Auto Break Ins On Rise
Car burglars hit Hancock County
Many residents still leaving autos unlocked, police sayBy J.R. WELSH
baybureau@aol.com
HANCOCK COUNTY --
Law enforcement agencies countywide are investigating a rash of auto burglaries in which thieves are stealing cash, guns, cameras, jewelry and other valuables from vehicles that often have been left unlocked.
The burglars are indiscriminate about jurisdictional lines. Thefts have occurred in Waveland and Bay St. Louis, and an especially large number of cases has been reported in unincorporated Diamondhead.
"We've had 35 cases in Diamondhead in the last two weeks," Kenny Hurt, chief investigator for the Hancock County Sheriff's Department, said Monday. He said that 11 suspects - all under the age of 16 - have thus far been arrested, but burglaries continue.
In one Diamondhead case, thieves removed a digital camera from a car, took pornographic photos of themselves, then put the camera back in the car, Hurt said.
"There has been a rash of car burglaries all over the county and both cities," said Waveland Police Chief James Varnell. He said Waveland had seven car burglary reports recently, with five occurring in the past week.
In one Waveland case, he said, a man went outside about 1:35 a.m. after hearing his car's burglar alarm go off at his Sharon Street home. Thieves had smashed a rear window to enter the car and the owner found a front door standing open.
The burglars stole two guns - a two-shot Derringer and a .40-caliber Glock handgun - as well as $15,300 in cash. The burglars also stole a 14-carat gold bracelet with tiger stones from the same car, Varnell said.
Since Mississippi law treats someone's car as an extension of the home, it is not illegal for citizens to have guns in their cars.
The thefts are not being limited to auto contents, however. In another case, a Bay St. Louis resident reported seeing a four-wheeler being stolen from his house off Main Street. The man went outside just in time to see the four-wheeler being loaded into a white van with a ramp and being driven away.
Interim Bay St. Louis Police Chief Tom Burleson could not be reached for comment Monday.
In a Waveland neighborhood off Beach Boulevard, at least two other thefts occurred. One resident reported seeing a red pickup leave the area immediately after a car burglary.
Diamondhead resident Katie Breath, another burglary victim, said a purse containing identification, cash and a digital camera was stolen from her car after the lock had apparently been jimmied open. When she called Diamondhead security, she said, "They told me I was the seventh car burglary call that day."
Breath said such cases seem almost epidemic. "Every time I talk to someone, they have a similar story," she said Monday. "I talked with three others just last weekend."
Police are warning people to park their vehicles as close to their homes as possible in well-lighted spaces, and to make certain their cars are locked.
"They have been taking anything and everything," Hurt said. "And in 99 percent of all these burglaries, the vehicles were left unlocked."
Varnell also recommends that residents be watchful. "If you spot suspicious cars or persons in your neighborhood, call 911 immediately," he said.
Labels: Article, hancock county, katrina, ms, recovery, relief
Feb/07 The Mississippi State University Early Childhood Institute has completed installation of new fixed equipment for playgrounds at 43 child care facilities in the Hurricane Katrina region of Mississippi, thanks to federal funds allocated by the Office for Children and Youth of the Mississippi Department of Human Services. The funds are from the federal Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) to the State of Mississippi.
The institute will provide fixed equipment or outdoor play materials to a total of 137 child care facilities in 15 counties and 29 communities. The facilities have a maximum capacity of 8796 children. (See table.)
Facilities that lost entire playgrounds to the hurricane received new fixed playground equipment as well as outdoor learning materials such as easels, sandboxes, and puppet theaters. Facilities that had partial damages will receive the outdoor learning materials. The fixed equipment meets Mississippi Department of Health licensure standards for equipment.
Connie Clay of the MSU Early Childhood Institute is director of the institute’s Rebuilding After Katrina Initiative. Johnson, Bailey, Henderson, McNeel PA of Jackson, Miss., designed the installations of fixed equipment and Kenneth R. Thompson, Jr., Builder, Inc., of Greenwood, Miss., was the general contractor for the project. Both firms were low bidders in competitive bidding.
The Mississippi State University Extension Service also is helping child care providers in the Katrina region to resume offering safe, developmentally appropriate outdoor play opportunities to young children. The Nurturing Homes Initiative of the MSU Extension Service is providing technical assistance to license-exempt child care providers who care for children in their homes. The Extension Service received a separate contract from the Office for Children and Youth of the Mississippi Department of Human Services to assist family child care providers.
http://earlychildhood.msstate.edu/news/images/playground-table.pdfThis shows that Hancock County has only 4 registered child care facilities with a total capacity of 200 children.
In March, this was increased by 1 and 100 respectively with the opening of the facility by Bucks Mont Katrina Project.
Labels: Article, Children, hancock county, katrina, ms
News From An Artist
From Artist Michelle Alleecottage living came and photographed our gallery........they said it may be a year before they use the photos, but we were all excited that they may include us in their magazine and bring focus to bay st louis............
southern living will be in bsl on march 10 for second saturday
Labels: Article, artists, bay st louis, katrina, update
Deputies seize $434K in drugs in traffic stop
By ELLIS C. CUEVAS
Feb 9, 2007, 17:32
Hancock County Narcotics Division Lt. Jimmy Esposito and K-9 Dax seized 11 pounds of cocaine and 154 pounds of marijuana following a traffic violation stop of a bus on Interstate 10 early Wednesday morning, Sheriff Steve Garber reports.
