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  • Rispone Slams Ad Linking Him To David Duke In Louisiana Race

    Rispone Slams Ad Linking Him To David Duke In Louisiana Race

    BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana’s Republican gubernatorial candidate Eddie Rispone said a radio ad linking him and President Donald Trump to former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke is “disgusting,” and he’s using it to rally support from pro-Trump voters.

    Rispone blamed Democratic incumbent John Bel Edwards for the advertising by the New Orleans-based Black Organization for Leadership Development, or BOLD.

    There’s no evidence Edwards, the Deep South’s only Democratic governor, is connected to the effort. Both an Edwards spokesman and the BOLD member featured in the advertising said the governor’s campaign wasn’t involved.

    One of several radio spots the organization’s PAC is running, the ad encourages minority voters to “vote against hatred” by choosing Edwards.

    “What is the difference between David Duke, Eddie Rispone and Donald Trump? The only difference is that Rispone will be governor if you don’t stop him. These people are telling you every day that they do not care about you or anyone who looks like you,” New Orleans Councilman Jay H. Banks says in the ad.

    Trump supports Rispone, who built his campaign on his backing of the president and has responded with his own radio ads claiming that Edwards supporters hate Trump.

    Early voting continues through Saturday in the Nov. 16 election.

    At an early voting stop Monday, Rispone accused Edwards and his backers of “playing the race card again.” His campaign is trying to capitalize off the attack spots by energizing Trump supporters against the Democratic incumbent.

    “It’s disgusting. The governor has to answer for that,” Rispone said.

    Rispone’s ads play excerpts of BOLD radio spots that slam Trump and connect them both to Duke, a Republican former Louisiana state lawmaker who’s made failed bids for other offices in the state.

    In one Rispone response ad, a narrator says: “That’s how far the radical left will go to keep liberal John Bel Edwards in power. And if you don’t agree they’ll call you a racist.” The ad urges voters to vote against Edwards and “his Trump hating friends.” The other ad says Edwards is “too weak to stop these hateful attacks, too cowardly to condemn them.”

    Edwards spokesman Eric Holl said the BOLD advertising was “not paid for or authorized by the John Bel Edwards campaign.” But Edwards hasn’t directly denounced the messaging.

    Trump has targeted Edwards for ouster, planning a Wednesday rally for Rispone in Monroe. Edwards has steered clear of criticizing a president who won Louisiana by 20 percentage points and remains popular, instead saying he’s worked well the White House and will continue to do so.

    The BOLD ads, most of which feature Banks, seek to drum up support for Edwards from anti-Trump voters. One asks voters to “remember that sickening feeling you got when you woke up and realized Donald Trump was elected president.” Another tells voters they “can send a message directly to Trump that his politics of lies and hate won’t work here.”

    Banks said the Edwards campaign wasn’t involved in the ads. Banks defended the advertising and tying Rispone to Duke, saying that Rispone’s campaign approach has mirrored Duke’s unsuccessful 1991 campaign for governor.

    “I don’t know why Mr. Rispone’s mad. What are we saying that’s not true?” Banks said. “David Duke ran on a very similar platform to what he’s running on, anti-New Orleans, anti-Medicaid, anti-anything that helps people who aren’t rich.”

    Banks said Rispone has embraced a president with “white supremacist views” and is trying to vilify New Orleans and minorities by repeatedly calling New Orleans a “sanctuary city.”

    Beyond the radio ad, a door-hanger that the Rispone campaign and a Republican state senator said has been circulated to households also links Rispone and Trump to Duke. It’s unclear who paid for that advertising. Banks said BOLD wasn’t involved in the effort.

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    Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte

  • Marker Honors 200-Year-Old Black Church In Mississippi

    Marker Honors 200-Year-Old Black Church In Mississippi

    PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) — A new historical marker is honoring the oldest continuously operating African American church in Mississippi.

    Members of St. Peter Baptist Church in Pascagoula gathered Saturday to celebrate the unveiling of a marker that was placed by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

    The coastal church was founded in 1819 by a freed slave named Dudley Brooks. It originally was called First Free Mission Baptist Church.

    Pastor William H. Marshall tells WLOX-TV that he’s pleased the congregation is being recognized by the state.

    Congregants buried a time capsule with church programs and other items. The plan is to dig it up in 20 years.

  • White Nationalists Seen Filming At Lynching Victim Memorial

    White Nationalists Seen Filming At Lynching Victim Memorial

    People carrying a white nationalist flag were caught on security cameras trying to film in front of a new memorial to lynching victim Emmett Till.

    Patrick Weems, executive director of the Emmett Till Memorial Commission, told The Associated Press that the incident was captured Saturday by new security cameras at the memorial site in Mississippi. Security video from the commission shows the people, including a person carrying the flag of a neo-Confederate group flag, filming at the site. They are seeing running away after a security alarm sounds.

    In the video, a man can be heard saying they are at the memorial “that represents the civil rights movement for blacks.” “What we want to know is, where are all the white people?” he continued before the clip ends. The group was carrying a white flag with a large cross, a symbol associated with the League of the South.

