The recent news about John Correnti and friends' decision to locate the new Big River Steel Mill project just south of Osceola is certainly a strong positive for the south county and by extension, all of Mississippi County and the surrounding counties as well.
From the looks of things, it appears the state legislators will quickly fall in line with their end of it, and that construction will begin on schedule, or close to it.
I'm not worried about the construction phase -- this country has nothing if not plenty of construction companies with expertise coming out the ying-yang. I'm not worried about Interstate 55, the railroads or the river holding up the transportation end of things.
But I am worried about the people ... the people who will be required to do all the work at such a big operation.
I see poor old Denso down there in Osceola, having to run big ads in the paper every week looking for all sorts of help at their operation, and they've been around a while now. The temp agencies are on a constant lookout, also requiring ads, for workers of just about every ilk.
What I'm saying is, finding somebody of working age with a valid drivers license who can pass a drug test is getting pretty hard to do in this county. Most of those who fit the bill are already working at solid jobs for solid companies, and what's left over in the workforce is limited, at best.
Mississippi County industries already employ thousands who live in other counties -- in the Bootheel, Craighead, Poinsett, Crittenden, Dyer County, Tenn., and a few others I'm sure.
If Big River and its offshoots eventually need 2,000 more workers, where are they going to come from?
Are they going to move to Mississippi County?
Commute from even farther away?
I, personally, wouldn't want to move to a county that doesn't even have a single sauna (that I know of, anyway). Since I've already been living here for 35 years, not having a sauna isn't a big enough reason to up and move, but it's certainly at least a peripheral example of the county's shortcomings.
A few more decent restaurants would be nice, while I'm on the subject.
As I say, Big River will have its problems, but maybe -- just maybe -- everything will turn out all right in the long run.
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The Super Bowl turned out to be a "lights-out" game (literally). But the final result let me get even with Robby Minyard on football bets, so all's well on that front.
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A golf buddy of mine by the name of Jim Evans (one of Dr. R. Dean's suppliers) -- in Blytheville over from Jonesboro for a round of golf Wednesday afternoon -- has earned my everlasting enmity by running in a 50-footer from off the green on hole 14 at the Country Club -- a hole I "lone wolfed." That's something you do when you hit a shot really close to the hole on a par 3 and nobody else is in range to make a birdie (it doubles the bet). When I missed my 8-footer, I went from the black to the red on the scorecard and had to listen to six other guys chortleing for the rest of the round.
'Twas ever thus.
I did, however, manage to go 1-up lifetime against Dr. Matt Jones, who emerged from his winter cocoon to play a round somewhat below his standards in the cool, breezy weather.
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I was meaning to tell a story about Chuck Gentry and one of my high school football thigh pads, but Chuck's son, Mike, and Mike's sidekick, Robby Minyard (on the golf course Wednesday) reminded me I've already told that story enough for one lifetime so I'll move on to something else.
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How about the city and its IRS problem for a closer? That usually works.
Still no official word from District Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington's office about the now-concluded State Police Investigation, other than they're not ready to release anything yet.
I would assume that this means there's really not much to release, other than what we already know ... that the city's top brass at the time made some unbelievably irresponsible decisions.
But it's past time to put all that mess behind us, and we need at least an official summary of the investigation to go public before that can be done in good conscience.
dtennyson@blythevillecourier.com