Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 1

Happy(New Year Mississippi's No. 1 information source clarionledger.com Saturday, January 1,2011 75 cents Outback Bowl Florida vs. Capital One B0Wl IW, Alabama vs. Vas noon Gator Bowl Mississippi Rose Bowl Wisconsin vs. Fiesta Bowl Connecticut vs.

Oklahoma ESPN 7:37 p.m. Penn State ABC noon State vs. Michigan ESPN2 PROGRESSIVE 'ToSWteS ESPN nEiTABOwi 4:07 p.m. VIZIO LOUTBACKJ ulldogs hope to keep the good times rolling in I Gator Bowl coverage begins on 1C Says Mullen, chuckling, "I'm learning to sayy'all." On the other hand, there's Michigan's Rich Rodriguez, who probably will coach his last game for the Wolverines today. Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said he will decide Rodriguez's fate after today's game, but Brandon has been conspicuous in his absence here all week.

See GATOR BOWL, 4A thousands of tickets back to the Gator Bowl. Michigan gets excited about New Year's bowl games named after fruits, flowers or sugar. More to the point, look at the two coaches. State's Dan Mullen just signed a new $10.6 million, four-year contract. His countenance is on billboards across Mississippi.

A New Hampshire native, he has become a folk hero among State fans. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Rarely, have two teams faced each other under more starkly different circumstances than the University of Michigan and Mississippi State University will in today's Gator Bowl. State players, coaches and more than 15,000 Bulldog fans are here for their first New Year's Day bowl game in a dozen years. Let's put it another way: This will be the first time Mississippi State has played in a Florida bowl game on New Year's Day since 1941 and only the third time in school history.

Michigan, on the other hand, sent Rick Cleveland Add hi Ilk A r-r-r. Rick GuyThe Clarion-Ledger Crystal Ray and Mid Ray of Ridgeland try to salvage what they can Friday from a destroyed fireworks tent along the west 1-55 frontage road north of the Byram exit. Tornado knocks out power in Byram JATRAtl pay hilies to start next week Funding changes will still take more work by the city By Bill Campbell wcampbeHjack 8on.gannett.com The payouts begin next week, budgeted or not. Pay and benefits increases of roughly 18 percent for Jackson bus service workers go into effect on the first work day of the new year. City government officials are still searching for pieces to complete this financial jigsaw puzzle.

For now, they will dip into the general fund to begin payments of $1.3 million annually awarded by an arbitrator to union members. Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. concedes his administration did a poor job informing the public of amendments to accommodate riders in the final proposal put before a City Council committee on Tuesday. But he defended his staff's effort. "A lot of thought was given to impact on riders in response to what they said at the hearings," Johnson said.

In November, when the mayor first outlined the proposed JATRAN changes to the council, cutting three routes with low ridership, reducing Saturday bus service and when bus hours run and laying off 21 employees were all on the table. JATRAN director Dewayne Cheatham broke down the major changes from proposals between public meetings on Dec. 6 and 20 for Council committee members: Routes 10, 11 and 13 originally limited to occasional service to the Veterans Administration hospital and Jackson Medical Mall, were amended to survive as "blended routes. Route 4 along Robinson Road to the VA, originally See JATRAN, 4A injuring dozens more. Byram and Pearl appeared to be have the most damage, based on initial Deadly tornadoes shred Midwest, South, 2A By Theresa Apel tapelackaon.gannett.com and Justin FrKscher Jfrit8cherjack8on.gannett.com Emergency workers in central Mississippi will be working today to assess damage from storms that spawned at least one tornado on Friday.

But as of press time, no deaths or major injuries had been reported from the same weather system blamed for killing at least three people each in Arkansas and Missouri and aged structures, power lines and trees. Byram visitors are sternly discouraged from sight-seeing until the power was restored and debris removed, Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin said. "If you don't live here don't come here," his Twitter read. National Weather Service meteorologist David Cox said the storm was so severe that even NWS personnel had to See STORM, 6A reports. Byram was without power after a half-mile wide tornado knocked down trees and power lines in a storm system that also forced the evacuation of the Jackson-Evers International Airport and dam Rick Guy The Clarion-Ledger A reported tornado Friday damaged this building along the east 1-55 frontage road just south of Byram.

Storm's flrevjorhs prompt residents to stay home metro-area residents indoors today, too. The National Weather Service predicts today could be a wet one with a 60 percent chance of rain. Wet weather expected to put a damper on New Year's Day as well By Justin FrKscher ifrit8cherjeck8on.gannett.com The threat of severe weather kept Pearl resident Jim Derryberry from attending any New Year's Eve festivities Friday evening. "With the weather, we decided we would stay in," Derryberry said of his low-key plans for Friday. And stormy conditions may keep "I'm not sure if we'll go out or not," Choate said.

"We're still playing it by ear." The same goes for today, he said. Regardless of the forecast, though, many plan to feast on traditional foods for the first day of the year, including black-eyed peas and greens. "We're going to stay in and enjoy time with the family," Brandon resident Linda Dixon said. "I think we'll watch some DVDs." Dixon was shopping for some last-minute dinner items Friday morning at the Piggly Wiggly near her home, saying chitterlings, greens and smoked hog jowl were on today's menu. Dixon started cooking Friday night and finished up this morning.

"We're going to have a good meal," the mother of two children said. Like Dixon, today's meal also is an important one for the Lee family of Puckett. Carolyn Lee weaved through the aisles of the Brandon supermarket, trying to beat Friday's storms. See NEW YEAR, 4A Derrybsrry Skies are predicted to clear Sunday, and temperatures are expected to fall. Madison resident Adam Choate said the eerie weather Friday afternoon stopped him and his girlfriend from making immediate plans for the evening.

68 tB Classified 5D Opinion 7A Comics WO Reigjon Crosswords 40,70 Sports tC i CORRECTIONS If The QarionA-edger publishes an error, we will correct it. To report an error, call (601)961-7250. INDEX Volume 1731 No. 319 Copyright 2011 Deaths ,.48 6D NO CD ORE INSIDE Revelers ring in the new year across the nation, 8A Scientists: Light pollution can disrupt ecosystem, 2A I 58 32 COOLER More thunderstorms today. Clearing tonight.

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