Well I went driving around today in Pascagoula and all I managed to do was drop my mood to an all time LOW. The sun has been under a cloud for much of the day. I guess I should be thankful that it isn't raining. I am. I can't find many good things to say about where I live anymore. It looks bad. The torn up streets and crooked telephone poles don't add beauty to even new construction. Most lawns probably will not be back to what they should be this spring either. They have been gouged so much by heavy equipment and last summer's drought gave a foothold to bugs that "suck" the life out of grass. I took a few pictures of destroyed homes that seem to just be part of our landscape now. When I read news about how well we are doing, I think I must have overlooked something. Lately, I have been going to Mobile, AL fairly often with my daughter Anita and her family. Yesterday my daughter, Peggy who lives in Gulfport, and I went to Mobile to shop. We had a great time but you know what we enjoyed the most....? The intact, well kept shopping malls which we don't have now. When we saw Dillards which we had in Gulfport before the storm destroyed it, we were silent. We need help, massive help to recover. The longer we are at a standstill the worse things will get. As a Katrina victim I don't have the interest to take all the agendas seriously at this particular time when I have more pressing problems to take care of. Don't get me wrong, I don't entirely disagree with the do-gooders suggestions to raise the taxes on cigarettes or those who work so hard to save all the animals from cruelty and homelessness. Those are good things but PEOPLE, in my opinion, should be sheltered first. A higher tax on cigarettes is not the way to go if it really is all about health. Raising the price does not take care of the health issue, people will find a way to smoke if they choose to. Ban all cigarettes... take them off the market. It's suspect when the higher taxes on the product will bring in higher revenue. Someone remarked that prohibition on alcohol brought greater repercussions. Not to those who have had alcoholics in the family or a drunk driver kill a loved one. It's revenue again. There are so many issues that have taken the focus off the problems we have on the Coast and that shouldn't be. Not in America! Oh Yes! I have read that what happened to us will step up the response to another disaster but what have the american people really learned? I know what I have learned ... that the city of New Orleans and Coastal Mississippi are dispensable!

Blue Tarp

Trailers

THROW ME SOMETHING MISTER!

Mardi Gras wraps up with grand-finale parades

By ROBIN FITZGERALD and ANITA LEE

SUN HERALD

JAMES EDWARD BATES/SUN HERALD

Beads cover the crowd during the St. Paul Carnival Association Parade in Pass Christian.

• Mardi Gras wraps up with grand-finale parades
• Mardi Gras closings
• Ash Wednesday begins Lent | w/list of services
• Write On: Will you observe Lent?
• Editorial: More revelry than ruin this year
• Attention, krewes: Send in your info
• Check out parade routes at sunherald.com

The Fat Tuesday countdown is ticking as thousands of revelers across South Mississippi prepare to line downtown streets for the grand-finale parades of Mardi Gras 2007.

The region's second Carnival season since Hurricane Katrina wraps up today with parades that roll at 1 p.m. in Biloxi and Bay St. Louis and at 5:30 p.m. in Gulfport. Revelers can expect mild temperatures and only a chance of rain. And if hotel reservations hold true, crowds will include a large number of out-of-towners.

"We've been pleasantly surprised since Friday with an increase in hotel reservations," said Linda Hornsby, executive director of the Mississippi Hotel and Lodging Association.

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: UMC, U. of Michigan, Studying Katrina's Impact in Mississippi

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: UMC, U. of Michigan, Studying Katrina's Impact in Mississippi: "Researchers from the University of Michigan, the University of Mississippi Medical Center and other institutions this week will start the process of surveying 800 adults who lived in southern Mississippi when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. The goal of the study, which is being funded by the National Institutes of Health, is to help determine the hurricane's impact on individuals and on communities."

Two Mississippi Soldiers Die In Iraq
A member of the Mississippi National Guard stationed in Iraq died of noncombat injuries Saturday in Baghdad. Sgt. 1st Class William C. Spillers, 39, of Terry, was assigned to the Guard's 230th Finance Detachment stationed in Jackson. Meanwhile, the family of U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Terrence Dunn are still mourning their loss. The Pascagoula native was killed February 2nd by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. The 38-year-old graduated from Pascagoula High School in 1987.

Enough time has passed since Katrina came ashore and much of the terror of that day has now given way to living in what we are left with today. And what is that? Well I can only speak for myself but the one word that describes how I feel is "disillusionment". At the very beginning of this disaster I was under the illusion that we would get the help we needed, especially since we are americans. Many of you may say we got the help and lots of money poured in to assist us but that is not entirely true. How many of you know that our cities must match a portion of money before federal money starts to come to our much needed aid. If you think about it in a logical way, our cities were devastated and that means revenue is not coming in for the cities to match the federal money. In actuality that would have been known at the very beginning. The 18 months that have passed in south Mississippi shows very little progress. Did you also know that for two other disasters that the federal match was not required? 911 was one of them. So why not for us? I have read many comments made by people who seem to know more about what is going on in our area than the people who live amidst it all. Take it from me.. what is going on in our area is mind boggling. Our state has been so low at the bottom of the totem pole that now I have read where they want to take what happened to us and say it is not the worse catastrophe to happen in our young country. They have got to be kidding or maybe they just don't care what happens to us. It's only those dumb hillbillies in Mississippi ... why bother? I am a French/Creole hillbilly. It's all so childish isn't it? I don't believe those that cast stones could take what we have gone through.

