Southern Paranormal is honored to be featured in the paranormal thriller! We can not thank Metal Man Productions and Gavin Brannan enough.

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Today is Saturday, March 23, the 82nd day of 2019. There are 283 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On March 23, 1942, the first Japanese-Americans evacuated by the U.S. Army during World War II arrived at the internment camp in Manzanar, California.

On this date:

In 1775, Patrick Henry delivered an address to the Virginia Provincial Convention in which he is said to have declared, “Give me liberty, or give me death!”

In 1806, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, having reached the Pacific coast, began their journey back east.

In 1914, the first installment of “The Perils of Pauline,” the silent film serial starring Pearl White, premiered in the greater New York City area.

In 1933, the German Reichstag adopted the Enabling Act, which effectively granted Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers.

In 1956, Pakistan became an Islamic republic.

In 1965, America’s first two-person space mission took place as Gemini 3 blasted off with astronauts Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom and John W. Young aboard for a nearly 5-hour flight.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan first proposed developing technology to intercept incoming enemy missiles — an idea that came to be known as the Strategic Defense Initiative. Dr. Barney Clark, recipient of a Jarvik permanent artificial heart, died at the University of Utah Medical Center after 112 days with the device.

In 1990, the romantic comedy “Pretty Woman,” starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, was released by Buena Vista Pictures.

In 1994, Aeroflot Flight 593, an Airbus A310, crashed in Siberia with the loss of all 75 people on board; it turned out the teenage son of a pilot who was allowed to sit at the controls accidentally disengaged the autopilot, causing the jetliner to plunge to the ground.

In 1998, “Titanic” tied an Academy Awards record by winning 11 Oscars, including best picture, director (James Cameron) and song (“My Heart Will Go On”).

In 2003, during the Iraq War, a U.S. Army maintenance convoy was ambushed in Nasiriyah (nah-sih-REE’-uh); 11 soldiers were killed, including Pfc. Lori Ann Piestewa (py-ES’-tuh-wah); six were captured, including Pfc. Jessica Lynch, who was rescued on April 1, 2003.

In 2005, truck driver Tyrone Williams was convicted in federal court in Houston for his role in the 2003 deaths of 19 immigrants he was smuggling across Texas. (After initially receiving a life sentence, Williams was resentenced in Jan. 2011 to nearly 34 years in prison.)

Ten years ago: The Obama administration unveiled a plan to take over up to $1 trillion in sour mortgage securities with the help of private investors; Wall Street responded by hurtling the Dow Jones industrials upward nearly 500 points. Japan defended its 2006 World Baseball Classic title with a 5-3 win over South Korea at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Five years ago: During a visit to Beijing, U.S. first lady Michelle Obama told Chinese professors, students and parents that she wouldn’t have risen to where she was if her parents hadn’t pushed for her to get a good education. Adolfo Suarez, Spain’s first democratically elected prime minister after decades of right-wing rule under Gen. Francisco Franco, died in Madrid at age 81.

One year ago: A French-Moroccan gunman killed four people before being killed by police in southern France who stormed a supermarket where he had taken hostages; the victims included a police officer who had swapped himself for a hostage being held in the supermarket. President Donald Trump released an order banning most transgender troops from serving in the military except under “limited circumstances.” The online classified ads site Craigslist removed its personals section; the action came after the U.S. Senate passed an anti-sex-trafficking bill that could hold the website and other responsible for illegal activity.

Today’s Birthdays: Movie director Mark Rydell is 90. International Motorsports Hall of Famer Craig Breedlove is 82. Singer-producer Ric Ocasek is 70. Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is 67. Singer Chaka Khan is 66. Actress Amanda Plummer is 62. Actress Catherine Keener is 60. Actress Hope Davis is 55. Actor Richard Grieco is 54. Country musician Kevin Griffin (Yankee Grey) is 54. Actress Marin Hinkle is 53. Rock singer-musician Damon Albarn (Blur) is 51. Actor Kelly Perine is 50. Actress-singer Melissa Errico is 49. Rock musician John Humphrey (The Nixons) is 49. Bandleader Reggie Watts (TV: “The Late Late Show With James Corden”) is 47. Actor Randall Park is 45. Actress Michelle Monaghan is 43. Actress Keri Russell is 43. Actress Anastasia Griffith is 41. Gossip columnist-blogger Perez Hilton is 41. Actress Nicholle Tom is 41. Country singer Paul Martin (Marshall Dyllon) is 41. Country singer Brett Young is 38. Actor Nicolas Wright is 37. Actor Ben Rappaport is 33.

