The Wal-Mart Family Foundation recently met with Coahoma County Initiative (CCI) leaders and agreed to fund the new grassroots program.

The project will be funded by Southern Bancorp, an Arkansas based development holding company that transforms rural communities through investments, jobs and industries.

The county initiative was established after a local company was forced to shut its doors, forcing 79 people out of jobs.

A 31-year-old Hollandale man was killed Thursday night in a two-car accident in Greenville.

The accident occurred at 10:20 p.m. at the intersection of Raceway Road and U.S. 82.

Christian Dale was heading south on Raceway when he collided with a truck. Witnesses said the other driver appeared to have a green light through the intersection.

Dale was pronounced dead at the scene. The other driver was treated and released from a local hospital.

Miss. Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann paid a visit to Cleveland Wednesday to meet with educators at Delta State.

One of the biggest issues was revenues from the 16^th Section Lands for the school districts.

There was a 42 percent increase of income from 2007 to 2008 of nearly $23 million.

Hosemann also says it’s important to get young children prepared for kindergarten to keep them falling behind in education.

Bolivar County Sheriffs arrested three more people involved the regional check cashing scheme.

Willie Morgan, Anthony Clifton and Mickey Pelts were arrested and charged with forgery.

In all, seven people have been arrested in the case, trying to cash bogus checks from Southern Finishing’s out of Ruleville.

Authorities believe the scam extends all the way up to Coahoma County and even Tunica County.

Bolivar County has gone green with the addition of a new recycling machine.

The new unit which bails and recycles cardboard and paper, cost the county about $11,000 through a reimbursable grant.

Bolivar County Solid Waste Officer Lee Chapman says they have been collecting cardboard for about six months which could save on the volume of landfill in the future.

A Humphreys county school bus driver charged with assaulting an Ida Green elementary school student had a hearing Thursday in Belzoni.

Don Reed was charged with simple assault on a minor after a November 18th incident.

Reed allegedly pushed a special needs child off the bus and then tried to drive off with the child's arm and foot trapped in the door. The case has been continued.

The Mid Delta Empowerment Zone Alliance will be changing its name in the New Year, and helping more areas in the delta.

The group was established in 1994 as a 10-year program to help build up six counties in the delta. Mid-delta received an extension, which ends this December.

In January, the program will be renamed to the Mid-Delta Community Development Cooperation, and extend its services to all 18 counties in the Delta.

Vicksburg Mayor Paul Winfield says Horizon Casino has laid off 42 workers and has shut down some areas of the riverboat for renovations.

Winfield says plans involve replacing the carpet and improving dining facilities.

2 of 3 floors inside the 36,000-square-foot riverboat have been closed to foot traffic, apparently ending table games and downstairs entertainment.

Swine flu vaccines are now available to the general public.

The Mississippi Health Department says the vaccines; both injectble and nasal mist are free at all county health departments.

Some private providers and pharmacies also have the vaccine available.

So far, over 800,000 swine flu  doses have been allocated for Mississippi schools, county health departments and private providers. Individual county doses are based on population.

Beginning this month motorists in six cities will be able to renew licenses at kiosks, which would operate similar to automated teller machines.

Public Safety Commissioner Steve Simpson said Thursday that the kiosks will be located in Jackson, Tupelo, Olive Branch, Hattiesburg, Gulfport and D'Iberville. He says more kiosks will be placed around the state in 2010.

Motorists can swipe their expired driver's license, then verify the information take a new picture and pay for the renewal.

A Louisiana man who bet against the New Orleans Saints has lost his 60-inch, flat-screen TV to a backyard firing squad.

Wayne Spring told friends that if the Saints beat the Washington Redskins, anyone could come and shoot his television.

After the Saints kicked the game winning field goal, about a dozen fans armed with guns and beer showed up at his home.

Spring says he’s learned his lesson and will be watching this weekend’s game on a 13-inch black and white set.

Coahoma County leaders are looking into improving utilities in the county.

The board is applying for a $1.3 million energy assistance grant for the 28 county-owned buildings.

Officials are also considering running a water line to Bobo, in order to give residents a reliable back up water supply. Funding for that project would come a $7 million grant from the U. S. Corps of Engineers.

Clarksdale students are sending care packages to troops overseas.

Seventh graders from W.A. Higgins Middle School and Oakhurst Middle School are getting parcels together for company E2-198^th CAB.

The kids are doing this as part of the GREAT program which stands for Gang Resistance Education and Training. Troops receiving the packages are stationed at Joint Base Balad.

A family's home in Bolivar County was destroyed by fire earlier this week.
It happened about 8:30 Tuesday night in Benoit.

Volunteer fire departments from Benoit, Scott and Beulah responded.

No one was home when the fire started, and no injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Police at Mississippi Valley State say they have recovered one of the four monitors stolen last month.

23-year old John Price who works at the university retuned the monitor Tuesday. Price says he received the item before thanksgiving.