The pace needs to pick up down here as it has been way too long. I still believe that somebody wants us to leave the coast. Are we sitting on oil? Just a thought.

It's Mardi Gras time down here, a time for family fun. Yesterday Pascagoula had their parade and due to a prior commitment, I didn't go. There were thousands of people lining the streets of our small town. They weren't just the citizens of our area. One must understand the close proximity that all the coastal towns have to one another. We attend all of the parades in each city. We are not practicing debauchery as many people think and sometimes voice aloud. Mardi Gras has religious connotations also. The solemn season of Lent begins the day after "Fat Tuesday". It will last for 40 days and nights consisting of fasting, prayers and good works. A contemplation of the Lord's passion and death.


The pictures shown are my collection of "throws". One of my daughters was involved and had the privilege to ride on the floats. She was required to buy her own beads as all were and she always managed to have some left to present to me. Mardi Gras is part of our heritage on the coast. As a young girl I spent most of my time in Mobile, AL at Mardi Gras. They were the originators of the festivity. As with most things, something that is good can be given a bad name by the ones that are intent on doing so. It has gotten very bad in some of the larger cities over the passing years but in our small cities, it is still Mardi Gras! I put a link to an old Louis Armstrong rendition of "When the Saints Go Marching In" as some of the songs now are unbelievable.

I have documented Mardi Gras 2007 and have shown you beads that many people would have lost to Katrina. ... Mardi is french for Tuesday and Gras is french for Fat. So with that I wish you Happy Mardi Gras Y'all!!

gulflive.com: The Mississippi Press

gulflive.com: The Mississippi Press: "Former PHS grad killed in Iraq"

HOUSTON -- U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Terrence Dunn's sisters say he was a hero long before an improvised explosive device took his life in Baghdad on Feb. 2.

Dunn, 38, graduated from Pascagoula High School in 1987, where he was a member of the school's ROTC program. He entered the army three years later and served tours in Bosnia, Africa, Korea and was in the middle of his second tour of duty in Iraq.

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Pass Christian

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Pass Christian: "
New Jersey Firefighters Help Rebuild A Family's Home
After the 9-11 terror attacks, hundreds of South Mississippi firemen did their part to help raise money for people in New York City. When Katrina shook up the Gulf Coast, upstate firefighters say it was only fitting that they help families who lost everything. Elise Roberts has the details on the commitment that's helping to rebuild the coast. "

A Journey Back In Time

"Knowing Pompeii means opening a fascinating window to the ancient world. Streets paved with enormous stones, the monumental forum, intricately designed houses, shops and workshops, astonishing paintings and mosaics narrate the innumerable facets of a city captured in its very last moments of life and delivered to eternity by the terrible eruption of Mount Vesuvius." (Taken from a book published by White Star Publishers with the collaboration of the archaeological superintendency of Pompeii and the superintendency for archaeological heritage of Naples and Caserta.)


Today I went to Mobile, AL with Dave, Anita and the children to the Exploreum to visit an exhibit on Pompeii. I was very impressed by what I saw and read. Mount Vesuvius erupted at 1:00PM on August 24 79AD and buried the city of Pompeii. The discovery of Pompeii began in 1746. I bought a huge, heavy book that is very detailed about Pompeii and the Roman civilization. In the exhibit I saw pottery, pieces of furniture, stone ovens, surgical instruments that were remarkably similar to what our physicians use, bronze fish hooks, simple pieces of jewelry, coins, sculpture, Bacchus, the God of Wine, drew my attention. While looking at this handsome piece of art I thought if I had this, where would I put this nude man. It certainly wouldn't fit into my tame decor. When the volcano erupted the city and surrounding territory was buried in ash. An excavation uncovered bodies. Not skeletons but imprints of people and animals lying in various positions. After so many years the ash had hardened. A mold was placed around the imprints and a cast made. Some of these were at the exhibit. It saddened me as, no matter what century they lived in, they weren't any different than you and I. They had families, pets and ate basically the same food as we do. Then on that fateful day so long ago, their lives ended. That's something to think about. I am sure Anita and I will study the above book and find out so many more interesting things. After the exhibit, we went to an IMAX movie on Greece which was also very interesting.

