By John Howell
State law prevents the City of Batesville from allowing North Panola High School reduced fee use of the Civic Center to hold graduation exercises, assistant City Attorney Colmon Mitchell told the mayor, aldermen and Civic Center Director Roy Hyde last week.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news that they can’t get a reduced fee,” Mitchell said.

“They don’t fit the policy of the statute,” he added, citing a portion of Mississippi law governing municipalities that only allows reduced fee use of city facilities only for schools located within the district in which the city is located. The law allows reduced fee use for South Panola’s activities.