Bill Marcy may not beat Bennie Thompson in November, but you sure have to have some respect for a man who will walk into a human lions den and call out the Congressman in front of his own supporters. Bennie undoubtedly is not used to having the type of opponent who will actually have the fortitude to pull something like this off and I think it is refreshing to have a candidate who will take this sort of approach. The most telling thing in their encounter for me is when Thompson is pressed to answer for his district being among the poorest in the country with the worst schools and the best he could come up with is to point to a period 80 years ago and take zero accountability for where his district is today. The only thing Bennie Thompson has ever done for his district is cash his own check. The man is a failure to his constituents who are sadly just too obtuse to realize it. Good for Marcy to try and show him for the failure that he is.
Read more at Majority In Mississippi Blog
Monday, July 12, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Bond set in Madison baby death case
CANTON, Miss. (AP) - Bond has been set at $35,000 for a Flora woman charged in the death of her newborn son.
Madison County District Attorney Michael Guest has said authorities believe the newborn boy found last week in a suitcase left in weeds behind a Flora-area church was alive when someone disposed of him.
The Clarion-Ledger reports bond was set Thursday for 41-year-old Shelia Ealey by a justice court judge. A grand jury will hear the case. Ealey has been charged with murder.
The infant was found Friday by a church member clearing weeds around the property. Authorities say the boy was wrapped in a garbage bag and blanket inside the suitcase.
WDAM
Madison County District Attorney Michael Guest has said authorities believe the newborn boy found last week in a suitcase left in weeds behind a Flora-area church was alive when someone disposed of him.
The Clarion-Ledger reports bond was set Thursday for 41-year-old Shelia Ealey by a justice court judge. A grand jury will hear the case. Ealey has been charged with murder.
The infant was found Friday by a church member clearing weeds around the property. Authorities say the boy was wrapped in a garbage bag and blanket inside the suitcase.
WDAM
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Greenwood Cottonmouth: Company Worker Gets Raise, Walks Out
Ever wonder why things are so bad in the Delta? Read this.
Local Sandwich Shop owner, John Doe, recently moved to Greenwood from California. Doe said he has worked in human resources off and on for 15 years in the restaurant industry. Adjusting to employee behavior in the Delta has been difficult, he said.
"Within five months of being here, I've had three cooks walk out on me. This was after I had either increased their hours or given them a raise - or both - because they were doin' a good job. It's hard to find good employees here," he said.
"The third time it happened - yesterday - I stopped LaQuincia in the parking lot and said, 'Hey! What's wrong? I gave you a raise. Was it not enough?' And man, she went off on my a**," Doe said.
The employee went through a five-minute laundry list of various government benefits, such as childcare, healthcare and subsidized housing, that she would lose if she earned more money. Doe said she acted as if he was trying to bankrupt her.
"I apologized and offered to take it back," he said, "but she stormed off. I guess I've learned my lesson.
Thompson met by Darcy at Greenwood meeting
The Republican opponent for the 2nd Congressional District seat surprised incumbent Bennie Thompson at the Greenwood Voters League meeting Wednesday night.
Thompson, a Democrat, had planned to give a legislative update to the Voters League, but he found an RV covered with "Bill Marcy for Congress" stickers parked outside the building. Marcy sat quietly during much of the meeting before addressing Thompson during the question-and-answer period after his speech.
Thompson, who was first elected to Congress in 1993, discussed his record in office. He said his stance on health care is unwavering.
"We are the only democracy left in the world that does not provide health care for all of its citizens," he said. "Everybody tells me they are Christians, but why in the world wouldn't a Christian want to provide health care to other citizens?"
He said he has worked diligently to funnel money into Delta projects, including some that are still ongoing.
Thompson, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said his efforts have also made the country safer.
"I'm happy to report to you that since the 9/11 incident, we have not had one major breach in this country," Thompson said. "You can still walk out of your home. You can still fly wherever you want to."
Thompson said the people of the district "know better" than to vote for Marcy. Marcy, a resident of Meridian, lives more than 100 miles from the district.
"Now, how in the world is somebody going to come into this district and say I want you to vote for me, even though I can't vote for myself?'" Thompson said.
Thompson said he wasn't convinced that Marcy was dedicated to the district.
Marcy said his father and grandmother grew up in Mississippi, and he has other ancestral ties to the state. He told the Voters League that his father left the state because "back in 1932 some white folks said that my daddy looked at a white woman too long."
While responding to Marcy, Thompson said, "It's important for people to understand just what people have been through. I didn't leave like you did. I stayed here ... I can tell the story, but I want to tell the story to folk who stay here. I don't want to tell the story to the gypsy."
After the meeting, Marcy said he originally planned to move into the district if he was elected. He said he now plans to move into the district regardless in the next few weeks.
"This election is not about where Bill Marcy lives," he said. "This is about who can help the poorest districts in one of the poorest states in the union."
During the question-and-answer period, Marcy asked Thompson only one series of questions: "Why is it that the second district is the poorest district in the nation? And why is it that we have such a high crime rate? And why is that the schools are listed as some of the most failing schools in challenging our children?"
Thompson said the plantation system of the 1930s and 1940s promoted cheap labor instead of industry. The Delta is still recovering from that, he said.
