Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 1

Smokeout Today's the day to give up the ff cigarettes for 24 hours, 3A. NNlIII5 Black is beautiful Canseco is MVP Bright colors hit the stores for fall, but The Oakland A's player, who hit 40 old standby is still a fashion classic, 1 D. homers and stole 40 bases, is AL's star, 1 C. UxhM Metro edition Jackson, Mississippi Thursday II November 17, 1988 fi '5. mm 4tm iv -CT 3 I ll II II II II VS II WOKJ chronology WOKJ radio sells its soul for country music The Jackson giant, which has been off the air since Aug.

1 plans to reopen Monday with new owners. By Afi-Odelia E. Scruggs Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer "WOKJ was three out of three," Ross said. "It was behind WJJVII and WKXI." But there was a time when WOKJ ran the show. Back when stations offered news, information and music, WOKJ was a black voice that spoke throughout the Southeast day and night.

Bruce Payne remembers the way it was. He remembers the scholarships, the Easter egg hunt, the news reports, the church broadcasts "In those days, black radio did something for the black community that the white stations were not doing. The black community depended on the station to be informed as well as entertained." Payne, who is now public affairs director for WJMI-FM, came to WOKJ in 1962. "Sept. 17, 1954.

We went on the air at noon," recalls See WOKJ, back page Faithful fans wilt miss soulful sounds, 1D nications of Vicksburg. Holt, which owns WJMI, Jackson's top FM station, bought WOAD, Jackson's top AM station, which programs black gospel. Federal regulations prohibit owning two outlets on the same band in one market. Price, who owns a station in Port Gibson and is filing with the Federal Communications Commission to take over a station in Opelousas, is planning to bring WOKJ back to life on Monday but with a country format. The death of the old WOKJ marked the end of an era the heyday of monster AM stations around the country.

"It's an increasing trend for AM stations in general," Sean Ross, radio editor for Billboard magazine, said of the ascent of FM over AM stations. "If it seems disproportionate for black stations, it's because the move to FM came later for black stations. Begins broadcasting Sept. 17, 1954, as Mississippi's first black-oriented station. Owned by Dixieland Broadcasting of Indianola.

Covers the Southeast with 50,000 watts. At night, could be heard in Kansas and Oklahoma. Dixieland sells the station to E.O Roden Associates of Booneville in 1972. Holt Communications Corp of Bethlehem, buys the station from Roden in the mid-1980s. David Price Communications of Vicksburg buys the station in late 1988.

Scheduled to resume broadcasting Monday with a country music format. When James Meredith integrated the University of Mississippi, Jackson's WOKJ-AM was there. When a city resident fell short on the rent or the electric bill, WOKJ-AM was there. Since 1954, when the state's first black-programmed radio station started broadcasting from a tiny cinder-block building on Lynch Street, WOKJ served and supported a community locked out of the mainstream. But WOKJ has been dark off the air since Aug.

1. The owners, Holt Communications of Bethlehem, sold the failing AM station to David Price Commu Jackson child, beaten to death, found near her home r. i Y'Sl I r. 't' v7-t- hi. 1 5 Scott BoydThe Clarion-Ledger was arrested Wednesday morning.

The house is located at 1 1 1 Bingo Circle, just off Jennifer Drive in the Cunningham Heights neighborhood. Authorities from Jackson, Pearl and Rankin County escort Huey Harold McCraw 26, center in red shirt, from the house in Pearl where he Inmate Derome Dent had confessed on television to robbery. By Grace Simmons Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer A Jackson man, who tearfully confessed to armed robbery on tele-vision recently, was charged Wednesday in an attack on a police officer. Derome Dent, 26, was charged with aggravated assault after police Lt. Nancy Nordan was jumped outside a University of Mississippi Medical Center examining room.

Nordan, a nurse at the City Jail, had taken Dent to UMC after he complained of chest pains and difficulty breathing about 8 a.m., Police Chief Jim Black said. Upon arriving at the hospital, Nordan had removed one of Dent's handcuffs so that hospital personnel could take a blood sample, Black said. His leg irons were not removed, he said. With leg irons still intact, Dent opened the door to the examining room about 9:20 a.m., and saw Nordan sitting outside in a chair, Black said. Nordan was knocked from her chair and choked with the handcuff chain, Black said.

Dent told Nordan, "I have nothing to lose," Black said. Hospital personnel pulled Dent from the nurse and subdued him, Black said. Dent was returned to the city jail. Nordan was not injured. She de- Mother's ex-boyfriend is charged in slaying Derome Dent: Charged with attacking police officer.

clined to talk about the incident when contacted at her home Wednesday evening. Dent had been in jail for a week after being arrested Nov. 10 at WLBT-Channel 3. He was charged with nine counts of armed robbery in connection with a string of holdups in Jackson for the past several months. Dent had been vigorously sought by police following the Nov.

7, armed robbery of the Majik Market, 418 Savanna St. His companion, Willie Everett was arrested following a high-speed chase. Everett has been charged with eight counts of armed robery. Dent said he went to WLBT with his parents to publicly explain his actions. Anchorman Howard Bal-lou interviewed him, and Dent cried as he admitted to involvement in the Majik Market robbery and blamed his actions on drugs.

