Daily Journal

JACKSON – The Mississippi Highway Patrol issued more than 5,000 tickets over the Memorial Day weekend.

Two people died and 33 were injured in 124 traffic crashes on state and federal highway systems.

On Sunday, Kattie M. Howard, 17, of Coldwater, was driving a 2000 Jeep Laredo on state highway 305 in Tate County. The vehicle left the roadway and collided with a tree. The driver was pronounced at the scene.

On Monday, Angeline Wess, 61, of Meridian, was driving a 1999 Buick passenger car on state highway 15 in Neshoba County. The vehicle left the roadway and collided with a tree. The driver was pronounced at the scene.

Both fatality crashes remain under investigation by MHP.

During the holiday weekend, which started Friday at 6 p.m., MHP made 126 DUI arrests, 16 drug arrests and 7 felony arrests. They also issued 551 seat belt citations and 50 child restraint citations.

HATTIESBURG (AP) – A longtime officer from South Mississippi Correctional Institution was killed in a traffic accident Monday while helping escort an inmate from one hospital to another, the state Department of Corrections said Tuesday.

Sgt. Iris Smith, 53, died when the prison van she was driving hit the back of an 18-wheeler on U.S. 49 in Hattiesburg, the department said in a news release.

Smith was alone in the van. Another correctional officer was riding in an ambulance with an inmate who was being taken from Greene County Hospital to Forrest General Hospital.

The department said Smith was its first correctional officer killed on the job since 1999.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Sgt. Smith’s family,” Corrections Commissioner Marshall Fisher said in the news release. “Her unexpected death shows how fragile life is. It’s the kind of news we all dread hearing. She was driving from one destination to another as a certified peace officer to provide the secure custody and control of an inmate when her life was cut short.”

Hattiesburg police were continuing to investigate the accident, and funeral plans were pending.

Smith was hired by the Department of corrections since October 2000. Before going to work at South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Greene County, she had worked at George County Community Work Center.

Gov. Phil Bryant said in the MDOC news release he and his wife, Deborah, were praying for Smith’s family.

By Adam Armour

Itawamba Times

Itawamba County emergency officials say a man who was working on a house in Fulton was injured when a wall fell on him Tuesday afternoon.

Eric Leathers was airlifted from Brown Cove in Fulton, off Joe Wheeler Brown Road, at approximately 1:45 p.m. and taken to North Mississippi Medical Center. The accident knocked Leathers unconscious, although the full extent of his injuries has not been revealed.

Officials haven’t said what caused the wall to collapse.

Daily Journal

A Tennessee man has been jailed in Alcorn County on drug charges.

According to the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Michael B. Johnson, 35, of Endville, Tennessee, was pulled over Sunday on Highway 72 for speeding – 118 miles per hour in a 65-mph zone. After a brief investigation, troopers allegedly discovered 7 grams of crystal meth and a small amount of marijuana.

Johnson was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, as well as misdemeanor driving infractions.

Officers seized a 2005 Ford Mustang and nearly $4,000 in cash.

Johnson was awaiting bond in the Alcorn County Jail as of Tuesday morning. The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics assisted with the investigation.

KELLY

By Jeff Amy and Emily Wagster Pettus

Associated Press

JACKSON – U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran’s new marriage to his executive assistant could become part of a blogger’s defense against charges related to photos taken of the Mississippi Republican’s now-deceased first wife while she was incapacitated with dementia.

Clayton Kelly of Pearl faces charges of conspiracy, burglary and attempted burglary tied to pictures he took of Rose Cochran after he entered a Madison nursing home in April 2014. Kelly used those images in a video that was briefly posted online to suggest that Thad Cochran was having an inappropriate relationship with aide Kay Webber.

Defense lawyer Kevin Camp said Thad Cochran’s wedding Saturday, less than six months after the death of Rose Cochran, lends credence to Kelly’s statements.

“It actually now sort of comes out that there was something,” Camp said. “I think it’s good for them and bad for us.”

Madison County District Attorney Michael Guest did not immediately respond Tuesday to questions about whether the marriage would affect the prosecution. Kelly is scheduled for trial June 8 in Madison County Circuit Court.

Camp questions whether any laws were broken.

“What he did, it’s not what you or I would do,” the lawyer said. “Whether or not it’s illegal is different.”