"During a routine patrol, Lt. Esposito stopped a Tornado Bus Line bus for a traffic violation near mile marker 19 on Interstate 10. Esposito was given permission to search the luggage area of the bus by the bus operator. Dax alerted on two large traveler bags, with an estimated value of illegal drugs at $434,000," Narcotic Division Director Major Matt Karl said. "The two bags contained the 154 pounds of marijuana and the 11 pounds of pure cocaine in four packages. Estimated street value of marijuana in the state is $1,000 a pound, while cocaine is over $1,200 an ounce."
There were no arrests, as no one on the bus claimed ownership. The case is still under investigation, according to Karl.
Karl did report that during the past year his department has confiscated some 500 pounds of marijuana from Tornado Bus Line buses.
Garber stated, "Since our Narcotic Division now has six agents plus a director, we have agents on duty around the clock, every day of the week."
The drugs were delivered to the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics in Jackson Wednesday to be destroyed.
© 2005 Bay St. Louis Newspapers, Inc.
Labels: Article, bay st louis, drugs, hancock county
MDOT Faces Serious Manpower ShortageThis week, one road crew is tackling a major project in Jackson County. The workers are clearing the shoulders along Highway 63. But since the maintenance team has lost half its staff, it had to scramble to scrape up enough workers.
"We have eight people in Jackson County, plus three floating crews," said Tracy Woods, MDOT Area Superintendent for Jackson, George and Stone Counties. "We have to combine them, floating crews, and some other counties to have enough personnel to complete the job."
"We're shorthanded and it's giving us a problem," said Wayne Brown, Southern District Transportation Commissioner.
Brown says the manpower shortage is a growing problem across South Mississippi.
"In Hancock County, we have eight positions, but we have four employees, " Brown said.
Brown blames the problem on wages that he says are not very competitive, especially after Katrina.
"It's because of primarily of pay," Brown said. "They can go do hurricane relief, repairs and make more money. The construction industry down here is booming. You see signs all over the coast looking for help. We've always had a problem, but it's especially crucial now."
Brown says until the pay goes up and his maintenance jobs are filled, people will have to put up with the messy roadways.
"You'll see a pothole that may stay there a little longer, a downed sign may take a little longer being put back, a little more debris out there on the road," said Brown. "It's those things that really affect how we perceive our highways."
"It's like trying to put a Band-Aid on a cut," said Tracy Woods. "We're just doing what we can with what we have."
Wayne Brown says his maintenance employees currently make a little more than $8.00 an hour. This year, he's asking the State Legislature and Department of Finance to allow him to pay his staff an additional $2,000 to $3,000 a year.
Labels: Article, hancock county, jobs, ms
Septic Woes
Damaged septic tanks stopping rebuildingCounty: Residents must wait for sewerage
By RYAN LaFONTAINE
rlafontaine@sunherald.comHANCOCK COUNTY - Rebuilding delayed due to faulty septic tanks
Thousands of property owners hoping to rebuild their homes here will soon find they are stuck between a rock and a smelly place.
At least 95 percent of private septic tanks south of Interstate 10 are no longer environmentally safe and most have been spewing waste into ditches and nearby streams for decades, according to the state Department of Health.
Aside from the stench and the environmental dangers, faulty septic tanks are illegal.
The state has placed a block on new building permits for virtually every property in rural Hancock with a septic tank, south of Interstate 10, preventing homeowners from rebuilding until they can connect to a county sewerage system.
But Hancock is awaiting its share of the $600 million available through the Gulf Regional Water Utility Authority before it can afford to expand the public treatment system to those areas.
Unlike the public sewerage systems found in most cities and contemporary towns, septic tanks are similar to having a miniature sewage-treatment plant on private properties, usually in rural areas not served by a public system.
The archaic tanks are designed to allow solid waste to settle at the bottom, while pipes suck liquids out to a series of trenches below the ground.
But many of the tanks in Hancock have dumped the waste into nearby ditches and streams and even if a homeowner pays for an upgrade - about $4,000 - the soil in much of the county is no longer suitable for septic tanks.
The Hancock Board of Supervisors this week wrestled with the thought of thousands of residents having to wait for a public sewerage system before they can rebuild.
It could take two more years before the county receives its $120 million from the GRWUA and expands its sewerage system, and some political leaders say that's too long a wait.
"They've been (using septic tanks) for 50 years," Supervisor David Yarborough said. "How much more damage can these people do in two more years? I think we need to let these people hook back up until we get sewerage."
Already at least 350 property owners have been denied a building permit to build a home south of the Interstate and reconnect to an outdated septic tank.
Supervisor Lisa Cowand was far less excited about the idea of raw sewage seeping into the ground and dripping into streams and bayous.
"I can't concur with allowing it for two years because you don't think it will do any further degradation," Cowand told Yarborough. "I can't go with that, and I won't go with that."
Before the county will give a building permit to a property owner planning to use a septic tank, the Department of Health must approve the tank. And that's unlikely to happen south of the Interstate, officials said.
Labels: Article, hancock county, katrina, rebuilding
FEMA, deputies find 'meth lab'By DWAYNE BREMER
Jan 31, 2007, 09:19
Hancock County narcotics officials discovered an operating "meth lab" last week, after FEMA inspectors discovered suspicious items during a routine check up, Narcotics Director Matt Karl said Tuesday.
According to Karl, his office was called Wednesday by FEMA inspectors who said they saw materials inside a FEMA trailer at 6142 Apache St. in Jordan River Shores.
Karl met inspectors at the residence later that afternoon, and when inspectors opened the door to the trailer, Karl said he noticed bags of ammonia nitrate and canned fuel in plain sight.
Nobody was home at the time and Karl was able to gain a search warrant for the trailer. The next day, agents searched the trailer and discovered a large amount of precursor materials, which are used to manufacture meth.
