choice and includes an undergraduate college degree and graduate degree.  



Attala County residents wanting a glimpse of the newly renovated and expanded Montfort Jones Memorial Hospital will not have to wait much longer. MJMH Administrator John Dawson said the hospital will hold a ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony  of the east wing on May 11 at 10 a.m.  



Kosciusko and area residents will not have to wait until June or July to be able to have a juicy, Attala County grown, vine ripened tomato for the dinner table. Erin Biggers Sembiring is now harvesting 400 to 450 pounds of tomatoes each week from her greenhouse and offering them for sale locally.



A Durant native with ties to Attala County was   taken into custody after a five-hour standoff at a home Friday was taken to St. Dominic Hospital for a mental evaluation. Authorities tear gassed the home where Tommy Chisolm, 34, was, and the incident ended peacefully.



Keynote speaker for the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce banquet was all about "trash" talk April 26. Central District Commissioner for the Mississippi Department of Transportation Dick Hall addressed business and government heads from around the county on aesthetics and roadwork.



“He’d give you the shirt off his back,” Attala County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Randy Blakely said as he remembered his “boss” Sheriff William Lee.   The head law enforcement officer died Monday of organ failure at University Medical Center in Jackson. He was 59.



While a community mourns the passing of Kosciusko physician, Dr. Gary Holdiness, the past and present staff of Kosciusko Medical Clinic remembers a man that was more than just a doctor.  Holdiness, 54, was killed Sunday afternoon on the Natchez Trace Parkway when he was struck by a vehicle. He was cycling, an activity that he loved.



The late Attala County Sheriff William Lee was remembered as not only a sheriff but a God-fearing man who loved his family and his community during funeral services at Williamsville Baptist Church May 10.  Lee died May 7 at University Medical Center of organ failure during a two-week stay.



Closing ceremonies were held shortly after 5 o’clock Saturday morning at Hugh Ellard Park ending this year’s 12-hour Relay for Life, but not ending the drive for the American Cancer Society. Sandy McBride, chairman of this year’s Relay, said approximately $50,000 was raised but efforts will continue until September to reach the $100,000 goal.



Attala County Chief Deputy Tim Nail takes oath of office from Judge Eddie Fenwick Monday afternoon at the Attala County Chancery Courtroom with friends and family in attendance. Nail was appointed interim sheriff by the Attala County Board of Supervisors on Friday morning.



Following the Attala Election Commission’s request to set the date for a special election, the Attala Board of Supervisors in its regular meeting on Monday morning set the date for Nov. 6. The election will be held to fill the office of sheriff following the death of Sheriff William Lee on May 7.



The investigation continues into the May 6 accident on the Natchez Trace Parkway in which 54-year-old Dr. Gary Holdiness was killed. Natchez Trace Parkway Superintendent Cam Sholly of Tupelo said this week that their investigation should be completed within a week. The report will then be transferred to the U.S. Attorney in Oxford to make a determination as to whether charges will be filed against the person driving the vehicle which struck Holdiness resulting in his death. Holdiness was riding his bicycle several  miles south of Kosciusko when  he was hit by a Toyota TJ Cruiser.



The doors to the new addition of Montfort Jones Memorial Hospital officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, May11, but the actual transfer of staff and patients took place last week. Administrator John Dawson said the move went well with no real problems.



June

Durant native Rochelle Culp has a weight loss success story, which she has shared, in a book and, as a member of The Joy Fit Club, has appeared on the NBC Today Show. Her healthy living success story is told in the inspirational book, “The Joy Fit Club: Cookbook, Diet Plan and Inspiration” by Joy Bauer, the long time on-air diet and nutrition expert for The Today Show.



A message on the social networking site Facebook sparked a friendship between Randy Edwards, of HISTORY’s “Swamp People,” and Attala County resident Weis Rosamond. On a trip to Louisiana to visit family, Rosamond said he and his family contacted Edwards and his wife, Terri, and went to their home.   With a newfound friendship in place, Rosamond recruited his friend to make an appearance at the Friends of the MS State Veterans Home crawfish boil on Saturday at Lake N Resort on Highway 14 between Kosciusko and the Zemuly community.



Choctaw County School District Superintendent Glen Beard said they are waiting to hear from the U.S. Justice Department, following the 3-2 school board vote June 4 on consolidation within the district.  Justice Department must approve the proposal due to the desegregation agreement. Under the adopted plan, Weir Attendance Center would no longer serve grades pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.



A joint meeting of the Attala County Board of Supervisors and the Kosciusko Board of Aldermen held Friday ended with a plan for a new partnership on the Attala County/Kosciusko 911 Department Friday at the Chancery Building. The Attala County Board of Supervisors had been working toward taking on the city/county department by October 1.