Mobile was getting ready for their Mardi Gras parades. I wish we could have stayed to see at least one. I took a couple of pictures through a window while I was waiting in the Exploreum. There is an object in the sky that looks like a UFO.

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Home

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Home: "Mississippi House Passes Bill To Cut Grocery Taxes, Raise Cigarette Taxes"

Lawmakers propose grant program for Katrina recovery

By KATHERINE SAYRE

SUN HERALD WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON - Pointing to the continued frustration of Gulf Coast residents, House Democratic leaders vowed Thursday to help speed up recovery from the hurricanes that struck nearly 18 months ago.

"The people on the coast have had enough hearings," said Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-La. "What they need now is action."

Calling it a first step, Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation that would allow Mississippi and Louisiana to receive federal disaster grants without paying a matching amount. The bill also would give the states the option of avoiding repayment of disaster loans. Both measures have been used in other national disasters, lawmakers said.

Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., said New Orleans and other Gulf Coast communities haven't recovered their local tax bases, making it difficult to pay matching dollar amounts to receive federal aid.

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Bill Introduced To Hold Insurance Companies Accountable

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Bill Introduced To Hold Insurance Companies Accountable: "Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, joined with Senate Democratic and Republican leaders to introduce a bipartisan bill Thursday that would make insurance companies abide by the same anti-trust laws as every other industry."

I spent the day just lazing around doing absolutely nothing. I am usually high spirited but every now and then I have to stop and recharge. We have so much bickering going on with insurance, we have a severe housing shortage for the people without homes, we have people from the rest of the state not caring about our welfare on the Coast. Just let us flounder as long as they are okay. I have spent most of my life defending our state and equally share the shame of the civil rights murders that didn't happen on the coast but it did happen in our state. Unfortunately, Katrina happened on the coast but what assurance is there that some devastating disaster can't befall the rest of the state? I know without a doubt that the coast would be there for them. We offered our help to Florida in the recent tornado disaster. I became disheartened when I heard our state insurance commissioner, George Dale, speak. On several occasions he has made the remark that the people upstate are fearful of losing their insurance or have to pay higher premiums (like we aren't) because of those people who chose to live on the Coast. This is my home, this is where I was born, as were my parents and their parents. Somehow, even Mr. Dale seems to separate the coast from the rest of the state. Who wouldn't be disheartened?

For a short time after the hurricane devastated us, we were all thought of as victims of this storm. Then the class separation began and so many of us received no help. One of my daughters and two children arrived to stay with me after the storm had destroyed their apartment in Slidell, La. She arrived with a severe earache so we went to the Red Cross for help. We waited for 3 hrs. and when she walked up to say what was wrong with her, one of the male nurses angrily said to me, "Why didn't you take her to the emergency room?" I was taken aback and said because everything is still not operational. They wouldn't treat her. She was crying from the pain and so I desperately went in search of help. I begged the receptionist at a doctor's office to ask if he would please see her. One did and treated her. No thanks to the Red Cross. They are a fine organization but the people we encountered that worked for them were not.

I received no aide from volunteers. The first thing I had to take care of was having a tree removed from my yard that was half uprooted and leaning toward the house. I was charged $900.00 and they left it where it fell.. My backporch was damaged and it stayed that way until March 2006. I had no hot water for a month after the storm because no one knew how to light the pilot. But there was a bright spot, one day there was a knock at my door and there were two Navy nurses from West Virginia asking if "I" needed anything. They gave me a tetanus shot and benadryl for the obvious allergies I had. Most importantly, they talked to me and reassured me that everything was going to be okay. Even to this day, I remember their kindness and concern for ME.

Our crisis here is not over... we need all the support we can get. Be it just a kind word!

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: News & Video

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: News & Video: "Soldier With Mississippi Ties Reported Killed In Iraq
U.S. Army Sgt. Carl Leonard Seigart, whose wife and four stepchildren live in Picayune, was killed in Iraq on Valentine's Day as he participated in a tank recovery mission, his family said. Jessica Moeller, the soldier's stepdaughter, said Seigart was a tank mechanic with the 1st Cavalry, 3rd Battalion out of Fort Hood, Texas."

Arizona group donates to hurricane recovery

Arizona group donates to hurricane recovery

100 Seabees deploy
NMCB 133 members spread over 16 nations
More than 100 service members of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 left Gulfport on Wednesday as the final phase of one of the largest Seabee deployment operations.
( By LEIGH COLEMAN, SUN HERALD, 02/15/2007 03:01 AM CST)

The Sun Herald | 02/15/2007 | Post office on way

The Sun Herald | 02/15/2007 | Post office on way: "Post office on way
Pascagoula making do with trailer
By KAREN NELSON
Klnelson@sunherald.com
Construction is expected to be under way this summer for the new main post office on Jackson Avenue in Pascagoula, shown here in an artist's rendering. The hulk of the old building, flooded by Hurricane Katrina and shown below, will be torn down this spring to make way for the new one.
Construction is expected to be under way this summer for the new main post office on Jackson Avenue in Pascagoula, shown here in an artist's rendering. The hulk of the old building, flooded by Hurricane Katrina and shown below, will be torn down this spring to make way for the new one.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

clipart courtesy of:

Highway patrol identifies surviving driver from fatal crash

By ROBIN FITZGERALD

rfitzgerald@sunherald.com

The surviving driver in Tuesday night's fatal crash on U.S. 49 in Saucier has been identified as a 34-year-old Indiana man.