Thought for Today: “What some call health, if purchased by perpetual anxiety about diet, isn’t much better than tedious disease.” — Alexander Pope, English poet (1688-1744).

The Associated Press.

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Jerome Steve, 33, of Philadelphia, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to 540 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for second degree murder, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Steve was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.

Steve entered a guilty plea on July 3, 2018, to one count of second degree murder. On November 2, 2017, four members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians assaulted and killed another Tribal member in the Tucker Community. Steve’s co-defendant, Keenan Martin, will be sentenced on March 22, 2019. The sentencing of a third defendant, Keyshawn Willis, will be set at a later date. A fourth defendant, Monte Isaac, died while awaiting sentencing.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Patrick Lemon, Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Payne. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Choctaw Police Department.

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At 8:10 pm Kosciusko Police, MedStat EMS along with City Fire and Rescue were dispatched the highway 12 west at the Wells Street intersection. The caller said that two vehicles had collided and there were possible injuries.

Units arrived on scene to find two lanes of traffic blocked.

MedStat checked the occupants, and according to emergency personnel, transported three patients to Baptist-Attala for medical treatment.

There is no word on the cause of the accident.

The Kosciusko Police Department will be in charge of the investigation.

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Today is Sunday, March 24, the 83rd day of 2019. There are 282 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On March 24, 2015, Germanwings Flight 9525, an Airbus A320, crashed into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board; investigators said the jetliner was deliberately downed by the 27-year-old co-pilot.

On this date:

In 1765, Britain enacted the Quartering Act, requiring American colonists to provide temporary housing to British soldiers.

In 1832, a mob in Hiram, Ohio, attacked, tarred and feathered Mormon leaders Joseph Smith Jr. and Sidney Rigdon.

In 1882, German scientist Robert Koch (kohk) announced in Berlin that he had discovered the bacillus responsible for tuberculosis.

In 1944, in occupied Rome, the Nazis executed more than 300 civilians in reprisal for an attack by Italian partisans the day before that killed 32 German soldiers.

In 1955, the Tennessee Williams play “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” opened on Broadway.

In 1958, Elvis Presley was inducted into the U.S. Army at the draft board in Memphis, Tennessee, before boarding a bus for Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. (Presley underwent basic training at Fort Hood, Texas, before being shipped off to Germany.)

In 1976, the president of Argentina, Isabel Peron, was deposed by her country’s military. British war hero Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery, 88, died in Alton, Hampshire, England.

In 1988, former national security aides Oliver L. North and John M. Poindexter and businessmen Richard V. Secord and Albert Hakim pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the Iran-Contra affair. (North and Poindexter were convicted, but had their verdicts thrown out; Secord and Hakim received probation after each pleaded guilty to a single count under a plea bargain.)

In 1989, the supertanker Exxon Valdez (vahl-DEEZ’) ran aground on a reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound and began leaking an estimated 11 million gallons of crude oil.

In 1995, after 20 years, British soldiers stopped routine patrols in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

In 1998, two students, ages 13 and 11, opened fire outside Jonesboro Westside Middle School in Arkansas, killing four classmates and a teacher. (The gunmen were imprisoned by Arkansas until age 18, then by federal authorities until age 21.)

In 1999, NATO launched airstrikes against Yugoslavia, marking the first time in its 50-year existence that it had ever attacked a sovereign country. Thirty-nine people were killed when fire erupted in the Mont Blanc tunnel in France and burned for two days.

Ten years ago: In his second prime-time news conference since taking office, President Barack Obama claimed early progress in his aggressive campaign to lead the nation out of economic chaos and declared that despite obstacles ahead, “we’re moving in the right direction.” Citing the AIG debacle, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, in a rare joint appearance before a House committee, asked for unprecedented powers to regulate complex nonbank financial institutions.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama began a week of international travel as he arrived in the Netherlands with Russia’s Crimean incursion at the top of his agenda. An Egyptian court sentenced to death nearly 530 suspected backers of ousted President Mohammed Morsi over a deadly attack on a police station, capping a swift, two-day mass trial in which defense attorneys were not allowed to present their case. Five former employees of imprisoned financier Bernard Madoff were convicted at the end of a six-month trial in New York that cast them as the long arms of their boss.