"I don't accept responsibility for where we are," Thompson said. "I didn't create it. You didn't create it. But I've worked to improve it."
At one point, state Sen. David Jordan, president of the league, chastised Marcy for not allowing Thompson to finish an answer to a question. Marcy said he wanted a chance to defend himself after being spoken about "like a dog."
"This is not your night," Jordan said. "We didn't know you were coming. This is Congressman Thompson's night."
Marcy told Jordan he was "looking forward to my night."
Thompson said after the meeting that by showing up uninvited, Marcy had overstepped common courtesy.
"He showed disrespect to the Voters League," Thompson said. "I wouldn't have done that to him. But I wasn't impressed by him tonight."
Marcy said he thinks he may have rattled the congressman even more than he intended.
"He was more aggressive toward me than I thought he would be, especially for being in office so long," Marcy said. "I think it's a good sign that he is worried about me. He sees that I am an opponent to be worried about."
Marcy said Thompson's answer to most problems has been government programs. "I'm not looking for handouts," he said. "I want to bring high-paying jobs."
Greenwood Commonwealth
Flora man plans waterways paddling event to talk about Alzheimer's
Paddlers will meet Saturday at Marker No. 1 of the Old Fort Bayou Blue Trail. The effort will continue on Mississippi Gulf Coast regions through July and August.
Plunkett will travel across five regions in Mississippi to paddle waterways during the next year.
During the trips, the Flora resident will tell stories of Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers in each region and will highlight efforts by the Alzheimer’s Association and medical professionals to defeat the disease.
He will also speak with groups across the state to raise awareness and money to aid families affected by the disease with support services.
Plunkett has set a goal of 600 miles, or roughly 120 miles per region and hopes to entice a few others to join him on some of the excursions throughout the year.
The project is named in memory of Plunkett’s grandmother, Lucy Plunkett, who suffered from Alzheimer’s before succumbing to the disease in 1993.
For more information visit http://www.lucysrevenge.com/.
Clarion Ledger
Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah may follow Arizona's lead on immigration law
Attention is focused on Arizona and the federal government's challenge to the state's strict new immigration law, but three other states could adopt similar legislation next year.
Lawmakers in Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah, which have already taken steps against illegal immigration, say that Arizona-style measures have a realistic chance of passing when their legislatures reconvene in 2011.
The Obama administration sued Arizona in federal court Tuesday, charging that the state law usurps federal authority, would hamper immigration enforcement and would lead to police harassment of those who have no proof of lawful status. The government asked that a federal judge stop the law from taking effect July 29.
Legislators in at least 17 other states introduced bills this year similar to the Arizona law, which allows officers to question anyone they suspect of being in the country illegally. But most of those measures are not considered likely to be adopted or signed by governors.
The political climate in Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah, however, improves the chances that state legislatures there could follow Arizona's lead in 2011.
In 2007, Oklahoma led the way on such laws by adopting legislation that makes it a felony to knowingly transport or shelter an illegal immigrant. It also blocked illegal immigrants from obtaining driver's licenses and in-state tuition.
State Rep. Randy Terrill (R), who sponsored the measure, has expressed a desire to go beyond the Arizona law when he introduces a bill next year that would seize property from businesses that knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
Terrill cited the arrest last week of an alleged Mexican drug cartel member in Oklahoma as evidence that an "Arizona-plus" measure is needed urgently. He said the effect of Arizona's law has been to push illegal immigrants "straight down Interstate 40" toward Oklahoma.
Vivek Malhotra, advocacy and policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, said the administration's decision to sue Arizona could discourage other states from doing the same. But he also said that similar legislation may be adopted in 2011.
"After the other border states, it is natural to look at the states that have enacted the most anti-immigrant laws" before Arizona, Malhotra said. He said he expected Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah to make the "most vigorous effort" to enact similar legislation early next year.
Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said he thinks the Obama administration designed the lawsuit against Arizona as a "shot across the bows" of all states considering similar moves. He said he doubts, though, that Terrill will be deterred.
"Randy Terrill has made this his issue in Oklahoma and has earned bipartisan support in the past," he said. "He is a determined guy and he is not going to back down too easily."
In Utah, state Rep. Stephen Sandstrom (R) has been making regular fact-finding trips to Arizona as he finalizes a draft bill. But, following the announcement of the federal suit, he said he may consider watering down one of the Arizona law's most contentious elements.
Under the law, state officers are instructed to check immigration status if they have a "reasonable suspicion" that a person is in the country illegally. Sandstrom said his measure may require officers to meet the higher legal standard of "probable cause" to suspect someone of being undocumented before checking.
"I don't want people of Hispanic descent to feel my bill is aimed at them," he said.
A Utah law that took effect last year made it illegal to harbor or employ undocumented workers. Gov. Gary R. Herbert (R) has said he expects to sign new immigration legislation next year and is meeting with all sides to find a way forward.
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) touted a comprehensive set of measures against illegal immigration as the nation's strictest when he signed it into law in 2008. The far-reaching legislation forced businesses to check the immigration status of their workers. Harboring and transporting illegal immigrants also became a state crime. State lawmakers are seeking to build on it and were quick this year to draw up an Arizona-style bill, introducing it less than a week after the Arizona measure was signed.
