Better MS Report

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal: The campaign for lieutenant governor has devolved into a debate over whether Treasurer Tate Reeves, the front-runner to capture the open lieutenant’s governor’s seat, is a watchdog for the taxpayers or a lapdog. Reeves’ Republican primary opponent, Senate President Pro Tem Billy Hewes of Gulfport, has run a television ad [...]

The Clarion-Ledger: In addition to picking a new governor and lieutenant governor for the next four years, Mississippi voters will elect a new Legislature when they head to the polls this fall. At this point, there are 83 contested races in the state House and 35 in the Senate, stretching from North Mississippi to the [...]

Hattiesburg American: Last year, the Mississippi Department of Transportation informed residents and city leaders that it was spending more than $3 million to modify 29 railroad crossings in Hattiesburg. The modification that received the most outcry from residents was the closing of 10 railroad crossings throughout the city. Illinois Central/Canadian National Railway proposed the project [...]

The Clarion-Ledger: The state’s watchdog group is questioning the Mississippi Department of Corrections’ oversight of the millions of dollars set aside to benefit the welfare of inmates. The PEER committee report, released Friday, doesn’t accuse MDOC of violating the law in the handling of the Inmate Welfare Fund. But PEER said MDOC, in at least [...]

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal: Lafayette County supervisors voted by a 3-2 margin to support the county’s road manager’s decision to enforce a 10-mile detour for log trucks in the southeast quadrant of the county. Landowners say the detour around two bridges on County Road 432 means extra cost in time and money as they [...]

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal: Ten years after former Lee County Sheriff Harold Ray Presley was killed pursing a kidnapping suspect, his life and death are still providing life lessons to family and law enforcers. No one cherishes those lessons more than his nephew Brandon Presley and current Sheriff Jim Johnson. “He was more than [...]

The Sun Herald: Two council members from Biloxi and three from Gulfport met Tuesday without attorneys to discuss annexation. “What came out of that meeting was goodwill,” said Biloxi Council President Clark Griffith, who represented Biloxi along with Tom Wall. Councilman David Fayard, whose ward also is adjacent to Gulfport, was unable to attend for [...]

The Sun Herald: Ward 4 Councilman Rusty Walker said Tuesday he’s upset with BP’s offer to the city to cover damages from 2010’s Deepwater Horizon oil gusher, as well as how the company is dealing with city officials. Walker said the company’s offer of about $77,000 works out to about $1.11 per resident for damages [...]

Sid Salter, syndicated columnist: While most of the attention and all of the yard signs are concentrated on who the new slate of statewide and legislative officials will be after the 2011 elections, veteran public officials know that the ticking time bomb that constantly requires attention once those officials are elected is the state’s Medicaid [...]

The Sun Herald: A child who died from an accidental self-inflicted gunshot this weekend was looking for play money in his grandfather’s nightstand, authorities said. Gavin Storey, 10, the son of Charles Blaize Sr. and Jennifer Storey, died instantly from the gunshot about 7 p.m. Sunday, said Police Chief Mike DeNardo. Police said Gavin and [...]