One year ago: In the streets of the nation’s capital and in cities across the country, hundreds of thousands of teenagers and their supporters rallied against gun violence, spurred by a call to action from student survivors of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead.

Today’s Birthdays: Poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti is 100. Actor William Smith is 86. Fashion and costume designer Bob Mackie is 80. Former Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire is 72. Rock musician Lee Oskar is 71. Singer Nick Lowe is 70. Rock musician Dougie Thomson (Supertramp) is 68. Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger is 68. Comedian Louie Anderson is 66. Actress Donna Pescow is 65. Actor Robert Carradine is 65. Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is 63. Actress Kelly LeBrock is 59. Rhythm-and-blues DJ Rodney “Kool Kollie” Terry (Ghostown DJs) is 58. TV personality Star Jones is 57. Country-rock musician Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers) is 55. Actor Peter Jacobson is 54. Rock singer-musician Sharon Corr (The Corrs) is 49. Actress Lauren Bowles is 49. Actress Lara Flynn Boyle is 49. Rapper Maceo (AKA P.A. Pasemaster Mase) is 49. Actress Megyn Price is 48. Actor Jim Parsons is 46. Christian rock musician Chad Butler (Switchfoot) is 45. Actress Alyson Hannigan is 45. Former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning is 43. Actress Amanda Brugel (TV: “The Handmaid’s Tale”) is 42. Actress Olivia Burnette is 42. Actress Jessica Chastain is 42. Actor Amir Arison is 41. Actress Lake Bell is 40. Rock musician Benj Gershman (O.A.R.) is 39. Neo-soul musician Jesse Phillips (St. Paul & the Broken Bones) is 39. Actor Philip Winchester (TV: “Strike Back”) is 38. Dancer Val Chmerkovskiy is 33. Actress Keisha Castle-Hughes is 29.

Thought for Today: “If merely ‘feeling good’ could decide, drunkenness would be the supremely valid human experience.” — William James, American psychologist (1842-1910).

The Associated Press.

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Be sure to subscribe to the Boswell Media YouTube channel to be kept up to date on all news, sports, and other happenings in central Mississippi.

The channel is updated daily with award winning news, radio interviews, and videos for Boswell Media promotions such as Cruisin for a Cure and the Mississippi Songwriter of the Year competition.

The channel is also used for live broadcasts of local sports and other community events.

To subscribe, log in to your Google or YouTube account and click the red Subscribe button below any Boswell Media video. After subscribing, click the bell icon to receive a notification whenever a video is uploaded or whenever the channel goes live.

You can also subscribe to the channel by visiting the Boswell Media Youtube homepage.

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At 5:02 pm Attala Deputies along with Attala Fire responded to a report of a vehicle fire. The caller said it was located ion a yard on highway 440. When emergency personnel arrived on scene and notified responding units that it was in fact a woods fire that had set a car on fire in the woods.

According to Authorities, the fire started as a trash fire that got out of hand. The owners told emergency personnel they attempted to light the fire and didn’t think it had started. When the area was left unattended the fire rekindled.

No injuries were reported.

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Maps are now available for the upcoming Picking 35 Yard Sale.

The maps highlight all stops on the 60-mile long route.

“Picking 35” is a series of yard sales that will stretch from Walnut Grove in Leake County through Attala County and into southern Carroll County  on Saturday, April 6.

The event is being presented by the Kosciusko Attala Partnership, Main Street Chamber of Leake County, and the City of Walnut Grove.

The map can be viewed/downloaded here.

Visit kapartnership.com for vendor applications and call 662-289-2981 for more information.

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U.S. Air Force Airman Katherine E. Parker graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Parker is the daughter of Stacy M. Card of McCool, Miss., and Kevin J. Parker of Natchitoches, La., sister of Jace Parker of Starkville, Miss., and granddaughter of Joyce A. and Gene Parker of Natchitoches, La.

She is a 2015 graduate of St. Marys High School, Natchitoches, La.

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At 4:32 pm Attala Deputies, The Mississippi Highway Patrol, MedStat EMS along with Attala Fire and Rescue were dispatched to a report of a three vehicle MVA. The caller said it was located at the Leake and Attala County line. Fire personnel cleared the scene at 5:01 pm.

