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Look Back In Yalobusha History

Supervisors Split Vote In 2004 On Pay Raise

Through The Years From The Herald


• 5 years ago, Aug. 13, 2009 – The city would be operating on a tighter budget for the upcoming fiscal year with anticipated revenues down by more than $39,000. One of the contributing factors was an $890,000 decrease in the assessed value of property within the city.
Aldermen voted to amend the already amended amendment to an amendment to a correction to the Water Resource Management Ordinance of 2005. The bottom line was that a screw-up had caused the industrial rates to be lowered to a previous rate that caused the city to lose more money than residential users could make up.
The Sheriff’s Department solved a break-in before it was reported after a 15-year-old girl, her 17-year-old brother and a 10-year-old were rounded up over an attempt to solicit funds illegally for a charity. The 15-year-old admitted to deputies that she had broken into a home in the Boat Landing area. The youngsters were familiar to law enforcement.
Mayor Larry Hart and lead volunteer Levert Hawkins were involved in a ribbon cutting ceremony to reopen Baker Street Park after renovations.
• 10 years ago, Aug 12, 2004 – Marty Bost’s Carolina Cross watermelon pushed the scales to 128.6 to win the largest melon contest at the annual carnival. Fred Bost was second with a 126.1 pounder and third place went to Bob Martin with a 124.4 pounder.
Supervisors split a vote to give themselves a raise with Tommy Vaughn and Butch Surrett voting against and Amos Sims, George Suggs and Bubba Tillman voting for.
The Town and Country Garden Club announced that they had endowed a music scholarship at Northwest Mississippi Community College in honor of the late Ed Shearer III, former Herald editor.
MDOT installed flashing lights at the intersection of Hwy. 315 and the Hwy. 7 Bypass.
The Blue Devils were working on inside drills and running back Reggie Johnson, Rod McLeod, Shannon Crow, John Simms and Jace Hamilton were pictured in the afternoon heat.
The sweet little old ladies of the recently formed Red Hat Society were pictured on the front page. Members were Linda White, Mary Sue Stevens, Jonnie Mayo, Liz Reynolds, Toni Hill, Jeannie Clement, Janice Avant, Edwina Hyde, Ann Surrette and Glenda Griffith.
Letter to the Editor writer Jean Johnson suggested that government and schools live within their needs and not their wants, a novel concept.
• 20 years ago, Aug. 11, 1994 – Mayor Larry Hart kicked off the Watermelon Carnival by welcoming what was called a record crowd. He was pictured with Lynn Morris, carnival chairman, and Shirley Berry, master of ceremonies.
The biggest watermelon tipped the scales at 66.5 pounds and was grown by Hayden Scroggins, 2, who had a little help from Frankie Brown. John Wood had the runner-up with a 56-pounder.
Paul Ott, called the “King of Mississippi Entertainers,” was pictured with Watermelon Queen Keli Quinn. Other carnival photos showed Kainen Gilley, 5, riding around the street dance in a red wagon pulled by his dad, Bryan, and Liz Reynolds playing the clarinet while Candace Stevens playing the piano as the two pounded out an old New Orleans jazz funeral tune at the Music Festival.
Jake Dodd, four-year-old son of Harriett and John Dodd of Germantown, Tenn., was pictured getting a watermelon cancellation from window clerk Wanda Belvin in the mobile postal van.
• 30 years ago, Aug. 16, 1984 – Rodney Childress of WVHS was named “Outstanding Vocational Teacher Of The Year” for Mississippi by the Mississippi FFA Foundation. Police Chief J. D. Watson was warning that young people and adults riding skate boards, bicycles and horses on the sidewalks of the city would be cited.
The Water Valley Stars semi-pro baseball team won second place at the Batesville tournament. Team members included Lance Clement, Bubba Person, Lee Williams, Randy Belcher, Johnny Turner, Levert Hawkins, Kevin Reese, Mark Gooch, Randy Pilcher, Mike Ferguson, Darrell Phillips, Michael Fondon, manager Dudley Avant and coaches Freddie Folson and Dennis Hall.
