sports • C1
washington •A6
lady flashes win
internet debate
St. Al rallies past West Lincoln
Congress puts off vote on piracy bill
s atu r DAY, jan ua r y 21, 2012 • 50¢
www.v ick sburg p ost.com
Ever y day Si nC E 1883
Reps. Flaggs, Monsour tapped for House boards
Getting in tune
From AP and staff reports
Etta James
Blues legend Etta James dies at 73 in California By The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Etta James’ performance of the enduring classic “At Last” was the embodiment of refined soul: Angelic-sounding strings harkened the arrival of her passionate yet measured vocals as she sang tenderly about a love finally realized after a long and patient wait. In real life, little about James was as genteel as that song. The platinum blonde’s first hit was a saucy R&B number about sex, and she was known as a hell-raiser who had tempestuous relationships with her family, her men and the music industry. Then she spent years battling a drug addiction that she admitted sapped away at her great talents. The 73-year-old died on Friday at Riverside Community Hospital from complications of leukemia, with her husband and sons at her side, her manager, Lupe De Leon said. “It’s a tremendous loss for her fans around the world,” he said. “She’ll be missed. A great American singer. Her music defied category.” James’ spirit could not be contained — perhaps that’s what made her so magnetic in music; it is surely what made her so dynamic as one of R&B, blues and rock ‘n’ roll’s underrated legends. “The bad girls ... had the look that I liked,” she wrote in her 1995 autobiography, “Rage to Survive.” ‘’I wanted to be rare, I wanted to be noticed, I wanted to be exotic as a Cotton Club chorus girl, and I wanted to be obvious as the most flamboyant hooker on the street. I just wanted to be.” “Etta James was a pioneer. Her ever-changing sound has influenced rock See James, Page A7.
Eli Baylis•The Vicksburg Post
Members of the Senior Strummers, above, practice on their dulcimers at the Senior Center Friday. At right, Mildred Sumrall, 77, right, and Mildred Lowry, 67, practice.
See House, Page A7.
Port Gibson man sentenced ‘Informal’ advice threatens pardons to life for killing girlfriend Hood challenge
By Holbrook Mohr and Emily Wagster Pettus The Associated Press JACKSON — Some of those pardoned by former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour might not have complied with rules requiring adequate public notice because they received vague instructions from the state Parole Board and local newspapers. Attorney General Jim Hood is challenging dozens of pardons and a hearing is set for Monday in Hinds County Cir-
cuit Court. Hood wants to return those who were freed by Barbour, including convicted killers, to Haley the prison Barbour system. The vast majority of people who could be stripped of their pardons wouldn’t be sent back to prison because they were out before Barbour’s action. Parole Board chair-
ONLINE
WEATHER
DEATHS
VOLUME 130 NUMBER 21 4 SECTIONS
Today: storms; high of 66 tonight: storms; low of 62
• Anita Ahner Riddle • Fred N. Tingle
www.vicksburgpost.com
Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn named leaders for the House’s 40 committees Friday, allowing the chamber to move ahead with business. With the GOP takeover of the House, Republicans were named to head all of the major committees, though Democrats, including Vicksburg’s George Flaggs, were named to head 10 of the others. “I want a team that is capable and will help move Mississippi forward,” Gunn told reporters after the announcements. Flaggs, representing District 55 and beginning his seventh term in office, will chair the House Corrections Rep. Alex Committee. He chaired the Monsour House Banking and Financial Services Committee in his previous term. He could not be reached for comment. Gunn named Vicksburg Republican Alex Monsour chairman of the Ports, Harbors and Airports Committee, and — a boon to Vicksburg, Monsour said Rep. George — also appointed him to Flaggs the Tourism and Gaming committees. “The appointment is a good one for our area here, considering our port, the airport and what they mean to Vicksburg,” Monsour said of the chairmanship. “I’m going to be looking for ways to work for job creation — trying to attract industry into our port and seeing how we can best utilize what we have here.” Monsour has four years’ experience as a committee member on Ports, Harbors and Airports, and said he learned from former chairman Billy Broomfield, D-Moss Point, and also traveled around the state observing operations at other ports. “As a member of the gaming and tourism committees, I’ll also be able to help in both directions there,” he said. “It’s going to be a very, very good four years.” Monsour’s other assignments are Judiciary B, Judiciary En Banc, Public Property and Ways and Means committees, while Flaggs’ other appointments are Appropria-
Mississippi River:
00.0 feet Fell: 0.00 foot Flood stage: 43 feet
A7
A7
woman Shannon Warnock said Friday that she “informally” told people to publish notices of their pardons “for a month” in newspapers in the areas where they were convicted, as constitutionally required. But Warnock said some weekly newspapers told applicants they could publish once a week for four weeks. Warnock was responding to questions about people who told the AP they were afraid of losing their pardons even See Barbour, Page A7.
By John Surratt jsurratt@vicksburgpost
A Port Gibson man has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of murder in the death on March 6 of his girlfriend. District Attorney Alexander Martin said a 12-member Claiborne County Circuit Court jury convicted Dexter Watson, 41, Thursday night in the death of Patricia Dotson, 35, after a one-day trial. He said Circuit Judge Lamar Pickard sentenced Watson immediately after the verdict. He said Watson
TODAY IN HISTORY 1861: Jefferson Davis of Mississippi and four other Southerners whose states have seceded from the Union resign from the U.S. Senate. 1954: The first atomic submarine, the USS Nautilus, is launched at Groton, Conn. (However, the Nautilus does not make its first nuclear-powered run until nearly a year later.)
1977: President Jimmy Carter pardons almost all Vietnam War draft evaders. 1997: Speaker Newt Gingrich is reprimanded and fined as the House votes for the first time in history to discipline its leader for ethical misconduct.
will not be eligible for parole until he is 65, adding he must ask the court to seek parole. “It was a Dexter circumstanWatson tial evidence case, but he made several different statements about what happened, and that helped convince the jury,” Martin said. “He had the victim’s blood on his shoes, and he
See Watson, Page A7.
CONTACT US
INDEX
Call us
Business...........A6 Classifieds........C6 Comics............. D2 Puzzles..............C5 Dear Abby.......C5 Editorial............A4 People/TV........C4
Advertising....601-636-4545 Classifieds....... 601-636-SELL Circulation......601-636-4545 News................601-636-4545
E-mail us
See A2 for e-mail addresses