Deep-sea sub Alvin in Gulf of Mexico, including 4th anniversary look at ... - Daily Journal

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GULFPORT, Mississippi — As the fourth anniversary of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill approaches, the Navy research sub called Alvin will be taking researchers down for a look at the ocean floor.

The research vessel Atlantis was scheduled to carry scientists and Alvin out Monday for the smaller vessel's first research trip since renovation added space for a third scientist.

Researchers from the University of Georgia, Florida State University, the University of North Carolina and Coastal Carolina University plan 22 dives, The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1faj7zL) reported.

Marine science professor Samantha "Mandy" Joye of the University of Georgia, chief scientist for the voyage, said they'll be checking sites they sampled in 2010 to see whether there's been recovery.

"In the dives in the submarine, we'll actually be able to see the diversity of animals on the bottom and compare this to what a natural soft bottom community would look like," she said Saturday during a media day.

The sub also has high-definition cameras and can collect water, sediment and biological samples from the seafloor.

"Our work is aimed at understanding the long-term impacts of the 2010 blowout and sites within 20 to 100 nautical miles of the wellhead," Joye said.

The well owned by BP PLC blew wild April 20, 2010, killing 11 crew members, and continued to spew oil until it was capped July 15, 2010.

About 300 pounds of tar balls from the spill recently washed onto Mississippi's barrier islands.

The National Science Foundation is covering most of the cost. The Gulf Research Board is paying for three dives.

The Atlantis will be at sea until April 22.

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Family needs help escaping neighbor's home after Biloxi River flood - The Republic

GULFPORT, Mississippi — A family of three and their three dogs needed help from Gulfport rescue teams to get out of a neighbor's home where they were stranded due to heavy rains.

Gulfport Battalion Chief Chris Henderson told The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1hlP5dm ) that the Fire Department received a call about 5:30 a.m. Saturday about a north Gulfport family stranded at a neighbor's home on the Biloxi River.

It took the department's Swift Water Rescue Team until about 7 a.m. to free the family members, who had taken refuge on a second-floor deck on their neighbor's home after the river overflowed its banks.

Officials in south Mississippi said Saturday that they don't anticipate more precipitation for several days, but the Coast is expected to experience a ripple effect from two days of heavy rainfall. Officials and people living along or near area rivers should watch for flooding.

As of 10 a.m., the Biloxi River had crested at 14.5 feet, 2.5 feet above its flood stage, and the water level was beginning to decrease.

The Wolf and Tchoutacabouffa rivers are expected to continue to rise.

Meteorologist Shawn O'Neil with the National Weather Service in Slidell, Louisiana, said the Wolf River — with an 8-foot flood stage — was at 10.6 feet and should continue to rise to about 12 feet by midnight and should be flooded until Monday evening.

The Tchoutacabouffa River has a flood stage of 8-feet and is expected to crest around 7.7 feet by midnight.

Harrison County Director of Emergency Management Rupert Lacy said he wasn't anticipating a high number of issues resulting from rivers flooding.

"Our people who live on the rivers love it and they understand that this time of the year we have floods and they have to pay attention," he said. "Once warnings or watches come out, you need to heed those so that you don't get caught off guard."

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Former Navy workers sentenced in fraud scheme in Gulfport, Miss. - Daily Journal

GULFPORT, Mississippi — Two former Navy workers have been ordered to make restitution for their roles in a false travel-claim scheme that federal prosecutors said involved tens of thousands of dollars.

Richard Stephen Bellock, 43, of Alquippa, Pennsylvania, received a prison term of 70 months and three years' probation at his sentencing in federal court Tuesday.

The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1frh5Z1) U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden also ordered Bellock to help others repay $163,749.25.

Bellock also was indicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft involving a travel voucher filed in another person's name and paid to his account. Those charges were dismissed in exchange for his plea.

The judge sentenced Iralen Jewell, 33, of Grand Junction, Colorado, to help others repay $10,196.89. The judge fined Jewell $500 and ordered three years of probation.

Court papers show Jewell repaid more than $500 in 2010.

A federal grand jury indicted Bellock, Jewell and two others in June.

Bellock and Jewell had a rank of logistics specialist 1st class when they were stationed at the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport.

They were among at least nine servicemen prosecuted in related cases involving illegal payments while they were assigned to NMCB 74 between October 2006 and August 2011.

Deep-sea sub Alvin in Gulf of Mexico, including 4th anniversary look at ... - Daily Journal

---

We also have more stories about:

(click the phrases to see a list)

Subjects:

• Oceanography (46)


• Science (529)


• Environmental concerns (532)


• Environment and nature (1962)


• Accidents and disasters (2998)

Places:

GULFPORT, Mississippi — As the fourth anniversary of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill approaches, the Navy research sub called Alvin will be taking researchers down for a look at the ocean floor.

The research vessel Atlantis was scheduled to carry scientists and Alvin out Monday for the smaller vessel's first research trip since renovation added space for a third scientist.

Researchers from the University of Georgia, Florida State University, the University of North Carolina and Coastal Carolina University plan 22 dives, The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1faj7zL) reported.

Marine science professor Samantha "Mandy" Joye of the University of Georgia, chief scientist for the voyage, said they'll be checking sites they sampled in 2010 to see whether there's been recovery.

"In the dives in the submarine, we'll actually be able to see the diversity of animals on the bottom and compare this to what a natural soft bottom community would look like," she said Saturday during a media day.

The sub also has high-definition cameras and can collect water, sediment and biological samples from the seafloor.

"Our work is aimed at understanding the long-term impacts of the 2010 blowout and sites within 20 to 100 nautical miles of the wellhead," Joye said.

The well owned by BP PLC blew wild April 20, 2010, killing 11 crew members, and continued to spew oil until it was capped July 15, 2010.

About 300 pounds of tar balls from the spill recently washed onto Mississippi's barrier islands.

The National Science Foundation is covering most of the cost. The Gulf Research Board is paying for three dives.

The Atlantis will be at sea until April 22.

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Family needs help escaping neighbor's home after Biloxi River flood - The Republic

GULFPORT, Mississippi — A family of three and their three dogs needed help from Gulfport rescue teams to get out of a neighbor's home where they were stranded due to heavy rains.

Gulfport Battalion Chief Chris Henderson told The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1hlP5dm ) that the Fire Department received a call about 5:30 a.m. Saturday about a north Gulfport family stranded at a neighbor's home on the Biloxi River.

It took the department's Swift Water Rescue Team until about 7 a.m. to free the family members, who had taken refuge on a second-floor deck on their neighbor's home after the river overflowed its banks.

Officials in south Mississippi said Saturday that they don't anticipate more precipitation for several days, but the Coast is expected to experience a ripple effect from two days of heavy rainfall. Officials and people living along or near area rivers should watch for flooding.

As of 10 a.m., the Biloxi River had crested at 14.5 feet, 2.5 feet above its flood stage, and the water level was beginning to decrease.

The Wolf and Tchoutacabouffa rivers are expected to continue to rise.

Meteorologist Shawn O'Neil with the National Weather Service in Slidell, Louisiana, said the Wolf River — with an 8-foot flood stage — was at 10.6 feet and should continue to rise to about 12 feet by midnight and should be flooded until Monday evening.

The Tchoutacabouffa River has a flood stage of 8-feet and is expected to crest around 7.7 feet by midnight.

Harrison County Director of Emergency Management Rupert Lacy said he wasn't anticipating a high number of issues resulting from rivers flooding.

"Our people who live on the rivers love it and they understand that this time of the year we have floods and they have to pay attention," he said. "Once warnings or watches come out, you need to heed those so that you don't get caught off guard."

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Former Navy workers sentenced in fraud scheme in Gulfport, Miss. - Daily Journal

GULFPORT, Mississippi — Two former Navy workers have been ordered to make restitution for their roles in a false travel-claim scheme that federal prosecutors said involved tens of thousands of dollars.