Laura Mitchell Kelly’s hand has been restored – to the statue marking her grave in the Kosciusko City Cemetery on South Huntington Street. The imposing statue marking the grave of Mrs. Kelly  is often visited because of its historical significance and the story associated with it. For a time, the statue was marred by the missing hand and a portion of the anchor to which it was attached.



A Pearl man died as a result of a tractor accident Sunday. Attala County Sheriff Tim Nail said Bob Derosier, 68, was clearing land at the Green Creek Hunting Club when the tractor rolled on top of him.  The Attala County Fire Department assisted with removing the tractor from the victim.



Weir Attendance Center will continue to exist for the coming school year. On Friday, Choctaw County Superintendent Glen Beard told The Choctaw Plaindealer that the schools will not be restructured for the upcoming school year.  



The Kosciusko Mayor and Board of Aldermen took the first steps on the redistricting process on June 19 after hearing from Lydia Quarles with the John C. Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University. She presented the board with the redistricting process and explained that the changing of boundaries would not affect the number represented.



An Ethel man was pronounced dead at the scene of a one-vehicle accident on Highway 12 Monday morning around 6.  Attala County Coroner Sam Bell confirmed that Rickey N. Patterson died of injuries sustained in the accident and that an autopsy would be performed.  Patterson's vehicle ran off of Highway 12 and flipped before hitting a light pole near the power sub-station.



Kosciusko City School District Superintendent Tony McGee was welcomed back as the head of the school system during  the board meeting held June 11. School board president Kenny Dungan told McGee that their contract deliberations had nothing to do with his job performance but making sure they were fair to him and the faculty and staff of the district.



A previous candidate for Attala County School District Superintendent has been hired to take the lead role at McAdams High School. During the June 26 meeting of the Attala County School Board, Superintendent Bryan Weaver recommended  Jacqueline Sandifer to the board.   



A recent study commissioned by the Mississippi Hospital Association found that Attala County’s hospital, Montfort Jones Memorial Hospital, has a total economic impact on the community by $26,998,000. MJMH is responsible for the creation of 330 jobs. The findings are featured in the  publication, Critical Care: The Economic Impact of Hospitals on Mississippi’s Economy,  and was  conducted by DataGen.



There is a new ‘hot spot’ in Downtown Kosciusko and it’s causing others to join in on searching the World Wide Web. With aid and support of the Kosciusko Mayor and Board of Aldermen, Attala County Board of Supervisor and the Kosciusko-Attala Development Corporation, Kosciusko Water and Light has recently unveiled a free Wi-Fi hot spot  or wireless Internet in the Downtown area.  



Eloise Williams assumed her duties as Attala County Librarian on July 1 filling the position left with the retirement of Carolyn Pilgrim, who had served 18 years as librarian. The veteran librarian began her career on Oct. 1, 1976 as a clerk and worked her way through the four stages of the clerk position. She has served as assistant librarian for the past 16 years.



A locked door and windows that are bare for the first time in 107 years have created  a void  with the closing of Leonard’s, an anchor of the south side of the courthouse square. Chevas Thompson, owner for the past several years, has closed the doors after holding a sale to liquidate the stock. The portion of the building used by Becky Lawrence Design Group Inc. will continue to be occupied as a warehouse for equipment used in her business.



Attala County Sheriff Tim Nail is asking for the community’s help in bringing closure to several open cases in the department.  Christopher Keith, a 30-year-old white male with brown hair and eyes, has been missing since Saturday. He weighs 240 pounds and is approximately six-feet tall.  



On July 26, Willie Frank Williams Sr. plans to stock the last shelf and roll out the last grocery cart to a customer’s vehicle as he leaves Sunflower Food Store retiring after 49 years of employment. His grocery store career began in May 1963 at the Sunflower Store located on the east side of the courthouse square which was owned by Marvin Pickle and Grover Moore.



With 65 votes from Ward One in Durant candidate Barbara Booth claims her  new alderwoman position Tuesday.  Official results from Tuesday's, July 10, Ward One alderman election totaled 111 votes from about 300 residents. Isaiah Winters claimed 24 votes and Jonell Payton, 22 votes, according to Durant City Clerk Barbara Freeman.



A two-month investigation led to the arrest of an Attala County man Sunday evening by the Attala County Sheriff’s Department. Attala County Sheriff Tim Nail said Travis Fitts Jr., 39, was charged with sale of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance. Nail said Fitts was found to have the purest form of methamphetamine – ice – at Riverside Trailers on Highway 35 South.



