April 2013 – Page 5 – The Mississippi Link

Legal assistance offered April 16 in DeSoto County family law cases

April 15, 2013 Kermit 1

A legal clinic scheduled for April 16 in Hernando will assist low income people with irreconcilable differences divorces, child support or custody modifications, name changes and other similar cases in DeSoto County Chancery Court.

The 4 to 8 p.m. pro se clinic will be held at the DeSoto County Courthouse. People seeking assistance must contact the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project in advance to be screened for eligibility. The phone number is 601-960-9577.

Participation is limited to DeSoto County residents with an annual income of less than 125 percent of the federal poverty level. That would be annual income of less than $13,963 for an individual, or less than $28,813 a year for a family of four. […]

4th lawsuit filed against JSU athletics director

April 15, 2013 Kermit 0

The athletics director of Jackson State University is now facing four federal lawsuits related to allegations that she sexually harassed an assistant and fired other employees who supported the woman.

The first lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in August by Lolita Ward, who says Athletic Director Vivian Fuller subjected her to inappropriate comments, gestures and touching in 2011.

The lawsuit claims Ward was subjected to a hostile work environment and fired in October 2011 after rejecting the advances. […]

Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary attends rural job event

April 15, 2013 Kermit 1

In late March, Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary Doug O’Brien met with local and regional officials to discuss ways USDA can help businesses create jobs and stimulate local economies.

The United States Department of Agriculture remains focused on carrying out its mission, despite a time of significant budget uncertainty.

“I am proud to support and highlight the great work under way here to bring economic opportunity to Mississippi’s rural communities,” O’Brien said during a Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator event at Mississippi State University. “Public-private partnerships are some of the best ways to leverage resources for job creation and business development.” […]

Coroner: Man shot self twice after killing officer

April 12, 2013 Kermit 1

The murder suspect who killed a detective at police headquarters in Mississippi’s capital city last week shot himself twice in the head after shooting the officer four times, the coroner said Tuesday.

Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart said 23-year-old Jeremy Powell shot himself once in the side of the head and once under the chin after shooting veteran Jackson Police Detective Eric Smith four times on Thursday, April 4. Grisham-Stewart said last week that Powell had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

“It is unusual, but the first shot didn’t kill him,” the coroner said in a telephone interview Tuesday.

Powell was being questioned about a stabbing death when he grabbed Smith’s gun during an interview on the third floor of the department and shot the 40-year-old detective twice in the arm and twice in the chest, authorities say. […]

Tornado rips through Noxubee and Kemper counties; 1 dead

April 12, 2013 Kermit 0

Gov. Phil Bryant declared a State of Emergency Thursday for Kemper and Noxubee counties due to the impacts of severe storms and tornadoes that injured many and left one person dead.

A command post has been set up in downtown Shuqualak after a tornado ripped through the area around noon Thursday. Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) director Robert Latham was in town as part of the effort to help following the tornado.

MEMA spokesman Greg Flynn says the fatality was reported west-northwest of DeKalb, near Mississippi Highway 493, in Kemper County. […]

Ole Miss trailblazer, James Meredith to receive Harvard award

April 12, 2013 Kermit 0

Dean Kathleen McCartney has announced that Civil Rights activist, author, and political adviser James Meredith will receive the Harvard Graduate School of Education Medal for Education Impact, the highest honor given by the school, and speak at the 2013 Convocationceremony on May 29.

“Just over 50 years ago, Mr. Meredith walked through the doors of the University of Mississippi, becoming the first African American to enroll in the previously segregated school. In doing so, he forced America to look in the mirror and become a better nation. Fifty years later, he is still working to address inequality in America’s schools,” McCartney said. “At HGSE we know that education is a civil right. James Meredith endured beatings and bullets to fight for that right. His courage and determination cannot be overstated. Today, we all walk in his footsteps and through the doors he opened.”

According to Meredith, the award will be the first he has accepted in 50 years. […]

Mississippi's Henderson writes apology letter

April 12, 2013 Kermit 0

Mississippi guard Marshall Henderson has posted a letter on the school’s athletic website apologizing for some of his actions during a successful but turbulent season.

The 6-foot-2 junior averaged more than 20 points per game this season, leading the Rebels to their first NCAA tournament since 2002. But Henderson became more known for his exuberant celebrations and trash talking than his scoring ability. Multiple media outlets also reported that Henderson made an obscene gesture toward the crowd following the team’s season-ending loss to LaSalle. […]

Woman found shot to death in Duck Hill home

April 11, 2013 Kermit 0

Residents of Duck Hill were shaken Friday night when a young woman was found shot to death in her home in the 700 block of Melissa Circle. Shayla Miers, 23, was pronounced dead at the scene by Montgomery County Assistant Coroner James Wagner.

Montgomery County Sheriff Jerry “Bubba” Nix said Miers had been shot multiple times.

Nix said the Miers’ mother made the grim discovery.

“Her mother came in the house and found her around 6:30 on the living room floor,” he said.

Nix said Miers lived in the home with her parents and her 5-year-old daughter. […]

Annette Funicello, Mouseketeer and film star, dies

April 11, 2013 Kermit 5

Annette Funicello, who became a child star as a perky, cute-as-a-button Mouseketeer on “The Mickey Mouse Club” in the 1950s, then teamed up with Frankie Avalon on a string of `60s fun-in-the-sun movies with names like “Beach Blanket Bingo” and “Bikini Beach,” died Monday. She was 70.

She died at Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield, California, of complications from multiple sclerosis, the Walt Disney Co. said.

Funicello stunned fans and friends in 1992 with the announcement about her ailment. Yet she was cheerful and upbeat, grappling with the disease with a courage that contrasted with her lightweight teen image of old. […]

Widow of critic Roger Ebert said she is ‘devastated’

April 11, 2013 Kermit 0

In a blog post, the widow of famed film critic Roger Ebert said she was devastated by the loss of her love.

Chaz Ebert posted her thoughts on Ebert’s blog hours after her husband died Thursday, April 4, after a long battle with cancer.

Funeral services for 70-year-old Ebert were held Monday at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. His wife spoke fondly of their relationship to the crowd in attendance.

Just after his death, Chaz wrote she had lost the love of her life and the world has lost a visionary, creative and generous spirit. Chaz, an attorney, and Ebert were married in 1992. […]