Hayes Cooper holds the distinction as the only star school in Bolivar County after the state Department of Education released their new accountability ratings last month.

Principal Beverly Hardy says students at the school have a good educational background, which makes it easier for teachers to move them forward.

Communication with parents plays a key role. School officials say they have access to school notes on the internet, which can come in handy if a child misses school.

Hardy says help from the parents makes a difference in the success of their students.

The Shelby Police Department is collecting toys for their annual toy drive.

Dispatcher Irene Daniels, who has been organizing the program for six years, and Mary Watkins are collecting toys for single parent homes with up to six children. About 125 families have already signed up.

Organizers say the project targets underprivileged families in Shelby. Watkins says there is a need for this kind of project.

Shelby residents received an outsider’s opinion on the condition of their city.

Julie Jordan, a project manager with First Impressions says the community has a good foundation, but details have been the downside.

She praised the large amount of “green space” and clean lots but said they could be developed further into small parks or gardens.

Other problems included installing a possible sign ordinance to control the litter left behind from convenience stores.

The Greenville Bridge will be open in July 2010 according Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall.

Contracts have been awarded for paving and striping the highway across the Mississippi River, connecting the bridge to U.S. 82 and demolishing the old bridge.

A double-shooting in Metcalf has left two injured.

Police arrested Herman Lattimore after he allegedly shot his live-in girlfriend Loren Dumas in the leg Wednesday. Edward Jones was also shot in the back.

Ladimoore was charged with domestic violence and aggravated assault along with possession of firearms. Following the shootings, two dogs that belonged to Ladimoore were shot in retaliation to the shootings.

Gov. Haley Barbour says he is cutting almost $54.3 million from Mississippi's nearly $6 billion budget.

His announcement Thursday was the second round of spending reductions Barbour has made since the fiscal year started July 1. He says he anticipates making another $160 million in cuts before the year ends June 30.

The cuts Thursday include a 5 percent reduction in Medicaid spending, which will take effect in February.

A woman is dead and another in the hospital after a crash in Holmes County Wednesday morning.

Authorities say 61-year old Anna Prophet and 70-year old- Margaret Cochran both of Greenwood, were traveling south on Interstate 55 shortly after 9 a.m. when Prophet lost control of the vehicle and collided with a tree. The crash caused the vehicle to spin and catch fire.

Mississippi Highway Patrol says Cochran died Wednesday evening. Prophet remains in Jackson hospital.

The National Weather Service is predicting between 1 and 2 inches of snow beginning late today around Natchez and moving northeast through Mississippi.

Experts say a system of cool air from the Plain States will move in late Friday and collide with moist air from the Gulf of Mexico.

The system is expected to move through the state in the late evening hours today and early morning Saturday.

The 2009Cleveland Christmas parade is scheduled for tonight at 5:30.

“Christmas Around the World” will start at the corner of Fayette Davis Avenue and Merritt Drive before making its way to downtown Cleveland and finish up at Cleveland High School.

Several area high school bands and local organizations are scheduled to appear.

Spectators are asked not to park on First Avenue to allow room for the floats.

Funding was requested this week for city’s cleanup initiative. Organizer Macklyn Hubbell met with the board of alderman to ask if the program could be made a permanent one by teaming up with the public works department.

Hubbell organized county inmates and boy scouts to help with the cleaning efforts.

Alderman Kirkham Povall said Hubbell was the city’s unofficial mayor. City officials said they will talk with the finance to see if the money is available.

Plans are in the works for a new Dollar General in Shelby.

City officials said at their meeting this week that the land the company wishes to purchase must be rezoned from agriculture to commercial.

Cleveland resident Gary Pongetti owns the property in question and says that negations are still in the early stages with soil samples and permits.

Federal agents issued a warrant at a Sunflower County gun shop Wednesday.

ATF agents delivered a warrant at Robinson’s Guns, Ammo and Things on Hwy 49 just north of Drew.

Officials confirmed that agents were there but that does not mean the owner is in trouble. Further details could be provided because it is an ongoing investigation.

