JACKSON (AP) – As a way to save money, the Mississippi Department of Corrections plans to end 30 county work release programs and instead move inmates to state centers.

In a statement released Thursday, the MDOC said it will be able to redirect $3.2 million dollars by axing the Joint State County Work Programs on August 1.

Rather than being transported to programs in 30 counties, inmates will be moved to the agency’s 17 community work centers, where the inmates will continue performing work for counties.

Commissioner Marshall Fisher says the decision to make the change was difficult but necessary given recent changes in the inmate population. The incarcerated population has decreased, while the number of offenders on supervision in communities has increased.

ROBINSON

By William Moore

Daily Journal

BOONEVILLE – A Prentiss County man has been charged with murder following a Friday morning shooting.

According to Prentiss County Sheriff Randy Tolar, law enforcement responded to a residence just outside of Booneville around 1:15 a.m. and found a female with a single, fatal gunshot wound to the chest. A weapon was recovered at the scene. At the same time, they took James Erik Robinson, 26, of 500 Water Tank Road, into custody.

“After collecting evidence and working the crime scene, we charged Robinson with murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon,” said Tolar.

Tolar said the victim was Andrea Nicole Fleming, 23, of Booneville. Her body has been sent to Jackson for an autopsy.

Bond has not been set for Robinson. He was on parole at the time after being released from the state prison system in March.

Security camera image of Verona bank robbery suspect.

By William Moore

Daily Journal

VERONA – Law enforcement was searching Friday for a black male who robbed a Verona branch bank Friday afternoon.

According to Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson, a lone black male wearing camouflage entered the Renasant Bank on Raymond Avenue just before 3 p.m.

“He demanded money and handed the teller a note with specific instructions of what to do or the people in the bank would be harmed,” said Johnson. “We don’t know if a weapon was shown, but he mentioned a weapon.”

The tellers complied with the alleged robber’s orders and neither the tellers nor the customers present were harmed.

Johnson said the man left alone on foot. It is not known if an accomplice was waiting outside.

The Verona Police Department asked for help from the sheriff’s office, who in turn alerted the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Anyone who saw anything suspicious around the bank Friday afternoon is asked to call the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at (662) 841-9040.

william.moore@journalinc.com

Adam Robison | Buy at photos.djournal.com
Sgt. Brett Moyer, left, and officer Josh Parker with the department‘s new 2015 Harley-Davidson Electra Glides.

By William Moore

Daily Journal

TUPELO – The newest additions to the Tupelo Police Department motorcycle unit actually saved the city money.

In the past, the city auctioned off the older bikes, getting about $4,000 each. This time, they asked Natchez Trace Harley-Davidson in Tuscumbia, Alabama, about the trade-in values.

“They gave us $8,400 each trade in for two 2009 Road Kings,” said TPD Sgt. Brett Moyer, “So we were able to trade in two older bikes for a new 2015 Electra Glide and then purchased another new one. We were able to get two new bikes for the price of one.

“We went with black, because it fit in with the black and white design on the cars. We also saved the city money, because black is Harley’s standard color.”

The new motorcycles are also a step up, for a grand total of $16,800.

“The Electra Glides handle better than the Road Kings,” said officer Josh Parker. “They also have a full fairing instead of just a windshield like the old ones. That offers more protection for the hands. Something like a rock can really cause a sting and the reaction could cause a wreck.”

The new motorcycles arrived in mid-April. The dealership transferred most of the lights and equipment from the old bikes to the new ones. Moyer and Parker started patrolling on them April 29.

TPD has five motorcycles that are used to work accidents, run radar and provide escorts for parades, funerals and dignitaries. Because they are smaller and more nimble than cars, motorcycles can maneuver through traffic that will stop a patrol car.

But the motorcycles are only used during the day and when it is not raining. The officers use cars in bad weather and at night. With good weather in the forecast, motorists in Tupelo should get plenty of opportunities to see the new bikes.

william.moore@journalinc.com

Lauren Wood | Buy at photos.djournal.com
Oxford Police Capt. Libby Lytle is nominated as a candidate for Woman of the Year with the Mississippi Commission on the Status of Women, in its military/law enforcement category.

