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CANTON — The Madison County Board of Supervisors has fired county administrator David Overby. In an unexpected move that was not included on yesterday’s agenda, the board voted 3-2 to terminate Overby, who was hired by the board when the members took office in January 2012. Overby, a certified public accountant, formerly worked as finance …

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STARKVILLE and VICKSBURG — One city is preparing to open a new public transportation system while another city is struggling to keep its system running. A proposed public transportation system linking the entire Starkville community is on track and should help lower traffic congestion, aid economic development efforts and strengthen the bond between Starkville and …

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BILOXI — The Harrison County Utility Authority will move quickly to hire a new executive director. The authority’s board met yesterday for the first time since last week’s firing of longtime director Kamran Pahlavan. He was dismissed because of conflict of interest concerns involving a car purchase and financing the deal through a utility authority …

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FRANKLIN COUNTY — The Mississippi Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from a Franklin County forester fired for opposing a logging plan pushed by the state. The Supreme Court let stand a ruling by the Court of Appeals which last year sided with the Mississippi Forestry Commission. The Appeals Court decision overturned a …

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BILOXI — Bill Walker has been dismissed as the executive director of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. The decision came today in a unanimous vote from members of the Commission on Marine Resources. CMR vice chairman Jimmy Taylor made the motion to terminate Walker “for cause.” There was no additional discussion before the vote. …

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HANCOCK COUNTY — NASA has taken another step toward human exploration of new destinations in the solar system. At the agency’s Stennis Space Center, engineers conducted the final test-firing of the J-2X powerpack assembly, an important component of America’s next heavy-lift rocket. The J-2X engine is the first human-rated liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen engine …

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PONTOTOC — Pontotoc County Chancery Court Clerk Gary Moorman has fired four of the five deputy clerks that work directly under him. Moorman tells the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal the four deputies clerks were told Monday to clear their desks. He says a fifth clerk walked out with the others. Moorman did not discuss why …

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FRANKLIN COUNTY — The Mississippi Court of Appeals has upheld the firing of a Franklin County forester who opposed a logging plan pushed by the state. The decision overturned a 2010 order by Franklin County judge who found the Mississippi Forestry Commission’s firing of Stephen Oglesby was wrong. According to court records, Oglesby was at …

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ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Mississippi’s unemployment rate fell to 9.5 percent in February, the lowest level since July 2009. Jobless figures for January had first appeared to dip to 9.9 percent in preliminary numbers, but later were revised up to 10 percent. The state recorded a 10.2 percent unemployment rate in February 2011. The number of …

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BILOXI — Keesler Air Force Base is scheduled to lose another 38 civilian jobs in 2012 as the Air Force continues it move toward eliminating about 9,000 such workers. The announcement comes two months after Keesler said it would eliminate 68 positions from the civilian work force in the 81st Training Wing and 403rd Wing. …