Panola County supervisors voted to supply all three local school systems with enough washable masks for every student after Emergency Management director Daniel Cole said he expects the county to receive about 35,000 masks from FEMA.

Cole said after all school children are provided masks, the county will have about 25,000 left to distribute. The supervisors have already sponsored a couple of masks giveaways and no locations from which they were distributed ran out of supplies.

Cole said every person in the county who wants a mask has had opportunities to get one, but his office will continue to work with all groups, churches, or organizations who want more for themselves or for distribution.

Also at Monday’s meeting, supervisors heard a report from Cole and Sheriff Shane Phelps about the county’s undertaking of a giveaway program made possible by the Mid South Food Bank.

On a first-come, first-served basis, the supervisors authorized the distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables, and a variety of milk, beginning this Thursday, July 9.

Phelps said the giveaways will be each Thursday for the next several weeks, always from 1 to 4 p.m., and the county will possibly have the food items available for residents past July.

This week, the giveaway will be at two locations – the visitors’ parking lot at the South Panola High School football stadium and in the main parking lot of North Panola High School.

The distribution will be handled by volunteers and Phelps said any person or groups who would like to help may call his office at 563-6230 to reach him.

The county will have more than 1,200 cases of fruits and vegetables and 1,300 cases of milk – including chocolate and strawberry flavored – this week.

There are no qualifications or paperwork necessary, and citizens will not have to exit their vehicles to take part.

“This is a great opportunity for Panola County residents no matter where they live,” Phelps said. “We hope to have more addresses all over the county for distribution after this first week, but we will need more volunteers.”