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House Speaker Philip Gunn said Monday that Mississippi public school teachers are likely to get a one-time raise of $1,000 in the coming year.

Gunn made the statement after legislative leaders met Monday to increase their revenue outlook for the current budget year, as well as the 2020 year beginning July 1.

The debate over how much of a raise to give teachers has been a centerpiece of this election-year legislative session. Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves had both proposed a $500 raise this year followed by a $500 raise next year. House Democrats prompted that body to demand a pair of $2,000 raises. Now Gunn says lawmakers will do $1,000 in the coming year and not promise anything for the 2021 budget, which will be written by lawmakers chosen in this November’s elections.

“We feel pretty good if we are able to get a thousand this year,” Gunn said.

Reeves declined to be specific, saying only that he expected pay increases for teachers and state employees.

“I believe we will give a significant increase in teacher pay to reward their fantastic work over the last many years, and I’m hopeful it can be as large a number as we can possibly afford,” Reeves said.

Teacher advocates said they would be disappointed with only $1,000.

“That means the House caved,” said Kelly Riley, executive director of the Mississippi Professional Educators, a teachers’ association. “That is not a strong sign of commitment for our public school teachers and I anticipate our educators will hold our lawmakers accountable this coming election,” Riley said.

The high-ranking Joint Legislative Budget Committee voted on Monday to accept an estimate projecting at least $202 million more in state revenue to spend in the upcoming year, compared to the budget with which the state started the current year.

Overall, Mississippi is likely to spend more than $21 billion in the coming year. Of that, more than $6 billion is state revenue to which lawmakers pay closest attention.

A one-time teacher pay raise of $1,000 is projected to cost more than $50 million. Also a cornerstone of the budget is $61 million more to begin paying down an accumulated shortfall in state pension funds managed by the Public Employees Retirement System. Lawmakers also plan to cover the increased cost of health insurance.

Gunn and Reeves said lawmakers are likely to allot money for small raises for some state, community college and university employees, mainly aimed at employees who have received no increases in the past two or three years. Total funding for all those raises could equal less than $15 million.

House officials said the Department of Child Protective Services is likely to get increased funding to cover costs associated with an ongoing lawsuit over the state’s foster care system. Gunn also said lawmakers are likely to contribute money to the Department of Public Safety to reduce a backlog in commercial driver license exams. He didn’t say anything about increased funding for regular driver’s license exams, where lawmaker and citizens have complained about waiting times, or to spend money to reduce the state’s backlog of autopsies and forensic evidence testing.

The state was $129 million ahead of its current-year estimates through February, but the estimate adopted Monday only projects $125 million in growth for the current year, meaning lawmakers project revenue collections will backslide in the last four month of the budget. Still, that means the state could bank another substantial surplus, as it did last year. Nancy Loome of the Parents Campaign, a group that pushes for more public school funding and wants a $4,000 pay raise, said she believes lawmakers are being overly cautious.

“They are refusing to acknowledge revenue that is there,” Loome said.

Reeves defended the “very conservative estimates,” saying there would be enough money for pay raises.

Gunn and many other lawmakers hope to conclude 2019’s regular session this week, but there are other hurdles in addition to passing a budget. Lawmakers must also agree on their annual plan for state borrowing, for example, a document Gunn said was unlikely to emerge until Wednesday. (AP)

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Attala County Future Farmers of America (FFA) students recently competed in the Big Black Federation Competition.

Excited FFA members from Kosciusko, Louisville, Choctaw, Webster, Noxapater, and Nanih Waiya competed in categories inlcuding Tool ID, Tractor Driving/ Maintenance, Welding, Creed Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking, Prepared Public Speaking, and Opening/Closing Ceremony.

Attala County FFA teams placed well in a number of events:

• 1st Place Prepared Public Speaking: Katie Wilkerson
• 1st Place Senior Creed Speaking: Moleyia Harmon
• 3rd Place Extemporaneous Speaking: Jayla Gibson
• 3rd Place Opening & Closing Ceremony: Kristin Roby, Jayla Gibson, Abigail Atkinson, Conner Winters, KenBoatman,  Alyssa Wade and Katie Wilkerson

These students will move on the the next contest on Friday March 29th at East Central Community College.

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The City of Kosciusko has three new vehicles for the police department.

