Petal News

You could call reading comprehension a cross-disciplinary skill, as important in reading a science text book as reading Harry Potter.

PETAL - John Buchanan hasn't physically moved into the superintendent's office yet, but on Wednesday he officially took over as leader of Petal schools.

Anthony Cafalone, 12, of Petal, was among 2,000 kids nationwide honored by Kohl's Department Stores for good deeds they performed in their communities through volunteerism as part of the Kohl's Kids Who Care Scholarship Program.

PETAL - The absence of a fire chief in the Friendly City concerns Mayor-elect Hal Marx, who wants the position filled within two months of the new administration being sworn in.

Mayor-elect Hal Marx confirmed this morning that Petal City Clerk Jean Ishee will not continue in that role for his administration.

PETAL - School board members approved a $40 million budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year Tuesday.

The Petal Board of Aldermen will meet at 6:30 p.m. today at City Hall, 119 West Eighth Ave., to review resumes submitted for a vacancy on the Planning Commission.

Although retail development in the Hattiesburg area has slowed over the last two years, shoppers still have plenty of options that have materialized recently, as well as a few new developments on the horizon.

Music. TV. The Jonas Brothers. Text messaging. MySpace. It's the life of an American teenage girl.

Heelflips, kickflips and frontside grabs got a crowd of about 100 people shouting their support for local and regional skaters at the Petal Skate Park.

PETAL -Hal Marx invoked the words of former Mississippi governor Kirk Fordice Thursday asking for a new slogan: 'Only positive Petal spoken here.' The mayor-elect spoke to the Petal Area AARP during a luncheon held for the new administration.

The Forrest County District Attorney's Office has cleared two Petal police officers implicated in an excessive force complaint.

PETAL - Police Chief Lee Shelbourn confirmed today that he will not be reappointed when the new city administration takes office next month.

PETAL - Petal School District officials will mull over a projected budget that will spend over $40 million in the 2009-2010 fiscal year.

To the citizens of Forrest, Jones, Perry and Wayne County plus the rest of Mississippi, Jack Powell and I, Carroll Powell, would like to ask you when you are driving on Morriston and Old Richton roads, please drive careful and use your cell phones wisely.

PETAL - Heelflips, kickflips and frontside grabs got a crowd of about 100 people shouting their support for local and regional skaters at the Petal Skate Park.

Music. TV. The Jonas Brothers. Text messaging. MySpace. It's the life of an American teenage girl.

PETAL - City sales tax revenue took a huge swing out of the red with the largest one-month figure Petal has seen, according to city officials.

An investigation into alleged police brutality by two Petal police officers has been turned over to the Forrest County District Attorney's Office.

JACKSON - The Mississippi section of the American Nuclear Society has awarded $1,000 college scholarships to three Mississippi high school graduates: Brooke Goree of Petal, Kathleen Foster and Ganesh Samy.