Local News

People have different hobbies and passions in life, and for New Albany resident Judy Branch, her passion is soap. Branch owns Fabulous Fragrances LLC, her own soap company, specializing in 18 different fragrances, with scents ranging from vanilla bean to jasmine to magnolia. She recently added kudzu and pumpkin spice to her list.

Union County resident James Beard came before the board Monday, September 29, 2008 to discuss his parcel of land.

Mildred Churchill from the 9-1-1 office told Beard that a special exception permit needed to be authorized from the Board to be able to put another mobile home on his acre of land.

According to the half-acre mobile home ordinance, mobile homes have to be on only a half an acre of land, but no more than one mobile home or house can be put on a half an acre.

Despite continuing questions regarding the official zoning status of a Munsford Drive property, the Memphis-based asphalt Company, Lehman-Roberts Asphalt Paving Co. has begun construction on its prospective New Albany plant.

According to New Albany Building/Zoning Inspector Mike Armstrong, a building permit was issued to the company on June 5, following consultation with New Albany City Attorney Bobby Carter.

The lack of rain and the rising costs of farming and growing have been topics of conversation among Union County farmers.

According to Stanley Wise, Union County Extension Director for the Mississippi State University Extension Service, "The top agricultural commodity in Union County is forestry, followed by soybeans, cattle and calves, corn, then cotton. We have more timber resources than anything else." He added that cotton was the major crop here for years and years, but it depletes a lot of nitrogen out of the soil.