"It was a working meth lab," Karl said.
Karl said the materials were taken as evidence and two suspects have been identified, he said. The sheriff's department is seeking those subjects to interview, he said.The trailer was taken away by FEMA, he said.
© 2005 Bay St. Louis Newspapers, Inc.
Labels: Article, drug abuse, hancock county
New FEMA Grants in HC
BILOXI, Miss. -- State officials said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved four Hurricane Katrina-related projects in Mississippi totaling more than $29 million.
The largest public assistance grant, totaling $18 million, goes to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency to pay for some of the help Mississippi received from Florida in the immediate aftermath of Katrina.
The $18 million grant, along with $15 million previously awarded, represents funding for the labor, equipment and material expenses for 18 mission assignments handled by Florida.
FEMA said it had provided 100 percent funding for a total of $48 million to MEMA to reimburse states that came to Mississippi's aid.
The agency also approved
$5.9 million to the city of Waveland to make permanent repairs to roads damaged as sewer lines are replaced south of the railroad tracks.
Other grants went to Jackson County for a new pre-cast concrete fishing pier to replace the Ocean Springs pier that was destroyed, and for
repairs to Saint Stanislaus College Preparatory School's Student Union Building in Bay St. Louis.Labels: Article, FEMA, Grant
Jerry Mallon Problems
Donations sent in good faith from Free Haul NPC, CAT Database, and CAP (City Action Partnership) are being detained by one Jerry Mallon d/b/a Anchor Homes in Bay St. Louis at 609 Central Street. Friday, in order for us to start the process, Mr Mallon demanded a $30,000 tax deductible donation receipt for full service warehousing and distribution. Distribution meaning loading the lumber onto trucks with his forklift. Free Haul gave him that receipt and after 6 hours of verbal abuse and $65/hr for the truck, we were able to get 1 partial load out. Today, Mr. Mallon has refused to let the trucks into the warehouse or to let his forklift come out. Volunteers are now having to load trucks with 40' I-beams BY HAND while taking serious verbal abuse from this man.
No matter what you have heard, this battle (and it is a battle) is being fought between Free Haul and CAP and Jerry Mallon. The donations were revoked from Waveland Citizens Fund solely to get control of the situation with Mr. Mallon. We have no problem with Waveland Citizen's Fund or anyone else who has been previously involved with the donation.
There are people here who say, it's not worth it (we are talking now about 4-5 loads of donated lumber), cut your losses and go home. But it's not just about this load of lumber, it's about being able to get more (much more) and about principle and doing what's right. After all, that's what it's always been about hasn't it? Christina with Free Haul and a lot of other people have made BIG sacrifices in their lives both financially and emotionally to do the right thing in MS. I know you all know what I'm talking about.
These steel magnolias are being beaten down here in Mississippi, both emotionally and financially and the powers that be and many "friends" from the relief effort are not standing with them. I can't tell you whether or not Free Haul will ever come back into MS, but I do know how hurt they are that the "the powers that be" have not taken care of this problem or sent police cars to just drive down the street to show support even if they couldn't interfere with this "civil action" , but I for one am going to stand with them tomorrow, for the third day of this roller coaster to try to get the lumber released. City Team Ministries stood with us today and we were able to get 1 load of lumber and 2 loads of mattresses out. God's Katrina Kitchen and C.C. White are standing with us tomorrow.
We need your support, stand with us. Come with signs that say your organization (even if you are a loan volunteer) supports Free Haul NPC. If this is their last load, let them know you appreciate what they've done in MS.
Thanks for all you do.
Laura
City Action Partnership
1/31 From Terra of CATIt is my understanding that the materials are going to be moved to theHancock County EOC warehouse on Stennis/Airport Rd and that an "open process" is going to be put in place for people to get on the list to getthe stuff. Another couple days and things will be ironed out, as far as the materials that are currently in the Gulf. As for future shipments, that remains to be seen.
I, personally, suggest that groups that are interested in receiving the donated I beams contact FreeHaul directly to arrange for shipment. BUT if you do not have the funds to arrange for shipment of a whole load and need to get the I beams from a site that's already in the Gulf, have faith...there WILL be a process for getting them. The mission is to let the people of the Gulf have access to the I beams and other stuff. It's not clear yet how much demand there is for the I beams,but that will all come clear in the next few days...
1/30 Just got a call from Dayle with CAT - if you are willing to have your name or your agency's name used during the protest as a show of support to get the supplies released, please email Laura stating just that, along with your contact information for her records. Capbham@aol.com Leslie1/30 Article Regarding this issue:http://208.62.60.4/40/article_888.shtmlDonation DisputeBy DWAYNE BREMER
Jan 26, 2007, 17:20
controversy over donated materials which have been sitting idle in a Bay St. Louis warehouse came to a head Friday afternoon when the first of four truckloads of lumber made its way out of the Anchor Homes warehouse---headed for a new location. The release of the materials was anything but a smooth operation, however, as the warehouse owner demanded paperwork, volunteers complained of a hostile environment, and before long, five police officers showed up to try to quell the growing tension.
The warehouse, which is the site of the former Alcan Cable, contains thousands of dollars worth of donated materials. Lumber, cabinets, mattresses and box springs, diabetic kits and even some sheet rock, were all left at the warehouse when volunteer Kathleen Johnson moved her operation to a private residence a few weeks ago.
The owner of the warehouse, Gerald Mallon, of Anchor Custom Homes, has said he would not release any of the donated materials until he can see paperwork on who owns the materials and where they are going.
