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Good morning, Mississippi editors.
The news editor is Brian Schwaner (1-504-523-3931). The AP photographer is Rogelio Solis. If you have contributions for or questions about the Mississippi report, call 1-601-948-5897. To report technical problems: 1-800-469-1362. AP stories, along with the photos that accompany them, can also be obtained from http://www.apexchange.com. Reruns are also available from the Service Desk (877-836-9477).
TOP STORIES
XGR-RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi lawmakers on Tuesday passed the final version of a bill that says state and local governments cannot put a substantial burden on religious practices, a measure that sparked debate about possible discrimination against gay people and other groups. By Emily Wagster Pettus. SENT: 555 words.
XGR-ABORTION-MISSISSIPPI
JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said Tuesday that he looks forward to quickly signing a bill that would ban abortion at 20 weeks, the midpoint of a full-term pregnancy. By Emily Wagster Pettus. SENT: 365 words.
XGR-TAX COLLECTIONS
JACKSON, Miss. — Lawmakers are moving ahead with changes to tax collections that the state Department of Revenue warns could ultimately cost Mississippi more than $100 million a year. Supporters, though, say the department's tax collection powers put taxpayers at an unfair disadvantage, especially after a recent state Supreme Court decision. They also dispute whether the bill will decrease revenue by as much as the collection agency says that it will. By Jeff Amy. SENT: 508 words.
XGR-TEACHER PAY RAISE
JACKSON, Miss. — Pay raises for Mississippi public school teachers are close to becoming law. The full House and Senate passed House Bill 504 Tuesday, sending it to Gov. Phil Bryant for his consideration. By Jeff Amy. SENT: 504 words.
DEATH PENALTY APPEAL-BYROM
JACKSON, Miss. — Attorney General Jim Hood is asking the Mississippi Supreme Court to explain why it threw out the conviction of a death row inmate in the slaying of her husband. The court on Monday overturned Michelle Byrom's capital murder conviction and ordered Tishomingo County to hold a new trial. The court did not elaborate on its decision. Byrom, now 57, was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 2000 for the killing of her husband, Edward "Eddie" Byrom Sr., and for recruiting her son in the plot. Byrom Sr. was fatally shot on June 4, 1999, at the couple's home in Iuka. By Jack Elliott Jr. SENT: 339 words.
LEAKE SLAYING-APPEAL
JACKSON, Miss. — Attorneys for a Leake County man sentenced to life in prison in the death of his wife will argue Mike Cochran deserves a new trial. Oral arguments are scheduled Wednesday in Jackson before the state Court of Appeals. Cochran argues in court papers that he pleaded guilty without counsel and without the ability to understand what he was doing. By Jack Elliott Jr. UPCOMING: 128 word NN at 3:19 a.m. CT. WT after 10 a.m. CT court hearing.
HINDS CO JAIL DISTURBANCE
JACKSON, Miss. — One inmate was killed and seven others injured during what authorities called a gang fight at a jail outside Jackson. Sheriff Tyrone Lewis said three inmates remain hospitalized Tuesday but provided few other details on the case that the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is looking into. The sheriff met with the Hinds County Board of Supervisors Tuesday in a closed meeting. By Jack Elliott Jr. SENT: 350 words, photos.
GREENWOOD-FIREFIGHTERS HURT
GREENWOOD, Miss. — Three firefighters and a police officer have been injured while responding to an early morning fire. The firefighters were trying to contain a fire inside an abandoned building about 4 a.m. Tuesday when a wooden garage collapsed, trapping the firefighters beneath the rubble. SENT: 333 words.
BUSINESS
KIOR DEADLINE
JACKSON, Miss. — Alternative-fuel maker KiOR Inc. has borrowed enough money to keep operating through August. The Pasadena, Texas, company, which has a $225 million plant in Columbus, Miss., had warned last month that it had to raise more money for research and plant improvements. By Jeff Amy. SENT: 390 words.
NUCLEAR WASTE
JACKSON, Miss. — Two members of the Public Service Commission say they want more time to study a resolution calling for a rejection of any plans to store or reprocess nuclear waste in Mississippi. Northern District Commissioner Brandon Presley, who wrote the resolution and circulated it to other commissioners late last week, sought action Tuesday. By Jeff Amy. SENT: 450 words.
MISSISSIPPI NEWS IN BRIEF
OCEAN SPRINGS-PRIVATIZATION
OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. — Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran says the city is in the early stages of looking at privatizing their public works department. Moran says the move could save the city thousands of dollars. UPCOMING: 274 words at 3:30 a.m. CT.
COLUMBUS-CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
COLUMBUS, Miss. — Columbus officials are planning a public hearing in May to feedback on a possible property tax increase to pay for infrastructure upgrades throughout the city. UPCOMING: 274 words at 3:28 a.m. CT
SCHOOL THREAT-APPEAL
OXFORD, Miss. — A man who pleaded guilty to making threats against a Mississippi school is appealing his six-year prison sentence. The attorney for Joshua Brandon Pillault filed the notice of appeal Monday with the U.S. District Court in Oxford, Miss. The case will be appealed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. SENT: 127 words.
MERIDIAN POLICE CHIEF
MERIDIAN, Miss. — Meridian Police Chief James Lee has been suspended, without pay, for five days over an incident that was reported Dec. 31, 2013, at a leadership meeting. An officer alleged Lee cursed and threatened officers. The city's equal opportunity officer found Lee had created a hostile workplace. SENT: 124 words.
PASCAGOULA-QUIET ZONE
PASCAGOULA, Miss. — Federal law requires trains to sound their horns at all public crossings, 24 hours a day, as a warning signal. For business owners like Gerrie Hicks, the noise is a nuisance. Hicks owns a wig shop in the downtown district and said the horns always disturb business. SENT: 270 words.
MEMBER EXCHANGE
LAND RECORDS-ONLINE
TUPELO, Miss. — Land records currently available only inside the Lee County Chancery Clerk's office may be assessable anywhere with an Internet connection within six months. Chancery Clerk Bill Benson volunteered this week for his office to serve as the pilot to place records online as part of the nine-county partnership involving Three Rivers Planning and Development District and a Mississippi State University research center. By Robbie Ward, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. UPCOMING: 445 words at 3 a.m. CT.
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The AP-Jackson, Miss.
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