State Sen. Larry Martin (R) said in an interview that an Arizona-type measure was introduced too late this year. "But I have every expectation a new bill will be introduced in January," he said. "As long as an officer has a lawful reason to question someone, and then a suspicion develops [that] they are an undocumented person, then I think our law enforcement folks ought to be able to pursue that," he said.
Washington Post
Immigration
Lawmakers in Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah, which have already taken steps against illegal immigration, say that Arizona-style measures have a realistic chance of passing when their legislatures reconvene in 2011.
The Obama administration sued Arizona in federal court Tuesday, charging that the state law usurps federal authority, would hamper immigration enforcement and would lead to police harassment of those who have no proof of lawful status. The government asked that a federal judge stop the law from taking effect July 29.
Legislators in at least 17 other states introduced bills this year similar to the Arizona law, which allows officers to question anyone they suspect of being in the country illegally. But most of those measures are not considered likely to be adopted or signed by governors.
The political climate in Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah, however, improves the chances that state legislatures there could follow Arizona's lead in 2011.
In 2007, Oklahoma led the way on such laws by adopting legislation that makes it a felony to knowingly transport or shelter an illegal immigrant. It also blocked illegal immigrants from obtaining driver's licenses and in-state tuition.
State Rep. Randy Terrill (R), who sponsored the measure, has expressed a desire to go beyond the Arizona law when he introduces a bill next year that would seize property from businesses that knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
Terrill cited the arrest last week of an alleged Mexican drug cartel member in Oklahoma as evidence that an "Arizona-plus" measure is needed urgently. He said the effect of Arizona's law has been to push illegal immigrants "straight down Interstate 40" toward Oklahoma.
Vivek Malhotra, advocacy and policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, said the administration's decision to sue Arizona could discourage other states from doing the same. But he also said that similar legislation may be adopted in 2011.
"After the other border states, it is natural to look at the states that have enacted the most anti-immigrant laws" before Arizona, Malhotra said. He said he expected Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah to make the "most vigorous effort" to enact similar legislation early next year.
Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said he thinks the Obama administration designed the lawsuit against Arizona as a "shot across the bows" of all states considering similar moves. He said he doubts, though, that Terrill will be deterred.
"Randy Terrill has made this his issue in Oklahoma and has earned bipartisan support in the past," he said. "He is a determined guy and he is not going to back down too easily."
In Utah, state Rep. Stephen Sandstrom (R) has been making regular fact-finding trips to Arizona as he finalizes a draft bill. But, following the announcement of the federal suit, he said he may consider watering down one of the Arizona law's most contentious elements.
Under the law, state officers are instructed to check immigration status if they have a "reasonable suspicion" that a person is in the country illegally. Sandstrom said his measure may require officers to meet the higher legal standard of "probable cause" to suspect someone of being undocumented before checking.
"I don't want people of Hispanic descent to feel my bill is aimed at them," he said.
A Utah law that took effect last year made it illegal to harbor or employ undocumented workers. Gov. Gary R. Herbert (R) has said he expects to sign new immigration legislation next year and is meeting with all sides to find a way forward.
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) touted a comprehensive set of measures against illegal immigration as the nation's strictest when he signed it into law in 2008. The far-reaching legislation forced businesses to check the immigration status of their workers. Harboring and transporting illegal immigrants also became a state crime. State lawmakers are seeking to build on it and were quick this year to draw up an Arizona-style bill, introducing it less than a week after the Arizona measure was signed.
State Sen. Larry Martin (R) said in an interview that an Arizona-type measure was introduced too late this year. "But I have every expectation a new bill will be introduced in January," he said. "As long as an officer has a lawful reason to question someone, and then a suspicion develops [that] they are an undocumented person, then I think our law enforcement folks ought to be able to pursue that," he said.
Washington Post
Immigration
Madison County tax rolls swell
Property value tops $1B for 7th straight year
Madison County's growth spurt continues as the tax rolls keep getting fatter.
For the seventh year in a row, the assessed value of real and personal property topped the billion-dollar mark. The total worth of the county hit $1.36 billion in assessed value in 2010, showing a 4 percent increase over last year, Tax Assessor Gerald Barber told the Board of Supervisors.
"There are 81 other tax assessors who would love to have these numbers," Barber said.
In today's slumping national economy, the county's growth is more than the tax assessor expected. He said he was hoping to beat 2 percent growth.
Supervisors will take the property values, which represent a percentage of true value, to prepare a budget for spending in the fiscal year starting Oct. 1.
"Going into the budget working with these numbers and the positive news that Gerald gave us means we can balance our books without a tax increase," said Tim Johnson, president of the Board of Supervisors. "Looking at 4 percent growth in this economy, Madison County is very blessed."
In addition to the county's growth, Barber also presented assessed values for the four municipalities and two school districts, and all but one showed an increase. The city of Canton's 2010 tax assessment showed a 2 percent drop from 2009, from $71.7 million to $70.4 million.
Madison and Ridgeland both experienced a 5 percent growth in value, while Flora reflected a 3 percent growth in assessed value. The Madison County school district showed a 4 percent increase over last year, while the Canton school district showed a 3 percent rise.
"In this economy, that's really, really fantastic," said David Overby, Ridgeland director of finance.