By Stephanie Rebman

Daily Journal

OXFORD – Libby Lytle can, and will, talk someone into handcuffs.

And it goes beyond the 46-year-old’s job as a captain with the Oxford Police Department.

It’s her nod to womankind – to help ladies find empowerment and show them if you don’t have the bicep strength, you can use the mind’s muscle to find your way out of a bad situation.

She teaches this proudly in self-defense classes after 5 for University of Mississippi students, bank employees, church groups, housewives, young professionals and more.

And before 5 p.m. hits, she is mentoring the young squad at the OPD and putting pencil to paper working on policy, procedure and accreditation standards to get the department recognition nationwide.

It’s a job the Illinois native, a 14-year-Lafayette County resident, eventually came to by chance while dotting her I’s and crossing her T’s to stay organized at Budget Rent A Car in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. But it’s a job she’s stuck with and changed countless lives, on top of creating a nonprofit and recently being nominated for a statewide woman of the year award.

Lytle was nominated as a candidate for Woman of the Year with the Mississippi Commission on the Status of Women, in its military/law enforcement category. The luncheon is coming up this week and statewide decisions will be made, and she is ready to attend with friends at her side.

“I’ve been truly blessed to have had the nomination,” she said. “It is a complete honor.”

That honor has come with not just your usual elbow grease and getting your hands wet at a desk job.

It’s been in a patrol car.

Florida start

Lytle started policing in Briar County, Florida, where women were a normal sight on the police force. It was then, she said, that she “fell in love with law enforcement.”

Lauren Wood | Buy at photos.djournal.com
Capt. Libby Lytle of the Oxford Police Department reguarly teaches a self-defense class at the station using special equipment.

She graduated the police academy in 1990 and was enjoying her job in Florida, but Hurricane Andrew blew Lytle west in 1993 where she settled in Natchez to be closer to family. The University of Mississippi drew her to Oxford where she could earn a master’s degree. She started with OPD as its first female officer, and at least once had the door shut on her face when a resident wanted a male police officer.

But while some shut the door, others threw it open and wanted a nurturing touch or a different perspective.

“I fell in love with the Oxford Police Department and they fell in love with me,” she said. “Everybody just loved to have a female officer. I just consumed myself in the Oxford community and began my career here.”

Since then, Lytle has made some serious strides making sure women fit in while on a friendly neighborhood patrol.

“I was really trying to integrate the idea of having more women in the department,” she said when she started with OPD. “They are fully embracing it now and we have a female on every shift. There are four female officers now.”

It was that beginning acclimation that spurred Lytle to check out the International Association of Women Police, where she met lifetime friends and mentors.

“There is nothing more powerful than stepping into a room with all of these women who are important in their departments from around the world, and here I am from little Mississippi,” she said. “It is really nice to reach out and say, hey, what are you experiencing, what do you have going on?”

She became a member, attended her first conference in 2007, and by 2008 founded her own nonprofit, Mississippi Women’s Law Enforcement Association.

“My mission and goal was to have some kind of network to get women together to be there for each other and not be the minority in the room,” she said.

Lytle held conferences in the state in 2008 through 2011 but has been on a hiatus due to finishing a master’s degree, other responsibilities on the job and immersing herself in the community.

While out in the community, Lytle is the board president of the Hopewell Water Association, is on the board of the nonprofit she founded, serves on committees for both the Ole Miss violence prevention team and the Family Crisis Center, is a college instructor and teaches domestic violence courses.

“I find that being an advocate for victims will gain you credibility for your work and give you satisfaction,” she said. “You get satisfaction from people coming up to you and thanking you” for getting them out of an abusive situation or leading them on to a positive life path. “Probably the most satisfying part of my job is helping victims.”

Staying fit

To help those victims realize their ability to get out of a dangerous situation both mentally and physically, Lytle stays fit.

She used to ease the stress levels of the job by doing body building. While not competing in that arena anymore, Lytle still likes a friendly competition and is preparing to go up against others in the upcoming Law Fit competition. It’s the first time OPD has sent a female, and she hopes to represent both the department and the Oxford community well.

