Jackson Free Press

TAYLOR APPEAL

JACKSON, Miss. — A man convicted of drug charges and statutory rape asked the Mississippi Supreme Court on Wednesday to overturn his conviction as a habitual offender and make prosecutors provide more details to support a sentence of life without parole. Prosecutors said such a ruling would require them to retry the entire case against Carlos Taylor.

LOW MISSISSIPPI RIVER

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Mississippi River's water level keeps dropping, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Memphis said Wednesday it is using survey boats and dredges to maintain safe navigation. Meanwhile, river barge and tow boat operators are continuing to lose money as they reduce the amount of material they can safely carry on the river.

VOTING MACHINES

WASHINGTON — Remember the term "hanging chads?" Few could forget the weekslong hubbub over vote-counting in Florida in 2000 that led to a recount, a Supreme Court ruling and a national debate about the veracity of the system by which voters cast their ballots.

CARE WORKERS SENTENCED

LAUREL, Miss. — Two people have been sentenced in Jones County for crimes against vulnerable persons. The attorney general's office says Circuit Judge Billy Joe Landrum sentenced Alex Walker of Hattiesburg and Nicholas Barnes of Taylorsville on Tuesday. Both entered guilty pleas.

FLOOD RISKS

VICKSBURG, Miss. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing money to help some areas of Mississippi update their flood maps and develop information on flooding risks.

INTERSTATE REST AREAS

POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Pearl River County supervisors want the state to shut down two rest areas along Interstate 59 near Picayune. One is on the northbound side, and the other on the southbound lane. There are no rest room facilities or security at either parking area.

HANCOCK SCHOOL SALARIES

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. — The superintendents of two school districts in Hancock County have received raises this year but both still make less than other coast schools' leaders.

FEMA FRAUD

ABERDEEN, Miss. — An Okolona man has pleaded guilty to FEMA fraud. Court records show Ronnie G. Beard entered the plea Tuesday in federal court in Aberdeen.

NOXUBEE JAIL

MACON, Miss. — Noxubee County supervisors will open bids Aug. 10 for the construction of a new jail. Design plans call for the jail to have two housing pods for men, each holding 24 prisoners, and a housing pod for women that can accommodate six prisoners.

KEMPER CO. SLAYING

DEKLAB, Miss. — A 22-year-old Kemper County man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a 2010 slaying. James McGrew entered the plea Monday shortly after his trial began in Kemper County Circuit Court.

LITTER PATROL

BILOXI, Miss. — A little Biloxi boy is waging his own battle against litter. Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway recently honored 3-year-old Zachary Belvel for helping to clean-up his community. The toddler and his grandfather are making a positive difference, one street at a time.

FBC-C-USA MEDIA DAY

IRVING, Texas — Conference USA is going into its final season before a big shift in membership, with some teams leaving and new teams coming in. For now, there are five new coaches in C-USA, including at defending division champions Southern Miss and Houston, one of the soon departing members.