Some of the top local stories we discussed on this May 16th Edition of "Gulf Coast Mornings with Kelly Bennett and Uncle Henry":
More than 120 Pearl River County residents are in a tough situation, many stranded after last week’s storms washed out roads and bridges.Getting them repaired is part of a long to-do list for Pearl River County emergency services. Director Danny Manley said they also have at least 30 homes that were flooded and 120 people who were impacted in some way, and he anticipates those numbers will grow. A volunteer resource center is set up at the Emergency Operations Center at 810 Highway 11 South in Poplarville.
A sixth person is being charged in the murder of Biloxi Police Officer Robert McKeithen.
A Gulfport officer won't be facing any criminal charges in the September 2018 shooting of a suspect. A just released grand jury report states the panel found "no criminal conduct" on the officer's part, and that his actions against Joshua Jones "were appropriate." Jones was shot once when he allegedly bolted out of a car that police had stopped as part of a shooting investigation and became confrontational while being arrested. He was treated and released and subsequently charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
Mississippi is about three months away from the primary elections, with the state's focus on who will be elected the next governor come the fall. The Clarion Ledger reports poll results released by the Jim Hood campaign indicate the Democratic candidate for governor has about a 50-percent cushion over opponents in his own party. As for a likely match up with Republican Tate Reeves in November, polling conducted by Hickman Analytics earlier this month shows support for Hood at 45-percent, and 40-percent support for Reeves. The poll's margin of error is four-percent.
With the governor signing-on Wednesday... Alabama approved the strictest abortion rules in the nation. The new law bans almost all abortions at any stage of pregnancy. Louisiana is another step closer to having one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the nation. The state legislature's House Health and Welfare Committee approved a bill yesterday that bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat has been detected, usually six weeks into a pregnancy. The measure, which has already been approved by the Senate, now goes to the full House. Governor John Bel Edwards plans to sign it if it lands on his desk, though it won't become law unless a federal court upholds similar legislation passed earlier in Mississippi.
A plan to bring the lottery to Alabama is moving forward. Yesterday, a House committee approved a bill that would allow voters to decide for themselves if they want a state lottery. If voters pass this, 75-percent of revenue will go to the General Fund, most of the rest will go to the Education Trust Fund, and a small percentage will go to help compulsive gamblers. The House and Senate still have to pass this before voters get their say.
A new study says women who eat a low-fat, plant-based diet can reduce their risk of dying from breast cancer. According to the study released Wednesday, the key appears to be changing eating habits before tumors can develop. Researchers from UCLA tracked nearly 50-thousand women for 20 years. About 20-thousand women ate less red meat and full-fat dairy products, and more fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Those women had a 20-percent lower risk of dying from breast cancer. The American Cancer Society says breast cancer is the second-deadliest cancer among women.
Where do you get your best ideas? According to a new survey, most people said inspiration was most likely to strike … in bed. Yep, more than 40% of adults said they get their best ideas when they are in bed -- either when they are just falling asleep, waking up, or even in the middle of the night while fast asleep. After bed, going for a walk was the second best place for creativity, followed by listening to music in third, the shower in fourth, and while driving in fifth.
As HBO's eight-season mega hit Game of Thrones comes to a close, a significant portion of the fanbase isn't happy with how its turning out. After Sunday's penultimate episode "The Bells," an online petition went up on Change.org requesting that HBO remake the final season with competent writers. As of early today, the petition had nearly 250-thousand signatures. A lot of the anger stems from what some say is a rushed final season with inexplicable character actions. The writers have long since moved past the plot in the books the series is based on, because author George R. R. Martin hasn't finished writing them.