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Letters To The Editor — Fire at Feathers’ home Thank you:
(Editor’s Note: This letter was sent to Sheriff Kenny Dickerson and also delivered to the newspaper for publication.) To: Sheriff Kenny Dickerson On
Friday, Aug. 13, a little before 6 a.m., Ladaryl Odum (Marshall-9) was
headed south on Hwy. 311 when he saw a house on fire on Joyner Rd. Odum
radioed dispatch about the fire, which set in motion the Mt. Pleasant
and Cayce Fire Departments. At this time, Odum
was able to get to the front door and check to see if anyone was at
home, and by this time, the fire was starting to get pretty intense.
After beating on the door several times, he finally got the attention
of the homeowners and assisted them by getting them out of the house. If
not for the quick action taken by Ladaryl Odum, Mr. and Mrs. Frank
Feathers would probably not have made it out of their house. I would
personally like to commend Odum by going above and beyond the call of
duty to place his life on the line to help save this family. All
too often, the little things go unnoticed by the men and women who help
to serve our community. It is truly an honor and privilege to work with
the men and women of the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department. Slayden/Mt. Pleasant Fire Department
Ivy Wayne Teel More thanks:
Dear Editor, We
would like to thank the community for the outpouring of love and
concern for our parents during the loss of their home on Aug. 13. A
very special thank you to officer L. Odum for rescuing them from the
fire. Thanks also to the other responding officers and Mt. Pleasant
Fire Department. May God richly bless each of you as we continue to
give him all honor and glory. Thanks again. The children, grandchildren and great-grandboys of Bro. and Peggy Feathers Heartfelt thanks:
Dear Editor, Thanks
to everyone who responded so quickly at the time our house was burning.
Our earthly house is gone, but we did not lose our eternal home or our
faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. God has a plan in all of this, and He
will reveal it in His time. Thank each one of you for all of your
prayers, love and support. We appreciate everything you have done and
continue to do for us. Sincerely,
Bro. Frank and Peggy Feathers
Cemetery gates:
Re: Cemetery gate repair Dear Editor, Anyone
passing Hill Crest Cemetery lately will have noticed the repair
activity at the main gate. Long overdue, this activity is the result of
a few very persistent ladies of Holly Springs. We owe them a debt of
gratitude. Before finishing the job, however, it
might be a good idea to consider how the job will be completed, and how
the gate will be used. I have heard people say that this gate and the
gates on Center Street should be closed to vehicular traffic. It would
be a shame to ban such traffic. These gates are wide enough for cars
and are attractive and convenient entrance points for people wishing to
visit the graves of loved ones. Only large trucks should be required to
use the more utilitarian Maury Street service gate. If
we are worried about gate damage, there is an easy solution. Six-inch
diameter pipes, seven feet long should be filled with concrete, painted
black, and buried four feet in the ground (with three feet above
ground) in line with each side of each gate (both inside and outside
the gates). Anyone unable to successfully navigate the gate opening
would damage nothing but his own vehicle, and would not be likely to
ever repeat the experience. Finally, I should
like to suggest doing away with the iron arch over the main gate. This
arch was not original to the gate, and is probably not more than about
20 years old. Its method of attachment marks it as a jerry-rigged
afterthought. It should also be noted that if the arch had not been in
place when the truck hit the west gate tower, the east tower would not
have needed repair. It was the arch that pulled the east tower out of
alignment when the west tower was hit. The arch should be replaced with a Mississippi State Historical Marker set somewhere near the main gate. Very truly yours,
J.R. Dunworth Response to complaint:
Dear Editor: In
a recent article you stated there is an ethics complaint lodged against
the county, i.e. Chuck Thomas and John Garrison are being investigated
for having a “material financial interest” in handling their respective
position of Marshall County Coroner. I’m not sure I understand the reason for this complaint. Does the position of coroner pay enough to eliminate the need for additional income to support a family? If not a practicing physician, what better choice for coroner than someone affiliated with a reputable funeral home? Does
this county have a dedicated facility (a county morgue) to handle the
issues involved with human demise? ...or is it left to the discretion
of the coroner? Decisions often must be made at a moment’s notice and
facilities/supplies must be available at all times. Automobile
accidents, heart attacks and drug overdoses do not make appointments. According
to Thomas’ statement, all Mississippi counties handle these issues as
he did. Are they being investigated? Are these two men being singled
out? What about the practices of our current coroner? Did
our Board of Supervisors make any decisions as to whether it would
constitute a conflict of interest? …or be in the greater good of this
county for these elected officials to handle each situation to the best
of their abilities? Is there a specific
procedure in place for this? Surely our supervisors saw fit to address
this need when Thomas took office! …and to monitor his actions! Did
Thomas deal exclusively with Holly Springs Funeral Home during this
period? …or did he also use other facilities (Brittenum)? …and what
other facility did Mr. Garrison use? Was this
complaint lodged by a citizen who felt he/she had been unfairly treated
(by both coroners?)? …by the Board of Supervisors who may now feel we
taxpayers were overcharged? …by the IRS who is investigating
everyone’s taxes to help pay for the stimulus? …by a rival funeral
home? …or by someone trying to discredit these gentlemen for future
political elections? Will someone please be man
(or woman) enough to step up and voice your complaint in person? It is
very difficult to take an anonymous complaint seriously. It
doesn’t seem that our Ethics Commission is overly concerned (or prompt)
in addressing this issue since they waited seven years (statute of
limitations?) to lodge a complaint against Thomas and three years
against Garrison. Lots of questions... Coroner
is not an easy job - certainly not one many people can handle. Marshall
County has been fortunate that both these gentlemen were honest,
dedicated men who handled a heart-rending job with dignity and
compassion for the paltry sum we paid them. I personally would like to thank them for a job well done. Clista Ash
Byhalia
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