Richard Stephen Bellock, 43, of Alquippa, Pennsylvania, received a prison term of 70 months and three years' probation at his sentencing in federal court Tuesday.

The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1frh5Z1) U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden also ordered Bellock to help others repay $163,749.25.

Bellock also was indicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft involving a travel voucher filed in another person's name and paid to his account. Those charges were dismissed in exchange for his plea.

The judge sentenced Iralen Jewell, 33, of Grand Junction, Colorado, to help others repay $10,196.89. The judge fined Jewell $500 and ordered three years of probation.

Court papers show Jewell repaid more than $500 in 2010.

A federal grand jury indicted Bellock, Jewell and two others in June.

Bellock and Jewell had a rank of logistics specialist 1st class when they were stationed at the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport.

They were among at least nine servicemen prosecuted in related cases involving illegal payments while they were assigned to NMCB 74 between October 2006 and August 2011.

Deep-sea sub Alvin in Gulf of Mexico, including 4th anniversary look at ... - Daily Journal

---

We also have more stories about:

(click the phrases to see a list)

Subjects:

• Oceanography (46)


• Science (529)


• Environmental concerns (532)


• Environment and nature (1962)


• Accidents and disasters (2998)

Places:

GULFPORT, Mississippi — As the fourth anniversary of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill approaches, the Navy research sub called Alvin will be taking researchers down for a look at the ocean floor.

The research vessel Atlantis was scheduled to carry scientists and Alvin out Monday for the smaller vessel's first research trip since renovation added space for a third scientist.

Researchers from the University of Georgia, Florida State University, the University of North Carolina and Coastal Carolina University plan 22 dives, The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1faj7zL) reported.

Marine science professor Samantha "Mandy" Joye of the University of Georgia, chief scientist for the voyage, said they'll be checking sites they sampled in 2010 to see whether there's been recovery.

"In the dives in the submarine, we'll actually be able to see the diversity of animals on the bottom and compare this to what a natural soft bottom community would look like," she said Saturday during a media day.

The sub also has high-definition cameras and can collect water, sediment and biological samples from the seafloor.

"Our work is aimed at understanding the long-term impacts of the 2010 blowout and sites within 20 to 100 nautical miles of the wellhead," Joye said.

The well owned by BP PLC blew wild April 20, 2010, killing 11 crew members, and continued to spew oil until it was capped July 15, 2010.

About 300 pounds of tar balls from the spill recently washed onto Mississippi's barrier islands.

The National Science Foundation is covering most of the cost. The Gulf Research Board is paying for three dives.

The Atlantis will be at sea until April 22.

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Family needs help escaping neighbor's home after Biloxi River flood - The Republic

GULFPORT, Mississippi — A family of three and their three dogs needed help from Gulfport rescue teams to get out of a neighbor's home where they were stranded due to heavy rains.

Gulfport Battalion Chief Chris Henderson told The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1hlP5dm ) that the Fire Department received a call about 5:30 a.m. Saturday about a north Gulfport family stranded at a neighbor's home on the Biloxi River.

It took the department's Swift Water Rescue Team until about 7 a.m. to free the family members, who had taken refuge on a second-floor deck on their neighbor's home after the river overflowed its banks.

Officials in south Mississippi said Saturday that they don't anticipate more precipitation for several days, but the Coast is expected to experience a ripple effect from two days of heavy rainfall. Officials and people living along or near area rivers should watch for flooding.

As of 10 a.m., the Biloxi River had crested at 14.5 feet, 2.5 feet above its flood stage, and the water level was beginning to decrease.

The Wolf and Tchoutacabouffa rivers are expected to continue to rise.

Meteorologist Shawn O'Neil with the National Weather Service in Slidell, Louisiana, said the Wolf River — with an 8-foot flood stage — was at 10.6 feet and should continue to rise to about 12 feet by midnight and should be flooded until Monday evening.

The Tchoutacabouffa River has a flood stage of 8-feet and is expected to crest around 7.7 feet by midnight.

Harrison County Director of Emergency Management Rupert Lacy said he wasn't anticipating a high number of issues resulting from rivers flooding.

"Our people who live on the rivers love it and they understand that this time of the year we have floods and they have to pay attention," he said. "Once warnings or watches come out, you need to heed those so that you don't get caught off guard."

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Former Navy workers sentenced in fraud scheme in Gulfport, Miss. - Daily Journal

GULFPORT, Mississippi — Two former Navy workers have been ordered to make restitution for their roles in a false travel-claim scheme that federal prosecutors said involved tens of thousands of dollars.

Richard Stephen Bellock, 43, of Alquippa, Pennsylvania, received a prison term of 70 months and three years' probation at his sentencing in federal court Tuesday.

The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1frh5Z1) U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden also ordered Bellock to help others repay $163,749.25.

Bellock also was indicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft involving a travel voucher filed in another person's name and paid to his account. Those charges were dismissed in exchange for his plea.

The judge sentenced Iralen Jewell, 33, of Grand Junction, Colorado, to help others repay $10,196.89. The judge fined Jewell $500 and ordered three years of probation.

Court papers show Jewell repaid more than $500 in 2010.

A federal grand jury indicted Bellock, Jewell and two others in June.

Bellock and Jewell had a rank of logistics specialist 1st class when they were stationed at the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport.

They were among at least nine servicemen prosecuted in related cases involving illegal payments while they were assigned to NMCB 74 between October 2006 and August 2011.

Former Navy workers sentenced in fraud scheme in Gulfport, Miss. - Daily Journal

GULFPORT, Mississippi — Two former Navy workers have been ordered to make restitution for their roles in a false travel-claim scheme that federal prosecutors said involved tens of thousands of dollars.

Richard Stephen Bellock, 43, of Alquippa, Pennsylvania, received a prison term of 70 months and three years' probation at his sentencing in federal court Tuesday.

The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1frh5Z1) U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden also ordered Bellock to help others repay $163,749.25.

Bellock also was indicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft involving a travel voucher filed in another person's name and paid to his account. Those charges were dismissed in exchange for his plea.

The judge sentenced Iralen Jewell, 33, of Grand Junction, Colorado, to help others repay $10,196.89. The judge fined Jewell $500 and ordered three years of probation.

Court papers show Jewell repaid more than $500 in 2010.

A federal grand jury indicted Bellock, Jewell and two others in June.

Bellock and Jewell had a rank of logistics specialist 1st class when they were stationed at the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport.

They were among at least nine servicemen prosecuted in related cases involving illegal payments while they were assigned to NMCB 74 between October 2006 and August 2011.

Mississippi House and Senate could try to work out difference on religious ... - Daily Journal

JACKSON, Mississippi — Mississippi lawmakers could try to write a final version of a religious-practices bill that has sparked concerns about anti-gay discrimination.

The Senate on Thursday voted to send Senate Bill 2681 into negotiations with the House.

The two sides face a Monday deadline to file a final version of the bill, known as the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act. If they don't meet that deadline, the bill will die. If they do reach a compromise, it would be sent to both chambers for a vote by the middle of next week.

The original version passed the Senate 48-0 on Jan. 31. It said government cannot put a substantial burden on religious practice without a compelling reason. The Senate debate that day focused primarily on a provision Republican Gov. Phil Bryant had requested, to add "In God We Trust" to the state seal.

There was nothing said during that debate about the bill's similarities to an Arizona proposal that, at the time, was being broadly criticized as a way to let people cite religious beliefs in refusing service to gay people, such as not baking a cake for a wedding or commitment ceremony. Arizona's Republican governor, Jan Brewer, eventually vetoed that bill after business groups said it could hurt the state's economy.

After the Mississippi bill passed the Senate, the American Civil Liberties Union and other critics started calling on the House to kill the bill.

On March 12, the House diluted the religious-practices provisions by turning those parts of the bill into a study group, but kept the part about changing the state seal. That version of the bill passed the House 82-35.

The state's influential Southern Baptist lobbying group, Christian Action Commission, supports the original version.

