By Rupert Howell

North Panola High School principal Jamone Edwards and that school’s football coaching staff met with Panola supervisors Monday asking for assistance with placing gravel on an area between the school and football field for parking during home games.

Edwards said the extra parking was not only needed for the school to meet Mississippi High School Activity Association requirements, but also for safety concerns.

Asked by board president Kelly Morris if the request would be legal, board attorney Bill McKenzie replied, “The board can spend money on (school) driveways and parking lots. You can’t build them a field house.”

Although board members and road manager Lygunnah Bean discussed the request favorably, supervisors voted to take the matter under advisement, with Morris stating, “We’ll get it seen to.”

Edwards thanked board members for previously helping with getting egress into the area and reminded supervisors of an incident last school year that left one student killed by a group of non-students following a game. He also stated that it took emergency workers 45 minutes to get to an injured player during a game last year.

The new parking area would allow for North Panola and visiting fans to be separated, another requirement of the MHSAA according to the NP principal who praised Sheriff Dennis Darby’s department for providing security and noted that they also provide tower lights during home games to light up the parking area.

“We look to get additional lighting,” Edwards told the board.

Summing up the request Edwards said, “From a safety standpoint it would really help us to be able to isolate the cars and then the sheriff’s department will not have to be all over the place.”

Head Coach Derrick King told supervisors that the next home game was September 19.