Sun Herald from Biloxi, Mississippi • 1

sot VOL 122 NO 166 TUESDAY APRIL 18 2006 wwwsunheraldcom to the people of South 11 we have been privileged to tell the story of their struggle and triumphs They will not be defeated not by Katrina nor Stan liner executive editor never missed a day off publication and that's a testament to everybody in this room We will arise from this terrible situation I think our best journalism is still ahead of Ricky Mathews president and publisher of The Sun Herald 2006 PULITZER PRIZE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE The 2006 Pulitzer Prize winners PUBLIC SERVICE Two prizes: The Sun Herald of South Mississippi and The Times-Picayune of New Orleans BREAKING NEWS REPORTING Staff of The Times-Picayune of New Orleans INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING Susan Schmidt James Grimaldi and Jeffrey Smith of The Washington Post EXPLANATORY REPORTING David Rnkel of The Washington Post BEAT REPORTING Dana Priest of The Washington Post NATIONAL REPORTING Two prizes: James Risen and Eric Uchtblau of The New York Times and the staffs of The San Diego Union-Tribune and Copley News Service INTERNATIONAL REPORTING Joseph Kahn and Jim Yardley of The New York Times FEATURE WRITING Jim Sheeler of the Rocky Mountain News of Denver COMMENTARY Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times CRITICISM Robin Givhan of The Washington Post EDITORIAL WRITING Rick Attig and Doug Bates of The (Portland) Oregonian EDITORIAL Mike Luckovich of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution BREAKING NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY Staff of The Dallas Morning News FEATURE Todd Heisler of the Rocky Mountain News of Denver JAMES EDWARD BATESSUN HERALD Sun Herald Executive Editor Stan Tiner thanks staff members of the Sun Herald after hearing the announcement of winning the Pulitzer Prize for public service Three named finalists for editorials Times-Picayune of New Orleans each were awarded a Pulitzer Prize gold medal for public sendee The Sun Herald was recognized its valorous and comprehensive coverage of Hurricane Katrina providing a lifeline for devastated readers in print and online during their time of greatest Tiner and editorial writers Marie Harris and Tony Bifile were finalists in the Pulitzer editorial writing category their passionate editorials in the wake of Hurricane Katrina that empathized with victims while pleading for relief from the outside Also named as finalists Monday were reporter Jerry Mitchell of the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson for beat reporting and Clarion Ledger cartoonist Marshall Ramsey for editorial cartooning Sun Herald staff writer and columnist more on the Prize check out wwwsunheraldcom Jean Prescott a 32-year Sun Herald veteran and newsroom matriarch said the Katrina coverage really important It feels important when doing normally give a ass about Prescott said don't usually enter contests any more you never know judging them or what crazy criteria going to use But I gotta tell you this is a whole different Prescott lost a sister and brother-in-law and her house to the storm Staff writer Anita Lee rode out the storm at the Sun DeBuys Road building reporting before during and after the storm despite the loss of her home and all her belongings all just had to suck it up and do our Lee said what we did what we were here to do When I went down to East Biloxi and saw the body bags lying on the sidewalk I feel so bad about losing my house I Please see Pulitzer A-4 hearts and spirit moved us every day that we have been privileged to tell the story of their struggle and he said "They will not be defeated not by Katrina or Publisher Ricky Mathews told employees: been a hell of a journey you guys and this is die ultimate said the newspaper has been reflection of our community: the pain the joy the unbelievable agony and everything that comes with and added that best journalism is still ahead of us because this Sun Herald is in a community that has never been in the situation that in right now We're in The Sun Herald and the For Pulitzer By GEOFF PENDER and TOM W1LEM0N SUN HERALD GULFPORT The Sun Herald on Monday received a Pulitzer Prize for public service and three of the editors were listed as finalists for a prize in editorial writing is your day Sun Herald family" Executive Editor Stan Tiner told employees gathered in the newsroom shortly after they erupted in applause at the announcement are truly the best And to this newsroom I say this: Never have so few worked so hard and so long to tell such a story an unending story as you all know" Tiner dedicated the Pulitzer Prize gold medal to the people of South Mississippi this Pulitzer Prize this gold medal is dedicated to the people of South- Mississippi whose magnificent Hundreds file for block grants First day a busy one for 3 centers the Singing River Mall in Gautier Organizers expect to have By MICHAEL NEWSOM mmnewsomsunheraIdcom Block grants To set up an appointment for a Community Development Block Grant: Web: wwwmshomehelpgov Call: 866-369-6302 the applications completed by July Hudson said been here all morning and so far things seem to be going very said Hudson standing in the Gulfport location which has been set up on the north side of the Prime Outlets complex Elizabeth Mixon 61 was applying for the grant She said she would be 91 before she paid off her Small Business Administration Loan which would have been for $185000 but the interest and loan spread out over 30 years would have Hurricane season is 43 days away The Sun Herald will offer a hurricane preparedness tip each day aS we draw closer to June 1: Choose an evacuation route now wait until a storm threatens before deciding where to go and how to get there Decide where you will go and inform family and friends of your decision If you live in a FEMA trailer and a severe thunderstorm approaches plan to move to a more substantial structure until the storm passes GULFPORT The doors opened across South Mississippi for those trying to get assistance grants of up to $150000 and traffic at the three designated sites was brisk Hundreds in South Mississippi converged to meet with caseworkers to apply for grants and come late June they should get their money said Terri Hudson chief financial officer for the Mississippi Development Authority Monday was the first day for the applicants to meet in person with caseworkers and by noon about 300 cases had been handled at the three centers Besides the Gulfport location applicants were seen at St Stanislaus in Bay St Louis and at DAVID PURDYSUN HERALD Elizabeth Mixon of Biloxi has her paperwork copied while going through the block grant application Monday in an office at the Prime Outlet shopping maiy in Gulfport Please see Grants A-7 't i-'- s5 III 31 III CORRECTIONS A photo on page B-l Sunday featured Meredith Taylor sliding during a fast-pitch softball playoff game A photo caption misidentified her States exploiting loophole in No Child Left Behind law A-5 C-l Local school districts track all students A-5 INDEX Annie Abby B-2 Movie B-5 Business Obituaries A-6 The Buzz B4 Opinion C-2 Classified E-l Sports D-l Comics B-3 Stocks 0-7 Crosswords E-5 TV B-2 Horoscope B-2 Your Life B-2 Warm dry 1 1 1 1 86 68 If ii pi 7 1 A )8256 00006 2H.