The slow pace of rebuilding on the Gulf Coast has kept thousands of Gulf Coast residents living in FEMA trailers for more than twenty months. Now, new construction methods are being used to speed up home building. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.

Another Gulf Coast policy holders group has won a damage claim battle with their insurance company. Yesterday Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance agreed to settle out of court rather than go to trial. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.

State Senator Charlie Ross is calling on Governor Haley Barbour to call a special session on Voter ID. With hundreds of voter precincts in 82 counties, the Lieutenant Governor candidate says time is of the essence to ensure integrity. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.

US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is going from state to state to discuss how to prevent tragedies like the Virginia Tech shootings last month. Yesterday he met with Governor Haley Barbour and officials in Mississippi. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.

With public schools in the Delta struggling against high drop out rates – many ask if education can really overcome the poverty gap. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports on the challenges faced by public schools in two Delta towns -- Greenwood and Indianola.

A new report shows that the air in one Gulf Coast county is not fit to breath. The information was published this week in a report from the American Lung Association of Mississippi. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.

Hundreds of teenagers become parents every year in Mississippi. MPB's Patty Davis reports, the Dept of Human Services is helping young people make smarter choices and have a brighter future.

Hurricane battered Hancock County has been chosen as the site for an international industry. The company announced yesterday it will invest eighty-million dollars and will hire more than three hundred workers. MPB’s Gary Michiels has the report.

Hundreds of Mississippians across the state stopped to reflect and pray as part of the annual observance of the National Day of Prayer. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.

Many people fear that the Gulf Coast is going to loose the beauty and charm that drew thousands of visitors to the area. Recently the Coast was listed as a historic endangered area. MPB’s Gary Michiels has the report.

An Air Force major assigned to the ROTC program at Ole Miss has been court-martialed for unprofessional behavior. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports.

May brings warmer weather and the American Cancer Society's annual "Relay for Life" events. Hundreds in Mississippi are participating to help raise money and awareness in the fight against cancer, but do events like these have an impact? MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.

The 2007 hurricane season begins in twenty-five days. And Gulf Coast residents are making sure they have their hurricane preparations in order. Along with stocking up on bottled water, they are also making certain they have flood insurance policies in effect. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.

Strategic planning is helping Mississippi businesses and state agencies cut fuel costs. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.

As the price of gasoline continues to rise, an increasing interest in alternative fuels like ethanol...has the potential to be an economic boom for Mississippi farmers. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.

Cutbacks in services could be a possibility for Mississippi's mental health centers if funding issues aren't addressed in the near future. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.

The Mississippi Legislature and the state’s Insurance Department have been working to resolve insurance problems before the 2007 hurricane season begins in twenty-one days. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.

More than five hundred Gulf Coast community leaders are meeting in Biloxi to find ways to reconstruct the Gulf Coast. They are using new Smart Growth community design concepts to make certain that it will be built back better. MPB’s Gary Michiels has the report.

Hundreds of young women from around the state, crowded into the Jackson Medical Mall Wednesday to learn how to better protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted disease. MPB's Patty Davis has this report.

Drug courts have been steadily gaining momentum in Mississippi for the last seven years. At a conference in Jackson yesterday drug court professionals discussed how to make them more efficient and effective. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.

Governor Haley Barbour says Katrina opened eyes - to the real Mississippi. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.

Oxford is one of the most affluent places in Mississippi. Still, more than 20 percent of Lafayette residents live below the national poverty level. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports on a new clinic that’s trying to help the uninsured.

Mississippians often complain the rest of the country just doesn't appreciate the state's rich culture and history. A congressman's wife held a tribute to the state's creative life and charitable organizations last Saturday that was a refresher course for natives as well. MPB’s Ellen Ann Fentress reports.

The Gulf Coast League of Women Voters conducted a public forum over the weekend in Gulfport. And as MPB’s Gary Michiels reports, they examined the needs of groups over looked by Katrina recovery efforts.

After months of massive debt the Jefferson Davis County School Board last week passed a unanimous request to be taken over by the state. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.

Mississippi faces a nursing shortage. With the state struggling to fill the void, advocates are concerned that health care will suffer if something isn't done to address the issue soon. Recruiting campaigns are under way to draw more people to the nursing profession. But what does it take to be a nurse? MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.

The world’s largest gaming operator is expected to announce today that they will make a multi-million dollar expansion to their casino property in Biloxi. And part of their plan includes one of Mississippi’s favorite sons. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.

