Two Leflore County supervisors want to rename streets after businessmen in their districts, but the process is becoming more complicated than tacking up new street signs.
Anjuan Brown has aims to rename Freedom Street in the Buckeye neighborhood to honor James Magee, a resident who “is Buckeye himself,” according to Brown.
Magee owns a store in the heart of the Buckeye and has lived there all his life. Brown said he was not sure of the gentleman’s age, but said he’s an older man who’s played a major role in making his neighborhood what it is today.
“He’s cleaned up the Buckeye,” Brown said at Monday’s meeting of the Board of Supervisors. “He’s known as one of the pioneers of the Buckeye.”
Brown said that he wanted to see what the process for changing a street name entailed. The board voted unanimously to support his motion to ask its attorney, Joyce Chiles, to look into the process.
Supervisor Robert Moore tagged his own proposed street name change onto the motion.
Moore would like to rename Ione Street, also known as Broadcast Drive, as Ruben Hughes Drive, in honor of the owner and operator of WGNL and WGNG radio stations. The studio for those stations is located on that street.
Before a street name can be changed, Chiles said, the board would have to vote for it, then begin advertising for a public hearing on the matter.
Leflore County Chancery Clerk Sam Abraham said the U.S. Postal Service is the biggest hurdle. Moore said the national registry of street names is another roadblock, since road maps would need to be altered and emergency plans shifted.
Also Monday, the board:
• Agreed to contract with Environmental Management Plus to provide asbestos inspection in homes covered by the 2012 Home Grant. The grant provides for the replacement or rehabilitation of substandard housing.
The company will inspect the homes selected by the North Central Planning and Development District. Lakeylah White, the grant administrator who is overseeing the project, said she has worked with Environmental Management Plus and was happy with the work it did. The asbestos inspection will not cost the county.
• Accepted a $50,000 grant for a conveyer for the Greenwood Leflore Recycling center.
• Discussed drainage problems in District 2 that are causing flooding. Moore asked Road Manager Jerry Smith to get permission from residents off of County Road 92 to clear the ditch of beaver dams and whatever else might be clogging it.
• Approved a final resolution to grant 4-Way Electric Inc. a tax exemption for its ongoing expansion.
Supervisor Wayne Self added a resolution to honor Jimmy Tindall, the Leflore County undersheriff who passed away last Thursday, and the Leflore County Sheriff’s Department for its ability to stick together during its time of grief. Three days before Tindall died, another county lawman, Sgt. Donald Radford, also died. Both men suffered from cancer.
“They went through a tough time last week, and they pulled together like a real family,” said Self, who suggested the supervisors come together to donate a flag, plaque or some other memorial for the department. No decision was made.
“I’m very proud of what I saw last week,” Self said.
• Contact Jeanie Riess at 581-7235 or jriess@gwcommonwealth.com.
