Week in Vicksburg

Published 12:00 am Sunday, July 17, 2011

High temps remained in the upper 90s throughout the week in Vicksburg. Overnight lows ranged from the low 70s to 80 degrees. Just under .2 inch of rain fell during the week.

The Mississippi River receded slightly, dipping to 34.9 feet from 36.9 on the Vicksburg gauge. A reading of 34.2 feet was expected by forecasters for today.

Market trackers and officials announced lower property values and lower sale prices on homes in Warren County, attributed to scant new construction and a shaky local job market. Tax Assessor Richard Holland said it was his first recollection of a decrease in total valuation on tax rolls.

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The Salvation Army hosted a Healing Service aimed at creating unity after the spring’s historic Mississippi River flood. About 200 people attended the service, which included prayer from local clergymen, worship music and interpretive dance.

Eight-year-old Brayden Lynn of Vicksburg drowned on a lake near Homer, La. He was playing near the lake as his mother and stepfather, Beverly and Joe Nunn, were packing a boat for a group outing to Snake Island.

A public hearing on a collapsed building site on Clay Street has been scheduled and will include the city’s role in cleaning up the area surrounding the property. The old Thomas Furniture Store collapsed more than five years ago, and its clean-up effort has been marred by numerous court hearings, lawsuits and injunctions by owners of adjacent properties.

David Hyde, owner of HydeSoft Computing of Vicksburg, donated $5,200 to put the Vicksburg Gators over the top in fund-raising efforts to compete in the 7-on-7 national football championship tournament. Hyde’s donation enabled the team to charter a bus, relieving a liability issue that arose concerning a coach-driven van on a long trip. The team won 2 of 3 games it played.

After numerous complaints from parents, the city was making plans to repair and maintain the Catfish Row playground, a project spearheaded in 2008 by the Junior Auxiliary of Vicksburg and built by community volunteers from local donations. Problems at the site included litter and trash, an empty sandbox, cut fencing, exposed piping and broken equipment.

Mary Beth Magee Buckley of Vicksburg was killed in a one-car wreck in Simpson County after apparently encountering rainy weather, said her husband, Paul Buckley. She had just left her father’s home in Prentiss and was driving on Mississippi 43 at the time of the wreck.

William J. Jones Jr., 20, was found shot in front of his home on Curry Street. Two men were being questioned and a police dog team was searching the area, though no weapon had been recovered.

A predawn, citywide drug sweep led to the roundup of nine people who were being held without bond by the Vicksburg Police Department. Five of the men had a record of criminal activity, and officials said the raids followed three months of investigations.

In addition to William J. Jones Jr., local deaths during the week were Hallie Mae Collins, Mary Eileen Braun Cato, Mary Jane Haddock, Ester Joe “E.J” Crawford, Ina Marie Kessler and Andrew Robert Holden.