The bill's main sponsor, Republican Sen. Phillip Gandy of Waynesboro, is a Baptist minister. He told The Associated Press on Thursday that if his bill becomes law, Mississippi residents could cite their religious beliefs just as Hobby Lobby is doing now in its court challenge of contraceptive coverage mandated by the federal health overhaul law.

"People of faith could use this as a shield to protect their constitutional rights, their religious rights," Gandy said.

Ryan Brans, a 22-year-old Gulfport resident, participated in a gay-rights rally Wednesday in Jackson. Brans said she and her girlfriend, Elizabeth Parker, intend to marry in 2017, although same-sex marriage is illegal in Mississippi. Brans also said she hopes lawmakers kill the religious-practices bill because she worries it will embolden people to refuse service to gay people in restaurants, hotels and other places. She also said minority religious groups could face discrimination.

"We don't want this bill. It's not fair," Brans said.

Similar religious-practices bills were filed this year in several states, including Oklahoma, South Dakota and Tennessee. A bill was withdrawn in Ohio, and similar measures stalled in Idaho and Kansas.

____

Online: Senate Bill 2681: http://bit.ly/1hheTXI

____

Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://ift.tt/12bO1i8

Deep-sea sub Alvin in Gulf of Mexico, including 4th anniversary look at ... - Daily Journal

---

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(click the phrases to see a list)

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• Oceanography (46)


• Science (529)


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• Accidents and disasters (2998)

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GULFPORT, Mississippi — As the fourth anniversary of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill approaches, the Navy research sub called Alvin will be taking researchers down for a look at the ocean floor.

The research vessel Atlantis was scheduled to carry scientists and Alvin out Monday for the smaller vessel's first research trip since renovation added space for a third scientist.

Researchers from the University of Georgia, Florida State University, the University of North Carolina and Coastal Carolina University plan 22 dives, The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1faj7zL) reported.

Marine science professor Samantha "Mandy" Joye of the University of Georgia, chief scientist for the voyage, said they'll be checking sites they sampled in 2010 to see whether there's been recovery.

"In the dives in the submarine, we'll actually be able to see the diversity of animals on the bottom and compare this to what a natural soft bottom community would look like," she said Saturday during a media day.

The sub also has high-definition cameras and can collect water, sediment and biological samples from the seafloor.

"Our work is aimed at understanding the long-term impacts of the 2010 blowout and sites within 20 to 100 nautical miles of the wellhead," Joye said.

The well owned by BP PLC blew wild April 20, 2010, killing 11 crew members, and continued to spew oil until it was capped July 15, 2010.

About 300 pounds of tar balls from the spill recently washed onto Mississippi's barrier islands.

The National Science Foundation is covering most of the cost. The Gulf Research Board is paying for three dives.

The Atlantis will be at sea until April 22.

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Family needs help escaping neighbor's home after Biloxi River flood - The Republic

GULFPORT, Mississippi — A family of three and their three dogs needed help from Gulfport rescue teams to get out of a neighbor's home where they were stranded due to heavy rains.

Gulfport Battalion Chief Chris Henderson told The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1hlP5dm ) that the Fire Department received a call about 5:30 a.m. Saturday about a north Gulfport family stranded at a neighbor's home on the Biloxi River.

It took the department's Swift Water Rescue Team until about 7 a.m. to free the family members, who had taken refuge on a second-floor deck on their neighbor's home after the river overflowed its banks.

Officials in south Mississippi said Saturday that they don't anticipate more precipitation for several days, but the Coast is expected to experience a ripple effect from two days of heavy rainfall. Officials and people living along or near area rivers should watch for flooding.

As of 10 a.m., the Biloxi River had crested at 14.5 feet, 2.5 feet above its flood stage, and the water level was beginning to decrease.

The Wolf and Tchoutacabouffa rivers are expected to continue to rise.

Meteorologist Shawn O'Neil with the National Weather Service in Slidell, Louisiana, said the Wolf River — with an 8-foot flood stage — was at 10.6 feet and should continue to rise to about 12 feet by midnight and should be flooded until Monday evening.

The Tchoutacabouffa River has a flood stage of 8-feet and is expected to crest around 7.7 feet by midnight.

Harrison County Director of Emergency Management Rupert Lacy said he wasn't anticipating a high number of issues resulting from rivers flooding.

"Our people who live on the rivers love it and they understand that this time of the year we have floods and they have to pay attention," he said. "Once warnings or watches come out, you need to heed those so that you don't get caught off guard."

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Former Navy workers sentenced in fraud scheme in Gulfport, Miss. - Daily Journal

GULFPORT, Mississippi — Two former Navy workers have been ordered to make restitution for their roles in a false travel-claim scheme that federal prosecutors said involved tens of thousands of dollars.

Richard Stephen Bellock, 43, of Alquippa, Pennsylvania, received a prison term of 70 months and three years' probation at his sentencing in federal court Tuesday.

The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1frh5Z1) U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden also ordered Bellock to help others repay $163,749.25.

Bellock also was indicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft involving a travel voucher filed in another person's name and paid to his account. Those charges were dismissed in exchange for his plea.

The judge sentenced Iralen Jewell, 33, of Grand Junction, Colorado, to help others repay $10,196.89. The judge fined Jewell $500 and ordered three years of probation.

Court papers show Jewell repaid more than $500 in 2010.

A federal grand jury indicted Bellock, Jewell and two others in June.

Bellock and Jewell had a rank of logistics specialist 1st class when they were stationed at the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport.

They were among at least nine servicemen prosecuted in related cases involving illegal payments while they were assigned to NMCB 74 between October 2006 and August 2011.

Mississippi House and Senate could try to work out difference on religious ... - Daily Journal

JACKSON, Mississippi — Mississippi lawmakers could try to write a final version of a religious-practices bill that has sparked concerns about anti-gay discrimination.

The Senate on Thursday voted to send Senate Bill 2681 into negotiations with the House.

The two sides face a Monday deadline to file a final version of the bill, known as the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act. If they don't meet that deadline, the bill will die. If they do reach a compromise, it would be sent to both chambers for a vote by the middle of next week.

The original version passed the Senate 48-0 on Jan. 31. It said government cannot put a substantial burden on religious practice without a compelling reason. The Senate debate that day focused primarily on a provision Republican Gov. Phil Bryant had requested, to add "In God We Trust" to the state seal.

There was nothing said during that debate about the bill's similarities to an Arizona proposal that, at the time, was being broadly criticized as a way to let people cite religious beliefs in refusing service to gay people, such as not baking a cake for a wedding or commitment ceremony. Arizona's Republican governor, Jan Brewer, eventually vetoed that bill after business groups said it could hurt the state's economy.

After the Mississippi bill passed the Senate, the American Civil Liberties Union and other critics started calling on the House to kill the bill.

On March 12, the House diluted the religious-practices provisions by turning those parts of the bill into a study group, but kept the part about changing the state seal. That version of the bill passed the House 82-35.

The state's influential Southern Baptist lobbying group, Christian Action Commission, supports the original version.

The bill's main sponsor, Republican Sen. Phillip Gandy of Waynesboro, is a Baptist minister. He told The Associated Press on Thursday that if his bill becomes law, Mississippi residents could cite their religious beliefs just as Hobby Lobby is doing now in its court challenge of contraceptive coverage mandated by the federal health overhaul law.

"People of faith could use this as a shield to protect their constitutional rights, their religious rights," Gandy said.

Ryan Brans, a 22-year-old Gulfport resident, participated in a gay-rights rally Wednesday in Jackson. Brans said she and her girlfriend, Elizabeth Parker, intend to marry in 2017, although same-sex marriage is illegal in Mississippi. Brans also said she hopes lawmakers kill the religious-practices bill because she worries it will embolden people to refuse service to gay people in restaurants, hotels and other places. She also said minority religious groups could face discrimination.

"We don't want this bill. It's not fair," Brans said.

Similar religious-practices bills were filed this year in several states, including Oklahoma, South Dakota and Tennessee. A bill was withdrawn in Ohio, and similar measures stalled in Idaho and Kansas.

