Hattiesburg American from Hattiesburg, Mississippi • 5

rr Local News -584-31 32 HATTIESBURG AMERICAN TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1994 PAGE 5A in i vrj death penalty bill hits barrier All local senators voted in favor of a bill speeding up the appeals process of death row inmates. They are Jim Bean, Hattiesburg; Billy Harvey, Prentiss; Ezell Lee, Picayune; Vince Scoper, Laurel; Steve Seale, Hattiesburg; Joe Stogner; Sandy Hook. Since 1976 when the death penalty was reinstated, four people have been executed in Mississippi. Rep. Ed Blackmon D-Canton and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said Fordice opposed allowing judges to impose penalties for crimes committed because of racial hatred, and lawmakers agreed to let juries decide.

"He's come full circle," Blackmon said. "He's saying that in death penalty cases, juries in Mississippi are not capable of doing that (deciding) whether or not a person's life should be taken for a certain criminal activity." Blackmon said few judges would be lenient in death penalty cases because they would have to stand for election later and could not afford to review all the facts in a capital case. tions in Mississippi over the last 18 years." "There has been no capital punishment in Mississippi because there has been no punishment coming from this capitol," Fordice said. "There is no justice in killers enjoying life. We have a disease in Mississippi, a disease of killers that can only be cured by lethal injection." Rep.

George Flaggs, D-Vicksburg, said it was ironic for Fordice to back prayer in school and pro-life issues and then "promote the state as first in the nation in killing." "That's out of the ordinary," Flaggs said. "What we need to be doing is strengthening the laws to get criminals off the streets." JACKSON (AP) A House committee was scheduled to begin work today on Gov. Kirk Fordice's plan to toughen Mississippi's capital punishment law. However, the governor's proposal is already off to a bad start. On Monday, the Senate voted 44-8 without debate for a bill that addresses only a method to speed up death penalty appeals through the state Supreme Court.

The vote follows recommendations Lt. Gov. Eddie Briggs made in July to expand the session during Fordice's month-long safari to Africa. Fordice vetoed Briggs' proposal but later came up with his own. Sen.

Hainon Miller, D-Greenville, the Senate judiciary chairman, said he op posed the mainstay of Fordice's plan to allow judges to impose death sentences. Miller said Fordice's plan was a bad idea. Fordice wanted judges rather than juries to impose the death penalty, shore up the so-called "harmless error" argument, and add six more crimes to which the death penalty could be applied. The Senate opted for a bill to allow the Supreme Court to uphold death penalty cases regardless of any errors that may have occurred at trial. The Supreme Court since 1990 has ordered new sentencing hearings in a number of cases on grounds that a jury instruction was unconstitutionally vague.

The court also has refused to uphold such cases even though the evidence of the crime outweighed what prosecutors called the "harmless error" in a jury instruction. A bill with Fordice's proposals was to be considered today by the House Judiciary En Banc Committee. In a speech to a joint session, Fordice said Mississippi trailed other states in the number of executions because of "government's failure to provide laws to carry out a significant number of execu CRIME PREVENTION TIP ft- If you think someone may be following you, drive directly to the nearest police or fire station or well-lighted business. LOCAL mm V. Hi I' lilt i ft 4 I 1 1 7(i II i 71 4 1 I -mi t( Is' ,1 ''---4 I 4' 1 Officials to select director Emergency council endorsed candidate By JANET BRASWELL AMERICAN Senior Writer Hattiesburg officials were to vote today on a director for the Emergency Management District which serves Forrest and Lamar counties.

The City Council is being asked to choose between Terry Steed of Petal and James Lee of Lamar County. The Emergency Management Council recommended Steed as first choice and Lee as second. "We did our part when we did the interviews and made the recommendation," emergency council president Harvel Smith said. "Now it's up to them to make the decision on whom they would like to direct their district." The Forrest County Board of Supervisors earlier this month approved Steed. "I have worked in that area through the National Guard and, for the last 2V2 years, I've been assigned the Army Reserve slot at that office," Steed said.

