Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 15

MetroS Metro columnist Eric Stringfellow will return LOCAL NEWS 2 STATE NEWS 3 DEATHS 4 Tuesday. THE CLARION-LEDGER JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI SUNDAY, JULY 13, 2003 CLARIONLEDGER.COM DHS probe of welfare fraud nets 5th suspect "Whether it's $100 or $10,000, which is the case with House of Prayer, we pursue it." Cory Wofford, Department of Human Services spokesman Snack shop had $10,000 in EBT business in six months By Wilson Boyd Henry Proctor, pastor of the House of Prayer in Tchula, is free on bond following his arrest in a continuing state investigation into welfare fraud. Proctor, 43, of 326 Maple St. in Tchula, was charged late Friday with one count of welfare fraud. A court date has not been scheduled.

Proctor is free on $25,000 bond, said Holmes County Sheriff Willie March. Proctor could not be reached for comment Saturday. A warrant is still outstanding for Jerome Proctor, brother of Henry Proctor. Jerome Proctor has contacted the Holmes County Sheriffs Department to say he is out of town and will turn himself in Monday, March said. Henry Proctor's wife, Victoria, and three others also were arrested Friday.

The Proctors are co-owners spokesman for the Department of Human Services, said Saturday. "Whether it's $100 or $10,000, which is the case with House of Prayer, we pursue it." Instead of the card's recipient buying groceries, as the card is meant to be used, the person swipes the card and gets cash, with the store owner or employee keeping a cut, officials said. For example, the card might be swiped for $200 and the recipient takes $150 and the store owner or employee gets the other $50. Tchula Police Department. The charges involve retailers giving cash back to customers who use electronic benefits transfer or EBT cards.

The cards were designed, in part, to make it easier to detect fraud. "This is a major bust for us because any instance of fraud is a concern for us," Cory Wofford, a of the House of Prayer snack stand in Tchula. Henry Proctor's arrest is the latest in a six-month investigation by the state Department of Human Services in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture Nutrition Service, the Holmes County Sheriff's Department and the tog to as rai The House of Prayer snack shop, which sells only items such as soft drinks, candy and chips, did $10,634 in EBT business over the last six months, officials said. "Several busts have taken place in Holmes County, but we are aggressively looking at other areas of the state," Wofford said. "We don't want people to take this lightly.

If you are misusing your EBT card, we will catch you." Staff writer Jimmie Gates contributed to this report. Running for office not great for diet Travel, bad food, little exercise part of the job for Miss, candidates By Emily Wagstar Pettu Jhm AMOdattd Pru BILOXI They rise before dawn and are out shaking hands before many people have even had a first cup of coffee. If they eat at all, it's usually whatever fast food they can scarf down in the car between cell phone calls. Mississippi candidates say cam Canton aims to protect city by rerouting heavy trucks hni vT Visa bar -r i. i Hf --Hi if! TfSStt 1 i an rr 31 rife? paigning can be a grueling, exhaust Election 2003 ing task.

It's especially true in a state where many voters r. I 7 hi expect to meet candidates, look them in the eyes and pepper them with a few questions. "Campaigning, if one works hard at it and this is my 10th campaign it interferes with rest and diet and exercise, home life, family life, everything," said former Supreme Court Justice Jim Roberts, a Democrat running for JoEIIIThClanon-Ldar Canton officials are hoping a $15 million bypass will alleviate the heavy truck traffic that often congests the courthouse square. lieutenant governor. "Those who have not done it simply cannot relate to the stress," he said.

Not that he's By Poggy Matthew pmatttwmclarlonldgw A $15 million bypass is planned for historic Canton to alleviate heavy truck traffic thundering through the heart of the city. "We've got to get those trucks off the square in downtown Canton, those heading to Nissan and points south," said Dick Hall, central district transportation commissioner. The 3.5-mile road will connect to Nissan Parkway at U.S. 51 north of the Nissan plant and run northeast to Mississippi 43 at a location not yet determined. Four lanes are planned, but only two might be built initially, depending on federal funding.

No construction timetable has been set, but Congress has appropriated $1 million to fund the first phase of the project planning, environmental studies and securing rights-of-way. Hall said the state turned over direction of the project to Canton city officials last week. "Ultimate approval will still be up to us, but we won't be administering the contract," Hall said. Sandy Mixon, assistant manager of the Herbs and Vitamin Shop on Peace Street, is ecstatic. "Yes!" she whooped.

"Everybody on the square will be delighted We get too many trucks through here. There's one right now. "They block traffic and people can't get in to park. Business owners have been complaining about it for a long time." JoAnn Gordon, director of the Canton Convention and Visitors Bureau, supports the project but wants to guard against detouring customers around downtown businesses. "The main focus is to do it in such a manner that it also attracts tourists who want to come into our city.

