Burn Ban Awakens Mother Nature
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DAVE’S WORLD
By David Howell
It has been another busy week at the Herald office with more going on than time to write about. I had to put a few stories on the backburner for next week due to time constraints.
At the city meeting on Sept. 3, Water Valley Police Chief Jason Mangrum submitted a proposal to aldermen to allow the operation of golf carts on city streets with certain requirements. The request was taken under advisement and I will be working on more about this for next week’s edition.
In the county, a burn ban was enacted by supervisors during their Sept. 3 meeting. Any fire with an open flame that produces an ember is not allowed during the ban including campfires, bonfires, fire pits, fire rings, burn barrels, debris burning and field burning. Charcoal and gas grills along with outdoor propane heaters are allowed during the burn ban.
This ban will be revisited during the October 6 county meeting. Thankfully we have had a little rain over the last two weeks, but it is still very dry. Firefighters battled a woods fire Sunday near Tillatoba and another small grass fire Monday in Water Valley on Wise Street. Firefighters from Otuckalofa Fire Department were battling another one Tuesday afternoon.
I don’t know if we can blame the supervisors and the burn ban, but it appears Mother Nature was awakened.
Tropical Storm Francine – soon to be Hurricane Francine is steadily strengthening in the Gulf and is expected to make landfall in Louisiana late today (Wednesday).
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency reported that Yalobusha County is in an elevated threat category and could receive four to seven inches of rain and minor flooding from the storm system. Maybe that will help us get back on track with rainfall, but I know it comes at a bad time as farmers are harvesting corn and soybeans and cutting hay.
The biggest story in this week’s Herald is the lawsuit filed by MaxxSouth seeking an injunction to stop the BEAM award for Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association (TVEPA).
In fairness to MaxxSouth, their side of the story needs to be told but I’m not sure public sentiment in Water Valley will be on the side of the cable company.
News about the lawsuit came Friday, a few hours before the meeting with Congressman Bennie Thompson and Mayor Tommy Reynolds was not happy.
The meeting was very productive as ideas were shared for different projects ranging from boosting the budget for the school district to addressing housing needs in the county.
As the meeting ended, Congressman Thompson bragged on the leadership represented at the table.
“I wish every county was like what I have around this table. My job would be easier,” he told the group.
Attendees at Friday’s meeting with Congressman Bennie Thompson were (from left) Cayce Washington, Sheriff Jerimaine Gooch, Water Valley Police Chief Jason Mangrum, Water Valley Fire Chief Mark McGavock, Solero Technologies Human Resources Vice-President Chris Byrd, Mayor Tommy Reynolds, Alderperson Bonnie Cox, Brandon Presley, (Thompson), Supervisor Eddie Harris and Yalobusha Health Services Administrator Jessica Embry.