____

Online: Senate Bill 2681: http://bit.ly/1hheTXI

____

Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://ift.tt/12bO1i8

Deep-sea sub Alvin in Gulf of Mexico, including 4th anniversary look at ... - Daily Journal

---

We also have more stories about:

(click the phrases to see a list)

Subjects:

• Oceanography (46)


• Science (529)


• Environmental concerns (532)


• Environment and nature (1962)


• Accidents and disasters (2998)

Places:

GULFPORT, Mississippi — As the fourth anniversary of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill approaches, the Navy research sub called Alvin will be taking researchers down for a look at the ocean floor.

The research vessel Atlantis was scheduled to carry scientists and Alvin out Monday for the smaller vessel's first research trip since renovation added space for a third scientist.

Researchers from the University of Georgia, Florida State University, the University of North Carolina and Coastal Carolina University plan 22 dives, The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1faj7zL) reported.

Marine science professor Samantha "Mandy" Joye of the University of Georgia, chief scientist for the voyage, said they'll be checking sites they sampled in 2010 to see whether there's been recovery.

"In the dives in the submarine, we'll actually be able to see the diversity of animals on the bottom and compare this to what a natural soft bottom community would look like," she said Saturday during a media day.

The sub also has high-definition cameras and can collect water, sediment and biological samples from the seafloor.

"Our work is aimed at understanding the long-term impacts of the 2010 blowout and sites within 20 to 100 nautical miles of the wellhead," Joye said.

The well owned by BP PLC blew wild April 20, 2010, killing 11 crew members, and continued to spew oil until it was capped July 15, 2010.

About 300 pounds of tar balls from the spill recently washed onto Mississippi's barrier islands.

The National Science Foundation is covering most of the cost. The Gulf Research Board is paying for three dives.

The Atlantis will be at sea until April 22.

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Family needs help escaping neighbor's home after Biloxi River flood - Daily Journal

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GULFPORT, Mississippi — A family of three and their three dogs needed help from Gulfport rescue teams to get out of a neighbor's home where they were stranded due to heavy rains.

Gulfport Battalion Chief Chris Henderson told The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1hlP5dm ) that the Fire Department received a call about 5:30 a.m. Saturday about a north Gulfport family stranded at a neighbor's home on the Biloxi River.

It took the department's Swift Water Rescue Team until about 7 a.m. to free the family members, who had taken refuge on a second-floor deck on their neighbor's home after the river overflowed its banks.

Officials in south Mississippi said Saturday that they don't anticipate more precipitation for several days, but the Coast is expected to experience a ripple effect from two days of heavy rainfall. Officials and people living along or near area rivers should watch for flooding.

As of 10 a.m., the Biloxi River had crested at 14.5 feet, 2.5 feet above its flood stage, and the water level was beginning to decrease.

The Wolf and Tchoutacabouffa rivers are expected to continue to rise.

Meteorologist Shawn O'Neil with the National Weather Service in Slidell, Louisiana, said the Wolf River — with an 8-foot flood stage — was at 10.6 feet and should continue to rise to about 12 feet by midnight and should be flooded until Monday evening.

The Tchoutacabouffa River has a flood stage of 8-feet and is expected to crest around 7.7 feet by midnight.

Harrison County Director of Emergency Management Rupert Lacy said he wasn't anticipating a high number of issues resulting from rivers flooding.

"Our people who live on the rivers love it and they understand that this time of the year we have floods and they have to pay attention," he said. "Once warnings or watches come out, you need to heed those so that you don't get caught off guard."

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Former Navy workers sentenced in fraud scheme in Gulfport, Miss. - Greenfield Daily Reporter

GULFPORT, Mississippi — Two former Navy workers have been ordered to make restitution for their roles in a false travel-claim scheme that federal prosecutors said involved tens of thousands of dollars.

Richard Stephen Bellock, 43, of Alquippa, Pennsylvania, received a prison term of 70 months and three years' probation at his sentencing in federal court Tuesday.

The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1frh5Z1) U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden also ordered Bellock to help others repay $163,749.25.

Bellock also was indicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft involving a travel voucher filed in another person's name and paid to his account. Those charges were dismissed in exchange for his plea.

The judge sentenced Iralen Jewell, 33, of Grand Junction, Colorado, to help others repay $10,196.89. The judge fined Jewell $500 and ordered three years of probation.

Court papers show Jewell repaid more than $500 in 2010.

A federal grand jury indicted Bellock, Jewell and two others in June.

Bellock and Jewell had a rank of logistics specialist 1st class when they were stationed at the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport.

They were among at least nine servicemen prosecuted in related cases involving illegal payments while they were assigned to NMCB 74 between October 2006 and August 2011.

Mississippi House and Senate could try to work out difference on religious ... - Daily Journal

JACKSON, Mississippi — Mississippi lawmakers could try to write a final version of a religious-practices bill that has sparked concerns about anti-gay discrimination.

The Senate on Thursday voted to send Senate Bill 2681 into negotiations with the House.

The two sides face a Monday deadline to file a final version of the bill, known as the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act. If they don't meet that deadline, the bill will die. If they do reach a compromise, it would be sent to both chambers for a vote by the middle of next week.

The original version passed the Senate 48-0 on Jan. 31. It said government cannot put a substantial burden on religious practice without a compelling reason. The Senate debate that day focused primarily on a provision Republican Gov. Phil Bryant had requested, to add "In God We Trust" to the state seal.

There was nothing said during that debate about the bill's similarities to an Arizona proposal that, at the time, was being broadly criticized as a way to let people cite religious beliefs in refusing service to gay people, such as not baking a cake for a wedding or commitment ceremony. Arizona's Republican governor, Jan Brewer, eventually vetoed that bill after business groups said it could hurt the state's economy.

After the Mississippi bill passed the Senate, the American Civil Liberties Union and other critics started calling on the House to kill the bill.

On March 12, the House diluted the religious-practices provisions by turning those parts of the bill into a study group, but kept the part about changing the state seal. That version of the bill passed the House 82-35.

The state's influential Southern Baptist lobbying group, Christian Action Commission, supports the original version.

The bill's main sponsor, Republican Sen. Phillip Gandy of Waynesboro, is a Baptist minister. He told The Associated Press on Thursday that if his bill becomes law, Mississippi residents could cite their religious beliefs just as Hobby Lobby is doing now in its court challenge of contraceptive coverage mandated by the federal health overhaul law.

"People of faith could use this as a shield to protect their constitutional rights, their religious rights," Gandy said.

Ryan Brans, a 22-year-old Gulfport resident, participated in a gay-rights rally Wednesday in Jackson. Brans said she and her girlfriend, Elizabeth Parker, intend to marry in 2017, although same-sex marriage is illegal in Mississippi. Brans also said she hopes lawmakers kill the religious-practices bill because she worries it will embolden people to refuse service to gay people in restaurants, hotels and other places. She also said minority religious groups could face discrimination.

"We don't want this bill. It's not fair," Brans said.

Similar religious-practices bills were filed this year in several states, including Oklahoma, South Dakota and Tennessee. A bill was withdrawn in Ohio, and similar measures stalled in Idaho and Kansas.

____

Online: Senate Bill 2681: http://bit.ly/1hheTXI

____

Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://ift.tt/12bO1i8

Deep-sea sub Alvin in Gulf of Mexico, including 4th anniversary look at ... - Daily Journal

---

We also have more stories about:

(click the phrases to see a list)

Subjects:

• Oceanography (46)


• Science (529)


• Environmental concerns (532)


• Environment and nature (1962)


• Accidents and disasters (2998)

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GULFPORT, Mississippi — As the fourth anniversary of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill approaches, the Navy research sub called Alvin will be taking researchers down for a look at the ocean floor.

The research vessel Atlantis was scheduled to carry scientists and Alvin out Monday for the smaller vessel's first research trip since renovation added space for a third scientist.

