The Webster Progress-Times

MATHISTON - Local people and businesses were honored Monday night during the Webster County Development Council's second Recognition Banquet.

These awards were presented during the banquet at The Wood Institute's Levy Hall:

€ Outstanding Small Business of the Year: Evergreen Ag of Mathiston

€ Outstanding Big Business of the Year: Hawkeye Glove Manufacturing of Eupora

€ Community Economic Development Award: Village of Mantee

€ Volunteer of the Year: SaraJane Curry

€ Teacher of the Year, Eupora K-6: Judy Stroud

€ Teacher of the Year, Eupora 7-12: Melissa Evans

€ Teacher of the Year, East Webster K-6: Molly Seawright.

€ Teacher of the Year, East Webster 7-12: Carol Palmer

€ Teacher of the Year, Webster County Career and Technology Center: Janice Gardner

€ Young Farmer of the Year: Jeffery Tabb

€ Conservationist of the Year: Larry Clanton

€ Entrepreneurs of the Year: Bruce Edwards of B.K. Edwards Fabrication in Clarkson, and Christi Tindall and Rebecca Tabb of La De Da in Eupora

€ Healthcare Professional of the Year: Nurse Christie Holiday of North Mississippi Medical Center-Eupora

€ Lifetime Achievement: Dr. James Edward Booth.

Booth, who turns 82 on April 25, retired last year after more than 50 years of service as a medical doctor and general surgeon.

After serving in World War II, and completing medical school and an internship, he opened his family medical practice in Eupora in 1955. Soon after coming back home to Eupora, he started talking to city and county officials about building a hospital with a modern delivery room, emergency room and operating room. He passed petitions for a vote that passed to build the Webster General Hospital, now NMMC-Eupora.

GUEST SPEAKER

Dr. Mabel Murphree, director of the Mississippi Corridor Consortium, served as the banquet's guest speaker. She currently serves as the director of the Mississippi Corridor Consortium. The consortium is a partnership among East Mississippi Community College, Itawamba Community College and Northeast Mississippi Community College formed to raise the level of economic competitiveness of the region.

Murphree previously served as the state director of the Appalachian Regional Commission. She is also a Republican candidate for Northern District public service commissioner.

Murphree stressed the importance of focusing on having a skilled and educated workforce, and dropout prevention, stating, "We need to be preaching 'the more you learn the more you earn.'"

She gave an overview of state Superintendent of Education Hank Bounds' "Redesigning Education for the 21st Century Workforce" plan. Murphree explained that it will include a redesigned ninth-grade workforce education course called STEM Applications in which students will be exposed to science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum.

"I hope you will make sure that Webster County schools will endorse this ambitious program," she said.

Murphree said Webster Countians should work together to attract suppliers for Nissan in Canton and the planned Toyota plant near Tupelo because of the county's location midway between both.

She suggested that the county consider developing a niche that others do not have, specifically recommending a quality tool-and-die program plus a health service area beyond what it is already here.

Spring Garden Show

WCDC Executive Director Cynthia Wilson reminded those present that the organization will sponsor the third annual Spring Garden Show on April 21 at Evergreen Ag from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Speaker Blake Layton will present a program on "Butterfly Gardening" at 6:30 p.m. dinner in Levy Hall. Tickets for the dinner are $15 a person and may be purchased at the WCDC office, the Webster County Extension Office, the Webster County Public Library, Wood Institute and Evergreen Ag.