WLOX-TV and WLOX.com - Building South Mississippi Together |Local News
Member Center:
An explosion at VT Halter Marine in Escatawpa killed two people Friday afternoon, and injured at least four others. Company CEO Bill Skinner told WLOX News that the crew was cleaning a tank, preparing it for paint when the blast occurred. It's still unclear what may have triggered the explosion.
The City of Wiggins is celebrating a major milestone. Mayor Jerry Alexander led a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday morning at the newly restored Pine Hill Avenue. That street in the heart of downtown received a $1.4 million makeover. The work includes a new brick street, sidewalks and decorative lighting.
A D'Iberville High teacher serving in the Middle East will soon be receiving a taste of home just in time for the holidays. Computer teacher and swim coach Keith Blalock is currently serving in Afghanistan. Students spent time this week putting together care packages to show Blalock that he may be away, but he's not forgotten.
Biloxi lost one of its most beloved community leaders Friday when Tommy Munro passed away. Mr. Munro was a businessman and a public servant. His legacy was rooted in the family's petroleum business.
It's the time of the year when we are asked to look deep into our hearts to help those in need. The Ocean Springs High School Choir helped kick off this year's Salvation Army Kettle drive Friday in front of Walmart.
Officials advise you to use caution so your turkey fry doesn't go awry.
Ku Klux Klansmen say they'll protest Saturday at the University of Mississippi. Grand titan Shane Tate of Tupelo says members are unhappy because Ole Miss Chancellor Dan Jones told the band to drop a pep song after some fans had been chanting "the South will rise again."
I was recently invited to sit in on the Gulfport Police Department’s weekly GAPS briefing. What I witnessed were supervisors from each division in the police department using eye opening crime statistics from the previous week to draw up a law enforcement blueprint for the upcoming week.
A Saucier family wants people to know their son died doing what he loved best. Fifteen-year-old Christian Saucier died this past weekend when his four wheeler flipped during a motocross competition in Florida.
Jeffrey Taylor says he feels better than he has in years after kicking his 30 year smoking habit. And he attributes his success to tobacco cessation classes at Memorial Hospital at Gulfport.
A bus carrying crew members of pop star Miley Cyrus' tour overturned this morning, killing one person and closing Interstate 85 at mile marker 55 for several hours.
For the second time in a week, medical experts are revising the advice given women on cancer screenings. Now women are being told that they should get their first screening for cervical cancer -- including a Pap test -- at age 21.
Proof that life is sometimes stranger than fiction: a teenager got stuck in the chimney of his Jackson home this morning! Rescuers spent more than an hour trying to get him out of the chimney at 5964 Westmore Drive.
The Palace Casino is pumping more than $40 million into a new expansion project. The new 64,000 square foot addition would sit in front of the existing casino. General Manager Keith Crosby said despite the struggling gaming market, the casino is confident in its investment.
Biloxi Police captured a larceny suspect who they chased Thursday night from the D'Iberville area down Old Highway 15, through St. Martin well into Jackson County.
Sandra Bullock and other stars gathered in New Orleans Thursday evening for the world premiere of "The Blind Side", the story of a Memphis teen's journey from the projects to professional football stardom.
Several months ago, Carrie Duncan and Patrice Clark let us in on a little secret. They didn't like how they looked. So, they started to eat healthier meals, and they started exercising. Over the past few years, Patrice has lost over 100 pounds. She went from a size 28 dress to a 10! And in the past year, Carrie has dropped 40 pounds and has been successful in keeping it off.
A popular St. Martin High School teacher is accused of growing marijuana at his home. Patrick Charles Walker, 51, has been charged with one count of cultivation of marijuana and one count of felony possession. Patrice Clark has reaction from Walker's neighbors and co-workers who were stunned to learn of the teacher's arrest.
A well known Gulf Coast construction company is throwing in the towel. The owner of Planetta Custom Homes says the current state of the economy has forced him to close the home building division of his company. This weekend the company plans to use a unique method of moving the vacant homes and properties.
The federal EPA is removing tons of contaminated soil from the site of an old wood preserving plant in Wiggins. The work is happening on the westside of town, just off College Avenue. EPA on-scene coordinator, Stephen Ball, says the clean-up involves removing tons of hazardous soil and replacing it with clean fill dirt. The work will continue through next month.
Mark Kee Brown will spend the rest of his life in prison. A jury took just 30 minutes Thursday to determine the 32-year-old was guilty of botching a robbery and then killing a D'Iberville man.