Mallon said he agreed to allow Johnson an office at his plant at the request of the city of Waveland. He said one of his employees who went to seek assistance from the city initiated the conservations.
Johnson works alongside the Waveland Citizens Fund and she uses the funds 501-(c)3 classification as an umbrella to write grants for residents. She has also solicited a large number of supplies and materials from across the country.
Mallon said he believes the materials belong to the citizens of Waveland because Johnson is not a 501(c)3 and he said she represented his warehouse as being affiliated with the Waveland Citizens Fund and the city of Waveland. He said by her using this umbrella, she had basically created her own distribution center in his warehouse.Joan Coleman of the Waveland Citizen's Fund said Tuesday, the mission statement of the fund states it is for anyone south of the Interstate in Hancock County.
She said the mission statement was changed after Johnson came aboard because she was able to use her organization "Katrina Relief" to get supplies and materials, whereas the fund can only deal with cash donations. She said Johnson's aggressive approach to gaining supplies has helped hundreds of people get back into their homes.
"The materials were sent to Kathleen, and she used them as she saw fit," Coleman said. "She has done a wonderful job, it's a shame all of this has happened."One of the groups which donated materials to Johnson was Free Haul Corporation, of Rillito, Az. Friday, Kristina Davis of Free Haul and other volunteers showed up at the Bay St. Louis warehouse in an attempt to get more than $150,000 of lumber she said Free Haul donated and bring it to another warehouse.
"Our goal is to get this lumber released to the people who need it," she said. "We spent months trying to get it here, and if it takes me all of next week to get it out of here that's fine."
Davis said a warehouse located at the Stennis Airport in Kiln is allowing the group to store the lumber there until it can be disbursed.
Waveland officials were also on hand to help facilitate the release.While a truck was being loaded, Davis and other volunteers waited outside the gates of the warehouse. Volunteers told the Echo that nobody was being allowed into the warehouse except a few people who were talking with Mallon.
After one volunteer returned to the gate in tears, the Bay St. Louis Police were called to the scene.
"Its a shame," Jessica Brown said. "I can look across those tracks and see people need this lumber, and we have to go through all of this to get it to them."
Four Bay officers and one from the sheriff's department soon arrived.
Mallon soon walked to the gate and welcomed all media present into the warehouse.
"Who told you you could not come in? He asked. "You are welcome here anytime, we have nothing to hide. These people (volunteers) are using you to portray a negative image of us. I am not trying to stop anything. Trucks have been coming and going, all I am asking for is the proper paperwork."
Mallon said he did not want to release the lumber unless it was to a 501(c)3 group, and he also wanted paperwork from the city of Waveland.
Davis showed the Echo a copy of Free Haul's 501-(c)3.
In the end, the first truckload of lumber left the warehouse and headed for its new home at the airport.
Davis said she believes it will take four or possibly five trucks to get all of the lumber out of the warehouse.
Chris Lagarde of Rep. Gene Taylor's office said in the future he would like to see governmental entities have a say in situations like this.
"Frankly I'm confused," he said. "What we should be concerned about is the people. We need to get over these petty battles. This is a recurring problemthroughout the coast. I would like to see the county or the city be able to have some oversight. I'm not saying anything was done wrong here, but there needs to be some accountability."
Davis said she will not be able to retrieve the rest of the lumber until Monday.
And history on this:
http://hancockcountyrelief.blogspot.com/2007/01/waveland-police-enter-bsl.htmlLabels: Article, blackmail, donations
More on HC Skin Infections
POSTED: 6:03 pm CST January 18, 2007
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. -- State Department of Health officials are investigating bizarre skin lesions and blisters reported by many storm-relief volunteers working in Hancock County.
The department's district medical director, Robert Travnivcek, said for the past several months, health officials have collected evidence and interviewed workers.
Travnivcek said epidemiologists will determine whether the lesions are part of a disease outbreak, a rise in a common infection or simply a coincidence involving unrelated volunteers, who are all working in Hancock County and bothered by similar afflictions.
A nurse practitioner in the emergency room at Hancock Medical Center, Shana Blakeny, said they've been seeing patients with rashes and sores for a long time.
Blakeny said some sores have been large enough to ooze fluid, that is then collected and tested in a local lab.
She said often the results have shown a Staph infection, which can range from a minor skin lesion to life-threatening bloodstream disorders.
The cause of Staph infections is a common bacterium that usually lives on the skin or in the nose. The bacterium gets into the body through a cut or medical incision.
She said the county has dealt with this for about five years but the situation has gotten worse since Hurricane Katrina.
Blakeny said it's likely locals are suffering from the same type of lesions, but have become more accustomed to the infection.
Labels: Article, hancock county, infections, ms, staph
Waveland, relief group tussle over donations, recordsBy RYAN LaFONTAINE
rlafontaine@sunherald.comWAVELAND - City officials and police officers here crossed city lines into Bay St. Louis earlier this month hoping for access into a warehouse full of Katrina-relief donations, according to volunteers.
Waveland wanted possession of hundreds of files and records used to track the donations and grant money funneled to Hancock County through volunteer relief groups, Waveland officials and volunteers told the Sun Herald.
Bay St. Louis police confirmed last week that they were called to a warehouse at the old Alcan facility on Central Avenue to defuse a situation between Waveland cops and Kathleen Johnson, an Illinois native, who has been coordinating volunteer efforts here since September 2005.
Waveland police attempted to seize the files on Jan. 2, about 10 hours before Alderman Charles Piazza announced his push for a state-sponsored investigation into financial practices at City Hall.
