DRUG COURT GIVEN VERBAL SUPPORT

A circuit judge's request for $15,000 to help fund a drug court was met
with enthusiasm by the Board of Supervisors as they gave a verbal
commitment to the alternative sentencing program.

Circuit Court Judge Vernon Cotten appeared before the supervisors seeking
to fund a drug court in the 8th Circuit Court District that comprises
Neshoba, Newton, Scott and Leake counties.

The judge has received similar commitments from all of the counties except
Leake, his home county, which he plans to brief on Thursday.

A drug court is a special court program that requires nonviolent offenders
with drug problems to enter a guilty plea and agree to a four or five year
treatment program in which they must go to therapy and hold a job or do
community service. The program is aimed at lowering recidivism.

Offenders charged with the sale of illicit drugs do not qualify for the
program. An offender must have approval from law enforcement and the
district attorney before qualifying for the program.

A drug court became operational in the 8th Circuit Court District on Jan. 1
without "a penny of money," Cotten said, pointing out that the mood of the
district was in support of the program which targets people who are
"hopelessly" addicted.

"The drug court participants are not dealers or the guy who is trafficking
in drugs. He is strictly the user - the person who is addicted to drugs and
can't help himself. It could be my son, anybody. It can be just anybody. We
are all touched by people who are affected by drugs."

Drug court coordinator Marcus Ellis accompanied Cotten to the meeting.
"Marcus is working for free," Cotten said. "He is a senior warrant officer,
a retired military person. Marcus has a heart for this thing. He wants to
give back. He's the glue as far as getting the drug court under way."

Cotten said they were visiting with each county and asking supervisors to
form a partnership and pledge up to $15,000 to get the drug court
operational until funding could be obtained from other sources.

Once drug court personnel complete a lengthy training process, Cotten said
the program could then be funded, hopefully, through grant money.

"I don't want to be apologetic about coming and asking for this because,
gentlemen, this is good. It is going to be a savings on the typical person
going through drug court compared to the conventional way," he said.

It cost about $20,000 a year to house an inmate in a correctional facility
in Mississippi, while a person could go through the drug court program
which would include treatment for about $2,000.

Drug court participates pay a monthly $100 maintenance fee to the court as
well as their fine.

"The beauty about the drug court is that they are not in jail. They are out
there working and paying taxes like we do and taking care of their
families," Cotten said.

In other action the Board of Supervisors: . Adopted a four-year road plan
as presented by each supervisor.

. Accepted a recommendation by Sheriff Larry Myers to appoint Heather
McAdory and Angel Crockett as shift supervisors at the jail, effective Feb.
5 and Feb. 19, respectively. Their salaries were set at $10.75 an hour.

. Accepted a recommendation by the sheriff to appoint Ken Butler of the
Choctaw Police Department and Norman Reed and Steve Williams of Choctaw
Tribal Security, as deputy sheriffs. These individuals will not receive any
compensation but are deputized in an effort to enhance the law enforcement
cooperation between the sheriff's department and the Mississippi Band of
Choctaw Indians.

. Reappointed Chief Kenneth Coleman to a five-year term on the board of
trustees of the Neshoba County Hospital and Nursing Home.

. Appointed Clyde Smith to a five-year term on the Neshoba County Library
Board from District 5.

. Approved payroll ending Feb. 4 for $133,701.23.

. Accepted the recommendation of the county school board and authorized
school bus turnarounds in the driveways of Joe Gilmore, 10451 Highway 21
south, Brenda and Bobby Fedrick, 10261 Road 218, and C. R. Franklin at the
intersection of Road 210 and Highway 21 south.

. Approved a recommendation by the Neshoba County School Board for a
40-year Sixteenth Section land lease for Richard Rickles and his wife,
Patty Rickles, on four acres for an initial rent of $325 a year.

. Approved a recommendation by the Neshoba County School Board for a
40-year Sixteenth Section land lease for Willie Jr. Griffin and wife,
Shirley Ann Griffin, on about one acre for an initial rent of $260 a year.

. Authorized payment of registration fees and travel expenses for the
chancery clerk and county administrator to attend an education workshop in
Jackson March 24 and 25.

. Authorized payment of registration fees and travel expenses for the board
of supervisors, chancery clerk, county administrator and board attorney to
attend an educational seminar in Tunica, June 14-17.

. Accepted the recommendation from the county administrator to enter into a
service agreement for one year with Benecom to maintain the county's
mainframe computer for $4,563.

. Entered into a contract with Vital Network to provide NCIC services for
one year for the county for $171.60.

. Authorized emergency management director Jeff Mayo to apply for a $25,000
equipment grant for communication improvement.

. Approved a request of the East Neshoba Fire Protection District to remove
items from its inventory that were either lost, no longer used or needed
and/or no longer operable.

. Accepted $50,000 in grant funds from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw
Indians to be used solely for improvements in the book selection at the
county library.

. Authorized $1,500 in postage for general county use and $710.83 for tax
assessor/collector's office for solid waste billing.

. Designated all county owned buildings as smoke free including, but not
limited to, the courthouse annex, justice court, M and S building,
coliseum, detention center, senior citizens centers, Department of Human
Services and veterans' service office.

. Authorized the advertisement of bids for a four-year contract to update
and maintain personal property of the county; a three-year maintenance
contract for real property; and an update contract for the year 2008 for
real property. The bids were returnable to April 19.

. Authorized payment of $28,701.05 to Blue Cross/Blue Shield for payment of
health insurance for county employees.

. Accepted the lowest and best proposal from Parker Sand and Gravel at
$3.15 per ton for hauling pea gravel for the park commission.

. Accepted the recommendation of the road manager to employ Reynolds
Moorehead and Tim Ryals, both at $7.50 an hour; and a pay increase for
Charles Chestnut to $7 an hour.

. Authorized a payment of $1,734 to Central Water Association to replace
cost of materials that were destroyed as a result of the negligence of a
county employee.

. Designated that all county owned offices and buildings should be open
five days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and the
offices should only be closed on official holidays and other occasions as
authorized by law.