CENTREVILLE &045; A municipal judge will hear allegations from two Centreville residents that a cattle feedlot operation in their neighborhood violates a town ordinance, officials said.

The hearing is set for 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Quentin Smith Building in downtown Centreville.

Hampton Lea and Daniel

Courtney both signed an affidavit

Nov. 4 charging Vine Cattle Conditioning and its operator, Lew Vine, with violating a Centreville ordinance against keeping any animal that is &uot;Šoffensive to the eye, ear or nose.&uot;

After reviewing the complaint, Centreville Municipal Judge David S. &uot;Shep&uot; Crawford found probable cause to schedule the hearing, Centreville Police Chief Jimmy Reese said.

Lea and Courtney were among a group of about 25 people who attended a meeting of the Centreville Mayor and Board of Aldermen on Nov. 4.

The group complained that flies and odor from the feedlot have made their lives unpleasant, posed health concerns and driven the value of their properties down.

A smaller group voiced similar complaints abut the feedlot to Centreville aldermen in January, but no charges were filed at that time.

The feedlot is located adjacent to Mississippi 24 and Hospital Road on property owned by Centreville resident Joyce Vine.

Cattle have long been pastured on the property, but the feedlot operation did not begin until last year.

Only 20 acres of the 57-acre feedlot are located within the Centreville town limits, but the entire operation is located within Wilkinson County.

Residents have also complained to the Wilkinson County Board of Supervisors and to state health and environmental officials.

State Department of Health inspectors visited the feedlot in October and offered advice to its operators on controlling flies.

Officials from the state’s Department of Environmental Quality also confirmed they were investigating complaints about the feedlot.