By Rupert Howell
Panola Supervisors will join with the City of Batesville and South Panola School District in sharing repaving costs on the road that extends Watt Street on the east side of Highway 51 and includes repaving of Dunlap Stadium’s field house parking area along the way.

Batesville Mayor Jerry Autrey met with supervisors last week and requested the assistance during the meeting. Autrey’s board of aldermen had previously approved the expenditure as had South Panola School District’s board of trustees.

The school road runs from Watt Street on Highway 51 past Batesville Middle School to South Panola High School. It is used by busses, Batesville Lions Club and other school related traffic.

Although Autrey said paving would go from Highway 51 to the curve just past the field house, South Panola Superintendent Tim Wilder previously asked his board to consider paying to have the road paved passed the Middle School.

Last Thursday agreement was for each entity to pay $10,000 ($30,000 total) for the project, but Wilder in a previous meeting stated it would be worthwhile for the district to pay for paving the additional resurfacing by the Middle School.

The county’s road department is currently working on a parking area at North Panola’s football field requested earlier by NP High School principal Jamone Edwards and that school’s coaching staff.
Road manager Lygunnah Bean estimated last week to supervisors the cost of materials and equipment would amount to approximately $3,500.

 Autrey also thanked supervisors and county road department for work being done on Brewer Road. (See photo, page A3.)

Bean said grinding of the current surface followed by DBST treatment would make a good base for blacktop, “Down the road.”