Price may face grand larceny or receiving stolen property charges.

46-year old Curtis Barfield was arrested last week and has since been placed on administrative leave.

Another shooting in Greenville has left two people injured and no suspect.

The incident happened about 10 Tuesday night at a local sports bar.

Police say 25-year old Jammie Haynes was shot three times and remains in the hospital in fair condition. 36-year old Bemelcono Scott was shot once in the thigh. He was treated and released.

Police have not established a suspect or motive.

A prison company is denying responsibility for the shooting of a Nashville police officer, allegedly from an inmate who escaped.

Joseph Jackson escaped from an offsite doctor’s office June 25 with the help of his cousin Courtney Logan, while he was an inmate at the Delta Correctional Facility in Greenwood.

Sgt. Mark Chesnut was shot by Logan after he pulled the pair over for a traffic violation in Nashville. Chesnut says the private prison company was negligent in Jackson’s escape.

Five people have been arrested in the recent check cashing scheme that’s hit Bolivar County.

Cleveland Police Chief Buster Bingham confirmed the arrest Wednesday morning but could not release the suspect’s name because of potential information.

Bingham says there could possibly be more than the seven that have warrants.

The suspects have allegedly tried to cash these bogus checks from Southern Finishing out of Ruleville.

Investigators believe outsiders have come to the Delta region and recruited locals to cash the checks and give them a portion of the m oney.

Bingham would like to commend all the officers and investigators involved in the case for all their hard work.

Bolivar County Supervisors are looking at options to communicate with agencies across the state.

Monday, Christopher Ramsden of the Raytheon Corporation talked about a federal program that would give better communication options for the county by upgrading existing radios and equipment.

The Public Safety Interoperable Communications grant was created by the Mississippi Wireless Commission after the state received almost $11 million of federal funds. Ramsden says it’s only available until the end March.

Cleveland State Bank held a grand opening ceremony Tuesday for a new branch in Grenada.

Construction started in February and the bank opened its doors in November.

The new branch currently employs seven people, but there are plans to hire more as they expand. The Cleveland State Bank first opened in Cleveland in 1908.

Two men are in custody after weekend stabbings in Bolivar County.

Richard Taylor was arrested and charged with aggravated assault after allegedly stabbing Christina Palmatree in the leg Saturday night in Shaw. Investigators said Taylor was drinking prior to the incident.

Palmatree was treated and released from the Bolivar County Medical Center.

A Benoit man was arrested after allegedly stabbing his girlfriend in the left eye and in the left arm. Nathaniel Johnson was charged with aggravated domestic violence against Catherine Jackson. Jackson was sent to a Greenville hospital for her injuries.

Indianola has a new mayor. Local businessman Steve Rosenthal defeated independent candidate Mario Strong in Tuesday’s elections.

Rosenthal won the democratic primary in November after receiving nearly double the votes of all the candidates. He carried all five wards in Tuesday’s election and won by more than 50 percent in each ward.

Rosenthal will take over as mayor in January.

A Mississippi Valley State University custodian has been arrested and charged with stealing four 60-inch flat-screen monitors from a math and science building in November.

Police say 46-year old Curtis Barfield was arrested Thursday. Barfield has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues.

Valley Police Chief Robert Sanders said more arrests are expected.

Seven of eight people who pleaded guilty to stealing machine guns, pistols and drugs from a Delta police station are being sentenced this week.

Andre Redmond told police that he could sell the 11 pistols to his “Uncle Blood” in Chicago. The guns were stolen from the Greenwood Police station between September 2005 and January 2006.

The three inmates convicted were trusted to clean the police station.

The Delta Economic Development Center and some local industries have asked Washington County supervisors for a break on inventory taxes.

The tax is placed on items in storage.

In 2003, Legislature passed a law allowing counties that tax goods shipped out of state to eliminate the so-called free port warehouse tax.

Counties are allowed to phase the tax out over 10 years to relieve the impact of the loss of revenue

Attorney General Jim Hood has launched the Mississippi Intellectual Property Theft Task Force.

Hood announced the program Tuesday along with representatives of the Recording Industry Association of America and the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition.

The task force was created to preserve legitimate commerce and protecting citizens from the underground black market.

Delta State University President Dr. John M. Hilpert was elected to the  of Chair of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Commission on Colleges on Tuesday at the organization’s annual conference held in Atlanta.

Hilpert joins former University of Mississippi Chancellor Dr. Robert Khayat as the only representatives of Mississippi universities to hold the position with the educational accreditation agency.

He will assume the duties of Chair in 2010 after serving as Vice Chair in 2009 and having served on the 2008 Executive Council of the Commission.

The state College Board is expected to review a policy next year that will more clearly identify community college classes that qualify for university credit.

A policy audit conducted this fall found formal articulation policies and agreements are in place, but in practice, arrangements are negotiated on an institution-by-institution basis.

