Cummings Announces Retirement After Three Decade Career

By David Howell
Editor

COFFEEVILLE – Longtime County MSU Extension Service Director Steve Cummings announced at the “first Monday” supervisor meeting that he would be retiring after serving in Yalobusha County for three decades.

    “Thirty years ago in May I came to work in Yalobusha County as the county director and it looks like June 30 that I will be retiring,” Cummings told supervisors at the March 1 meeting in Coffeeville.

    Cummings, a native of Pontotoc County, sank roots in Yalobusha County after he was hired as the extension director. Cummings’ impact and service to the county was noted as several supervisors and Board Attorney John Crow shared stories about his dedication through 4-H and numerous other duties.

    “This is still going to be home isn’t it?” District One Supervisor Tommy Vaughn asked.

    “It is going to be home, I have been here for 30 years and I am not going anywhere,” Cummings answered. He  also reported that he would continue to serve as an election commissioner.

    “I think this is the best county, I feel like they will be lining up to come work here,” Cummings said, referring to a hiring replacement for the position. He also said he may work part-time on a short-term basis.

    “You can’t say enough good things about the folks in Yalobusha County. This is home,” Cummings reiterated.

    His comments drew a round of applause from supervisors and other meeting attendees.    

    Other business conducted at the meeting included:

    • District One Justice Court Judge Gary Tippit asked supervisors for  office space in the Coffeeville Courthouse. Tippit said he will need a place to conduct business at the courthouse after the justice court clerks are moved to the county-owned Carother’s Building.

    “It suits me because I feel like the judge needs an office here,” District Five Supervisor Frank “Bubba” Tillman said.

    “Steve (Riley) has an office up in Water Valley at the courthouse,”  Vaughn added.

    With an informal vote, supervisors agreed to allow Tippit to use the office currently occupied by the justice court clerk.

    Vaughn also said that the justice court clerks will be moved to the new office as soon as it dries up enough for gravel to be placed on the new parking lot.

    The move stems from an earlier board decision to consolidate the two justice court offices, one in the Coffeeville Courthouse and one in the Water Valley courthouse, to the Carother’s Building located two miles south of Water Valley.

    • Discussed establishing a county work program for county inmates.

    “It would help on some of these fines that the justice court has back fines on,” Sheriff Lance Humphreys told supervisors.

    “If you are put in jail right now you get $10 per day,” Humphreys added, referring to the credit against an outstanding fine. With a work program, participating inmates could be credited minimum wage toward their outstanding fines.

    “We did this back in the early 90s,” District Three Supervisor M.H. “Butch” Surrette said. “I think we had a program,” Surrette added.

    “We have the authority to enact a program, but we don’t have the authority to order it being implemented. That is up to the justice court judges,” Crow advised. “They can’t order a prisoner to work without the board setting up a program. We set up a program and it is up to them (judges) to order that the fine be worked off under the supervision of the sheriff’s department,” Crow continued.

    Humphreys also informed supervisors that Justice Court Judge Steve Riley had expressed interest in the program.

    “It is kind of like Larry Hart said the other day in the paper about the city, we have got this small jail we are trying to make do with it. The faster we can move these people through there and get them out, the better off we are going to be,” Vaughn said.

    “I agree,” Surrette said.

    “Right now we are completely full, between the City of Oakland and us, we are full from the weekend,” Humphreys said about the jail. “We got 30 or 40 indictments to pick up this week,” Humphreys added.

    Surrette added that many of the  inmates would volunteer to work, even if they did not have a fine.

    The discussion on the topic concluded after Humphreys told Crow  he would get examples of work programs from other counties to provide framework for establishing a program in the county.

    • Approved a request from Humphreys to mark a Dodge Charger and allow a new truck to be unmarked.

    • Met with Allen Hughes with Avery Outdoors to discuss drawing up a new lease for the county-owned building the company occupies.

    The current lease, which has expired, allows Avery Outdoors to rent the building for $100 annually if the company agrees to provide 50 jobs at the facility.

    Currently Avery Outdoors does not  have 50 employees at the facility, and Crow advised supervisors that the county would have to charge the company fair market price for use of the building.

    Hughes had previously met with supervisors about purchasing adjacent property to the county-owned building in Coffeeville to add a new warehouse for Avery Outdoors.

    At Monday’s meeting, Hughes and supervisors revisited the idea, which could add six to 10 new jobs at the business.

    Tillman advised Hughes to work with Yalobusha Economic Director Bob Tyler to see if the expansion could be done.    

    • Approved six applications from log companies to exceed posted weight limits on county roads.

    In District One, Moore Logging was granted an application on County Road 216 and Harrison Logging on County Road 82. In District Three, Max White Trucking Inc. was granted an application on County Road 219 and 224. In District Five, Winston Forest Products was granted an application on roads 147, 186, 144, 221, and 330.

    • Approved the hiring of Tim Little to work part-time in District Five.

    • Postponed entering into a utility agreement with GT&Y Water District Inc. to authorize running a water line to a new residence on County Road 2 in District Five. Crow advised Tillman that the agreement was not properly signed and did not provide a general description of the work needed to be done.

    “We need it signed by the president of the board,” Crow advised.

    “What do you want to do, Crow? If you say don’t do it, I will not do it. These folks will be without water,” Tillman said.

    “You tell me how you want it done,” Tillman continued.

    “All I ask is the documents be complete,” Crow said.

    “I can take them (documents) right back down there,” Tillman answered, referring to getting the documents properly completed.

    “They are not going to be without water,” Crow responded.

    “They are getting ready to put about a $75,000 mobile home in there. The power line is already there. They are needing water to this home. They won’t deliver the home until they get that water,” Tillman answered.

    “G,T & Y needs to get their ducks in a row,” Crow responded.

    Supervisors agreed to wait until the next meeting to execute the agreement.

    • Approved homestead exemption corrections from Tax Assessor/Collector Linda Shuffield.

    • Approved the claims.

    • Voted to enter executive session to discuss two lawsuits, one case involving a lawsuit filed by Fletcher Fly and a second lawsuit filed by Cecil Harrison.

    Before entering executive session, Crow credited his legal associate, Daniel Martin, for meticiously preparing the brief sent to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that the lower court had ruled properly when they dismissed Fly’s lawsuit.

    “Y’all did do an outstanding job on the county’s behalf. Although we won the suit, the county lost,” Vaughn said, referring to almost $40,000 in legal expenses incurred by the county.

    Crow also explained why the county’s general liability insurance policy did not provide coverage for the case.

    “From the get-go, Mr. Fly and his lawyer asserted that we took this road without paying him for it. That’s inverse condemnation. That is when you take it in some manner and the landowner doesn’t get paid for it,” Crow continued.

    Crow explained there is an exclusion in all these general liability policies regarding inverse condemnation.

    “It was a total waste of money because there was no basis for the suit from the beginning,” Crow concluded.

    A third matter, a potential industrial prospect, was also discussed in the closed session.

    A recessed meeting was scheduled March 22.