That night, Piazza told the Board of Aldermen that he wanted the State Auditor's Office to examine the city's bankroll and use of Katrina-relief donations. Johnson plans to attend the Board of Aldermen meeting Wednesday and Piazza said he hopes to have aldermen vote on his proposed request for a state audit.
Link From Kathleen
1/31 New Article
Volunteer Kathleen Johnson, who works intimately with arguably the most important non-profit group in the city of Waveland, has served time in federal prison for charges of bank fraud, fraudulent use of social security numbers, and fraud relating to student loans. According to records from the United States Bureau of Prisons and by her own admission, Kathleen Joan Johnson, 55, was convicted in Cheyenne, Wy. in August. 1992 of the three charges.
Johnson served four months in prison and spent three years on probation, federal officials said Monday.
Johnson said Tuesday, the events took place a long time ago and there were a lot of unique circumstances surrounding it. She said she had lost her social security card and she gained another number through medical records. She said the second number was not hers and she used it for years before it was discovered when she went back to school. She said she was going through a bitter divorce and child custody battle at the time and all of these factors had a hand in her conviction. Contrary to the information given by the Bureau of Prisons, she said she only spent four days in jail, and she was held in a facility next to the courthouse and not in federal prison.
Today, she is the director of the volunteer group "Katrina Relief" and has been volunteering in Hancock County since a few weeks after Hurricane Katrina. Last summer, she was invited to work alongside the Waveland Citizens Fund. She has written grants for citizens and solicited supplies and materials on behalf of the fund.
Once she began working at the Waveland Government Complex, she soon got certification to operate on a database called the CAN (Coordinated Access Network) program.
According to Johnson, it is a database in which one can contact other case managers and get assistance from volunteer organizations. One of the rules of the CAN program is that it must be kept totally separate from any governmental entity, she said. She said she would use the system to assist residents in applying for grants.
"My agreement with CAN and another major grant organization is it cannot be under the directorship of any governmental entity," she said.
She is currently in possession of hundreds of files which contain personal information of Waveland residents.
Over the past few weeks, the files have been the source of a raging controversy in the community.
On Jan. 2, Waveland Public Works Director Ron Calcagno and an off-duty police officer went to see Johnson at the Anchor Homes warehouse to attempt to retrieve the files.
Johnson refused to give up the files and the officials left empty-handed.Monday, Mayor Tommy Longo said he sent them to get the files. He said the officials were simply following orders and the reason why he sent the officials to get the files is because the city was aware of complaints made against Johnson, and that he believed the files belonged to the Waveland Citizens Fund and not Johnson. He said by trying to regain the files he was trying to protect the citizens who gave their personal information.
"My motivation was that we had created the files for months before Kathleen Johnson came aboard," he said. "These files contain lot of information. We have an active police investigation, but we were asked not to talk about it."
Johnson said an attorney cited the fact that the CAN program specifies a separation from any governmental entity as the reason to move away from the city offices.
The Echo has also learned that among those files are numerous Waveland city officials, including Longo.Johnson declined to show the Echo the files, stating they are strictly confidential.
"I wish I could show you, but I can't," she said.
Waveland Assistant Police Chief Mike Prendergast said Monday his department has received complaints pertaining to Johnson, and there is currently an active investigation into these claims. He would not specify what the claims are or who made them.
Likewise, officials in the Illinois Attorney General's office confirmed Monday they have received complaints about Johnson.
"We have received complaints from our consumer fraud bureau and we are looking into those complaints," Scott Mulford said, of the Illinois Attorney General's Office said.
Johnson said she believes certain people are "shifting the blame" and her main focus is still helping people get back into their homes.
1/30 - more re: the issues surrounding this topic:
http://hancockcountyrelief.blogspot.com/2007/01/jerry-mallon-problems.htmlLabels: Article, bay st louis, donations, police, waveland
Gang Activity Increasing
From Jenni
Gang activity contributing to increased Hancock crime rateBy DWAYNE BREMER
You may have never heard of the Gangsta Disciples, Crips, Simon City Royals, or Latin Kings, but these and other street gangs have caught the attention of law enforcement officials in Hancock County.Over the past year, gang activity has been suspected in numerous crimes in the county, including drive-by-shootings, burglaries, armed robberies, and drug activity, officials said.
"The federal government says any group of more than three is a gang," Chief Investigator Kenny Hurt said Thursday. While most officials do not consider the gang problem in the county a major problem, it is becoming a growing epidemic among the area's youth.
"The Youth Court has had numerous referrals on juveniles who are involved in gangs," Youth Court Administrator Chere Hayward said Thursday. "I believe parents need to be aware that there are actual gangs in our county."
Hayward said there are several signs parents can look for to see if their child is possibly involved in gang activity. She said items such as adding or deleting a primary color in a youth wardrobe, drawing signs or symbols on books or in their room, signs of drug abuse, and increased amounts of money or material possessions without any explanation, could all point to possible gang activity.
Currently, there is a feud between rival gang members in the Lakeshore and Shoreline communities, officials said.
The Shoreline group goes by the nickname "The Shoreline Soldiers," and the Lakeshore group is known as "The Posse," one youth told the Echo.
Both of the group are affiliated with major street gangs such as the "Simon City Royals," (SCR), a gang formed in the streets of Chicago decades ago.
Members of the SCR wear blue, a similar color to the "Crips" a street gang formed in California.
"Monitoring gangs is difficult," Hurt said. "The gangs are the cause of a lot of fights, and trouble making. Most of it is small groups who want to do some dirt."
Hayward warned that even though some consider gang members here may be considered "wanta-bees" they are still capable of causing considerable problems."If someone says they are in a gang, then the gang is here," she said.Gang activity has also been suspected in jail violence. Officials at the Pearl River County Jail said this week that some accusations of officers assaulting inmates are really related to violence among inmates themselves.
