Panola County road bond bid studied by board; Extension Service turns 100

By Rupert Howell

Panola Supervisors tended to routine business during Monday’s First District meeting in Sardis where they opened bids on $1.2 million of road maintenance bonds and appointed an additional solid waste officer.

The bids were taken under advisement for further study when no one knew of United Mississippi Bank which was the apparent low bidder offering a blended percentage rate of 1.466667 percent to finance the bonds.

Trustmark was second best with a blended percentage of 1.91 percent and BancorpSouth was highest at 2.26 percent.

Supervisors appointed attorney Ryan Revere as backup Solid Waste Officer. Attorney Colmon Mitchell regularly serves in the capacity and attorney Bob Morris serves when Mitchell is not available.

The officer hears complaints from solid waste customers who feel they have been wrongly billed. A recent hearing had to be rescheduled when Mitchell was hospitalized and Morris had an additional obligation.

“We’ve never had that happen before,” County Administrator Kelley Magee explained.

“Colmon has never been sick before,” board attorney Bill McKenzie responded.

All three hearing officers  are from the same firm.

Extension’s 100 year anniversary

Panola County Agent Judd Gentry reminded supervisors that they were invited to open house Thursday at the Cliff Finch County Office Building on Eureka Street to celebrate 100 years of the Extension Service which was created in 1914 through the Smith-Lever Act.

Chancery Clerk Jim Pitcock  got permission to pay county bills as well as approval for the state to disallow some Homestead Exemptions, while on the other hand letting the state’s Department of Revenue know that  some disallowances will be challenged.

Road manager Lygunnah Bean’s request to terminate the use of Bethlehem gravel pit was approved with Bean stating, “To be honest with you, I didn’t even know we (Panola County) had the pit.”

Attorney McKenzie reported that long awaited rights-of-way from Old Panola Road as well as right-of-way on Orwood Road had been completed clearing the way for road and bridge work to move forward at those locations.