"I've just always kind of had an interest in that area. It's a good public service-type job with a little excitement to it. It's an open opportunity to be creative." Steed, 48, is in the insurance business. Lee, 44, served as a county supervisor in Lamar County from 1988-92. He teaches business courses for the Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District.

"I've been in public service for a long time," Lee said. "I started with Lamar County in 1982 with the sheriffs office and have been in public service just about ever since. I have the administrative ability to run the office. I have the background with the public purchasing laws." Lamar County supervisors are scheduled to vote on a director on Aug. 25.

"They've discussed it a lot and tabled it," county administrator Bob Housley said. Hattiesburg, Forrest County and Lamar County must be unanimous in their choice based on the district's interlocal agreement, officials said. "One can blackball it," Housley said. A director has not been hired since the agreement went into effect in September 1989. Jim Darrah, who retired last month, was already serving as director when the agreement went into effect.

The agreement states a director is to be hired by the "governing authorities acting jointly." However, the agreement allows the director to be fired by a majority VOt. The district is responsible for civil defense and Enhanced 911 service in the two counties. Mayor to reappoint convention members Hattiesburg City Council is expected to vote today on four members being reappointed by Mayor Ed Morgan to the city's convention commission. Expected to be reappointed: Aubrey K. Lucas, Charles Brown, Douglass Baker and Andy Stetelman.

The four members, whose current terms end Thursday, would serve two-year terms. Morgan said Monday he had not yet found anyone to take the place of commission member Bobby Dews, who did not wish to serve another term. Dews' term also ends Thursday. The mayor said he would likely have a nominee to fill Dews' spot by the council's Sept. 6 meeting, leaving the commission to function with six members at its Aug.

23 meeting. The commission's mission is to help in the selection of a site for a Hattiesburg convention center. Laurel restaurant robbed by armed man Employees at a Laurel fast food restaurant were forced into a cooler shortly before 1 a.m. today after they were robbed by a lone man. A Laurel police spokesman said an employee at Indy's Restaurant, located on South 16th Avenue, was taking out the trash when the robber forced him back in the store.

The robber made the restaurant employees lay on the floor face down as he took an undetermined amount of money from the safe. Later he forced them into the cooler. No one was hurt. No other details were available. Railroad crossings to close for repairs Two Hattiesburg streets crossed by Illinois Central Railroad tracks will be closed part of this week for repairs.

Railroad crews are tearing out old timbers and replacing them with smoother cross ties at crossings throughout the state, track supervisor Terry L. Smith said. The Manning Avenue crossing was to be closed today. Work on the East Laurel Avenue crossing will close it Wednesday, Smith said. Carey registration planned for Friday William Carey College will hold registration for the fall semester on Friday, Aug.

19, from 8 am. to 6 p.m. Students should report to the registrar's office in Tatum Court to begin the procedure. Classes begin on Monday, Aug. 22.

For information on registration procedures, requirements for admission, financial aid, housing, call 582-6103. Steve ColemanHattiesburg American BLOCKS OF LEARNING: Jordan Smith and Rodrick Dunn play with building blocks on Monday, their first day in Sally Kaminski's kindergarten class at Woodley Elementary. Students in Hattiesburg and Lamar County schools went back to class on Monday. School begins with tears, anticipation (( enrollment in the districts has grown. Lamar County School Superintendent Emil Pav said initial reports show the district has a 2 percent increase over the close of the 93-94 school year.

Lamar ended last year with 5,800 students. Enrollment Monday had 5,942 showing up. "We are aware of a number of students who, for one reason or another, didn't attend today," Pav said. When all is said and done, the figure could be as high as 6,000. Bishop Barker, attendance superintendent for Forrest County schools, said he isn't even going to bother principals at his individual schools to find out enrollment figures until the dust of the first day has settled.

