State may close drawbridges to marine traffic because of high winds

Jackson County declares local emergency

PASCAGOULA

Drawbridges in South Mississippi are expected to be closed to marine traffic this afternoon as high winds from Tropical Storm Ida reach the coastline.

The Jackson County Board of Supervisors declared a “Declaration of Local Emergency” this morning in advance of Ida.

Kelly Castleberry, road engineer for the state Department of Transportation, said drawbridges on Interstate 110, Cowan-Lorraine Road and Fort Bayou will will be locked down if winds reach 35 mph. That is expected to happen between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. as Ida nears the shoreline.

Marine operators seeking safe harbor are advised to move their boats before then.

The American Red Cross has opened a shelter in Jackson County at the Gautier Convention Center on Library Lane. The shelter will be open at 1 p.m.

Residents going to a shelter should bring medication, sleeping gear, and a change of clothes. Review Red Cross guidelines.

The storm, downgraded to a tropical storm this morning, is breaking down from wind shear earlier than expected, Jackson County EOC officials said. As a result, the high winds are expected to hit Jackson County between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Jackson County and Moss Point school districts will release all schools an hour earlier than the normal dismissal time. This includes St. Martin, Vancleave and East Central schools. Moss Point also is closing its after-school program.

Pascagoula will close elementary schools at 1 p.m. and high schools at 2 p.m.

Ocean Springs districts have not made a decision on closing the schools, hence the recommendation from the state and the EOC.

Sunherald.com will provide updates on this story as they become available. School officials will update local with any changes to the schedule and the Tuesday schedule.

Ida lost some of its strength and was downgraded to a Tropical Storm warning, effecting portions of the Gulf Coast including Hancock, Harrison, Jackson and Pearl River counties.

Currently, Ida has wind gusts of 65 miles per hour and tides are expected to ramp up later this evening. Harrison and Hancock counties can expect 2 to 3 feet above normal, while Jackson can expect at least three to five above normal tides.

Between 2 to 4 inches of rain can also be expected along the Mississippi Coast.

Although Ida has been downgraded, the main threats from Ida still linger: heavy rainfall, strong winds and storm surges along the coast and the possibility of some damage.

“One of my main concerns is that people will not take this storm seriously now that it has shown signs of weakening,” said MEMA Director Mike Womack in a press release. “Tropical storms are still capable of producing flooding rains and damaging winds and Ida has already proven to be a tough storm to predict.”

Gulf Coast Down Syndrome Society

In the November Issue of South Mississippi Living magazine you can find a few pictures from the Buddy Walk on page 167.

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GCDSS 2009 Annual Christmas Celebration – Saturday, December 12th from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Visit http://www.gcdss.org/specialEvents.aspx for specific details and please RSVP at the link below. Look forward to seeing you there you will not want to miss this event.

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Please add the Schultz Family and the Dailey Family to your prayer list. Hunter Schultz is in ICU with pneumonia and Brian Dailey returns to surgeon next week to see about having a g-tube put in – other than not gaining weight mom says he’s doing good. Poor babies sure hope they feel better real soon.

BREAKING NEWS: No mandatory evacuations as Ida churns in Gulf

Officials continue to monitor storm; decisions could come later today

Emergency managers in South Mississippi have not ordered any evacuations for residents due to Hurricane Ida.

Officials held a conference call at 6 a.m. today that included emergency managers in the six southern counties, as well as state emergency officials. No mandatory evacuations were ordered, and no shelters will be open in Pearl River, Stone or George counties.

Officials in the three coastal counties continue to monitor Ida’s track and strength and said they will make a decision later today regarding shelters and evacuations.

Rupert Lacy, emergency manager for Harrison County said Ida likely will produce a four- to-six-foot storm surge and up to three inches of rain. Winds likely will be tropical storm force.

“I don’t see the need for evacuations now,” he said. “I don’t want people to let their guard down, but we’re not seeing the rain and wind.”

Schools in Hancock County will close at noon, but as of this morning, classes will be held in Harrison and Jackson counties.

There is a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch from Grand Isle, La. to Pascagoula. From Pascagoula to the Florida Panhandle, a hurricane warning is in effect. Ida currently is a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 90 mph but it is expected to weaken as wind shear increases and as it moves through the cooler waters in the Gulf.

Ida is expected to make landfall along the coast of Alabama or Florida by Tuesday morning.

