Warm temperatures remained in the upper 80s and low to mid-90s over the area. Rains Wednesday and Thursday briefly cooled the daytime temps before they warmed up again by Friday.
The Mississippi River was at 28.24 feet on July 5. It was up to 28.40 feet. Flood stage is 43 feet.

Property values in Vicksburg and Warren County rose less than half of 1 percent, according to information from Warren County Assessor Angela Brown’s office. Real property was assessed at $315.4 billion, up from $314.2 billion in 2013. Personal property, or any taxable asset not tied to the land such as a business’ inventory, slightly dropped in 2014.
In other county news:
• The transition of administration from former Warren County circuit clerk Shelly Ashley-Palmertree to interim Circuit Clerk Greg Peltz has caused a delay in restitution payments to crime victims, resulting in the county owing victims a total of about $10,000 in payments.
• The Warren County Board of Supervisors said it wants a firm purchase price on the 140,000-square-foot Calsonic North America building in the Ceres Industrial Park before entertaining any other financial matters for ISA TanTec Inc., which expects to open a tanning plant in the building.
• Ameristar Casino agreed to pay about $3 million in property taxes for 2014 under a settlement agreement with Warren County, ending a tax dispute between the county and the casino.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen amended the city’s utility ordinance to set a $28 flat sewer rate for residents in Vicksburg Housing Authority properties not served by city water and gas, and approved an agreement with VHA to bill the housing authority for sewer and garbage fees from its Cedar Estates property and for utility and garbage collection services for senior citizens. VHA currently pays the utilities but not garbage collection for senior citizens and disabled residents.
The board’s action came after city utility employees found 35 of Cedars’ 56 residents owed back payments for sewer and garbage collection totaling $90,000. VHA executive director Ben Washington said the rent for Cedars residents would be adjusted to cover the sewer and garbage fees. He said the residents in arrears would have to make an agreement with the city to repay the back fees.
In other city news:
• The board approved an agreement with HouseWorks of Madison to repair damage to the Vicksburg Police Department cause when car crashed through the building on May 29. The total estimate for the work is $79,414.58. The city’s insurance will cover all but $10,000 of the repair cost.

Contestants for the Miss Mississippi Pageant arrived in town for the annual pageant and crowning of a new Miss Mississippi on Saturday. Competition for the title began Wednesday and ended Saturday with the crowning of a new Miss Mississippi.

More than 1,000 people turned out downtown July 4 for fireworks and music from the Chicago tribute band Dialogue. Other events during the holiday weekend included living history demonstrations at the Vicksburg National Military Park.

Local deaths included Zulene Bell, Willie Jordan, Pete J. Montalbano Sr., Phillip Loque Doiron Sr., Thomas Douglas Kinnebrew, Debra Lynn Wyatt, Eli Baker, Joseph Brad Brooks, Carolyn Marie Barnette Wilkerson and Jerry Lee “Nick” Williams.