The city of Madison was the only one to show an increase in the assessed value of autos among the county's taxing districts. The value of vehicles in the city, reflected by taxes paid in car tags, rose 6 percent, compared with a 4 percent drop in the county and in the county school district, a 5 percent drop in Ridgeland and in Flora, a 7 percent drop in the Canton school district and a 10 percent decrease in Canton.
"It appears the city of Madison is still buying cars," Barber said.
The lower values in the automobile class shows that people are holding onto their existing vehicles and paying less in taxes on tags each year or they are buying less expensive cars than in the past and paying less for tags, he said.
Barber, who spoke to supervisors on Tuesday, also said the tax rolls show a decrease in new construction throughout the county, except in Ridgeland.
Madison County overall showed a drop in construction of $7.8 million, down to $35.5 million, while Ridgeland showed an increase of about $841,000 in assessed value, up to $11.7 million.
Clarion Ledger
Madison County's growth spurt continues as the tax rolls keep getting fatter.
For the seventh year in a row, the assessed value of real and personal property topped the billion-dollar mark. The total worth of the county hit $1.36 billion in assessed value in 2010, showing a 4 percent increase over last year, Tax Assessor Gerald Barber told the Board of Supervisors.
"There are 81 other tax assessors who would love to have these numbers," Barber said.
In today's slumping national economy, the county's growth is more than the tax assessor expected. He said he was hoping to beat 2 percent growth.
Supervisors will take the property values, which represent a percentage of true value, to prepare a budget for spending in the fiscal year starting Oct. 1.
"Going into the budget working with these numbers and the positive news that Gerald gave us means we can balance our books without a tax increase," said Tim Johnson, president of the Board of Supervisors. "Looking at 4 percent growth in this economy, Madison County is very blessed."
In addition to the county's growth, Barber also presented assessed values for the four municipalities and two school districts, and all but one showed an increase. The city of Canton's 2010 tax assessment showed a 2 percent drop from 2009, from $71.7 million to $70.4 million.
Madison and Ridgeland both experienced a 5 percent growth in value, while Flora reflected a 3 percent growth in assessed value. The Madison County school district showed a 4 percent increase over last year, while the Canton school district showed a 3 percent rise.
"In this economy, that's really, really fantastic," said David Overby, Ridgeland director of finance.
The city of Madison was the only one to show an increase in the assessed value of autos among the county's taxing districts. The value of vehicles in the city, reflected by taxes paid in car tags, rose 6 percent, compared with a 4 percent drop in the county and in the county school district, a 5 percent drop in Ridgeland and in Flora, a 7 percent drop in the Canton school district and a 10 percent decrease in Canton.
"It appears the city of Madison is still buying cars," Barber said.
The lower values in the automobile class shows that people are holding onto their existing vehicles and paying less in taxes on tags each year or they are buying less expensive cars than in the past and paying less for tags, he said.
Barber, who spoke to supervisors on Tuesday, also said the tax rolls show a decrease in new construction throughout the county, except in Ridgeland.
Madison County overall showed a drop in construction of $7.8 million, down to $35.5 million, while Ridgeland showed an increase of about $841,000 in assessed value, up to $11.7 million.
Clarion Ledger
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The Passing Of A Good-Hearted Person
BY: Keith Plunkett
Judy Greaves passed away on Tuesday, July 6 after a long bout with cancer. Judy was someone that always greeted with a smile. When she was still acting in her capacity as Flora's First Lady, she would also greet me with a chore. But, I could never say no to Miss Judy.
Only days after her husband Scott took the reins as Mayor in 2006, she called to ask me to come meet with them. I had been working on my first civic project for the town for the better part of a year, and had been attempting to get the former Mayor and Board of Alderman to approve some cleanup projects, landscaping and beautification for the Town of Flora to no avail. She sat both me and Scott down in a room at City Hall and told us we were going to get it done. We did.
She helped organize the first Landscape Advisory Board, and when it came time to pick a President, she unhesitatingly nominated me. The time I served on that board with Judy was some of the most aggravating and fun times I have had. It taught me a great deal about municipal government; how it works, and how it doesn't.
But, it also led to a number of important projects completed around Flora. We wrote and helped pass the first ever Landscape Ordinance in the town. We designed a town seal, had them constructed into big signs, and placed them at the entrances to town on Highway 49. We also worked with the Flora Historical Society to restart discussions about a Veteran's Memorial. That project had languished for years as nothing more than a good idea. Today, in part because of her tenacity, it stands at Main Street as a memorial to those who have given their life for our freedom.
In my mind, it also stands as a memorial to her. I will forever be grateful for her constant words of support and encouragement.
Our prayers are with Scott and the Greaves family. Judy will be laid to rest in Flora Cemetery on Friday at 11:30 following visitation at Flora Methodist Church.
Judy Greaves passed away on Tuesday, July 6 after a long bout with cancer. Judy was someone that always greeted with a smile. When she was still acting in her capacity as Flora's First Lady, she would also greet me with a chore. But, I could never say no to Miss Judy.Only days after her husband Scott took the reins as Mayor in 2006, she called to ask me to come meet with them. I had been working on my first civic project for the town for the better part of a year, and had been attempting to get the former Mayor and Board of Alderman to approve some cleanup projects, landscaping and beautification for the Town of Flora to no avail. She sat both me and Scott down in a room at City Hall and told us we were going to get it done. We did.