Rose Cochran died in December at age 73 from complications of dementia after living in a nursing home for 13 years.

Webber has worked for Cochran since 1981, and both are 77, spokesman Chris Gallegos said. Webber makes $165,000 a year working for Cochran, who is the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman. Gallegos said Webber will continue working for Cochran and is not changing her last name.

A week after Kelly was arrested, a Mississippi Tea Party leader and two other men were arrested and charged with being involved with the unauthorized photographing of Rose Cochran in her nursing home bed.

On the day that the three men were arrested – May 22, 2014 – Cochran campaign spokesman Jordan Russell told The Associated Press that any suggestion the senator was having an improper relationship outside his marriage was “outrageous and offensive and the dirtiest form of politics.”

ARMENDARIZ

Daily Journal

OXFORD – Oxford Police chased down and arrested a burglary suspect Saturday at an apartment complex.

According to Major Jeff McCutchen, a female caller said someone had broken into her Jackson Avenue West apartment and ran out the front door when he saw her.

“Officers arriving on scene and saw a Hispanic male later identified as Felipe Alejandro Saucedo-Armendariz leaving the apartment,” said McCutchen. “When he saw us, a foot pursuit began.”

Armendariz, 33, of Oxford, was arrested and charged with burglary. During the initial appearance, bond was set at $5,000.

COLLIER

PRESTAGE

Daily Journal

ABERDEEN – The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department has charged an Amory couple in connection with the burglary of a building.

According to Sheriff Cecil Cantrell, on Tuesday deputies arrested Lewis Jackson Prestage, Jr., 28, and Megan Danielle Collier, 29, both of Amory. The two are accused of breaking into a building on County Home Road last week and stealing lawn care equipment. The stolen property has been recovered.

Both are currently being held at Monroe County Detention Center. Bond has not been set at this time.

CRIDER

Daily Journal

TUPELO – Former Tupelo Police Chief Ed Crider died Wednesday afternoon at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo.

Crider, 89, who served as the city’s chief for many years, suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.

Mayor Jason Shelton extended his condolences to the family.

“He performed very admirably as a tremendously popular elected police chief for our citizens for many years,” Shelton said. “He will be greatly missed by all, and our thoughts and prayers will be with the Crider family.”

Funeral arrangements are incomplete.

CLEMENS

Daily Journal

OXFORD – A woman is in jail after allegedly assaulting her husband Wednesday.

Oxford Deputy Police Chief James Owens said officers responded to a Rubin Drive apartment on Wednesday where a husband reported being cut by his wife.

Officers arrested Suzanne Clark Clemens, 39, of Oxford, and charged her with aggravated domestic violence. During her initial court appearance, bond was set at $1,500.

VARNADO

HATTIESBURG (AP) – A ninth person has been arrested in connection with the shooting deaths of two Mississippi police officers who were killed during a traffic stop earlier this month, authorities said.

Spokesman Warren Strain with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety said in a statement Wednesday night that 25-year-old Brodrick Kendell Varnado of Hattiesburg was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact of capital murder.

No further details about the allegations against Varnado were immediately available.

Strain says Varnado was being held in the Forrest County jail awaiting an initial court appearance. It wasn’t clear if Varnado has a lawyer who could comment on the charge.

An eighth suspect, Jimmy “Jimbo” Velton Brady, 22, was arrested in the case on May 15 and charged with possession of a stolen weapon, Strain said. Strain declined to release details of the charge or how it related to the shooting. Brady was being held on $20,000 bond.

Strain said the state’s investigation remained ongoing but declined to give further details.

Police say 29-year-old Marvin Banks shot Hattiesburg Police Department patrolmen Benjamin Deen and Liquori Tate on May 9 after Deen pulled over a speeding car driven by Banks’ girlfriend. The officers died at a hospital. Banks is being held without bond on two counts of capital murder. He also was charged with grand larceny and possession of a weapon by a felon.

By Emma Crawford

Daily Journal

TUPELO – Tupelo residents need not be alarmed when they see an influx of fire department vehicles downtown, because fire departments from across the state of Mississippi will gather at the BancorpSouth Conference Center this weekend for the 78th annual Mississippi Fire Chiefs and Firefighters Conference.

The conference started Thursday and continues through Sunday.