Whether in the gym, teaching a class or pushing paper at a desk, Lytle is a phone call away to help someone escape an abusive situation or simply answer a quick question.

“Everyone has my number and calls me,” she said. “Even when I’m home, I’m always engaged in the community.”

stephanie.rebman@journalinc.com

STACY

McCULLAR

Daily Journal

OXFORD – Two men were arrested and charged with felonies last week in separate cases.

On Wednesday, a person reported to Oxford Police that someone had used more than $16,000 on his credit card, and that some of the charges occurred in Oxford. Following an investigation, Eric Stacey Sr., 28, of Water Valley, was arrested and charged with felony credit card fraud. Bond was set at $2,500.

On Friday, OPD investigators arrested Terry Lee McCullar, 56, of Batesville, and charged him with felony malicious mischief. A vehicle was keyed in the Baptist Memorial Hospital parking lot, and investigators were able to identify the truck McCullar was driving and place him at the scene of the incident. His bond was set at $1,000.

SIMPSON

Monroe Journal

An Amory man is facing statutory rape charges.

Robert Glynn Simpson Jr., 22, was arrested Monday by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and charged with two counts of statutory rape.

Simpson is currently housed at the Monroe County Adult Detention Center awaiting arraignment.

By W. Derek Russell

Daily Journal

PONTOTOC COUNTY – Authorities have released the names of the two people found dead after an incident that led investigators to a home in the Shady Grove community outside Ecru on Sunday morning.

Investigators received a call around 10 a.m. Sunday, which led to the discovery of the bodies of 70-year-old Donald Baker, and his wife, 57-year-old Evelyn Baker.

“The autopsy has ruled the cause of death as blunt force trauma,” Sheriff Leo Mask said. “We’re not sure yet what was used.”

“We are still interviewing people and gathering information at this time,” Mask said. “We’re awaiting more results from the autopsy that we hope will tell us more.”

The investigation remains ongoing.

derek.russell@journalinc.com

Twitter: @wderekrussell

OLIVER

By William Moore

Daily Journal

TUPELO – A Saltillo man has been arrested and charged with robbing the Renasant Bank branch in Verona on Friday afternoon.

According to Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson, tips from the community led investigators to Michael Oliver, 41, of 113 Indian Village, Saltillo. Oliver was arrested Monday and charged with robbery. He has not yet been arraigned in Justice Court.

Johnson said a lone male entered the bank on Raymond Avenue just before 3 p.m. on May 1.

“He came inside the bank, stood around and went to a teller window and handed the teller a note,” said Johnson. “The note demanded money and mentioned a weapon. The suspect took the money and left through the north exit door.”

Bank employees complied with the robber’s demands, and the tellers and customers in the bank were not harmed.

According to Johnson, Oliver has many prior arrests, including aggravated assault with a weapon, robbery by force, criminal attempt murder and drug distribution.

ERWIN

Daily Journal

STARKVILLE – A Starkville man has been charged with two counts of auto burglary after allegedly being caught in the act.

Starkville Police responded to Lynn Lane around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday to a reported car burglary in progress. Officers arrested Douglas Wayne Erwin, 21, of Starkville.

He was later transported to the Clay County Jail. Bond has not been set.

HODGES

Monroe Journal

A Prairie man is facing statutory rape charges.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Laduante Hodges, 38. Hodges is charged with two counts of statutory rape.

Due to the sensitive nature of this investigation, no further information was provided.

Hodges is currently being housed at Monroe County Detention Center. Bond has not been set at this time.

By Emily Tubb

Monroe Journal

Five Monroe County residents are facing federal charges for allegedly going onto U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land last fall and digging up and selling artifacts from sacred Native American burial mounds along the Tombigbee Waterway in Monroe and Lowndes Counties.

Boyd Boland Jr., 52, of Nettleton, is charged with violating the Archaeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA) and destruction of government property or contracts.

Perry K. Knowles, 51, of Nettleton, and Brian Keith Sawyer, 46, of Amory, are charged with violating the ARPA and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Tony Lee Tate, 45, of Amory, is charged with two counts of violating the ARPA and destruction of government property or contracts.

