Week of November 23, 2003

Thanksgiving Day was mostly dry but the rains came before and after. The tally was 2.7 inches over three days. Highs ranged from 46 degrees to 78 and lows were from 28 degrees to 55.

The Mississippi River rose from 16.3 feet on the Vicksburg gauge to 24.2 feet by week’s end. Forecasters said the river should reach 25.3 feet today.

Former city employee Lawrence Ernest Kruger entered a guilty plea in Warren County Circuit Court on charges he tried to defraud the city over a welding machine he reported stolen. He received a non-adjudicated sentence of two years probation and was ordered to pay $5,275, mostly in restitution, to the city.

Officials in Warren County said the bridges in the city and county are generally in good shape, in spite of reports that two failed since the first of the year and two more were closed. County Engineer John McKee said an inspection program checks all bridges every two years.

Veteran law enforcement officer Aroy E. “Roy” Redditt was found collapsed in his yard, dead from an apparent heart attack. Sheriff Martin Pace said Redditt, a deputy sheriff in Warren County for 25 years, will be missed by the department and the people of the county.

Capt. Joe Mure of the local Salvation Army, said charitable giving is down and is causing problems with his staffing and programs. He said he donations have dropped 50 percent in the last two years and blamed economy for the shortfalls.

As the deadline approached, Mayor Laurence Leyens said he thought he and the aldermen would probably vote to accept ownership of the old Post Office Building on Crawford Street. He said they have no plans now for the building and he’s concerned about how much it will cost to maintain.

Vicksburg and National Park Service officials arrested Mark Vincent Peterson, 33, as a suspect in a graffiti spree in the Vicksburg National Military Park and churches in the area. They did not say what his motive might have been.

Vicksburg officials defended the new city policy on sick leave, saying employees misunderstood how the 48-hour notice would work. They said if an employee gives less than 48 hours notice the time off for the first sick day will be counted as personal time off.

Vicksburg officials also voted to accept the old Post Office Building on Crawford Street as soon as the transfer papers are completed by federal officials. They said they hoped to keep the Postal Service as a tenant as well as some Corps of Engineers offices.

Local opinions were divided on just how much help the new Medicare drug benefits bill awaiting President Bush’s signature would be to senior citizens. Senior citizens believed the new law would help with high costs, but a local pharmacist thought the law would shift control of purchasing to private health plans and insurers.

Ben Peterson, the father of Mark Vincent Peterson, said his son changed during a 3 1/2-year hitch in the U.S. Army. Mark Peterson is charged with malicious mischief in the spray painting of slogans on several area churches, on markers and monuments in the Vicksburg National Military Park and at Riverfront Park.

The South Cherry Street Historic District was approved for listing on the National Register by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The designation recognizes the significance of the area but provides little protection for structures and imposes no limits on painting or modifications.

Matthew Williams, owner of Williams Funeral Service, received the gift of life when his daughter Germaine donated one of her kidneys to him. Matthew Williams had been suffering from kidney failure for the past 12 years.

Officials of the Vicksburg Community Concert Association said they will no longer bring musical and dance performances to the city. The association has operated for 55 years and cited declining attendance and funding for the decision.

Shoppers hit stores early Friday for the traditional beginning of the Christmas shopping seasons. The stores advertised special sales to bring shoppers in.

Officials at All Saints’ Episcopal School said they will be able to keep the school open indefinitely as they move closer to attendance and funding goals. The 105-year-old school had been in danger of closing because of waning attendance and tuition.

Local deaths during the week were Jean C. Wylie, Aroy Excelle “Roy” Redditt, Ben Yancy Jr. and Bessie Mae Thomas Brown.