Week of September 3, 2001

The Labor Day weekend was rained out, but cooler temperatures prevailed. Precipitation measured on four of the week’s seven days totaled an official 3.06 inches. Daily highs ranged from 76 degrees to 92. Lows were from 72 to 74.

The Mississippi River rose from a reading of 5.9 feet on the Vicksburg gauge to 8 feet before dropping back to 7.9 feet by week’s end. Forecasters believed the river would stand at 7.9 feet for a couple of days before resuming its fall.

David Drew Porter, who pleaded guilty in the deaths of two Texas children, received an eight-year sentence from Circuit Judge Frank Vollor. The children died when a vehicle driven by Porter struck the van in which they were passengers. It was parked beside Interstate 20.

Two Jackson men identified as William Killabrew and William Brown were arrested on counterfeiting charges by Vicksburg and Warren County officers. The men were accused of trying to pass false American Express travelers checks.

Linda L. Miller of Warren County died of injuries in a wreck on U.S. 61 South Saturday. Investigators said she was rushing a son to the hospital for treatment of a cut. Investigators believed Miller’s car hydroplaned and ran into a ditch.

Mercury Marine, in the outboard motor and boat business since 1960, announced it was downsizing. Members of the Sims family, which founded the business, will still sell boats and motors and repair them, but Magnolia Lawn and Tractor will occupy most of the U.S. 61 North building.

Clay Street holds the record for being the busiest street in Vicksburg with 20,000 vehicles a day, according to a state traffic county.

Local law enforcement officials launched a search for a man seen struggling in the Mississippi River near the river bridges. The body of Jerome Christopher Thigpen III of Chicago was recovered three days later. His cause of death ruled as drowning.

Officials of Vicksburg and Warren County adopted budgets for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. The city’s spending plan trimmed $700,000 but the county’s plan, including school costs, is up $5.6 million.

Over the objections of North Ward Alderman Gertrude Young, Mayor Laurence Leyens and South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman voted to place City Auditorium under Compass Facilities Management, the company that operates the Vicksburg Convention Center. Leyens said the change will save the city $85,000 a year.

City officials voted to declare an emergency and buy a second mosquito-spraying machine. They said one of the reasons was to try to prevent the spread of encephalitis to the area.

The Vicksburg Warren County Historical Society honored Gordon Cotton on his 25th anniversary as curator of the Old Court House Museum-Eva W. Davis Memorial. Cotton is the author of several books, is an expert on local history and writes a weekly column for The Vicksburg Post.

Responding to concerns expressed nationally, a state health official said parents have to weigh the benefits of childhood vaccinations against the chance of their children contracting a life threatening disease. They said more than 3.500 Warren County children received vaccinations from July 2000 to June of this year.

When Vicksburg’s new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, starting salaries of the Vicksburg Police Department will become the highest in the state. Mayor Laurence Leyens said the $8,000 per year increase would create a competitive environment to attract candidates for police jobs.

Penco Products, a company that has occupied a building on U.S. 61 South since 1990, moved out as of Aug. 31, putting about 90 people out of work. Company officials would not comment, but the Penco Web site said it was moving the Vicksburg operation to Hamilton, S.C.

The Vicksburg Fire Department received two grants totaling nearly $28,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. One was to install a fitness and wellness program for the department and the other was for fire prevention to install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for the elderly.

The $8,000 a year increase for rookie police officers drew comments from members of the Vicksburg Fire Department, higher-ranking officers and other city employees not scheduled to receive raises.

Spencer Dixon, an employee of the Mississippi Forestry Commission in Warren County, returned from a two-week stint fighting fires in the West. He spent the time fighting fires near Whitefish, Mont.

Local deaths during the week included Etta Lee Purvis, Linda Livingston Miller, Pauline Krivcher Sheller, Andrew Jackson “A.J.” Brown, John Bill Collins, Mary Lee Marley Dillard, Karl A. Griffin, Mary Elizabeth Smith, Joseph A. “Joey” Carroll, Pearl L. Hogan, Woodrow Hunter, Henry Sweezer Jr. and Mildred “Curl” Taylor.