What to do before, during and after the storm

@BR Boxtext bold lede colon:n What to do before the storm:

— If a storm is threatening the area, follow local news reports for information and actions to be taken.

— Fuel your vehicle.

— Fill ice chests with ice.

— Bring lawn furniture, toys, planters and garden tools inside. Secure anything that might fly in high winds.

— Prepare boats as appropriate.

— Turn up refrigerators and freezers to coldest settings.

— Turn off and unplug unneeded appliances.

— Turn off the air conditioner.

— Turn off all LP and gas tanks.

— Fill sinks and tubs with water.

— Get an extra supply of cash.

— Call someone out of town to let them know of your plans. Instruct other family members to call that person for information about you after the storm.

n What to do during the storm:

— Stay away from windows and doors, even if they are covered. Go to an interior first-floor section such as a hallway, bathroom or closet.

— Close interior doors and brace exterior doors.

— Lie on the floor under a sturdy object.

— If the storm’s eye passes over, it will be calm for a short time. Remain indoors. As soon as the eye passes, winds increase rapidly to hurricane force from the opposite direction.

— Remain calm. It may take several hours for the storm to pass.

n What to do after the storm:

— Drive only if necessary. Debris and floodwaters may be covering roads, making them impassable.

— Stay on firm ground. Moving water only 6 inches deep can sweep you off your feet. Standing water may also be electrically charged from downed power lines.

— Beware of snakes, insects and animals driven to higher ground by floodwaters.

— Re-enter your home with extreme caution. Beware of fallen objects or damaged roofs and walls.

— Use flashlights for light. Do not use matches, torches, candles or other open flame.

— Check gas, water and electrical lines and appliances for damage. Do not try to repair damaged gas or electrical lines. Call a professional.

— Do not drink or prepare food with tap water until you are certain it is not contaminated.

— If your home was flooded, flush plumbing fixtures with water. Have health authorities inspect your sanitary disposal system.

— Do not use food that came in contact with floodwaters.

— Start cleanup as soon as possible. Take pictures of all damage before starting cleanup or repairs for insurance purposes.

— Never connect portable generators to your house. Use them only to run necessary appliances.

— Give special attention to cleaning children’s toys, cribs, playpens and play equipment. Boil items a baby might put in her or his mouth. Discard toys that are stuffed, waterlogged and non-cleanable.

— Wear protective clothing while cleaning up debris. Wear rubber gloves while scrubbing flood-damaged interiors and furniture.

Hurricane Ida weakens, but Gulf still on warning

MIAMI

Hurricane Ida was weakening as it headed for the Gulf Coast but could still pack hurricane winds and storm surges when it hits the shore Monday night or early Tuesday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said that top sustained winds from the Category 1 hurricane had decreased to near 80 mph early Monday.

Hurricane warnings remain from Pascagoula, Miss., east to Indian Pass, Fla. Tropical storm warnings and hurricane watches are in effect across neighboring areas including New Orleans.

Early Monday, Ida was located about 235 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving north-northwest near 16 mph.

WATCHING IDA

Hurricane packing ‘dangerous’ surge, high winds heads toward the Coast

Hancock County law enforcement and emergency personnel participate in a conference call between the National Weather Service and emergency management agencies along the Coast and in South Louisiana on Sunday afternoon.

A hurricane warning was in effect Sunday night from Pascagoula east to Indian Pass, Fla., and a tropical storm warning extended across the rest of the Mississippi Coast to Grand Isle, La., as Hurricane Ida swirled up the Gulf of Mexico with sustained winds of 105 miles per hour.

The National Hurricane Center revised Ida’s track to the east Sunday night. The storm’s speed also had increased to 14 miles per hour. NHC expects Ida to turn north and increase forward speed today, followed by a northeast turn tonight.

Ida is expected to make landfall tonight or early Tuesday, which could increase flooding by coinciding with high tides, the National Weather Service projects will be 3 to 4 feet above normal.

In addition, Ida is forecast to drop 3 to 5 inches of rain, with as much as 8 inches in some areas.

NHC warns of “a dangerous storm surge” of 4 to 6 feet above ground level near and to the east of where Ida’s center makes landfall, accompanied by “large and destructive waves.”

County emergency management directors and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency officials are expected to announce, after a 6 a.m. conference call today, any mandatory or voluntary evacuations.