Steven Nash Finn, 22, of Nettleton, is charged with violation of the ARPA, conspiracy to defraud the United States and destruction of government property or contracts.

Some of the items the men allegedly dug up include bannerstones and arrowheads.

Indian burial mounds, once desecrated, cannot simply be filled back in with dirt. Attempts must be made to return the artifacts to where they were in the mounds and restore the area to its former state.

According to court records, charges against the men were originally filed on September 24, 2014, but arrests were not made until April 29 through May 1.

The maximum penalties for violating ARPA are a two-year prison sentence and $250,000 fine and the maximum penalties for destruction of government property is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. All five men are out on bond.

By William Moore

Daily Journal

PONTOTOC – A Pontotoc man was charged Tuesday afternoon in the Sunday death of an Algoma man.

Pontotoc County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Randy Coker, 32, Sunday evening in connection with the death of John Pettit, who was run over by a vehicle on Moorman Road. Pettit died around 5 p.m. Sunday.
Pontotoc Sheriff Leo Mask said officials believed Coker’s actions were intentional, and the incident has been treated like a homicide from the start.

“We took him into custody Sunday and today charged him with aggravated assault and second degree murder,” said Pontotoc Sheriff Leo Mask. “We hope to get a bond set on him this afternoon.”

Daily Journal

TUPELO – A secret drug sweep of south Lee County on Monday afternoon led to a number of felony arrests.

According to Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson, deputies and agents with the North Mississippi Narcotics Unit presented evidence during the March term of a Lee County grand jury. That led to search warrants and 38 secret indictments. Agents set the sweep in motion Monday afternoon around 4 p.m., and 18 people were arrested.

“These arrests were based on a lengthy investigation by NMNU and the Sheriff’s Department doing undercover operations and listening to the public about drug activity in south Lee County,” said Johnson. “The charges range from possession and sale of narcotics, mainly crack cocaine, to child endangerment.”

By Kimberly Hefling

AP Education Writer

WASHINGTON – Reports of sex offenses on college campuses provided to the Education Department have nearly doubled over a five-year period.

In a letter to Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., released Tuesday by her office, department officials said they believe the increase is the result of federal enforcement efforts and growing public attention to the issues of campus sexual assault.

In 2009, there were 3,357 such sex offense cases reported to the department in annual crime statistics reports, compared to 6,073 cases in 2013, the letter said.

Education and law enforcement officials say sex offenses are underreported crimes, and the true number of such cases is likely much higher.

The Obama administration has taken several steps to push colleges and universities to better tackle the problem of sexual assault, including releasing the names of colleges and universities facing Title IX investigations for their handling of such cases.

Laura Palumbo, prevention campaign specialist with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, said the difference in the number of sex offense reports likely reflects that campuses are doing a better job following procedures and collecting and reporting such crimes. However, Palumbo said, campuses are still inconsistent in how they collect and report sexual offenses, and there have been complaints that they are underreporting the problem.

The letter was released by Boxer along with Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Tim Kaine of Virginia. Boxer said the data makes clear why the department “must step up its efforts to address the epidemic of sexual assault on college campuses, and why Congress must ensure it has the resources it needs to protect students.”

The letter was signed by Catherine Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights at the Education Dpeartment, and James Runcie, chief operating officer for Federal Student Aid. The two said department officials expect the average amount of time to resolve cases will decrease as the agency closes its older cases or Congress increases funding to handle the cases.

Among the other figures released in the letter:

• The department’s Office of Civil Rights saw an increase in sexual violence complaints involving colleges and universities that went from 9 in 2009 to 102 in 2014.

• Cases that resulted in “substantive closures” took, on average, 1,469 days in the 2014 budget year – or about four years – for the department or resolve.

BOYD

XIE

HOLDEN

Daily Journal

OXFORD – Three women are facing felony charges in two separate cases in Oxford.

On Tuesday, the Oxford Police Department arrested Morgan Boyd, 20, of Charlotte, North Carolina; and Jujie Xie, 20, of Oxford. Both were charged with burglary of a residence, and bond was set at $5,000 each.