Several students at Mississippi Valley State rallied Wednesday protesting a possible merger with two other historically black universities.

Last month Gov. Haley Barbour says he was for a combing Mississippi Valley State and Alcorn State with Jackson State, however none of the campuses would close.

University President Dr. Donna Oliver said that the school is facing a 12 percent cut and possible layoffs but nothing has been finalized.

Police say a 17-year-old accused in a plot to kill a fellow Leflore County High School student will be charged as an adult.

Itta Bena Police say the suspect, Daniel Washington, will be charged with burglary of a dwelling and possession of a firearm on school grounds.

A 14-year-old suspect will also be charged in Youth Court, where records are sealed.

School officials saw Washington carrying a hunting rifle under his coat Nov. 23 and he allegedly told police that he intended to shoot a classmate.

A judge has delayed sentencing for a Greenwood man convicted in a 2007 shooting until a mental evaluation is completed.

Brandon Burnett had been scheduled to be sentenced Monday in Leflore County Circuit Court until a motion for a mental exam was entered.

Court officials said they don’t know when or where the evaluation would take place or when sentencing might happen.

Burnett was convicted of aggravated assault on Nov. 18. His attorney had argued Burnett acted in self-defense when he shot Roderick Crigler three times outside Burnett's home in March 2007.

Clarksdale city leaders voted to revamp their drug and alcohol testing policy to reflect a zero tolerance approach. The commissioners voted 3-2 in favor of the policy earlier this week.

Those officials who voted against the policy argue that it should be on a case by case basis.

A rough draft of the policy is expected to be presented at the next meeting.

Montgomery County Sheriffs are investigating a homicide in Duck Hill.

Local businessman William McCuiston died Tuesday after being shot several times in his home. His wife and daughter found him lying in the den of their home just before 10 Tuesday night.

Authorities said there was no forced entry or anything missing from the home. The victim was the owner of the Spring Hill Tree Company since 2002.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is set to announce a second round of state budget cuts, only five months into the fiscal year.

Barbour will announce the reductions during a news conference this afternoon in Jackson.

Figures released this week showed that in November; state tax collections fell short of expectations for the 15th month in a row.

Education advocates worry that schools, community colleges and universities could suffer if they lose more money.

Federal banking regulators say 16.4 percent of Mississippi households, nearly 184,000 households, don't have a bank account or access to banking services.

Mississippi's figure is double the national average of 7.7 percent in the report released Wednesday by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

A total of 282,000 households, are considered "underbanked," meaning they have a bank account of some sort but also use payday loans and check-cashing services. That compares to about 18 percent nationally.

Courtesy of Delta State Media Relations
Cleveland - The Baioni Conference Center of Broom Hall at Delta State University was filled to capacity Wednesday with Delta State faculty, staff and students as well as community members to honor the late Dr. Tommy Sledge.

The College of Business announced the establishment of the Thomas N. Sledge Endowed Scholarship of Commercial Aviation in honor of Sledge who passed in December 2008. Sledge served Delta State’s Department of Commercial Aviation for 18 years (1990-2008), 11 of them as department chair.

“Tommy was the consummate professional and a man of honor and integrity,” said Dr. Billy C. Moore, dean of the College of Business. “He was focused on providing quality education in aviation and was committed to Delta State and its students. I’ve never known anyone who enjoyed his profession more.”

Alinda Sledge echoed Dr. Moore’s assessment of her late husband’s love for his career. “I cannot think of a more fitting way to honor Tommy,” she said. “He absolutely loved aviation. He loved to fly and he loved to teach. I am thankful to the faculty and students of the Department of Commercial Aviation for their efforts and kindness.”

The Thomas N. Sledge Endowed Scholarship will provide funding to assist full-time students enrolled in the Bachelor of Commercial Aviation program at Delta State University. The Commercial Aviation Scholarship Committee shall award the scholarships to applicants based primarily on academic achievement and need. It is anticipated that the first scholarship will be awarded in Fall 2010 with the selection being made during the Spring 2010 semester. 

