Top Stories – Page 117 – The Mississippi Link

Oldest Greek-letter African American organization dedicates new center

By Ayesha K. Mustafaa
Interim Managing Editor
The proud, beautiful, progressive ladies of Beta Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. issued the statement that they “now have a place to call their own.” The chapter held its dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony at their center located at 5330 Executive Place, in North Jackson, Sunday, Dec. 9 at 3 p.m.

In the midst of the ladies in pink and green were Jackson and Hinds County leaders: Mayor and Mrs. Harvey Johnson Sr., Sheriff Tyrone Lewis, President of the Hinds County Board of Supervisors Robert Graham and City Councilman Chokwe Lumumba of Ward Two…. […]

Mississippi State Senator Alice Harden dies at 64, lie in repose at State Capitol

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By Ayesha K. Mustafaa

Interim Managing Editor

From the seat of the Governor’s office to the Commercial Appeal News to the feminist.org blog, the condolences and statements of admiration and remembrance for State Sen. Alice Harden (D-MS) continue to flow. She passed Thursday, Dec. 6, of an undisclosed lengthy illness.

As an African American woman to serve in the Mississippi State Senate, beginning in 1988, she left her mark on history. Her body will lie in repose at the State Capitol, Thursday, Dec. 13, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m…. […]

Governor holds summit to ‘Stomp Out Teenage Pregnancy’

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Special to The Mississippi Link

Gov. Phil Bryant told approximately 350 attendees last week that he has a goal to try and decrease teen pregnancy by 15 percent by 2017. The Governor was the keynote speaker at his Healthy Teens for a Better Mississippi first Teens Pregnancy Prevention Summit, Dec. 6, at the Jackson Convention Complex.

He said many, early on, tried to discourage him from setting such a big goal…. […]

Judge criticizes DHS in child custody case

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A Lamar County judge has criticized the Department of Human Services related to the custody of a 3-year-old child whose biological father is a registered sex offender.

The Clarion-Ledger reported that the biological father is 24 years older than the child’s mother. He was convicted for having sex with the mother when she was a minor and pleaded guilty to fondling her daughter from a previous relationship.

The woman allegedly has mental problems.
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Water association employee pleads guilty to falsifying samples

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The former manager of the North Lee Water Association has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of falsifying water samples.

Dan Durham, 66, waived indictment and entered a guilty plea in U. S. District Court in Aberdeen Wednesday afternoon.

The water district was required to provide samples from wells across the association to the Mississippi State Department of Health for testing. The federal charge accuses Durham of having the sample drawn from one well, but submitted as being taken system wide.
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Bomb threat closes courthouse

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WTVA is reporting that the Calhoun County Courthouse was closed Wednesday afternoon after someone allegedly called in a bomb threat.

Sheriff Greg Pollan said nothing was found following during an initial search of the building, but the courthouse will not reopen until 8 a.m. Thursday morning.

Officials also confirmed that the Lowndes County, Lee County, Itawamba County, and Clay County courthouses were evacuated after threats were made there as well. […]

Holmes County honored with blues marker in Tchula

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On Wednesday, Dec. 12, the Mississippi Blues Trail will unveil the latest marker in recognition of Holmes County and Tchula, Miss. The 167th marker unveiling is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Memorial Park at 15387 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive in Tchula.

Many blues performers who gained fame in the Mississippi Delta, Jackson, Miss., Chicago and on the southern soul circuit have lived in or near Tchula, including Elmore James, Hound Dog Taylor, Jimmy Dawkins, Jesse Robinson, Lewis “Love Doctor” Clark, Little Smokey Smothers, Arelean Brown and Lester Davenport. Even long after most of its famous sons and daughters had departed, Tchula remained a center of juke joint revelry along Highway 49. […]

Cancer center fraud doctor sentenced to 20 years, repay $8.2M

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A federal judge on Friday sentenced a doctor to 20 years in prison and ordered her to repay nearly $8.2 million for fraud at a former Mississippi cancer center she ran. U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III said he was “appalled” at how Dr. Meera Sachdeva treated patients at a vulnerable time of their lives.

Syringes were re-used and different patients’ chemotherapy drugs were drawn from the same bag at Rose Cancer Center in the small town of Summit, Jordan said. He said prosecutors were unable to prove drugs were watered down, as they originally believed. […]

Meridian library wants food for fines to help homeless

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The Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Library has ramped up its Food for Fines program.

Library director Steve McCartney tells The Meridian Star that each canned good or nonperishable item such as rice or pasta brought in will count as $1 off a library fine for the donor.

He says the program will continue through Dec. 21. […]

Man’s body found on school grounds

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Lt. James Massey said a man found dead on the grounds of an elementary school Sunday morning died of natural causes.

Massey said 50-year-old Sidney Jackson was found on the athletic field of Colmer Middle School at 3112 Eden Street in Pascagoula around 8:17 a.m.

Initially described as a “black male”, Jackson was later identified and an autopsy was performed by a local pathologist. […]