Look Back In Yalobusha History

1967 Law Required Vaccination Tags On Dog Collars

10 Years—March 8, 2007 – Alexe van Beuren reports that over two years ago, the  application process was started for Water Valley to become a Main Street Community and the application has now been approved. Lee McMinn is chairman of the Main Street Application Committee.

  Volunteers Cordellia Hooks, William Nichols, Harry Smith, and Jonathan Flowers were assisting with rehabbing a Habitat For Humanity House for homeowners, Ray and Valerie Horton.

  The Yalobusha County Soil and Water Conservation District is hosting its 21st annual Wildlife Buffet March 15.

  Zachery Brower was awarded the 2007 Dixie National “Premier Beef Exhibitor” plaque by Gov. Haley Barbour. The award also included a $1,500 scholarship. 

  The Water Valley Lady Devils softball squad won the Water Valley High School Tournament. The girls are off to a hot start under Coach Shane Brown in his first year as the local head softball coach.

  Vicki Bell of Water Valley, special education teacher at Lafayette Elementary School, was named “Teacher of the Year” at Lafayette. 

20 Years—March 13, 1997 – Mrs. Ivy Jean Johnson was honored at a reception, held at Valley Fresh Poultry, honoring her upon her retirement.

  Lieutenant Governor Ronnie Musgrove will be the keynote speaker at the annual Water Valley  Chamber of Commerce Banquet. Joe Black, CoC President, made the announcement.

  Michael Scroggins, representing Tri-Lakes Fairgrounds Association, presented “Superkids” T-shirts to Justin Thomas, Debora Turner and William Turner, winners of a recent promotion benefiting the American Lung Association.

  Wilma Parker, Cynthia Dodge, Mary Keel, and Laquita McCoy, members representing the Anchor/Pine Flat Homemakers Club, donated lap throws to residents of Yalobusha County Nursing Home.

  Pat Ray and Dale Tyler, co-chairs of the Town and Country Garden Club’s project to better identify Water Valley to  passersby on the By-Pass, showed a sample  of the large concrete letters that will spell Water Valley on hillsides near the north ad south approaches to the City. The markers will be lighted by solar energy.

30 Years—March 12, 1987 – Tisha Covington and Jackee Taliaferro, Water Valley High School students, were selected to attend the Mississippi Achievement Conference for Outstanding Black High School Scholars, held at Ole Miss.

  Tracey McMinn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Earl McMinn, is pictured showing her science fair exhibit for the fifth and sixth grades of Water Valley Elementary School to Elementary Principal Sammy Higdon.

  Denise Clement and Robert Todd were Masters of Ceremony for the Water Valley High School Student Council’s talent show, held March 6 in the City Auditorium.

  Officers for the coming year for The Garden Club of Water Valley are: Mrs. J. O. Wiley, president; Mrs. Herman Smith, vice-president; Mrs. Doke French, secretary; Mrs. Rupert Kolb, treasurer; Mrs. Earl Bell, parliamentarian; and Mrs. Leon Harmon, historian.

40 Years—March 10, 1977 – Winning top honors at the 1977 State Fox Hunter’s Field Trials was Robert Litton of Water Valley with “Mississippi Rebel.”

  Garlon Maynor, manager of Country Music World, stated that well-known country music artists from over the mid-south would present a show benefitting projects of the Oxford Shrine Club.

  Water Valley High School Band students participating in the I-55 Clinic at Northwest Junior College included Mary Ann Walker, James Steele, Lori Hardy, Cheryl Odom, Terryl McClaflin, Julie Tubbs, and Anthony Steele.

  Frank Berle Books was elected as a member of the Water Valley School Board.

  Water Valley native, Dr. William Baddley, a professor at LSU, participated in significant cancer-related research. Dr. Baddley  is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Baddley.

  Ralph Miller of Scobey has been elected president of the Delta State University Student Government Association.

  Steve Hill has been named Outstanding Civil Technology student by the department faculty at Northwest Junior College.

50 Years—March 9, 1967 – According to Mrs. Binford Turnage, chairman of the Junior Auxiliary Charity Ball Committee,  the theme of the third annual Charity Ball will be “The Roaring Twenties.”

  J. B. Massie was presented a plaque in recognition of “distinguished service” to the Travelers Insurance Company since 1932.  Present for the ceremony was Buck Suratt, the longest Water Valley client of Travelers.

 A new Water Valley law requires every dog in the city to wear a collar on which tags showing the animal has been licensed and vaccinated are attached.

  A two-percent decrease in the retail  price of milk was announced by W. W. Moffett, executive secretary of the Mississippi Milk Commission.

  The City of Water Valley will supply water to the new Jeff Davis Water Association.

60 Years—March 7, 1957 –   The Water Valley Blue Devils basketball team in the final three minutes of the North Mississippi Boys’ A-AA Competition surged to take a 48-47 decision over Belzoni to become the first Water Valley team in history to gain advancement to play in the State Playoffs.

  A-3c Charles L. Goode, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Goode, enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and received his basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas. He is presently stationed in the Philippine Islands at Clark AFB.

  W. Y. Parker will head the local Rotarians for the coming year. Other officers are D. D. Crowson, vice-president, and J. B. Massie, secretary-treasurer.

  Mrs. Lois Edwards and Mrs. Martha Oakley, Water Valley Elementary School teachers, attended a conference held at the University  of Mississippi, which provided tips on developing good speech habits for their students.

  Baddour’s Bargain Center, located on the east side of Main Street in the building just south of the Herald, was moving to the west side of the street into the building formerly occupied by Merchants Grocery (was before my time but sounds like they were swapping buildings). Herald employee, Myrle Cox, in her column told Baddour Manager, Harold Cook, that she didn’t think she could stand to look at the bright yellow he was painting his building all day  long. Harold replied, “Oh Myrle, we’re going to tone it down by putting brown polka-dots all over it”. 

70–Years—March 13, 1947 – Charles Cooper, winner of the Yalobusha County Oratorical Contest reported in last week’s paper, has this week won the district meet held in Eupora. 

For this he received a gold medal and is qualified to enter the regional contest. These contests are sponsored by the American Legion.

  Other news in this edition of the paper was mostly qualifying candidates for the upcoming county and state elections. Candidates announcing are: Harry Simpson for Circuit Clerk; Greer Person for Supervisor of Beat Two; J. G. Treloar for Superintendent of Education; Bill Oakland for Chancery Clerk; Hubert Edwards for re-election as State Representative; Albert Moorman for Beat Two Supervisor; and Guy C. Shaw for re-election as Tax Assessor.

  Busby Chevrolet Co. announced that Chevrolet was again first in sales in 1946 in the United States.

  The Oakland Home Demonstration Club met  in the home of Mrs. G. F. McCullar.

  Now you can complete your high school education and earn a diploma by studying at  home. For more information contact the American School in Jackson.