August

A joint effort by the Attala County Sheriff’s Department, Choctaw County Sheriff's Department and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, two Holmes County men were arrested during a drug bust Saturday. Curtis Blackmon, 51, of Cruger, was charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and Antonio Parks, 33, of Lexington was charged with possession with intent to sale cocaine.



A Kosciusko Police officer has been terminated by the Kosciusko Mayor and Board of Alderman. On August 31, Mayor Jimmy Cockroft and Aldermen Pop Lawrence, Henry Daniel and John Sullivan held a special called meeting for a personnel matter that was held in executive session. The aldermen voted to terminate Raymond D. (Trey) Collins for conduct unbecoming a police officer.



The man charged in the million dollar equipment heist has taken a guilty plea according to court files in Attala County Circuit Clerk Wanda Fancher’s office. Kenneth Joe Taylor, 44, took a plea deal and was sentenced to eight years on two counts of receiving stolen property with 12 years post-release supervision.



The man accused of murdering Danny Tavares was transported from Shelby County, Tenn., to the Attala County Jail early Monday evening by Kosciusko Police Department and the Attala County Sheriff’s Department.  Sheriff Tim Nail served Theodus Barnett with the indictment when they arrived at the jail.  Tavares, 52, was found dead on May 25, 2007, at his used car dealership, Tavares Motors, on Highway 12.  He was robbed, beaten to death and suffocated. Barnett was charged in February 2011 after the evidence collected at the car dealership linked him to the crime. A trial date of February 4 has been set.



Former Attala County and City of Kosciusko Public Defender Jim Davis Hull can no longer practice law.  The Mississippi State Supreme Court made the ruling at the request of The Mississippi Bar to revoke his privileges to practice as an attorney on August 14. Hull didn’t respond to the complaint.  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.  Pleading guilty to three counts of false statement relating to health care matters April 2008, he was sentenced in 2009 to serve five years in federal prison and pay $2,444,463,70.



A Saturday night one-car wreck in Winston County has left a Kosciusko man and Louisville man dead.  Lendale Merritt, 34, of Kosciusko died instantly when the vehicle landed on top of him and Doninquez Clark, 30, of Louisville was partially ejected from the vehicle and died shortly after the accident from trauma to the chest and abdomen, according to media reports.



One hundred twenty seven cyclists converged on Kosciusko Saturday morning to participate in a ride on the Natchez Trace Parkway sponsored by Tour ‘d Attala. Riders came from throughout Mississippi, with others from Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida, and Alabama. The ride benefited the American Cancer Society.



September

An Attala County man has been charged with murder after a Saturday drive-by shooting left one man dead and another critically injured. Attala County Sheriff Tim Nail said Markeith Fleming has been charged with the murder of Christopher Graham and remains in Attala County Jail Tuesday.



“The excitement was genuine,” Sue Harmon, chair for the Attala County Democratic Executive Committee, said of the atmosphere at the Democratic National Convention.  Harmon attended the convention in  Charlotte, N.C., as a voting delegate from Attala County. The convention was held September 4-6. Harmon, who is still recovering from a once in a lifetime trip, said First Lady Michelle Obama’s speech captivated her attention and left the crowd energized.



Kosciusko City School District has finished in the top 10 school districts in the state with the release of the Mississippi Department of Education releasing the state test results on Friday.  The entire district received the classification of “B” or high performing.



A local business man was sentenced in a food stamp fraud case September 12 during Attala County Circuit Court with Judge C.E. Morgan III presiding. Ali “Adam” Abdo Ghazi, 53, owner and manager of Adams Grocery on Highway 12, entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to one year house arrest and to pay $5,000 in restitution and $2,000 in fines.



Attala County School District was given a “D” grade or a status of academic watch with the release of the  test scores by the Mississippi Department of Education on September 14.  Ethel High School and Greenlee Elementary were given an ‘F,’ or low-performing, while McAdams High and Long Creek Elementary were given a ‘D’ for academic watch.



The new children’s water play area was opened on Friday at Jason Niles Park  in Kosciusko with a ribbon cutting. The splash pad, a designated area with water springing upward from portals in the concrete area, cost approximately $150,000.



The Oprah Winfrey Boys & Girls Club’s Sixth Annual C.A.R.E. Event brought in approximately $15,000 through sponsorships, ticket sales, and through the silent auction on September 20 at the club on Knox Road in Kosciusko.  

 

Longtime Attala County School Board Member and Secretary Mack Willie Clark will not seek another term in District 4. Clark, a retired teacher and coach, has been on the board for several terms.  There is only one candidate on the ballot, Vernita Rayford.



October

Following an impromptu executive session between the members of the Attala County School Board and Superintendent Bryan Weaver regarding the release of the Attala County’s state test results, the four principals presented plans of action and answer questions during the regular board meeting held in the Attala County Courthouse Monday evening.  The state testing data was released on September 14 with Attala County Schools being given the letter grade of “D” or a status of academic watch.