She helped organize the first Landscape Advisory Board, and when it came time to pick a President, she unhesitatingly nominated me. The time I served on that board with Judy was some of the most aggravating and fun times I have had. It taught me a great deal about municipal government; how it works, and how it doesn't.
But, it also led to a number of important projects completed around Flora. We wrote and helped pass the first ever Landscape Ordinance in the town. We designed a town seal, had them constructed into big signs, and placed them at the entrances to town on Highway 49. We also worked with the Flora Historical Society to restart discussions about a Veteran's Memorial. That project had languished for years as nothing more than a good idea. Today, in part because of her tenacity, it stands at Main Street as a memorial to those who have given their life for our freedom.
In my mind, it also stands as a memorial to her. I will forever be grateful for her constant words of support and encouragement.
Our prayers are with Scott and the Greaves family. Judy will be laid to rest in Flora Cemetery on Friday at 11:30 following visitation at Flora Methodist Church.
Arizona Gets Help In Defense From Federal Lawsuit, Congressman Harper Among Critics of Obama Lawsuit
One News Now has a story on a Christian law firm that will assist Arizona in its defense against the Obama Justice Department's lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of The Grand Canyon State's immigration enforcement statute.
The lawsuit argues that Arizona's new measure, which requires state and local police to question and possibly arrest illegal aliens during the enforcement of other laws, like traffic stops, usurps federal authority.
Not missing an opportunity to cry wolf, Benjamin Todd Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP, cheered the lawsuit. Maybe he was "Jealous" that Obama was stealing some of his "poor me" mojo, and wanted to ride the President's coat tails. At any rate, he had the following statement
The international operations director adds challenging the constitutionality of Arizona's border enforcement law is not going to do anything to solve the root problem: the continued failure of the federal government to protect the United States from the illegal alien invasion.
Sekulow says the ACLJ is going to file an amicus brief supporting the border state's law.
Mississippi Congressman Gregg Harper joined other conservative members of the House condemning the adminstrations decision to follow through with the lawsuit.
"It is illegal to be in the United States without proper documentation, plain and simple. Those who are here illegally should have to face consequences," said Harper. "Arizona had taken a reasonable and constitutional approach to end this decades-old problem that has continuously been ignored by the Obama Administration. Illegal immigration is a matter of national security."
The lawsuit argues that Arizona's new measure, which requires state and local police to question and possibly arrest illegal aliens during the enforcement of other laws, like traffic stops, usurps federal authority.
President Barack Obama has called the state law "misguided," but Jordan Sekulow, director of international operations with the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), contends that Obama's grievance is what is misguided.
"For President Obama to invoke race in this, which he did in that speech -- calling this divisive, saying this may lead to people being pulled over because of how they talk or what color their skin is, and then, of course, invoking religion -- is totally misguided," Sekulow argues
Not missing an opportunity to cry wolf, Benjamin Todd Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP, cheered the lawsuit. Maybe he was "Jealous" that Obama was stealing some of his "poor me" mojo, and wanted to ride the President's coat tails. At any rate, he had the following statement
“In filing this lawsuit, the Obama administration has taken a strong and principled stand against Arizona’s discriminatory law," said Jealous. "African-Americans have the misfortune of being all too familiar with the pernicious effects of racial profiling, and we welcome the addition of the administration to the broad spectrum of organizations already challenging this unconstitutional law.”Sekulow says that while a crackdown on illegal immigration has the support of the majority of Americans, many Christian groups "have bought into President Obama's propaganda."
The international operations director adds challenging the constitutionality of Arizona's border enforcement law is not going to do anything to solve the root problem: the continued failure of the federal government to protect the United States from the illegal alien invasion.
"You have drug wars going on 12 miles from the Arizona border where 21 people are killed, and this is creeping right into the state," he notes. "So what our leaders have done here in our country is made it a political issue."
Sekulow says the ACLJ is going to file an amicus brief supporting the border state's law.
Mississippi Congressman Gregg Harper joined other conservative members of the House condemning the adminstrations decision to follow through with the lawsuit.
"It is illegal to be in the United States without proper documentation, plain and simple. Those who are here illegally should have to face consequences," said Harper. "Arizona had taken a reasonable and constitutional approach to end this decades-old problem that has continuously been ignored by the Obama Administration. Illegal immigration is a matter of national security."
Madison County DA: Baby was alive when dumped in Flora
Suspected mother of dumped infant treated
FLORA — Authorities believe the newborn boy found in a suitcase left in weeds behind a church was alive when his mother disposed of him, Madison County District Attorney Michael Guest said.
Shelia Ealey, 41, who already had five children, is charged with murder.
"The baby was not born at a hospital," Guest said Tuesday. "Based on the investigation, it appears the child was alive when she abandoned it, which appears to be a short time after she gave birth - less than 24 hours."
On Tuesday, Ealey, of Flora, was treated at a hospital for complications related to childbirth. Officials still are awaiting DNA tests to determine if Ealey is the baby's mother.
Ealey is expected to have her initial appearance today in Madison County Justice Court. She is being held in the Madison County jail without bond.
Guest said evidence in the case points to murder but a grand jury will determine whether Ealey will be indicted on murder, manslaughter or capital murder. He said the investigation is ongoing.