Two Forrest county volunteer firefighters responding to a car fire found themselves the center of a rescue operation when their fire truck flipped over while in route. It happened just after 1:00 Thursday
Work has begun to build much needed medians on a dangerous stretch of Highway 49. The area is also the heart of Gulfport's shopping district and the road work won't be finished until after the holidays. And that means drivers should prepare for delays.
A St. Martin High School teacher has been arrested for growing marijuana. Patrick Walker, 51, was arrested at his home Wednesday night. Walker is the chair of the Business Education Department at St. Martin High, and was one of the school's "Teachers of the Month" for September, according to the school’s website.
Moss Point already has some great programs in place to help children from birth to age five, but it's working to offer even more. The city is in the process of becoming Excel by 5 Certified, which ultimately will help children in Moss Point grow up happy, healthy, and ready to learn.
Family and friends of murder victim Michael Surber gathered at Skeeter's Billiards in Gulfport to celebrate his life. It was the last place he was seen before police found him murdered in his Ocean Springs home last Thursday. For family and friends, the focus wasn't on what happened to Surber but rather how he lived doing what he loved.
Moss Point High's Naval Junior ROTC program has been chosen as top one in the state. The prestigious honor is given every year to a unit that exemplifies academic excellence, discipline and citizenship. Patrice Clark takes a closer look at how this program is turning students into leaders.
A historic, 100-year-old building in Old Town Bay St. Louis has been restored, and the new owners are happy to be part of lifting Bay St. Louis out of the ruins of Katrina.
The hit tv show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” is coming to Hattiesburg to surprise a deserving family. Five families are being considered. One will get a surprise wakeup call from Ty Pennington and his design team Thursday, December 3rd.
A Hancock County man has filed a $3 million lawsuit against the Waveland Police Department, the city of Waveland and police officer Jeffrey Guilliot. Doyle Dahl said that he was tased by officer Guilliot nine times after a traffic stop in March of last year.
A portion of I-20 in Pearl was shut down late Tuesday night after police said explosives were discovered in a vehicle during a routine traffic stop. The investigation has led to a possible connection with similar arrests in Arizona.
Pecans are a big part of holiday cooking in South Mississippi. And this year they will be plentiful, according to agriculture experts.
In a landmark decision, a federal judge has ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers' failure to properly maintain a navigation channel led to massive flooding by Hurricane Katrina.
Every state agency should brace for more cuts and the pain could be felt by every Mississippian. That's the warning from Mississippi lawmakers as they discussed ways to survive the budget crisis. Just days ago, Governor Haley Barbour unveiled his proposal to cut as much as $715 million from the budget. As Trang Pham-Bui tells us, several lawmakers say all state services will be scrutinized.
The man who police say is behind an illegal escort service has been arrested for a third time this week. Biloxi officers encountered Harry Mark Gonsoulin, Junior during a traffic stop on Popp's Ferry Road.
Gulfport is in the market for a new fire chief. According to city council members, Pat Sullivan is retiring. Sullivan has been with the city of Gulfport for 35 years. He became fire chief in 2001.
A Covington County man was found guilty in a matter of seconds on a charge of simple assault, stemming from a Collins convenience store.
Work crews are busy preparing the shelves for the return of more than 80,000 books at the Bay St. Louis Public Library. While the renovation work has been completed, the furniture and other features won't be installed until next month. Library leaders say it will be worth the wait.
Members of First Presbyterian Church of Gulfport are finally moving into their new home this week. The old downtown Gulfport Church was destroyed by Katrina. Meggan Gray takes us to the new church on O'Neal Road, where crews are working to get ready for Sunday services.
Four years after Hurricane Katrina forced them out of Gulfport, shrimpers say they're ready to come home. With that in mind, the Port of Gulfport formed a committee to explore if it could rebuild its commercial small craft harbor in a way that's cost effective and timely.
A Gulfport man is behind bars, charged with sexually abusing a young girl. John Dudley Lamm, II, 37, is charged with five counts of sexual battery and two counts of molestation.
A 2-year-old in north Mississippi has done something few toddlers can: He helped his mother give birth to his brother.
A slot machine maker says casinos are buying fewer machines than they have in a decade as they stretch their spending. Nick Khin, an executive with Aristocrat Technologies, said Wednesday that the four major slot makers combined sold fewer machines in the third quarter than during any period the last decade.