Suspect convicted of child abuse 4 months ago; sentence suspended By Grace Simmons Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer ir A i The 3-year-old girl was missing when her mom returned home. By Mary Dixon Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer A 3-year-old girl found slain early Wednesday morning near her south Jackson home suffered multiple poundings to her head, cuts and bruises, an autopsy found. Police arrested Huey Harold McCraw 26, about noon and charged him with capital murder in the death of Jessica Marie Putnam. McCraw, a convicted child abuser, was the rejected boyfriend of the girl's mother, Belinda Putnam. Greta Pilgrim, 24, of 3124 Whitten Road also was arrested on a charge of accessory after the fact of murder.

Pilgrim remained in City Jail His mother had signed an affidavit against McCraw charging him with felonious child abuse. McCraw was indicted Aug. 11, 1987, on the charge and pleaded innocent on May 10, 1988. But the felony charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor through a plea bargain with prosecutors because of a lack of strong evidence, said McCraw's attorney, William Kirksey. "The state's witness, who had at first said one thing, came back and said the child fell off a three-wheeler," Kirksey said.

"My client did admit that he had whipped the child with a belt leaving some minor bruises. He consis-See MCCRAW, back page Huey Harold McCraw Jr. had received a six-month suspended sentence for a misdemeanor child abuse charge only four months before his arrest Wednesday on a capital murder charge. McCraw pleaded guilty Aug. 1 1 to intentionally striking 3-year-old Jesse Christopher Corban while the child was in his care, according to court documents.

McCraw had said he had permission from the child's mother, Karen Corban, who was his girlfriend, to discipline the child, authorities said. The child had suffered bruises and a fractured right leg while in McCraw's care at the Redwood Inn, 1434 Terry Road, on June 16, 1987. King Edward Hotel owners I i' Call Clly oner iirjuhiviiu viously the owners weren't willing to sell the 64-year-old hotel for less Jessica Putnam: Body was found in a neighbor's yard. under $50,000 bond. No bond was set for McCraw.

See CHILD, back page Members seek full-time Parole Board INDEX A $7-10 million price tag is hanging on the 64-year-old building in Jackson. By Rhonda Richards Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer The owners of the dilapidated King Edward Hotel rejected a recent offer for the building from the Jackson Redevelopment Authority, calling it "insufficient," their attorney said Wednesday. "We invited them to make a real offer," said Jackson attorney Crane Kipp, who represents absentee owners Dean Morley of McLean, and Margaret Laurence of An-nandale, Va. "What they (owners) want is what it's worth," he said. Although JRA Executive Director Lloyd Montgomery wouldn't say how much his agency offered the owners for the building, Kipp said the offer was less than $500,000 for the 12-story, foot building, situated on the downtown fringe of West Capitol Street.

Montgomery complained pre than $7 million to $10 million although they purchased it for less than $500,000 seven years ago. The hotel has been vacant since 1966, is littered with trash and hazardous pigeon droppings and suffers from unstable walls and floors. Montgomery estimates that clean-up costs could range from $200,000 to $250,000 alone. If no agreement can be reached, the JRA can acquire the property through eminent domain proceed- Montgomery said renovation ot the hotel is important to the future development of the west downtown area. The JRA plans to sell the building to a private developer for renovation into office space or condominiums once the property is acquired.

Kipp said the JRA's authorization to acquire the property through eminent domain if negotiations fail is tantamount to "one form or another of coercion." See HOTEL, back page Ann Landers 7D Business 1.:. 8B Classified 4E Comics 6C Crosswords i Deaths 2B Entertainment 6D Horoscope 3D Jumble 6E Opinion Sports 1C State Metro 1B Stocks TV-Radio Log 4D WEATHER Sunny. High 65. Details, 8A. Volume 152 No.

193 6 sections 48 pages Copyright 1988 psychiatrist on staff has exacerbated the parole bottleneck. "Since state statute requires that all sex offenders have a pyschiatric evaluation before consideration by the board, a backlog of sex offenders is building up," he said. Castilla, referring to documents showing that the current five-member lay board often met in marathon sessions, said there is "clear indication that the caseload is not manageable with the limited staff available and a part-time board." Of the 19 Parole Board meetings held since July 15, 12 lasted longer than 12 hours with one running more than 17 hours. During that same period, the See PAROLE, back page Castilla, during testimony before a Senate subcommittee studying reorganization of state agencies, urged the establishment of a full-time five-member parole board accompanied by an increase in staff. She said there are about 275 inmates eligible for parole awaiting parole hearings.

The board proposed that full-time members serve six-year staggered terms. The chairman also said she hoped the Parole Board, currently an adjunct to the Department of Corrections, could receive staff designated and budgeted specifically for the board. Malcolm McMillin, the board's administrative assistant, noted the Department of Corrections' lack of a State lawmakers are told there are 275 inmates awaiting parole hearings. By Jeff Copeskey Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer State Parole Board members, citing overwork and understaffing, recommended Wednesday that the Legislature establish a panel with full-time members. "Despite our best efforts, a tremendous backlog of cases remains, and under the present system there is no realistic expectation of reducing that backlog without sacrificing the quality of decisions," said State Parole Board Chairman Carmen Castilla..