Michael D. Agnew, of Vincennes, Ind., pulled in front of a southbound motorcycle at the West Wortham Road intersection around 7:25 p.m., said Master Sgt. Joe Gazzo of the state Highway Patrol.

Michael Haverkamp, 43, of Alto, Mich., died in the collision.

Agnew, driving a 1989 Buick Regal, was attempting to cross the southbound lanes and turn north when the 2004 Harley Davison driven by Haverkamp struck the left rear of his car, Gazzo said.

The crash remains under investigation.

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Biloxi

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Biloxi: "Biloxi Shooting on Pass Road Injures Keesler Airman
An airman stationed at Keesler was the victim of a drive by shooting Wednesday morning. It happened just before 7 a.m. near the intersection of Pass Road and Popp's Ferry Road. Police are searching for the shooter."

State Farm Says No New Commercial/Homeowner Policies In Mississippi
State Farm Insurance Cos. is suspending sales of any new commercial or homeowner policies in Mississippi effective Friday, citing in part a wave of litigation it has faced after Hurricane Katrina, a company official said Wednesday. Mike Fernandez, vice president of public affairs for State Farm, said Mississippi's "current legal and political environment is simply untenable. We're just not in a position to accept any additional risk in this homeowners' market."

My daughter, Anita, sent me the following lyrics of a song which we think mirrors not only our feelings but those of the Coast!


OUR TOWN - LYRICS

OUR TOWN - SONG

SunHerald.com : Biloxi and Gulfport News, Casinos, Jobs, Real Estate, Sports and Cars

SunHerald.com : Biloxi and Gulfport News, Casinos, Jobs, Real Estate, Sports and Cars: "Freeze will follow storm "

In Jackson County, the storm cell spawned a tornado in Gulf Park Estates, bringing a tree down across Simmons Bayou Road, but leaving structures undamaged.

Small hail was reported in Pascagoula, Moss Point and at Mississippi 57 and Interstate 10, where a tornado also was sighted.

Around 7:20 a.m. a volunteer firefighter reported the tornado, but it didn't touch down, said Butch Loper, director of the Jackson County Emergency Management Agency. It was believed to have passed north of the Ocean Springs Wal-Mart on U.S. 90. The firefighter also reported debris on the interstate holding up traffic near where he spotted the tornado.

At 9 a.m., Moss Point reported a major two-car wreck on Mississippi 63, in which a car hit a pole and flipped onto a truck.

As the storm system passed through about 11 a.m., a heavy fog settled on U.S. 90 between Gautier and Pascagoula and several blocks into both cities. At mid-day, visibility was less than 50 yards.

In Jackson County, Singing River Electric Power Association crews restored power by late morning to 1,500 members. The outages were in St. Martin, Ocean Springs and Fountainbleu.

Coast Electric had about 300 customers lose power that was restored by late morning and more than 600 Mississippi Power customers lost power that was restored by noon.

The weather forecaster alerted us last evening to a severe system that would pass through our area. I was up most of the night and not a drop of rain fell. NOTHING! So I fell asleep where I lay, in my recliner. Just before 7:00AM the rain started ... it got pretty wild with wind, lightning and rainfall. My feelings on the weather, since Katrina, is each time I make it through the unstable weather that we are experiencing, is that I have dodged yet another bullet!

My Backyard

Holloway Stresses Biloxi's "Spirit" In His Annual Address
The downtown Biloxi library will be rebuilt on the old Dukate school property. At a speech Monday afternoon, Mayor A.J. Holloway announced the library would be on the third floor of a new Howard Avenue community center. In his State of the City speech, Holloway credited residents for being so resilient. "The spirit of our city is as strong as ever," he said. Brad Kessie reports.

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Gautier/Vancleave

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Gautier/Vancleave: "Northrop Grumman Employees Help Build Habitat Homes In Gautier
Northrop Grumman personnel from around the world hung up their suits and ties and grabbed some hammers and drills Monday. The group traveled to South Mississippi for an ethics conference, but spent this day helping others by working with Habitat for Humanity."

