ISLAMIC STATE-MISSISSIPPI
Judge denies bail in Islamic State arrests
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A federal magistrate judge has ordered a young man and woman from Mississippi to be held without bail, pending grand jury action on charges they attempted to join the Islamic State.
U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Allan Alexander made the ruling Tuesday in Oxford. Alexander said that although 20-year-old Jaelyn Delshaun Young and 22-year-old Muhammad Oda Dakhlalla have never been in trouble with the law, she still feared that both would attempt to commit acts of terrorism.
Federal prosecutors had pushed Alexander to deny bail for both, citing statements made to undercover FBI agents as well as in farewell letters that each left to their family members.
HARRISON CO JAIL
US Justice Dept: time to end supervision of Harrison Co jail
GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) – Justice Department officials say it’s time to end 20 years of supervision over the Harrison County jail.
Civil Rights Division attorneys joined county attorneys in filing court papers Tuesday saying the county has made improvements required under a 1995 agreement.
The motion says inmates now have better access to courts, better medical and mental health care, and better safety and supervision.
The county has been making improvements under an agreement reached in 1995 to end a Justice Department lawsuit accusing the county of violating inmates’ civil rights.
Sheriff Martin Brisolara asked supervisors nearly a year ago to ask the Justice Department about ending the consent decree.
MERIDIAN-DILAPIDATED HOUSES
Environmental court to start In Meridian
MERIDIAN, Miss. (AP) – The city of Meridian will launch an environmental court to speed up the tearing down of about 84 dilapidated houses.
WTOK-TV in Meridian reports city inspectors may ask the council to add another 23 to that list during the next meeting.
The city’s environmental court will start Aug. 24.
Community Development Director Bunky Partridge says the court will come into play after the city and property owners fail to settle problems with houses or yards.
City council president Randy Hammon says most cities see 80 percent of their situations resolved by the environmental court.
Partridge says the court will convene on the fourth Monday of each month. He says fines will range from $150 for a first offense to a maximum of $500.
OXFORD-DOUBLE DECKERS
Oxford buys 2 double decker buses
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) – Oxford’s two new double deckers are more than 20 years newer than the buses currently cruising local streets.
The city bought the buses in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Oxford Eagle reports that the city is deciding whether to drive them to Oxford or ship them. One of the buses was made in 1983 and the other in 1986.
The current vintage buses in Oxford are each about 50 years old. The buses traveled the streets of England for 30 years before being purchased and shipped into Oxford.
City Shop superintendent Bo Ragon says each bus needs some cosmetic work.
He says one of new buses has a top that will be removed to make it a topless bus.
Ragon says the older buses could be used for city events and parades.
NATCHEZ CASINO CLOSING
Isle of Capri Casinos announces closure of Natchez casino
NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) – Isle of Capri Casinos has announced it is closing its casino in Natchez, one of the oldest gambling houses in Mississippi.
St. Louis-based Isle of Capri has owned the Natchez property, a dockside casino with 520 slot machines and six table games, since 2000.
The company says in a news release Tuesday it has agreed to sell its Natchez hotel and certain related non-gambling assets to Casino Holding Investment Partners, the parent company of Magnolia Bluffs Casino, for $11.5 million.
The transaction is expected to close in October 2015, subject to customary closing conditions.
Virginia McDowell, the Isle of Capri’s president and chief executive officer, says the casino will be fully operational until it closes.
BOYD APPEAL
Columbus man loses appeal of bribery conviction
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The state Court of Appeals has denied a denied a new trial to a Columbus man who pleaded guilty to charges he tried to bribe a Starkville police officer.
Ronnie Boyd is serving a 10-year sentence. He pleaded guilty in 2009 in Oktibbeha County Circuit Court to one count of bribery.
Prosecutors say the charge stemmed from an incident on April 9, 2008, when Starkville police found Boyd in possession of marijuana.
Less than two months later, he attempted to bribe a police officer by offering him a car in exchange for return of the drugs.
Boyd argued his plea was involuntary.
The Appeals Court said Tuesday that the trial judge questioned Boyd at length about his plea and the charges and Boyd told the court he understood what he was doing.
DRUG CONSPIRACY
4 South Mississippi residents sentenced in drug conspiracy
GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) – Four South Mississippi residents will serve time in prison for their roles in a federal drug conspiracy to bring large amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana from Houston to Diamondhead.
The Sun Herald reports Chief District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. sentenced Angel Case to a 151-month prison term on a charge of sale of a controlled substance.
The judge sentenced Kenneth Casey to a 480-month prison term on a charge of drug conspiracy.
Thomas Bernard was sentenced to a 310-month prison term on a conspiracy charge and ordered him to pay a $10,000 fine.
A fourth suspect, Tonya Winn was sentenced to a 60-month prison term, also on a drug conspiracy charge.
STARKVILLE-OKTIBBEHA SCHOOLS
Starkville-Oktibbeha schools superintendent on paid leave
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) – Starkville-Oktibbeha schools superintendent Lewis Holloway has been placed on paid leave while he deals with simple assault charges filed against him.
The Oktibbeha County sheriff’s department says in a news release that Holloway allegedly fired a handgun in the air during a disturbance about 6:45 p.m. Sunday. The release states that other people involved in the incident have signed affidavits against Holloway, which led to a warrant being issued for his arrest.
Holloway lives on Mt. Olive Road.
He was released on a $1,000 bond Monday after an appearance in justice court. An arraignment is pending. It is unclear if Holloway is represented by an attorney.
School board president Eddie Myles says Holloway will be on paid administrative leave until a thorough investigation is completed.
