State
6A • Daily Corinthian
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
AG candidates back personhood initiative BY EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS Associated Press
JACKSON — Both candidates for Mississippi attorney general said this week that they’re voting for an initiative that would amend the state constitution to say life begins at conception. Democratic incumbent Jim Hood and Republican challenger Steve Simpson were not unanimous on the other two initiatives that will be on the general election ballot Nov. 8 — the
same day they’re competing for the $90,800-a-year job. The two men spoke Monday at a luncheon sponsored by the Capitol press corps and Mississippi State University’s John C. Stennis Institute of Government. Hood has declined Simpson’s challenge for a series of debates across the state, and Monday’s luncheon was their only joint appearance of the campaign. The “personhood” proposal is Initiative 26, and it would define a person as
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“every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the equivalent thereof.” Supporters of the initiative expect a court challenge if it passes, and they hope such a challenge would lead to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that established a nationwide right to abortion. Opponents say the initiative would interfere in private medical decisions about pregnancy. Hood, who is seeking a third term as attorney general, wouldn’t say how he’ll vote on Initiative 27. That measure would require voters to show a driver’s license or other government-issued photo identification at the polls. “I do maintain a First Amendment right for what I’m going to vote on when I go into the ballot box. But if I support it, I’m going to vote for it,” Hood said, responding to a question about his stance on voter ID. Hood said he’ll defend the voter ID amendment if it passes and is challenged in court, just as he would any part of the constitution or any law enacted by the state Legislature. Simpson said he supports voter ID, but hasn’t
decided how he’ll vote on Initiative 31, which would restrict governments’ taking of private land for private economic development projects. “I don’t know where I fall on that one,” Simpson said of the eminent domain proposal. Hood said he doesn’t want governments to abuse eminent domain. The politically powerful Mississippi Farm Bureau led the effort to gather signatures for the initiative to restrict eminent domain. Republican Gov. Haley Barbour has vetoed similar restrictions, and he has said he opposes the ballot initiative because he believes it could hurt job creation. Simpson on Monday criticized Hood on a national issue. He said Hood should’ve joined more than two dozen other states in a lawsuit challenging the federal health care overhaul that President Barack Obama pushed into law in 2010. The federal health law would require Americans to buy health insurance by 2014. Simpson said he believes the mandate is unconstitutional and expensive.
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Program to promote cyberspace safety CLINTON — Clinton High School will host a program Thursday to promote safety tips for parents and students using social networking sites. The “Facebook Roadshow” is sponsored by the attorney general’s office and the Mississippi Department of Education. The program will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Clinton High School Auditorium. Officials say Facebook staff will show parents and students how to be safe online, offering both specific tips on how Facebook works and general guidance related to social networking sites. In addition, Facebook representatives will be available to answer questions about its site. The program is being held in conjunction with cyberspace security and identity theft awareness month.
Coast Guard CWO convicted GULFPORT — A chief warrant officer who led Coast Guard Station Gulfport until last year has been convicted in court martial proceedings in New Orleans. Chief Warrant Officer Brandt Martin was removed from the helm at Gulfport in July 2010 during an investigation into his activities. Authorities tell The Sun Herald that a military judge this past week found Martin guilty of several charges including dereliction of duty, wrongfully disposing of government property and soliciting another to commit a violation. Coast Guard Lt. Sue Kerver says Martin’s sentence included a “punitive separation,” which is a dismissal similar to a dishonorable discharge. Kerver says Martin has paid $10,000 in restitution to the U.S. government. Coast Guard officials have declined to provide details about Martin’s case.
