Batesville streets get speed bumps

By John Howell Sr.

Batesville aldermen at their Jan. 18 meeting authorized speed bumps to be placed on eight city streets.

Two speed bumps will be placed on Patton Lane, Hickory and Noble Streets. Single speed bumps will be placed on Cole Road, West, Lomax and Gay Street. Speed bumps have already been placed on Martinez and Leland Streets.

“That covers everything that anybody’s asked us about,” Alderman Stan Harrison said. Warning signs will be placed before each speed bump.

The decision came near the end of the city board’s second monthly meeting, which lasted less than two hours.

Aldermen approved Fire Chief Tim Taylor’s recommendation to allow Jay Baker to return duty as a volunteer/part-time fireman.

Baker, 30, had previously worked as a full-time fireman for more than six years but resigned to take another job that he thought would require him to move from the city, Taylor said. Instead, the job has allowed Baker to remain in Batesville and the fire chief said he wanted him to return to the department.

“He would be an asset back on the department with us; … he’s a sharp guy,” Taylor said.

Taylor and Alderman Eddie Nabors reported on their efforts to develop a Wide Area Network to link fire department computers and computer networks of other city departments.

In other city business:

•Mayor Jerry Autrey said that “2010 National Champions” will be added to a billboard on Interstate 55 that identifies Batesville as home of the South Panola Tigers. The sign is located south of Batesville. Another billboard will be placed north of Batesville, Autrey said.

•Aldermen approved payments to Mendrop-Wages Engineering for $9,630.75 for Covenant Crossing/GE Sewer Project Engineering; to Belinda Stewart, Architects for $6,300 for architectural services on the Code Office renovations; to Jimmy G. Gouras for $4,900 for the Tubbs Road Community Development Block Grant, and to North Delta Planning and Development for $2,500 for work on the GE Sewer Project.

•Aldermen approved a payment of $117,110 to B and B Electrical for work on installation of traffic signals at three locations on Highway 6/278.