This writing will contain a personal mixture of happenings in the crazy topsy- turvy world I find myself living in. After being very organized in my life prior to Katrina, the things I do now to take care of situations that arise aren't so well thought out anymore. Why? Because in chaos you have no choice. Take insurance for instance, I renewed my policy for 2007 by sending in my premium this past December. I read the policy just a couple of weeks ago and I have no idea what I am covered for. I do know that I am not covered for mold.. They made a mistake on the age of the roof, stating it was 25 yrs. old. A new one was put on in1999, after Hurricane Georges. So today I called and was informed that I didn't take advantage of paying another $254.00 on my annual premium to allow my deductible to remain at $1000.00 and she said if a hurricane hits, as your policy stands, you will have to pay a $7,000.00 deductible. I asked where was the information and she said in your policy. Not very clear was it? I guess the mold affected my brain. See what I mean .. no choice. I will send the additional money. My new washer and dryer was installed Saturday. Sunday morning I looked out to this. Oh No! Not Again!


There aren't many pictures of new construction that I can take without repeating what I have already taken. Construction is moving but very slowly. The few pictures I have are of homes that were damaged inside by water. Many people are in trailers while their homes are being repaired.






For those of you who may remember, the huge dead pine tree that hovers threateningly over my house has been marked with green paint to be taken down as a danger to property. I will add danger to life also. Mine! Unfortunately, the deadline to clear all the thousands of marked trees is February 28th. Unless the deadline is extended it can't happen.

Snowbirds Make Their Way Back To South Mississippi
They're a unique group of birds who come down each winter to thaw out and get in a few swings on the green. Following Katrina, the snowbirds stopped coming down as frequently as before. But thanks to more lodging, and post-Katrina course improvements, golfers are making their way back to South Mississippi. Krystal Allan talks to some snowbirds who say they're happy to be back on the coast.

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Biloxi

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Biloxi: "Mad Potter Comes Home
The Mad Potter has finally come home. After a year and a half of being displaced and packed away, some precious pieces of George Ohr's Pottery are back in south Mississippi. Meggan Gray talks with the Ohr O'Keefe Museum director about this triumphant return. "

Gulf Coast News - Your Mississippi Coast News Source

Gulf Coast News - Your Mississippi Coast News Source: "911 and Katrina, Still With Us: An Obituary that Tells a Story of the Loss of a Gulfport Family's Son - GCN"

ARTICLE

It was another pretty day with high's in the low 50's with lots of sunshine. A day to be out and about enjoying it, but I was waiting on Sears delivery to come install my new dryer. It's a long story as most things are but I will make it as brief as possible. Remember I am using this blog to document not only news in our area but in my own life. A diary of a sort.

When I moved into what was not a new home in May 2005. I had just enough time to find out a few drawbacks before Katrina made landfall. One was a washer and dryer that was housed in the garage. It was a selling point to me as the fewer things I had to do would be exactly what I was looking for. I soon found out that the knob that operated the washer didn't work. I cornered a "handyman" that sometimes worked for neighbors and he said, "Oh, it works you have to put your fingers behind the knob to the metal bar and turn." He couldn't fix it and I couldn't find a washing machine "knob fixer". So I made sure I was grounded before I touched those machines. I placed rubber mats before each one of them and I was never barefoot, I wore rubber soled shoes. Then Katrina came ashore and my intention to buy a new set went by the wayside. I forgot to mention that I never could tell what cycle I was on. Many times I went out to remove clothes from washer and although it drained it was full of suds. I went to Sears on the 5th of this month to get new appliances, Didn't need anything fancy as they would be in the garage so I was looking for cheap. The set cost me $1134.00. Where have I been to think they were still reasonably priced. I was told that I would have to purchase a new cord for the dryer or I wouldn't qualify for the one year warranty. "Two or three prong?" they asked. I tried to remember when or if I ever had looked at the cords on a dryer and noted what prong they were. I said I didn't know and to just bring both of them with delivery and I will pay for the one I needed. Yesterday they arrived at 3:30PM and told me I was the last delivery. I got two very tired men and one was very anxious to go. They installed the washer and said sign here and I looked at the dryer still in its box. "What about the dryer"? We can't install that, the anxious one said, as you didn't pay for the cord so we didn't bring it. Well he may have been anxious but I became fighting mad and threatening. You know the usual threats, "I am going to own Sears if they don't make this good." After several phone calls, Sears reps said they would send the cord back with the guys. They came and installed the dryer today. Anita and Dave came later and balanced them for me as the guys should have done. I didn't ask them why they didn't do it as I just wanted them to go. Now I have a bigger problem... they are too nice for the garage. I am thinking about parking the car in the driveway, repainting the walls , the concrete and throw a few scatter rugs around.

Okay that may have been a totally boring discount but I just wanted you who read my ramblings on a regular basis to know that I just don't drive around snapping pictures.

