Brooksville city employee charged with embezzlement

Shanice McCloud

News Briefs From Across The State

By Monica Land

Shanice McCloud

Clerk allegedly took about $900

A 23-year-old woman has been released on a $2,000 bond after she allegedly took money while working as a deputy clerk for the town of Brooksville.

Shanice McCloud of Macon turned herself into authorities on Jan. 24 and was charged with embezzlement. The missing money was brought to Mayor Tammie Holmes’ attention earlier last week.

McCloud is no longer an employee of the town and she is scheduled to appear in court on the charges on Feb. 20.

Greenwood to host BBQ competition

Barbecue teams from across the South will compete in the annual Que on the Yazoo Competition May 3-4.

The competition will be sanctioned through the Memphis Bar B Que Network.

Que on the Yazoo is part of Greenwood’s annual River to the Rails Festival held the first weekend in May every year in the downtown area.

The festival includes art displays, music and the barbecue competition.

Team applications and more information on the barbecue competition will be available March 1 on the Main Street Greenwood website, www.mainstreetgreenwood.com.

Hammond loses appeal of manslaughter conviction

Andrew Hammond

The state Court of Appeals has upheld the manslaughter conviction of a Brookhaven man in the shooting death of his girlfriend’s father in 2010.

Andrew Hammond was convicted in Lincoln County in 2011 and sentenced to 20 years with 10 years suspended and five years of probation.

Prosecutors say Hammond shot William E. Thompson of Bogue Chitto during an argument. Thompson died from a gunshot wound in the chest.

The Appeals Court rejected Hammond’s claim of the castle doctrine because there were suggestions that Thompson was let into the house. The castle doctrine allows people to defend themselves in their homes, workplaces or vehicles. The Appeals Court says there was evidence that Thompson was unarmed.

The Appeals Court says such evidence is for the jury to weigh.

Brown named fire chief in Greenville

Assistant Fire Chief Ruben Brown has been named fire chief by Greenville Mayor John Cox.

Cox says Brown was one of three candidates who interviewed before the city council Monday. Cox announced Brown’s selection on Jan. 22.

Brown says he will begin serving as chief on Feb. 1. He served with the fire department for 20 years.

Brown says his main goal as chief is to be more aggressive on fire prevention while combating the high number of arson fires. He says he wants to create an arson task force with two fire marshals, the state fire marshal and police investigators.

Fire Chief Lee Gordon’s last day is Jan. 31, marking 25 years with the department. Gordon spend the past five years as acting as chief.

Hattiesburg police searching for church burglars

Hattiesburg police are investigating an additional church burglary that occurred sometime between late Sunday night and early Monday morning – Jan. 20 and 21.

Lt. Jon Traxler tells The Hattiesburg American burglars stole a small amount of cash from Heritage United Methodist Church. He says the burglars also damaged the inside of the church after gaining entry by breaking a window.

The burglary occurred at around the same time as two church burglaries under investigation by the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Danny Rigel said burglars entered both Magnolia Baptist Church and Willow Pointe Church after breaking windows at each.

He said investigators and church staffs could find nothing missing.

Traxler also said a window was broken at Kensington Woods Church of Christ, but investigators could find no sign of entry.

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