"There is intimidation going on between the inmates," Pearl River Chief Deputy Julie Flowers said Thursday. "It is not necessarily gang-related, although some of the members are in gangs. Some of the stronger inmates try to take over the cell, and they have to be placed in lock down."
She said separating the inmates has caused a dramatic drop in the violence.
Officials said the same principal may be true among gangs on the street, as arrests may cut the leadership of the gangs.
Hurt believes the current conditions in the county may be causing more youths to turn towards the gangs.
Hayward urges parents to get more involved.
"There are a number of websites that can provide parents information," she said. "The most important thing a parent can do is get involved in your child's life, make them feel loved and give them a sense of belonging so they don't seek it elsewhere."
Labels: Article, gang violence, hancock county, katrina, ms
Grant Assisting Building Inspection
County hires 2 new building inspectorsBy DWAYNE BREMER
Dec 27, 2006, 09:04
The Hancock County Board of Supervisors subscribed to the theory that two is better than one as they hired two people to lead the county building department when current building official Mickey Lagasse leaves at the end of this month.
Current county inspectors Jerry Beaugez, 36, and Anthony Cuevas, 37, will share combined duties as the top building officials in the county.
Lagasse who resigned last month, stayed on until his replacements could be chosen. He said the decision to hire two officials was recommended by the county's Planning and Zoning Board.
Supervisors agreed to promote both Beaugez and Cuevas and give each a $10,000 a year raise.
Lagasse had received a $21,000 raise six months ago for his dual duties as building department head and head of planning and zoning.
Both Beaugez and Cuevas said they are looking forward to the new position and they will work with each other to make sure residents get the same services they have always gotten.
"There is a lot of rebuilding still to be done," Beaugez said. "We understand the fact that a lot of people need our help, and that is what we are here for."
"We want to do our best to help people get back to normal," Cuevas said.
Building departments have been in the spotlight since Hurricane Katrina. The top officials in Waveland, Bay St. Louis, and the county have all resigned since the storm.
Last June, supervisors approved the international building codes for all structures in the county. The county building department also received a $500,000 grant from the state to assist in the implementation of the codes as well as assist with personnel and salaries.
Labels: Article, building, hancock county, katrina, recovery
Hancock County Jail Fire
Hancock holding facility shut down
By DWAYNE BREMER
Dec 27, 2006, 09:03
The temporary holding facility at the Hancock County Sheriff's Department has been shut down for safety concerns following a fire, which was started by inmates over the weekend, Sheriff Steve Garber said Tuesday.
"There are some safety violations we need to fix," he said. According to Garber, two inmates being held in the 8-man unit started a fire Sautrday. The fire damaged the facilities air-conditioning unit, and the state Fire Marshall has recommended the unit be shut down until improvements and repairs can be made, Garber said.
The county has had the holding unit for about a year. Garber said inmates are held in the unit until they can be transported to Pearl River County or Stone County.
He said this weekend's events and reports of possible jail abuse at the Pearl River County Jail only emphasizes the need for Hancock County to have its own jail.
Tuesday morning, Hancock County had 95 inmates held in the Pearl River County Jail, in Millard. Inmates are being held in Pearl River because Hurricane Katrina severly damaged the Hancock County Jail on Court St. To date, nothing has been done with the Hancock County jail, as Supervisors have claimed insurance settlements and structural determinations from FEMA are still on-going.
"Its time we start visiting the jail issue," Garber said. "We need to make a decision."
Garber has expressed the desire to have a new jail built somewhere in the north end of the county.
Supervisors have said if the old jail is less than 50 percent damaged then it will probably be renovated and reopened on Court St.Garber said the 8-man unit was only supposed to be a temporary fix.
"Its been 18 months now," he said. "It was never intended to be permanent."
He said inmates who have a small bond are held in the unit until they can post bond. Inmates who have to go to court are also held in the unit.
By housing the inmates in the unit, transportation and man power costs are greatly reduced, he said.
He said inmates will now have to be transported right away until the temporary unit is repaired.
Jason Duffy, 33, and Patrick Zwiefel, 21, have been charged with destroying public property in connection with the fire, jail records show.
Labels: Article, hancock county, jail, katrina, police, relief
Unemployment Down
Unemployment rate in Hancock Co. dips below 7 percent
By DON HAMMACK
dthammack@sunherald.comUnemployment rates fell below 7 percent in Hancock County for November, its lowest rate since Hurricane Katrina, according to numbers released by the state this morning.
The Mississippi Department of Employment Security said unemployment fell four-tenths of a point from October, to 6.8 percent. The August 2005 rate, the last before the storm affected the statistics, was 5.9 percent.
The November rate in Harrison County rose slightly to 8.3 percent, up one-tenth of a point. In Jackson County, the rate rose two-tenths to 6.9 percent.
The Mississippi unemployment rate was 6.9 percent, up three-tenths of a point, but 2 points lower than it was a year ago.
The national rate for November was 4.5 percent.
Labels: Article, employment, hancock county, katrina
Moonshine Bust
HANCOCK COUNTY — Most people believed the days of rebels in overalls cooking up 100-proof whiskey deep in the backwoods of this county were long gone, at least since Prohibition was repealed in 1933.
And certainly, since the emergence of legal distilleries such as Jack Daniel and Jim Beam, all of Uncle Jessie’s secret moonshine had vanished along with his hoodsliding, bootlegging nephews, right?
Not exactly.
From June 2005 to the same time this year, revenue agents have dismantled 12 moonshine distilleries in Mississippi’s backwoods.