I put up a few news articles today and as usual it seems we had a couple of murders. Also a man died yesterday as he was cutting a tree down. He had belted himself just where the tree split and fell. A man and his young son died in a mobile home fire. We have been living a nightmare for a long while now and I often wonder what is to become of all of us. How much can people take?

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Two Gulfport Men Charged With Murder

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Two Gulfport Men Charged With Murder: "Twenty six year old Aarien Jorna Burks, and 21 year old William Lloyd Henderson, both of Gulfport, are charged with two counts of capital murder 66 year old Phil Deming and 68 year old Elisabeth New of Gulfport.

Deming and New were found dead in a FEMA trailer Park off Canal Road in Gulfport. Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove says Deming died of hyperthermia and New died of a gunshot would to the chest."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Biloxi

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Biloxi: "
Your Hometown News - Biloxi
Ohio International Guard Help Rebuild On The Gulf Coast
As people along the coast continue to rebuild, one family got help all the way from Ohio. A group from the Ohio International Guard are putting aside their military duties to serve in a different way. Saturday afternoon members of the Ohio International Guard took a break from training to help rebuild a Biloxi home."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: News & Video

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: News & Video: "Two Bodies Found In FEMA Trailer Park
Harrison County Sheriff's Deputies are investigating a possible double homicide. Authorities say the bodies of a man and a woman were discovered Friday afternoon at a FEMA trailer park on Canal Road. Major Wayne Payne says the bodies have been inside the trailer for several days. A cause of death is not known at this time, and the victims have not been identified."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Home

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Home: "Ocean Springs Fire Kills Two
A man and his three year old son died in a trailer fire Friday night in Ocean Springs. Captain Louie Miller says the fire broke out about 9:15 last night at a trailer on Gibson Road. The names of the victims have not been released yet, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Ocean Springs/St Martin

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Ocean Springs/St Martin: "Nursing Scholarship Named For Fallen Jackson County Soldier
A Jackson County soldier who died fighting for his country is being honored with a scholarship in his name. Sergeant Sean M. Cooley was a member of The Army National Guard when he was killed in Iraq. As Patrice Clark reports, friends and family are now committed to keeping his memory alive by continuing his legacy of giving."

SunHerald.com : Biloxi and Gulfport News, Casinos, Jobs, Real Estate, Sports and Cars

SunHerald.com : Biloxi and Gulfport News, Casinos, Jobs, Real Estate, Sports and Cars: "Coast offers help to Florida after tornadoes
Before Hurricane Katrina's winds had died down completely, law-enforcement officers from Florida were in South Mississippi to help.
( By MELISSA M. SCALLAN, mmscallan@sunherald.com, 02/09/2007 03:01 AM CST)"

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Biloxi

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Biloxi: "Camp Shelby Volunteers Help Rebuild A Biloxi Home
Soldiers from Camp Shelby are wrapping up another successful mission of helping South Mississippi rebuild. But the Shelby detachment is just part of a larger army that's been working to bring Mary Clark back home to east Biloxi."

Warr Tells Gulfport "We Are Traveling Uncharted Waters"
Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr will not let Hurricane Katrina define his city. Warr made that declaration Thursday during a 45 minute state of the city address. The mayor used his annual speech to remind citizens that Hurricane Katrina caused about $155 million in damage to his city. As Brad Kessie reports, Warr said there were lot of things left to fix -- from the messed up waterfront to the parks in Orange Grove.

Community Rebuilds Bayou View Park Tonight, Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr will give his state of the city address. In that address, he'll update his city's hurricane recovery. A recovery that's being helped along by residents pitching in and helping the commmunity heal. One such project is the restoration of Gulfport's Bayou View Park, which started a year ago. With just a few weeks left until the park reopens, organizers say the rebuilding process is far from over.

TOP STORY

Bridge on schedule
Contractors will get $5M bonus if deadlines are met
By TOM WILEMON, tewilemon@sunherald.com
Building a bridge is no simple task. Consider this. So much concrete is being used in the new Biloxi Ocean Springs Bridge that the 86,000 cubic yards would be enough to pour a sidewalk from here to Greenville.

Green and Yellow Houses

I have posted pictures before of the affordable houses that are being built around Pascagoula. They are not just on the street I depict. There is more of a grouping in this area. I have seen a scattering in other neighborhoods. All are in approximately the same vicinity. The ones below are on Choctaw.


All of this is painfully slow. We have come a long way since the storm but realize that there is much more work ahead of us. Something I would like to see again is pretty landscaping. Market Street's median looks good but thieves have been stealing the plants, especially the small palms. West Beach Boulevard is going to have a facelift in the very near future. So rebuilding is finally taking place all around the coast. There are still too many families in Fema trailers, we must do all we can to get them into a home again.

On the upside, tomorrow's forecast is for one more day of sun and the downside, rain will return!

