August 4 marks the first day to qualify to run for school board races in both the Water Valley School District and Coffeeville School District. Each district has a five-member board, and this year Position 4 will be on the ballot, according to Circuit Clerk Daryl Burney. The five-year terms in both districts are staggered,…

By Jack GurnerReporter WATER VALLEY – The sign on the teacher’s locker reads, “Welcome to 2nd Grade!” It was put up for the students, but it could apply equally to Kelsey Edwards and Perryn Tyler. The two new teachers are beginning their careers at Water Valley Elementary School. The second graders won’t start school for…

By Jack GurnerReporter COFFEEVILLE – Yalobusha County families can receive a smoke alarm and free installation thanks to the county’s volunteer fire departments. Some 58,000 smoke alarms are being distributed statewide under the State Fire Marshall’s Fire Free Smoke Alarm Installation Program. Installation is being provided at no charge by local volunteer firefighters, according to…

By David HowellEditor WATER VALLEY – Deputies were scrambling Monday afternoon after receiving back-to-back calls in different areas of the county. The calls, all unrelated, involved a marital dispute, an attempted suicide and a pedestrian who had passed out on the side of Hwy. 32. The first call, reported just after 4 p.m. Monday afternoon,…

Staff Report WATER VALLEY – Yalobusha County’s unemployment rate is on the decline once again, going down a half point from May. The June 2010 unemployment rate of 14.8 percent is also more than two points lower than the June 2009 rate of 17 percent. However, the average rate for the preceding four years was…

By David HowellEditor COFFEEVILLE – Dr. Michael Roberts updated supervisors on the services provided by  Communicare at a recessed meeting held July 20 in Coffeeville. He is the clinical psychology physician in charge of the facility, a public non-profit organization that provides mental health treatment for patients in seven northeastern Mississippi counties including Yalobusha.    …

 By Jack GurnerReporter WATER VALLEY – Poor attendance is one of the areas of concern Dr. Deborah Moran plans to address as new Superintendent of the Water Valley School District. Moran, who took over the position July 1, presented a statement of her vision and goals to the District School Board on Monday, July 19.…

By Jack GurnerReporter WATER VALLEY – Weather related power outages occurred all over Yalobusha County Monday and into Tuesday morning as thunderstorms brought heavy rain and high wind to the area. Power was out for almost an hour in Water Valley Monday afternoon after rain caused a short-circuit at the 161 kV main substation on…

“Very Successful,” was the way Ramona Bernard described last week’s ArtCamp sponsored by the Water Valley Arts Council. The week-long event featured T-shirt painting, collage, clay, 3D chalk drawing, watercolor, pipe cleaner sculpture, mime/dance, and masks for youngsters in grades 1-6. “We had 49 campers and 27 scholarship kids.  The kids were delightful and they…

Special To The Herald JACKSON – The Water Valley Main Street Association has been accredited by the National Trust Main Street Center as a 2010 National Main Street Program. “The highly prized recognition reflects the commitment made by both state and community leaders to create economic development while revitalizing the downtown core of their towns…