Top Stories – Page 125 – The Mississippi Link

Citing ‘naked racism,’ N.C. Governor Bev Perdue pardons Wilmington Ten

By Cash Michaels

Special to the NNPA

RALEIGH, N.C. – In what civil rights leaders across the nation are calling a significant moment in the civil rights movement, North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue has granted individual pardons of actual innocence to all members of the Wilmington Ten.

“I have decided to grant these pardons because the more facts I have learned about the Wilmington Ten, the more appalled I have become about the manner in which their convictions were obtained,” Perdue said in her Dec. 31 statement. A Democrat, Perdue will leave office Jan. 5…. […]

No suspects in brutal murder of Vaiden woman

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Carroll County authorities are still looking for suspects in the brutal murder of a Vaiden woman in her home last month. Forty-seven-year-old Katrina Hemphill was found at her residence on County Road 264 during the early morning hours of Dec. 13.

Carroll County Sheriff Jerry Carver said Hemphill’s body was found on the floor just inside the glass doors in the rear of her home. She had severe trauma to her upper body and head. While autopsy results have not confirmed what kind of weapon was used in the murder, officials believe Hemphill was stabbed to death. […]

Fugitive couple wanted for death of 2-year-old

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Federal authorities haven’t given up on the search for a couple wanted in Union County for child neglect and manslaughter.

In a news release, U.S. Marshals said Janet and Ramon Barreto were last known to be living in Huntington, Calif.

The couple was free on a $450,000 bond in Union County when they disappeared in 2009. The U.S. Marshals Service says it tracked them to Mexico but lost track of them this past summer.
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Dad charged in wreck that killed his 5 kids

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A 34-year-old man has been charged with 6 counts of DUI manslaughter after crashing his vehicle into a creek killing his five children and a family friend.

Duane John was taken into custody Monday, Dec. 31, two days after the deadly wreck on County Road 107 just inside Neshoba County.

Neshoba County’s sheriff, Tommy Waddell, said John – who was also injured in the accident – was arrested after he was released from a local hospital on Monday.

His bond has been set at $150,000. […]

“Fiscal cliff” averted after deal clears House

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Congress has started its climb back up the “fiscal cliff.”

After House Republicans finally relented to the Senate’s “far from perfect” plan (as many members put it), the House Tuesday night passed the bill 257-167 with GOP and Democratic support.

The bill received 85 Republican votes, after GOP lawmakers huddled for hours Tuesday, wringing their hands over the lack of spending cuts in the bill. House leaders considered holding a vote on an amendment to add a $323 billion package of spending cuts, but the Democratic-led Senate said it wouldn’t accept an amended bill. Democrats, while also expressing concerns about the deal, largely supported the measure with just 16 voting against it.
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Man murdered over 2 cigarettes

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Police Chief Richard O’Bannon said a local man has yet to have his preliminary hearing after he allegedly shot and killed a man over two broken cigarettes.

O’Bannon said 20-year-old Mark Haney Jr. is being held without bond for the Dec. 15, 2012 murder of 26-year-old Lonnie Brooks.

O’Bannon said the altercation between Haney and Brooks began around 10:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Royal Ridge Apartments on Gillespie Drive in Indianola. […]

Woman charges thousands on granny’s credit card

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Ocean Springs police are investigating thousands of dollars worth of fraudulent credit card transactions allegedly made by 27-year-old Jessica Richard of Ocean Springs.

The arrest stems after Richard’s aunt recently took over Richards’ 88-year-old grandmother’s finances and discovered the fraudulent charges.

“She found the grandmother’s credit card bills were through the roof,” Lt. Bruce Spearnock said. […]

Hail and farewell; a salute to those we lost in 2012

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The year 2012 was filled with highs and lows, shock and disbelief – as notable movers and shakers, politicians and hit makers departed this world, but not without leaving an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of many.

While the death of any individual is noteworthy, the following deaths are significant and stand as a testimony that greatness is achievable – even for the lowly and humble.

Listed below is a partial list of those we lost in 2012: […]

Suspect arrested in Friday’s drive-by shooting

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Sheriff’s deputies in Oktibbeha County have arrested a man wanted in connection with a shooting early Friday morning.

Officials said a search warrant executed on a residence on Blair Road led to the discovery of the suspect, 27-year-old Lorenzo Lamas Hunter.

Deputies believe Hunter allegedly shot into another man’s sport-utility vehicle early Friday morning on Blair Road in the Blackjack community, wounding the driver.
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Tornado hits Pearl River; Gov. declares state of emergency

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Mississippi’s governor Phil Bryant has declared a state of emergency for several counties hit hard after severe storms and a tornado moved through the state this week.

Emergency management personnel confirmed that a tornado did touch down in Pearl River County on Tuesday, Dec. 25, that destroyed approximately 15 homes sending at least eight people to the hospital, the Associated Press reported.

None of the injuries were life-threatening. […]