News Briefs From Across The State
By Monica Land
Victim was not wearing life preserver
The body of a drowned man has been found in the Escatawpa River.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Department says the body of Timothy Gordon Sr. of Moss Point was found about 12 p.m. Saturday, the Mississippi Press reports.
Gordon and Curtis Goleman, a Grand Bay, Ala., resident, were on the Escatawpa River about 5 p.m. Friday when their boat hit something and both men were thrown overboard. Gordon was not wearing a life preserver.
Another boater rescued Goleman and called police. Goleman was arrested later Friday for felony possession of marijuana on the boat.
Moss Point Fire Chief Clarence Parks says authorities searched for Gordon until about 11:30 p.m. Friday and resumed searching Saturday.
Local agencies and the Department of Marine Resources marine patrol aided in the search.
Sentencing set for ex-MHP trooper
A federal judge has set a July 15 sentencing for a former Mississippi state trooper who pleaded guilty to stomping a woman in the Lee County Jail more than five years ago.
Christopher Gary Hughes admitted during his change of plea hearing in February that he deprived the woman of her constitutional rights to protection from unreasonable force and search and seizure.
A complaint filed in October in U.S. District Court in north Mississippi alleged that Hughes threw the woman to a concrete floor of the Lee County Detention Center and kicked and stomped her on Oct. 14, 2007.
Authorities say Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson notified the Highway Patrol immediately after the incident.
It's not clear why he wasn't indicted for five years.
County will move against scrap yard owner
Pike County supervisors will instruct the county prosecuting attorney to file misdemeanor charges against a scrap yard owner who has failed to fence his property.
The Enterprise-Journal reports supervisors voted on May 6 to proceed against 98 Recycling owner Terry Phillips. The business is on U.S. Highway 98.
County administrator Andrew Alford said he sent Phillips a certified letter inviting him to that meeting, but he wasn't present.
Lambert said Phillips has expanded the amount of materials on the property and, according to state law and county ordinance, should put up a fence to block visibility.
Board attorney Wayne Dowdy said state law on fencing junk yards levies a $500 per day fine for violations.
Supervisor Gary Honea abstained from voting, citing prior business dealings with Phillips.
County agrees to pay civil penalty
Alcorn County will pay a civil penalty to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality for violations at local rubbish site.
The Daily Corinthian reports that the board of supervisors agreed to pay $15,000 in two installments.
The Mississippi Commission on Environmental Quality cited the county for failing to prevent disposal of unauthorized waste in the site, failing to maintain disposal area of the rubbish site to as small an area as possible, failing to maintain a trained spotter onsite to visually inspect loads and immediately remove unauthorized waste and failing to notify MDEQ of a June of 2012 fire at the facility.
The county was notified of the violations last July and was found to be in compliance following a subsequent inspection in January.
