WBRZ - Baton Rouge

Tagged News

• Arkansas beats Mississippi 2-1 in 10 innings

  May 22, 2013 12:52 PM

  HOOVER - Brian Anderson scored on a wild pitch in the 10th inning to give Arkansas a 2-1 victory over Mississippi in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament on Wednesday. Anderson started the Razorbacks' 10th inning rally with a one-out, ground-rule double. Dominic Ficociello followed with a single... more »

• Flipped car causes backup on Miss. River Bridge

  May 22, 2013 10:45 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A wreck involving a flipped vehicle caused traffic to back up this morning on the Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge. The Department of Transportation and Development reported the wreck on I-10 East flipped a car and forced authorities to close some lanes in both directions.... more »

• Man playing hide-and-seek with authorities on river

  May 14, 2013 8:57 PM

  BRUSLY- A man, possibly naked, is apparently playing a bizarre game of hide-and-seek with authorities on the Mississippi River. Sources tell WBRZ News 2, the U.S. Coast Guard was called after deputies in East Baton Rouge asked for help locating a missing boater earlier Tuesday. Deputies were trying to... more »

• Teen arrested on drug charge during jail visit

  May 7, 2013 8:53 AM

  PEARL, Miss.- A Ridgeland teenager has been arrested at the Rankin County prison for allegedly having marijuana while attempting to visit his sister. The Clarion-Ledger reports the 17-year-old was arrested Saturday and charged with possession of marijuana. Investigators say he was initially detained after tobacco slipped out of his pants... more »

• Mississippi River floods north Louisiana farmland

  May 6, 2013 3:45 PM

  LAKE PROVIDENCE - The Mississippi River is again flooding about 8,500 acres of farmland in East Carroll Parish's Bunches Bend, which had a huge levee failure in 2011 that wiped out $10 million in crops. The News-Star reports the 2011 breach on the levee's northern end was fixed, but a... more »

• Louisiana levee plan concerns Mississippi leaders

  May 5, 2013 11:07 AM

  GULFPORT, Miss. - Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann says he's worried a proposed levee in Louisiana could place low-lying areas of south Mississippi in danger of flooding. Hosemann told The Sun Herald that he's concerned about a proposal being considered to build a 24-foot barrier levee near Lake Pontchartrain... more »

• Bryant: $69M more from BP for Gulf restoration

  May 2, 2013 3:14 PM

  JACKSON, Miss. - BP PLC has agreed to pay $69 million more for restoration projects for the Mississippi Gulf Coast following, says Gov. Phil Bryant. The money is part of $1 billion the oil giant agreed two years ago to pay for early restoration work after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon... more »

• UM fraternity suspension lifted after hearing

  May 2, 2013 8:59 AM

  OXFORD, Miss.- A two-semester suspension for the Sigma Chi fraternity at the University of Mississippi has been lifted. Instead, the fraternity will be on social probation for a year. The Daily Mississippian reports that the decision came from the school's Judicial Council after it heard an appeal from the fraternity... more »

• Heavy rain brings flooding to areas of Jackson Co.

  May 2, 2013 7:42 AM

  PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Jackson County Emergence Management officials say at least 60 people have been evacuated from flood-prone areas amid heavy rains that are expected to continue into the weekend. Local emergency management Earl Etheridge says about 50 have been evacuated in Moss Point and about 10 in Pascagoula... more »

• Crack found in levee during routine check Play Video

  April 30, 2013 5:40 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Army Corps of Engineer inspectors found a minor crack in the levee near the USS Kidd today during a routine inspection. The inspection, part of the "Phase One Flood Fight," is triggered when the river reaches a certain level, but the Corps says it's no cause for... more »

• Miss. man in ricin case: 'I love my country'

  April 23, 2013 5:45 PM

  TUPELO, Miss. - A Mississippi man is speaking out now that charges have been dropped against him in an investigation of ricin-laced letters. Paul Kevin Curtis says he respects President Barack Obama, loves his country and that he "would never do anything to pose a threat." Curtis says this week... more »

• Charges dropped against man in ricin letters case

  April 23, 2013 5:06 PM

  TUPELO, Miss. - A court filing says charges have been dropped against a Mississippi man accused of sending ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and others. The one-sentence document was filed hours after the suspect was released on bond. The document says the ongoing investigation has revealed new but... more »

