Alcorn County roundup, Sept. 26, 2026: Severe drought spreads; Corinth events fill calendar
ALCORN COUNTY, Miss. — Severe drought covered 85.7% of Alcorn County in the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report cited in Saturday’s local coverage, up from none a week earlier. The entire county was in at least moderate drought as dry weather continued and nearby counties restricted outdoor burning.
Editor’s note: This Sept. 26 edition was published Sept. 27 after a delay. It summarizes coverage originally published from 4:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, through 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, Central time. Event schedules and conditions below reflect that reporting window.
Severe drought spreads across Alcorn County
The U.S. Drought Monitor map valid Sept. 22-28 placed all of Alcorn County in at least moderate drought and 85.7% in severe drought. Alcorn, Prentiss and Tishomingo counties were drought-free as recently as the Aug. 18 map, according to the report.
Alcorn County was not under a burn ban as of the source story’s publication Saturday, but the Mississippi Forestry Commission listed bans in nearby Tippah, Benton, Itawamba, Lee and Monroe counties. The National Weather Service forecast cited in the story called for mostly sunny or sunny weather in Corinth through Tuesday, Sept. 29, with no rain mentioned. The report urged caution with outdoor fires and checking the commission’s current burn-ban list.
Chesnutt and Tillis concert led Saturday’s arena schedule
Saturday’s coverage previewed a 7 p.m. Sept. 26 concert featuring Mark Chesnutt and Pam Tillis at Crossroads Arena, 2800 South Harper Road in Corinth. Billed as the “Honky Tonk Throw Down,” it was scheduled to open a busy fall calendar at the venue.
The arena’s published schedule also included the Corinth Indian Artifact & Relic Show on Oct. 3, Corinth Comic Con on Oct. 31 and Brantley Gilbert’s Real American Tour stop on Nov. 7. The arena said its box office and Ticketmaster were its authorized ticket outlets.
Corinth High writers class visits Rowan Oak
Thirty-eight Corinth High School students traveled to Oxford to tour Rowan Oak, William Faulkner’s historic home, and the University of Mississippi campus, the Corinth School District reported. The students are enrolled in Mississippi Writers, a new half-credit English elective taught by Brandi Davis for grades 9-12.
The class studies Faulkner, Eudora Welty and Jesmyn Ward, examining themes including family, identity, poverty, resilience and Southern life. The Corinth School District Foundation helped pay for the trip, according to the district.
TownePlace Suites ribbon cutting set for Sept. 29
The Alliance and Delta Lodging Group scheduled a public ribbon cutting for 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, at TownePlace Suites by Marriott, 1901 South Parkway St. in Corinth. The 89-room, all-suite extended-stay hotel was open and taking reservations when the story was published.
The project was announced in February 2024 and broke ground that November. Its suites include living areas and kitchens, while amenities include breakfast, a fitness center, outdoor patio, guest laundry and pet-friendly accommodations.
Featured image: Counties shaded red were under burn bans on the Mississippi Forestry Commission’s Sept. 24 map. Alcorn, Prentiss and Tishomingo were not. (Map: Mississippi Forestry Commission)
