Enterprise-Journal from McComb, Mississippi • 1

Index College Football Scores Mississippi State 53 E.Tennessee State 6 Alcorn 21 Texas 14 Kentucky ....39 LSU 36 Family 2-5C Outdoors 8B 13 Weather Today: Mostly cloudy in the morning becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. Tonight: Cloudy. Lows in the mid 60s. Other Forecasts, Page 9 Classifieds Obituaries ..14 Crossword Opinion 2 Sports 1-7B Southern Miss ....37 Mississippi Southern 33 Army 13 Mary Hardin-Baylor 0 Jackson State 28 The one newspaper in the world most interested in this community $1.00 109th Year No.

158 Oct. 18, 1998 McComb, Mississippi A Week for Homecomings tup '4 MAX -ii-' 1, I. ..1. n. Photos by Aaron Rhoads North Pike McComb High School Zundra Bateaste, escorted by Russ Greer, was crowned 1998 McComb High School homecoming queen by principal, Dr.

Steve Handley, Friday night. She is the daughter of Charles and Nancy Bateaste of McComb. Greer is the son of Diane Greer and D.C. Greer, both of McComb. South Pike Crystal Cornell was crowned 1998 South Pike High School homecoming queen Friday night.

She was escorted by her father, James Cornell, and crowned by principal Willie Jones. She lives with her father and mother, Jacqueline, in Osyka. Heather Furr, accompanied by Casey Carter, was crowned 1998 North Pike High School homecoming queen Friday by principal Dr. Ben Cox. She is the daughter of Albert and Lisa Furr of McComb.

Carter is the son of Sue Carter and Boyd Carter, both of McComb. iUI osemann. fight sng dirty in Shows' education votes in the Legislature, and his press releases have attacked the Democrat's stand on crime, going back to votes taken 16 years ago in the state Senate. "This is a pretty evident change in strategy towards the end of the campaign," said Mississippi State University political science expert Marty Wiseman. "If you're well ahead and what you're doing is working, you probably don't change.

It's a roll of the dice. It's a gamble." The race in southwest Mississippi is the only hotly contested congressional one on the Nov. 3 ballot in the state. Incumbent Rep. Mike Parker, a Republican, is retiring, and three minor party candidates are also in the race.

Shows began running defensive advertisements last week and said some of Hosemann's claims were "a bunch of bull." "If I was not winning, he wouldn't be running negative ads," said Shows. "He knows his issues are not strong, and he knows he's behind." Hosemann, a Jackson tax attorney, defends his strategy and said there "has not been even an inkling of personal" animosity in the campaign. "My ads are about taxes and Social Security. That's what I've been talking about eight months," said Hosemann. "People have a right to know about your position and your opponent's position." Hosemann said he has not had any polls done but adds, "I'm not behind." The matchup pits Shows, a longtime office-holder from Bass-field, against Hosemann, who has never held public office.

Shows was a state senator from 1980-88 and has been a transportation commissioner the past decade. But Hosemann, who led fundraising in the Republican primary, also is outspending Shows more than two to one. Latest campaign finance reports show Hosemann has raised $955,614 to Shows' $408,335. Hosemann has spent $794,965 to Shows' $309,825. One of Hosemann's major expenses is a television media blitz in the Jackson market.

Among his ads: "If Shows handles them (accusations) well, throws the ball back in his court, then you've created an opportunity for free publicity," said Wiseman. "He (Hosemann) is probably trying to draw him out a little bit, trying to see what Shows sounds like when he's mad, under pressure, see him with the hair on the back of his neck up." Shows' response ads claim Hosemann's plans for Social Security involve privatization and would hurt the program. Hosemann said his comments on the issue were taken out of context. Hosemann had been the victim of attack ads in the Republican primary, including one that questioned his work for a women's clinic where abortions had been performed. Hosemann criticizes Shows for voting to raise taxes while in the Legislature.

The taxes were part of the Education Reform Act of 1982 which funded public school kindergartens and teachers' aides. Hosemann said in an Oct. 1 debate that he would have also supported a tax increase for kindergartens. Hosemann uses a backdrop of senior citizens to question Shows' plans for Social Security, which the ad contends would bankrupt the program. The ad also says Shows has spoken in favor of raising the retirement age and cutting cost of living allowances, or COLAs.

