Hattiesburg American from Hattiesburg, Mississippi • 8

HATTIESBURG AMERICAN 8A Sunday, April 25, 2010 FROM PAGE ONE 4 1 1 i JOE ELLIS I The Clarion-Ledger CURTIS HICKSON, right, behind his home on the north shore of Eagle Lake in Warren County north of Vicksburg that sustained severe damage when a tornado swept through the area Saturday, blowing the windows out and pulling down the building's rear wall. BRIAN ALBERT BROOM I The Clarion-Ledger GENE SHELTON of Benton searches Saturday for a man he said was Bubba Owens who was reportedly trapped somewhere in the area after a tornado destroyed businesses and homes in Yazoo City. Tornado Z.4 I ill i mm hours only! The Pine Belt dodged the proverbial bullet as far as damage was concerned, officials said. Although local emergency management officials urged residents to take precautions for the approaching storm Friday, Hattiesburg and the surrounding areas were not affected as predicted. Some nickel-sized hail and minor tree-related damage, were reported but no major destruction occurred in the Pine Belt, McAllister said.

Some street flooding occurred in Laurel because of clogged drains, McAllister said. "We aren't aware of anything significant happening in the Hattiesburg area," McAllister said during a telephone conversation Saturday afternoon. Several local events were canceled or rescheduled because of the weather. Tornadoes were also reported in Louisiana, Arkansas and Alabama, and the severe weather continued to track eastward into Saturday night. McAllister said storm damage surveys will be conducted by the weather service and emergency officials over the next several days.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. K7 From PAGE 1 A Bennett said the city will send additional aid in the form of public works and possibly law enforcement, if needed. State emergency management spokesman Greg Flynn said in addition to the deaths, many others were injured, homes and buildings destroyed and toppled trees blocked some roads. Gov. Haley Barbour said the tornado caused "utter obliteration" to parts of the state.

"The effects of these storms have left many Mississippians with destroyed businesses and without homes," Barbour said. The severe weather darkened skies and dumped rain on the Pine Belt which also had been placed on watch for the approaching storm since Thursday. The tornado struck Valley Park, Yazoo City and Durant, said Mark McAllister, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Jackson. The storms also damaged a church in east-central Mississippi and caused minor damage at Olive Branch Middle School in DeSoto County, just south of Memphis, Tenn. to 1 1 a Rarely Discounted Brands 'Ticket valid on your first regular, sale or clearance purchase, including Courwtict I Fragrances.

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What's GOOD for SOUTH MISSISSIPPI is good for our bank. elected official and the law enforcement officers who investigated his grandfather's death were involved in the killing. There never was a trial. The FBI said last month that it was wrapping up its Civil Rights Cold Case Initiative, which began in 2006. Allen appreciates the efforts law enforcement agencies have put into investigating those killings, but he said they're moving too slowly.

As time goes on, witnesses and other parties involved are dying or unable to remember what happened, meaning many families will never get a sense of closure, Allen said. "The scar of injustice is being passed down through generations," he said. Allen feels a certain bitterness about the fact that his grandfather's killing has gone unpunished, but he said speaking to families with similar experiences has helped. "Seeing other families who are in the same predicament lets you know that you're not the only person out there who's suffering," he said. 1 r'T'rrn-in ilmiiMM TtV ft TheFirst A NATIONAL B.VNKING ASSOCLATION R32 3" Hattiesburg 6480 Highway 98 West 601-268-8998 i.