• FBI: No ricin found in home of Mississippi suspect

  April 22, 2013 2:16 PM

  OXFORD, Miss.- Investigators say they haven't found any ricin in the house of a Mississippi man accused of mailing poisoned letters to President Barack Obama, a U.S. senator and a local judge. A search of Paul Kevin Curtis' house in Corinth, Miss., did not turn up ricin or ingredients for... more »

• Miss. River still closed after barges hit bridge

  April 22, 2013 9:10 AM

  VICKSBURG, Miss.- The Mississippi River remains closed at Vicksburg as authorities work to determine whether a sunken barge was a navigation hazard. Coast Guard Lt. Ryan Gomez says an assessment is underway but it is uncertain when the river will reopen to ship traffic. Gomez says 233 barges are waiting... more »

• Senate mail service to resume on Monday

  April 19, 2013 3:13 PM

  WASHINGTON - Senate offices will begin receiving mail again on Monday, a few days after a Mississippi man was arrested on charges he sent letters containing ricin addressed to President Barack Obama and a Mississippi senator. Senate mail will temporarily be screened at a House mail sorting facility, but that... more »

• FBI: Miss. man arrested, accused in ricin letters

  April 17, 2013 7:03 PM

  OXFORD, Miss. - A man in Mississippi has been arrested and accused of sending letters with suspected ricin poison to President Barack Obama and other leaders. FBI Special Agent in Charge Daniel McMullen said Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, was arrested Wednesday. Authorities still waited for definitive tests on the letters... more »

• I-10 West back open after wreck closed Miss. River bridge

  April 17, 2013 4:54 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Authorities reopened I-10 West this evening after a wreck on the Mississippi River Bridge closed it for more than an hour. The Department of Transportation and Development said several vehicles were involved, including multiple tractor trailers. Traffic was diverted north at the I-10 and I-110... more »

• Reid: Letter with ricin or poison sent to senator

  April 16, 2013 5:55 PM

  WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says a letter containing ricin or another poision was sent to the office of Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi. In brief remarks to reporters in the Capitol, Reid did not say when the letter was sent. It's customary for mail addressed to congressional... more »

• Freeze searches for depth on Ole Miss roster

  April 13, 2013 6:44 PM

  OXFORD, Ms. - Quarterback Bo Wallace tossed a football up and down on the sidelines. Receiver Donte Moncrief stood holding his helmet, offering encouragement to teammates. Mississippi's annual Grove Bowl wasn't about watching the team's stars on Saturday. Instead, it was one more opportunity for second-year coach Hugh Freeze to... more »

• Mississippi's Kennedy given raise, extension

  April 12, 2013 10:12 PM

  OXFORD, Ms. - Mississippi basketball coach Andy Kennedy has earned a raise and an extension to his contract after leading the Rebels to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2002. The school said Friday that Kennedy's contract has been extended through the 2017 season and will pay him... more »

• Circus elephant shot in drive-by

  April 9, 2013 7:27 PM

  TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI- A Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus elephant was hit by a bullet in a drive-by shooting, but is not seriously wounded. Carol the Elephant is part of the circus act in Tupelo for performances and was outside the BancorpSouth Arena. A $250 reward is... more »

• Trial date reset in fatal buttocks injection case

  April 8, 2013 8:52 AM

  JACKSON, Miss.- A suspect charged in Mississippi with the cosmetic buttocks injection blamed in the death of a Georgia woman has received a new trial date. The Hinds County Circuit Court administrator's office says the trial of Tracey Lynn Garner, also known as Morris Garner, is set now tentatively set... more »

• Murder suspect shot officer, then himself

  April 5, 2013 11:38 AM

  JACKSON - State police in Mississippi say a murder suspect shot a Jackson police detective and then shot himself at police headquarters. Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain said Friday that Jeremy Powell shot Detective Eric Smith before killing himself, in the first official description of how the men... more »

• Ole Miss' Henderson writes apology letter

  April 3, 2013 5:39 PM

  OXFORD, Ms. - Mississippi guard Marshall Henderson posted a letter on the school's athletic website on Wednesday apologizing for some of his actions during a successful but turbulent season. The 6-foot-2 junior averaged more than 20 points per game this season, leading the Rebels to their first NCAA tournament since... more »

• Investigation leads to dogfight raid in Miss.

