County to honor Osborne Bell

The Marshall County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously July 2 to name the new Marshall County Justice Complex in honor of the late sheriff Osborne Bell.

The first African American sheriff of Marshall County, Bell was slain in the line of duty May 7, 1986. He was 50 at his death.

A memorial is located on the Marshall County Courthouse lawn and at the site on Highway 309 where Bell was shot and killed. A portion of Highway 309 is also known as the Osborne Bell Highway.

Toni Bell, his daughter, was present in the board room when the idea was brought before the board by Thelbert LeSure, on behalf of the family and community.

Toni Bell was very happy.

“As you are aware, we are very proud of the accomplishments of my father,” she said. “We’re excited, we’re proud, and we are thankful to the citizens of Holly Springs, and especially Mr. LeSure.”

Also present were Doris and Grant Parham (Osborne’s sister and brother-inlaw), Harriet Hearn, Letha Goodman (Osborne’s niece) and Paris Funchess, Goodman’s daughter.

Bell’s sister, Monet Autry, was on vacation at the time but said she is thankful to the board of supervisors and to the citizens for honoring her brother’s service to the county in this manner.

Doris Goodman, another of the late sheriff’s sisters, expressed joy.

“I’m just elated – happy. He really deserved the honor,” she said. “We’re proud of this honor. He gave his life and we loved our brother. We’re looking forward to it.”

The new, expanded justice complex will be built adjacent to the present facility on West Street in Holly Springs.

Real and Personal tax rolls adopted

The board of supervisors received the real and personal property rolls from tax assessor Juanita Dillard. The total 2018 tax values before industrial exemptions came to $331,385,025, she said.

The 2017 tax valuation by comparison was about $298 million.

Justin Hall, executive director of the Marshall County Industrial Development Authority, noted that the increase in tax values (true values) of about $31 million as compared to 2017 was due to industrial growth over the last five years.

Dillard also provided figures for the true valuation of Valero Marketing’s inventory this year which came to $49,531,019, as compared to $3,126,932 in 2017.

Hall said the values are based on property (petroleum storage tanks and other equipment) which are now filled with petroleum. Valero supplies petroleum to the Memphis, Tenn., refineries, he said.

Valero is the second largest pipeline in the United States except the Alaskan pipeline, said zoning director Ken Jones.