You do that with good signage and (public relations) marketing." she said. Constant vibrations and exhaust pollution from the mi Tuck complaining. Not trucks are damaging the buildings, many built in the 1800s. Trucks have even struck the buildings, Gordon said. "Eventually, it does irreparable harm to them," she said.

Elizabeth Raley, president of the Madison County Foundation, said the bypass "is one of the key projects we went to Washington twice over." "Those wonderful old buildings are taking a beating from all those trucks. It will be nice to walk along the street and not feel like an 18-wheeler will run you over she said. that any of the candidates will complain at least not openly. Most of those seeking statewide office say there's a certain thrill to counting the pairs of worn out shoes, tallying up the number of counties they've visited and watch i i I 1 s. W4 111 1 ing the thousands of miles roll up on their car odometers.

Republican Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck and Sen. Barbara Black-mon, a Democrat running for lieu The Department of Trans- portation is widening U.S. 51 r-t -in a Blackmon trom Kidgeland to Madison and plans to continue on to Canton by 2007.

"We're going to keep Madison County torn up. Well make sure of that. When we get through with this one, well find another nroiect." Hall ioked. tenant governor, might be rare examples of healthy living in the hard-driven world of politics. Tuck said she walks on a treadmill and lifts weights at least a couple times a week.

Blackmon said no matter how hectic her schedule, she's up before dawn to ride a stationary bicycle or See CAMPAIGNING, 5B Canton Mayor Fred Esco did ttu not return a call seeking com- construcfon timetable has been set, but Con- phase of the project, which involves planning, envt-jjjpjjk gress has appropriated 1 million to fund the first ronmental studies and securing rights-of-way. Clinton pine-car races draw hundreds Multiagency drug probe concludes with 9 arrests 1 J.I i By Wilson Boyd WrtMytfKfc son Qwwwtt By Wilton Boyd Wal-Mart shoppers in Clinton may have thought they were experiencing an earthquake Saturday. Rest assured there was no seismic disturbance, said special events manager David Noyes. It was just drag racers cranking their engines in the parking lot The drag racers from Neefy Brothers Racing and the Rowdy Yeates team were in Clinton as a part of the second annual Day at the Races. About 300 children decorated and raced pine-wood cars from 10 am to 4:30 pm, said Noyes.

"It was a lot of fun watching how intent they were when putting (the cars) together," Noyes said. Wal-Marts across the country host pine-car races. Wat Mart's corporate headquarters in Ben-tonviHe, Ark, provides the materials. What sets the Clinton event apart is that it's the "only one with Wes Neely and three cars It's the right thing to do," said Frank Melton, director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. Collaborating with other law enforcement agencies is a must given current economic conditions.

Melton said. Police provided names and ages of those arrested as of Friday but would not provide addresses or cities of residence: QayDuIaney.21, sale of cocaine. David Wrightson. 20, sale of cocaine. Felicia Crawford, 26.

possession of cocaine. Markey Hollingshed. 20. sale of crack cocaine. Russell StovaH.

41. sale of crack cocaine. Lorcarno Tumipseed. 22. possession of marijuana.

Arthur Holliday. 25. sale of crack cocaine. Rodrick Poindexter, 20, sale of crack cocaine. J.T.

Rogers. 44. sale of crack cocaine. A nine-month undercover drug investigation in north Mississippi has concluded with nine arrests and more are likely on the way. Starkville police, in conjunction with the Oktibbeha County Sheriffs Department Tri-County Narcotics and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, nabbed mostly small-time drug dealers, Maurice Johnson, supervisor of the Starkville police narcotics unit said Saturday.

"We focus on large drug dealers so much that we forget the street-level people just out selling drugs," Johnson said. The officers seized a small amount of cocaine during the arrests. Johnson said. More arrests are pending. Johnson said.

"We didn't get a chance to serve all the warrants." he said. Police declined to release the total number of warrants in the sting, saying that might jeopardize the investigation. "The collaboration has been super. Grg Jnon Tht OarafLtiqm Jack son, wait for race results Saturday during the Day at the Races Pine Car event at the CSnton Wal-Mart. cars)," Noyes said.

"You could fed the ground shake." The number of drag-racing fans in attendance surprised evenNeery. "I met a lot of people who remembered the car from the track," Neefy said. fives," Neely said. Wal-Mart offered free pictures as a part of the event More than 300 pictures were taken and developed. Noyes said.

Starting the cars helped attract a large crowd, Noyes said. "People love hearing the sitting out front," Noyes said. Neefy. of Byram, is the 2002 point champion in drag racing's superpro class. Meeting young racing fans is "always great," Neely said.

"It's fun taking pictures with kids and giving them high.