  April 1, 2013 12:33 PM

  JACKSON, Miss. - Authorities say they've broken up a major dogfighting ring after a raid in Mississippi snagged people from around the country as part of a monthslong, nationwide investigation. David Murphy is an investigator with the Benton County Sheriff's Office in north Mississippi. He says at least 200 people... more »

• Bills call for dredging Miss. River to Baton Rouge

  March 14, 2013 4:11 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond want the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the Mississippi River deep enough so it can handle the huge cargo ships expected to use the Panama Canal once its expansion is completed next year. The Louisiana Democrats submitted... more »

• Autopsy showed Moore died of blunt force trauma

  March 6, 2013 8:44 AM

  PASCAGOULA, Miss.- Authorities have charged an inmate in the death of another prisoner at the Jackson County jail. Testimony at an initial court appearance Tuesday was that Dionte R. Jones struck Anthony Eugene Moore with a closed fist, causing Moore's head to strike a concrete floor at the Jackson County... more »

• Baby born with HIV apparently cured

  March 4, 2013 7:33 AM

  WASHINGTON - There's promising news in the search for better ways to fight pediatric AIDS. Scientists say a baby born with HIV appears to have been cured thanks to faster and stronger treatment than is usual for newborns. The child is now 2½ and has been off HIV... more »

• Miss. town stunned by mayoral candidate's slaying

  February 28, 2013 9:23 AM

  JACKSON, Miss. - The small town of Clarksdale, Miss., is reeling after authorities found the body of a mayoral hopeful along the river levee Wednesday. Marco McMillian's SUV was involved in a wreck Tuesday, and he was nowhere to be found. Authorities were investigating the death as a homicide,... more »

• Committee votes to block gun information

  February 26, 2013 11:28 AM

  JACKSON, Miss. - A Mississippi Senate committee approved a bill that would make it difficult to get information on weapon permits, including concealed carry permits. The bill would exclude the permit information from the state public records act. A court order would be required to obtain the data. A representative... more »

• Army Corps reports on 2011 Mississippi River flood

  February 25, 2013 2:11 PM

  MEMPHIS, Tenn.- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the near-historic Mississippi River flood of 2011 caused $2.8 billion in damage and tested the system of levees, reservoirs and floodways like no other flood before it. A report released today said the Mississippi River and Tributaries system worked as... more »

• Miss. speaker invites gun makers to move to state

  February 21, 2013 7:28 PM

  JACKSON, Miss. - One top official wants gun makers in seven states to flee critics and move to Mississippi. House Speaker Philip Gunn, a Republican, sent letters Thursday to 14 gun manufacturers. He suggests the companies should move to Mississippi, "where their industry and jobs will be appreciated." The companies... more »

• Crews working to contain oil after tugs collide on river

  February 14, 2013 10:55 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The Coast Guard and other emergency responders are on the Mississippi River, working to contain an oil spill after some tugboats collided. An official with the USCG told WBRZ News 2, a tug and barge was docked, off loading an oil product when another tug and barge... more »

• Obama declares disaster in Miss. after tornado

  February 14, 2013 7:20 AM

  JACKSON, Miss. - President Barack Obama has declared a federal disaster in Mississippi following a massive tornado that heavily damaged a college campus and damaged or destroyed more than 800 homes in the southern part of the state. Obama signed the declaration Wednesday and ordered federal aid to supplement state... more »

• Turner leads Texas A&M over Mississippi, 69-67

  February 13, 2013 9:58 PM

  COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Elston Turner had 37 points, including a career-high seven 3-pointers, to give Texas A&M a 69-67 win over Mississippi on Wednesday night. Derrick Millinghaus made a free throw before the Rebels got the ball back after a shot-clock violation. Millinghaus hit a layup with 44 seconds... more »

• LSU softball routs Ole Miss, 9-1

  February 13, 2013 9:55 PM

  OXFORD, Miss. - The No. 10 LSU softball team blasted four home runs and used another Rachele Fico gem in the circle to claim a 9-1 six-inning victory over Ole Miss Wednesday in a rare non-conference meeting at the Ole Miss Complex. LSU's (5-1) four homers in a game... more »