Tupelo Police Chief Bart Aguirre and Rita Berthay, chief operating officer for Region 3 Lifecore Health Group, will speak on the loss of Officer Gale Stauffer in the line of duty in December 2013 and on dealing with post-traumatic stress disorders, respectively, at the conference Saturday afternoon.

Other speakers include Harrison County Emergency Management Director Rupert Lacy, Director of Law Enforcement Alliance for Peer Support Tim Rutledge and Tupelo Fire Department Deputy Chief Jimmy Avery.

Terry Tucker, Mississippi Fire Chief’s Association president, said a different Mississippi city hosts the conference each year, and Tupelo was decided on as this year’s location two years ago.

Tucker said there is no specific reason for Tupelo’s being chosen to host, but the April 28, 2014, tornado and Stauffer’s death give the city of Tupelo’s fire and police departments some insight into emergency preparedness, which Tucker said is a big focus of the conference.

“It gives us a way to relate to emergency preparedness that’s close to home,” he said.

Tupelo Fire Department Chief Thomas Walker said the conference allows fire chiefs in attendance to share their experiences and best practices.

“This is an opportunity for fire chiefs to come together and network,” Walker said.

Aguirre said as public servants, both police and fire chiefs face many of the same issues.

The lessons he and his officers learned in dealing with Stauffer’s death, Aguirre said, include the importance of emergency policy and procedure and mental health care for officers after an emergency.

What Aguirre said he hopes those in attendance take away from his speech is the importance of emergency preparedness. An emergency can occur in any department, at any time, he said, noting the police officers who were recently slain in Hattiesburg as another example.

“This could happen to anyone,” he said. “Be prepared. Be ready for it if it happens, and hope that it doesn’t.”

emma.crawford@journalinc.com

CRIDER

By William Moore

Daily Journal

TUPELO – Law enforcement and civic leaders were saddened to hear of the Wednesday passing of former Tupelo Police Chief Ed Crider.

The 89-year-old Tupelo resident lost his wife of 70 years, Billie Crider, in April, and lost his battle with Alzheimer’s disease at Sanctuary Hospice House this week.

“He performed very admirably as a tremendously popular elected police chief for our citizens for many years,” said Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton. “He will be greatly missed by all, and our thoughts and prayers will be with the Crider family.”

Former Tupelo Mayor Jack Marshall worked with Crider for five years in the late 1980s.

“In my book, he was tops as police chief,” said Marshall. “He was a good person to work with and was well-liked in the community.”

While some felt Crider ruled his department with an iron hand, he was popular with voters and with his officers. He was first elected police chief in summer 1969 and was the last elected chief.

The city moved away from elected department heads in 1980.

“Chief Crider had a significant impact on my career in law enforcement as my first chief,” said Tupelo Police Chief Bart Aguirre. “He asked me to accept a position at TPD when I graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1985. I served under him until he retired.

“Chief Crider’s contributions to the TPD better prepared us to serve our community. Chief Crider was the longest serving chief of police to my knowledge.”

Crider retired in late 1990 after more than 21 years at the helm. Since Crider, Tupelo has had six police chiefs, starting with Billy White. Harold Chaffin had the longest tenure at seven years.

He served the county as interim sheriff for about a year, following the death of Sheriff Jack Shirley.

“He was very knowledgeable of the law and was able to come in and take over the department and run with it,” said Sheriff Jim Johnson. “He was able to come in under tragic circumstances and pull the department together.”

The lawman again retired in November 1993 when Harold Ray Presley was elected sheriff.

william.moore@journalinc.com

Thomas Wells | Buy at photos.djournal.com
Nettleton High School’s Haley Bean, from left, Tupelo High’s Alex Norwood and Saltillo High’s Xavier Taylor were the first recipients of the Gale Stauffer Memorial Scholarship, along with Grace Gault, who is not pictured. The students were recognized at the CREATE Foundation on Thursday.

By Chris Kieffer

Daily Journal

TUPELO – A new college scholarship honors the memory of a Tupelo police officer who was killed while serving his community.

On Thursday, the first winners of the Gale Stauffer Memorial Scholarship were recognized during a ceremony at the CREATE Foundation. The funds are for children of first responders who are graduating from high school in Lee County.

The initial class includes Haley Bean (Nettleton High), Grace Gault (homeschool), Alex Norwood (Tupelo High) and Xavier Taylor (Saltillo High).