Researchers from the University of Georgia, Florida State University, the University of North Carolina and Coastal Carolina University plan 22 dives, The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1faj7zL) reported.

Marine science professor Samantha "Mandy" Joye of the University of Georgia, chief scientist for the voyage, said they'll be checking sites they sampled in 2010 to see whether there's been recovery.

"In the dives in the submarine, we'll actually be able to see the diversity of animals on the bottom and compare this to what a natural soft bottom community would look like," she said Saturday during a media day.

The sub also has high-definition cameras and can collect water, sediment and biological samples from the seafloor.

"Our work is aimed at understanding the long-term impacts of the 2010 blowout and sites within 20 to 100 nautical miles of the wellhead," Joye said.

The well owned by BP PLC blew wild April 20, 2010, killing 11 crew members, and continued to spew oil until it was capped July 15, 2010.

About 300 pounds of tar balls from the spill recently washed onto Mississippi's barrier islands.

The National Science Foundation is covering most of the cost. The Gulf Research Board is paying for three dives.

The Atlantis will be at sea until April 22.

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Family needs help escaping neighbor's home after Biloxi River flood - Daily Journal

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• Disaster planning and response (131)


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• Weather (590)


• Accidents and disasters (2998)

Places:

• Biloxi (27)


• Mississippi (695)

GULFPORT, Mississippi — A family of three and their three dogs needed help from Gulfport rescue teams to get out of a neighbor's home where they were stranded due to heavy rains.

Gulfport Battalion Chief Chris Henderson told The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1hlP5dm ) that the Fire Department received a call about 5:30 a.m. Saturday about a north Gulfport family stranded at a neighbor's home on the Biloxi River.

It took the department's Swift Water Rescue Team until about 7 a.m. to free the family members, who had taken refuge on a second-floor deck on their neighbor's home after the river overflowed its banks.

Officials in south Mississippi said Saturday that they don't anticipate more precipitation for several days, but the Coast is expected to experience a ripple effect from two days of heavy rainfall. Officials and people living along or near area rivers should watch for flooding.

As of 10 a.m., the Biloxi River had crested at 14.5 feet, 2.5 feet above its flood stage, and the water level was beginning to decrease.

The Wolf and Tchoutacabouffa rivers are expected to continue to rise.

Meteorologist Shawn O'Neil with the National Weather Service in Slidell, Louisiana, said the Wolf River — with an 8-foot flood stage — was at 10.6 feet and should continue to rise to about 12 feet by midnight and should be flooded until Monday evening.

The Tchoutacabouffa River has a flood stage of 8-feet and is expected to crest around 7.7 feet by midnight.

Harrison County Director of Emergency Management Rupert Lacy said he wasn't anticipating a high number of issues resulting from rivers flooding.

"Our people who live on the rivers love it and they understand that this time of the year we have floods and they have to pay attention," he said. "Once warnings or watches come out, you need to heed those so that you don't get caught off guard."

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Former Navy workers sentenced in fraud scheme in Gulfport, Miss. - Daily Journal

GULFPORT, Mississippi — Two former Navy workers have been ordered to make restitution for their roles in a false travel-claim scheme that federal prosecutors said involved tens of thousands of dollars.

Richard Stephen Bellock, 43, of Alquippa, Pennsylvania, received a prison term of 70 months and three years' probation at his sentencing in federal court Tuesday.

The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1frh5Z1) U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden also ordered Bellock to help others repay $163,749.25.

Bellock also was indicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft involving a travel voucher filed in another person's name and paid to his account. Those charges were dismissed in exchange for his plea.

The judge sentenced Iralen Jewell, 33, of Grand Junction, Colorado, to help others repay $10,196.89. The judge fined Jewell $500 and ordered three years of probation.

Court papers show Jewell repaid more than $500 in 2010.

A federal grand jury indicted Bellock, Jewell and two others in June.

Bellock and Jewell had a rank of logistics specialist 1st class when they were stationed at the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport.

They were among at least nine servicemen prosecuted in related cases involving illegal payments while they were assigned to NMCB 74 between October 2006 and August 2011.

Mississippi House and Senate could try to work out difference on religious ... - Daily Journal

JACKSON, Mississippi — Mississippi lawmakers could try to write a final version of a religious-practices bill that has sparked concerns about anti-gay discrimination.

The Senate on Thursday voted to send Senate Bill 2681 into negotiations with the House.

The two sides face a Monday deadline to file a final version of the bill, known as the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act. If they don't meet that deadline, the bill will die. If they do reach a compromise, it would be sent to both chambers for a vote by the middle of next week.

The original version passed the Senate 48-0 on Jan. 31. It said government cannot put a substantial burden on religious practice without a compelling reason. The Senate debate that day focused primarily on a provision Republican Gov. Phil Bryant had requested, to add "In God We Trust" to the state seal.

There was nothing said during that debate about the bill's similarities to an Arizona proposal that, at the time, was being broadly criticized as a way to let people cite religious beliefs in refusing service to gay people, such as not baking a cake for a wedding or commitment ceremony. Arizona's Republican governor, Jan Brewer, eventually vetoed that bill after business groups said it could hurt the state's economy.

After the Mississippi bill passed the Senate, the American Civil Liberties Union and other critics started calling on the House to kill the bill.

On March 12, the House diluted the religious-practices provisions by turning those parts of the bill into a study group, but kept the part about changing the state seal. That version of the bill passed the House 82-35.

The state's influential Southern Baptist lobbying group, Christian Action Commission, supports the original version.

The bill's main sponsor, Republican Sen. Phillip Gandy of Waynesboro, is a Baptist minister. He told The Associated Press on Thursday that if his bill becomes law, Mississippi residents could cite their religious beliefs just as Hobby Lobby is doing now in its court challenge of contraceptive coverage mandated by the federal health overhaul law.

"People of faith could use this as a shield to protect their constitutional rights, their religious rights," Gandy said.

Ryan Brans, a 22-year-old Gulfport resident, participated in a gay-rights rally Wednesday in Jackson. Brans said she and her girlfriend, Elizabeth Parker, intend to marry in 2017, although same-sex marriage is illegal in Mississippi. Brans also said she hopes lawmakers kill the religious-practices bill because she worries it will embolden people to refuse service to gay people in restaurants, hotels and other places. She also said minority religious groups could face discrimination.

"We don't want this bill. It's not fair," Brans said.

Similar religious-practices bills were filed this year in several states, including Oklahoma, South Dakota and Tennessee. A bill was withdrawn in Ohio, and similar measures stalled in Idaho and Kansas.

____

Online: Senate Bill 2681: http://bit.ly/1hheTXI

____

Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://ift.tt/12bO1i8

Deep-sea sub Alvin in Gulf of Mexico, including 4th anniversary look at ... - Daily Journal

---

We also have more stories about:

(click the phrases to see a list)

Subjects:

• Oceanography (46)


• Science (529)


• Environmental concerns (532)


• Environment and nature (1962)


• Accidents and disasters (2998)

Places:

GULFPORT, Mississippi — As the fourth anniversary of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill approaches, the Navy research sub called Alvin will be taking researchers down for a look at the ocean floor.

The research vessel Atlantis was scheduled to carry scientists and Alvin out Monday for the smaller vessel's first research trip since renovation added space for a third scientist.

Researchers from the University of Georgia, Florida State University, the University of North Carolina and Coastal Carolina University plan 22 dives, The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1faj7zL) reported.

Marine science professor Samantha "Mandy" Joye of the University of Georgia, chief scientist for the voyage, said they'll be checking sites they sampled in 2010 to see whether there's been recovery.

"In the dives in the submarine, we'll actually be able to see the diversity of animals on the bottom and compare this to what a natural soft bottom community would look like," she said Saturday during a media day.

The sub also has high-definition cameras and can collect water, sediment and biological samples from the seafloor.

"Our work is aimed at understanding the long-term impacts of the 2010 blowout and sites within 20 to 100 nautical miles of the wellhead," Joye said.

