Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 1

INSIDE TODAY RESOLUTIONS From fitness to finances, many looking for fresh start in 201 1 $131 I I IXJS i this in coupons! lrear li STYLE, 6D I BUSINESS, 7A jt imt Mississippi's No. 1 information source Sunday, January 2, 20 11 $1.75 clarionledger.com Gator Bowl: Mississippi State 52, Michigan 14 0p uQQDD(p) DD By Rick Cleveland rclavelandclarionledger.com I Gator Bowl, I More Bowls, Section JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Mark Keenum, the Mississippi State University president, stood near mid- field Saturday, OMiiMft surveying the lLlN Gator Bowl post- Seniors (from left) K.J.Wright, Chris White, Per-nell McPhee and Derek Sherrod celebrate MSU's Gator Bowl victory. Mansel Guer- ry Special to The Asked what he was thinking, Keenum replied: Tm just standing here trying to soak it all in. Just look at this, look at all this.

As a lifelongBulldog, this is one of the greatest feelings of my life. I don't know how else to say it." State dismantled one of college football's most proud programs on a warm, sunny afternoon before an announced crowd of 68,325. The Bulldogs spotted Michigan a 7-0 lead and trailed 14-10 after one quarter before outscoring the Wolverines 42-0 over the final three See MSU, 4A claiionledger.com Gallery: MSU- Michigan game scene with an almost dreamlike smile on his face. To Keenum's In the stands in front of him, thousands and thousands of State fans hugged, cheered and clanged cowbells, while the MSU band played Hail Dear 01' State. All around him, Bulldog players danced, high-fived and bear-hugged one another.

Dan Mullen, MSU's soaking wet football coach, hoisted the Gator Bowl winner's trophy high over his head. right, high above him, the huge EverBank Field scoreboard read: Mississippi State 52, Michigan 14. TORNADO 'COULD'Vl BEEN A WHOLE LOT WORSE' Lame ducti' year for arbour But colleagues don't expect chief executive to change 'zms-m im-l JIT7 y. A g-5- -u By Molly Parker mparker2iackaon.gannett.com Gov. Haley Barbour is the kingpin of state government, the one to whom others look when deciding whether to stand or roll over on any major issue and Barbour hardly ever rolls.

Entering Barbour his lame-duck Daroara uaunn 1 ne uanon-Leogef year, his colleagues in the Legislature don't expect a much different Barbour. "I don't i Alvin Woods (from right), his wife Linda, and their son Matt Woods, all of vaging what they can Saturday from the family business, Woods Equip- DaumnnH tmrl omnlnuna (tanial Pauac ef Plnronro take a met frrm sal- merit inRvram Thp hiisinfiss was hit hv a tornarln Fridav PUfinina hisses mwm expect that Gov. Barbour understands or perceives or expects or knows what the term JAN.4-APRL2 clanonledaei.com Hankins, along with her 74-year-old dad, Jon Ertle, and her 26-year-old fiance, Bobby Randall, happened to be on the west end of the house when the tree Galleries: Pearl and Byram tornado damage Video: Fireworks stands destroyed By Billy Watkins bwatklraclarlonledger.com Nearly 24 hours after a late-afternoon New Year's Eve F-2 tornado tossed a colossal oak tree across her family's home and three vehicles in Pearl, Myrtlena Ertle Hankins' hands were still shaking. "We were just planning on a quiet evening, hanging out at the house, and then all this happened," she said Saturday. "We knew there was bad weather in the area, but this came up so fast.

I heard a boom I guess that was the tree hitting the house and then several more booms. Then the house started shaking really bad." 'lame duck' means whatsoever," said House Minority Leader Mark Baker, R-Brandon. Barbour may have systematically tipped the balance of power in the state. "Gov. Barbour has not followed the old patterns," said Lt.

Gov. Phil Bryant But what he has brought to the state's highest office will be difficult to replicate. It is not by accident that the Washington mega-lobbyist-turned-governor has never had a veto overturned. Barbour was seated in 2004 at the same time the largest See LAME DUCK, 5A struck the east end. "We were lucky," she said.

"It could've been a whole lot worse." Friday's half-mile wide tornado touched down three See TORNADO, 2A Barbara Gauntt The Clanoo-Ledger Myrtlena Ertle Hankins leans on fiance Bobby Randall as they watch a crew clear debris from their Eastland Drive property in Pearl after a tornado moved through the Jackson metro area Friday evening. 1 nnac if icmi: Business 7i Mefrostale 2 corrections 'HlwHiS lilOlaVJB Classified f- Option WG The Clarion-Ledger publishes an Comes Nert Perspective ISA error, we wit correct it. To report an CaDitol evacuated OVer Crossword 11D Sports 1C o. Deaths 4B Style Rankin courts adopt vupMn-. rtMsoii -S 1 Cod tonight A HGH I LOW '1 ankle bracelets, 1B wZkk 'wr er ij asas i-" ftft River Oaks Hosprtal M--fc ti t'-' j- iJjiriiifr i nftaT "Tt mum i miimiill ill (iiiiiiiiM mi il i limn I i il mi in 1 1 Tim ii i i 'i Hi n'li'lniil.