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Monday September 3, 2007 |
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Coastwide Business Center Now Operating From New Location |
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Non-profit and civic organizations on the Gulf Coast are finding new ways to provide services as they dig out of the rubble and debris of Hurricane Katrina. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports on the new spirit of cooperation that is emerging. |
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Emergency Alert System |
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The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has launched a new program designed to notify citizens of anything from chemical spills to threatening tropical weather. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more. |
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Tuesday September 4, 2007 |
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Worker Housing Program on Coast |
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Rebuilding homes on the Gulf Coast continues to move slowly. And finding affordable homes for workers has been the most difficult housing to find. Now a major corporation and a non-profit agency have teamed up to tackle the tough problem. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports. |
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Innocence Project Helps Inmate Population Wrongly Accused |
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With very little public legal recourse it’s nearly impossible for state inmates -- once sentenced -- to prove their innocence. The new Innocence Project at the University of Mississippi is trying to change that. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports. |
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Wednesday September 5, 2007 |
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Giuliani Presidential Campaign Comes to Mississippi |
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Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is hoping to win the Republican nomination for president despite some of his more liberal views on issues like abortion. But as MPB’s Scott Phillips reports some believe Giuliani’s moderate stance may not be enough to win over Mississippi G-O-P faithful. |
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Ole Miss Smoking Policy in Effect |
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Smoking is no longer allowed on the Ole Miss campus, except in specifically designated smoking areas. Now smokers are desperately trying to find them, as MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports from Oxford. |
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Senior Housing in Biloxi |
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The lack of housing on the Gulf Coast continues to be a major problem in the recovery from Hurricane Katrina. One of the most critical needs is housing for senior citizens. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports on one city’s solution. |
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Alcohol Task Force Meets on Oxford Campus |
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Alongside its new smoking policy, The University of Mississippi also has rules governing the consumption of alcohol on campus. Yesterday, policy makers from town and gown met to give an update on the Alcohol Task Force’s achievements so far. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports. |
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Thursday September 6, 2007 |
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Jackson Homeowners at Highest Risk of Foreclosure |
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A new study released yesterday says more people in Jackson are subject to lose their homes compared to many other U.S. cities. The reason? Sub prime adjustable rate mortgages. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
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Fire Safety Urged on College Campuses |
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September is Campus Fire Safety Awareness Month. With students back on campus after summer break, state officials are urging students to take the threat of fire seriously as MPB's Scott Phillips reports. |
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FEMA Trailers to Motels |
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Gulf Coast residents living in FEMA trailers have complained about toxic fumes in their temporary housing for more than a year. And now, as MPB’s Gary Michiels reports, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is taking action to move people out of the temporary emergency housing. |
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Howlin' Wolfe Remembered |
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Blues great Chester Arthur Burnett was better known as Howlin' Wolf. He was born in Clay County, Mississippi. But as MPB's Ron Brown reports, some of Wolf's old haunts are in danger of disappearing. |
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Friday September 7, 2007 |
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Jackson's Budget Woes |
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Mississippi's capital city is in fiscal dire straits. As Jackson struggles to find solutions to its budget deficit, some city officials believe its time for the state to step in and help. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.
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Turkey Creek Wetlands at Risk |
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The Mississippi Gulf Coast has many pockets of ground that is saturated with water called wetlands. Before Hurricane Katrina these areas were protected from commercial development, but those regulations have now been relaxed to help speed up the recovery of the Gulf Coast. That has some Coast residents concerned. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports. |
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Blues Trail Finds Bentonia |
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As cotton has lost its economic power in small Mississippi towns, the potential for blues tourism is growing. MPB’s Ellen Ann Fentress reports. |
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Monday September 10, 2007 |
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Rush Party Gets Racey |
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Accusations by a black University of Mississippi freshman of having been assaulted at a white fraternity house are stirring emotions. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports from Oxford. |
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Biloxi School Police |
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Biloxi city schools are taking a different approach to the way they deal with school violence. And as MPB’s Gary Michel reports the new “ School police officer” approach is working.