The well owned by BP PLC blew wild April 20, 2010, killing 11 crew members, and continued to spew oil until it was capped July 15, 2010.

About 300 pounds of tar balls from the spill recently washed onto Mississippi's barrier islands.

The National Science Foundation is covering most of the cost. The Gulf Research Board is paying for three dives.

The Atlantis will be at sea until April 22.

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Family needs help escaping neighbor's home after Biloxi River flood - The Republic

GULFPORT, Mississippi — A family of three and their three dogs needed help from Gulfport rescue teams to get out of a neighbor's home where they were stranded due to heavy rains.

Gulfport Battalion Chief Chris Henderson told The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1hlP5dm ) that the Fire Department received a call about 5:30 a.m. Saturday about a north Gulfport family stranded at a neighbor's home on the Biloxi River.

It took the department's Swift Water Rescue Team until about 7 a.m. to free the family members, who had taken refuge on a second-floor deck on their neighbor's home after the river overflowed its banks.

Officials in south Mississippi said Saturday that they don't anticipate more precipitation for several days, but the Coast is expected to experience a ripple effect from two days of heavy rainfall. Officials and people living along or near area rivers should watch for flooding.

As of 10 a.m., the Biloxi River had crested at 14.5 feet, 2.5 feet above its flood stage, and the water level was beginning to decrease.

The Wolf and Tchoutacabouffa rivers are expected to continue to rise.

Meteorologist Shawn O'Neil with the National Weather Service in Slidell, Louisiana, said the Wolf River — with an 8-foot flood stage — was at 10.6 feet and should continue to rise to about 12 feet by midnight and should be flooded until Monday evening.

The Tchoutacabouffa River has a flood stage of 8-feet and is expected to crest around 7.7 feet by midnight.

Harrison County Director of Emergency Management Rupert Lacy said he wasn't anticipating a high number of issues resulting from rivers flooding.

"Our people who live on the rivers love it and they understand that this time of the year we have floods and they have to pay attention," he said. "Once warnings or watches come out, you need to heed those so that you don't get caught off guard."

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Former Navy workers sentenced in fraud scheme in Gulfport, Miss. - Daily Journal

GULFPORT, Mississippi — Two former Navy workers have been ordered to make restitution for their roles in a false travel-claim scheme that federal prosecutors said involved tens of thousands of dollars.

Richard Stephen Bellock, 43, of Alquippa, Pennsylvania, received a prison term of 70 months and three years' probation at his sentencing in federal court Tuesday.

The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1frh5Z1) U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden also ordered Bellock to help others repay $163,749.25.

Bellock also was indicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft involving a travel voucher filed in another person's name and paid to his account. Those charges were dismissed in exchange for his plea.

The judge sentenced Iralen Jewell, 33, of Grand Junction, Colorado, to help others repay $10,196.89. The judge fined Jewell $500 and ordered three years of probation.

Court papers show Jewell repaid more than $500 in 2010.

A federal grand jury indicted Bellock, Jewell and two others in June.

Bellock and Jewell had a rank of logistics specialist 1st class when they were stationed at the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport.

They were among at least nine servicemen prosecuted in related cases involving illegal payments while they were assigned to NMCB 74 between October 2006 and August 2011.

Mississippi House and Senate could try to work out difference on religious ... - Daily Journal

JACKSON, Mississippi — Mississippi lawmakers could try to write a final version of a religious-practices bill that has sparked concerns about anti-gay discrimination.

The Senate on Thursday voted to send Senate Bill 2681 into negotiations with the House.

The two sides face a Monday deadline to file a final version of the bill, known as the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act. If they don't meet that deadline, the bill will die. If they do reach a compromise, it would be sent to both chambers for a vote by the middle of next week.

The original version passed the Senate 48-0 on Jan. 31. It said government cannot put a substantial burden on religious practice without a compelling reason. The Senate debate that day focused primarily on a provision Republican Gov. Phil Bryant had requested, to add "In God We Trust" to the state seal.

There was nothing said during that debate about the bill's similarities to an Arizona proposal that, at the time, was being broadly criticized as a way to let people cite religious beliefs in refusing service to gay people, such as not baking a cake for a wedding or commitment ceremony. Arizona's Republican governor, Jan Brewer, eventually vetoed that bill after business groups said it could hurt the state's economy.

After the Mississippi bill passed the Senate, the American Civil Liberties Union and other critics started calling on the House to kill the bill.

On March 12, the House diluted the religious-practices provisions by turning those parts of the bill into a study group, but kept the part about changing the state seal. That version of the bill passed the House 82-35.

The state's influential Southern Baptist lobbying group, Christian Action Commission, supports the original version.

The bill's main sponsor, Republican Sen. Phillip Gandy of Waynesboro, is a Baptist minister. He told The Associated Press on Thursday that if his bill becomes law, Mississippi residents could cite their religious beliefs just as Hobby Lobby is doing now in its court challenge of contraceptive coverage mandated by the federal health overhaul law.

"People of faith could use this as a shield to protect their constitutional rights, their religious rights," Gandy said.

Ryan Brans, a 22-year-old Gulfport resident, participated in a gay-rights rally Wednesday in Jackson. Brans said she and her girlfriend, Elizabeth Parker, intend to marry in 2017, although same-sex marriage is illegal in Mississippi. Brans also said she hopes lawmakers kill the religious-practices bill because she worries it will embolden people to refuse service to gay people in restaurants, hotels and other places. She also said minority religious groups could face discrimination.

"We don't want this bill. It's not fair," Brans said.

Similar religious-practices bills were filed this year in several states, including Oklahoma, South Dakota and Tennessee. A bill was withdrawn in Ohio, and similar measures stalled in Idaho and Kansas.

____

Online: Senate Bill 2681: http://bit.ly/1hheTXI

____

Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://ift.tt/12bO1i8

Family needs help escaping neighbor's home after Biloxi River flood - The Republic

GULFPORT, Mississippi — A family of three and their three dogs needed help from Gulfport rescue teams to get out of a neighbor's home where they were stranded due to heavy rains.

Gulfport Battalion Chief Chris Henderson told The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1hlP5dm ) that the Fire Department received a call about 5:30 a.m. Saturday about a north Gulfport family stranded at a neighbor's home on the Biloxi River.

It took the department's Swift Water Rescue Team until about 7 a.m. to free the family members, who had taken refuge on a second-floor deck on their neighbor's home after the river overflowed its banks.

Officials in south Mississippi said Saturday that they don't anticipate more precipitation for several days, but the Coast is expected to experience a ripple effect from two days of heavy rainfall. Officials and people living along or near area rivers should watch for flooding.

As of 10 a.m., the Biloxi River had crested at 14.5 feet, 2.5 feet above its flood stage, and the water level was beginning to decrease.

The Wolf and Tchoutacabouffa rivers are expected to continue to rise.

Meteorologist Shawn O'Neil with the National Weather Service in Slidell, Louisiana, said the Wolf River — with an 8-foot flood stage — was at 10.6 feet and should continue to rise to about 12 feet by midnight and should be flooded until Monday evening.

The Tchoutacabouffa River has a flood stage of 8-feet and is expected to crest around 7.7 feet by midnight.

Harrison County Director of Emergency Management Rupert Lacy said he wasn't anticipating a high number of issues resulting from rivers flooding.

"Our people who live on the rivers love it and they understand that this time of the year we have floods and they have to pay attention," he said. "Once warnings or watches come out, you need to heed those so that you don't get caught off guard."

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Former Navy workers sentenced in fraud scheme in Gulfport, Miss. - Daily Journal

GULFPORT, Mississippi — Two former Navy workers have been ordered to make restitution for their roles in a false travel-claim scheme that federal prosecutors said involved tens of thousands of dollars.

Richard Stephen Bellock, 43, of Alquippa, Pennsylvania, received a prison term of 70 months and three years' probation at his sentencing in federal court Tuesday.

The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1frh5Z1) U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden also ordered Bellock to help others repay $163,749.25.

