Headlines – 4/27/2004

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 27, 2004

Panolian Headlines: April 27, 2004

For complete stories, pick up the 4/27/04  issue of The Panolian

Park to Embrace Batesville’s Past
    
This is an artist rendering of what the proposed Downtown Park will look like upon completion later this year.
    
By Jason C. Mattox
News Editor

The City of Batesville’s selection of Century Construction for the Downtown park, a long-time dream of the Batesville Main Street Program will become a reality.

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Batesville Main Street Manager Colleen Clark said the project is intended to provide a retreat within downtown Batesville for "remembering the past, enjoying the present, and contemplating the future for this area."

Main Street volunteer Adam Pittman said he sees the park, and the continuing revitalization of the downtown area, as a way to offer people of Panola County a glimpse of the past.

"It used to be that people would get dressed up and ride into Batesville just to spend all day on the square," he said. "The Downtown Square used to be the place to be and be seen.

"We are hoping that the changes to the buildings, as well as the addition of the park, will somewhat restore that belief," Pittman said.

Pittman said a lot of the older population will see the similarities between what the square was and the vision Main Street has for it.
    


Local Police Working
     to Silence Loud Pipes
   
By Jason C. Mattox
News Editor

The Batesville Police Department has been forced to once again take up the issue of loud pipes.

Police Chief Roger Vanlandingham said the department receives at least 10 complaints about pipes each day.

"I don’t think the problem is necessarily the pipes," he said. "I believe the biggest problem is the fact that the people who have them are trying to make them as loud as they can possibly be."

Vanlandingham said officers are issuing tickets for loud pipes now.

"Anytime this department gets that many complaints about something, we are going to do whatever we can to resolve it before it gets out of hand," he said.

In addition to the loud pipes, the chief said the department is taking more and more complaints about loud music.

"The biggest problem is coming from the teenagers in the area with pickup trucks," Vanlandinham said.
    


Law Protects Local Company
   
By Jason C. Mattox
News Editor

A bill signed last week by Governor Haley Barbour will reduce the amount of liability for Crown Cork & Seal, a company that has faced millions of dollars in asbestos lawsuits.

Applying only to Crown Cork & Seal, House Bill 1517 has significantly reduced the chances for future asbestos lawsuits the company may have faced in the future.

Crown, a company that manufactures aluminum drink cans, has faced down millions of dollars in lawsuits from problems the company had no control over.

"The bill is intended to protect the company and its 250 employees," Barbour said in published reports earlier.

Barbour said the problem he had with the law is that it was drafted specifically for one company.

"What I don’t understand is why just one company," he said. "Why not small businesses up and down the state?"

Calls to Crown Cork & Seal were not returned prior to press time.
    


   

Tri-Lakes West Celebrates
     Second Anniversary
    
During an anniversary luncheon for Tri-Lakes Medical Center’s West Campus, (l to r) Tri-Lakes C.O.O. Ray Shoemaker, Program Administrator Bonnie Moore and Rufus Manley celebrated the second year of the Behavioral Health program.
    
By Jason C. Mattox
News Editor

The Tri-Lakes West Campus celebrated its second anniversary on Friday.

Approximately 75 people were in attendance including members of the Tri-Lakes Medical Center Auxiliary.

The West Campus branch of Tri-Lakes houses the Senior Care Unit and Pediatric Clinic.

"The Senior Care Unit has done really well for the hospital," Tri-Lakes C.O.O. Ray Shoemaker said. "We are presently operating a near full capacity.

"We have three other behavioral programs at this point in addition to the Senior Care Unit," he said. "We expect to add two or three more programs in the future.

"We are presently looking at other programs," Shoemaker said. "There will be more done with the West Campus in the near future."

"The programs operating at the West Campus are very important to the success of the Tri-Lakes family," he said.

In total, Shoemaker said the West Campus has served more than 700 patients in its two years in operation.

"We have the best Behavioral Health Program in the state," Shoemaker said. "That is something we can take a lot of pride in."

The two year anniversary was pulled off with no expense to the tax payers of Panola County, Shoemaker said.

"We would like to thank Faust Farms of Harmontown for donating the food during this event," he said.

For more coverage of Tri-Lakes West Campus two year anniversary including Diane Hubbard being named employee of the year, check out the Senior Scene pages in Friday’s edition of The Panolian.