On Monday, the Alcoholic Beverage Control made one of the largest whiskey still discoveries in recent history, hidden in a rundown tin shack near Rocky Hill Road in an area once considered the bootleg capital of the South.
ABC agents arrested 63-year-old Willie “Junior” Necaise on felony charges of possession of an illicit distillery and possession of nontax-paid whiskey.
Agents said the whiskey recovered was between 90 and 100 proof and sells for about $20 a gallon.
In the early 1900s, Prohibition laws helped spark the boom of moonshine, and the thick woods along the Jourdan River in Hancock County offered great cover for bootleggers. Today, many locals still know the whiskey only as “Jourdan River Dew.”
Last month, the state’s only licensed brewery began bottling its beer in limited-edition growler jugs, reminiscent of the moonshine days, to pay homage to Hancock’s rich history of bootlegging.
Mark Smith, the ABC agent in charge, said the whiskey still was operational when it was discovered. Agents reportedly received a tip that led them to the homemade still.
During the raid, agents said they recovered more than two dozen, 55-gallon barrels holding more than 1,500 gallons of mash. A 100-gallon stainless steel cooker was used to distill the whiskey. Agents estimate the operation was capable of producing about 250 gallons of moonshine a month.
“Finding a still takes more than just luck,” ABC Director Mark Hicks said. “The methods used to conceal them from law enforcement are passed down just like the recipes for moonshine.”
Hicks said moonshine is often concocted under “extremely unsanitary conditions.” Agents destroyed a still last year in which a car radiator was being used as a condenser.
An agency spokeswoman said the still found this week in Hancock County was the largest whiskey cooker ABC has destroyed in the past four years.
Labels: Article, hancock county
Building Going Well
Supers pleased with growth in nothern part of HancockBy SEA COAST ECHO
Dec 22, 2006, 14:45
New homes and more businesses are popping up above Interstate 10 north of the Kiln, and no one’s happier than District 5 Supervisor Jay Cuevas.
“It seems like it has taken forever to see some real progress, but I’m encouraged by the progress we’ve made in the last 16 months, and the future looks bright for all of Hancock County,” said Cuevas, as he rode around his district and pointed out where new subdivisions are taking shape. New single-family homes are being built off Road 357, on Rocky Hill-Dedeaux Road, on Fenton-Dedeaux Road and on Firetower Road, he said.
“We’re starting to see signs of people coming back, and I think the growth will be phenominal over the next couple of years,” said Cuevas. “Since the storm, any land north of Interstate 10 that is high and dry is a hot commodity. Land values are escalating. Everybody wants to go to high land.”
Recent land sales recorded in the office of County Tax Assessor/Collector Jimmy Ladner attests to the skyrocketing land costs. Five acres of land recently purchased on Standard-Dedeaux Road went for $47,500; nine acres on Firetower Road sold for $93.000. A 6.84-acre waterfront tract in the affluent Jourdan River Bluffsubdivision off Hwy. 603 went for $260,000, more than $39,000 an acre.
Cuevas’s District 5 is one of the largest and most populated of Hancock County’s five districts. The District begins at the junction of Hwy. 90 and Blue Meadow road, runs down Blue Meadow to past Joe’s Bayou, then follows the Jourdan River and takes in everything on the east side of Hwy. 603 all the way to Standard-Dedeaux Road. Latest estimates before the storm, placed the population at around 11,000, but nobody knows for sure how many residents have returned since Katrina. Approaching the Kiln, Hwy. 603 has become a bustling business corridor all the way to its junction to Hwy. 43 with retail shops, a farmer’s market, a bank, a U.S. Post office, restaurants, automotive repair shops, general hardware store, real estate and insurance offices.
“Now we’ve got a pharmacy in a new strip mall on the north side of Hwy. 603 and a Mexican Restaurant (3 J’s) will open soon on the south side of 603,” said Cuevas. Cuevas pointed out that Coast Electric last week vacated its Bay St. Louis headquarters, and moved its staff of 50 to a temporary trailer at 18602 Hwy. 603 while construction begins on their new headquarters.
“These people are going to be buying gas, eating in our restaurants and making purchases at the stores, which will give the economy a big boost,” said Cuevas.
Another major future tenant in the Kiln is the Mississippi National Guard. The Hancock County Board of Supervisors recently approved plans for the Guard to build a new Armory on a six-acre site off the Kiln-DeLisle Road adjacent to county’s Equine Center. The facility will be about 28,200-square-feet, and it will house the 155th Infantry Tank Company, made up of 63 soldiers, mostly from Hancock County.
F. Walker and Associates of Gulfport is the design company, and construction is expected to start within six to eight months. The federal government has allocated $12.2 million, and no local taxes are being used on the project, Cuevas said.
The facility is right down the road from the Hancock County Emergency Operations Center, and Cuevas said their proximity to each other will be a benefit to all citizens in times of storms or other emergencies.The construction and the eventual opening up of the Armory will bring even more people into the area,” said Cuevas, boosting the economy even further, and enticing more people to build or buy homes in the area, he said.
And added benefit, Cuevas said, is the Armory can also be used for functions, such as birthday parties or fund-raisers, he said.Cuevas added some additional recreational areas have also been made available in District 5 after Katrina. “The Board of Supervisors and the Hancock County School District got together to build a walking track at Hancock East Central, and its available for anyone who wants to use it,” said Cuevas. He said the Board used county labor to put in the track and the School District spent about $10,000 on materials.
