PC Supervisors open engineering bids and encounter flooding problems

By Myra Bean
The Panola County Board of Supervisors listened to a variety of issues which came before them Monday morning in Batesville.
The board opened bids for the Airport Engineering Consultants. There were four: Tice Engineering, Inc., Neel-Schaffer, Garber, and Engineering Solutions, Inc.. Since the bids were voluminous, the board tabled the item to take up at a called board meeting for Monday, January 22 at 9 a.m. in the Batesville Courthouse.
During that meeting, they will also listen to solutions for a school bus turn around and decide on hauling dirt for the Batesville Civic Center.
Jerry Red of Shell Road brought a flooding problem before the board. Since the road was fixed to accommodate school buses, it keeps flooding. He steps off the porch into standing water, sometimes waist high when there is over an inch of rain. He dug a ditch himself and road manager Lygunnah Bean said he has put in a relief pipe but that is not working.
“I’m at the point of frustration,” Red said. “I am asking the county to do any and all means possible to correct it.”

Red said he is incurring damages every time it rains.
Board president Cole Flint said since it is raining, they will be able to go out and take a look the next couple of days. Red left area maps marked to show what it looks like when it floods. Red likened it to an ocean.
Stephen Whatley approached the board on behalf of Panola Partnership to approve an incentive package for Joe Azar, executive director. Panola
Partnership is asking for $20,000 in incentives to go in escrow.
When he was hired in late 2016, Azar accepted a lower salary in anticipation of the approval of an incentive package.
Engineer Steven Gray said MDOT has given opportunities on Viney Creek and Barnacre.
They talked about doing something to Viney Creek intersection because it is too wide. Additional signs are going on intersections at Curtis Road and North Panola, Curtis Road and Macedonia, Ballentine and Sanders, Balletine and North Panola, Mt. Olivet and Good Hope, and Brewer and Keating. The county has to put them up but MDOT will supply them.
Emergency Management Director Daniel Cole received permission to hire a grant writer to help supply 65 air pacts and 65 spare bottles at a cost of approximately $5,400. After the meeting, Cole said the grant acceptance has not been opened yet, but he is looking ahead. He hopes to have a writer hired within the month.
The board heard an update from Cole on Lifeguard Ambulance service. They received 498 requests in December and had 403 transports. Corporate personnel are expected in town the next few weeks to take care of some staffing problems and put county concerns to rest.
Jennifer Jackson reported from Panola County Solid Waste. She said the trucks should be back on schedule this week. During the cold weather last week, the trash was freezing in the trucks. The drivers were having to return to the facility to thaw the trucks in order to dump what trash they had.
“The people do not always understand this,” she said.
Gaines Baker, board attorney, brought expired committee terms before the board for consideration to fill them.
Airport Board member Rusty Woods’ term expired and Scott Honnoll was approved to replace him.
North Panola Water District board member Harry Willis’ term expired and he was approved for another five-year term.
Kirk Willingham was reappointed for three years to be the public defender for the Justice Court term.
Willingham was also reappointed to continue substituting for David Walker as public defender. Walker is ill. Walker and Willingham will keep their positions through February 28.
Jane Carlson was reappointed to full term on the library board.