• Drainage improvements in place in West Feliciana Play Video

  February 12, 2013 4:54 PM

  ST. FRANCISVILLE- People in the Baton Rouge region are once again bracing for flooding problems along several waterways. Portions of southern Mississippi received several inches of rain over the past two days. Much of that water will drain south into Louisiana. Water levels on Thompson Creek and its... more »

• La. Red Cross volunteers helping after Miss. storm

  February 11, 2013 3:11 PM

  HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Red Cross volunteers from Louisiana arrived in southern Mississippi Monday to help with cleanup and relief efforts after a tornado this weekend. The seven volunteers took three Emergency Response Vehicles to help provide supplies and feed people affected by severe weather Sunday. The storms also... more »

• Gov. Bryant declares emergency after tornado hits

  February 11, 2013 6:46 AM

  JACKSON, Miss. - Gov. Phil Bryant has declared a State of Emergency for four Mississippi counties hit by tornadoes and severe storms. Forrest, Lamar, Lawrence and Marion were named in the declaration Sunday night, but any other counties damaged by the continuing severe weather will be covered. The declaration is... more »

• Mississippi's Cox out for the season

  February 7, 2013 5:58 PM

  OXFORD, Miss. - Mississippi forward Demarco Cox will miss the remainder of the season because of a stress fracture in his left foot. The 6-foot-8, 272-pound junior has already missed extended time because of the injury. He's played in just seven games, averaging 1.6 points and 1.1 rebounds. But there... more »

• Mississippi closes 3 areas to oyster harvest

  February 6, 2013 6:27 AM

  BILOXI, Miss. - The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources has closed three areas to oyster harvesting because of water quality issues. The affected harvesting areas closed Tuesday involve Area II "A," which includes northern portions of the Pass Christian, Henderson Point Reef and northern portions of Hornet's Reef; Area II... more »

• Oil cleanup resuming at leaking Miss. River barge

  January 31, 2013 2:49 AM

  JACKSON, Miss. - Vessels are moving cautiously through a section of the Mississippi River where a barge is leaking oil as the Coast Guard tries to ease the economic impact of shutting down one of the nation's vital commerce routes. Chief Petty Officer Paul Roszkowski says officials are allowing northbound... more »

• Barges testing closed section of Miss. River

  January 30, 2013 11:08 AM

  JACKSON, Miss.- The Coast Guard is letting southbound vessels pass through a closed section of the Mississippi River at Vicksburg to test how they will affect efforts to remove oil from a leaking barge. Chief Petty Officer Paul Roszkowski tells The Associated Press a 16-mile stretch of the river remains... more »

• Some school athletics already competing independently

  January 30, 2013 10:50 AM

  BATON ROUGE - While high schools in Louisiana are grappling with the decision to separate playoff games between private and public school athletics, one school is already playing under similar conditions. The Silliman Institute in Clinton is a member of the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools, and their school... more »

• Coast Guard: Barge leaked 7,000 gallons of oil

  January 30, 2013 7:03 AM

  VICKSBURG, Miss. - With more than 50 vessels idling on the water for a fourth day, authorities say they still don't know when they will be able to reopen a stretch of the Mississippi River that has been closed due to an oil spill near Vicksburg. Coast Guard Petty Officer... more »

• Miss. River remains closed after barge accident

  January 29, 2013 6:14 AM

  VICKSBURG, Miss. - The Coast Guard says nearly four dozen vessels are stacked up on the Mississippi River near Vicksburg, awaiting clearance as crews work around the clock to clean up an oil spill. Coast Guard spokesman Jonathan Lally told The Associated Press early Tuesday workers are skimming oily water... more »

• Body found in Biloxi Back Bay identified

  January 25, 2013 8:47 AM

  BILOXI, Miss.- Biloxi police say a body found Thursday in Biloxi's Back Bay has been identified as a 74-year-old Floyd Lee May. Harrison County Deputy Coroner Charles Wise says May was identified through fingerprints. Wise says foul play is not suspected and an autopsy is pending. Police say a fisherman... more »

