News Briefs From Across The State
Sheriff runover laying down spike strips
A Lucedale man has been found guilty of capital murder in the 2010 death of George County Sheriff Garry Welford.
The verdict in the trial of 26-year-old Christopher Lee Baxter was returned Friday afternoon, according to The Sun Herald and WLOX.
Welford was run over by Baxter’s truck while he was putting spikes on a road in an attempt to end a chase. Baxter was wanted for missing his sentencing on a drug charge, according to officials.
The trial was moved to a Natchez in Adams County because of pre-trial publicity.
Baxter was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Brandy Nicole Williams, 20, also is charged in the case and awaits trial.
Possible tornado causes damage in Stone County
Stone County officials say a possible tornado touched down, ripping tin from a barn roof, but causing no injuries.
Wiggins Fire Chief Jody Hatten says the possible tornado was spotted on radar shortly after 11 a.m. Saturday in the Magnolia community, southwest of Wiggins and northwest of Perkinston.
The National Weather Service confirmed rotation, but has not determined if it was a tornado.
Hatten told The Sun Herald two callers to the Stone County Emergency Operations Center reported seeing the possible tornado, but only one says it hit ground while the county was under a tornado warning, which has since expired.
Man found at car wash died of natural causes
The Hinds County Coroner says a Jackson man found lying on the ground at a local car wash died of natural causes.
Coroner Sharon Grisham Stewart told the Clarion Ledger the man, who was about 50 years old, died of blunt trauma to the head area after collapsing.
Stewart says the man probably overexerted himself, and had multiple health problems. She says he had walked six to eight blocks Tuesday, May 8, before collapsing.
At the time, Jackson Police Department spokeswoman Colendula Green said she didn’t have the man’s identity.
Broken water pipe leads to boil notice
A boil water notice is in effect for customers of the town of Tishomingo’s water system.
Town clerk Paula Rushings says a main water line ruptured Thursday causing a loss of pressure on the south route of the system.
She says as a precaution, all customers of the water system should boil their water for at least one minute before cooking or drinking.
4 finalists picked for Columbus schools chief
Columbus Municipal School District Board President Tommy Prude says four finalists have been identified in the district’s search for a new superintendent of schools.
The Commercial Dispatch reports the identities of three candidates have been publicly announced, but Prude declined to identify one candidate at the candidate’s request.
Public interviews will be held for all, except the unidentified applicant, who has requested a closed interview, Prude said.
The three named candidates are Isaac “Ike” Leon Haynes, superintendent of the Jefferson Davis County School District; Pamela Taylor Henson, director of instructional support for the Baldwin County Board of Education in Alabama; and Martha Liddell, interim superintendent for the Columbus city schools.
Public interviews will be held May 21-22 and May 24-25.
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