The Eupora Board of Aldermen voted to fire a part-time police officer six weeks after he was hired.
This came following an executive session with Police Chief Lawrence Caradine to discuss police personnel on Sept. 5. Meeting minutes show that two motions were approved afterwards in open session.
The first was a motion by Jerry Gary (at-large) to authorize Shay Holmes to remain on the payroll as part-time court clerk at her current rate of pay to train newly hired Tina Mitchell. Holmes had resigned as court clerk effective Aug. 18. Robert Gibbs (Ward 4) seconded and all aldermen voted aye except Billy Tabb (Ward 2), who abstained.
Gary then offered a motion to terminate the employment of part-time Police Officer Patrick Mitchell in which he is still within his probationary period, effective immediately. Gibbs seconded and that motion also passed 4-0 with Tabb abstaining.
Mitchell was hired following an executive session of the board on July 25. The Winona Times reported he was hired the same month as a certified officer with the Winona Police Department.
An incident involving Mitchell that occurred the week before in Winona may have played a part in his termination. According to broadcast reports, a WPD officer identified as Mitchell pulled over the driver of an all-terrain vehicle on Aug. 28 for speeding. A brief pursuit was reported to have followed and the man was killed when the ATV crashed.
The crash occurred on Stafford Wells Road about a mile south of state Highway 407 in Winona. The ATV driver was identified as David L. Nix, 51, of Winona . WCBI News reported Aug. 31 the Mississippi Highway Patrol had released information on the fatal crash.
“According to MHP, on (Aug. 28), David Nix of Winona was driving an ATV south on Stafford Wells Road when it collided with a 2016 Dodge Charger driven by Patrick Mitchell of Durant,” WCBI reported.
The station said Nix received fatal injuries in the crash and that the incident remained under investigation by MHP. Montgomery County Coroner Allan Pratt pronounced Nix dead at the scene at 7:35 p.m., according to The Winona Times. “I was told he lost control,” the newspaper reported Pratt as saying in an Aug. 31 article.
Other Action
In other business Sept. 5, the city board approved a beer permit application submitted by Charles Ralph Pogue of Pogue Foods Inc., doing business as Piggly Wiggly at 3135 E. Roane Ave. The motion passed 4-0 with Alderman Gary abstaining.
The permit was granted contingent upon the waiver from the pastor and elders of Jordan Chapel Missionary Baptist Church. The minimum distance from a church that a business can sell alcohol is 100 feet in a commercial zone, unless the church waives the distance restrictions.
Aldermen also handled these matters:
Board Business: approved FY 2023-24 annual material and supply bids as advertised and received as required.
Water and Wastewater: tabled for a second time entering a contract for an annual water tank maintenance program as proposed by Southern Corrosion LLC.
Fire Department: voted to add Dwayne Dodd to the volunteer fire department roster upon the recommendation of Fire Chief Reagan Gary. Dodd is a former volunteer.
Finance and Administration: approved the claims docket for payment.
During the time period allotted for aldermen comments, Gibbs said he had asked Holmes Community College to consider offering GED and technical training at the Eupora Civic Center. He specifically discussed training people to work at the Steel Dynamics aluminum mill in Columbus, which broke ground in March.
Consented Items
The board approved the Sept. 5 official agenda including these consented items:
•Approved the minutes from Aug. 4 and Aug. 18 agenda work sessions, Aug. 7 regular meeting, Aug. 21 recessed meeting and Aug. 30 special-called meeting.
• Authorized the mayor and police chief to attend the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security grant implementation meeting in September.
• Authorized the police chief and fire chief to attend Healthy Heroes training on Sept. 7 in West Point.
• Approved submitting an application for a FY 2023 Justice Assistance Grant due Sept. 29 for six AR-15s with scopes for the Police Department.
Additional information from the meeting about budget and tax levy public hearings was reported in a Sept. 22 article. An agenda work session was held Sept. 1.
