Statewide News – Page 13 – The Mississippi Link

Nissan breaks ground on $50 million new supplier park

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Nissan expanded its U.S. manufacturing footprint this week with Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant joining Nissan employees to break ground on a reportedly one million square foot, $50 million new supplier park at the company’s Canton, Miss. vehicle assembly plant.

The project will support more than 800 jobs, including an expected 400 newly created supplier jobs as well as 400 employees that Nissan has hired since June 1 in anticipation of the project.

The State of Mississippi has reportedly given Nissan more than a billion dollars in incentives. […]

Food Network to feature ‘The Shed’ of Ocean Springs in new reality show

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When Starkville-native Robbie Montgomery launched her “Welcome to Sweetie Pies” on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), it quickly became one of their most successful shows to date. And now with the Food Network premiering The Shed this Sunday night, television viewers will get another look at how good old-fashioned Mississippi country cooking is done.

Based in Ocean Springs, The Shed, is the dreamchild of founders Brad Orrison and his sister, Brooke Lewis.

For the Orrison family, barbecuing isn’t simply a habit; it’s a way of life, the Food Network said in a release. This loveably quirky and offbeat bunch is known for their over-the-top personalities and offers food to match, specializing in finger-lickin’-good ribs and from-scratch barbecue sauce. […]

Myrlie Evers honored with National Urban League Civil Rights Award

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The Alcorn family congratulates civil rights icon Myrlie Evers for being honored with the National Urban League Civil Rights Award. Mrs. Evers, who serves as Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at Alcorn State University, accepted the award at the 2013 National Urban League Conference held July 24-27, 2013, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“We are extremely proud for Professor Myrlie Evers for adding another coveted award to her array of honors,” stated Alcorn President M. Christopher Brown II. “We are grateful for everything Mrs. Evers is doing for the nation and for her invaluable contribution as faculty at Alcorn.” […]

Panel: 1/5th of child deaths in 2011 preventable

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More than one-fifth of all childhood deaths in Mississippi could have been prevented, a state panel says.

The Child Death Review Panel looked at 229 of the 610 child deaths reported statewide in 2011. It found that 134 of those deaths – about 22 percent of the 610 – were preventable.

Seventy-five of the deaths were the result of motor vehicle accidents. […]

Mississippi gets funds for anti-obesity program

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The Mississippi State Department of Health will receive $8.5 million over the next five years to help combat obesity and chronic disease across the state.

State Health Officer Dr. Mary Currier said in a news release that the funds come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Currier says the money will support a comprehensive, statewide approach to promoting health and controlling and preventing chronic diseases and their risk factors. […]

Saucier teen killed in Gulfport boating accident

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Funeral services were held Sunday for a 15-year-old Saucier teen killed in a boating accident last week that also injured another person.

Harrison County authorities said Mason Turner was killed Tuesday, July 23 while riding in an inner tube being pulled by a 21-foot boat at the Industrial Canal at Gulfport Lake. Coroner Gary Hargrove said when the boat went around a curve, the tube slid out toward the embankment and hit a tree.

Turner died at the scene.

The driver and three other people were on the boat. […]

Vicksburg woman sentenced in Girl Scout cookie caper

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A woman charged with going door-to-door selling Girl Scout cookies with a fake order form has been ordered to live at a restitution center and complete a drug and alcohol counseling program.

Warren County authorities said 37-year-old Paula Kelly kept about $1,000 after taking fake orders from unsuspecting customers in February and March who thought they were buying cookies.

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said Kelly has no affiliation whatsoever with the Girl Scouts of America. […]

Aug. 30 deadline set for parents to scan fingers

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Parents have until Aug. 30 to register for a finger-scanning system to sign children in and out of federally subsidized child care.

Jill Dent, director of the Division of Early Childhood Care and Development at the state Department of Human Services, announced the deadline last Wednesday.

By then, parents and other caregivers will have to visit county DHS offices to scan their fingers into the system, or lose their subsidy. […]

Lawyer wants delay in ex-Vicksburg mayor’s trial

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A lawyer for former Vicksburg Mayor Paul Winfield has asked a federal judge to postpone his trial because negotiations are ongoing with prosecutors to resolve the case.

Winfield is charged in U.S. District Court in Jackson with seeking $10,000 in cash in exchange for a city contract. He has pleaded not guilty.

Attorney Terris Harris mentioned the negotiations in a motion to continue the Aug. 5 trial. […]

Hattiesburg Zoo gets grant for discovery center

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The Ashbury Foundation has given $277,000 to the Hattiesburg Zoo to help complete work on the zoo’s highly anticipated education building.

The money will be used primarily to finish the interior of the 2,200 square-foot facility. It will open in April of 2014 as part of the zoo’s annual Birthday Bash celebrations and will be known as the Asbury Discovery Center.

The new state-of-the-art facility will feature viewable housing for the zoo’s education animals, as well as viewable offices and labs. It will also serve as the new home and play yard for the Zoo’s Galapagos Tortoises, and a venue for zoo classes, camps, special events and corporate meetings. […]