Madison County Coroner Alex Breeland said an autopsy has been completed but the cause of death is pending further results.
The infant was found Friday behind Smith Chapel Baptist Church by a church member clearing weeds around the property. The boy was wrapped in a garbage bag and blanket inside the suitcase.
The church, where Ealey attended, is on rural Livingston-Vernon Road, east of U.S. 49 in the Kearney Park community, and about a mile from Ealey's home.
Hours after the baby was discovered, Ealey turned herself in to deputies.
Ealey's neighbors Belinda Walker and Clara Cowan said they never knew she was pregnant.
"We couldn't tell," said Walker, who lives next door to Ealey on Magnolia Street.
Walker said Ealey lived alone with her five children and they appeared to be a normal family.
Cowan, 59, said she's known Ealey since Ealey was a toddler. Ealey grew up in the Magnolia Street home across from Cowan's.
Cowan said she would see Ealey go to work, come home and cook for her children every day.
"None of us thought she was the one who did this. Everybody's shocked," Cowan said.
Cowan said Ealey's oldest child is in his early 20s and the youngest is about 9 years old.
Madison County Sheriff Toby Trowbridge said Ealey's children would most likely be placed in the care of relatives.
Clarion Ledger
Shelia Ealey, 41, who already had five children, is charged with murder.
"The baby was not born at a hospital," Guest said Tuesday. "Based on the investigation, it appears the child was alive when she abandoned it, which appears to be a short time after she gave birth - less than 24 hours."
On Tuesday, Ealey, of Flora, was treated at a hospital for complications related to childbirth. Officials still are awaiting DNA tests to determine if Ealey is the baby's mother.
Ealey is expected to have her initial appearance today in Madison County Justice Court. She is being held in the Madison County jail without bond.
Guest said evidence in the case points to murder but a grand jury will determine whether Ealey will be indicted on murder, manslaughter or capital murder. He said the investigation is ongoing.
Madison County Coroner Alex Breeland said an autopsy has been completed but the cause of death is pending further results.
The infant was found Friday behind Smith Chapel Baptist Church by a church member clearing weeds around the property. The boy was wrapped in a garbage bag and blanket inside the suitcase.
The church, where Ealey attended, is on rural Livingston-Vernon Road, east of U.S. 49 in the Kearney Park community, and about a mile from Ealey's home.
Hours after the baby was discovered, Ealey turned herself in to deputies.
Ealey's neighbors Belinda Walker and Clara Cowan said they never knew she was pregnant.
"We couldn't tell," said Walker, who lives next door to Ealey on Magnolia Street.
Walker said Ealey lived alone with her five children and they appeared to be a normal family.
Cowan, 59, said she's known Ealey since Ealey was a toddler. Ealey grew up in the Magnolia Street home across from Cowan's.
Cowan said she would see Ealey go to work, come home and cook for her children every day.
"None of us thought she was the one who did this. Everybody's shocked," Cowan said.
Cowan said Ealey's oldest child is in his early 20s and the youngest is about 9 years old.
Madison County Sheriff Toby Trowbridge said Ealey's children would most likely be placed in the care of relatives.
Clarion Ledger
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Arrest made in dead baby case
An arrest has been made in the case of a baby who's body was found in a suitcase behind a church near Flora.
Madison County Sheriff Toby Trowbridge says 41-year-old Sheila Ealey, of Flora, turned herself in to authorities late Friday night between 9 and 10pm.
An autopsy has been performed on the infant's body and Sheriff Trowbridge says DNA testing will confirm whether Ealey is the mother of the newborn.
Ealey is being held in the Madison County Detention Center without bond and will appear in court Tuesday.
WLBT
Madison County Sheriff Toby Trowbridge says 41-year-old Sheila Ealey, of Flora, turned herself in to authorities late Friday night between 9 and 10pm.
An autopsy has been performed on the infant's body and Sheriff Trowbridge says DNA testing will confirm whether Ealey is the mother of the newborn.
Ealey is being held in the Madison County Detention Center without bond and will appear in court Tuesday.
WLBT
Rock solid reputation: Forest near Flora a real gem
As of Wednesday, it also gained the signature of Susie Crommett, 64, of Madison, who made her first trip here.
"Yes, I hate to admit it, but I've never taken the time to stop and see it - which was a mistake because this place is beautiful," she says. "And to make matters worse, I'm originally from Yazoo City. I've driven past the sign about the petrified forest on (U. S. 49) a million times."
Crommett came at the urging of her granddaughter, whose brother had visited here. "It's a shame, really," Crommett says. "We go all over creation - to Disneyland and the like - but never stop to look at the things in our own backyard. But this place isn't hyped a lot. You don't hear a lot about it."
The Mississippi Petrified Forest, located about two miles southwest of Flora just off U.S. 49, is the only one of its kind in the nation east of the Mississippi River. Here, you can see and touch logs and pieces of wood that are roughly 36 million years old. They are everywhere along a shady, clean walking path in the middle of about eight acres.
One should allow about 45 minutes to cover the half-mile trail. Points of interest are numbered and information about each is included in a pamphlet.
And, yes, that figure is correct: 36 million years old. Bob Dellar, resident expert who helps run the place, has done the math to put it in perspective.