According to Oxford Police Maj. Jeff McCutchen, the women allegedly went into a residence on April 30 without permission and stole several items.

On Wednesday, Oxford investigators arrested Brandy Holden 36, of Etta, for uttering a forgery. A victim filed charges saying Holden signed her signature without her consent. During the arraignment, bond was set at $10,000.

Monroe Journal

An Amory teen suffered moderate injuries after an accident involving a log truck on Wednesday.

The accident happened on Highway 278 around 9:16 a.m., according to Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman Criss Turnipseed.

A Mack log truck driven by Jason Jeter, 42, of Ripley, was traveling east on Highway 278, when it collided with a Hyundai Elantra driven by Lauren Taylor, 18, of Amory. According to Turnipseed, Taylor was heading north on Lake Monroe Road when she pulled out onto Highway 278, and the truck collided with her car.

The Hyundai left the highway and overturned.

Taylor was extricated from her vehicle and transported to the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo with moderate injuries. Jeter was not injured.

NEW ALBANY (AP) – A Union County jury has convicted a man in the fatal shooting of a Starkville teenager at a New Year’s Eve party in 2012 in West Point.

According to local media reports, 35-year-old Tavaris Collins of West Point was convicted of first-degree murder Wednesday in the death of Devin Mitchell. Collins was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Authorities say Mitchell, who played football at athlete at Starkville High School, was visiting relatives at the Ridgewood East Apartments on Mississippi Highway 50 in West Point.

West Point Police Chief Tim Brinkley has said fireworks were being set off in the area and Collins told police he thought someone was shooting at him and fired back. Mitchell was shot in the head and died later at a Tupelo hospital.

William Moore | Daily Journal
Carl Hughes, center, is escorted to his arraignment by Pontotoc County Sheriff Leo Mask, left, and Chief Deputy Randy Roberts on Thursday.

HUGHES

By William Moore

Daily Journal

PONTOTOC – A 26-year-old man is being held without bond in the Pontotoc County Jail, charged with two counts of capital murder.

Carl Hughes was arrested Wednesday evening in connection with the deaths of Evelyn Baker, 57, and Don Baker, 70, over the weekend. The couple was found beaten to death in their home just west of Ecru.

‘We are charging him with two counts of capital murder with the underlying charge of burglary,” said District Attorney Trent Kelly. “We will be looking at the evidence further, and there might be a different charge, but right now it is burglary of a residence,”

Capital murder is the killing of an individual during the commission of another felony. If convicted, Hughes could face the death penalty.

A family member discovered the Bakers on Sunday morning around 9 at their Highway 346 home in the Shady Grove community. Both were dressed for bed. She was in the kitchen and he was in the bedroom.

Pontotoc County Sheriff Leo Mask said the investigation is ongoing, and he is unable to release a lot of information at this time.

“We believe Hughes acted alone and don’t anticipate any more arrests,” said Mask. “He lived down the road and sometimes stayed at a mobile home behind the (Bakers’) house. He did know the Bakers.”

Kelly said this is the first capital murder in Pontotoc in recent memory.

“The whole community and the whole county is shaken up over this,” said Mask. “Everyone was scared. A lot of people have peace of mind now.”

Hughes was transported to Pontotoc Justice Court on Thursday afternoon for his initial appearance.

“Since this is capital murder, we will be asking that he be held without bond,” said Kelly.

william.moore@journalinc.com

ROBINSON

BOONEVILLE (AP) – Bond has been set at $1 million for a Booneville man charged in the fatal shooting of his fiancee.

The Daily Corinthian reports the body of 23-year-old Andrea Nicole Fleming was found last Friday in the home she shared with James Erik Robinson. Prentiss County Sheriff Randy Tolar says Fleming died of a gunshot wound in the chest.

The 26-year-old Robinson is charged with murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Tolar says a handgun was found at the scene.

Bond for Robinson was set Monday at $1 million on the murder charge and an additional $5,000 on the firearm charge.

Tolar says Robinson was released on parole in March by the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

Tolar says an investigation is continuing.