Pearl Police are still investigating the discovery of several assault weapons and a couple of explosive devices they found in a vehicle on a routine traffic stop on I-20 Tuesday night.
It all started 20 years ago with an idea and a meeting of some community leaders. Gulfport's Mayor Ken Combs and its Police Chief George Payne met with Councilman Jimmie Jenkins, Reverend Harry Tart and Sheriff Joe Price. They wanted to figure out a way for every person in Harrison County to get hot food and a warm hug on Christmas morning. From that meeting in 1989 came "Harrison County's Feed The Needy."
A sonic boom appears to be what so many folks in Jackson County heard Tuesday night. The WLOX Newsroom was flooded with calls Tuesday night around 8pm from residents who heard an explosion. But Earl Etheridge with the Department of Environmental Quality said he's checked with all the major industries in the area, and all say the explosion didn't come from them.
Hollywood hits home this week with the nationwide theatrical release of "The Blind Side," the remarkable true life story of a Mid-South family and its adopted son. The story became a New York Times bestseller before being turned into a movie.
Ocean Springs leaders are reallocating part of a $4.6 million loan to help pay for the city's multi-million dollar public safety complex. The complex is currently out for bid.
New government recommendations on mammograms are creating a lot of questions. It's an emotionally charged issue, especially among those who say early testing saved their lives.
The mass vaccination of students is underway in south Mississippi. This week, more than 6,000 Swine Flu shots will be given to students in Jackson County, Pascagoula and Gautier. And more than 1,200 students in the Biloxi School District will be getting the voluntary injections. As Trang Pham-Bui tells us, there were a few tears Tuesday, but no medical emergencies.
The Long Beach Board of Aldermen have approved a deal that will allow Rob Stinson to bring back his well known Long Beach Lookout Restaurant to the harbor.
Pascagoula School District Superintendent Wayne Rodolfich says Governor Haley Barbour's proposal to merge school districts across the state could cheat students out of a good education. The Governor believes a solution to the state's ongoing revenue problem is to merge 52 low performing districts with some of the 100 higher performing ones.
Police say the story a female security guard told them about getting stabbed Saturday outside the LSU Law Center was only a story and she has admitted the wounds were self-inflicted.
An alleged KKK member has been found competent to stand trial in connection with the killing of an Oklahoma woman who reportedly tried to back out of a Klan initiation ceremony last year in St. Tammany Parish.
Three On Your Side investigates the costs and benefits of illegal immigration at a time when the state's facing a budget crunch.
With 53 percent of the vote, Scott DeLano won the special election for State House District 117. The district covers parts of Gulfport and Biloxi. The seat opened up after Michael Janus resigned to become D'Iberville's City Manager.
Biloxi police reported an accident with injuries on the Popp's Ferry Bridge. Motorists were telling WLOX News that traffic was backed up to the Margaret Sherry Public Library on Popp's Ferry Road.
Ocean Springs Police have released a surveillance photo showing the last person seen with Michael Surber before he was killed. Jericho Cooper is considered a "person of interest" in the case, and is wanted for questioning.
Biloxi city council members held a workshop Tuesday to review the city's new comprehensive plan. The 200 page document represents more than 18 months of work and countless public meetings. It is a "framework for the future" that addresses everything from housing and economic development, to historic architecture. Steve Phillips has the story.
Ocean Springs Police tell WLOX News that the First Bank and Trust on Bienville Boulevard (Highway 90) in Ocean Springs was robbed Tuesday afternoon. Police say the robbery took place just before 4:00pm, which is closing time.
BusinessWeek released its fourth annual ranking of the “Best Places to Raise Your Kids.” Tinley Park, Illinois was named the nation’s best town to raise kids. Partnering with OnBoard Informatics, a New York-based provider of real estate analysis, BusinessWeek selected one town and two runners-up for each of the 50 states. Gulfport was selected as best city in the state of Mississippi.
Gov. Haley Barbour's brother is going to Meridian Tuesday night to accept a batch of signatures gathered on voter-identification petitions. The signatures were collected by the Tea Party, a conservative group supporting limited government. Jeppie Barbour, like the governor, is a Republican.
A man wanted for prostitution in Jackson County actually turned himself in to Biloxi Police Monday on an unrelated charge. Police say 48-year-old Harry Mark Gonsoulin, Junior runs an escort service, and that his prostitutes made up most of those arrested in a recent sting operation.
