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The Daily Herald
State / Local
Section 2, Page B-l
Gulf Coast
Edition
Biloxi-Gulfport, Miss., Wednesday, June 8, 1977
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From AP Wire Reports
Grenada charged in violation
GRENADA — According to the Office of Revenue Sharing, Grenada is in violation of the state and local fiscal assistance rule. An investigation was conducted by the office after charges that the city was using revenue sharing funds in a discriminatory manner. Blacks had charged that minorities were under represented on police and fire departments and suffered unfair treatment in city services. The investigation said there were fewer recreation facilities, which were more run down than those for whites and that streets in black areas were in worse condition. City manager Jim Turner said he-is drafting a reply to the revenue sharing office.
Body recovered from river
VICKSBURG — The body of a 23-year-old man was recovered by authorities Tuesday from the Mississippi River, about 10 miles south of where he went under while swimming near the 1-20 bridge. Milton Smith, of Kings Community, north of Vicksburg, drowned while swimming off a sandbar on the Louisiana side of the river. He was with his wife and child on a family picnic when he died.
Trial date set for doctor
OXFORD — A July 12 trial date Is set for a doctor who operates clinics In Helena, Ark. and Dundee, Miss., after he pleaded innocent in federal court to charges of mail fraud in handling claims to federal health programs. Issued against Dr. Reuben L. Chrestman Jr. of Helena, the indictment lists 65 counts of fraud in connection with the mailing of Medicaid and Medicare claims. The indictment lists various schemes to defraud the Mississippi Medicaid Commission, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi, the Medicare program and the Travelers Insurance Co.
Fish fry slated for prisoners
JACKSON — The institution of a circuit program because of overcrowding at the state penitentiary will be celebrated Saturday in Mendenhall with a fish fry for Simpson County prisoners. The prisoners will participate in a program begun by Circuit Court Judge as an alternative to prison. Under the program, inmates live at the county jail but go to work each day at public works jobs. The Corrections Department plans to open a restitution center in Pascagoula next month. Participating convicts will work at free-world jobs, with part of their earnine coiner to rennv
FRED WAGNER Republican winner
WILMER SEYMOUR At-lar^e winner
JAMES THRIFFILEY An easy victory
PETER BENVENUTTI Wins In Ward 1
Celebrating the victory . . .
Newly elected Bay St. Louis Mayor Larry Bennett smiles on his wife Joan, second from left, and daughter Desiree as Kay Kowitz pins a victory corsage on Mrs. Bennett. Currently a city finance
Staff photo by Bill Elmore
commissioner, Bennett defeated former Hancock County Supervisor Russell Elliott in Tuesday’s race for the mayor’s office.
Bennett gets Bay's top office
MARIA WATSON Bay Bureau Chief
Bay St. Louis has promoted Finance Commissioner Larry Bennett to the city's top office.
Bennett, a political novice, emerged victorious Tuesday in the mayor’s race, defeating veteran politician Russell J. Elliott, 54, a former president of the Hancock County Board of Supervisors.
Bennett’s vote total was
sioner Lucien Kidd and John McKenna in the Democratic primaries last month, then took on Elliott, an independent in Tuesday’s general election.
The 38-year-old restaurateur will become Bay St. Louis’ — and Mississippi’s — first mayor under the mayor-council form of government which goes into effect July 1.
Ironically, he was one of those who fought hardest
elected to the finance commissioner post after the resignation of Clarence Ladner.
He said Tuesday night, the people of Bay St. Louis “have stood by me for six months through five primaries and I’m going to stand by them for the next four years."
Bennett, apparently still hesitant about endorsing the mayor-council form of government, added, “Since Bay St. Louis is the
not in Mississippi — has changed from the commission plan to the mayor-council form and he wants to “meet with their officials and see what problems they had and how they overcame them.” He declined to name the city.
In other races, where Republicans fielded a strong slate of candiates for all council seats except the Third Ward, Fred Wagner, a 47-year-old architect. beat
lican elected Tuesday, re-ccived 327 votes to Seuzeneau’s 253 and 108 for Thomas.
Four councilman-at-large, Democrat Wilmer Seymour, 43, a school teacher, defeated Randolph Bourgeois, a Republican. Seymour’s tally was 1,369 to Bourgeois' 878.
In Ward 1, the winner was Democratic candidate Peter Benvenutti, with 354 votes over Republican
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coasted to an easy victory in Ward 2, beating independents Harold Carver and Joseph Petta, and Republican Linda McCulloch.
Thriffiley piled up 468 votes to 74 for Carver; 86 for McCulloch, end 12 for Petta.
Democratic nominee Harry Farve, 33, from the Third Ward, was unopposed in the general election, assuring him of a seat on the council July 1.