Look Back In Yalobusha History
• 5 years ago, Sept. 10, 2009 – Yalobusha supervisors voted 4-1 to move forward with the construction of a new jail, a decision that comes after more than two years of discussion. The dissenting vote was cast by District Three Supervisor Butch Surrette.
The city’s $2.7 million budget was approved Sept. 8.
Gary Caldwell, 24, was charged with armed robbery in the city and also another armed robbery in the county.
Coffeeville was making plans for their 175th birthday party and a new bandstand was constructed downtown to help celebrate the event.
The Junior High Blue Devils opened their season with a 44-0 win over the Coffeeville Pirates. The 8th grade squad – not to be outdone – defeated the Pirates 43-0.
The Blue Devils defeated Calhoun City, 35-0.
The city was having the same problems five years ago as today with ammonia nitrogen discharge into Otuckalofa Creek. Hart predicted that $6000 to $8000 in chemicals would help bring the problem, which was linked to the local poultry plant, under control.
• 10 years ago, Sept. 9, 2004 – Road repairs were underway on Hwy. 32 and I-55 in Yalobusha County. Mill overlay and tree clearing were taking place along the Interstate and resurfacing was ongoing on Hwy. 32.
Construction had reached a milestone at the Yalobusha courthouse in Water Valley with completion of the drywall and plaster contract.
Yalobusha County Circuit Clerk Daryl Burney recommend an outside collection agency to collect overdue fines totaling about $500,000. Supervisors approved the request at their Sept. 6 meeting.
Hunter Moore, two-year-old son of Kelli and Chad Moore, won first alternate and best personality in the Southern Bells and Handsomes Pageant.
The Blue Devils defeated Shannon on the road, 16-12.
Winners in the Watermelon Carnival Run/Walk were Erin Jordan, Oxford; Patrick Alexander, Memphis; Jackie Blue, Grenada; and James Person, Valley native living in New Orleans at the time.
Members of the Lions Club championship girls’ softball team included Arnisha Phillips, Courtney True, Callie Davis, Megan Westmoreland, Lauren Kimzey, Amanda Izzard, Porsha James, Crystine Phillips, Anna True, Ashley Phillips, Jennifer Chapman, Kristina Rogers, Rakiya Rockett and Coaches Rodney Phillips, Brenda Conard and Lisa Stokes.
• 20 years ago, Sept. 8, 1994 – Blue Devil quarterback Ricky Pulley was pictured on the front page making the third and final touchdown in the game played here against Bruce. The Devils won 20-0.
WVHS sophomore Karen Person, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Person, was Drum Major for the 94-95 WVHS Band.
Members of the Guard Unit for the WVHS Band were Heather Davis, Christy Wilbourn, Robin Keisling, Emily Gurner, Sandra Scanlon, Alicia Sprouse, Desha Anthony, Angela Weeks, Brandy Thomas, Heather Humphreys, Allison Pullen and Chastity Hollister.
Band officers were Brandy Thomas, guard captain; Melissa Warren, 10th grade representative; Sonya Brown, secretary; Jinny Fachman, secretary; Tyler Hill, vide-president; Desha Anthony, 9th grade representative; Bennett Hill, president; Erin Edwards, 11th grade representative; Tammy Burgess, 12th grade representative; Deon Hence, 8th grade representative; Brent Hollister, assistant drum major; and Karen Person, drum major.
Anna Crow and her pony, Spike, won third place in the Pole Bending at the Northwest District 4-H Horse Show and qualified to ride in the state championship show in Jackson. Amanda Mills placed second in the Horse Public Speaking Contest at the Northwest show.
• 30 years ago, Sept. 13, 1984 – It was hard fought, but the Charleston Tigers defeated the Blue Devils, 7-0. Senior Blue Devil fullback John McKay was pictured making a sweep around the left end to rack up some yardage.
The “little” Devils extracted a small measure of revenge as they extracted a 12-0 win from the Charleston Junior High.
Odie Shuffield was pictured on the front page receiving an outstanding dealer award from Fred Noe, president of Stihl, Inc.
Water Valley anglers Stan True, Keith Marchbanks and Claude Marchbanks were shown with their catch of Redfish on the ship “Blue Runner” out of Biloxi. Claude Marchbanks was attending the Mississippi Roofing Contractors convention where he was elected an officer.
