Hattiesburg American from Hattiesburg, Mississippi • 3

Fie 11 Trooper class feeds soegfat blue lights on the more of a danger you are to yourself and the public," Easterling said. Public Safety Commissioner Steven Simpson has requested $7.3 million to graduate 60 cadets next year. There are currently about 530 troopers. "There's a direct correlation between fewer law enforcement on the road and more drunk driving accidents, higher speeds and more serious collisions," he said. Many counties only have one trooper covering the roads.

In Simpson County, there are two, but it was only recently that Easterling got backup. The trooper shortage is causing problems for the public and law enforcement, he said. If there's an accident, it takes longer to get there because the territory troopers are covering has expanded, he said. "The longer you drive with allow him to redeploy 40 state troopers on truck inspection duty. Simpson said that would help the trooper shortage in a budget crunch, but said a trooper school still is needed to put younger troopers on the road who are on a 25-year-plus career path.

Efforts by Barbour and Simpson to move the MDOT employees failed during the last legislative session. See TROOPER, 4A Simpson said. The Legislature proposed no cuts for the department's Highway Safety Patrol division and named the trooper school in a list of critical needs that were not included in the budget outline. "It's just got to be done," It. Gov.

Phil Bryant said. Gov. Haley Barbour proposed moving the Mississippi Department of Transportation's motor carrier division under Public Safety's umbrella. Simpson says that would BY MOLLY PARKER The Clarion-Ledger The last time the state graduated a trooper class was in 2007. Trooper Odis Easterling, a corporal who works the highways in Simpson County, said the force is facing a critical shortage.

"Right now, because of the shortages, we are having to, I don't want to say pull double duty, but we are covering a pretty good bit of territory," Woman celebrates 104th birthday with family, food, friends 3 i I Wito i I A ffiM '-V- 7 7 7 I "4a hLm a AROUND THE PINE BELT BILOXI in stabbing death A Biloxi woman is being held on a $1 million bond after being charged in the New Year's Day stabbing death of her boyfriend. Tommy Leroy McGee, 53, was pronounced dead less than an hour after being found in a yard in Biloxi with a stab wound in the chest Police were called to the house to break up a fight. Police arrested McGee's girlfriend, Quisha Rena Larkin, 26, and charged her with murder. Police Sgt. Tim McKaig told The Sun Herald that McGee and Larkin have a child together.

Judge Albert Fountain set Larkin's bond was set at $1 million. She was taken to Harrison County Adult Detention Center. JACKSON Police say suspect shot accidentally The Jackson Police Department says a New Year's Day shooting involving an officer was accidental. Police responded to a report of gunshots about 1:15 a.m. Investigators said Sherman Jackson, 27, refused to stop and would not remove his hands from his pockets.

The department says an officer's gun accidentally hit the ground and discharged. A second officer heard the shot and thought Jackson opened fire. But Jackson, whose injuries were not life threatening, told WLBT-TV that he was on his way home from church when police arrived. Jackson said he ran because officers pulled their weapons. Police said Jackson was hiding marijuana and charged him with possession and resisting arrest.

PINE BELT Area holiday closings posted The following are closings and schedule changes in observance of the New Year's holiday: Government offices Hattiesburg, Petal, Forrest County, Lamar County. Purvis and Lumberton: Closed today. Sumrall: Regular office hours today (8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.) Trash pickup Hattiesburg: Today's regular pickup will be on Tuesday. Petal, Lumberton, Sumrall, Purvis and Lamar County: No changes. HATTIESBURG Arthritis Center relocates The Arthritis Center, a service of Hattiesburg Clinic, is relocating to The Arthritis Center West effective today.

Dr. Portia M. Harris and staff will join Drs. Chris H. Benson and Imad Bitar, at 104 Milsaps Drive.

For more information or directions, call 288-7500. POPLARVILLE PRCC registration starts today Registration for the spring 2011 semester at Pearl River Community College has started. Students can register from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. today at the Hancock Center in Wave-land. Registration at the Forrest County Center in Hattiesburg will be 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Jan. 4 and 5. Registration on the Poplarville campus will be 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 6 and 7.

Day and night classes will begin on Jan. 10 at all campuses. For more information, go to www.prcc.edu. From staff, wire reports Power restored after storm BY NICKLAUS LOVE LADY The Clarion-Ledger It wasn't the start to the new year Connie Burrel of Pearl had planned. Her Pearl home was one of the last to have power restored after a storm swept through the area New Year's Eve.

Her family was without power from around 5:30 p.m. Friday until about 3 p.m. Sunday, she said. "We have seven kids, so it's been crazy," Burrel said. "What a way to start 2011." Severe weather, including tornadoes, damaged homes and businesses and left nearly 20,000 people without power Friday.

