Week of March 28, 2004

The area experienced what some would call its “Easter cold snap.” On two nights, the low was 37 degrees. Otherwise, the high for the week was 81. Rainfall was recorded on one day and amounted to 0.18 inch.

The Mississippi River continued to fall, dropping from 31.6 feet on the Vicksburg gauge to 25.2 feet. Forecasters said the river will be at 26 feet today.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved $1.9 million for buying out homes in flood-prone areas. The funding is for 39 properties from Ford Subdivision north of town to Cairo Drive off U.S. 61 South.

Warren County Deputy Sheriff Mike Hollingsworth returned home from Mississippi Methodist Rehabilitation Center and was welcomed back by fellow deputies lined up and saluting at the Beechwood intersection. Hollingsworth was hit by a car driven Feb. 9.

Vicksburg officials said they wanted to raise $25,000 from private sources to buy 300 banners to be placed along major corridors leading into the city. Mayor Laurence Leyens said the idea is to create an inviting environment leading from one tourist destination to another.

The Very Rev. David Ogan and his wife decided to make their home in Vicksburg. Ogan is director of the Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry for the Archdiocese of North America.

Candy Derivaux, owner of Candy’s and The Chocolate Derby on Washington Street, began offering patrons a new service. Available is free, wireless connection to the Internet for patrons with laptop computers.

New signs on Interstate 20 signaling visitors where to turn for the Vicksburg Battlefield Museum are confusing the visitors, said officials at the Vicksburg National Military Park.

Brig. Gen. Robert Crear will return to his hometown of Vicksburg, this time as commander of the Mississippi Valley Division and president-designate of the Mississippi River Commission. Crear is serving as commander of the Southwest Division and will replace Brig. Gen. Don T. Riley.

Employees of the Mississippi Welcome Center on Washington Street moved into temporary quarters in modular buildings in the parking lot. The move was made necessary by a project to renovate the interior of the center.

Administrators and students at the 14 schools of the Vicksburg Warren School District practiced lockdown drills as a precaution against on-campus violence.

Vicksburg police, reacting to a report of a robbery at the Trustmark National Bank branch on Mission 66, nabbed a suspect less than a half a mile from the bank.

The sudden spike in gasoline prices has caused additional interest in cars powered by gasoline and electric motors, said two local dealers. The Honda and Toyota dealers in town said they can’t keep the vehicles in stock because they get such good gas mileage.

The suspect in the robbery of the Trustmark National Bank on Mission 66 was identified as Bobby Earl Wilson. Officials said Wilson had gotten out of federal prison six days earlier for robbing the same bank and another in 1998.

Wayne Thornton, a local Realtor, confirmed the Aeolian apartments is for sale by owner Frank Imes of Columbus. Imes bought the building just before it was to be demolished and began renovations.

Officials of the Mississippi National Guard said most of the members of headquarters and headquarters company of the 168th Engineer Group should be returning to Vicksburg in about a week. Members of the local Guard unit have spent about a year in Iraq.

Allen Maxwell, E-911 director, told the E-911 Commission they may have to hire additional dispatchers to handle the volume of calls from cell phone users. He said the center often gets multiple calls reporting a single incident, but must answer each to determine if they are duplicate calls.

Vicksburg officials voted to hire URS Engineers of Jackson to evaluate a bridge on Washington Street near the Isle of Capri. The officials want to determine when and how to replace the span.

Jimmy Heidel said he will retire as executive director of the Warren County Port Commission so he can begin drawing on his 31 years of state employment retirement. He said he planned to remain as executive vice president of the Vicksburg Warren County Chamber of Commerce and executive director of the Warren County Port Commission.

Attorneys for Harcros Chemical met informally with the Warren County Board of Supervisors seeking support for work needed to help the company acquire the old Vicksburg Chemical Co. site. One of the things the lawyers said is needed is to find some way to remove a lien for arrears local taxes.

Local deaths during the week included Charlie Martin Sr., Martha Mary Terwilliger, Sarian McLemore Hoxie, Arnold S. Johnson, Betty Bass Thomas, David Lawrence Washington, Charles Kelly Hunter, J.B. Middleton, Madie C. Baker and Willena Griffin Buck.