Kosciusko Middle Elementary was recently recognized as a “High Performing School” from the Mississippi Department of Education.  The new accountability label is based on three consecutive years of meeting high academic benchmarks at both the state and federal levels.



A new Subway restaurant is scheduled to be built in Durant on Highway 12. Durant Mayor Robert Johnson made the announcement during the Tuesday, October 2, board of aldermen meeting.  



There was something to celebrate at Long Creek Elementary on Friday afternoon. Students, faculty, staff and guests were in attendance for the opening day of the Project Fit America equipment on the school’s playground in Sallis.  Project Fit America has state-of-the-art outdoor and indoor equipment, curriculum and teacher training.



The Choctaw County School Board modified its consolidation plan on Friday during a special called meeting in Ackerman.  The board voted to close Weir High School, grades seventh through 12th grades. Those students will attend Ackerman High School.  Choctaw County Schools Superintendent Glen Beard said the consolidation plan change was a matter of dollars and cents.



An Ethel man sits in the Attala County Jail Monday charged with rape. L.A. Barksdale, 49, with the rape of a 13-year-old female on Sunday.



The Kosciusko Police Department is asking for the public’s help in three Friday incidents. It is unknown if they are related. Multiple mowers, chainsaws and other equipment were taken from Attala Lawn and Garden, along with a 16-foot trailer on  Highway 12. Tires were stolen off a vehicle at Triple H Motors on Veterans Memorial Drive.



November

With more than 30 years in office and just recently being elected into another term, Attala County Tax Collector/Assessor Kempe Hodges decided this summer to reap his retirement benefits.  However, he will remain in office and continue to serve the people of Attala County.  Hodges said he will keep working and draw 25 percent of his salary.



The next step in a proposed four-county economic development alliance was made October 25  at the Rustic Kitchen in Four Corners as the mayors of Carthage, Kosciusko, Louisville and Philadelphia presented the initial plan to their county counterparts, aldermen and other officials, including their areas economic development people. The four mayors have been working on the joint venture for about a year in hopes of bringing industry to the area in the future, Kosciusko Mayor Jimmy Cockroft said.



Attala County Sheriff Tim Nail and Lexington Police Chief Martin Roby claimed the most votes in the special election for sheriff on Tuesday evening at the Attala County Courthouse.  Nail received 3,679 or 47.05 percent of the votes, while Roby grabbed 3,003 or 38.40 percent of the votes.



President Barack Obama won re-election Tuesday night despite a fierce challenge from Republican Mitt Romney, prevailing in the face of a weak economy and high unemployment that encumbered his first term and crimped the middle class dreams of millions.



With Attala County School District given the grade of “D” by the State Department of Education, Superintendent Bryan Weaver brought the idea of bringing an education consultant group into district before the school board on November 15.



Dr. Stanley Hartness, longtime Kosciusko  physician now living in Jackson, was the speaker for Thursday night’s 77th annual meeting of the Kosciusko-Attala Development Corporation held in the J.B. Hayes facility on the campus of the former Magnolia Bible College.  Kosciusko folk artist L.V. Hull was the subject of his address citing her unique form of art and the prominence she gained through her talent.



Presbyterian Day School in Kosciusko was approved recently for accreditation and membership by the Executive Committee of the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS).



There were applause and prayers said following the announcement of the final vote count Tuesday night at the Attala County Courthouse declaring Tim Nail as the sheriff for the next three years.  Nail, who has been serving as interim sheriff, thanked the people of Attala County for their support and votes. Unofficial results of the special runoff election saw Nail take in 3,356 votes or 62 percent to Lexington Police Chief Martin Roby’s 2,015 votes or 38 percent.



After an October break in at Greenlee Elementary School, Attala County Schools Superintendent Bryan Weaver presented a plan to install security cameras at the two high schools and two elementary schools during the November school board meeting.  Weaver said he didn’t know how long gas had been taken from Greenlee but there was a “trail of dead gas where they were taking out gas.”



December

Less than 24 hours after being elected, Attala County Sheriff Tim Nail took the oath of office Wednesday, November 28, in the Attala County Chancery Building with a small group in attendance. Attala County Chancery Judge Eddie Fenwick administered the oath.  The official results of the November 27 special runoff election between Nail and Lexington Police Chief Martin Roby showed that approximately 40 percent of the registered voters took part in the election.



While discussing possible  financial consulting services, Attala County Supervisors Troy Hodges said the county hoped to break ground on the jail in March or April.  The building of a new correctional facility has been on in the works for the Attala County Board of Supervisors for some time in order to continue housing state inmates and d