The initial scholarship will be for $500 annually and will be renewable for a period of two semesters (for a total of three semesters-the summer term counts as one semester) as long as the recipient is in good standing in the program and is enrolled full-time as defined by the Undergraduate University Bulletin. 

Candidates for Indianola’s new mayor faced off Tuesday night in a debate.

Democratic candidate Steve Rosenthal and Independent Mario Strong answered a series of questions from a media panel at the Sunflower County Courthouse.

The hour long program featured topics including law enforcement, education, and business leadership.

Rosenthal says he is looking forward to taking Indianola to the next level. Strong feels education and a relentless pursuit of knowledge will bridge the gaps.

Cleveland Police arrested a man for pulling out a handgun at a local retailer on famed Black Friday.

78-year old John Flemmons was charged with carrying a concealed deadly weapon after he pulled the gun on another customer at a local store.

Flemmons claims he was defending himself after the customer pushed passed him. He was later released on a $750 bond that day.

Gov. Haley Barbour made a brief trip to the Delta region for the grand opening of a new business in Greenville.

Call Center Outsourcing Solutions was unveiled Tuesday to the public. The center will provide services to various Fortune 500 companies as well as other contractors.

Company leaders say they will start out with 15 employees and then hire 10 a month until reaching 50. They hope to expand to 200 over the next year.

The preliminary hearing for the man accused of a double-homicide in Holcombe has been delayed.

John Wayne McChriston is charged with two counts of capital murder in the stabbing deaths of 69-year–old Jimmy Stauddy and his live-in caretaker 47-year old Martha Stoker on Nov. 15.

The hearing originally set for Thursday has been pushed back until December 17 because of scheduling conflicts.

Authorities said the two were killed following an argument over $8 needed to purchase drugs.

Clarksdale Police Chief Gregory Hoskins still has a job.

City leaders met with Hoskins earlier this week on his future after he was found guilty of disorderly conduct in a Southaven court.

Mayor Henry Espy said that some of the commissioners wanted to meet to discuss Hoskins guilty verdict, and how it could affect his keeping the appointed post

Mississippi's tax collections are running 7.3 percent behind where experts originally thought they'd be at this time of year.

Figures released by the state Tax Commission show general-fund collections are $129.8 million behind the original predictions for the first five months of the fiscal year.

For November alone, collections were 6.9 percent behind original expectations.

Nearly a dozen teachers are out of a job in the Shaw School District.

Monday, the school board approved a recommendation by the superintendent to let go 10 teacher assistants from kindergarten through third grade.

The cut was made to comply with the state-mandated five percent cut in public schools. Officials said the loss would save about $136,000 in salaries.

Delta State University will undergo some campus enhancement over the holiday break.

School officials said the project includes the removal of damaged oak trees that pose a possible safety hazard around the “Quad”. The original oaks were planted in 1926.

Several were damaged after the great Ice Storm in 1994 and were forced to be removed in the years after.

Sunflower County authorities say a teenage girl was sexually assaulted while baby-sitting.

Inverness police arrested 28-year Kevin Rodgers and charged him with statutory rape.

Police say the 14-year-old was baby-sitting at her aunt's house when Rodgers arrived to repair a cable about 8:30 a.m. on Friday. Rodgers allegedly pushed the girl onto the couch and raped her.

The teen called her mother, who notified police.

Gov. Haley Barbour is scheduled to appear during the ribbon cutting for a new business in Greenville.

The grand opening of Call Center Outsourcing Solutions will be Tuesday afternoon.

The call center will provide services to various Fortune 500 companies as well as other contractors. The company says they will employ about 50 people at first, and then expand to around 200 over the next few years.

Federal authorities and Washington County Sheriffs are looking for two fugitive sex offenders.

Arthur Smith and Joseph Wilson are wanted for failing to register as required by law. Smith hasn’t checked in with authorities since February 2008; he was convicted of sexual battery in Leflore County in 2000.