"Scientists say the age of the earth is about 4.5 billion years old," he says. "If you put that in reference to a football field - 300 feet - the average human life span would be about the width of a human hair, or 12 millionths of an inch. These petrified logs, or 36 million years, would represent 2.4 feet."
Petrified wood is a tree that turned to stone beneath sediment, which was originally carried by wind, water or ice. All its organic material has been replaced by minerals. Over time, erosion causes the petrified wood to surface.
The petrified forest here was believed to have been first publicly recognized in an 1845 article written by a state geologist. National Geographic magazine featured the forest in a story about Mississippi in its September 1937 edition.
"In 1955, the Schabilion family - Bob and Shirl - came across the forest and felt it was something that needed to be preserved. Bob Schabilion had a keen interest in rocks and minerals," Dellar says. "Only problem was, it wasn't for sale. They were finally able to buy it in 1962 - mortgaging about everything they owned - and the forest opened to the public in 1963."
It is still owned by the Schabilion family.
In 1966, it became a Registered National Natural Landmark. The Legislature made petrified wood the official state stone in 1976.
"I really do believe we're one of the best-kept secrets in the state -even though there are signs along Highway 49 that direct people here," he says. "I continue to be amazed by the people in this part of the state who don't even know it's here. But once they visit, they're usually repeat customers."
A campground with spots for 11 RVs and four or more tents is also available. A gift shop is stocked full of jewelry made of petrified wood.
Visitors are welcomed to try their hand at fluming, which is similar to panning for gold except the prizes are gems and minerals. One recent visitor came away with colorful blue calcite, Mexican opal, peacock ore and a piece of quartz.
"I have driven past the petrified forest in Arizona but was never able to stop and go in," says Jim Wirshing, 54, of Montgomery, Ala., standing in the gift shop. "So when my wife and I came across this place a while back, we stopped and really enjoyed it. We were back in the area, so I decided to come out again.
"The petrified wood is beautiful and nice to see. But one of the things I love about this place is the trail you walk. You feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. You can't hear vehicles on the highway. I totally just let my brain rest when I'm out there. It's really a neat, relaxing thing."
Clarion Ledger
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Coroner: Baby Found Dead In Suitcase Behind Flora Church
Body Found Off Livingston Vernon Road In Flora
The body of a baby was found stuffed in a suitcase on Friday, the Madison County coroner said.
Coroner Alex Breeland said the body was found behind a church in the 3200 block of Livingston Vernon Road in Flora at about 2:30 p.m.
Breeland said the baby was a newborn boy, but he said he's not sure how the baby died.
WAPT
Friday, July 2, 2010
Thompson Wants Answers On FEMA Trailers
Congressman Seeks Inquiry on Trailers
A Mississippi congressman asked the Justice Department on Thursday to investigate the use of potentially contaminated FEMAtrailers to house cleanup workers involved with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The request, by Representative Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, followed an article about the trailers Thursday in The New York Times.
In his letter, Mr. Thompson, a Democrat who was one of the most vocal opponents of the public sale of the trailers, also demanded that the General Services Administration and FEMA provide documents by July 15 indicating how each agency has enforced the legally binding requirements on the buyers of the trailers.
More than 100,000 of the trailers were publicly auctioned this year by the federal government on the condition that they not be used for long-term housing and with the requirement that placards be posted warning of the trailers’ potential hazards from high levels of formaldehyde, a carcinogen. Buyers were required to sign a legally binding waiver agreeing to these terms.
Before the auction, Congressional opponents of the sale said there would be no way to enforce these rules. New evidence emerged this week indicating the validity of those concerns.
In a separate letter, Representative Edward J. Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat and chairman of the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee, asked the G.S.A. for documentation relating to the trailers’ sale and oversight of their use.
On Friday, Mr. Markey also said that he had asked for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether the sales of the trailers constituted an unfair or deceptive practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act.
Laura J. Gerdes, a spokeswoman with the Louisiana attorney general's office, said there office has opened an investigation into the matter as well.
The New York Times
The request, by Representative Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, followed an article about the trailers Thursday in The New York Times.
In his letter, Mr. Thompson, a Democrat who was one of the most vocal opponents of the public sale of the trailers, also demanded that the General Services Administration and FEMA provide documents by July 15 indicating how each agency has enforced the legally binding requirements on the buyers of the trailers.
More than 100,000 of the trailers were publicly auctioned this year by the federal government on the condition that they not be used for long-term housing and with the requirement that placards be posted warning of the trailers’ potential hazards from high levels of formaldehyde, a carcinogen. Buyers were required to sign a legally binding waiver agreeing to these terms.
Before the auction, Congressional opponents of the sale said there would be no way to enforce these rules. New evidence emerged this week indicating the validity of those concerns.
In a separate letter, Representative Edward J. Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat and chairman of the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee, asked the G.S.A. for documentation relating to the trailers’ sale and oversight of their use.
On Friday, Mr. Markey also said that he had asked for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether the sales of the trailers constituted an unfair or deceptive practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act.
Laura J. Gerdes, a spokeswoman with the Louisiana attorney general's office, said there office has opened an investigation into the matter as well.
The New York Times
Hasn't Steele Crammed His Foot Far Enough Down His Throat, Yet? Apparently, Not.