Some of south Mississippi's most influential people spent Tuesday inspiring the next generation of leaders. It was a forum hosted by Coast Young Professionals. As Meggan Gray found out, the goal was to educate and engage these young people about future economic development along the coast.
Mississippi Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker are asking that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid allow his health reform package to be submitted for a more thorough analysis to determine its long-term costs to the nation.
Women don't need to start having mammograms to screen for breast cancer until they're 50, and they only need to have those exams every other year, new government guidelines suggest.
In his final term as Mississippi’s 63rd governor, Haley Barbour appears to be thinking about his future. And several national pundits have said that future could include a move from the governor’s mansion to the Oval Office.
Pascagoula officials are considering changing a city ordinance that bans alcohol on public grounds. The change would allow alcohol in public buildings and recreational facilities, on a case by case basis. The proposal has some Pascagoula residents stirred up.
After 34 years in the coaching ranks, Harrison Central's Ronnie Cuevas has decided to retire. His Reb Rebels completed the 2009 football season with 9 wins and 3 losses. Oak Grove eliminated Harrison Central in the first round of the Class 6A State Playoffs on Friday night.
In a time of high unemployment, Three On Your Side is taking a look at how illegal immigration fits into the economic picture.
During tough economy times, retailers experience sales contractions … but not all of them. Many flea markets are in boom times. In the U.S., there is an estimated 2,500 flea markets and the number is growing.
Pass Christian kicked off a $10 million downtown revitalization project with a ground breaking at War Memorial Park on Monday afternoon. The work will include building new streets and sidewalks downtown, along with installing new sewer and water infrastructure. Landscaping and decorative street lighting are also included.
A chartered Boeing 767 carrying more than 200 very happy people, touched down at Gulfport's Air National Guard base Monday afternoon. Inside, were 228 members of the 168th Engineer Brigade from the Army National Guard. They had spent the last nine months in Afghanistan.
The Secretary of State’s Office kicked off its “Check your Charities” campaign Monday with the release of the 2009 Charities Report. It details financial information for every registered charity in Mississippi.
A community campaign aimed at reducing the dropout rate in Pascagoula schools is garnering a lot of national attention. Since 2007, Destination Graduation has received three national awards, three state awards, and a regional honor. Trang Pham-Bui talks to the man behind this successful program.
Despite initial controversy, progress is being made on the Gulfport Small Craft Harbor. The contractor said about 20 percent of the post Katrina rebuild is complete, after only four months of work.
Orleans Furniture of Columbia will close the doors on their manufacturing plant and layoff 75 employees effective Friday. The plant has been a mainstay
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour says the state should consider merging some of its universities to save money. Barbour also proposed that the state's 152 public school districts be consolidated into 100. He said he would expect the better performing school districts to remain intact while lower performing districts would be merged with others.
An 81-year-old Vancleave man has been charged with four counts of molestation. The victims are girls ranging in age from five to 10-years-old.
Ocean Springs Police are officially in the midst of a homicide investigation. They've been looking into the suspicious death of 54-year-old Michael Surber since Thursday.
For nearly 25 years a Jackson-based non-profit agency has taken a stand on behalf of the disabled. Now the agency is making a second home here on the Coast. Disability Rights Mississippi recently opened a satellite office in D'Iberville. Staff members say they were convinced that they needed a stronger presence in our area.
A Saucier teen died Saturday in a four wheeler accident in Florida. It happened just after noon at the Walton County Motor Cross track outside of Laurel Hill, FL. Christian Pierce, 14, was practicing for a race on Sunday.
The Better Business Bureau is urging consumers to be skeptical of products that claim they can prevent, treat and even cure swine flu. Some people have been getting emails about this.
We're now 9-0 for the first time in franchise history, but Sunday's game wasn't a pretty win. Share your thoughts on the Saints vs Rams game.
They say there’s no such thing as an ugly victory. Well, the Saints certainly tested that theory Sunday in St. Louis. In case you missed it, New Orleans beat the Rams 28-23 to improve to 9-0 on the season. That 9-0 start is the best in the 43 year history of the franchise.
The battle of the bulge among African Americans in Mississippi was the subject of a BET network special Sunday.
The Delta's Catfish industry hopes it will soon be checked for safety by the USDA.
City officials anticipate big changes are coming to Pascagoula, thanks in part to several development projects near the water and downtown areas. But one of those projects is geared toward helping citizens take a step back in time. Jackson County reporter Sylvia Hall shows us how the city wants to use their historic streets, to help future developments.
