By Rupert Howell
Panola supervisors are considering bidding off the old Mid-State Opportunity Building and Welfare Department Building on Highway 51 in Sardis following a request by Tim Holliday at Monday’s meeting.  Holliday is interested in at least one of the buildings.

A previous attempt to sell the Mid-State building brought in bids so low that supervisors decided not to accept any of them.

Attorney for the board Bill McKenzie told supervisors that he was familiar with one of the buildings and would check on the other to draw up advertisements for bid.

District Two supervisor Vernice Avant said that about five different people were interested in the building.

“So, y’all don’t want me to tear it down,” said Road Manager Lygunnah Bean who had previously been in discussion to remove the Mid-State building for rip-rap to assist with washes along county roads.

Bean also asked supervisors to consider a policy for dealing with citizens who want  county roads abandoned.

He explained that he recently received several requests concerning abandoning roads following recent action by supervisors abandoning a road that was no longer needed and had only one landowner with right-of-way property.

Bean mentioned portions of Bobo, Lucious Taylor, Vance Bottom and Gleeton Roads as being those mentioned for abandonment.

Attorney Bill McKenzie recommended to supervisors to move with caution on road abandonment, stating, “You’ve really got to be careful.”

Panola County Administrator Kelley Magee warned that the county’s bond rating is connected with the amount of road milage.

During Bean’s time before the board, he also explained that although he was in favor of the county’s participation in the beaver control program from a road maintenance perspective, it would also allow farmers to deal directly with a wildlife control officer and take responsibility and liability of entering private property for beaver control off of the county.