By Sunday evening, everyone had electricity restored, according to Entergy's website. From the front door of Bur-rel's home on Beechwood Boulevard earlier Sunday, she could see Entergy trucks parked on the street There were about four homes without power, workers at the scene said. The storm that moved across the state Friday afternoon into Saturday produced six confirmed tornadoes, National Weather Service meteorologist Daniel Lamb said. "The largest tornado was an EF3 in Noxubee County, where wind speeds were up around 140 miles per hour," Lamb said. At least 34 homes, five mobile homes, 40 businesses, and 20 agricultural buildings were destroyed or sustained major damage in Hinds, Rankin, Noxubee, Kemper, and Attala counties, officials said.

There were at least three reported injuries but no fatalities. The American Red Cross has delivered about 1,200 meals and snacks to storm victims since Friday, spokeswoman Paige Roberts said. Red Cross, Entergy and local officials decided not to open a shelter in Pearl, as had been discussed, Roberts said. "I think that's because a lot of people had family and friends to stay with," Roberts said. Burrel said she was thankful to have her power restored but was upset the outage messed up her plans.

"We have a family get-together every New Year's Day where we cook a big meal, but we had to cancel those plans," Burrel said. Down the street, Sylvester Hunter stood outside his home and watched as Entergy employees worked on a downed power line. "That tree fell and broke the line," Hunter said, pointing to a tree snapped in half in his backyard. "It's the third time this has happened." Roberts said Red Cross workers are expected to visit neighborhoods affected by the storm today and further assess victims' needs. She said the violent weather that has plagued central Mississippi over the last year is stretching the Red Cross thin.

"There's a great need for donations. It costs money to make sure disaster victims have somewhere to stay and to make sure they have food and clothing," Roberts said. On Thursday, customers of Chili's Grill Bar locations in Jackson, Madison, Biloxi, Hattiesburg and Petal can ask that 10 percent of their meal cost go to the American Red Cross, Roberts said. By ELLEN CIURCZAK American Staff Writer eciurczakhattiesburgamerican.com ADELINE BRIS-TER turned 104 on New Year's Day, and she celebrated with extended family, a birthday cake and a meal of blackeyed peas, cabbage and hog jowls. "I loved it," she said on Sunday, as she sat in the living room of her Hattiesburg home, with the Saints game on television.

Great-great niece Betty Jordan and niece Joyce Burkett were over for a visit. Brister was born in Forrest County in 1907 and she's lived in the area her whole life. She had 13 brothers and sisters, all deceased. Her only child, a son named James Brister, died in World War II. Her husband Anderson Brister is also dead.

Brister is confined to a wheelchair, but she is able to live alone and take care of herself. On her birthday, the phone was ringing off the hook with well-wishers calling from as far away as Texas, California and Florida. Brister has so many extended family members in the Hattiesburg area she can't keep track of them all. Brister admits she has seen her share of adversity. She's lived through World War World War II and the Vietnam War.

"And I'm living through this war," she said. Brister keeps up with current events. She watches the news every night. Her favorite show is "Wheel of Fortune." Brister remembers a simpler time. "We lived off what we made in the field, what we worked for," she said.

"There weren't any locks and keys on the doors. There was horse and buggy and an ox pulled the wagon." Niece Jordan says it MET New traffic lights The problem: New traffic lights have been installed along U.S. 98 at the intersections with King, Hegwood and Oak Grove roads. However, none of them are currently in use. The contact Paul Purvis, project manager at the Hattiesburg office of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, said the new lights should be ready to go in two or three weeks.

"The contractors are waiting on some parts but what we're hearing from them is it should take about two or three more weeks," he said. Photos by RYAN MOORE I Hattiesburg American ADELINE BRISTER of Hattiesburg laughs as she talks about her 1 04th birthday celebration on Sunday. ADELINE BRISTER'S birthday cake for her 1 04th birthday celebration. was wonderful to celebrate Brister's 104th birthday with her. "She's got a lot to tell us," she said.

"She's got wisdom and knowledge." Brister isn't sure how she's managed to live so long. "I don't know what the secret is, I just don't know what it is," she said. "Thank God. Ain't nobody else done it but God. He's good to me.

I'm still alive. I got something else to do." not quite ready Purvis said the traffic lights are part of a larger project started in March to increase the traffic flow in Hattiesburg going west toward Columbia. The shoulder also was widened to allow for an additional lane. "The influx of traffic after (Hurricane) Katrina increased significantly," he said. "It is now the second most traveled roadway in Hattiesburg.

It sees upwards of vehicles per day. This is one of the bigger projects we have for that area." Milce Blount, staff writer II I II II I 1H mmi for use tai Y. -n) taAYr- 11 mmmM rfrMTTHai mmi mm-.