Dry weather conditions are causing big problems in the states agriculture, forestry, and shipping industries. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.

With 42% of Mississippi children living in single parent families, the Department of Human Services is hoping a new training initiative will get fathers to be more involved in their children's lives. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.

There are five replicas of the Vietnam Veterans memorial Wall currently touring the country. This week, there's one in South Jackson. MPB's Patty Davis reports.

**American Legion Post 112 is just South of the I-20 on I-55 North

After years of decline, Mississippi's infant mortality rate is on the increase. It's a trend that's happening across the south and health experts are looking for answers. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.

The slow pace of recovery after Hurricane Katrina is creating a mental and emotional health crisis on the Gulf Coast. Recovery agencies are meeting this week to discover ways to combat the trauma. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.

Women in Madison County Mississippi are part of a growing number who are not getting regular mammograms. And according to the National Cancer Institute, it's a trend that could lead to more late stage cancers. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.

The Jefferson Davis County school district is expected to be taken over by the state department of education today. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.

With nearly 34 hundred children in Mississippi's custody, child care advocates are hoping a settlement will put Mississippi's ailing foster care system on a road to recovery. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.

They sing, hear stories, learn colors and shapes. It's just like any other Kindergarten across the country, except here it's in Spanish. MPB's Sandra Knispel reports from Oxford on a new language pilot program.

With sirens blaring and a slew of emergency vehicles converging on the University of Mississippi campus, the scene Friday afternoon looked serious. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports on a joint drill.

More than eight hundred special Olympians competed for silver, bronze and gold medals over the weekend in Biloxi. For many of these special athletes it is highlight of the year. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.

Mississippi's Attorney General says he will go after known sex offenders who use web sites like myspace.com to prey on young victims. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.

Mississippi has the lowest per capita income in the country. So what impact do record setting gas prices have on Mississippi's economy? MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.

Twenty-one homes in five days is the goal of the more than five hundred Ameri Corps and Habitat for Humanity volunteers working on the Gulf Coast this week. This is one of the most aggressive projects ever undertaken by the two organizations. MPB’s Gary Michiels has the report.

Hurricane preparedness took on a whole new meaning after the National Hurricane Center released its official two thousand seven hurricane season prediction. MPB's Gary Michiels has details.

Mississippi's manufacturers are praising the state's efforts to train workers for today's economy. But more must be done if the state plans to compete in the future. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.

Diabetes, stroke and obesity continue to kill at alarming rates in Mississippi. MPB's Lawayne Childrey talked to officials about health issues that plaque our state.

As the Gulf Coast struggles to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the prediction of a very active hurricane season has many residents worried. MPB’s Gary Michiels has the report.

Wildfires several hundred miles away in Georgia and Florida are blowing smoke across parts of Tennessee and Mississippi. MPB’s Sandra Knispel looks at the health concerns.

Today is National Missing Children's Day. MPB's Scott Phillips reports on what Mississippi parents need to know to protect their children...and if resources in place are effective in getting children back.

Hurricane Katrina has been given the “Dishonorable” distinction of being the largest natural disaster in American History. Teams of meteorologists, scientists and emergency management directors continue to examine the catastrophe in an attempt to fully understand what really happened and why. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.

The long Memorial Day weekend is considered the official opening of tourist season on the Gulf Coast. And local businesses hope to welcome many visitors back this year. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.

The small town of Pontotoc in northeast Mississippi just buried its fourth young soldier who died in Iraq. This Memorial Day, the community has a lot to remember as MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports.

New test results for the presence of formaldehyde gases in FEMA trailers has renewed a call for action. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.

The number one cause of death on the water is drowning. And according to the Department of Marine Resources many of those who drown were not wearing a life jacket. MPB's Lawayne Childrey examines safe boating.

Final preparations are being made on the Gulf Coast this week in order to be prepared if a Hurricane comes ashore this season. Two of the priorities are restoring power and maintaining communications. MPB’s Gary Michiels Reports.

More and more workplaces are going tobacco free. MPB's Patty Davis reports, central Mississippi Hospitals are leading the trend.

Emergency response officials in Harrison County are fine tuning their action plans for the 2007 hurricane season. At a meeting yesterday they identified transportation and evacuation shelters as the two highest priorities. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports.

The lazy summer months are a time for school kids to relax away from school… and to forget. But experts warn the so-called “summer learning loss” can be substantial. MPB's Sandra Knisple has more.