Some of the top stories discussed on this April 16 Edition of "Gulf Coast Mornings with Kelly Bennett and Uncle Henry":
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Tornado recovery continues in Escatawpa, and the tornado count continues to climb in Mississippi after last weekend's storms. The National Weather Service says 17 tornadoes have been confirmed. Survey teams have documented a third EF-2 tornado in the Vicksburg area and a couple of other EF-2s in Quitman and near Tylertown, along with weaker tornadoes near Taylorsville, Bentonia and in Clarke County. More surveys are planned today.An elderly man in Monroe County is the only confirmed death thus far, killed when a tree crushed him as he slept in his mobile home. Governor Bryant declared a state of emergency for 17 counties on Sunday.
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Nobody has admitted to firing shots that sent teams from South MS Soccer Club scrambling during practice last Thursday. Teams were at the Soccer Fields on County Farm Road when gunfire was heard about 300-400 feet away. Everyone took cover until Deputies arrived, and eventually multiple casings were found on an uninhabited property near the field. Sheriff Troy Peterson is stressing that it is NOT illegal to shoot guns in the county. Coaches say they never felt like any person or group was being targeted.
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Is the MS State Lottery in jeopardy? The DOJ is reconsidering what types of gambling the federal Wire Act applies to. Gerard Gibert--the Vice Chair of the MS Lottery Corporation Board--believes those that are pushing this want to eliminate internet based sports betting, although he says now there's more of a microscope on other types of betting that cross state lines. For now, lawmakers are going ahead with their plans for a state lottery. Tickets could be for sale toward the end of this year.
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Credit unions are urging everyone to think about their finances this month after a recent Bankrate study found that only 40-percent of respondents could come up with one-thousand-dollars in an emergency. Lynn Heider [[ HIGH-der ]] at the Northwest Credit Union Association says that reinforces the importance of having some sort of savings account. The survey also found that 30-percent of Americans said they'd had at least one unexpected major expense in the past year. Heider says many Northwest credit unions can offer competitive interest rates on savings accounts because they're nonprofit and don't have to worry about stockholders. April is Financial Literacy Month, Youth Savings Month and Credit Union Month.
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The decision to put an American flag graphic on cop cars in Laguna Beach, California is stirring up controversy. The city recently agreed to repaint local police cars with the picture of the American flag running through the word police. People have reportedly confused the cars with federal vehicles and others are calling the design too bold. The city council will take up the issue tomorrow.
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French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault is pledging more than 100-million-dollars to rebuild Notre Dame, after the iconic cathedral was consumed by flames. Pinault, husband to actress Salma Hayek, is the CEO of the group behind names like Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, among others. Hayek also spoke out about the damage to the 12th Century cathedral on Instagram, noting her deep shock and sadness. Fellow billionaire Bernard Arnault's family and his LVMH luxury goods group have pledged to donate twice that amount to "show their solidarity at this time of national tragedy."
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President Trump is up against at least one challenger for the Republican nomination. Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld announced yesterday that he's entering the race for president as a Republican. In a video announcement, Weld's campaign noted his record of leading a traditionally blue state as a Republican. The campaign also declared "America deserves better" before playing snippets of controversial statements from Donald Trump.
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