Cynthia Pittman Moor-land was named the recipient of the Mississippi Law Journal Award during Law Awards Day at the University of Mississippi.
• 40 years ago, Sept. 12, 1974 – Mayor J. Watson Hunt and the city board ran an ad in the Herald touting the advantages of the city expanding it borders to include some of the outlying areas. Those in the affected areas were assured that they would not pay for city services until those services were available in their areas.
City taxes would go up for most taxpayers already in Water Valley after the mayor and board of aldermen set the tax levy at 20 mills.
The Blue Devils lost the first game of the season to Holly Springs, 18-13, in what was described as a “fumble fest.” The team was sorely missing end Al Reed who broke his foot in a vehicle accident.
Five Water Valley students graduated at the end of summer school at the University of Mississippi including Jean Martin Black, Master of Education; Bettye Faye Hall, Master of Communications Disorders; Jane Bennett Henry, BS in Medical Records Administration; Jewel Wilson Hughes, BA in Music; and Joan Porter McMinn, Master of Education in Guidance and Counseling.
• 50 years ago, Sept. 17, 1964 – Devils whip Tunica 14-0 Friday was the way the headline read on the front page. Mike Sartor was pictured adding the point after one of the TDs.
James William Cade, 18, was killed in a one car accident at Pittsboro when his vehicle hit a utility pole.
Mildred Bell and her daughter, Mary Bell Spivey were pictured cruising on the S. S. Bahamas Star on their way from Florida to Nassau.
New officers for the WVHS 4-H Club were Betty Van Winkle, president; Patsy Jones, vice-president; Jackie Van Winkle, secretary-treasurer; Joyce Wrenn, reporter; and Beverly Allen, song leader.
• 60 years ago, Sept. 9, 1954 – The Bank of Water Valley donated a silver dollar to be used for the toss-up coin at the Calhoun City game Friday night. The winner of the toss-up, Calhoun City, was permitted to keep the coin. An ounce of silver was worth just that, about a dollar, in 1954. Today it is just under $20.
The Devils beat Calhoun City, 20-19.
The Herald had run a series of aerial photographs of farms in the area and asked readers to guess whose farms they were. The most recent was owned by R. H. (Bob) Jones and L. A. Jones about six miles northwest of Water Valley. The land was first cleared and cultivated and the house built by slave labor between 1843 and 1850. According to family history, the house was used as a field headquarters by General Grant in 1864 during the Mississippi Central Campaign.
Brooks Chittom of Toccopola and H. M. (Red) Vines of Oxford and Senatobia, two newcomers to the local business district, purchased the Ed Harris Service Station and the associated appliance business.
The reconditioned well at the municipal water plant was shown on the front-page pouring water after having its bronze strainer replaced. It would raise 800 gallons of water per minute and would relieve the water shortage in the city.
City schools were set to open Monday, Sept. 13, with 714 students enrolled. Mr. Bell noted that there were 72 students in the first grade and 72 in the ninth grade, the highest for that grade ever. The percentage of students staying through their high school years was increasing every year and did until recent years when the drop-out rate began to go up to a much higher rate than ever before.
Mrs. Louise Brookes Miller, a graduate of WVHS, was selected to serve as Dean of Women at Husson College in Bangor, Maine.
• 70 years ago, Sept. 7, 1944 – Several people in the Water Valley area were taking anti-rabies shots after a mad dog scare a few days before. The Herald did not have a list of those taking treatment, but among them was Justice of the Peace Dick McMillan.
Hazel Henry of Water Valley, who enlisted in the WAVES, has earned the opportunity for advanced training by excelling in her basic “boot camp” schooling. She had two brothers in the Navy, Pharmacist’s Mate First Class H. Hamric Henry and V-12 student Louie C. Henry, who is studying at Schnectedy, N.Y. for the Navy.
• 80 years ago, Sept. 14, 1934 – Herald editor Louis Barber took a bold stand against political buffoon Theodore Bilbo and recommended the incumbent, Hubert Stephens, for Senate. Bilbo was self-declared friend of the “rural folk” and made many impossible to keep promises to get into office. The damage Bilbo did to Mississippi is common knowledge now, but in the 1930s, Bilbo was saying what people wanted to hear.
A legal notice to creditors stated that letters of guardianship were granted to J. Robert McLarty on the estate of A. G. Wagner, Non Compus Mentis.