Residents of low-lying areas, especially in Hancock County, were advised Sunday to take precautions such as moving vehicles and securing property. The opening of some shelters would accompany any evacuations.

The Mississippi National Guard is sending two high-mobility trucks to each Coast emergency management agency to assist in case of flooding. Also, aircraft will be standing by for duty once Ida’s winds die.

MEMA Director Mike Womack told Coast emergency managers Sunday that he is worried about residents of 200 Mississippi cottages that could be subjected to flooding. MEMA plans to contact the residents about potential flooding, but emergency managers wanted to hold off until this morning on any evacuation decisions. Each county makes its own call about evacuations.

Ida is expected to weaken today in the Gulf from interaction with an upper level system, wind shear and cooler waters, but could still make landfall as a Category 1 hurricane. The Coast could begin experiencing tropical force winds, which are 74 mph or higher, by this afternoon.

The National Weather Service already has issued a coastal flood warning for Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties, in effect until 6 p.m. Tuesday. In addition to Ida, a strong high pressure over the southeastern states and much lower pressures over the Gulf had already pushed tides higher than normal.

Hancock County Emergency Management Director Brian Adam said Sunday that residents in low-lying areas should already be preparing for flooding.

In Harrison County, Emergency manager Rupert Lacy said, “We just want people to be very cautious and aware that we’re going to have Coastal flooding.”

Lacy cautioned motorists: “Turn around. Don’t drown. Don’t go through standing water.”

He also said: “Don’t rule out changes in the weather. This system is creating a forecaster’s nightmare. It’s not truly over until it goes way far to the east and goes inland.”

Depending on the amount of rainfall, he said, flooding could be a problem through Wednesday or Thursday.

Brian Adam, Hancock County EMA Director, looks over storm surge predictions during a conference call Sunday with officials from other local and state emergency management agencies about Hurricane Ida.

Thomas Chaze of New Orleans kicks up a roostertail as he kite boards off Henderson Point in Pass Christian.

Senator puts hold on wounded vets’ caregiver bill

More than a month after a new fiscal year began Oct. 1, the House and Senate are still pressing to pass a group of bills to improve veterans’ benefits and health programs, rolling them together in “omnibus” legislative packets.

The omnibus bills can then be shaped by final compromises between the two chambers and passed relatively quickly, often by voice vote, so lawmakers can move on to other late, more politically sensitive business.

Standing athwart those plans this month, however, is Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., a family physician whose top goal as a lawmaker has been to slow the rising tide of debt caused, he says, by colleagues who are willing to pass or spend whatever is necessary to assure their reelection. Coburn frequently uses his prerogative of a senator to put a hold on bills, in this case a $3.7 billion packet of health care initiatives, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009 (S. 1963).

The bill’s centerpiece is unprecedented support for family caregivers of severely wounded veterans, those injured since 9-11. They would be paid a stipend based on hours and level of care. VA would ensure caregivers are properly trained and have their own medical coverage to include stress counseling if needed. VA also would pay for replacement caregivers when family members seek respite from their care obligations.

The idea is to give more very severely wounded veterans an option other than institutional care.

“This legislation forges a new paradigm of long-term care for our severely wounded warriors, one that acknowledges and fully supports the vital role of the family caregiver” in successful rehabilitation, said leaders of 21 veterans’ groups in an Oct. 21 letter urging passage of the bill.

But Coburn has refused to allow it to come to a floor vote. His spokesman, John Hart, said the senator’s biggest concern is that the Senate doesn’t intend to pay for the bill with an offset of current spending or higher taxes, so its passage will add to annual budget deficits and the national debt.

Coburn “believes strongly if we don’t start paying for things we’re not going to have a country left to defend,” Hart said. “He says we are waterboarding the next generation with debt and somebody has to stand up and say, ‘Let’s cut it out.’ ”

The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee acknowledges that money hasn’t been found to cover at least $2.8 billion of the bill’s $3.7 billion projected cost over the next five years, including money for the caregiver provisions which would total $1.7 billion through fiscal 2014.

But Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawaii, chairman of the committee, argues that the Iraq and Afghanistan wars also haven’t been “paid for” and proper care of wounded veterans is just another very necessary cost of war.

Another reason Coburn blocks the bill, Hart said, is that it isn’t fair to extend caregiver benefits to wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan but not to those severely injured in the Persian Gulf War, Vietnam or earlier conflicts.

