Memorial to Cosby approved

Published 1:54 pm Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Memorial to Cosby approved

County appraiser Buddy Hawkins received permission from Panola supervisors to place a cross in the flower bed at the courthouse in memory of the late Panola County Deputy Joe Cosby. Hawkins said the cross was made by Paul Smith of Pope. The beloved deputy was murdered while transporting a prisoner in 1988.
The Panolian photo by Rupert Howell

By Rupert Howell
Supervisors approved county appraiser Buddy Hawkin’s request to place a large cross in a Batesville Courthouse flower garden in memory of the late Deputy Sheriff Joe Cosby who was murdered September 30, 1988 while transferring a prisoner.
Hawkins sought permission from supervisors to place the memorial made from old salvaged timbers with the inscription burned into the wood. A shiny large sheriff’s badge with Cosby’s number, P-5, and a small American flag also adorn the memorial. The marker is placed on the railroad side of the courthouse near the old jail where Cosby headquartered while a deputy.
Bids for garbage trucks were taken under advisement to give Solid Waste Department head Jennifer Jackson time to study them and make a recommendation to supervisors. The bids were for three 28-yard automated garbage trucks and one roll-off truck.
Chad Meek who serves as the Land Use Enforcement officer among other duties recommended property owner Elizabeth Berry receive an additional month to continue rehabilitation of previously adjudicated property.
Berry’s attorney Wes Erhart assured supervisors that his client was going to do, “Everything we can do to make it right.”
Supervisors had previously ordered what they considered derelict trailers to be moved. One of those trailers has since been renovated and Erhart sought another month to see if others could be renovated also. That request was satisfactory with Meek who said most improvements to the area have been addressed.
Supervisors also agreed to amend a fee schedule for pre-existing sewer inspections from $50 to $125 at the recommendation of Meek. The county is no longer able to approve new sewer systems which must be done by the Department of Public Health.
A request by Panola County Emergency Management Coordinator Daniel Cole to appoint Freddie Mae Cobb to the Union Fire District board of directors and to reappoint Willie T. Farris and Robert Smith, Jr. was approved by supervisors. Those recommendations originate with the fire district and are forwarded through Cole who also serves as county fire coordinator.
County Road Manger Lygunnah Bean received approval to go onto private land of Allen West and Jim Thomas to clear ditches on Curtis Road. Bean explained his department could use a smaller machine if he could approach the ditches from the private property as opposed to the public road side of the ditches.
Bean also received permission for his department to work on the parking lot of Mill Creek School located near the Highway 35N and I-55 intersection.
Supervisors chose DTS /Technology Solutions for telephone hardware over C-Spire and Complete Computers naming warranty repair as the deciding issue.
Paheadra Robinson with the U.S. Census Bureau gave supervisors a brief overview of what is coming in preparation of the 2020 Census which will be an Internet based census.
Robinson noted expected problems across the state where internet access is not reliable.
She told supervisors that every person missed in the count can cost $2,053 in annual income for the county and recommended Panola participate in the 2018 practice run.
Supervisors agreed to a memorandum of understanding with Panola Medical Center’s CEO Travis Sisson that would allow the medical facility to receive pharmaceuticals at a certain price while providing certain emergency services. There was no commitment of county.
Supervisors recessed until Thursday morning when they will reconvene at the courthouse in Batesville at 9 a.m.

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