Pascagoula New Construction

The weather was nice today with a high of 66 degrees. I received my new camera yesterday and learned enough about how it operates to at least take a few pictures to show you. I tried taking a video but I don't think you would be interested in looking at my car's dashboard, my right leg and foot. When I improve, you will be seeing videos. As I drive around I have to remind myself how much it has improved in our area and not focus on what is not good. The most amazing thing to me is the amount of debri that once littered the grounds. People are building their homes again but it is moving slowly. My daughter, Anita, still has an incomplete kitchen. Instead of completing a room the workers go to another room to put up new baseboards That sounds good but they don't finish that either before moving to something else. I have thought perhaps they are bored and they need diversion. It is very difficult for my daughter and the four children to live the way they are. I think the contractors have so many jobs that they may come for two days out of a week and then they are gone for a week to other jobs they also have. You want to tell them to hit the road but you hesitate as they need to stay around to fix the helter skelter messes they have made.

The first picture is of a house that I have been watching for a while. One that is high on pilings. I think you may agree, they have made a very appealing new home for themselves.


The house below was heavily damaged by the storm but it is livable again and nestles nicely under the oaks..


That's about all I have today. Now I am going to watch "Lost" and see if Sawyer is as cute as I thought.

Pay, residency hurt M.P. police

By MARY PEREZ

SUN HERALD

MOSS POINT - Police Chief Demetrius Drakeford told the Board of Aldermen Tuesday night that raising the pay and eliminating the residence requirement could help the city fill the nine vacancies on the police force.

Alderman Shorty Middleton said he's asked at least five police offers who left the force why they quit.

"Pay was their No. 1 concern," he said, and noted that Moss Point police salaries are still under that of Gautier and other neighboring cities.

Alderman Tommy Hightower pointed out, "The police department has a number of officers that have not met the residency requirement, some of them going back to 1994." Members of the force are required to live in Jackson County, but that requirement was waived for a year after Hurricane Katrina.

Drakeford said other cities are moving to allow their police officers to live within a 50 mile radius. When Hightower asked if the board should look at a similar proposal, Drakeford replied: "I think it would definitely help us in our recruiting. It would help us get better applicants."

Hightower said he's been inundated the past three weeks with calls from residents in the Riverwood subdivision who have seen several burglaries and car thefts.

"There's some irate people," Hightower said, and they want to see police patrolling their neighborhood.

The Sun Herald | 02/06/2007 | Six South Mississippi teams in soccer semis

The Sun Herald | 02/06/2007 | Six South Mississippi teams in soccer semis: "Six South Mississippi teams in soccer semis
OLA hosts St. John; winner heads to Jackson
By JAMES JONES
jkjones@sunherald.com

Our Lady Academy meets a familiar opponent in its path to winning a possible seventh Class 1A/2A/3A girls state soccer championship.

The Lady Crescents (15-3-2) entertain St. John (11-4-2) in the 1A/2A/3A South State finals tonight.

OLA and St. John are two of six South Mississippi teams that reached the state semifinals. The state finals will be held on Friday and Saturday at Millsaps College for the second straight year.

'Is the third time the charm?' St. John coach Jackie Wright said. 'That's what we're hoping. We have to score first. Playing on top has helped us this season.'

OLA swept the Lady Eagles during the regular season, winning 1-0 and 2-1 to capture the Division 8-1A/2A/3A title."


My granddaughter, Jordan, is on St. John's team.

Gulf Coast News - Your Mississippi Coast News Source

Gulf Coast News - Your Mississippi Coast News Source: "Pascagoula and MDOT to Build $1 Million Beach Promenade - Mississippi Press"

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Seabees Deploy Overseas

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Seabees Deploy Overseas: "'First platoon reports all present,' the officer in charge yelled, as several hundred Seabees prepared to board buses Monday morning.

They are mission-ready after months of training. Based in Gulfport, these Seabees come from all over America.

'Long Island, New York,' said Victoria McReynolds, in a strong New Yorker accent.

She's not the least bit nervous about the mission. This mother will be serving alongside Seabees who aren't much older than her 15 year old son.

'This is going to be my second deployment. And I like it. Seabees are awesome. I like the work we do. It's good,' she said, smiling."

Where is the camera I ordered? Amazon at times uses third parties that actually have the desired item in stock and it is their responsibility to get the order to the customer. At the same time I ordered an extra memory card for the camera which Amazon had in stock. It came through the postal service and I have had it for 3 days now. Weren't all the other carriers suppose to somehow do better than the post office? Tracking tells me that FedEx has the camera and it is in transit. So maybe I will find a package propped against the front door tomorrow. Why didn't I just go to Wal-Mart's?

I guess most of you watched the Super Bowl. My bet was on the Colts not because I knew anything about them but since the Bears won over the Saints, I didn't want them to win this one. After watching the Bears and Saints in the playoff, I found out something late in the game of my life, I like football! As for my remark about the Bears, there is no way that I wouldn't like them. My husband was from Chicago.

