Adam Tidwell first remembers singing in church when he was about 5 years old.

He liked it and never slowed down.

Now that he’s 34, Tidwell has kept up singing the music – mostly gospel and country – that he hopes will pay off in more than just fun.

Tidwell has his first CD out called Gospel Classics.

He’s pictured on the cover astride his father’s quarter horse stallion, Chance. Tidwell is the son of Larry and Kathy Tidwell of Batesville.

The singer cut the CD about two months ago with the help of some other Batesville residents – Ricky Swindle, songwriter, and musician Steve McGregory.

It was in McGregory’s home studio that the CD was made with Tidwell doing vocals and Swindle laying down track after track of music.

The owner of Eagle Crest shopping center on U.S. Highway 51 is in opposition to any future attempts that may seek to regulate the parking.
At issue are sign-emblazoned delivery trucks that park close to the streets.

Eagle Crest shopping center owner Woody Loden IV said he’d "just read" an article in The Panolian that was printed after the last City Board meeting in which the topic was discussed and wanted to make his feelings known.

A Sardis woman informed the Mayor and Board of Aldermen she expects them to pay for property damage caused by a sewer problem.

Debra Aaron told aldermen she wants reimbursement for the $390 she spent trying to stop the sewer from backing up into her house.

"I believe the city should pay back the money I spent trying to fix the problem," she said.

And the reason Aaron thinks it is the city’s job to repay her? It was discovered that the problem was in the street and not on private property.

Aaron said she spoke with Earl Watson of the city’s maintenance crew, and was told she had to make sure the problem was not on private property before the city could look into the matter.

The money allocated to the Partnership comes from the city’s three percent food and beverage tax. It’s referred to as the tourism tax.

Partnership CEO Paul Alexander told the Board of Mayor and Aldermen that he chose Tuesday’s meeting to ask for the funds because "this is the time of year" the money’s normally given.

The $30,000 is in the budget, according to Mayor Bobby Baker, who noted the county funds the Partnership with $90,000 a year.

The organization functions as a dual chamber of commerce-type organization as well as an economic development group.

In an interview, Alexander said about $45,000 of their budget comes from membership dues.

Texas won.

Toyota will build its new assembly plant in the Lone Star state passing on sites in Como and in Marion, Ark.

That was the word this week as company officials chose San Antonio as the location of what will be Toyota’s sixth North American assembly plant.

The plant will mean at least 2,000 new jobs by 2006, not including the estimated 5,300 new jobs that will come in related-industry facilities that will cluster near the plant.