TUE SDAY, mA rch 30, 2010 • 50¢
SpOrTS
Pipe remains stable, but city declares emergency
HELLO, MR. GRANT
TONIghT
By Tish Butts tbutts@vicksburgpost.com
Ole Miss meets Dayton at 6 on ESPN2 B1
The situation with the main water line serving Vicksburg was stable this morning, but the mayor and aldermen continued an emergency declaration in case the 36-inch pipe near North Washington Street starts shifting again or breaks. Mayor Paul Winfield said the declaration means the city can immediately hire anyone needed to work on the problem. “In an event we have anything that would occur, we’ll be able to initiate the appropriate authorities,” said Winfield. “It also opens up the opportunity for the city to be reimbursed if we have any out-of-pocket expenses.” Movement in the line, which serves 10,000 home and business customers
WEAThEr Tonight: Clear; low near 46 Wednesday: Sunny; high near 78 Mississippi River:
38.8 feet Rose: 0.4 foot Flood stage: 43 feet
A9
DEAThS • Melba Dianne Roberts
See Water, Page A9.
A9
Lawmaker: Deal reached to save employment office
TODAY IN hISTOrY 1842: Dr. Crawford W. Long of Jefferson, Ga., first uses ether as an anesthetic during a minor operation. 1867: U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward reaches agreement with Russia to purchase the territory of Alaska for $7.2 million, a deal roundly ridiculed as “Seward’s Folly.” 1945: The Soviet Union invades Austria during World War II. 1964: John Glenn withdraws from the Ohio race for the U.S. Senate because John of injuries Glenn suffered in a fall. 1981: President Ronald Reagan is shot and seriously injured outside a WashingRonald ton, D.C., Reagan hotel by John W. Hinckley Jr. 2002: Britain’s Queen Mother Elizabeth dies in her sleep at Royal Lodge, Windsor, outside London; she was 101 years old.
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ONLINE www.vicksburgpost.com VOLUME 128 NUMBER 89 2 SECTIONS
By Shelia Byrd The Associated Press
KATIE CARTER•The Vicksburg PosT
AmeriCorps volunteers hand paint plaques on Grant Avenue in the Vicksburg National Military Park Monday afternoon. The River 6 team, including from front, Hailee Schmidt, 19, of Reno, Nev., Alyse Sadalis, 24, of Washington, D.C., and Trisha VanTrojen, 20, of Auburn, Wash., began working on the plaques a week ago near the Shirley House where the previous team left off last year. They plan to continue the
project through next week and hope to complete all of the plaques on the Union side of the park. Each plaque takes about three days to complete. First, each is pressure washed and primed; then blue paint is applied and allowed to dry overnight; and, finally, two coats of white borders and lettering are applied by hand.
See Office, Page A9.
MONUMENTAL LEFTOVER
$90,000 approved for restoring, replacing markers in city, park By Danny Barrett Jr. dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com About $90,000 unspent in a 1995 state appropriation of $250,000 for work on the Mississippi Monument in the Vicksburg National Military Park will remain available for local use in the latest version of Senate Bill 2844. When written, the original bill limited the funds to the federal preserve’s monument to Mississippi soldiers. A $1 million restoration was undertaken in 2001, mostly using private and federal funds raised over a 13-year period. Conferees on S.B. 2844, including Sen. Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, and Rep. George Flaggs, D-Vicksburg, agreed to allow the balance be held in escrow by the state Department of Archives and History. It could be spent on an ongoing effort to restore and replace metal markers or “any other landmarks” in the park or in the city. Any project would be subject to approval by the National Park Service and the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign, according to the bill, which awaits the signature of Gov. Haley Barbour. Metal portions of the Mississippi Monument, which has been in the park since 1909, were pitted and eroded before the restoration. Other bills of local interest before committees include: • House Bill 1732 and Senate Bill 3193, sponsored by the local delegation of Flaggs, Hopson and Rep. Alex Monsour, R-Vicksburg, each of which authorizes Warren County supervisors to contribute up to $103,500 to nine local nonprofit agencies. Using tax revenue for purposes such as
JACKSON — A key Democratic lawmaker believes he’s reached a compromise with Republican Gov. Haley Barbour over proposed changes to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security to make the state eligible for more stimulus money. A bill to reauthorize the Mississippi Department of Employment Security stalled during this year’s session when some Democrats wanted to force Barbour to accept $56 million in federal stimulus for the jobless. The department handles unemployment claims and pays out benefits.
Meth seizures boom across Mississippi; now tops, state says From staff and AP reports
KATIE CARTER•The Vicksburg PosT
The Mississippi Memorial at the Vicksburg National Military Park purely charitable donations is normally illegal. Warren County supervisors have routinely sought special permission to make such payments, although the amount requested this year reflects across-theboard cuts. The final allocations may end up being less because of overruns already evident in this year’s spending plan, supervisors have said. Both versions are before the Local and Private Committees in each chamber after passing the House 111-6 and the Senate 52-0. • House Bill 1739 and Senate Bill 3198, See Park, Page A9.
to this point in 2009, with 20 recorded versus 18. What has been found this The Mississippi Bureau of year, however, have been Narcotics says seizures of more abandoned methamphetamine portable meth labs so far this year — recovered in such have exceeded the places as under a number for this time U.S. 61 bridge near last year. Yokena and, most MBN Director recently, a so-called Marshall Fisher “shake-and-bake” says methamphetlab found Saturday amine is the largest in a backpack hanggrowing threat and has prompted the ‘Shake and ing from a tree on Campbell Swamp agency to shift its bake is by Road. focus. Rankin County far the most Sheriff Martin Pace said Warren has seen the most prevalent County’s numbers meth seizures by MBN this year, and method of probably have not increased signifiSheriff Ronnie Penmanufacturing cantly because it nington says he hopes the state’s meth now and has had meth-certified investigators new pseudoephedone reason is aggressively trackrine law helps curb the problem. because it is ing the illegal activity for some time, Passed and signed disposable.’ but added that the into law in Januabandoned labs are ary, the law makes MARTiN “incredibly dangerpseudoephedrine, PAcE ous” to the public. an essential ingrediWarren “Shake and bake ent for meth that’s counTy sheriff is by far the most found in cold remprevalent method edies, available by of manufacturing meth now prescription only. It takes and one reason is because effect in July. it is disposable,” said Pace. Meth-related arrests in Warren County this year are up slightly when compared See Meth, Page A9.