Two 2019 Dodge Chargers and a 2019 Dodge Durango SUV were purchased with funds available from the United States Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (USDA)).

Local officials hosted USDA State Director John W. Rounsaville Tuesday afternoon to thank him for his agency’s help in purchasing the vehicles.

Pictured: Steve Russell with NCPDD, Alderman Taylor Casey, John Rounsaville, Mayor Jimmy Cockroft and Chief Herbert Dew.

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At 5:46 pm Attala Deputies were called to a residence on Attala Road 4121. The caller said they has several items stolen.

At 5:55 pm Attala Deputies were called to highway 35 north for a report of a vehicle driving aggressively. The caller said that he was running people off the roadway white Toyota Camry. The vehicle, occupied by a black male, was seen traveling south from the Hesterville area.

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• Harvest Point Baptist Church will be hosting a baby shower for the Crisis Pregnancy Center in Philadelphia, MS on Sunday, March 31st at 2 pm. Pauline Karcher will be the guest speaker and will answer any questions anyone may have. Most needed items are as follows: diapers (any size but mostly need 4-6), wipes, baby wash (shampoo and wash), bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers, detergent (no dye or perfume), diaper rash creams (COMPLETELY OUT).  We can take some used items (in good shape only):  cribs, car seats, maternity clothes, baby clothes (especially  older sizes like one year and older), high chairs, strollers.
• Plantation MB Church will have Revival beginning Sunday, March 31 at 6 pm, and April 1 through April 3 at 7:30 pm nightly. Dr. Andrew Fair, Pastor of Fancher Hill MB Church will be the guest speaker.
• Bethlehem Church of Sallis will have Youth Revival April 1st-3rd at 7:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome, you may come any night of your choice. Thanking You in advance Pastor Darrell Brooks and the Bethlehem Church Family.
• New St. James COGIC invites you to their Men and Women United in Christ program April 7 at 11:30. We welcome all soloists, praise dancers, and choir members.
• Potter’s House of Prayer Church in Weir, MS is sponsoring, CHOCTAW COUNTY Igniting the Fire Gospel Tent Revival.  The dates will be April 11th – 14th beginning at 7 pm nightly.  Location will be 2039 MS HWY 12 in Weir, MS, just across from Henson Mini Mart. Inspirational Speakers include:  Pastor Burkey Thompson, of Macedonia MBC of Sallis,  Apostle Steve Lockley of DeKalb Christ Assemble of DeKalb, Pastor Danya Turner of Mt. Sinai MBC of Louisville, and Dr. Anthony McIntosh, Pastor of Mt. Bell MBC of Louisville. The Evangelist for the week will be Minister Luther Martin of Luther Martin Evangelistic Association of Flowood. For further information contact Lillie Anderson @ 662-420-4462.
• The Indian Springs Trail Ride will be held on Saturday, April 13^th in south Winston County. It will leave the Indian Springs church parking lot, 12 miles SW of Louisville on Hwy. 25, at 10 A.M.

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Proceeds from Oprah Winfrey’s new book are helping fund the Oprah Winfrey Boys and Girls Club of Kosciusko and Attala County.

Winfrey announced the book, The Path Made Clear, Tuesday afternoon in a video posted to both her Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Hope you enjoy my new book.
Great for graduates🎓trying to figure out what’s next.. or anyone who’s questioning or needs reassurance on the Path you’re on now. Order here: https://t.co/nTsc10mPZH #ThePathMadeClear pic.twitter.com/h8CgphB7WR

— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) March 26, 2019

“I believe that everybody has a purpose and a calling and I think this book will actually help you in clarity about finding that,” states Winfrey. “I’ve talked to some of the world’s leading thought leaders about finding your path and making it clear.”

At the end of the video, Winfrey states that the proceeds will go to the Boys and Girls Club in Kosciusko.

“There are a lot of kids that are trying to find their own way, and so all of my proceeds from The Path Made Clear goes  [sic] to the Boys & Girls Club of Kosciusko, Mississippi.”

The Oprah Winfrey Boys and Girls Club of Kosciusko opened its doors in September 2006. The 32,000-square foot facility was made possible by the generous efforts of Winfrey and her foundation.

The center, located at 500 Knox Rd. in Kosciusko, provides a safe, structured, and positive environment for young people.

More information on The Path Made Clear can be found here.