• Bill filed in Miss. seeks to nullify federal laws

  January 25, 2013 6:17 AM

  JACKSON, Miss. - In a state that defied the union during the Civil War and Civil Rights era, two lawmakers want Mississippi to block some current and future federal laws. Republican state Reps. Gary Chism and Jeff Smith have filed a bill to form the Joint Legislative Committee on... more »

• Miss. House OKs charter school bill early Thursday

  January 24, 2013 2:36 AM

  JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi House members are giving approval to a bill to expand charter schools in the state. It took until nearly 1 a.m. Thursday morning, but House members voted 64-55 to pass House Bill 369. Supporters of the bill say the long debate was worth a measure they... more »

• Miss. casino regulations could be game changer

  January 23, 2013 9:13 AM

  JACKSON, Miss- Mississippi regulators want new casinos to be sturdier and gambling space larger with better restaurants and hotels. And the Mississippi Gaming Commission is ready to put the new requirements in writing. The Sun Herald reports that the Gaming Commission is accepting written comments on the regulations. Commission executive... more »

• Tug boat sinks in Mississippi River Play Video

  January 18, 2013 11:54 AM

  LAPLACE - The Coast Guard says a tug boat carrying 4,000 gallons of diesel and 100 gallons of lube oil sank in the Mississippi River near LaPlace. Petty Officer Alex Washington tells The Times-Picayune no one was on the vessel at the time and no injuries were reported. Washington... more »

• Accumulating snow could fall across the Southeast

  January 17, 2013 5:15 AM

  ATLANTA - The National Weather Service says snow is falling in central Mississippi as the Southeast braces for the possibility of accumulating snow after days of soaking rains. Meteorologist Alan Campbell in Jackson says the heaviest snow activity Thursday in Mississippi is along the Interstate 55 corridor. The... more »

• Bryant: Miss. should resist federal limits on guns

  January 16, 2013 11:09 AM

  JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said Wednesday that he wants the state to resist any presidential order that might restrict gun rights. Republican Bryant made the call shortly before President Barack Obama issued 23 executive orders designed to curb gun violence. "I am asking that you immediately pass... more »

• High speed chase nets fugitive from Mississippi, Alabama

  January 11, 2013 1:12 PM

  WALKER - A fugitive from two states is in jail after a high speed chase in Livingston Parish Wednesday. Walker police say it began after a complaint that two men in a blue pickup were trying to buy drugs. Officers tried to stop the truck when it was spotted... more »

• Mom and daughter face music for bank job

  January 7, 2013 7:32 PM

  A mother and daughter bank robbing duo was sentenced for pulling a bank job in Gulfport, Mississippi and face charges in two other states. Evie Mearline Herrin and her daughter, Amelia Darci Crew pleaded guilty in October for robbing a bank using a BB gun. They are also charged with... more »

• Wreck closes I-10 Miss. River bridge

  January 6, 2013 11:16 AM

  UPDATE: All westbound lanes crossing the river are open. Eastbound lanes will be intermittingly closed to remove vehicles involved in crash. BATON ROUGE - A crash this morning closed all lanes of the I-10 Mississippi River Bridge into East Baton Rouge Parish. The multi-vehicle crash involves an 18-wheeler... more »

• 6th Miss. man pleads guilty in attacks on blacks

  January 3, 2013 12:47 PM

  JACKSON, Miss. - A sixth man has pleaded guilty in connection with racially motivated attacks by young whites against blacks in Jackson. Joseph Paul Dominick, 21, of Brandon pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to commit a hate crime. He faces up to five years in prison. U.S. District Judge Carlton... more »

• School safety, training under review by state

  January 2, 2013 3:30 PM

  JACKSON, Miss.- The Mississippi Department of Education is reviewing its safety policies and training requirements. December's school shooting in Newtown, Conn., has put spotlight on those issues. Shane McNeil, director of safe and orderly schools, tells the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal that the state department is in the process of... more »

• Man charged in crash that killed 5 kids, 1 adult

  January 1, 2013 8:41 AM

  PHILADELPHIA, Miss. - Neshoba County Sheriff Tommy Waddell says a man has been charged with six felony counts of DUI manslaughter after the weekend crash of a sport utility vehicle that killed his five children and one adult in the vehicle. Waddell told The Associated Press by telephone that... more »

