Stringer News

As a bicentennial baby, perhaps it was only appropriate that Stacey Malaret truly grew up red, white and blue.

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.

Food festivals dot the Mississippi summer calendar, giving communities the chance to celebrate heritage and harvest and chow down at the same time.

At the state capitol, budget talks are resuming this week. Time is running out for lawmakers as the end of the current fiscal year approaches.

David P. Wall, CIC, has been named vice president, personal insurance. He has a bachelor's degree in Bible and history from Mississippi College.

Temp: 91.0 F Heat Index: 97 F Meridian, Key Field, MS House and Senate negotiators met briefly Monday without resolving any fiscal issues still in dispute, including Medicaid.

PETAL - Mike Graham lived a pretty quiet life out on Sunrise Road with his wife except for the occasional car wreck on their street.

One member of the Laurel Police Department has earned the distinction of becoming a member of the 100 Club for 2008.

Police Chief Lee Shelbourn said Monday he was told to double the number of citations and set up more roadblocks to help ease Petal's budget crisis.

Mississippi lawmakers come back to the Capitol on Tuesday after a two-week break and nothing has changed with the budget impasse they left behind.

Legislators return to Jackson today to resume work, but budget negotiators in the House and Senate are still far apart in coming up with an agreement to fix an anticipated shortfall of more than $300 million.

Several local students will be graduating from high schools in Jones County this week.

Nearly a half a billion dollar project began in January to create a natural gas storage facility in two salt domes encompassing over 400 acres in Smith and Jasper counties.

Legislators working on a Mississippi spending plan for the coming fiscal year are at an impasse.

LUCEDALE A wreath-placing ceremony at the Lucedale City Park on Monday brought back memories for many of the veterans who attended.

The dust has settled, and while there are runoffs and general elections still to be decided, one thing is now definite.

Gov. Haley Barbour signaled his intention to sign off on a 50-cent cigarette tax hike that cleared the Mississippi Legislature on Wednesday, but he said lawmakers should also change the way smokeless tobacco is taxed and consider putting a higher tax on smaller cigarette manufacturers.

The severe weather that moved through South Mississippi Sunday night and Monday morning downed trees, destroyed homes, left thousands without power and even killed a woman in Jones County.

News of Charles Young's death was felt at the state Capitol, where so much of his time was spent in the last 30 years.

Top Mississippi lawmakers have agreed to write a state budget without using a hospital tax to help fund Medicaid.