County ag agent resigning, moving to Tennessee

Neshoba County Agriculture Agent Austin Ainsworth informed the Neshoba County Board of Supervisors that he has turned in his resignation to the Mississippi State Extension Service.

Ainsworth made the announcement during Monday’s board meeting. He has worked in Neshoba County since November 2018.

“My wife and I will be moving to the Nashville area,” Ainsworth said. “Eventually, we want to become ag missionaries. She will be taking courses at Tennessee Tech that should work well with that.”

Ainsworth said agricultural missionaries use the field of agricuture to advance the Gospel of Christ.

Supervisors had previously approved a 4-H agent position. Ainsworth said he would stay until that position is filled.

In another matter, supervisors were notified the county had received a Small Municipality Limited Population County Grant from the Mississippi Development Authority totaling $100,000. The money will be to improve a portion of County Road 236 that runs off of Industrial Circle in Union and runs up to Road 2219 and services the Tyson Feed mill.

In other matters, supervisors voted to:

• Approve the quarterly budget for the sheriff’s department at $372,350.50; and for the jail operations at $327,125.25;

• Approve three road bores for Central Water Association on roads 450 and 604 and a road crossing on Road 783;

• Approve the county engineer’s request to pay Crowder Engineering $21,012 and $15,955 for engineering estimates;

• Approve the tax assessor/tax collector’s quarterly budget for $109,682;

• Approve paying Schneider Electric $132,950 for a library air conditioning project