• 4 arrested in fatal shooting of Hattiesburg teen

  December 31, 2012 1:44 PM

  HATTIESBURG, Miss.- Four people have been arrested on charges related to a fatal shooting Sunday at a Hattiesburg apartment complex. Hattiesburg police say in a news release that Addreon Brister, 18, of Tylertown, and Antonica Magee, 20, of Columbia, are each charged with murder. Police say Jimmy Lee Oliver, 28,... more »

• Mississippi River drops, threatening barge traffic

  December 27, 2012 2:33 PM

  ST. LOUIS- The Mississippi River's water level is dropping again and barge industry trade groups warn that river commerce could essentially come to a halt as early as next week in an area south of St. Louis. The Coast Guard remains confident that the nation's largest waterway will remain open... more »

• Christmas fireworks death

  December 26, 2012 7:21 PM

  A man in Clay County, Mississippi near West Point died in a homemade fireworks explosion outside his house on Christmas night. Ralph "Bubba" Elliot was killed when his homemade device exploded just before ten last night. Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott says state and federal authorities are trying to determine... more »

• Corps: Ridding Miss. River of rock pinnacles close

  December 14, 2012 6:32 PM

  ST. LOUIS - The Army Corps of Engineers says it's close to shoring up how soon contractors could begin removing treacherous southern Illinois rock formations impeding barge traffic in the drought-plagued Mississippi River. The corps says it has hired Newt Marine Service of Dubuque, Iowa, and Kokosing Construction Co. of... more »

• Storms cause damage at several spots in Miss.

  December 10, 2012 11:53 AM

  TYLERTOWN, Miss.- A strong storm has caused damage in south Mississippi's Walthall and Marion counties, near the Louisiana border. National Weather Service officials say a barn and an office building roof were damaged south of Tylertown after 8 a.m. Monday. The storm moved northeast, damaging a home in Dexter and... more »

• Mississippi river dropping slower than expected

  December 5, 2012 2:26 PM

  ST. LOUIS - A revised Mississippi River forecast is offering a bit of a reprieve for shippers, showing the water level isn't dropping as quickly as feared. Still, at least two large barge companies already are reducing loads over concerns about the river's depth. The river at St. Louis on... more »

• Miss. student challenges suspension over rap song

  December 4, 2012 8:46 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A Mississippi student was exercising his free speech rights when he posted a rap song online that criticized two coaches whom he accused of misconduct toward female students, his attorneys have told a federal appeals court. However, school officials in Itawamba County, Miss., say Taylor Bell... more »

• Lawmakers discuss low Miss. River with Corps

  November 29, 2012 3:10 PM

  WASHINGTON - A top Army Corps of Engineers official told federal lawmakers the agency can't legally reverse its decision to reduce the Missouri River's flow into the rain-starved Mississippi River. But Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois says Army Assistant Secretary Jo-Ellen Darcy did tell him and senators from Iowa and... more »

• SEC fines Mississippi $5,000 after fans rush field

  November 27, 2012 11:02 AM

  OXFORD, Miss. - Mississippi has been fined $5,000 by the Southeastern Conference after "fans entered the competition area" following the football team's 41-24 victory over No. 25 Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Saturday. Fans rushed the field after Ole Miss' victory over the Bulldogs. The win snapped the... more »

• Ole Miss cracking down on cowbells

  November 21, 2012 10:31 AM

  OXFORD, Miss. - The University of Mississippi doesn't want to see any cowbells at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium during the Egg Bowl on Saturday. The school sent out a statement saying that cowbells are "strictly prohibited" from the stadium during the annual football game between Ole Miss and Mississippi State, citing... more »

• Pa. merchant finds rare Robert Johnson record

  November 16, 2012 4:33 PM

  PITTSBURGH - A Pittsburgh record store owner has found what he calls "the holy grail of 78s" in a box of old albums he picked up for $50. Jerry Weber says he discovered a copy of the second song ever recorded by Mississippi blues legend Robert Johnson, "I Believe I'll... more »

• Section of Gulfport beach closed

  November 15, 2012 8:21 AM

  GULFPORT, Miss. - The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has issued a precautionary beach closure for a section of beach in Gulfport. The closure announced Wednesday stretches from Teagarden Road on the west to the old Veterans Administration property on the east. The department said the precautionary closure... more »