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Award winning singer/songwriter Steve Azar spoke with Breezy 101’s Breck Riley Wednesday morning about being named the Music and Culture Ambassador of Mississippi and recording a special song in April at The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience in Meridian.

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Two bodies have been discovered by Authorities in Neshoba County.

One body was found near Canal Scrap on Highway 15 bypass in Philadelphia. Neshoba County Sheriff Tommy Waddell said a female’s body was found Tuesday night in a camper trailer.

Authorities conducted a search the area and found a second body.

“Deputies searched the area and found the body of a male Wednesday morning in the wooded area near where the first body was found,” said Sheriff Waddell.

Neshoba County Sheriff Tommy Waddell said autopsies are being done at this time, the causes of death have not yet been determined.

Authorities are investigating and have not yet released the identity of the victims.

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Leaders in the Mississippi Legislature answered the biggest question of their election-year session Wednesday night, agreeing to give public school teachers a $1,500-a-year raise beginning July 1.

House and Senate negotiators filed a conference report late Wednesday to Senate Bill 2770 agreeing to the raise, ending days of negotiations that hit bumps over Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves’ effort to also push more money into a program to subsidize private school tuition for special education students.

The raise is higher than the pair of $500 increases over two years that Republican leaders had initially proposed, but less than the pair of $2,000 raises over two years that Democrats and teacher groups were still pushing for on Wednesday.

“We wanted it to be as high a number as it could be,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Buck Clarke, a Hollandale Republican running for state treasurer.

Clarke said the higher number became possible after budget writers discovered a calculation error in the amount of money needed for pay increases. They had previously said $51 million was needed to increase pay for the state’s teachers by $1,000 across the board. But Clarke said new calculations showed only $38 million was needed to raise pay by that much. He said a $1,500 raise would cost more than $50 million but less than $60 million.

Democrats said $1,500 was better than the “embarrassing” $1,000 that Republicans had proposed, but said it still wasn’t enough to be competitive with increases in other states, meaning Mississippi could fall further behind regional and national averages.

“While $1,500 is very real money, it does nothing to take our educators even close to the average of neighboring states,” said state Rep. Jay Hughes, an Oxford Democrat running for lieutenant governor. “We are in literal crises and exodus of public school teachers because they are overworked, underpaid and not allowed to simply teach our students.”

The bill would also boost the long-frozen minimum salaries for assistant teachers from $12,500 to $14,000. The Mississippi Department of Education says there are 31,000 classroom teachers and 3,500 assistants statewide. An additional number of other school personnel with educator licenses would also be covered.

Lawmakers are likely to take up the pay raise in the House and Senate Thursday, possibly setting the stage to end the session by Friday.

House members had been fighting with the Republican Reeves for days over his desire to increase funding for a program that pays for special education students to attend private schools. House Education Committee Chairman Richard Bennett, a Long Beach Republican, flatly refused to increase money that had been sought to clear a waiting list, saying the program is set to expire next year and that a legislative review raised questions about its effectiveness. In a statement on the raise Wednesday night, Reeves said “our student achievement is improving because of the hard work of our teachers and I’m thankful for their efforts.”

House Appropriations Committee Chairman John Read, a Gautier Republican, said Wednesday that he considered the new spending plan a “good budget,” in part because it gives raises and increases some services.

Republican leaders in the House said state agency employees who have gotten no pay raises in the last three years will get a 3 percent raise, although Democrats warned that many employees who are still poorly paid may see nothing. Clarke said pay increases would also be provided to some university and community college employees

The overall budget will include more than $6 billion in state revenue and more than $20 billion overall including federal money. Clarke said legislators are likely to increase spending of state revenue by $175 million to $200 million over what was in this year’s budget.

The House on Wednesday passed a number of budget bills. House Public Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Sam Mims said the state Medicaid agency will offer home care services to 921 more elderly and disabled people. The McComb Republican said the Department of Mental Health will offer care outside state hospitals to 126 more people who are intellectually or developmentally disabled. The state Department of Rehabilitation Services will offer home services to almost 200 more people.

The state Department of Child Protective Services, under a federal court order to improve the state’s foster care system, will get one-time money in the current budget year, plus more state tax money and permission to spend more federal aid in the next year.

The Department of Public Safety will get another $3.3 million for its driver services unit, aimed at cutting long lines to get commercial and regular driver’s licenses. (AP)

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