The Panola County Land Development Commissioners graciously gave the board’s approval to the request of St. John Missionary Baptist Church allowing the congregation to use a half-acre of 37 acres they own off Barnacre Road for a cemetery at its October meeting.

George Fondren appeared before the board representing the church and assured board members the congregation has had the area surveyed and plotted for a new cemetery. The church intends to build a new building on the property in the future.

The board also dealt once again with Natalie Byas, a citizen who has spent at least three months and multiple application fees, trying to get the board’s permission to sell antiques, signs, and similar arts and craft type merchandise, and allow other vendors to set up tents at two locations she and her husband have leased.

The Land Commission approve of her wares, it’s her location that has caused the generally slow grinding of government gears to come to an almost dead stop in Byas’ case.

Her location is the top of the hill on Hwy. 6E commonly known as the county line stores. Byas has both the store on the south side of the road and the larger place on the north side. The building on the south side, for years operated as Pete’s One Stop is used mostly for indoor sales of goods like pictures and decorations.

The north side building, long known as Walker’s Store, is a larger area with more parking. Both of the buildings were once thriving operations due mostly to the fact that neighboring Lafayette County and Oxford did not allow the sell of cold beer. People there naturally flocked to the nearest cold beer outlet and the stores had especially brisk business on football weekends.

Now that Oxford sells more cold beer than a good portion of the rest of North Mississippi, those business are not market viable and are now attractive venues for flea market-type and antique-based operations. The Land Development board is very protective of this stretch of Panola County, viewing the corridor from there to the Batesville city limits as prime real estate for future development. Not far west from the Panola-Lafayette line there is a building that is used for such type sales that was years ago given a zoning reclassification that prohibits the board from banning outside sales of used furniture, tires, bedding, or almost anything the owner wishes.

In Byas case, the board gave approval for inside sales only a couple of months ago and she agreed. It was a mistake, she learned, because without the goods being visible from the highway, drivers would not stop. Signs alone, she said would not draw enough attention. Business dropped and she would be forced to close, she told board members at this meeting, unless she was allowed to set up some things outside.

Because of their previous vote, Byas had to make another application, with fee, to seek the board’s approval for new selling rules at the location. The board was reluctant to open the door even slightly for what they fear most – a “junk store” they can’t control – at the location.

Byas and the board finally agreed that a special exemption would allow her to set up a few items in the parking lot each day with the agreement she store everything inside at closing. The board said she was allowed to leave some rocking chairs by the door when she pointed out that Cracker Barrel isn’t asked to move the rocking chairs they sale inside when they aren’t open.

Byras has painted some of the building and made a nice place several board members commented. They apologized for “being hard” on her, but reiterated the road has a responsibility to keep that portion of the county as neat as possible with an eye toward future development.

Beside hand crafted furniture and antiques, the board said Byas could also allow a few other vendors to set up their tents and trailers to sell other similar items as long as the same rules she has agreed to were followed. She thanked the board and said she is confident the business will begin to thrive when drivers notice the store is open.

The board allowed the special exemption for one year, and said they will revisit the matter then to decide whether to allow a longer term.

In other business, the board was advised by Chad Meek that he had permitted a used mobile home for placement on Pope-Water Valley Road that neighbors have complained about. Meek said the mobile home is older, but still within the age limit allowed by the county. Meek said he knows the owner and has been assured the housing will be remodeled to standards that will be acceptable for that area.