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Fetal Alcohol Disorder |
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Brain Damage, physical deformities and even organ failure can result from alcohol consumption during pregnancy. MPB's Patty Davis reports on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and what the state is doing to combat the problem. |
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Tuesday September 11, 2007 |
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Feds Fund Suicide Prevention Program |
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Suicide is the second leading cause of all deaths in Mississippi among people from the age of fifteen to twenty-four. A new federally funded program will provide counseling that is expected to reduce the number of suicides and the pain felt by their survivors. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports. |
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Can Local First Responders Handle a Big One? |
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If a terrorist attack or natural disaster were to happen in Mississippi today, it would be up to local emergency responders to deal with it. But as MPB's Scott Phillips reports, Mississippi's homeland security chief worries that dwindling federal resources may hamper their ability to respond in the future.
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Pot Garden at Ole Miss |
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The University of Mississippi is growing marijuana, more than an acre of it, right on its cam pus. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports from Oxford on the unusual garden. |
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Wednesday September 12, 2007 |
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Campus Security Review and Refresher |
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Mississippi's university officials are hoping to avoid a tragedy like the Virginia Tech shootings earlier this year. Preparing to deal with such a disaster was the focus of a seminar hosted by the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security as MPB's Scott Phillips reports. |
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We Don't Serve Teens |
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Alcohol consumption is the most common type of substance abuse in teenagers, Most have their first drink by age 13. MPB's Lawayne Childrey examines the impact of teen drinking in Mississippi. |
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Old Fashioned Music for a New Age Talent |
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What happens when an old-fashioned musical instrument winds up in the hands of a young, energetic
performer? Some award-winning music is created. This story from MPB contributor Randy Bell
of WMSI Radio in Jackson. |
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Thursday September 13, 2007 |
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Tax Reform Study |
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Mississippi's poor are are dishing out more of there income on state taxes than those earning thousands of dollars more. That's according to a new report released yesterday by the Mississippi Economic Policy Center. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more. |
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UM Judicial Council Meets on Fraternity Party |
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The University of Mississippi’s Judicial Council met last night to decide the case of the freshman who claims he was assaulted and kicked out of a fraternity party because he is black. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports from Oxford. |
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Malpractice Insurance Rates Reduced |
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The state’s largest carrier of medical malpractice insurance is lowering premiums for a fifth consecutive year. MPB’s Scott Phillips has this report. |
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Gulf Coast Schools Excel After Disaster |
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Gulf Coast Schools have overcome many challenges in the past several years as a result of the damages to their buildings by Hurricane Katrina. Biloxi High School has now earned the designation as a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education for excellence in educating students. MPB’s Gary Michiels Reports.
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Kids Write the Blues |
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The 30th anniversary of the Delta Blues and Heritage Festival is happening this weekend in Greenville.
And as MPB's Ron Brown reports, this year the blues veterans are discovering inspiration from an unlikely source. |
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Friday September 14, 2007 |
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Foglesong on Iraq |
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In addition to being the President of Mississippi State University, Robert "Doc" Foglesong is a retired 4-star general, serving in the U.S. Air Force for more than 30 years. He was in Washington, D.C. this week for the anniversary of 9/11 and for testimony from General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. MPB's Karen Brown talked to him on the phone following that testimony and asked if he agreed with General Petraeus's assessments. |
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Cottage Blitz |
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Thousands of Gulf Coast residents living in FEMA trailers may soon have larger, more stable temporary home. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports on a Mississippi Cottage Housing Blitz in Waveland. |
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Restaurant Inspection System |
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Restaurant patrons will soon see a new grading system for eating establishments in Mississippi. MPB’s Scott Phillips reports restaurants will be working to “make the grade.” |
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Fraternity Conduct |
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The University of Mississippi’s Judicial Council met yesterday evening again last night to decide if the alleged race incident at a fraternity party on campus last month really happened. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports. |
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Tougher Standards for MS Students |
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Next Spring, Mississippi's Curriculum Test will be the toughest yet. But state School Officials are hoping the extra rigor will help students break through the academic ceiling. MPB's Lawayne Childrey reports. |
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Monday September 17, 2007 |
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Budget Hearings Begin |
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State lawmakers will meet in Jackson today to begin crafting a budget recommendation for 2008. MPB's Scott Phillips reports there's concern because tax collections have been lower than anticipated. |
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Ole Miss Frat House Sanctioned |
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The University of Mississippi's Judicial Council sided on Friday with Jeremy Taylor, the black student who had accused a white fraternity of assault and racial slurs. But, as MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports from Oxford, that’s not where the story ends. |
