Authorities Investigate Suspicious Fire By Jack GurnerReporter WATER VALLEY – Police and fire officials are investigating a suspicious fire that occurred at 41 Buena Vista early Saturday morning. Neighbors reported hearing a loud noise and saw smoke coming from the residence around 3:18 a.m. Firefighters spend just over two hours on the scene of the…

By Jack GurnerReporter WATER VALLEY – The County will continue to collect ad valorem tax for the city after Aldermen approved a new agreement with Yalobusha County Tax Assessor/Collector Linda Shuffield. Mayor Larry Hart told Aldermen that for many years the county has collected ad valorem taxes (vehicle registration fees) and then “reimburses the city…

By David HowellEditor SOUTHAVEN – Codie Shuffield has been training since he was eight years old. He has fought 14 fights as amateur in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights and has only lost one. He has competed twice in the IKF World Classic Championship Tournament,  the first time when he was 15 and again last…

By Jack GurnerReporter WATER VALLEY – As the weather gets warmer, the number of yard sale signs seems to increase every weekend as do the number of fund-raising roadblocks. So, city officials are reminding residents that there are rules governing these activities. Yard/garage sale signs are not allowed within the public street right-of-way, according to…

By David HowellEditor WATER VALLEY – Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps will no longer allow state inmates classified to work to be housed in the Yalobusha County Jail.     Although the move only affects one prisoner currently being housed at the jail, it comes after years of wrangling  between county officials and prisoner’s…

By Jack GurnerReporter WATER VALLEY – Derrick Surrette, Executive Director of the Mississippi Association of Supervisors, will speak at the 2011 Chamber of Commerce Banquet this Thursday. Also during the annual event, chamber officials will present the Braswell Hat-cher Service Award and introduce the 2011-2012 Chamber Officers and Directors. In the banquet’s main address, Surrette…

WATER VALLEY – The annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet will be held Thursday, April 14, starting at 6:30 p.m. in the multi-purpose building at the high school. Water Valley native Derrick Surrette, Executive Director of the Mississippi Association of Supervisors, will be speaker for the evening. The Sharecroppers, often called the house band for Yalobusha…

Brittany Arendale (center) was crowned 2011 Watermelon Queen.

By Jack GurnerReporter WATER VALLEY – Yalobusha County’s unemployment rate for February 2011 is down by four-tenths of a percentage point from January. While that seems like only a small decrease in unemployment, the latest figures from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security show that there are currently 5290 people working in the county as…

By Jack GurnerReporter WATER VALLEY – County workers began cleaning out the old Yalobusha County Jail last week as a step toward making sure the historic building is preserved. Workers moved several truckloads of county property from the 100-plus year old structure on Blackmur Drive to the county owned building just south of Water Valley…