There isn't much to report in the way of news tonight. It usually takes to about Wednesday for local news to change after a weekend. I was hoping I would find news on the gunshots that I heard. Maybe I will never know what happened but the firing of a gun is serious to me.

It's still cold here, which is very unusual for our area. Since Katrina, I have used the word "unusual" many times. I think I can say with certainty that we ALL live in an unusual time of uncertainty!

See you!

The Sun Herald | 02/05/2007 | FEMA hearing complaints after Florida tornados

The Sun Herald | 02/05/2007 | FEMA hearing complaints after Florida tornados: "FEMA hearing complaints after Florida tornados
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DeLAND, Fla. - Some tornado victims applying for disaster aid Monday said they felt lost in the bureaucratic maze of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has pledged that it is much nimbler after learning from its flat-footed response to Hurricane Katrina.

FEMA chief David Paulison and Gov. Charlie Crist have said the agency was quick to respond to the three central Florida tornados that killed 20 and left hundreds homeless. But scattered complaints drifted in among the 400 people who had registered so far for help."

TIME FOR THE BIG GAME
Despite Urlacher's imposing play, Colts still the favorite
By DAVE GOLDBERG, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Forget the perception that the Chicago Bears are mere patsies for Peyton Manning.

We have had a very cold winter this year and I am tired if it. Most of the time the sun refuses to come out from behind really dismal clouds. It seems that the weather has gone awry. Florida took a devastating blow from a tornado yesterday and looking at the destruction brought back painful memories of what happened to us in Mississippi. The most tragic thing about disasters is the loss of life. To lose children and young teens brings horrific pain. Why do these things happen?

We seem to be in a state of lawlessness in our area. Last night I heard four gunshots, fired in rapid succession. At this writing, there has been no news reporting what took place. Today at 11:53AM something hit the roof and rolled. The foyer closet rattled. Usually, even though it is not proven, it is blamed on a sonic boom. This is happening all over the United States.

Reports from around the Country on "Booms"

On the morning that hurricane Katrina was going to strike us, we were standing on the front porch and we heard this eery rumble. What was that? Well, we are convinced that it was obviously the sound of a huge "wave" bearing down on us. Until it is proven otherwise, we stand by our conclusion that Katrina was not a normal hurricane. Remember the Stealth Bomber? Many UFO sightings could have been the airplane the public didn't know about.I have often wondered when the Stealth's existence was finally revealed, what new technology took it's place?

There are no pictures tonight as my new camera has not arrived. If the bad element here is not checked soon, I might get pictures of crimes being committed. Accidentally of course .. I certainly won't be looking for it. I have had enough excitement.

Will be back soon!

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Ocean Springs/St Martin

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Ocean Springs/St Martin: "AJ Giardina Reports On Fire Hydrants That Don't Work
If there was a fire at your house, you'd expect the fire hydrant on your block to work. A St. Martin couple found out the tragic consequences when the hydrants on Bayou Place didn't work. They called Action Reporter A.J. Giardina, who started asking questions and found some disturbing answers."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Pascagoula

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Your Hometown News - Pascagoula: "Gautier & Beach Elementary Schools Will Rebuild
Two Jackson County schools are now on the road to recovery. Katrina caused millions of dollars of damage to both Gautier Elementary and Beach Elementary in Pascagoula. Many students were displaced from their regular classrooms, and a lot of people questioned the fate of the two buildings. Keli Rabon has the latest on work to bring both schools back to life."

Members Salvage Steeple During Gulfport Church Demolition
A long-time landmark in downtown Gulfport is about to disappear. The demolition is underway on First Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Highway 90 and 24th Avenue. But before the sanctuary is completely cleared, the congregation is trying to salvage the biggest, and perhaps most precious piece of the 42-year-old church.

Strong Storms Destroy, Kill Overnight - from TBO.com

Strong Storms Destroy, Kill Overnight - from TBO.com - Florida

Gulf Coast News - Your Mississippi Coast News Source

Gulf Coast News - Your Mississippi Coast News Source: "Three Men Injured in Tuesday Night Shooting in Pascagoula, Investigation Continues - Mississippi Press"

The Sun Herald | 02/01/2007 | Wind pool plan passes

The Sun Herald | 02/01/2007 | Wind pool plan passes: "Wind pool plan passes
House displays rare show of bipartisanship
By GEOFF PENDER
capitalbureu@aol.com

JACKSON - The Coast's House delegation put forth a rare, unified and nonpartisan front in pushing for relief from the post-Katrina insurance crisis and on Wednesday it paid off, with a rare, unified vote of the House to approve the plan.

Perhaps most remarkable, inland lawmakers in the usually territorial House, during an election year, approved a bill to help the Coast that could cost their constituents money on their insurance premiums."