October 9, 2005

High temperatures topped out at 88 most days this past week, though Vicksburg was kept warm with a 90-degree reading one day during the week. Fall could be felt, however, with lows dipping in the mid-60s at night. No rainfall was recorded during the week.

Readings on the Mississippi River gauge rose steadily through the week, with the river remaining at 7.6 feet for several days before dropping back to 7.3. A reading of 6.7 feet was expected today.

The Vicksburg Civil Service Commission turned down a motion by attorneys for the City of Vicksburg to dismiss the appeal filed by Rudolph Walker to regain pay lost after he was placed on leave from the Vicksburg Police Department for blackout spells. The commission set Nov. 18 as the date on which they will hear Walker’s case.

Good weather contributed to the good turnout for the annual Old Court House Flea Market and the fall festival in downtown Vicksburg.

The USS Cairo and its museum were to be closed to visitors as work was being done on roads in the Vicksburg National Military Park. The main cause of the work was a slide on a section of road leading to Fort Hill Drive.

Officials of the Mississippi Department of Transportation announced a traffic light would soon be installed at U.S. 61 South and Dana Road. Police Chief Tommy Moffett welcomed the installation, saying he believed it would help slow traffic on the highway.

Planners announced that Vicksburg will be the eastern anchor of the Historic U.S. Hi-Way 80 Sale on two weekends in October. The idea began four years ago and features roadside vendors from Vicksburg to Grand Prairie, Texas.

Lamar Advertising and the City of Vicksburg settled a lawsuit the company filed against the city over a new billboard ordinance. Under the agreement, the company will remove some of its signs in the city and will be able to erect others in specified locations.

Warren County supervisors approved a request from the Mississippi State University Extension Service to allow the service to replace County Extension Director Terry Rector after he retires at the end of this month..

In a joint announcement, Anderson-Tully Co. officials and officials of The Forestland Group LLC said an agreement had been reached for the two to merge, pending numerous approvals.

Larry Devon Hamblin, Dwight Albert and Kathryn Blue were arrested by city police in the May shooting death of Kennado Caples.

Local Red Cross officials said they were ending the work in Vicksburg to help victims of the hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast area.

Also related to the storms, the owner of Maynord Landscaping said there will be four to six more weeks of work clearing the debris from around the City of Vicksburg.

The Vicksburg Board of Zoning Appeals granted a change in zoning to Lakes Entertainment for its casino project planned off U.S. 61 South. The designation of Planned Unit Development will allow the company to name the type of things it will place on the land.

The Vicksburg Civil Service Commission voted to uphold the discipline of a Vicksburg Fire Department employee over a letter to the editor he wrote. James Montgomery had sought the hearing contending the city’s action amounted to political retribution.

Educational programs offered at the Jackson Street and Kings’ centers have been dropped in the city’s new budget. City officials say that public schools will take over supplementary programs.

Bryan Michael Beets of Vicksburg has been arrested by federal authorities for making false claims to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for Hurricane Katrina relief funds. He was released from federal custody on $10,000 bond.

Local deaths during the week were Mildred Austin White, Gilliard Richard Easley, Syble Vickers Crist, Martha R. Divina, Mary Louise Broadwater Myers, Eddie Scott, Susie Corine Ogle, Dennis Taylor Jr., James Victor &#8221Hamp“ Hampton and Dot Melton.