Finally, Coburn believes VA isn’t “making smart use of existing benefits and therefore avoiding duplication,” Hart said. “This is legislation very popular for politicians to put forward for Veterans’ Day. But we need to produce a higher quality of care rather than press releases.”

He said Coburn will introduce alternative legislation because he supports the goals of the bill.

A senator can’t delay action on a bill indefinitely. It’s effective only when leadership seeks passage of popular bills by unanimous consent rather by scheduling time-consuming floor debate. So to get around Coburn’s hold, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., majority leader, has placed S. 1963 on the Senate calendar which could mean up to 60 hours of debate during which Coburn can make his points publicly and often to colleagues and C-SPAN cameras.

Hart said protests from veterans and their organizations, by e-mail and phone, are pouring in but they don’t influence the senator.

“He’s done the same thing on hundreds of bills,” Hart said. “He held up a breast cancer research bill because it duplicated existing breast cancer research, and all the breast cancer groups were upset. His mindset is let’s make the hard choices so the next generation can enjoy the same freedoms we enjoy. He’s willing to endure the wrath of any group to advance that.”

@BR Body bold Lede colon:Correction: Last week’s column on the Survivor Benefit Plan used analysis from the think-tank CNA as presented in a September memo to the deputy commandant of the Marine Corps. After several readers questioned those figures on SBP costs and benefit, CNA analyst Anita Hattiangadi reviewed the material and found two significant errors.

First, in the example of a typical 40-year-old military retiree who dies at age 65, he will have paid a total of $47,703 in SBP premiums, not $62,000. What the $62,000 actually represents is the most premiums the retiree would have to pay regardless of when he dies, said Hattiangadi.

Also, the $401,897 figure given for total payments that a retiree’s widow would receive if she were to live just seven years past his death, until age 70, was wrong. The correct amount is $241,000. The larger figure should have been labeled by CNA as total SBP paid to the 63-year-old surviving spouse if she lived to age 85, her normal life expectancy.

Hattiangadi said her “main point still holds: SBP is a great deal for service members and their families.” She referred to a more thorough cost-benefit analysis of SBP and its relative value prepared by the Defense Department’s Office of the Actuary. The link to that online is: http://actuary.defense.gov/program/sbpsubsidy09.xls

To comment, e-mail milupdate @aol.com, write to Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120-1111 or visit: militaryupdate.com

Burnham embraces challenges as leader of education in state

Burnham

When he takes over as state superintendent of education, Tom Burnham will be going home again — sort of.

Education officials announced last week that Burnham had been chosen for the job, one he held between 1992 and 1997.

His biggest challenge, he said, will be the state’s new accountability plan, which is in its first year.

He also will be charged with implementing the Children First Act, a plan that deals with low-performing schools.

“It’s a very demanding job,” he said in a phone interview. “But I’m looking forward to it.”

He is replacing Hank Bounds, who was hired recently as the state commissioner of higher education.

Burnham is a native of Puckett and was the principal at Biloxi High during the 1987-88 school year.

He was named superintendent in Biloxi that fall and during the spring semester served as principal and superintendent.

After his first stint at the state level, Burnham was hired as the superintendent of Henderson County Public Schools in North Carolina.

He also has served as the director of the Gulf Coast Education Initiative Consortium and an adjunct professor at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Currently, Burnham is the dean of the School of Education at the University of Mississippi.

He will start his new job the first week of January.

Burnham, 62, said his top priority will be the new accountability plan, but he also wants to continue to build on programs Bounds started.

“There will be no major redirecting of the programs Hank Bounds initiated,” he said.

He added, though, he will make sure every office in the Department of Education is run efficiently.

“There are very few things that you can’t go into and do more efficiently,” he said.

Burnham also is used to dealing with tight budgets.

“I’ve always been fiscally very conservative,” he said. “I believe that we’re spending the public’s money so we have to be even more careful.”

Bounds said Burnham is the right person for this job and that the two will work together to improve education in Mississippi.

“I think the world of Tom Burnham,” Bounds said. “He was invaluable to me when I became state superintendent.”

Biloxi Superintendent Paul Tisdale was the principal at DuKate when Burnham was the Biloxi superintendent.

Tisdale believes Burnham’s experience make him the right person to lead the state education department.