Lawmakers have reportedly threatened to craft legislation in the upcoming session that would ease the transition from Mississippi's public 2-year schools to 4-year schools, if no policy is carried out.

The National Weather Service in Jackson has issued a tornado watch for several counties in the Mississippi Delta including Bolivar, Sunflower and Washington counties until 9p.m. central time.

Conditions are favorable for tornados to form. Officials warn residents to stay alert and be prepared to seek shelter if a warning is issued.

Lisa Sandifer, an instructor in accountancy at Delta State University, will deliver the keynote address at the university’s Fall Commencement on Saturday.

Sandifer is in her 12^th year of teaching at the school, and has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Mississippi since 1991.

Delta State is expected to graduate an estimated 365 students during its Fall Commencement.

A Bolivar County courthouse will be getting a facelift.

The U.S. Department of Archives and History has awarded a $350,000 grant to renovate the courthouse in Rosedale. It is one of three grants, totaling $1 million that the county has applied for.

Planned work includes reinstalling the north wall, and cosmetic improvements to the interior.

School board leaders in Clarksdale want to revise the grading system.

Right now, assessments are only worth 20 percent of the students overall grades.

Now they are thinking about changing the weighted average for student’s grades to assessments being 80% of a student’s grade with homework and participation making up the other 20 percent.

No formal decision was made, but leaders are considering phasing in the new system.

Several phony bills are starting to pop up across the Delta. Greenwood authorities say some residents have been trying to use fake $100 bills at businesses.

Cleveland already has had their share of counterfeit bills but in much smaller $10’s and $20’s.

A Clarksdale firefighter was arrested in September for trying to use counterfeit money at a casino.

Greenville police are looking for shooter who fired into a house and injured a child.

The shooting happened about 8:30 p.m. Sunday night.

Police say four to six shots were fired into the home; two struck a 9-year-old boy in the arm. The child was treated and released at a local hospital.

No motive has been established. It was not known if the shooter was on foot or in a vehicle.

Voters will hit the polls Tuesday once again, this time to decide Indianola’s next mayor.

Democrat Steve Rosenthal faces independent Mario Strong to be the city’s next leader.

The winner will replace Arthur Marble who served as mayor of Indianola for several years. Polls will be opening from 7am to 7pm.

A former Clarksdale police officer pled guilty to federal charges. William Gerald pled guilty Thursday to unlawfully using a controlled substance and knowingly possessing a firearm.

The former K-9 handler was indicted by a grand jury in July. Gerald will be sentenced in February.

Federal authorities captured an Ohio man wanted for aggravated murder charges hiding out in Leland.

Timothy Smith was arrested Friday at a relative’s home by U.S. Marshalls. Smith allegedly shot and killed 26-year old Reginald Fain September 23 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Smith has been on the run ever since the shooting and agents tracked him down to the Delta. He currently sits in a Mississippi jail until he can be returned to Ohio.

Parents of students in the struggling school district of Shaw hoped to have some questions answered at a special meeting held last week.

After an hour and a half of executive session to discuss a confidential letter, the meeting was over.

Upset and confused, parents are concerned after the district was labeled at risk of failing and the board recently cut 10 teacher assistants. Three non profit sports were also cut to meet the five percent reductions in education.

Parents will get their say Thursday at the next scheduled board meeting.

Four people have been arrested in a new check cashing scheme. Cleveland police did not release their names because of the ongoing investigation, but did say they expect three more arrests.

The individuals have been cashing checks from Southern Finishing out of Ruleville, which are fraudulent.

Authorities believe outsiders have come to the Delta region and recruited locals to cash the checks and give them a portion of the money.

Authorities say a Thanksgiving Day argument left tempers simmering and escalated into the shootings of 2 people and two dogs.

Lorraine Dumas and Edward Jones are recovering from gunshots suffered last week after being shot by 52-year old Herman Latimore. Latimore and Dumas were living together until they fought Thanksgiving Day.

The 52-year old Dumas was staying with a relative when she was shot a week later. Jones, a neighbor, was shot when he tried to help.

The next day, Latimore's two pit bulls were found shot and his truck vandalized.

Gov. Haley Barbour says a company that wants to build a $300 million plant in the Delta is still trying to arrange private financing.

The governor and state economic officials have not publicly named the company which is expected to be built in Tunica County.

Lawmakers say they expect it to be a German company that makes stainless steel pipes for oil and gas production.

Gov. Haley Barbour has ordered Mississippi flags lowered to half-staff today in honor of the more than 2,400 Americans killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

Mississippi flags on all state buildings and grounds will be flown at half-staff Monday from sunup to sundown.

The Delta Regional Authority received $13,000,000 in appropriations for the 2010 fiscal year which will keep the Delta Regional Commission at its Clarksdale headquarters.

The Delta Regional Authority was established in 2000 by Congress to assist 252 counties and parishes in the eight State Mississippi Delta Regions in obtaining infrastructure, transportation, skills training, and opportunities for economic development.