News

MDOT to Begin Widening of I-55 in Hinds County

On Monday, June 3, Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the James Construction Group closed the Elton  Road overpass on I-55 in Hinds County as part of the widening project on I-55 from Byram to McDowell Road.

The overpass will remain closed until Sept. 15 in order to raise the height of the bridge over I-55. […]

News

Two arrested at South Miss. prison after pipe bomb found

Two people are facing charges in connection with a pipe bomb found during a routine search of a vehicle at the state prison in Greene County during visitation over the weekend.  

“We don’t believe the pipe bomb was intended for the prison, nor do we believe the inmate whom they were planning to visit had knowledge of it,” said Sean K. Smith, director of the Corrections Investigation Division of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. “We are fortunate that we found the device during a routine search of the visitors’ vehicle. They never got past the secure entrance gate off the highway.”  

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents were notified, arrived and took possession of the device, which was later disposed of without incident.   […]

Entertainment

Jean Stapleton, TV’s Edith Bunker, dies at 90

Jean Stapleton’s Edith Bunker was such a dithery charmer that we had to love her. And because she loved her bombastic husband Archie, we made room for him and TV’s daring “All in the Family.”

It took an actress as smart and deft as Stapleton to create the character that Archie called “dingbat,” giving a tender core to a sitcom that tested viewers with its bigoted American family man and blunt take on social issues.

Stapleton, 90, who died Friday, May 31, of natural causes at her New York City home, was the sweet, trusting counterpoint to Carroll O’Connor’s irascible Archie on the 1970s groundbreaking show from producers Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin. […]

Events

Medgar Evers honored at Arlington 50 years after assassination

Slain NAACP field secretary, civil rights leader, World War II veteran, father and husband – Medgar Wiley Evers, was honored Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery in a wreath-laying ceremony, organized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP.) 

Next week will be the 50th anniversary of the assassin’s bullet that killed patriot and stalwart for civil rights – Medgar Evers, a son of Mississippi.  He was respectfully honored Wednesday in a beautiful and well-attended ceremony with distinguished speakers including former President Bill Clinton, Attorney General Eric Holder, NAACP Mississippi State Conference President Derrick Johnson, NAACP President Ben Jealous and NAACP Chairman Emeritus Myrlie Evers-Williams.  Roland Martin, of TV One and the Tom Joyner Morning Show, presided as Master of Ceremonies.  […]

News

Obama calls Medgar Evers a ‘Warrior of justice’

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama visited with Myrlie Evers-Williams, a civil rights heroine and widow of Medgar Evers, and other members of the Evers family, to commemorate Medgar Evers’ life and contribution to the Civil Rights Movement.

President Obama said during the visit that Medgar Evers was a warrior for justice, and the tragedy of his death turned into a rallying cry for a movement.

Fifty years ago, on June 12, 1963, Medgar Evers was shot and killed in front of his home in Jackson, Mississippi. […]

News

Chokwe Lumumba, ex-black nationalist, wins Jackson mayor’s race

A Mississippi attorney and one-time civil rights activist who was involved in a black nationalist group decades ago has been elected mayor of Jackson, the state capital.

The Clarion-Ledger reported late Tuesday that Jackson City Councilman Chokwe Lumumba was elected mayor, receiving about 85 percent of the vote against three independent candidates.

He will succeed Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., who finished third in this year’s Democratic primary. […]

Events

Bill Clinton, Eric Holder to join in Arlington tribute to Medgar Evers

Former president Bill Clinton, Attorney General Eric Holder and NAACP officials will join Myrlie Evers-Williams today for a remembrance ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in honor of slain civil rights leader Medgar Wiley Evers.

The event will feature remarks from Clinton, Holder, Evers’ widow, Evers-Williams, Roslyn Brock and Ben Jealous of the NAACP and other national officials.

The NAACP will host a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington, where Evers – a former field secretary of the organization – is buried. […]

Business

CertainTeed restarting production in Meridian

CertainTeed joined local and state officials Monday to announce the company is restarting its ceiling tile manufacturing operations in Meridian, in the same facility it purchased in 2005.

The project represents a $24 million company investment and will create 110 new jobs by 2016.

Production is expected to resume during the second quarter of 2014. Once operational, the facility will produce a range of ceiling tiles and acoustical wall panels used in commercial construction applications. […]

News

Man gets 2 years for lying about slashing tires

A Warren County man has been sentenced to two years in prison for lying under oath about slashing four sets of tires.

The Vicksburg Post reports that 43-year-old Johnny Wayne Nevels pleaded guilty last week to perjury and malicious mischief.

Nevels allegedly lied during a June 15 probation hearing when he denied slashing the tires. Court records show a woman testified that she saw him slash the tires, and his blood was found on one of them. […]

Education

Kid-Friendly fun in the ‘True South’

Mississippi is the perfect place to let your children explore and discover all the fun of the True South this spring and summer. It’s also the right location for a memorable and affordable family getaway.

“With beautiful weather from the hills to the Gulf Coast, Mississippi offers a diverse and fun-filled array of activities for children this spring and summer,” said Malcolm White, director of the Mississippi Development Authority’s Tourism Division. “Being centrally located between Memphis and New Orleans, Birmingham and Baton Rouge, and Atlanta and Dallas makes Mississippi a great choice for an affordable family vacation within easy driving distance of many major cities. Our kid-friendly attractions and events – like interactive museums and food festivals – are easy to access from most parts of the country.” […]