Bellock also was indicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft involving a travel voucher filed in another person's name and paid to his account. Those charges were dismissed in exchange for his plea.

The judge sentenced Iralen Jewell, 33, of Grand Junction, Colorado, to help others repay $10,196.89. The judge fined Jewell $500 and ordered three years of probation.

Court papers show Jewell repaid more than $500 in 2010.

A federal grand jury indicted Bellock, Jewell and two others in June.

Bellock and Jewell had a rank of logistics specialist 1st class when they were stationed at the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport.

They were among at least nine servicemen prosecuted in related cases involving illegal payments while they were assigned to NMCB 74 between October 2006 and August 2011.

Mississippi House and Senate could try to work out difference on religious ... - Daily Journal

JACKSON, Mississippi — Mississippi lawmakers could try to write a final version of a religious-practices bill that has sparked concerns about anti-gay discrimination.

The Senate on Thursday voted to send Senate Bill 2681 into negotiations with the House.

The two sides face a Monday deadline to file a final version of the bill, known as the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act. If they don't meet that deadline, the bill will die. If they do reach a compromise, it would be sent to both chambers for a vote by the middle of next week.

The original version passed the Senate 48-0 on Jan. 31. It said government cannot put a substantial burden on religious practice without a compelling reason. The Senate debate that day focused primarily on a provision Republican Gov. Phil Bryant had requested, to add "In God We Trust" to the state seal.

There was nothing said during that debate about the bill's similarities to an Arizona proposal that, at the time, was being broadly criticized as a way to let people cite religious beliefs in refusing service to gay people, such as not baking a cake for a wedding or commitment ceremony. Arizona's Republican governor, Jan Brewer, eventually vetoed that bill after business groups said it could hurt the state's economy.

After the Mississippi bill passed the Senate, the American Civil Liberties Union and other critics started calling on the House to kill the bill.

On March 12, the House diluted the religious-practices provisions by turning those parts of the bill into a study group, but kept the part about changing the state seal. That version of the bill passed the House 82-35.

The state's influential Southern Baptist lobbying group, Christian Action Commission, supports the original version.

The bill's main sponsor, Republican Sen. Phillip Gandy of Waynesboro, is a Baptist minister. He told The Associated Press on Thursday that if his bill becomes law, Mississippi residents could cite their religious beliefs just as Hobby Lobby is doing now in its court challenge of contraceptive coverage mandated by the federal health overhaul law.

"People of faith could use this as a shield to protect their constitutional rights, their religious rights," Gandy said.

Ryan Brans, a 22-year-old Gulfport resident, participated in a gay-rights rally Wednesday in Jackson. Brans said she and her girlfriend, Elizabeth Parker, intend to marry in 2017, although same-sex marriage is illegal in Mississippi. Brans also said she hopes lawmakers kill the religious-practices bill because she worries it will embolden people to refuse service to gay people in restaurants, hotels and other places. She also said minority religious groups could face discrimination.

"We don't want this bill. It's not fair," Brans said.

Similar religious-practices bills were filed this year in several states, including Oklahoma, South Dakota and Tennessee. A bill was withdrawn in Ohio, and similar measures stalled in Idaho and Kansas.

____

Online: Senate Bill 2681: http://bit.ly/1hheTXI

____

Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://ift.tt/12bO1i8

Family needs help escaping neighbor's home after Biloxi River flood - The Republic

GULFPORT, Mississippi — A family of three and their three dogs needed help from Gulfport rescue teams to get out of a neighbor's home where they were stranded due to heavy rains.

Gulfport Battalion Chief Chris Henderson told The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1hlP5dm ) that the Fire Department received a call about 5:30 a.m. Saturday about a north Gulfport family stranded at a neighbor's home on the Biloxi River.

It took the department's Swift Water Rescue Team until about 7 a.m. to free the family members, who had taken refuge on a second-floor deck on their neighbor's home after the river overflowed its banks.

Officials in south Mississippi said Saturday that they don't anticipate more precipitation for several days, but the Coast is expected to experience a ripple effect from two days of heavy rainfall. Officials and people living along or near area rivers should watch for flooding.

As of 10 a.m., the Biloxi River had crested at 14.5 feet, 2.5 feet above its flood stage, and the water level was beginning to decrease.

The Wolf and Tchoutacabouffa rivers are expected to continue to rise.

Meteorologist Shawn O'Neil with the National Weather Service in Slidell, Louisiana, said the Wolf River — with an 8-foot flood stage — was at 10.6 feet and should continue to rise to about 12 feet by midnight and should be flooded until Monday evening.

The Tchoutacabouffa River has a flood stage of 8-feet and is expected to crest around 7.7 feet by midnight.

Harrison County Director of Emergency Management Rupert Lacy said he wasn't anticipating a high number of issues resulting from rivers flooding.

"Our people who live on the rivers love it and they understand that this time of the year we have floods and they have to pay attention," he said. "Once warnings or watches come out, you need to heed those so that you don't get caught off guard."

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Former Navy workers sentenced in fraud scheme in Gulfport, Miss. - Daily Journal

GULFPORT, Mississippi — Two former Navy workers have been ordered to make restitution for their roles in a false travel-claim scheme that federal prosecutors said involved tens of thousands of dollars.

Richard Stephen Bellock, 43, of Alquippa, Pennsylvania, received a prison term of 70 months and three years' probation at his sentencing in federal court Tuesday.

The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1frh5Z1) U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden also ordered Bellock to help others repay $163,749.25.

Bellock also was indicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft involving a travel voucher filed in another person's name and paid to his account. Those charges were dismissed in exchange for his plea.

The judge sentenced Iralen Jewell, 33, of Grand Junction, Colorado, to help others repay $10,196.89. The judge fined Jewell $500 and ordered three years of probation.

Court papers show Jewell repaid more than $500 in 2010.

A federal grand jury indicted Bellock, Jewell and two others in June.

Bellock and Jewell had a rank of logistics specialist 1st class when they were stationed at the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport.

They were among at least nine servicemen prosecuted in related cases involving illegal payments while they were assigned to NMCB 74 between October 2006 and August 2011.

Mississippi House and Senate could try to work out difference on religious ... - Daily Journal

JACKSON, Mississippi — Mississippi lawmakers could try to write a final version of a religious-practices bill that has sparked concerns about anti-gay discrimination.

The Senate on Thursday voted to send Senate Bill 2681 into negotiations with the House.

The two sides face a Monday deadline to file a final version of the bill, known as the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act. If they don't meet that deadline, the bill will die. If they do reach a compromise, it would be sent to both chambers for a vote by the middle of next week.

The original version passed the Senate 48-0 on Jan. 31. It said government cannot put a substantial burden on religious practice without a compelling reason. The Senate debate that day focused primarily on a provision Republican Gov. Phil Bryant had requested, to add "In God We Trust" to the state seal.

There was nothing said during that debate about the bill's similarities to an Arizona proposal that, at the time, was being broadly criticized as a way to let people cite religious beliefs in refusing service to gay people, such as not baking a cake for a wedding or commitment ceremony. Arizona's Republican governor, Jan Brewer, eventually vetoed that bill after business groups said it could hurt the state's economy.

After the Mississippi bill passed the Senate, the American Civil Liberties Union and other critics started calling on the House to kill the bill.

On March 12, the House diluted the religious-practices provisions by turning those parts of the bill into a study group, but kept the part about changing the state seal. That version of the bill passed the House 82-35.

The state's influential Southern Baptist lobbying group, Christian Action Commission, supports the original version.

The bill's main sponsor, Republican Sen. Phillip Gandy of Waynesboro, is a Baptist minister. He told The Associated Press on Thursday that if his bill becomes law, Mississippi residents could cite their religious beliefs just as Hobby Lobby is doing now in its court challenge of contraceptive coverage mandated by the federal health overhaul law.

"People of faith could use this as a shield to protect their constitutional rights, their religious rights," Gandy said.

