This Hour: Latest Mississippi news, sports, business and entertainment

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This Hour: Latest Mississippi news, sports, business and entertainment

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SEC-MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA

Alabama tops Mississippi 7-5 in 10 innings

HOOVER, Ala. (AP) - Mikey White hit a two-run single in the 10th inning to give Alabama a 7-5 victory against Mississippi at the Southeastern Conference tournament on Thursday.

Alabama (34-25) trailed 3-0 early in the elimination game, but rallied for two runs in the fourth, one in the fifth and two more in the sixth to take a 5-3 lead. The Rebels' Stuart Turner hit a two-run single in the seventh inning to tie the game at 5-5 and eventually send it to extra innings.

White led the Tide with a 2 for 5 day that included three RBIs. Tucker Hawley (5-2) earned the win with three innings of scoreless relief.

Ole Miss (37-22) was led by Turner and Will Jamison, who each had two hits. Tanner Bailey (4-2) took the loss, giving up two runs in 2 1/3 innings of relief.

CHILDS APPEAL

Woman loses appeal of conviction in shooting death

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of an Oktibbeha County woman in the shooting death of her husband.

Verina Childs was convicted of murder in 2011 and was sentenced to life in prison.

Prosecutors say Douglas Childs was shot to death in 2009 while he and wife were hunting. They say a bullet recovered from the body matched her rifle.

Verina Childs argued she was a home when the shooting occurred because she had gotten sick while out in the woods. She said she learned of her husband's death when a neighbor came by.

The Supreme Court found Thursday that Verina Childs offered no evidence to support her hunting accident theory and prosecutors proved murder in what was a circumstantial evidence case.

HURRICANE FORECAST

Hurricane forecast: Another busy Atlantic season

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - Federal forecasters are predicting yet another busy hurricane season.

Thursday's outlook calls for 13 to 20 named storms, 7 to 11 that strengthen into hurricanes and 3 to 6 that become major hurricanes.

The prediction by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is more than what's considered an average Atlantic season.

Last year was the third-busiest on record with 19 named storms. Ten became hurricanes and were two major storms, with winds over 111 mph.

That included Sandy, which caused $50 billion in damage even though it lost hurricane status when it made landfall in New Jersey.

The last time a major hurricane made landfall in the United States was Wilma in 2005. The seven year U.S. landfall drought is the longest on record.

The six-month season starts June 1.

SOUTHAVEN POPULATION

Southaven population pushes above 50,000 mark

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. (AP) - A fast-growing city in north Mississippi has reached a population milestone.

The Census Bureau says Thursday that Southaven was 1 of 9 U.S. cities whose population went above 50,000 between 2011 and 2012.

4 of the cities are in the South, four are in the West and one is in the Northeast.

Those in the South are Harrisonburg, Va. (50,981); Bradenton, Fla. (50,672); Southaven, Miss. (50,374); and San Marcos, Texas (50,001).

Those in the West are Lehi, Utah (51,173); Kirkland, Wash. (50,697); Gilroy, Calif. (50,660); and Palm Desert, Calif. (50,013).

The one in the Northeast is Plainfield, N.J. (50,244).

Two cities dropped below the 50,000 mark from 2011 to 2012. They are Troy, N.Y. (49,946) and Joplin, Mo. (49,526). Joplin was struck by a strong tornado in May 2011.

CIVIL WAR-VICKSBURG

Vicksburg marks anniversary of Civil War siege

VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi River town of Vicksburg is holding several events this week to mark the 150th anniversary of its siege during the Civil War.

Concerts, lectures and wreath-laying ceremonies are planned at the Vicksburg National Military Park.

On Thursday, the U.S. Postal Service unveiled a Vicksburg stamp that's part of a Civil War commemorative series.

On Saturday, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad will be in town to rededicate his state's monument in the military park.

Union forces waged a protracted campaign to take Vicksburg and gain control of the lower Mississippi River.

The city came under siege in late May 1863, and Confederate forces surrendered July 4.

Vicksburg is commemorating the 150th anniversary now because Gettysburg, Pa., is expected to be a bigger draw for tourists in July.

WASTEWATER TESTING-INDICTMENT

Lab owner convicted of faking wastewater tests

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The owner of an environmental laboratory in Mississippi has been convicted on federal charges of falsifying records on industrial wastewater samples that she was hired to test.

Tennie White was the sole operator of Mississippi Environmental Analytical Laboratories Inc.

She was convicted Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Jackson on two counts of making false statements and one count of obstruction.

Sentencing is Aug. 8.

The indictment from November 2012 says Borg Warner Emissions Systems Inc. hired White to test wastewater discharge at its car parts plant in Water Valley. It says White created three reports in 2009 that indicated testing had been done, when it had not.

The tests were used for reports submitted to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.

HATTIESBURG SCHOOLS-TEACHER CUTS

Hattiesburg may cut 20 teaching positions

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - Hattiesburg Public School District Superintendent James Bacchus is proposing to eliminate the majority of a $1.8 million budget shortfall by cutting 20 teacher positions.

Bacchus tells the Hattiesburg American his plan to lay off teachers must be approved by the Hattiesburg Public School District Board of Trustees. The board will hold its budget hearings in June.

But Bacchus says has already failed to renew some teaching contracts related to student support programs involving computer-assisted learning. He could not say how many contracts he had not renewed.

The district is facing the shortfall in its 2013-14 budget year, which begins July 1.

Bacchus expected to save about $1.2 million by cutting the teacher positions. He said he had not decided how he would deal with the $600,000 remaining shortfall.