• Mississippi sent insurance plan to feds

  November 14, 2012 7:47 PM

  Despite being discouraged not to, Mississippi insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney sent the state's plan for an insurance exchange to the federal government as required by the Affordable Health Care Act, or Obamacare. Chaney has steadily worked to create the plan of an online marketplace for people to buy insurance despite... more »

• NTSB heads to house where small plane crashed

  November 14, 2012 7:15 AM

  JACKSON, Miss. - National Transportation Safety Board investigators headed to Jackson, Miss., early Wednesday to inspect the wreckage at a house where a small plane crashed, killing the three people aboard the plane and igniting a huge fire. Terry Williams, with the NTSB in Washington, said investigators would meet... more »

• Three dead after fiery plane crash

  November 13, 2012 9:44 PM

  JACKSON, Miss- Three people are dead after a plane crashed into a neighborhood Tuesday evening. The Piper PA-32 single-engine plane went down on top of a house near Hawkins Field Airport and ignited a fireball. Dental records or DNA would be needed to confirm the identities of the... more »

• Plane crashes in Jackson, Miss., neighborhood

  November 13, 2012 6:35 PM

  JACKSON, Miss. - Authorities say a small plane with three people aboard has crashed into a neighborhood in Jackson, Mississippi, near an airport. A Jackson deputy fire chief told WJTV-TV that one person escaped a burning home Tuesday evening with minor injuries. It was not immediately clear if anyone else... more »

• Truck hauling chicken burns in town of Chili, NY

  November 9, 2012 12:39 PM

  CHILI, N.Y. - Officials say a truck carrying nearly 40,000 pounds of frozen chicken went up in flames on its way to a supermarket in the New York town of Chili. Fire officials tell the Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester that the truck was hauling chicken from Mississippi to the... more »

• Two killed in Miss. River Bridge wreck Play Video

  November 2, 2012 2:51 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Police said two people died in a wrong-way wreck which tied up traffic all morning on the I-10 Mississippi River Bridge. Cpl. L'Jean McKneely said Alex Dillman, 29, was driving an SUV the wrong way on I-10 East overnight when he struck a Freightliner head-on just... more »

• Pearl River man booked in father's death

  October 26, 2012 10:57 AM

  COVINGTON- A 39-year-old Pearl River man who was arrested earlier this week in Mississippi after being accused of stabbing his father to death has been booked into the St. Tammany Parish jail on a second-degree murder charge. Billie Glenn Rawson Jr. was arrested Tuesday in Long Beach, Miss. and was... more »

• Dense Fog Advisory until 9 AM

  October 24, 2012 5:58 AM

  The National Weather Service has issued a Dense Fog Advisory until 9 AM for: East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Pointe Coupee, West Feliciana, East Feliciana, Livingston, Iberville, Ascension, Assumption, St. Helena, Tangaipahoa, St. James in Louisiana. Also, Amite, Pike and Wilkinson Counties in Mississippi. Visibilities will be less... more »

• Officials say 4 elephants OK after I-10 wreck

  October 15, 2012 12:33 PM

  JACKSON, Miss. - A circus official says a truck pulling a trailer full of elephants ran off an interstate in southern Mississippi over the weekend, but the four pachyderms and the driver weren't harmed. Renee Storey, an executive with Cole Brothers Circus of the Stars, said the elephants were being... more »

• Miss. man sentenced for molesting La. girl

  October 10, 2012 9:07 AM

  COVINGTON - A 37-year-old Picayune, Miss., man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for committing sexual battery on a young Louisiana girl. Barton W. Naftzger Jr. was sentenced Tuesday by state District Judge William J. Burris in Covington. Naftzger went to trial in August on a... more »

• Crews retrieve dead dolphin from Mississippi River

  October 3, 2012 4:06 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Crews retrieved a dolphin today found dead in the Mississippi River near Baton Rouge earlier this week. Members of the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office Marine Search and Rescue team helped the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries retrieve the mammal from waters near the... more »

• Dolphin found dead near Baton Rouge bridge

  October 2, 2012 10:39 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Wildlife officials said they will attempt to retrieve a dead dolphin discovered in the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge this week. A spokesperson for the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said the dolphin was reported yesterday near the Old Mississippi River Bridge, but they couldn't... more »

