The war on meth in the Delta will be escalating thanks to a $500,000 grant.
The Leflore County Board of Supervisors on Monday accepted a Methamphetamine Initiative Grant for the North Central Narcotics Task Force.
The money will be used to hire two new officers and purchase equipment, North Central Director Chuck Harris said.
Harris said meth use in this area — North Central covers eight counties, including Leflore and Carroll — tailed off in the past several years but is now increasing again.
“We’re hoping to combat it with this,” he said.
The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Justice and lasts through December 2012. It does not require any local match.
Also Monday,
nThe board approved $5,000 for the Greenwood Mentoring Group. The Avenue G after-school center, which opened Oct. 4, will be one of the sentencing options for juvenile offenders, Leflore County Court Judge Kevin Adams told supervisors.
“It’s just an invaluable resource for the court and for the entire county,” Adams said of the Mentoring Group.
The money will come out of the county court’s budget, Adams said.
Founder Bill Clay thanked supervisors for their support.
nThe board gave final approval for a 10-year property tax exemption for Delta Oil Mill, which is valued at $21.4 million.
Jonestown-based Delta reopened the shuttered PYCO plant along U.S. 82 in June. The mill had 22 employees then and planned on eventually having 30 with an annual payroll of $1.1 million.
The plant began processing cotton seed in 1957, but PYCO closed it in March 2009 amidst declining cotton acreage. The mill now processes soybean seeds but can be converted to cotton seeds.
The exemption does not apply to school taxes.
nSupervisors voted to extend a joint operating agreement for Greenwood-Leflore Airport through Nov. 30. The agreement with the city of Greenwood expired at the end of September. Board attorney Joyce Chiles said the extension would give the city and county — which jointly own the airport — time to work out another agreement.
• Contact Charlie Smith at csmith@gwcommonwealth.com.