    The Southern Poverty Law Center has described the League of the South as a neo-Confederate hate group.

    “They basically showed a group of people coming out and filming what looked to be some kind of propaganda video at the historic marker,” Weems said.

    Till was 14 when he was kidnapped, beaten and killed in 1955 after he allegedly whistled at a white woman. An all-white jury in Mississippi acquitted two white men of murder charges. The memorial is at the site where Till’s body was pulled from the Tallahatchie River.

    The camera system and alarms are part of an updated security system that accompanies a new bullet-proof memorial to Till that was dedicated Oct. 19. The bulletproof sign and security measures come after the first three markers were vandalized.

    The first historical marker was placed in 2008. Someone tossed it in the river. The second and third signs were shot at and left riddled with bullet holes.

    The new 500-pound (225-kilogram) steel sign has a glass bulletproof front, Weems said.

    The commission is trying to raise money for a permanent memorial site and received some donations after the video was discovered.

    “We hope this hate speech leads to positive action,” Weems said.

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    This story has been corrected to show that it was an allegation that Till whistled at a white woman. With AP Photo.

  • Hot Springs Man Arrested After Brother Dies In Fall

    Hot Springs Man Arrested After Brother Dies In Fall

    HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) — Authorities say a Hot Springs man was arrested on a second-degree murder charge after he allegedly pushed his brother out of a moving vehicle, causing his death.

    An affidavit says 57-year-old Richard Dean Ammons was arrested Thursday for the death of his brother, Johnnie Adams. The affidavit says Johnnie Adams told police before his death that they two had been “arguing over corn dogs” before he was pushed from a Jeep.

    Authorities say Johnnie Adams later died at a Hot Springs hospital.

    Richard Ammons remained jailed Monday morning on $10,000 bond. The Sentinel-Record reports the affidavit says Richard Ammons told police that he did not recall what the argument was about.

    On Friday, Judge Ralph Ohm issued a gag order preventing attorneys or authorities from speaking publicly about the case.

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    Information from: The Sentinel-Record, http://www.hotsr.com

  • Veteran Ranger Heading To Country’s First National Park

    Veteran Ranger Heading To Country’s First National Park

    TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — Sarah Davis has enjoyed her time in Tupelo and has nothing but praise for the people and environment.

    “The people are friendly, Tupelo is a great size town with a great location,” said Davis, the chief ranger for the Natchez Trace Parkway. “It’s five hours to the beach and four hours to the mountains.

    “I enjoy hunting and fishing, and this is a sportsman’s paradise.”

    Davis is heading to Yellowstone National Park, where she will become its first female chief ranger.

    Davis, a 20-year veteran of the National Park Service, came to Tupelo in 2012 from an office in Washington, D.C. where she had a 76-mile commute one-way each day to work.

    “I wanted to get back to working in a park, not sitting at a desk,” Davis said. “When this position came open, I applied. I had worked at the Blue Ridge Parkway so I had a good idea of what to expect.

    “I am originally from North Carolina. Coming here was like coming home. Everybody is so welcoming.”

    Since the parkway is a 444-mile long road, Davis wanted to improve safety and reduce the number of fatalities. While most of the traffic on the parkway is around the Tupelo and Jackson areas, the majority of the serious injuries and fatalities are in more rural areas where higher speeds play a role.

    Moving rangers away from the big cities helped. So did a new case reporting system and switching to electronic tickets. Between the two, the time writing tickets and doing paperwork has been cut in half, giving them more time to patrol.

    While motorists may not be big fans of the parkway’s 50 mph speed limit, it is there for a reason.

    “Physics is the biggest reason,” Davis said. “The parkway is very unforgiving. It’s a narrow road with no shoulders. There is very little chance to react.”

    The increased patrols, unmarked cars and other measures has had an effect on speeding, distracted driving and fatalities. All have dropped.

    While she has enjoyed her stay with the Natchez Trace, her remaining time here is measured in weeks. Part of the park service’s formula is based on short stays and transfers. That allows new people to bring new ideas to the nation’s parks and historic sites to make sure they don’t become stale.

    The next assignment for Davis will be as chief ranger at Yellowstone, the country’s first national park and at 2.2 million acres, the largest in the lower 48 states. It is also the park she has visited the most. She admitted working at Yellowstone was definitely on her bucket list.

    “I someone says if they could only visit one national park, which one? It has to be Yellowstone,” she said. “It has so much to offer — mountains, meadows, the lake, waterfalls, geysers, mud pots. Then there’s the wildlife — bison, bears, elk and wolves.

    “There are thousands of things to see and everything is spectacular. The opportunity to protect and be a part of Yellowstone is something special.”

    The move will definitely be a step up for Davis. Where she currently oversees around 45 rangers and has a budget of $3.5 million, at Yellowstone she will have a budget closer to $18 million and a staff of 275 employees.

