Headlines
New Multi-Purpose Arena Managers Excited for First Full Year
By Alyssa Schnugg
News Editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com
The first Community Ride Night was held earlier this month at the new Lafayette County Multi-Purpose Arena.
Photo from the LC Multi-Purpose Arena Facebook page
As each department head presents their budgets to the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors, they are able to base their projections of revenue and expenses from previous years.
However, for the heads of the new Lafayette County Multi-Purpose Arena, it was all guesswork Tuesday when they presented their budget to the supervisors.
The supervisors have been meeting with department heads for the last three weeks to review budgets before voting to approve the entire county’s fiscal year 2020 budget by Sept. 15.
Margaret Webb, with the Lafayette County Extension Office, presented the first full-year budget for the arena.
“This is just a guess,” she told supervisors.
The $284,465 budget included $62,440 for salaries for Webb and three part-time workers. The biggest projected costs are contractual services which include $40,000 in utilities for the large arena.
Webb said as the year progresses, she will have a better idea of the actual expenses of the arena, as well as revenues from concessions and event rentals.
The arena is part of the new Lafayette County Business Complex on F.D. Buddy Parkway, formerly County Road 406. Several county and city offices have begun moving into the center.
The arena opened in the spring and offers classrooms, a covered arena, and outdoor spaces to support educational and community programs.
The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council manages event rentals for the arena. Director Wayne Andrews attended Tuesday’s budget meeting with Webb. He said the arena has already hosted several events including 4-H classes, a Community Ride Night and a Horse Camp.
Future events include a Gun and Knife Show on Aug. 3 and 4 and a Community Open House on Aug. 24 that will be a free event to showcase the arena to the public that will include children’s activities, food, 4-H demonstrations and other events.
For more information about the arena, visit Lafayette County Multi-Purpose Arena on Facebook or on the YAC website.
| Mon, Nov 4 |  | vs Long Island University | W, 90-60 |
| Fri, Nov 8 |  | vs Grambling | W, 66-64 |
| Tue, Nov 12 |  | vs South Alabama | W, 64-54 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Colorado State | W, 84-69 |
| Thu, Nov 21 |  | vs Oral Roberts | L, 100-68 |
| Thu, Nov 28 |  | vs BYU | W, 96-85 OT |
| Fri, Nov 29 |  | vs 13 Purdue | L, 80-78 |
| Tue, Dec 3 |  | @ Louisville | W, 86-63 |
| Sat, Dec 7 |  | vs Lindenwood | W, 86-53 |
| Sat, Dec 14 |  | vs Southern Miss | W, 77-46 |
| Tue, Dec 17 |  | vs Southern | W, 74-61 |
| Sat, Dec 21 |  | vs Queens University | W, 80-62 |
| Sat, Dec 28 |  | @ Memphis | L, 87-70 |
| Sat, Jan 4 |  | vs Georgia | W, 63-51 |
| Wed, Jan 8 |  | @ 23 Arkansas | W, 73-66 |
| Sat, Jan 11 |  | vs LSU | W, 77-65 |
| Tue, Jan 14 |  | @ 5 Alabama | W, 74-64 |
| Sat, Jan 18 |  | @ 17 Mississippi State | L, 81-84 |
| Wed, Jan 22 |  | vs 13 Texas A&M | L, 62-63 |
| Sat, Jan 25 |  | @ Missouri | L, 83-75 |
| Wed, Jan 29 |  | vs Texas | W, 72-69 |
| Sat, Feb 1 |  | vs 2 Auburn | L, 92-82 |
| Tue, Feb 4 |  | vs 10 Kentucky | W, 98-84 |
| Sat, Feb 8 | | @ LSU | 7:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 12 |  | @ South Carolina | 6:00 PM SECN |
| Sat, Feb 15 | | vs 17 Mississippi State | 5:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Feb 22 |  | @ Vanderbilt | 2:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 26 | | @ 2 Auburn | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 1 |  | vs 12 Oklahoma | 1:00 PM TBA |
| Wed, Mar 5 |  | vs 1 Tennessee | 8:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 8 |  | @ 6 Florida | 5:00 PM SECN |