There were 15,000 students in Forrest and Hattiesburg schools in 1993-94. State law mandates that school districts report enrollment to the state Department of Education by Sept. 15. "We do anticipate enrollment will be up some, because we do have extra people coming in," Alcorn said. "That's good for all of us." Students at Lamar, Forrest and Hattiesburg will spend weekdays in their classrooms without a break until Sept.

5, the Labor Day holiday. By TAMMIE C. LANGFORD AMERICAN Staff Writer A young mother, tears welling up in her eyes, watched as her daughter skipped down the sidewalk Monday to her first day in big school kindergarten. "Her little girl was smiling and skipping and here was this young mother in her early 20s with big ole tears in her eyes, watching her little girl go to school," said Lela Alcorn, director of grants and special projects for the Hattiesburg Public School District. That scene was repeated time and again Monday morning in Hattiesburg and Lamar County schools as mothers and fathers watched their children embark on a new stage in life.

Monday was the beginning of school year 1994-95. In all, things went well, school officials said. "It was great," said Linda Finley, assistant principal at Oak Grove Elementary in Lamar County. "Always the first day is hectic, but we're glad to be back." With the first day behind them, school officials are now getting ready to crunch numbers to find out just how much, if any, Steve ColemanHattiesburg American ON THE PHONES: Tauris McGee hears something new on some headphones Monday during his first day of kindergarten at Woodley Elementary. Classic rock station hopes to be rolling again soon PUBLIC MEETINGS purchase of the television station in the early 1980s.

"There were too many start-up problems with the station," Tibbett said. Tibbett said the television station took money from the radio operation as well as from Holt's personal funds. Holt and the late Marvin Reuben, started the Hattiesburg station in 1948 after working together as radio announcers in Montgomery, Tibbett said. "We've been very successful as a radio station," Tibbett said. "Hopefully, we can do that again." rights to Hattiesburg football games and has been the voice of Hattiesburg football for 44 years.

Bell seized the company, Hub Broadcasting, May 16, closing it and impounding the equipment and assets after two years of bankruptcy proceedings. "My responsibility is to liquidate the assets by offering the company to the highest bidder in order to pay off the debts," Bell said. Bell said he can reject any bids that are inadequate. At the time the company filed for bankruptcy in 1992, the station listed total assets (based on 1991 figures) of $211,000 against $199,187 in debts. Bell said he will not have a final settlement on figures for the company until after the sale.

Tibbett and station owner Charlie Holt are pursuing a Small Business Administration loan to pay off creditors and retain ownership of the station. The company was helped by the July 29 sale of the Tallahassee, NBC affiliate owned by the Hub City Broadcasting Tibbett said. Tibbett said the company's money woes started with the earlier that the station would broadcast the games. "I've not heard back from the station, but if they can't we have others ready to broadcast the games," Bice said. Station general manager Ted Tibbett said he's optimistic the station will be back on the air, but he does not have confirmed times and dates.

Tibbett said he will meet with Bice this week to talk about broadcasting options. "I'm confident well work out this financing," Tibbett said. The station has broadcast By N1KKI DAVIS MAUTE AMERICAN Staff Writer Hattiesburg's classic rock Y-104 station could be back on the air in the next four to six weeks or on the auction block. U.S. Bankruptcy Court trustee John Bell is working on a motion for authority to sell WHSY-FM and its sister station, WHSY-AM, sometime in September.

Still up in the air is whether WHSY-AM (1230) will broadcast the Hattiesburg High School football games this season. Hattiesburg High Athletic Director Allen Bice said the season begins Aug. 26 and he was told TODAY Hattiesburg City Council, regular meeting, 4 p.m., council chambers, City Hall, 200 Forrest St. AUG. 18 Forrest County Board of Supervisors, regular meeting, 10 a.m., board room, Paul B.

Johnson Chancery Building, Main Street. AUG. 23 Hattiesburg Convention Commission, 7 a.m., Jackie Dole Sherrill Community Center, 220 W. Front St.