Ryan Brans, a 22-year-old Gulfport resident, participated in a gay-rights rally Wednesday in Jackson. Brans said she and her girlfriend, Elizabeth Parker, intend to marry in 2017, although same-sex marriage is illegal in Mississippi. Brans also said she hopes lawmakers kill the religious-practices bill because she worries it will embolden people to refuse service to gay people in restaurants, hotels and other places. She also said minority religious groups could face discrimination.

"We don't want this bill. It's not fair," Brans said.

Similar religious-practices bills were filed this year in several states, including Oklahoma, South Dakota and Tennessee. A bill was withdrawn in Ohio, and similar measures stalled in Idaho and Kansas.

____

Online: Senate Bill 2681: http://bit.ly/1hheTXI

____

Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://ift.tt/12bO1i8

Family needs help escaping neighbor's home after Biloxi River flood - The Republic

GULFPORT, Mississippi — A family of three and their three dogs needed help from Gulfport rescue teams to get out of a neighbor's home where they were stranded due to heavy rains.

Gulfport Battalion Chief Chris Henderson told The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1hlP5dm ) that the Fire Department received a call about 5:30 a.m. Saturday about a north Gulfport family stranded at a neighbor's home on the Biloxi River.

It took the department's Swift Water Rescue Team until about 7 a.m. to free the family members, who had taken refuge on a second-floor deck on their neighbor's home after the river overflowed its banks.

Officials in south Mississippi said Saturday that they don't anticipate more precipitation for several days, but the Coast is expected to experience a ripple effect from two days of heavy rainfall. Officials and people living along or near area rivers should watch for flooding.

As of 10 a.m., the Biloxi River had crested at 14.5 feet, 2.5 feet above its flood stage, and the water level was beginning to decrease.

The Wolf and Tchoutacabouffa rivers are expected to continue to rise.

Meteorologist Shawn O'Neil with the National Weather Service in Slidell, Louisiana, said the Wolf River — with an 8-foot flood stage — was at 10.6 feet and should continue to rise to about 12 feet by midnight and should be flooded until Monday evening.

The Tchoutacabouffa River has a flood stage of 8-feet and is expected to crest around 7.7 feet by midnight.

Harrison County Director of Emergency Management Rupert Lacy said he wasn't anticipating a high number of issues resulting from rivers flooding.

"Our people who live on the rivers love it and they understand that this time of the year we have floods and they have to pay attention," he said. "Once warnings or watches come out, you need to heed those so that you don't get caught off guard."

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Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy

Former Navy workers sentenced in fraud scheme in Gulfport, Miss. - Daily Journal

GULFPORT, Mississippi — Two former Navy workers have been ordered to make restitution for their roles in a false travel-claim scheme that federal prosecutors said involved tens of thousands of dollars.

Richard Stephen Bellock, 43, of Alquippa, Pennsylvania, received a prison term of 70 months and three years' probation at his sentencing in federal court Tuesday.

The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1frh5Z1) U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden also ordered Bellock to help others repay $163,749.25.

Bellock also was indicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft involving a travel voucher filed in another person's name and paid to his account. Those charges were dismissed in exchange for his plea.

The judge sentenced Iralen Jewell, 33, of Grand Junction, Colorado, to help others repay $10,196.89. The judge fined Jewell $500 and ordered three years of probation.

Court papers show Jewell repaid more than $500 in 2010.

A federal grand jury indicted Bellock, Jewell and two others in June.

Bellock and Jewell had a rank of logistics specialist 1st class when they were stationed at the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport.

They were among at least nine servicemen prosecuted in related cases involving illegal payments while they were assigned to NMCB 74 between October 2006 and August 2011.

Mississippi House and Senate could try to work out difference on religious ... - Daily Journal

JACKSON, Mississippi — Mississippi lawmakers could try to write a final version of a religious-practices bill that has sparked concerns about anti-gay discrimination.

The Senate on Thursday voted to send Senate Bill 2681 into negotiations with the House.

The two sides face a Monday deadline to file a final version of the bill, known as the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act. If they don't meet that deadline, the bill will die. If they do reach a compromise, it would be sent to both chambers for a vote by the middle of next week.

The original version passed the Senate 48-0 on Jan. 31. It said government cannot put a substantial burden on religious practice without a compelling reason. The Senate debate that day focused primarily on a provision Republican Gov. Phil Bryant had requested, to add "In God We Trust" to the state seal.

There was nothing said during that debate about the bill's similarities to an Arizona proposal that, at the time, was being broadly criticized as a way to let people cite religious beliefs in refusing service to gay people, such as not baking a cake for a wedding or commitment ceremony. Arizona's Republican governor, Jan Brewer, eventually vetoed that bill after business groups said it could hurt the state's economy.

After the Mississippi bill passed the Senate, the American Civil Liberties Union and other critics started calling on the House to kill the bill.

On March 12, the House diluted the religious-practices provisions by turning those parts of the bill into a study group, but kept the part about changing the state seal. That version of the bill passed the House 82-35.

The state's influential Southern Baptist lobbying group, Christian Action Commission, supports the original version.

The bill's main sponsor, Republican Sen. Phillip Gandy of Waynesboro, is a Baptist minister. He told The Associated Press on Thursday that if his bill becomes law, Mississippi residents could cite their religious beliefs just as Hobby Lobby is doing now in its court challenge of contraceptive coverage mandated by the federal health overhaul law.

"People of faith could use this as a shield to protect their constitutional rights, their religious rights," Gandy said.

Ryan Brans, a 22-year-old Gulfport resident, participated in a gay-rights rally Wednesday in Jackson. Brans said she and her girlfriend, Elizabeth Parker, intend to marry in 2017, although same-sex marriage is illegal in Mississippi. Brans also said she hopes lawmakers kill the religious-practices bill because she worries it will embolden people to refuse service to gay people in restaurants, hotels and other places. She also said minority religious groups could face discrimination.

"We don't want this bill. It's not fair," Brans said.

Similar religious-practices bills were filed this year in several states, including Oklahoma, South Dakota and Tennessee. A bill was withdrawn in Ohio, and similar measures stalled in Idaho and Kansas.

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Online: Senate Bill 2681: http://bit.ly/1hheTXI

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Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://ift.tt/12bO1i8

Family needs help escaping neighbor's home after Biloxi River flood - The Republic

GULFPORT, Mississippi — A family of three and their three dogs needed help from Gulfport rescue teams to get out of a neighbor's home where they were stranded due to heavy rains.

Gulfport Battalion Chief Chris Henderson told The Sun Herald (http://bit.ly/1hlP5dm ) that the Fire Department received a call about 5:30 a.m. Saturday about a north Gulfport family stranded at a neighbor's home on the Biloxi River.

It took the department's Swift Water Rescue Team until about 7 a.m. to free the family members, who had taken refuge on a second-floor deck on their neighbor's home after the river overflowed its banks.

Officials in south Mississippi said Saturday that they don't anticipate more precipitation for several days, but the Coast is expected to experience a ripple effect from two days of heavy rainfall. Officials and people living along or near area rivers should watch for flooding.

As of 10 a.m., the Biloxi River had crested at 14.5 feet, 2.5 feet above its flood stage, and the water level was beginning to decrease.

The Wolf and Tchoutacabouffa rivers are expected to continue to rise.

Meteorologist Shawn O'Neil with the National Weather Service in Slidell, Louisiana, said the Wolf River — with an 8-foot flood stage — was at 10.6 feet and should continue to rise to about 12 feet by midnight and should be flooded until Monday evening.

The Tchoutacabouffa River has a flood stage of 8-feet and is expected to crest around 7.7 feet by midnight.

Harrison County Director of Emergency Management Rupert Lacy said he wasn't anticipating a high number of issues resulting from rivers flooding.

"Our people who live on the rivers love it and they understand that this time of the year we have floods and they have to pay attention," he said. "Once warnings or watches come out, you need to heed those so that you don't get caught off guard."

---

Information from: The Sun Herald, http://ift.tt/12vv2Uy