BILOXI, MS (WLOX) - This weekend thousands of people started their holiday shopping early. Shoppers flocked to Christmas City in Biloxi.
HARRISON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) - Some Coast housing experts say they're already seeing the effects of the government's latest buyer incentives. Earlier this month, President Obama signed legislation to extend the housing tax credit for first time home buyers and help some current home owners. The credits were buzz around the Parade of Homes this weekend.
For one Gulfport man, Saturday marks a somber anniversary. Three years ago on November 14th, Brian Pierce lost his two children in a car accident. For the past three years, he's used the tragedy as a wake-up call to kids and parents to buckle-up. Krystal Allan sat down with him to hear what he's working on to step up his effort to save lives.
The people we depend on to find lost children and trapped natural disaster victims say "Shake and Bake" meth labs are the number one hazard they face on the job. Gulf Coast Search and Rescue put on several training exercises in Harrison County for dozens of volunteers. Organizers say these days when they go out on a search, they have to be careful that not to become victims themselves.
The body of a missing University of Southern Mississippi freshman has been found. The university says Steven Clay McGehee, of Horn Lake, was found Friday in Yalobusha County.
This week in Jackson County, two women were arrested for stealing more than $3,200 worth of items at the Moss Point Cracker Barrel. Police arrested Lucedale residents Lucia Sanborn and Karen Smith. The upswing in thefts has South Mississippi law enforcement on alert, especially D'Iberville Police. Patrice Clark joins us with more on what they're doing to protect the new promenade shopping center from thieves.
There were hundreds of little smiling faces in Gulfport on Saturday. Gulf Coast Community Action Agency put on its annual Fall Festival for its Head Start program.
For two days Gulfport police hit the streets going undercover to get ahead of the growing meth problem. They called it, 'Operation Cold Treatment.' It's a reference to the cold medicine meth makers use to make the drug. Krystal Allan rode along with police for the special operation.
Some new businesses in Pascagoula are getting a little extra support in this bad economy. City leaders, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Main Street Association have teamed up to launch an outreach businesses program. Each group takes turns visiting store owners to help give them a boost. And business owners are thrilled about the plan.
Congressman Gene Taylor answered questions for some 90 minutes during a town hall meeting in Poplarville on Friday. The questions ranged from health care reform to a possible troop surge in Afghanistan. The fourth district Democrat also fielded questions about federal fiscal responsibility and concerns about swine flu vaccine.
Starting next week, thousands of south Mississippi students will be lining up to get their Swine Flu shots. Several school districts sent home information kits and permission slips this week. Every school district along the coast will offer the H1N1 vaccine, except Ocean Springs, which does not plan to participate in the program. Trang Pham-Bui talks to the superintendent about his concerns.
A former Louisiana congressman has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa. That's far less than the nearly 30 years prosecutors had sought for William Jefferson, a Democrat who represented parts of New Orleans.
Ocean Springs police are trying to figure out if someone killed a man whose body was found by friends at his Linda Drive home. Police have now identified the victim as Michael Surber.
Bobby DeLaughter, a history-making prosecutor who became a judge, has been sentenced to 18 months for federal obstruction in a case that ended his career and brought down some of the most powerful lawyers in Mississippi.
The Obama administration is backing off a plan to ban raw oysters from the Gulf of Mexico during warm weather. The FDA acted after meeting with fierce resistance from the oyster industry and Gulf Coast lawmakers.
A 21-year-old Columbia man was sentenced Friday to a total of 145 years behind bars for charges related to a man's death in August 2007. Algeno Lorenzo Flowers was 23 when he was shot to death. Joshua Moore was charged with Manslaughter, six counts of Armed Robbery and a charge of Conspiracy.
Governor Haley Barbour visited with Mississippi National Guard troops on the ground at forward operating bases in Afghanistan Friday. More than 3,500 members of the Mississippi National Guard are currently on active duty in the two countries, performing a variety of missions.
Read what's on the minds of people in the WLOX Newsroom.
Learn more about the guests Rhonda Weidner, Tommy Richards and Meggan Gray interview on Good Morning Mississippi and WLOX News at MidDay.
Check out the 4 O'Clock Show Online! Find recipes and learn about our guests and segments like Nancy's Corner, Good Housekeeping and more.
NEW Interactive Radar! Track storms on your own!