Wilson, who was convicted of sexual assault in New Jersey, has not registered since November 2008. Both are believed to be the Delta area.

A small town in Washington County has tripled its police force.

Officials in Metcalfe swore in two new officers Monday bringing the total to three.

For years, Metcalfe had only one officer but after receiving a patrol car and several grants, the department is slowly growing.

The officers said they will work hard to enforce the laws of the town of Metcalfe and the state of Mississippi.

Belhaven College will formally change its name to Belhaven University on Jan. 1.

School President Roger Parrott said that the school's trustees voted unanimously this past week to make the change.

Belhaven is a 4-year liberal arts college in Jackson.

Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant wants lawmakers to approve a plan that would change the way Mississippi funds state agencies.

The plan calls for agency heads to show that their programs are effective and should keep receiving state dollars.

Bryant said Monday, that changing the state's budget system would eventually save about $250 million a year.

A weekend accident claims the life of a Sardis man.

Authorities say Reginald Stevenson died early Friday morning. 

The 23-year-old was traveling northbound on interstate 55 when he got to the Vaiden exit which connects to highway 35, Stevenson reportedly veered to his left instead of his right where the exit ramp is located. 

The Carroll county coroner says the vehicle went airborne over highway 35 into an embankment.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Clarksdale Police Chief Gregory Hoskins will meet with city leaders today to discuss his future after he was found guilty last week on disorderly conduct charges.

A Southaven judge ordered Hoskins to pay $951 in fines from charges stemming from a verbal confrontation with a convenience store clerk over the summer.

Hoskins plans to appeal the ruling.

Mississippi will discontinue the mailing out of income tax forms to taxpayers.

The Mississippi State Tax Commission announced the decision Monday. The commission said forms and instructions will be available on its Web site beginning Jan. 11 or at its district offices or at public libraries across the state.

Officials say the change was made because the majority of the state's taxpayers now using a computer to generate their returns.

Commission officials say they will save about $90,000 annually by discontinuing the mailings.

With the winter temperatures slowly creeping in, now is the time for firewood in many homes.

Retailers say sales normally start in October with and oak and pecan the popular choices.

Although firewood helps keep your toes warm, there are numerous things to consider.

It’s important to keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, never use your oven for heating and always test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms monthly.

W.C. Handy was honored last week in Tutwiler with the latest Mississippi Blues marker.

The marker was placed at the site of the train station where Handy encountered a guitar player performing one of the earliest documented blues songs

Grammy award winner and for former Led Zeppelin front man Robert Plant who has played in numerous clubs throughout the Delta, talked about visiting the town numerous times as a pilgrimage site. Plant, who sponsored the event, is also a dedicated blues historian.

Clarksdale city leaders have discussed expanding the central business tax district in the hopes of adding additional industry activity and development within the city.

There is an ordinance that provides tax breaks for downtown businesses.

The board discussed expanding the regulations to include other commercial districts in the city which would give some businesses incentives in the form of a tax freeze at the current rates for up to ten years.

Police in Clarksdale are investigating a murder over the holiday weekend.

Authorities found 22-year old George Brooks dead of single gunshot wound to the head on the 400 Block of Catalpa St thanksgiving morning.

The department says they are following numerous leads in the case but currently do not have a suspect in the shooting.

State troopers responded to two fatal traffic accidents Friday night.

One happened in the Batesville District and the other in the Greenwood District.

The highway patrol issued nearly 5,000 tickets during its annual Thanksgiving enforcement campaign, which began at 6 p.m. Wednesday and ends at midnight Sunday.

Of the citations issued, 112 were for seatbelt violations, 46 for improper child restraint and 90 for DUI.

Walls Police Chief Chris Sing has resigned and will be replaced by current Mayor Gene Alday.

Sing left to pursue a job in the private sector because Walls simply isn't able to pay the type of salary that makes officers want to stay.

Sing took over as police chief in 2007 at $22,000 annually. The department has since been cut to one officer because of economic issues.