This month's edition of Saturday’s in the Park is scheduled for Saturday inside the Wyatt Gym on Delta State's campus from 1-4 p.m.

The afternoon event will feature an Arts and Music theme with instructed art activities designed for Pre-K thru 8^th grade students, as well as games, treats and balloons.

Main stage entertainment begins at 1 with an African drumming group. Other entertainers include Mr. Watermelon Head and the Delta Music Institute will host a tap-dancing lesson.

Public transportation has been a topic of discussion throughout the Delta.

The Public Transit division of the state Department of Transportation held a meeting in Hollandale this week.

Transportation officials and residents talked about how the two groups can make transportation in rural communities easier for everyone.

Services in the Delta face a struggle with the amount of counties they must cover.

An early morning accident on Hwy 61 Friday has left one dead and another in serious condition.

The incident happened about 5 a.m. near the Shady Nook gas station in Clarksdale. WROX correspondent Jerry Allhands has more from the scene

The closing of a Delta plant has left a local pantry in dire straits.

The Allan Canning Company in Moorhead shut its doors last week, forcing 130 employees out of work and leaving the Community Food Pantry without a major food source.

Officials say may eventually have to buy items that Allan’s had been supplying for free.

Mississippi is one of many states that have received a limited amount of swine flu vaccines.

Mississippi has received a little over 69,000 doses of the swine flu nasal spray vaccine and 61,000 doses of the injectable vaccine.

Health Department officials have said the vaccine is slow coming in with a limited number going to health-care providers who treat women and children.

The Mississippi Public Service Commission handed down a fine to a Nevada company for violating the state’s No-Call laws.

Thursday the commission announced a $455,000 fine against SVM Inc. and company representative Mike Moneymaker, each based in Sparks, Nevada.

PSC Northern District Commissioner Brandon Presley said the amount of the fine represents dozens of No-Call violations in which the company contacted Mississippians.

Expect to see more patrol cars on the streets of Cleveland Saturday as many children will be out collecting candy.

The Cleveland Police Department has set an 8 p.m. curfew that night asking parents and guardians that children get all their candy prior to that time.

Police Chief Buster Bingham says the new curfew will keep everyone much safer with many families running out of candy about the same time.

A handful of businesses around Cleveland have reported customers trying to use counterfeit money to buy goods.

In all three cases, those who tried to pass off the bills as real claimed they didn’t know the bills were fake.

Some of the ways store clerks can tell if a bill is fake is by using a special pen that turns yellow on real bills and black if they are phony. Counterfeit money usually has blurry lines and is printed on regular paper.

Cleveland police chief Buster Bingham says these type of incidents start around this time of year.

The Bolivar County man wanted for crashing a car into a home last week near Shaw, has been arrested.

Keatrice Collins was arrested Tuesday at his grandmother’s house in Shelby. He is expected to make his first court appearance today. The 20-year old was on the run from county authorities after allegedly crashing a stolen vehicle into a home.

He faces one count of felony fleeing and auto theft.

Over a dozen Delta State alumni were on hand Tuesday as the university celebrated its diversity.

In March of 1969, 52 students were arrested for a sit-in demonstration in front of the president’s office because a disregard for the demands by the previous administration.

40 years later, those actions became a turning point for race relations for Delta State.

Several of those participants talked about the effects the demonstration had on their lives.

(photo courtesy of Delta State)

A Rosedale man was found guilty after a night club shooting in 2007.

A Bolivar County jury found Antony Lafayette guilty of manslaughter after shooting and killing 24-year old Earnest Booth while he was dancing at a nightclub in October 2007.

Authorities said the two men had bumped into each other which sparked the incident. Lafayette will be sentenced at a later date.

Some local scouts did a little community service to earn some badges.

Six Boy Scouts from Troop 4442 did some landscaping for residents at the Cleveland Nursing Home and Rehab Center. Two of the Scouts have grandparents at the center.

There were six projects in all done by each of the 14-year-olds which included some bird houses and benches.

Some residents living in homes owned by the South Delta Regional Housing Authority may not be able to pay the rent increase.

A district judge ruled that rents will increase starting November 1, but many can’t simply afford it.

Agency officials have said the increase was needed to maintain the properties and provide insurance for homes in the six Delta counties including Bolivar.

Several tenants who have lived in agency housing for 25 years or longer depend on fixed incomes, many elderly and disabled.

A quick reminder to fall back this weekend.

Standard time returns at 2 a.m. on Sunday, make sure and set your clocks back an hour before going to sleep Saturday night.

The change means many Americans will get an extra hour of sleep, however some could forget to change their clocks and show up to church an hour early. Daylight savings time returns in March.

No special session this week according to Gov. Haley Barbour, but an economic development project is in the works.

Barbour expected to call a session to provide details for a company to build a "very sophisticated, advanced manufacturing" operation in the Delta. He says it could create up to 500 jobs in five years.