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Coastal Clean Up |
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Volunteers from the three Coast Counties turned out by the thousands for International Coastal Clean-up Day to remove litter from the beaches and waterways. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports. |
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Tuesday September 18, 2007 |
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Corrections Budget |
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Legislative budget hearings have begun and lawmakers are expressing concern over the ever increasing cost of incarcerating prisoners. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report. |
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Insurance Commissioner Candidates Debate Issues |
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Candidates for the state's insurance commissioner are promising to improve the insurance climate for all Mississippians if elected in November. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report. |
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Land Buyout in Hancock County |
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Residents of Bay St. Louis and Waveland who want to sell their flood prone property may have a willing buyer. And as Gary Michiels reports, many residents shouted out their objections to the plan they heard last night at a public meeting. |
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Africanized Honey Bees Have Moved Closer to Mississippi |
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Bees of several varieties can be found in Mississippi. But as MPB's Patty Davis reports, a potentially hazerdous variety could soon be added to the mix. |
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Wednesday September 19, 2007 |
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Mental Health Funding |
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The Mississippi Department of Mental Health is asking for a substantial budget increase to address the ever increasing need for services in the state. MPB’s Scott Phillips has this report. |
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Fraternity Files Complaints |
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After the University of Mississippi last week found a white fraternity guilty of harassing and assaulting a black freshman, it’s now the fraternity’s turn to file complaints. MPB’s Sandra Knispel has more from Oxford. |
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Tobacco Control Advisory Council |
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The newly created Mississippi Tobacco Control Advisory Council met for the first time Tuesday. MPB's Patty Davis has more.
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Thursday September 20, 2007 |
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Education Budget Request |
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Mississippi's education chief says a crisis is looming if state lawmakers don't do something to address the recruitment and retention of quality teachers. The department of education made it's budget request yesterday as MPB's Scott Phillips reports. |
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HUD Report Critical of FEMA |
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A recent report charges that the slow pace of recovery from Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi and Louisiana is the result of the inability of federal disaster programs to respond to catastrophic events. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports. |
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State Port to get Katrina Homeowner Grant Funds |
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Many Gulf Coast homeowners are angry over how long they have had to wait for their grant checks from the Mississippi Homeowners Assistance program. And news of using some of the federal funds for the expansion of the State Port in Gulfport has erupted into a fierce battle of words. MPB Gary Michiels Reports.
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Quilting is Alive and Well |
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It is something that's passed down from generation to generation.
Some people call it a passion.
MPB's Ron Brown reports on an art form that's literally stitched into the fabric of history and tradition. |
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Friday September 21, 2007 |
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Gubernatorial Debate |
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More than eight hundred people crowded into the Saenger Theater in Biloxi last night for a debate between Republican Governor Haley Barbour and Democratic challenger John Arthur Eaves. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports the encounter was intense. |
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Community Colleges Tell Lawmakers They Need More Funds |
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Mississippi’s community and junior colleges are asking lawmakers for a five percent increase in next year’s budget, which would give the state’s 2 year colleges 90 million dollars. MPB’s Scott Phillips has this report. |
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IHL Says Budget Request Increase Will Rule Out Tuition Hike |
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The State Institutions of Higher Learning say tuition hikes can’t be the only way forward to make up the shortfall of state appropriations for higher education. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports. |
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Fraternity Sanction Upheld |
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The University of Mississippi has upheld the decision against a white fraternity involving alleged harassment and assault of a black freshman. MPB’s Sandra Knispel has more. |
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When Hurricane Katrina washed survivors up in many Mississippi communities, the state not only gained many new residents, but additional talent in the form of New Orleans musicians. Now a program bringing that music to the schools is in jeopardy. MPB’s Erika Celeste reports. |
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Monday September 24, 2007 |
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Black Brown Conference |
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Racial unity and improving conditions for immigrants was the focus of a summit held over the weekend. MPB's Scott Phillips reports immigrant advocates are calling for better treatment of migrants regardless of their legal status. |
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Lott at Ole Miss |
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Senator Trent Lott said Congress missed a vital opportunity to find a bipartisan compromise on an exit strategy for the war in Iraq. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports. |
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One of the Brave |
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There were many acts of bravery during World War Two as you'll see during Ken Burns "The War," currently airing on MPB Television. News Contributor Randy Bell has a story about one of the bravest.
