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Barbour Declares State of Emergency
[verbatim from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency]
Governor Haley Barbour declared a State of Emergency today for the severe weather system that affected parts of the state late Wednesday afternoon and today, and for the threat of additional storms and damage due to forecasted storms over the next several days.
Ledger Spreads Bad Info About Columbus Daily
The Commercial Dispatch in Columbus was surprised to learn yesterday that it was changing format from a daily newspaper to a weekly "advertiser" format. Except that it wasn't true. Turns out The Clarion-Ledger was mailing subscribers in the town, spreading false information to try to increase its own subscriptions in the area.
Mini-Grants Available to Abused Women
Heather Spencer's legacy lives on to protect Mississippi women who are the victims of domestic violence. Spencer's family and friends organized the non-profit Heather's T.R.E.E. shortly after George Bell III murdered her in September 2007, with the purpose of training, providing resources, educating and empowering women in the state.
Barbour Visits Iraq; Talks State Budget Cuts
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour spent Veteran's Day in Iraq visiting some of the 124,000 American troops there, including more than 3,500 from the Magnolia state, mostly from the Tupelo-based 155th Brigade Combat Team. Barbour joined fellow Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue of Georgia, and two Democrats, Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal and Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski.
JSU Hazing Suspensions Have Consequences
Yesterday, Jackson State University announced that 45 members of the school's Sonic Boom of the South are suspended due to an alleged hazing incident that resulted in a student's fractured collar bone. Without those percussion members, the band may be unable to perform at all.
Scott Rallies State Workers
Brenda Scott, president of the Mississippi Alliance of State Employees CWA/AFL-CIO, is spreading the word about Gov. Haley Barbour's proposed cuts to the state budget. Those cuts could affect not only current employees, but retirees as well, she told Delta Democrat Times yesterday.
MDOT's Hall: Higher Gas Tax Needed
Mississippi Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall, a Republican, called for new sources of revenue to finance the state's highways and highway maintenance in an interview with the Better Mississippi Report. The state's 18-cents-per-gallon tax isn't enough to keep up with costs, he said, promoting a higher tax and toll roads in the state.
Lawmakers Attempt to Restore $82 Million to 2010 Budget
The Mississippi Legislature has sent a second budget reconciliation compromise to Gov. Haley Barbour, this time restoring $82 million of the cuts the governor has made this fiscal year. Barbour vetoed a previous attempt to reconcile $79 million, saying the proposal took too much from the state's savings and restored too little to the Department of Corrections.
Silver Alert Legislation Awaits Barbour's Signature
Keeping our parents and grandparents safe is the goal of a Mississippi House bill creating a Silver Alert system. The system, based on Amber Alerts for children, will allow family members to report an elderly missing person quickly, ensuring that law enforcement gets into action before an older person runs into trouble.
Hood Warns of IRS E-mail Scams
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood issued a consumer alert yesterday warning taxpayers of an e-mail scam where the perpetrators pose as official Internal Revenue Service e-mailers to obtain personal and financial information. Hood said that the IRS does not send e-mails to taxpayers to inform them of refunds or to request financial information.
Republican Primary Runoff Vote Today
Voters in Mississippi's second congressional district go back to the polls this morning to choose the Republican candidate who will challenge Democratic incumbent Rep. Bennie Thompson for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in November. On the ballot are Bill Marcy, 64, of Meridian, and Richard Cook, 51, of Byram. Marcy took the majority of primary votes June 1, however the difference was a single vote, reports The Sun Herald.
Legislators Scrambling to Fill Budget Holes
Mississippi Legislators are searching for new sources of revenue to ensure services are not cut to the state's citizens; they want to maintain government operations without raising taxes. Lawmakers say they don't expect a general tax increase, but they are looking at initiating or raising some fees, reports the Sun Herald.
Mississippi Roads to Blame for Wrecks
The magnolia state ranks in the top ten for road-condition related vehicle crashes, reports WLBT. The 2006 cost to Mississippi for those wrecks stands between $103.4 million and $131.4 million.
Eminent Domain Petition Circulating
After Gov. Haley Barbour vetoed a bill last year to limit the state's use of eminent domain, the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation is circulating a petition to put the issue to the state's voters on the 2011 ballot, reports WLBT. The bureau wants to limit government takeovers of private land to public use projects, such as roads and bridges.
Tax Revenues Down Again; More Cuts Likely
With the release of Mississippi's September tax collection information, Gov. Haley Barbour is once again looking to slash the state's budget. Actual collections last month fell short of the state's estimates by $44.9 million, or slightly more than 10 percent. For the first quarter of the 2010 fiscal year, collections were $83.2 million shy of the estimates.
Bryant Backpedals on Oil Smell Comment; Tar Balls on the Beach
Speaking Wednesday at the Coastal Development Strategies Conference, Mississippi Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant flatly denied that anyone can detect the odor of crude oil wafting over the waves to the Mississippi Gulf coastline. "No, you can't" he said, according to a report by The Sun Herald. Bryant said the smells might be coming from lawnmowers.
Jimmie Travis
During the violent, bloody days of the civil rights movement in Mississippi, Freedom Rider Jimmie Travis nearly lost his life. In February 1963, Travis, then 20, was driving a car outside Greenwood with Bob Moses, leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and Randolph Blackwell, voter registration director of the Voter Education Project.
Mississippi History Store Closing
The state Department of Archives and History says it will close the doors of the main Mississippi History Store, Sept. 30, due to low sales. The store, located in the William F. Winter Archives and History Building, 200 North Street at Amite Street in downtown Jackson, has put most of its inventory on sale at half price.
It's the Weekend!
Are you ready? Plenty of folks are headed out of town for the long Memorial Day weekend. But if you're not on the road, no worries. There's lots to do right here in Jackson.
Hoseman Petitions for Voter ID
Voter ID died an ignoble death during the regular 2009 Legislative session when Senate Republicans killed a bill because it included a provision to allow early voting in Mississippi. Now, Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, also a Republican, is attempting to bypass the Legislature to pass voter ID through a referendum vote.