“It carries on Gale Stauffer’s memory,” Bean said. “Being a police officer’s child, I know what risks they face every day and appreciate that.”

Sgt. Stauffer was shot and killed while he responded to a bank robbery on Dec. 23, 2013.

The scholarship is funded by $10,000 from the CREATE Foundation’s Marchbanks Endowment Fund. Officials at the foundation hope to raise more funds to add to that amount in the future.

The award is for children of those who serve Tupelo and Lee County as full-time state certified first responders in law enforcement, fire protection and emergency services. A committee selects the winners based on their applications and essays.

The $10,000 award can be split by as many as or few winners as the committee determines. This year’s winners each will receive $2,500. It is a one-time award, but the funds can be spread throughout the recipients’ years in college.

“We wanted to do something to both preserve the memory of Sgt. Stauffer and to recognize the sacrifice first responders make to our community,” said CREATE President Mike Clayborne.

Bean’s father, Bobby, works for the Lee County Sheriff’s Department. She will take pre-veterinarian courses at Northeast Mississippi Community College.

Gault’s mother, Cathy, works for the Tupelo Fire Department, and she plans to study graphic design at a private college in Seattle, Washington.

Norwood’s father, Alex, and Taylor’s mother, Bethany Smith, each work for the Tupelo Police Department. Norwood plans to study computer science at Northwest Mississippi Community College, and Taylor to study physics at Northeast.

“It holds me to a higher standard and makes me want to succeed,” Norwood said of receiving the funds that honor Stauffer.

Said Taylor: “He paid the ultimate price for the community. I hope his leadership and his commitment to his job can inspire me.”

chris.kieffer@journalinc.com

Twitter: @chriskieffer

ODOM

By Adam Armour

Itawamba Times

An Alabama man has been arrested and charged in an Itawamba County car theft.

Christopher Carter Odom, 31, of 4672 Hubbard Loop, Jasper, Alabama, was arrested by Itawamba County investigators on May 15 and charged with grand larceny. Investigators believe Odom responsible for the May 11 theft of a 2008 maroon Jeep Wrangler WXR from Highway 23 South.

Law enforcement officials say the vehicle was recovered from Walker County, Alabama.

Odom has been given an initial court appearance and was issued a $5,000 bond by Itawamba County Justice Court Judge Harold Holcomb. He is currently being held in Itawamba County Jail.

Officials say Odom will be transferred to Alabama, where he faces additional felony charges in Walker and Marion counties, and the city of Winfield.

If convicted in Itawamba County, Odom faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a up to a $10,000 fine.

adam.armour@journalinc.com

Thomas Wells | Buy at photos.djournal.com
Tupelo and Verona police officers work the scene of a rollover accident following a high-speed chase that started in Tupelo and ended when the driver lost control of his vehicle and struck a light pole on Raymond Avenue in Verona.

By William Moore

Daily Journal

TUPELO – A routine traffic stop led to a high speed chase and a wreck Friday morning.

Tupelo Police Chief Bart Aguirre said an officer attempted to pull over a car on South Gloster Street, just north of the Verona city limits.

“The driver took off, and there was a short chase that ended when the driver wrecked and hit a utility pole,” said Aguirre. “There appears to have been some sort of scuffle as well when the officer tried to take the suspect into custody.”

The incident is still under investigation, and Aguirre hopes to release more information later.

BYRD

JACKSON (AP) – The Justice Department says investigators have found no evidence that the hanging death of a man in Mississippi was a homicide.

The agency said in a news release Friday that the civil rights investigation into the death of Otis Byrd has been closed.

Byrd was last seen alive on March 2 at a Vicksburg Casino. The 54-year-old was found March 19, hanging by a bed sheet from a branch of a tree behind his rented house in Claiborne County. Family members have insisted Byrd would not kill himself.

Lawyers hired by the family have said they will conduct an investigation separate from the one pursued by state and federal authorities.

By Floyd Ingram

Chickasaw Journal

HOUSTON – Two suspects attempting to rob a person making a night deposit at a downtown bank were foiled by alert police, who then chased a suspect vehicle out of town Saturday night.

Police Chief Billy Voyles said a woman was making a deposit for a business about 10:30 p.m. at BancorpSouth and was approached and told to give the suspects her money, and when she screamed a Houston policeman heard the cry. The suspects got in a car and were chased east on Highway 8 out of town at a high rate of speed.

