Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/610980
Alcorn County has a population of almost 38,000. Geographically, the county is located in Northeast Mississippi and benefits from the close proximity to both Tennessee and Alabama. Timber is its highest value agricultural commodity. Other important agricultural products are beef cattle, poultry, cotton, soybeans, corn, vegetables, fruit and nut crops. Industry is very important to the county economy with the industrial sector employing about 15 percent of the workforce. The Alcorn County Board of Supervisors supports a wide variety of economic and community development activities. The county individually or jointly owns Magnolia Regional Heath Center, The Corinth-Alcorn County Airport, the Coliseum, the Crossroads Arena, the Corinth branch of the Northeast Mississippi Business Incubator, the Downtown Depot, and Crossroads Regional Park. The Alcorn County Courthouse and Alcorn County Chancery Building are two outstanding county facilities gracing our historic downtown. Five supervisors are elected from single member districts for concurrent four-year terms. They meet at least once per month in the Chancery Building. Other key county elected officials include the Chancery Clerk, Circuit Clerk, Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, Sheriff, Constables, Justice Court Judges, and County Attorney. The Sheriff, who is elected to a four-year term, is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of Alcorn County. Many officers assist the Sheriff in patrolling Alcorn County. They include the Chief Deputy, Jail Administrator, Criminal Investigative Officers, K-9 Officer, Juvenile Detention Officer, and Narcotics Agents. Ten Volunteer Fire Departments provide fire protection to Alcorn County. Four rural water associations serve the population of the county. Corinth, which has a population of over 14,000, is the county seat for Alcorn County, Mississippi. A Mayor and Board of Aldermen, all of whom are elected, govern Corinth. The Mayor oversees the day-to-day operations of city government aided by the City Clerk. The Mayor and Board of Aldermen serve four-year terms, and there are no term limits. The Department of Community Development and Planning is responsible for the administrative review of state and federal programs within which the city operates. The Director, with the assistance of the City's partners and consultants, aggressively seeks grants and low-interest loans for infrastructure improvements and programs to support the economic growth of our community. Corinth has received numerous grants from the following federal agencies: Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and the Appalachian Regional Commission. The Building Official is responsible for assuring that all new residential and commercial construction as well as renovation to existing structures complies with zoning ordinances and building codes. He is responsible for plan review as well as the inspection of all structural, plumbing, electrical and mechanical aspects of construction projects within the City, including workmanship and materials. The Code Enforcement Officer is responsible for enforcement of City Codes regarding signs, animals, junk vehicles, roadside vendors, and dilapidated properties (such as condemned houses and overgrown lots). The Corinth Fire Department is a full-time department serving 30.5 square miles. The department is staffed with well-trained employees, including EMT's and First Responders, working out of four stations. The fleet of trucks belonging to the Corinth Fire Department is state- of-the-art and includes ladder trucks, pumper trucks as well as a 1,500 gallon tanker. All new firefighters are trained at the Mississippi Fire Academy in Pearl, Mississippi. The Corinth Police Department proudly staffs sworn, dedicated officers, including a Chief, a Deputy Chief, detectives, and four full shifts of patrolmen who operate under the command of a Captain, a Lieutenant, and a Sergeant on each shift. 48