MPB - Local News Audio Archives

Main

April 2007

Feb 2006

Local Radio News Stories - April 2007
(Audio files are in mp3 format. Click on the file to open it. To save the file to your computer, highlight the link, right click, "Save target as.")

Monday April 2, 2007
	Legislative Session, A Look Back
	Now that the 2007 legislative session is over, what changes in law can the average Mississippian expect to see? MPB's Scott Phillips covered the session from start to finish and has this report
	Listen

	Toyota Impact on Schools
	From sewer lines to building permits - superintendents from seven school districts in Northeast Mississippi got a crash course Friday at the University of Mississippi on how to prepare for the arrival of Toyota on their doorstep. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports.
	Listen

	Educating At Risk Youth
	The academic think tank of "100 Black Men of America" are introducing intervention strategies for at risk youth. MPB's Lawayne Childrey reports.
	Listen

	Keesler Home Building Begins
	The largest military family housing in project in history broke ground Friday at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi. It will replace the more than one thousand homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. MPB’s Gary Michiels has the report.
	Listen

Tuesday April 3, 2007
	Katrina Funding Stalled
	The war in Iraq is having a significant impact on recovery efforts along the Gulf Coast. The political battle in Washington could result in the loss of millions of dollars in Hurricane Katrina recovery funding. MPB’s Gary Michiels has the report.
	Listen

	Saving Mississippi Children From Abuse
	In 2006, the Mississippi Department of Human Services received approximately 19 thousand reports of suspected child abuse and neglect. MPB's Lawayne Childrey reports on a growing problem.
	Listen

	Health Insurance Costs
	One quarter of Mississippi's population is insured thru Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Plan known as CHIP, but many say the government funded system is failing them. MPB's Patty Davis has more.
	Listen

	Colon Cancer
	March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. In Oxford, a giant colon rolled into town to draw attention to the disease that’s expected to kill around 600 Mississippians this year. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports.
	Listen

Wednesday April 4, 2007
	Alcorn State University Gets New President
	Late yesterday, Utica Native, George E. Ross was unanimously selected as the 17th president of Alcorn State University. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
	Listen

	Wind Pool Funds
	There's more good news for gulf coast businesses looking for insurance in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. MPB's Scott Phillips reports that federal aid is coming for wind pool policyholders.
	Listen

	Plain English Insurance
	After Hurricane Katrina devastated homes and businesses on the Gulf Coast thousands of people discovered they did not have the insurance coverage they believed they had purchased. A bill introduced in Congress may make certain that this never happens again. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.
	Listen

	Helping the Homeless
	The plight of the homeless came to the campus of Mississippi College this week. MPB's Patty Davis met with students there and toured their temporary cardboard homes.
	Listen

Thursday April 5, 2007
	State Settlement Equals Better Care for Foster Children
	Mississippi has reached settlement with a child advocacy group that claims foster children in the state's care have been abused and neglected. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.
	Listen

	Contract Accepted
	The strike at the states largest private employer ended last night at midnight. Sixty percent of the Northrop Grumman union members who voted, agreed to the two dollar and seventy eight cent an hour raise over three years. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.
	Listen

	AARP Rallys For Cheaper Drug Costs
	AARP members from across Mississippi are urging congress to support legislation that would give medicare the power to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
	Listen

	NPR Features a MS Story Corps Visit
	MPB's Patty Davis gets a sneak preview of a featured Story Corps Interview.
	Listen

Friday April 6, 2007
	New USM President Confirmed
	After months of searching, the state college board has named new leadership for the University of Southern Mississippi. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.
	Listen

	Health Care Express
	An estimated 45 million Americans don't have health insurance. Yesterday, the "Help is Here Express" rolled into the state capitol offering assistance to Mississippian's in need. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
	Listen

	Judge Denies Seale Venue Change
	U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate denied defense attorneys' request to move the trial of reputed Ku Klux Klansman James Ford Seale out of Jackson yesterday. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
	Listen