“He knows the process,” Tisdale said. “He’s worked at the 20,000-foot level perspective before.”

Burnham is married to Terri Burnham, the technology coordinator at the Gulfport School District.

He said the two haven’t lived in the same city since he took the job in North Carolina and she stayed in Gulfport.

“We see each other every other weekend,” he said, laughing.

“Maybe now that I’ll be in Jackson we can see each other more often.”

High court to look at life in prison for juveniles

WASHINGTON

The Supreme Court is considering whether sentencing a juvenile to life in prison with no chance of parole is cruel and unusual punishment, particularly if the crime is less serious than homicide.

The cases being heard Monday involve two Florida convicts. Joe Sullivan was sent away for life for raping an elderly woman when he was 13. Terrance Graham was implicated in armed robberies when he was 16 and 17.

Graham, now 22, and Sullivan, now 33, are in Florida prisons, which hold more than 70 percent of juvenile defendants locked up for life for crimes other than homicide.

Lawyers for Graham and Sullivan argue that it is a bad idea to render a final judgment about people so young.

Saints go to 8-0 with 30-20 win over Panthers

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) points toward the Carolina Panthers defense in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009.

NEW ORLEANS

What might be finest Saints team is off to the best start in club history. New Orleans moved to 8-0 on Sunday when Drew Brees overcame two early turnovers to pass for 330 yards and a touchdown in a 30-20 comeback victory over Carolina.

While the Saints’ defense did not intercept a pass for the first time all season, the unit forced three turnovers on fumbles. The last produced New Orleans’ seventh defensive touchdown of the season on Anthony Hargrove’s strip, recovery and 1-yard return late in the fourth quarter.

Hargrove might have been down before he advanced the ball, but the play occurred shortly before the two-minute warning and Carolina was out of timeouts, so the Panthers couldn’t challenge.

DeAngelo Williams rushed for 149 yards and two TDs, and Carolina gained 182 yards on the ground. However, it was Williams’ fumble at his 1 that led to the clinching TD.

It was the first time Carolina lost in Louisiana since 2001 and quarterback Jake Delhomme’s first loss in the Louisiana Superdome. The Panthers blew a 17-3 lead.

After failing to score a touchdown in the first half for the first time all season, the Saints got the ball to open the third quarter and needed only four plays to score. Devery Henderson’s 63-yard gain on a short slant pass set up Pierre Thomas’ 10-yard scoring run, cutting Carolina’s lead to 17-13.

It took nearly 10 minutes before the Saints’ offense got back on the field again. Delhomme led Carolina on a 19-play drive that included four third-down conversions and consumed 9:46, setting up John Kasay’s 25-yard field goal. The drive perhaps should have produced a touchdown, but Delhomme’s third-down pass bounced off Williams’ shoulder pads at the goal line.

New Orleans tied it at 20 by the end of the third quarter on Robert Meachem’s leaping catch and run for a 54-yard score.

On their next possession, the Saints started at their 2 and drove 76 yards in 13 plays to go ahead 23-20 on John Carney’s 40-yard field goal with 4:36 left.

Their defense held, with Will Smith sacking and stripping Delhomme on fourth down and Hargrove recovering. While New Orleans’ offense could not get a first down on its next series, Thomas Morstead’s punt was downed at the Carolina 2, setting up Hargrove’s second fumble recovery in less than a minute.

Before that stretch, Hargove, suspended all of 2008 for NFL substance abuse violations, hadn’t had a fumble recovery since 2005.

Carolina led 14-0 on Williams’ TD runs of 66 and 7 yards, both of which came before the Saints made a first down.

Williams’ long run came on the second play of the game. Brees was then sacked and stripped by Tyler Brayton on the first play of New Orleans’ second possession. Jon Beason recovered on the Saints 11, setting up Williams’ second score.

Early in the second quarter, New Orleans had a chance to get back in it when Jonathan Stewart fumbled at the Carolina 16. Two plays later, Panthers cornerback Chris Gamble intercepted Brees’ underthrown pass for Marques Colston and returned it 41 yards, leading to Kasay’s 32-yard field goal to make it 17-3.

In the final 30 seconds of the second quarter, Brees’ 45-yard completion to Colston, combined with a roughing-the-passer penalty, gave the Saints a first down at the Carolina 7, setting up Carney’s second field goal.