• Mississippi's young defense draws No. 1 Alabama

  September 26, 2012 10:29 AM

  OXFORD, Miss. - Mississippi's defense is undersized, inexperienced and doesn't have much depth. The No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide has a punishing, effective offense that has steamrolled every team it has faced this season. The mismatch that presents is obvious. Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze says his team's... more »

• Mississippi looking for help on defense

  September 19, 2012 10:43 AM

  OXFORD, Miss. - Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze said his defense made too many foolish mistakes in last weekend's lopsided 66-31 loss to Texas. There were also times the bigger, stronger and faster Longhorns simply manhandled the smaller Rebels. And so it goes for Freeze, the first-year Ole Miss coach... more »

• Second Miss. death attributed to Hurricane Isaac

  August 31, 2012 5:39 PM

  WAVELAND, Miss. - A second person has died in Mississippi as a result of Hurricane Isaac. Century Hairston Funeral Home says Lillie M. Randle, a 62-year-old resident of Lexington, Miss., was killed just after 9 a.m. Thursday when a tree fell on her car. The funeral home says Randle was... more »

• Jindal warns locals to leave even if dam no threat

  August 30, 2012 4:40 PM

  AMITE - Gov. Bobby Jindal says even if crews are successful in conducting an intentional breach of an endangered dam threatening a state park in southwest Mississippi, Louisiana locals near the structure should still heed warnings to evacuate. A lake bordering Tangipahoa Parish could burst through a locally operated dam.... more »

• La: controlled release started at Miss. dam

  August 30, 2012 3:23 PM

  MCCOMB, Miss. - Louisiana officials say a controlled release of water has begun, reducing the threat at an endangered dam at a southwest Mississippi state park. Christina Stephens, a spokeswoman for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says Louisiana received notice of the start shortly before... more »

• Dozens rescued from flooding in coastal Miss.

  August 29, 2012 5:55 PM

  PEARLINGTON, Miss. - Mississippi wildlife officers used small motorboats Wednesday to rescue several people from a neighborhood that Isaac flooded in the small coastal town of Pearlington. One of those rescued, 63-year-old Dianne Burton, says she and members of her extended family didn't leave before the storm because they didn't... more »

• Rain, river levels continue to rise in Mississippi

  August 29, 2012 5:17 PM

  GULFPORT, Miss. - The National Weather Service says tropical storm force winds could continue past midnight into early Thursday morning in coastal and south Mississippi. Meteorologists are predicting as much as 11 inches of rain by Monday in parts of Mississippi. The Gulfport airport had recorded about 6... more »

• Miss. man arrested for looting attempt during Isaac

  August 29, 2012 2:18 PM

  SLIDELL- Slidell police say a Picayune, Miss., man tried to force his way into a woman's home just as Hurricane Isaac made landfall. The Times-Picayune reports 39-year-old Warren Reavis was booked Wednesday with attempted looting and possession of a burglary tool, in this case a screwdriver. Detectives say the victim... more »

• Isaac's damage could be pricey for Pass Christian

  August 29, 2012 1:51 PM

  PASS CHRISTIAN- Hurricane Isaac may have ruined $5 million worth of dredging in Pass Christian, Miss. The deepening work, nearly complete before the storm, is part of a $33 million project to expand the town's boat harbor. Isaac's waves in the Mississippi Sound are eating away at piles of sand... more »

• Isaac floods highways, some homes in south Miss.

  August 29, 2012 12:46 PM

  GULFPORT, Miss.- Hurricane Isaac dropped heavy rains on parts of south Mississippi Wednesday, flooding some homes and highways in low-lying areas. On the 7th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, however, some Gulf Coast residents say they're underwhelmed by the current storm. Schools and many businesses closed, and Mississippi's three coastal counties... more »

• 24K without power as Isaac swipes Mississippi

  August 29, 2012 12:21 PM

  JACKSON, Miss.- Utility companies say more than 24,000 south Mississippi homes have lost power as Hurricane Isaac moves through the northern Gulf of Mexico. Most of the outages Wednesday are in areas of the three coastal counties of Jackson, Harrison and Hancock. The Electric Power Associations of Mississippi reported 15,300... more »