    “I will be here until Thanksgiving and then start the move,” Davis said. “In Yellowstone, I will be living in historic Officers Row in the Mammoth-Hot Springs area.

    “I will actually be walking distance from the office and be able to walk home for lunch.”

    The biggest change for the Southern girl who likes it hot will be dealing with the cold weather. Some areas of the park are under snow nine months out of the year. But that will be fun and new for her and at least one of her two dogs.

    “The older one has seen snow before,” Davis said. “The other one is a Mississippi dog, so I look forward to introducing her to snow for the first time.”

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    Information from: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, http://djournal.com

  • Louisiana Volunteer Rescue Crew ‘Cajun Navy’ Changes Name

    Louisiana Volunteer Rescue Crew ‘Cajun Navy’ Changes Name

    LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — A volunteer search and rescue group in Louisiana says it has changed its name to avoid confusion with a similarly named organization whose leader is accused of taking money from a fundraiser meant for children.

    The director of Pinnacle Search and Rescue, formerly known as Cajun Navy 2016, told KADN-TV it sped up its name change when the president of a separate group called America’s Cajun Navy was charged with fraud two weeks ago. News outlets report the change also comes as its own president, Jon Bridgers, faces fraud charges after a homeowner said he agreed to do contracting work on a house but never finished.

    Pinnacle Search and Rescue director Ben Husser said some were confusing the two organizations.

    Both groups include private boat owners who assist rescue operations.

  • Mississippi City Official Arrested In Child Sex Sting

    Mississippi City Official Arrested In Child Sex Sting

    TYLERTOWN, Miss. (AP) — A city official in Mississippi is accused of trying to entice a child into sex.

    The Enterprise-Journal reports 54-year-old Michael Grubbs has been suspended with pay from his job as the Tylertown public works director. Mayor Ed Hughes says Grubbs’ employment will be discussed at the next city board meeting, which is set for Tuesday.

    Grubbs was arrested last month at a motel in Wiggins by agents with the Pine Belt Human Trafficking Task Force. Seven others also were arrested in the sting, which authorities said involved men attempting to solicit sex online from a person they believed to be 14 years old.

    Grubbs is charged with felony enticement of a child for sex. He has posted bail and been released from custody. It’s unclear if he has a lawyer.

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    Information from: Enterprise-Journal, http://www.enterprise-journal.com

  • Old Community Hospital Vandalized

    Old Community Hospital Vandalized

    NATCHEZ — Five juveniles face charges of burglary of a building and malicious mischief after police said they vandalized the old Community Hospital at 129 Jefferson Davis Boulevard on Wednesday night.

    Police officials did not release the names of the suspects because they are juveniles.

    Natchez Police Chief Walter Armstrong said police and deputies from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office discovered the building had been damaged after receiving an anonymous call that four females and a male were seen walking toward the property.

    “Officers did notice extensive damage to the building,” Armstrong said. “Officers of the Natchez Police Department encountered five juveniles that matched the description given by the anonymous caller.”

    The juveniles were transported to the Natchez Police Department where they were interviewed with the parents and were charged with burglary of a building and malicious mischief.

    “The juveniles were processed through booking and released to their parents,” Armstrong said. “The Natchez Police Department is still looking at additional suspects involved in the malicious destruction of the old Community Hospital. The police department wants to inform the public that the old Community property is privately owned and that anyone trespassing, burglarizing and or vandalizing the property could face criminal charges. The old Community Hospital is not a ‘haunted’ place to play around in.”

     

    By Staff Reports

  • Prison cadet accused of trying to smuggle contraband

    Prison cadet accused of trying to smuggle contraband

    ANGOLA, La. (AP) — Authorities say they found drugs, cellphones and other contraband inside the vehicle of a corrections cadet at the Louisiana State Penitentiary.

    In a news release, the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections said 49-year-old Diodelda Anderson of Natchez, Mississippi, was arrested Thursday when investigators intercepted an attempt to smuggle contraband at the prison.

    Authorities say a search of Anderson’s vehicle yielded marijuana, synthetic cannabinoid, three cellphones, two cellphone batteries, tobacco, rolling papers and cigarette lighters,

    Officials say Anderson began working at the prison in Angola in May and resigned during the investigation.

    Anderson is charged with introduction of contraband into a penal institution and malfeasance in office.

    It is unclear whether she has an attorney who could comment on the charges.

  • Coroner: Skeletal remains may be man missing for decade

    Coroner: Skeletal remains may be man missing for decade

    DIAMONDHEAD, Miss. (AP) — A coroner says remains found in Mississippi are likely those of a man who disappeared more than a decade ago.

    Hancock County Coroner Jim Faulk tells WLOX that Ward Buel’s family members have been notified of the discovery.

    A property owner on Oct. 25 found skeletal remains and a wallet with two pieces of identification in Diamondhead. One of the IDs had a photo of Buel on it.

    The 86-year-old Buel was suffering from dementia when he disappeared in 2008.

    Faulk told the television station that he’s sent the remains to a forensic anthropologist in Jackson for identification.