Latest Steele Gaffe Prompts Fresh Calls for His Resignation
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele’s recent comments that the war in Afghanistan is “a war of Obama’s choosing” released on YouTube have led prominent Republican columnist William Kristol to ask him to step down.
And some Republicans on Capitol Hill wouldn’t mind if he took that advice.
"Exhibit 2,345 as to why Steele should not be chairman," one GOP aide said. "The question is, who does he fire this time? Mr. Chairman, Please listen to Mr. Kristol."
Steele’s comments, captured in a poor-quality video at a fundraiser, had Democrats in attack mode and had Republicans cringing, even as Gen. David Petraeus arrived in Afghanistan to oversee the war effort.
“This was a war of Obama’s choosing,” Steele said in the video. “This is not something the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in.”
The former Maryland lieutenant governor later added, “It was the president who was trying to be cute by half by flipping a script demonizing Iraq, while saying the battle really should be in Afghanistan. Well, if he’s such a student of history, has he not understood that you know that’s the one thing you don’t do, is engage in a land war in Afghanistan? All right, because everyone who has tried, over a thousand years of history, has failed. And there are reasons for that. There are other ways to engage in Afghanistan.”
The gaffe-prone RNC chairman also called the situation involving the dismissal of Gen. Stanley McChrystal “comical” during his talk, which appeared to be an attempt at giving messaging advice to Republican candidates for Congress.
Democratic National Committee spokesman Brad Woodhouse ripped Steele for calling the war in Afghanistan unwinnable.
“The American people will be interested to hear that the leader of the Republican Party thinks recent events related to the war are 'comical' and that he is betting against our troops and rooting for failure in Afghanistan,” Woodhouse said.
“It’s simply unconscionable that Michael Steele would undermine the morale of our troops when what they need is our support and encouragement. Michael Steele would do well to remember that we are not in Afghanistan by our own choosing, that we were attacked and that his words have consequences.”
Roll Call
And some Republicans on Capitol Hill wouldn’t mind if he took that advice.
"Exhibit 2,345 as to why Steele should not be chairman," one GOP aide said. "The question is, who does he fire this time? Mr. Chairman, Please listen to Mr. Kristol."
Steele’s comments, captured in a poor-quality video at a fundraiser, had Democrats in attack mode and had Republicans cringing, even as Gen. David Petraeus arrived in Afghanistan to oversee the war effort.
“This was a war of Obama’s choosing,” Steele said in the video. “This is not something the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in.”
The former Maryland lieutenant governor later added, “It was the president who was trying to be cute by half by flipping a script demonizing Iraq, while saying the battle really should be in Afghanistan. Well, if he’s such a student of history, has he not understood that you know that’s the one thing you don’t do, is engage in a land war in Afghanistan? All right, because everyone who has tried, over a thousand years of history, has failed. And there are reasons for that. There are other ways to engage in Afghanistan.”
The gaffe-prone RNC chairman also called the situation involving the dismissal of Gen. Stanley McChrystal “comical” during his talk, which appeared to be an attempt at giving messaging advice to Republican candidates for Congress.
Democratic National Committee spokesman Brad Woodhouse ripped Steele for calling the war in Afghanistan unwinnable.
“The American people will be interested to hear that the leader of the Republican Party thinks recent events related to the war are 'comical' and that he is betting against our troops and rooting for failure in Afghanistan,” Woodhouse said.
“It’s simply unconscionable that Michael Steele would undermine the morale of our troops when what they need is our support and encouragement. Michael Steele would do well to remember that we are not in Afghanistan by our own choosing, that we were attacked and that his words have consequences.”
Roll Call
Monday, June 28, 2010
Justices Say Gun Rights Apply Locally
WASHINGTON — The Second Amendment’s guarantee of an individual right to bear arms applies to state and local gun control laws, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday in 5-to-4 decision.
Justices Will Weigh Challenges to Gun Laws (October 1, 2009) The ruling came almost exactly two years after the court first ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to own guns in District of Columbia v. Heller, another 5-4 decision.
But the Heller case addressed only federal laws; it left open the question of whether Second Amendment rights protect gun owners from overreaching by state and local governments.
The ruling is an enormous symbolic victory for supporters of gun rights, but its short-term practical impact is unclear. As in the Heller decision, the justices left for another day the question of just what kinds of gun control laws can be reconciled with Second Amendment protection.
The majority said only that the right to keep handguns for self-protection at home is constitutionally protected. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., writing for the majority, reiterated the caveats in the Heller decision, saying the court did not mean to cast doubt on laws prohibiting possession of guns by felons or the mentally ill, those forbidding carrying guns in sensitive places like schools and government buildings or those regulating the commercial sale of firearms.
Read more at The New York Times
Byrd Dead at 92
“I am saddened that the family of U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., tearfully announces the passing of the longest serving member of Congress in U.S. history,” Byrd’s office said in a statement.
In a separate statement Sunday afternoon, his office said Byrd had been hospitalized after suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration. He was described as being “seriously ill."
Byrd, who was first elected to the Senate in 1958, was President Pro Tem, a largely ceremonial post but one that put him third in succession to the presidency.
Read more at Roll Call
Thursday, June 24, 2010
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