Lawmakers have said they expect it to be a pipe maker, although the company hasn’t been named publically

Drivers on Highway 61 around Cleveland may have seen some new law enforcement.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol’s Division of Special Operations had uniformed troopers on motorcycles checking for seatbelts, DUI’s and other violations.

There are 18 motorcycles in the unit with troopers hailing from all over the state. In the past, the motor unit has been utilized for parades and escorts but things have changed since July.

Special operations director Gary Crawford says as long as he is in charge, they will continue to use the service.

Officials with the Allen Canning Company in Morehead met with former employees Tuesday to answer questions they might have after the facility shut its doors.

The company shut down the Delta plant last week, leaving over 130 people without job. The Arkansas-based company operated in Moorhead since 1973.

This week, equipment from the plant will be shipped out to other facilities across the south.

Two men have been arrested in connection with a robbery earlier this month at Mississippi Valley State.

Police say 20-year old Eddie Swinney and 19-year old Travis Davis were arrested Monday and charged with robbery.

Immediately after the incident, Christopher Pope was arrested and charged with trespassing. He is believed to be a suspect in the robbery.

Authorities say the men robbed two men in a vehicle on campus while threatening them with a gun October 4.

Bond for 33-year-old Roderick Scott was set at $100,000 on Tuesday for soliciting a child for sexual purposes.

Metcalfe police arrested Scott on Sunday in a sting operation. Police say a 17-year-old male had complained about receiving sexually explicit text messages from Scott.

If convicted Scott faces up to 20 years in prison.

Elvis Presley fans can now take a virtual tour of his ranch that is up for sale for a nice $6.5 million.

The 155-acre property in Horn Lake, Miss., is officially known as the Circle G Ranch. Presley owned it from 1966 to 1971.

Real estate agents have said they received calls from as far away as Denmark. To see the ranch, go to visualtour.com and type in property number 0201-2316.

Gov. Haley Barbour has appointed a black lawyer to a judgeship - the same one who earlier criticized the governor for his lack of diversity in judicial appointments.

Malcolm Harrison of Jackson was chosen to serve the unexpired term of former Hinds County Circuit Judge Bobby DeLaughter, who resigned following his conviction in a judicial bribery scheme.

A former alderman in Friars Point was one of two guards who were attacked at a Delta prison last week by inmates.

The incident occurred Thursday during breakfast in the dining hall at the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Tutwiler.

Authorities say Norris Holly is being treated for 22 puncture wounds and a collapsed lung. The other guard was treated for injuries to his eye and jaw.

Corrections officials say several inmates from California, who had been transferred to the prison, attacked the staff.

Workers at a Grenada factory have been laid off, another sign of the bad economy.

Officials with Advanced Distribution Products say 49 people have lost their jobs because of market conditions. About 470 workers remain at the plant.

The company manufactures evaporator coils and air handlers for use in residential air conditioning systems.

Collier Parker, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Delta State University, has been selected to be the 2009 artist for the upcoming Viking Classic PGA Tournament which starts on Thursday at the Annandale Golf Club in Madison.

The painting will be reproduced as a print and sold to support the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital at the University Medical Center in Jackson.

Parker says he honored to be a part of Viking’s commitment to the community.

(photo courtesy of Delta State)

A Bolivar County man is on the run from authorities.

20-year Keatrice Collins is wanted for crashing a vehicle into a home near Shaw last week and then fleeing the scene on foot.

Bolivar County Sheriff’s deputies attempted pull over the Collins for erratic behavior. Instead the he sped up and lost control crashing into a home.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Delta State will celebrate the 40^th anniversary of a sit-in demonstration held in 1969.

The highlight of the program will be a panel discussion featuring participants from the event on March 10.

The 52 students were arrested and taken to Parchman State Penitentiary after staging a sit-in demonstration and showing their disregard in front of the President’s office over a list of demands that were previously presented to the administration.

The program starts at 7 p.m. in the Jacob Conference Center of Ewing Hall.

The Rosedale United Methodist Church is sponsoring a 5K fun run/walk to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Proceeds will go to Camp Gulfside, a United Methodist retreat center in Waveland used by volunteers that help rebuild the coast.

Rain or shine this Saturday, the event will be at the Great River Road State Park in Rosedale. Registration starts at 8:30 with the run starting at 9 a.m.

Cost to register $25 on the day, preregistration is $20. For more information call Susan Boyette at 846-6636 or Bobbie Lewis at 759-3561.

A Greenwood man is in stable condition at a Tupelo hospital after his helicopter crashed Sunday near Webster County.

Authorities say 36-year old Rob Hammonds who is an experienced ag pilot crashed as he was applying herbicides to timber fields. It wasn’t clear what injuries he suffered.

Officials say he radioed for help minutes before the crash and then called emergency personnel for help. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

Two Washington County women pleaded guilty to food stamp fraud.

Sheretta Johnson and Jacqueline Smith, along with a Hinds County woman must payback over $33,000 according to the State Department of Human Services.

Johnson and Smith pleaded guilty last week in Washington County and were told to pay back over $7,000 in restitution and fines and disqualified from the SNAP program for 24 months.