Shows has said his top goal is saving Social Security and has no specific plans. By Gina Holland Associated Press Writer JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Earlier this year, Republican congressional candidate Delbert Hose-mann plastered the walls of his campaign headquarters with the slogan, "He who throws dirt loses ground." Now, his Democratic foe in the state's open 4th District seat claims Hosemann is guilty of violating his own motto. In recent weeks Hosemann's television advertisements have focused on Ronnie Shows, criticizing the state transportation commissioner's record on Social Security and taxes. His placards take aim at MngMfigHtitte Late-season tornadoes hit A tornado looms behind a rural home as it touches down near Yocemento, Friday.

Numerous tornadoes were reported destroying several farm homes and outbuildings as well as the feed mill at a feed yard northwest of Hays. Two minor injuries were reported as a result of the storm. For more weather news, including floods and tornadoes in Texas, see Page 8. Associated Press photo I Wl ts- Second Lawson trial gets started Monday Jimmy Lawson faces his second trial this year in Pike County Circuit Court, this time on charges of embezzlement, wire fraud and 41 counts of uttering forgery. Jury selection begins Monday in the trial that court officials say could last all week.

Lawson, 51 Houston, Texas, is accused of presenting $84,268 in forged N-Viro Products checks to Pike County National Bank and using mail and phone to defraud N-Viro, for which he worked. The Monticello company recycles chicken manure into fertilizers and feeds. In April a Pike County Circuit Court jury found Lawson not guilty of passing two forged N-Viro checks. Lawson reportedly faces related charges in Lawrence County, Gulfport and Houston. Williams announces JACKSON, MISS.

(AP) State Rep. Charlie Williams has filed qualifying papers to seek the state's highest office. Williams, R-Senatobia, has represented Tate County since 1976. Complaint prompts inspection GLOSTER, Miss. (AP) A state Department of Education inspection uncovered several building defiencies in the Amite County School District, officials say.

The state agency initiated the probe after parent Tanecia R. McKnight of Gloster complained about dilapidated buildings during a Sept. 24 Senate Education Committee forum in Brookhaven. None of the deficiences compiled by the Education Department create an emergency, but they do add up to a poorly maintained, unclean environment for students, McKnight said. "It's not fit for a school right now," said McKnight, who has a second-grader and seventh-grader in Amite County schools.

"It's like one big violation. It's falling apart." A three-member team's written report suggest routine maintenance and cleaning are not being done. "Custodial work is not supervised," the report said. "Custodians aren't cleaning, as there are spider webs, dust, dirt from room and corridor ceilings down to the floors; mold and spider webs are found at drinking fountains; wall base behind restroom water closets are The team found no major problems, said Regina Ginn, Department of Education director of school buildings and transportation. Some parts of the buildings date back to the 1930s.

Gloster Elementary Principal Robbie Robertson said he had not yet seen the report and could not comment. Bingo records subpoenaed JACKSON, Miss. (AP) The Mississippi Gaming Commission has begun to subpoena financial records as part of an ongoing investigation of five charities connected' to child advocates Sue Hathorn and Jeff Johns. The commission investigation's aim is to find out whether bingo proceeds went to support charity. "We're going to ensure to our satisfaction that the money is being used for charity said Chuck Patton, executive director of the Gaming Commission.

"That's our obligation under the law, and that's what we intend to do." The probe began after the commission learned four charities that benefitted from bingo profits passed on most of that money to a fifth charity, Mississippi VOICES for Children and Youth a group which has Hathorn and Johns serving as board officers. Hathorn and Johns are also officers on the boards of the following nonprofit associations: Children First (funded by Bingo Rama of Jackson), Mississippi Criminal Justice Association (funded by Community Bingo in McComb), Mississippi Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse (funded by Tri-State Bingo in Corinth) and Mississippi Children's Advocacy Center (funded by Bingo Depot in Jackson). All four contributed $1.8 million to charity as required, but $1.3 million of the contributions went to Mississippi VOICES. The Gaming Commission's ongoing investigation has focused on a variety of areas of spending by VOICES from Hathorn's perks to a historic house purchased for $358,000 to a $26,950 interest-free loan it gave an unrelated charity. Lynn Clark, director of community resources for VOICES, said the house was bought "because we had a long-range plan that included establishing a children's justice center.

We were advised that this property was a good investment." Clark said the house is now for sale because an anticipated funding source failed to materialize. Financial reports filed by the five charities with the secretary of state's office appear to show discrepancies. To subscribe: 684-2713 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays To contact the news, advertising or printing departments: 684-2421.