Last year, Jackson was ranked as the 23rd most dangerous
city in America.   This year it's not.   It still has the 23rd
highest crime rate in the country, but the people who come
up with the rankings are no longer using the terms "dangerous"
and  "safe" to describe the cities at either end of the scale.
CQ Press, the publishing division of the Congressional Quarterly,
has just released the new rankings based on last year's crime
statistics as reported to the FBI, with each city's population figured
in.   It says Jackson's ranking-- worse than Newark, Dallas, Houston,
Miami and Las Vegas-- is based, in part, on a murder rate that's
almost five times the national average. 


Mothers Against Drunk Driving says its top priority in the
Miss. Legislature next year will be to mandate the use of
ignition interlock devices for convicted drunk drivers.   The
technology is designed to prevent a driver from starting a
vehicle if they've had too much to drink.   The devices are
already permitted under state law, but judges are given
discretion in including interlocks in the sentences they hand
down-- and most aren't using them.   MADD says 1,690
tickets were issued in the state last year to repeat DUI
offenders-- but only 14 interlocks have been ordered. 




State Rep. Cecil Brown of Jackson says he'll introduce legislation
next year to make animal cruelty a felony in Mississippi.  In
most other states, it already is.  Brown says he'll make sure
there are plenty of safeguards in the law to protect sportsmen
and farmers.  The Humane Society of the United States is
continuing to roll out a reward program aimed at cracking down
on dogfighting and cockfighting.  Mississippi is the latest
state to join the program, in which up to $5,000 will be paid
to citizens who report animal fighting to local law enforcement.



The Salvation Army is reporting a big increase in the number of
families requesting Christmas assistance this year.  In the
organization's Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi Division, there's
been a 30% increase-- even higher in metro Jackson.  It says
more families are struggling to get by in this troubled economy.
And while the need for its services is growing, the Salvation Army
is preparing for a big end-of-the-year financial hit.  It usually
gets donations of stock gifts totalling as much as $300,000
each year, but says because of the problems on Wall Street,
that figure may be cut in half-- or may disappear altogether.
It's hoping for generous contributions to its Red Kettle campaign
and the relatively-new Online Kettles.   In their second year
in 2007, those web-based donations generated $23,000 in the
three-state division.   The Salvation Army has set an ambitious
goal of $100,000 this Christmas. 

With Paloma becoming a Category 4 hurricane as it approached
Cuba, it marks the first time in recorded history that we've
had major hurricanes in five separate months in the same season.
We had Bertha in July, Gustav in August, Ike in September, Omar
in October and, now, Paloma in November.



Mississippi could catch a break on our stormy weather this fall.
The National Weather Service says the Pacific Ocean phenomenon
known as La Nina is weakening-- and that could mean fewer tornadoes
over the next couple of months.   A stronger La Nina tends to
enhance tornado development in this part of the country. 
Mississippi is on pace to set a record for tornadoes this year.
We've already had 92, only 7 short of the most ever in 2005.
November is Tornado Awareness Month-- and the Weather Service
is partnering with the Miss. Emergency Management Agency to
educate school children on storm safety.  Representatives of the
two agencies will visit about 40 elementary schools to teach the
kids what to do to protect themselves if bad weather threatens.


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They say two of the biggest lies are "I'm from the government
and I'm here to help you" and "The check's in the mail".  But
the IRS says, honestly, it's trying to hook up taxpayers with the
checks the postman couldn't deliver.  In Mississippi, 3,578
economic stimulus rebate checks totalling almost $2 Million
were returned to the IRS because of wrong addresses.  And 881
regular tax refunds-- adding up to more than $791,000-- were
also sent back by the Postal Service as undeliverable.  The IRS
is urging taxpayers who expected checks but didn't get them to
visit the www.irs.gov website for instructions on how to submit a
correct address.
 


Tired of calling your local utility company and getting an automated
voice?  Public Service Commission vice-chairman Lynn Posey says
it's one of the most common complaints he gets.  And the PSC
plans a hearing in December to consider requiring the companies
to give customers access to a live person-- at least during regular
business hours.   Posey says that shouldn't be a financial burden
on the utilities. 





Check out my story about one of the oil and gas surveys
that was done in the Jackson area.   A company worked
in and around Clinton  to see if any significant deposits can be found.
I've gone along with dynamite crews and vibrator trucks as they
send sound waves into the ground to create a seismic map
which geologists will use to see if there's potential for development.
If you missed the story  when it aired, it's now posted below.



At the bottom of the page, I'm continuing to post some of my favorite
stories, old and new.  You'll find "Next Stop, New Orleans", a feature
from last year that was named co-winner of Best of Show by the Miss.
Association of Broadcasters-- and more recently, an RTNDA regional Edward R.
Murrow Award winner.  Also, there's "A Visit to Holsten's", a story about the
place in New Jersey where the final scene in the final episode of HBO's
"The Sopranos" was filmed.  And now, there's a story from last year about
a World War Two hero who died in Hattiesburg recently-- "Jack Lucas,
American Hero"-- and a new story, "Mickee the Medic" about a local
ambulance company employee who's saving lives after almost losing
his own.  Finally, there's "British Baseball Fan", a story from last year about
an Englishman who visited Trustmark Park as part of his quest to see a
baseball game in every state in America.   This story won a national
Edward R. Murrow Award this year, honored as the best example of sports
reporting among small-market radio stations.