July 2013 – Page 7 – The Mississippi Link

Bodies of 6-year-old twins found in river

July 5, 2013 Kermit 0

Officials in Greene County have found the bodies of 6-year-old twin boys who fell into the Chickasawhay River last Saturday.

Greene County Emergency Manager Trent Robertson told WLOX-TV in Biloxi that one of the boys was found late Sunday night and the other around 5:30 a.m. Monday.

James Scott and Isaac William McGowan, who lived in the St. Ellen community in Leakesville, disappeared Saturday in the Chickasawhay River, on the southern part of Greene County. Robertson said a friend of the family saw the two boys stepping into a deep part of the river and being swept away by the current. […]

Nelson Mandela on life support, faces impending death

July 5, 2013 Kermit 0

Nelson Mandela is being kept alive by a breathing machine and faces “impending death,” court documents show.

The former president’s health is “perilous,” according to documents filed in the court case that resulted in the remains of his three deceased children being reburied Thursday in their original graves.

“The anticipation of his impending death is based on real and substantial grounds,” the court filing said. […]

Ole Miss football player killed in car accident

July 5, 2013 Kermit 0

The Old Miss Rebels “are hurting” head coach Hugh Freeze said after one of their own was killed in a car accident Wednesday afternoon.

Park Coleman Stevens was killed on impact when his truck hit the back of a semi that was crossing a four-lane highway in Chickasaw County, Miss.

Although he was not immediately identified, Cpl. Chris Turnipseed told the Mississippi Daily Journal that “the driver of the pickup was killed upon impact.” […]

Attorney says indicted Miss. lawmaker is innocent

July 5, 2013 Kermit 0

State Representative Brian Aldridge has turned himself in to law enforcement after being indicted by a grand jury on an embezzlement charge.

Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson says the lawmaker from Tupelo appeared at the sheriff’s department early Thursday afternoon.

Aldridge posted bond after it was set at $5,000.
[…]

Alcorn President, Myrlie Evers honored at 2013 HBCU Awards

July 3, 2013 Kermit Comments Off

Alcorn State University President M. Christopher Brown II continues to be recognized as a pioneer leader and Saturday, June 28, at the Center for HBCU Media Advocacy’s third annual HBCU Awards he captured the title of Male HBCU President of the Year.

Myrlie Evers-Williams, a distinguished scholar-in-residence at Alcorn, was honored as Female HBCU Faculty Member of the Year. She teaches social justice seminars, advises senior research papers, and interacts individually with students, encouraging them to succeed in their studies and passion for social justice and equality. […]

Miss. voter ID law expected to be used by 2014

July 3, 2013 Kermit Comments Off

Mississippi voters could have to start showing photo identification at the polls by the June 2014 federal primaries, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said last week after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that certain state and local governments no longer need federal approval to change their own election laws or procedures.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 has required Mississippi and other areas with a history of racial discrimination, mainly in the South, to get clearance for changes as large as implementing a voter ID law to as small as relocating a precinct.

In a 5-4 ruling, justices blocked enforcement of a provision in the 1965 Voting Rights Act that requires Mississippi and several other state and local governments to get federal approval before making any changes to voting laws or procedures. Preclearance has been required in areas with a history of racial discrimination, mainly in the South. […]

Lumumba sworn in Monday as Jackson mayor

July 2, 2013 Kermit Comments Off

Chokwe Lumumba was sworn in Monday as the mayor of Jackson, Mississippi’s capital and the largest city in the state.

Lumumba is an attorney who served the past four years on the Jackson City Council. A civil rights activist, he was active in a black nationalist group decades ago, but ran as a mainstream candidate who would represent all city voters.

The Clarion-Ledger reports that the first true test for Lumumba will come quickly – a Sept. 15 budget deadline, which he’ll face with a new City Council. […]

Heroin, thousands in cash seized in Laurel bust

July 2, 2013 Kermit Comments Off

Laurel police chief Tyrone Stewart said three people have been arrested in a drug bust that also resulted in the confiscation of a large amount of heroin and several thousand dollars in cash.

Stewart told WDAM that two suspects were caught at the scene of an alleged Friday, June 21 drug deal in south Laurel. Another suspect was arrested a short time later after a high speed chase. No injuries were reported. The suspects were awaiting a weekend court appearance. […]

Judge blocks Mississippi open-carry gun law

July 2, 2013 Kermit Comments Off

A state judge blocked Mississippi’s open-carry gun law from taking effect next week, writing in a Friday ruling that the law was vague and that an injunction was needed to prevent irreparable harm.

Hinds County Circuit Judge Winston Kidd scheduled a hearing July 8 to consider more arguments about whether to extend the injunction.

Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith requested that the law be blocked, and Kidd granted the temporary injunction during an emergency hearing.

House Bill 2 clarifies that people in Mississippi don’t need any kind of state-issued permit to carry a gun that’s not concealed. […]

A glance at some new laws in Mississippi

July 1, 2013 Kermit Comments Off

Here’s a glance at some new Mississippi laws that take effect Monday:

CHARTER SCHOOLS – The governor, lieutenant governor and state superintendent of education have until Sept. 1 to nominate people to serve on a board that will oversee development of charter schools, which are public schools that agree to meet certain standards in exchange for freedom from regulations. (House Bill 369) […]