Plans may be in the works to turn the former Montgomery County Elementary School into a possible drug and rehabilitation center, but that’s all contingent on the decision of the Winona-Montgomery County Consolidated School District board.
However, Mayor Bobby Howell informed his board members that Dr. Teresa Jackson wanted them to show their solidarity and support if it happens -- something Howell told his board members could help those not only in Kilmichael but all over Montgomery County and surrounding counties who may have an addiction problem.
“Some of these folks aren’t able to get the treatment they need because they can’t afford it,” he said. He said officials with God’s House of Hope of Nettleton came and toured the building. Howell said they spoke to him about it, and he directed them to Jackson.
He said he wasn’t sure of any of the details.
“I just want us to show our unity with them because it doesn’t only help us, it helps the whole county and all the surrounding counties, too.”
The announcement didn’t sit well with Mary Young, the former mayor of Kilmichael.
“That’s not right, there are plans for that building that we have in place,” she told Howell. She also wanted the board to vote no in support of the letter.
“We have nothing to do with that,” Alderman Earnest Curtis said. “It’s not our building, it belongs to the school. They can do what they want with it.”
“But, we’ve had something in place, and it’s for education and it’s about the education of our children. We lost our school system, and we’re trying to get it back,” she said.
Young did not elaborate as to what her plan entailed, but she said it was related to education.
Young said a group –which she didn’t name only referred to as “they” and “us” – out of Jackson and a group in Kilmichael had been in contact with each other and they have set up a site visit.
However, she said Jackson wouldn’t return their calls.
“Why wouldn’t she talk to us, but she talked to these people?” She asked.
Howell told her all he did was refer them to Jackson and the school board will make their own decision.
“If something else comes along and this doesn’t pan out, we’ll be in support of them too,” Howell said.