*You can read more about Jack Lucas in his autobiography, "Indestructible". |
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Tuesday September 25, 2007 |
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Gulf States Insurance Commissioners in Conference |
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Insurance Commissioners from the Coastal States met in Mobile yesterday to discuss the spike in insurance rates after Hurricane Katrina. They were looking for ways to lower insurance costs without seeking federal assistance. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports. |
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MDA Defends Port Funding |
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The Mississippi Development Authority is defending its proposal to divert Katrina relief funds from a housing program to make improvements at the port of Gulfport. MPB’s Scott Phillips has this report. |
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MDH Increases Funding Request |
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The Mississippi Department of Health is asking for a significant budget increase to get a handle on problems left by the department’s previous leadership. MPB’s Scott Phillips reports. |
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State Auditor Candidate Stacey Pickering |
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In the first of MPB's interviews with candidates in state races, we focus on the race for State Auditor. Stacey Pickering is the Republican nominee and a state senator from Laurel. |
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Wednesday September 26, 2007 |
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MEMA Says 2% Increase is Enough |
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The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is asking the joint legislative budget committee for a modest increase in funding for next year despite being only 2 years removed from Hurricane Katrina. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report.
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IHL Budget Request Could Offset Tuition Hike |
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In order to fix aging facilities and stop future tuition hikes, Mississippi’s public universities are asking lawmakers for a substantial budget increase for next year. MPB’s Scott Phillips has this report. |
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North Mississippi Businesses Learn Japanese Etiquette |
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With yesterday’s announcement of a Toyota supplier choosing a site in Baldwyn, near Tupelo, another Japanese company is moving to the area. This 200 million dollar plant will supply parts to toyota's new automotive plant and is expected to create 400 new jobs ... Reason enough for the local business community to learn Japanese etiquette, as MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports. |
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Remembering Murder Victims |
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Tuesday was a National Day of Remembrance for murder victims. MPB's Patty Davis reports, it was also a day to remember those left behind. |
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Thursday September 27, 2007 |
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DHS Needs More Funds |
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Over the last few years the Mississippi Department of Human Services has found itself involved in costly litigation for allegedly neglecting to protect children in it’s care. MPB’s Scott Phillips reports DHS is asking lawmakers for a substantial budget increase to remedy the situation.
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Medicaid Budget Deficit |
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Mississippi's Medicaid program continues to struggle with ever increasing expenses despite efforts by lawmakers to bring the cost under control. MPB's Scott Phillips has this report. |
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Multi-Peril Government Insurance |
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A multi-peril government insurance program is expected to be introduced in Congress this morning. If the bill passes, many believe it will be the solution to providing effective insurance coverage for damages caused by wind and water. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports. |
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Mississippi Innocence Project |
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Like in many other states, innocent people in Mississippi have been convicted of violent crimes and sentenced to a life behind bars. Now the newly formed Innocence Project at the University of Mississippi School of Law will work to right the wrongs and identify problems in the state's criminal justice system. MPB's Patty Davis has more |
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State Auditor Candidate Mike Sumrall |
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This week MPB began its series of conversations with candidates running for various state offices. Tuesday, we heard from the Republican state auditor candidate, Stacey Pickering. Today, it's Mike Sumrall - the Democratic candidate and an accountant from Mt. Olive. |
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Friday September 28, 2007 |
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State Economist Cautiously Optimistic |
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Mississippi lawmakers are "cautiously optimistic" they'll have enough funding to run government programs next year. But as MPB's Scott Phillips reports, there will be little expansion of those programs.
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Choctaw Chief Offers Casino Revenue to Jackson County |
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The residents of Jackson County voted against Casino Gaming more than fifteen years ago. Now a proposed casino from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians has the residents re-thinking that decision. MPB’s Gary Michiels reports. |
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Study says Universities are Failing in Their Civic Duties |
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A new report shows today's college students can't pass a basic test on American History and Civics. MPB's Patty Davis has more. |
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"Time For Three" in Meridian |
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"Time For Three" is a trio of classically trained musicians from Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania city of brotherly love.
MPB's Ron Brown reports they have an agenda that goes far beyond their music. |
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