The Fenton Community Center is also open on the Kile-DeLisle Road, and is available free of charge to anyone who might want to reserve it for private parties, weddings or any other activity, Cuevas said. To reserve it, Cuevas said people should call Sandra Edwards at 255—1140. Cuevas is especially proud of the $1.2 million Child Development Center nearing completion on a five-acre site on the east side of Hwy. 603, just past the new Lowe’s Home Improvement Store. The Bucks and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Katrina Relief Fund, working in conjunction with the Philadelphia Salvation Army, raised the money to build the 10,000-square-foot center, which will serve 130 pre-school youngsters, and also have been involved building or restoring playgrounds in Bay St. Louis and Waveland, in addition to restoring homes in the two cities.
Labels: Article, bay st louis, hancock county, katrina, kiln, rebuilding, waveland
Quilt Auction Helps Libraries
Thank you for the article Janet!
Katrina Quilt raises $2000Money will help damaged Hancock County libraries
By LEIGH COLEMAN
SUN HERALD
DIAMONDHEAD - Recovered fabric rescued from the wet Katrina sand and quilting supplies donated from around the country were pieced and sewn together to raise $2,000 for the Hancock County Library Foundation.
Members of the Bay Oaks Quilt Guild in Diamondhead came together with fabric and supplies from unexpected places and created a Katrina Quilt to raise money for the restoration of the county's damaged libraries.
Each block of the Katrina Quilt was pieced and quilted by the members of the quilting guild and represent the help the storm brought to South Mississippi. When the quilt was completed, it was quickly auctioned at a gala fundraiser held by the Dream One World organization in Santa Rosa,Calif.
After losing their meeting locations in Bay St. Louis to Katrina, the 30 members of the Bay Oaks Quilt Guild relocated to Diamondhead. During the storm, members lost their quilts, supplies and homes but those obstacles did not stop the determined women to pull together their resources and sew a unique creation to help the library system recover.
"We were able to get back to quilting because of the generosity of quilters from all over the country. We were sent fabric and supplies and we also used the recovered fabric that was rescued from the sand on the beach," said Gloria Burlette, a member of the Bay Oaks Quilt Guild.
To support the Hancock County Library System visit
www.hancocklibraries.info or call 467-5282.
Labels: Article, donate, hancock county, library, quilt
Books From Education Secretary
Janet - thank you for the article!
Education Secretary helps with book donations to Coast
Associated Press
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. - U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Raymond Simon was on the Gulf Coast this week, joining the nonprofit group First Book to deliver millions of new books to schools and libraries in Hurricane Katrina-battered areas.
Simon, speaking on Wednesday at the Hancock County Library, said libraries and schools were the glue holding communities together.
This week national nonprofit group First Book, whose mission is to give books to children from low-income families, held its Holiday Book Donation with 200,000 new books delivered to schools and libraries here.
Simon joined Bay-Waveland School Superintendent Kim Stasny in reading to elementary students."
Some of our children may never leave out of Bay St. Louis, but these new books open the world to our children," Stasny said.
Simon also took time to praise Stasny, who was recently honored as Superintendent of the Year by the state Association of School Administrators.
Stasny took over the job of superintendent eight years ago. Previously she worked as a teacher, principal and assistant superintendent.
After Hurricane Katrina, 90 percent of students and faculty at the schoolswere misplaced. Stasny led the effort to reopen the Bay-Waveland schools in just 47 days.
"I can't imagine the effort it must have taken to get schools up and running in that length of time," Simon said, praising Stasny's efforts.
"There has to be true American heroes involved in that."
Despite the interruption in classes, the two schools earned exemplary status on state accreditation tests and the rest reached superior status. All schools met Adequate Yearly Progress as mandated by the federa laccountability plan, No Child Left Behind.
Labels: Article, books, donate, schools, volunteer
Toy Drive for Boys and Girls Clubs
Toy campaign will benefit Boys, Girls Clubs in Mississippi
Beth Duckett
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 9, 2006 12:00 AM PHOENIX - A local woman created a campaign this week that will offer alittle holiday cheer to needy children living near the coast of Mississippi.
When Suzanne Stahl of Phoenix discovered that several Boys & Girls Clubs along the hurricane-stricken Gulf Coast had no gifts for their children this season, she had to take action. Many of these children lost their homes, even their families, to Hurricane Katrina and rely on the clubs for support and a helping hand, she said.
Stahl has set up several sites around the Valley where local residents can drop off new, unwrapped toys that will be shipped directly to the clubs. The sites will be accepting donations until Wednesday, Stahl said. The clubs need at least 1,200 toys and have until Dec. 15 before they begin distribution, but donations will continue to be accepted for thousands of other victim families in need of toys this season, Stahl said.
"I know from spending the holidays down there last year that, for many of the children, the gifts that came from around the country became the light that 'lit (their) way,' " she said. Games, puzzles, trucks, dolls, sports toys, purses and makeup cases are just some of the toys being requested. The children range in age from 5 to 18, Stahl said. "Any new, age-appropriate gift would be wonderful for a kid who has lost everything," she said.
Stahl is a volunteer for a non-profit organization called Hands on GulfCoast. She spent seven months along side hundreds of volunteers in Biloxi,Miss., mending the devastation that was left in the wake of the 2005 hurricane. Besides working with children, Stahl posted 2,600 new street signs, cleaned cemeteries and rebuilt homes.
"Somehow over the past 16 months the extraordinary has become the ordinary," she said. "My life and heart have become permanently en- twined with the residents and survivors."
For information, go to
www.handsongulfcoast.org or e-mail Stahl at suzanneinmississippi@earthlink.net.
Labels: Article, christmas, donate, hurricane, katrina, relief, toys, volunteer