CWO Jerry Clements, director of the Navy Memphis Bands, retired after 30 years active duty.
Dr. and Mrs. W. S. Young were pictured with TV personality Art Linkletter at an educational seminar in Anaheim, Calif.
• 40 years ago, Aug 15, 1974 – Foster Child Week was proclaimed by Mayor Watson Hunt and pictured for the occasion with the mayor were social workers, foster parents and foster children including Mrs. Nettie Wright, Ricky Clark, Michael Davis, William Davis, Mrs. Opal Champion, Mrs. Margaret Perkins, Mrs. Roy Bennett Stevens and J. B. “Crip” Tyler, president of the Yalobusha County Foster Parent’s Association.
School was scheduled to open Friday, Aug. 23 as the beginning date began to creep closer to early August.
Photographer Jack Gurner of the Daily Sentinel-Star, Grenada, won top honors among all of Mississippi’s daily newspapers for a photograph of an accident victim being comforted by passers-by as ambulance attendants arrived on the scene.
The Valley Theatre received extensive remodeling, according to owner Leon Roundtree. The concession stand was pictured with Ramona Anthony, Cherrie Peacock, Ellen Hyde and Floyd Rosson. Bobby Berryhill was concession stand manager.
• 50 years ago, Aug. 13, 1964 – Yalobusha 4-H members Mary Katherine Potts, Brenda Alexander and Jackie Van Winkle were pictured bringing their 4-H records up to date before submitting them to the 4-H Records Contest at State College.
City Schools were set to open on Aug. 28 with a half-day registration session. Full classes would begin on Aug. 31, according to Superintendent Clovis Steele. Principals were Alfred S. Reed Jr. at the high school and Miss Fern Ward at the elementary school.
James Melton of Rt. 1 was pictured with a 14-pound Hale’s No. 2 variety cantaloupe grown by Ray Williams of Rt. 4.
Larry Swearengen, called by his coach, “the best double duty man in the Southeastern Conference,” was ready to play his senior year with Mississippi State College. He had shaken the effects of a leg injury that hampered his play last year and shelved him during spring practice.
The Yalobusha Barry Goldwater for President Campaign Headquarters was open. Goldwater, a Republican, was favored to win Mississippi over the much-disliked Lyndon Johnson, who had shown liberal tendencies.
Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Chambers announced that they were owners and operators of the dairy bar and restaurant adjoining Maynor’s Grocery on Hwy. 315 North, west of town.
• 60 years ago, Aug. 12, 1954 – City schools were set to open Sept. 6, according to J. N. Bell, superintendent. Principals were Robert A. Cire at the high school and S. C. Shoemake at the elementary school.
Mayor O. T. Hamner stated that because of the large number of cars and trucks now in Water Valley, parking was becoming a problem on residential streets. He also noted that some drivers were stopping their cars and talking in the middle of the street and blocking traffic and some commercial vehicles were unloading on Main Street instead of going to the rear of business houses.
Six Yalobusha Countians were among 225 grads at the University of Mississippi including Mary C. Shaw, William W. Malone, Mary Alice Moorman, Charles H. Bell, all of Water Valley, and George E. Denley and Wade H. Johnson, both of Coffeeville.
• 70 years ago, Aug. 10, 1944 – John Wesley Simmons, who stayed on the Ed Wilbourn farm, was being held in the county jail charged with the theft of an automobile and house-breaking. He was arrested in Grenada by Deputy Sheriff Loyd Farmer. He stole a 1939 Ford tudor sedan belonging to Joe Bickerstaff, a government employee residing on North Main Street and later broke into the home of Mrs. Mattie King.
Jack Thompson, 19, received the silver wings of the Army Air Corps pilot.
• 80 years ago, Aug. 17, 1934 – Mrs. Mary Shannon Lovejoy, 98, believed to be the oldest county resident, died at her home north of Water Valley.
A three-quarter page ad for Wall Doxey for Congress appeared on the front page of the Herald.

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