Top Stories – Page 126 – The Mississippi Link

Holmes County honored with blues marker in Tchula

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. […]

Memorials planned for civil rights activist Lawrence Guyot

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Lawrence Guyot didn’t have to read about the civil rights movement.

He lived it.

In fact, his memories of the trials and tribulations of the civil rights struggle were so vivid, he constantly shared them with others – including children – so they could understand what the fight was really about.
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Former teacher gets 5 years for sex with student

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A 42-year-old former educator will spend the next five years behind bars after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual battery in a Jackson County courtroom.

Robert Frank Griffin plead guilty before Judge Kathy King in circuit court on Friday, Nov. 30. Griffin, who is a former St. Martin teacher, admitted to having sex with a student back in 2010. […]

Celebrating the life of Nettie Williams Whittington Hart

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113 years old, 18th oldest person in the world

Oct. 31, 1899 – Nov. 24, 2012

The Mississippi Link Newswire

Nettie Williams was born Oct. 31, 1899, in Farmhaven, Miss., the youngest child of Rev. Allen and Mary Williams. During her early childhood, she was required to attend school because her parents realized the importance of acquiring a good education to equip her to read the Bible and other literature that would provide essential knowledge, principles and values for her Christian life…. […]

The season to bring families together, communities unite

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By Ayesha K. Mustafaa

Interim Managing Editor

Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. stood on the steps of city hall in downtown Jackson and welcomed all to witness the traditional lighting of the Christmas tree, Friday, Nov. 30, at 6 p.m. The occasion afforded the mayor the opportunity to greet his constituents in the sense of family and community unity.

One of his treasured moments, the mayor said, was to introduce the grand marshal Juadine Cleveland of the Jackson Holiday Parade to step off Saturday, Dec. 1 at noon…. […]

Two men plead guilty to hate crimes against blacks

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William Kirk Montgomery, 23, from Puckett and Jonathan K. Gaskamp, 20, from Brandon, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Jackson to conspiracy and federal hate crime charges in connection with their roles in the assault of African-Americans.

The Justice Department said defendants Deryl Paul Dedmon, 20; John Aaron Rice, 19; and Dylan Wade Butler, 21, all from Brandon have previously entered guilty pleas in connection with their roles in these offenses. […]

Ex-coach charged with sex with student

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Authorities said a former assistant coach at two Rankin County schools has been charged with gratification of lust and of sexual battery. They said the charges are related to allegedly inappropriate contact with a student.

Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey said that 27-year-old Matthew Wilder had worked at McLaurin Attendance Center and Florence Middle School. […]