Metcalf authorities arrested a man for trying to solicit sex from a minor.

33-year old Rodrick Scott was arrested over the weekend for trying to contact a 17-year old boy with text messages and phone calls.

Police say this behavior will not be tolerated in Metcalf or Washington County.

The Jamie Whitten Delta States Research Center is set to receive $4 million for renovations from a federal spending bill.

Built in 1965, the five-story research center is undergoing a complete renovation that’s expected to cost $45 million.

Officials have said they would like to get the building ready for another 50 years of service for the Southern United States.

A district judge has delayed the hearing involving Clarksdale cardiologist Dr. Rodger Weiner.

A hearing on pending motions was scheduled for Thursday, but court officials say a witness is sick. The date has been reset for November 5.

Weiner pleaded not guilty to a charge of soliciting prostitutes across state lines when he was arrested by FBI agents in May.

His attorneys say he will be acquitted. A trial date is set for January 25.

Former Delta State student and aspiring country music artist Liz Davis was announced the winner of MTV’s Starmaker on Sunday.

She became the first country singer to land a deal with hip-hop label Bad Boy Records. She was one of 14 contestants eying a shot at a record contract.

Davis, a Madison native attended Delta State in 2005 singing with the acclaimed Renascence.

(photo courtesy of DSU)

The 15-year old girl who displayed a loaded .380 semiautomatic handgun on a Yazoo County school bus last month won’t be charged as an adult.

Her parents and attorney were relieved after leaving the Yazoo County Youth Court Monday.

The girl’s mother says she had been bullied at school, leading her to bring the gun on the bus.

The incident on September 1 made national headlines after the girl was tackled by high school football star Kalub Ellis who wrestled the gun from her.

  Mississippi farmers have reported widespread soybean damage and declining yields as soggy weather continues to dampen harvest.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a report Monday that some farmers reported up to 100 percent damage in their soybean fields. Harvest was off average pace with just 61 percent of soybeans in as of Sunday.

Cotton has also been down, just eleven percent in compared to a five-year average of 84 percent.

A federal judge will hear arguments Thursday on pending motions in the solicitation case against Coahoma County Supervisor Dr. Roger Wiener.

Weiner, a prominent Clarksdale cardiologist, has pleaded not guilty to soliciting prostitutes across state lines on SugarDaddyforMe.com.

Among the motions still pending are two defense requests to throw out the case and a government request to disqualify most of Weiner's defense team.

There is still hope for several hundred tenants renting from the South Delta Regional Housing Authority.

Despite a ruling this month by a district judge that rents will increase starting November 1, attorneys are trying to buy more time.

Attorney Daniel Morris says there are lawsuits against the housing authority dealing with the conditions of the homes. He says many are unlivable and not worth the increase.

Bolivar County Sheriffs arrested two people in connection with a string of robberies over the last few months.

29-year old Willie Tyler was charged with burglaries of two businesses and homes.

20-year old Adrianna Cain who lives with Tyler was charged with possession of stolen property. Authorities say the two had stolen several guns, cell phones, electronic equipment and money.

Some Cleveland residents became concerned when an old oak tree limb fell into a road after winds ripped through the region last week.

Volunteers rushed to quickly move the limb, one of many that hang across the entire length of Memorial Drive.

The County Board of Supervisors have argued as to who is responsible for the potentially dangerous limbs.

The trees itself were planted for veterans of World War I and II by the Daughters of the American Revolution local chapter who have said they don’t take responsibility for the trees.

Former Delta State student and aspiring country music artist Liz Davis was announced the winner of P. Diddy’s Starmaker on MTV Sunday.

She became the first country singer to land a deal with Diddy’s label Bad Boy Records.

Davis, a Madison native attended Delta State in 2005 singing with the acclaimed Reniscance. The competition started with 14 contestants in August.

Mississippi Valley State University President Dr. Donna Oliver says there are no plans to close or merge the school to avoid budget cuts.

She says some employee positions may be eliminated, but that won't happen in the immediate future.

Oliver says it is possible that some programs may be merged with similar programs at other institutions, but the university itself will continue to operate.

Greenwood Leflore Hospital has become the largest job provider in Leflore County, bucking the trend of some other medical facilities struggling in the tough economy.

The hospital has been able to recruit nurses and open its After Hours Clinic to increase its employment. The hospital employed a little over 1,000 people, a 14 percent increase from three years ago.

Nursing has contributed the most new jobs in the past year. Forty-two were hired this past summer.

Stan Street's third annual Hambone Festival and block party is set for Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in downtown Clarksdale.

Each year folks from near and far come to celebrate the festival, which includes a Saturday night Halloween costume party at Ground Zero Blues Club.

Prior to the event there will be a fundraiser at the Hambone Gallery starting at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Four candidates remain for the position of state superintendent.

The search has been under way since Hank Bounds was picked in July to become the Higher Education commissioner.

Officials with the Board of Education said the candidates will be interviewed Nov. 3. At one time, there were 22 candidates for the job.

Board members hope to have a replacement in place by Jan. 1.