Not guilty pleas in burglary, slaying BRANDON — Silence fell over a Mississippi courtroom on Tuesday when a woman stood up and said it was her daughter who died in what authorities describe as an execution-style shooting. The two convicted felons charged with capital murder and burglary in the case stared blankly when Teresa Sheppard announced, “I’m Leslie’s mother. I’m Leslie’s mother.” The move was unexpected, and came just minutes before the hearing began, while other relatives sobbed quietly. It was the first court appearance for the men charged in the Sept. 27 death of 36-year-old Leslie Sheppard Doame. Authorities gave her last name as Doame, though Sheppard said her daughter’s legal last name is McCraney. Rankin County District Attorney Michael Guest has said she was shot once in
Why Public Natural Gas Matters to the Community This year October 2-9 is Public Natural Gas Week, a time when communities such as ours give recognition to one of their most valuable community assets, their publicly owned gas utility. We are going to use this week to educate our community about the benefits of having a public gas utility in addition to promoting the overall benefits of natural gas for your fuel and heating needs. There are some 1,300 natural gas utilities in the United States. Of these, approximately 100 are public natural gas utilities. Most are small, comprised of a few hundred to a few hundred to a few thousand customers, but despite their size they have a huge impact on the communities they serve by providing an irreplaceable function of offering clean, affordable and efficient natural gas. Communities who choose to have a local public natural gas utility do so as a matter of practicality and economy. Our citizens recognize the need to access reliable energy and having a local public gas utility is the best way to do that. There are many other benefits to having a public gas utility, for example: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Public gas systems/utilities are not-for-profit. They are locally controlled operations and ensure that rates remain competitive and affordable. This is especially reassuring as energy and fuel prices continue to rise and affect your family’s bottom line. Decisions regarding your energy needs are made locally through citizen participation instead of being made outside of the community. Public gas utilites are directly accountable to the citizens they serve. Lastly, public gas can play a valuable role in helping broaden our tax base and helps local dollars stay at home. We also work with local financial instructions and make purchases from local businesses. This in turn improves the local economy and creates jobs.
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the head during a daylight robbery at her parents’ house south of Brandon. There was no car in the driveway that morning and it’s likely the attackers thought nobody was home when they broke in, authorities said. “The manner in which she was shot leads us to believe that it was an execution-style killing,” Guest told The Associated Press on Monday. He declined to elaborate. Rankin County Undersheriff Brian Bailey has said the men stole some items from the house, but he hasn’t said what those are. Authorities have declined to release many details because of concerns about compromising the investigation. Tuesday’s court hearing was the initial appearance for 36-year-old Walter Burton and 30-year-old Jermaine Tyler, both of Jackson. Rankin County Judge Kent McDaniel entered not guilty pleas for the men and set a preliminary hearing for Oct. 18.
Anderson takes oath as Choctaws’ chief PHILADELPHIA — Phyliss Anderson has been officially sworn in as the first female chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. The event took place Tuesday at the Tribal Council Hall at the reservation in Neshoba County. After an inaugural parade, Anderson was to repeat the oath in a ceremony inside The Arena at Golden Moon Casino. In last month’s election, Anderson got 56 percent of the vote, receiving 2,139 votes to 1,602 for outgoing chief Beasley Denson and 76 for Shirley Berg. Anderson had won an earlier runoff against Denson, but it was thrown out because of alleged voting irregularities in the 10-candidate primary.
IP reopens as part of Boyd Gaming BILOXI — The IP Casino Resort and Spa in Biloxi is now open under new management. Boyd Gaming officially took over the property Tuesday. The Mississippi Gaming Commission ordered the doors shut at midnight Monday so an audit could take place before the property officially changed hands. Boyd Gaming of Las Vegas struck a deal in June to buy the IP for $278 million. Boyd has said it will invest $44 million in the property. Officials say the work is expected to begin this month. The casino will not close. New general manager Jack Bernsmeier, an Iowa native, has worked for Boyd Gaming for 17 years, most recently as director of operations for the three Boyd Gaming properties in Louisiana.
Newspaper attempts to reduce thefts WIGGINS — The editor/ publisher of the weekly Stone County Enterprise in Wiggins is taking action against people who steal newspapers. Heather Freret tells The Sun Herald that one night outside a gas station convenience store, she decided to take some video footage to see if she could catch some people putting 75 cents in the rack but taking more papers than they paid for. Freret wrote an editorial in this past week’s edition about using the video footage to gather still photos of the offenders and to publish those photos on the front page of the paper. Freret says while stealing is a crime, prosecuting for 75 cents is just not practical but maybe if people see their face on the front page, they won’t steal newspapers again.