	FEMA Q&A
	Federal, state and municipal disaster recovery officials met with Biloxi residents last night. The question and answer meeting was for those who are planning to rebuild their home in or near a flood zone. MPB’s Gary Michiels has the story.
	Listen

Monday April 9, 2007
	Pre-school Immunizations
	Book bags, lunch boxes, and crayons aren't the only things children will need when they start school next fall. MPB's Lawayne Childrey examines new requirements for pre-school immunizations.
	Listen

	Ole Miss Could Go Smoke Free
	In Oxford, lighting up inside a bar or restaurant is against the law…now the University of Mississippi is contemplating making its entire campus tobacco-free. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports.
	Listen

	Safe Prom Nights
	Theater students at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg are dramatizing the dangers of drinking and driving in hopes they can save lives this prom season. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.
	Listen

	First Look at Ground Zero
	A Mississippian who spent some time in the Twin Towers before they were destroyed went back recently to get his first look at Ground Zero. He was accompanied by MPB News Contributor Randy Bell who brings us the story.
	Listen

Tuesday April 10, 2007
	Alternative Disaster Housing
	The Mississippi Alternative Housing Program will get many coast residents out of FEMA trailers, and into what's being called Park Model homes. MPB's Patty Davis reports.
	Listen

	Bio Fuel Plant in Choctaw County
	Choctaw County officials are hoping a new bio fuel facility will help contribute to the county's economic development. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.
	Listen

	Nursing Task Force
	A nursing shortage that has hurt hospitals and other health organizations across the country has been partially blamed on the lack of faculty teachers. MPB's Lawayne Childrey examines how a statewide task force is addressing the problem.
	Listen

	USM Coast Campus Offers Entertainment Studies
	The University of Southern Mississippi on the Gulf Coast will soon offer several new areas of study. And those classes may be taught from a new university location. MPB’s Gary Michiels has the report.
	Listen

Wednesday April 11, 2007
	Mississippi Soldiers Ready
	As politicians in Washington argue over when to withdraw troops from Iraq, hundreds of Mississippi National Guard soldiers are preparing for a possible deployment to the region. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.
	Listen

	The Jeff Davis Saga Continues
	Not even the good news of a slight reduction in the Jefferson Davis School District's 1.9 million dollar deficit could temper the emotions of some school board members. MPB's Lawayne Childrey reports on last nights school board meeting.
	Listen

	Ole Miss Rules on Alcohol
	The University of Mississippi has unveiled its strategy for combating underage drinking and alcohol abuse. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports.
	Listen

Thursday April 12, 2007
	National Catastrophic Insurance
	The push for a national catastrophic insurance policy moved forward yesterday. The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee gathered information on the issue from insurance association representatives at a congressional hearing. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.
	Listen

	Sexual Assault Awareness
	More than one thousand women, six hundred children, and four hundred men, reported being sexually assaulted in Mississippi last year. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
	Listen

	Seniors Fall Victim to Medicare Fraud
	Mississippi officials are urging seniors to be careful. Insurance salesmen are using unscrupulous tactics to sell Medicare plans they may not need. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.
	Listen

Friday April 13, 2007
	State Farm to Re-evaluate
	Today State Farm Insurance will begin to re-evaluate the damage caused by the winds of Hurricane Katrina for the more than thirty thousand policy holders in the three coastal counties. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.
	Listen

	Failing Nurses
	A second wave of nursing student failures this week has health advocates concerned for a state struggling to fill a nursing shortage. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.
	Listen

	Vicksburg Town Hall Meeting on Teen Activities
	Students from area schools, parents, teachers, and community leaders were all part of a town hall meeting in Vicksburg last night to talk about easy access to alcohol and tobacco as well as other unhealthy activities. MPB's Patty Davis reports.
	Listen