The car wrecked on a gravel road in Una, and the suspects ran from the car into the woods, Voyles said. He added that one person is in custody and is expected to be charged with attempted robbery and fleeing police. That suspect turned himself in shortly before noon Saturday.

Police are looking for a second suspect, and the incident remains under investigation.

Voyles said the name of the first suspect would be released as soon as the second suspect was taken into custody.

Voyles said the Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Department, the Monroe Sheriff’s Department, the Clay County Sheriff’s Department and the Highway Patrol aided in the search.

“The second suspect knows we are looking for him, and we hope he will turn himself in, too,” said Voyles.

Thomas Wells | Buy at photos.djournal.com
Campaign signs can be removed because they are not placed in accordance with city codes. They are sometimes stolen as well, which is a criminal act.

By Emma Crawford

Daily Journal

TUPELO – With election season ongoing in Lee County, campaign sign theft is on some candidates’ minds.

Campaign signs can disappear from where they are placed for a number of reasons besides criminal activity, though. They sometimes can be pulled up because they are placed incorrectly, according to city codes.

Tupelo Department of Development Services Director Shane Hooper said the city has the right to pull signs that are placed within the public right-of-way.

The city has a minimum setback line of 15 feet from the street edge, meaning that campaign signs should not be placed within 15 feet of any street, otherwise they fall within the public right-of-way and the city can pick them up without notification.

Hooper also said campaign staff should always ask permission from a property owner before placing a sign. Oftentimes they notice a good spot for a sign and place it without asking, and the property owner can pull the sign up.

“Sometimes people just plop down signs without asking the property owner,” he said.

Placing campaign signs also requires a $50 permit from the Department of Development Services.

The Department of Development Services will pull signs in violation, but does not handle sign disappearance due to criminal activity. Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson handles the theft since campaign sign theft is punishable by law.

“It’s not always criminal activity,” he said. “But if you are caught, it is a criminal act.”

Johnson said an unnamed candidate currently running called and reported his signs stolen. He had taken down their license plate number, and the individuals turned out to be family members who were moving his signs to a better location.

Johnson said this is just one example of the number of reasons signs could move, making it difficult to find out exactly what happened to them or who took them.

So far this year, Johnson said he personally has not had any issues with his signs being taken or moved. However, he said the theft is just a side effect of running for public office.

“That’s just part of it,” Johnson said.

Lee County Coroner Carolyn Green, who is seeking re-election, said some friends of hers who had her campaign signs in their yards reported to her that the signs disappeared, along with one of Johnson’s signs.

Green said this creates a frustrating situation for her because she has to replace the signs that have disappeared.

“It’s frustrating because of the cost of the signs,” she said.

emma.crawford@journalinc.com

Twitter: @emcatcrawford

Daily Journal

HOUSTON – Four individuals are under arrest after approaching a woman Saturday night at the BancorpSouth branch in Houston.

Dvante Randle and Shikasmine Walker, both of Una, and Eddious Webb of Mantee, are accused of attempting to rob the woman as she deposited money at the bank.

A four suspect, a juvenile, was also taken into custody, but his name has not been released at this time.

The suspects took off in their car after the woman screamed Saturday, being chased by officers east on Highway 8 out of town at a high rate of speed.

The car wrecked on a gravel road in Una and the suspects ran from the car into the woods.

Two of the suspects turned themselves into investigators and their information led to tracking down the others.

The case remains under investigation.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Authorities say the driver of a vehicle involved in a traffic accident in Mississippi that killed two West Tennessee high school seniors is facing drunken driving charges.

According to The Commercial Appeal, the accident occurred around 6:30 a.m. Sunday on U.S. 78 in Marshall County just past the DeSoto County line.

Killed in the crash were Rachel Lynch and Maddie Kruse, both students at Briarcrest Christian School in Eads, Tennessee. At least two other girls in the vehicle were treated for injuries at area hospitals.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol is still investigating the crash, but the girls’ vehicle was reportedly struck by another car.

The driver of that car has been charged with two counts of DUI causing death and two counts of DUI causing injury. The driver, whose name has not been released, was being held in the Marshall County jail.

A memorial service is planned at the school on Monday.

“It’s a tragic loss for the school,” said Briarcrest President Mark Merrill. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families.”