Latest Mississippi news, sports, business and entertainment

CD DISPUTE

State high court sides with bank

(Information in the following story is from: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, http://djournal.com)

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) The Mississippi Supreme Court has reinstated an Alcorn County court's decision related to a woman's efforts to withdraw money from certificates of deposit.

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports that the lawsuit stemmed from 2005 when Carolyn Epperson tried to get funds from certificates of deposit held by SouthBank in 2005. Bank officials denied her request because she did not present the original certificates.

She sued the bank, claiming it had breached its contract with her. In 2009, Circuit Judge "Jim" Seth Pounds ruled in favor of the bank.

The state Court of Appeals reversed Pounds' decision.

The Supreme Court on Thursday reversed the Appeals Court, saying the bank has the discretion to require certain forms for people to access certain funds.

USS MISSISSIPPI

USS Mississippi arrives in Pascagoula

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) Hundreds of people cheered the arrival of the Navy's newest attack submarine USS Mississippi to Pascagoula.

The 377-foot Virginia-class submarine arrived just before 11 a.m. Friday. It will be commissioned on June 2. Ship commissioning is an act that places a ship into active service.

The submarine was christened at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Conn., on Dec. 3, and has been through sea trials.

The submarine will be assigned to Submarine Group Two.

With a crew of about 130 officer and sailors, the submarine carries torpedoes and Tomahawk missiles, and can be configured to carry Navy SEALs.

Electric Boat and its major subcontractor, Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News, have received contracts to build the first 18 submarines of a planned 30-ship Virginia Class.

FRAUD PLEA

Woman pleads guilty to bank fraud

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) A woman has pleaded guilty to bank fraud related to the theft of money from a Jackson architcectural firm and authorities are seeking the forfeiture of a boat and about $387,000.

Documents filed in U.S. District Court in Jackson say Deanaa Mickle worked at Barlow Eddy Jenkins P.A. in Jackson when she diverted money from one of the company's accounts into another from which she wrote checks to herself. Court records say the scheme went on from March 2004 to March 2011.

Mickle was indicted April 3. She pleaded guilty Thursday.

She was allowed to remain on bond until U.S. District Judge Tom Lee sentences her Aug. 16.

BANK ROBBERY

Man sentenced in Hancock Bank robbery

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) A Waveland man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison in robbery of Hancock Bank in 2011.

The Sun Herald reports that Michael Williams Gardner was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Gulfport

The 48-year-old Gardner also was given five years under post-release supervision.

Prosecutors say Gardner stole cash from four tellers at Hancock Bank on U.S. Highway 90 in Waveland on July 14, 2011.

Prosecutors say surveillance cameras captured Gardner with a crowbar in one hand and a satchel in another. Gardner was arrested the day after the robbery.

Gardner pleaded guilty to bank robbery in February.

GULF OIL DRILLING-CONTAINMENT

Regulators to test anti-spill equipment in Gulf

NEW ORLEANS (AP) An oil spill consortium set up after the BP spill to develop methods for containing deep sea spills will do a live drill with its state-of-the-art equipment this summer.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says the Marine Well Containment Company will do the drill to see how stacking caps could be dropped over an out-of-control well and safely used to plug a blowout.

MWCC will be required to move a capping stack from its on-shore base to the seabed of the Gulf, the Interior Department said.

The consortium was formed after the 2010 BP spill with the mission of stocking state-of-the-art spill-fighting equipment for the Gulf to be used if another such disaster occurs.