	Seale Jurors Questionnaire
	Questions about racial attitudes will be allowed when potential jurors are interviewed for the upcoming trial of James Ford Seale. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
	Listen

Monday April 16, 2007
	Guard Trains for Hurricane Recovery
	In the event that another catastrophic hurricane slams into the Gulf Coast this year, the Mississippi National Guard is ready to respond sooner and with more troops than it has in the past. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.
	Listen

	UM in Running to Host Presidential Debate
	The University of Mississippi is in the running to host a presidential debate in 2008. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports.
	Listen

	Holocaust Remembrance Day
	On Sunday Jews worldwide paused to recognize Yom Hashoah or Holocaust Remembrance Day. MPB's Scott Phillips caught up with members of Mississippi's Jewish community over the weekend to discuss the significance of the day and has this report.
	Listen

Tuesday April 17, 2007
	State Addresses High Dropout Rate
	Mississippi school districts are establishing solutions to cut the states 26 point 6 percent dropout rate in half by 2013. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
	Listen

	State Criticized for Abortion Law
	The Mississippi ACLU is criticizing Governor Haley Barbour and the Mississippi Legislature for enacting a law they say places further restrictions on a woman's reproductive rights. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.
	Listen

	Dredging Gulf Waters
	Hurricane Katrina deposited tons of debris in the Gulf waters off the Mississippi Coast. The task of removing it is not only a slow process but it has also become very controversial. MPB’s Gary Michiels has the report.
	Listen

Wednesday April 18, 2007
	Campus Safety
	In the wake of Monday's tragedy in Virginia, Mississippi's University students are concerned and Campus Leaders are reviewing security plans. MPB's Patty Davis has more.
	Listen

	State Education is Fully Funded
	The Mississippi Adequate Education Program is now fully funded, making it the highest level of state education funding in history. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
	Listen

	PTSD Underreported
	Post traumatic stress disorder is a common yet underreported mental illness among soldiers returning from Iraq. MPB's Scott Phillips reports Mississippi is seeing an increase in cases as the war on terror continues.
	Listen

Thursday April 19, 2007
	VT Victims Remembered at Ole Miss
	Universities across the country are remembering the victims of Monday's massacre at Virginia Tech. Ole Miss is one of them, as MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports from Oxford.
	Listen

	College Board Spending Priorities
	More money and a new home for the Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Campus were discussed by the board of trustees for the states Institutions of Higher Learning yesterday. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
	Listen

	Toyota Groundbreaking
	Northeast Mississippi is hoping a new Toyota plant will yield big dividends for the region's future. MPB's Scott Phillips was at the Blue Springs site for the groundbreaking yesterday and has this report.
	Listen

	Education Secretary on the Coast
	Many Mississippi children enter elementary school without the skills they need for learning. And if this is not corrected quickly, it may create problems for them in later life. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.
	Listen

Friday April 20, 2007
	Colleges Address Mental Health Needs
	When Cho Seung-Hui massacred 31 people then killed himself at Virginia Tech this week it heightened awareness of college campus safety and forced schools to address a variety of mental health needs. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
	Listen

	Nationwide-Dale Settlement
	Mississippi Insurance Commissioner George Dale has announced that Nationwide Insurance has voluntarily offered to review some of its damage claim decisions. Only policy holders whose homes were reduced to slabs will be re-evaluated. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.
	Listen

	The Working Poor
	A new study shows that Mississippi continues to be among the states with the highest number of working poor families. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.
	Listen

Monday April 23, 2007
	Seale Juror Questionnaire
	Potential jurors for the James Ford Seale trial should begin receiving detailed questionnaires in their mailbox this week. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
	Listen

	Earth Day Awareness
	From the Delta to Coast, it was a beautiful weekend, and as MPB's Patty Davis reports, it was a perfect time to celebrate Earth Day.
	Listen

