Two Purple Heart parking spaces at the Courthouse and Courthouse Annex were dedicated following Monday’s Lauderdale Board of Supervisors meeting.

The spaces are marked by signs noting they are reserved for wounded Purple Heart recipients. Similar parking spaces at other county buildings are planned.

The Queen City Purple Heart Chapter has 35 members, mostly veterans from the Vietnam War. With the chapter’s blessing, both Lauderdale County and Meridian have become Purple-Heart affiliated, joining the 100-plus other Purple Heart cities and counties in Mississippi.

“It’s great. This should have happened long ago,” Korean War veteran and Clarkdale resident Leroy Morse, 86, said at the ceremony. “I’ve been wondering what veterans are going to have on their cars and vehicles that shows you’re a wounded veteran. I think this is a great honor.”

Morse was a Marine gunnery sergeant when he was wounded on July 12, 1951.

Lauderdale County resident Norman Copeland was a Navy submariner.   

“This designation is very important,” Copeland said. “Veterans give an extra measure of blood to receive the Purple Heart. The county’s taking the time to honor those individuals who gave so much for the country is a blessing.”

Benny Duett, 68, a member of the Purple Heart Chapter in Meridian who served in Vietnam with the Marines, agreed. 

“A lot of veterans are immobile and can’t get around very well,” Duett said. “The designation means a great deal.”

“I enjoyed my work with veterans and I will continue working with them in my other assignments,” Jesse Barnett, director of the veterans service office in Lauderdale County, said in accepting the proclamation.

Fire warning 

Lauderdale County Volunteer Fire Department Coordinator Allan Dover warned the public of just how dry the land is and cautioned about cooking out.

“I can’t reiterate enough how long we’ve gone without rain and are so dry,” Dover said. “The grass and ground clutter in the woods are so dry that it will light without any effort. People shouldn’t throw cigarettes out the window or allow chains to drag on trailers because it causes sparks. A lot of our local ponds have dropped 4-5 feet. We need rain two weeks solid to get us back to normal.”

Dover said propane and charcoal grills are permissible to use outside, but any other outdoor burning is illegal.

Supervisors approved Dover’s request to purchase a fire truck from KME in the amount of $292,062.

Road work

Supervisors approved Road Manager Greer Goldman’s request to proceed with a grant application that would provide funds from the Federal Highway Administration for enhancing roads in recreational areas of Okatibbee Reservoir and approved a pay request in the amount of $371,020 to Kimes & Stone Construction Co for soil cement and scrub seal on various county roads.

Supervisors also authorized Goldman to seek bids to enclose newly built structures at Satellite B.

Goldman was also given permission to hire two employees as a service maintenance worker and a litter crew member.

Other business

• County administrator Chris Lafferty received permission to advance from the General Fund to another fund for $126,207 to pay principal and interest. The advance will be repaid to the General Fund when funds from tax collections are received.

• Larry Grayson was approved as a commissioner of the Dalewood Sewer District to fill the unexpired term of Michael Amorin ending Aug. 31, 2021.

• Lafferty received permission for a pauper burial for Martha Lee.

•Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Ward Calhoun received permission to send a number of employees to training courses around the state, including Sheriff Billy Sollie, who will be attending the 2016 Winter Conference Dec. 5-9 in Biloxi.

• Supervisors approved the retirement of K-9 Rex and transfer to his handler, Andy Matuesezewski.