	Five Down Ninety-Five to Go
	Five Pascagoula families were able to return to their newly restored homes Friday, thanks to the work of volunteers from around the country. If all goes as planned, ninety-five other families will move back into their homes by the fourth of July. MPB’s Gary Michiels has the report.
	Listen

Tuesday April 24, 2007
	Preventing Car and Train Collisions
	According to transportation officials, Mississippi has more train related fatalities than any other state in the region. MPB's Lawayne Childrey reports.
	Listen

	Settlement Reached
	More than two hundred Mississippi Gulf Coast residents could begin receiving damage claim payments from Nationwide Insurance very soon. The company agreed to settle the lawsuits out of court yesterday. MPB’s Gary Michiels has the report.
	Listen

	Melton Trial Jury Set
	Opening arguments are expected to begin this morning in the trial of Jackson Mayor Frank Melton. MPB's Scott Phillips reports it comes after attorneys for both sides spent Monday selecting a jury.
	Listen

	Poetry Out Loud
	A Mississippi teenager is headed to Washington next week to the national Poetry Out Loud competition. Earlier this month, she won the state title in a contest that drew high-school competitors from across the state. MPB’s Ellen Ann Fentress reports.
	Listen

Wednesday April 25, 2007
	Medicaid and the Uninsured
	A report issued by the consumer advocacy group,Public Citizen, ranked Mississippi last in the nation for Medicaid eligibility. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
	Listen

	Coastal Tree Planting
	More information about the contamination of rivers and bays after Hurricane Katrina is being discovered. And as MPB’s Gary Michiels reports, Coast residents are concerned about the long term affect.
	Listen

	Melton Defense to Begin
	Jackson Mayor Frank Melton's defense team will get a chance to present their side of the story this morning in Melton's felony malicious mischief trial. Prosecutors rested their case yesterday afternoon. MPB's Scott Phillips has been following the trial and has this report.
	Listen

Thursday April 26, 2007
	Melton Trial testimony Complete
	Closing arguments are expected to begin this morning in the felony malicious mischief trial of Jackson Mayor Frank Melton. MPB's Scott Phillips has been covering the trial and has this report.
	Listen

	Special Session
	State House and Senate Committees are meeting today to discuss incentives that could bring a major manufacturing firm to the Golden Triangle area of the State. MPB's Patty Davis reports, a Legislative Special Session will follow on Friday.
	Listen

	Medicaid Severely Challenged
	Since 2005, more than sixty five thousand Mississippi children have lost medicaid and CHIP. Yesterday the House Medicaid Committee conducted hearings on the issue. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
	Listen

	Control of the MS National Guard
	A new Federal law gives the control of National Guard to the President. Governor Haley Barbour does not believe that is a good move. MPB’s Gary Michel reports.
	Listen

	Delta Schools Struggle With Poverty, Teen Pregnancy and Parent Apathy
	Nearly every second student in the Delta drops out of high school, and teen pregnancy rates are among the highest in the nation. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports from two Delta towns, Greenwood and Indianola.
	Listen

Friday April 27, 2007
	Lowndes County Economic Hearing
	Both the House and Senate held special hearings yesterday to discuss details that include a 48 million dollar bond issue to help bring an unnamed company to Lowndes County. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
	Listen

	Melton Innocent
	Jackson Mayor Frank Melton and his two bodyguards have been found not guilty on charges of malicious mischief. MPB's Scott Phillips has been following the trial and reports the verdict came down last night.
	Listen

	AG Says Gov's Veto is Illegal
	Mississippi's Attorney General says Governor Haley Barbour had NO legal authority to veto parts of two budget bills. MPB's Patty Davis reports.
	Listen

	Mental Health Issues Linger on Coast
	Months after Hurricane Katrina swept across the Gulf Coast, the Mississippi Department of Health created Project Recovery to provide free crisis counseling to those affected by the storm. Today after almost two years of service, the center is closing its doors. But as the rebuilding and recovery on the Coast continues, Gary Michiels reports there is still a need for emotional counseling.