Updated: 11:04 AM Peavey Electronics announced a reduction of 79 positions worldwide, citing general market conditions and consolidation efforts.

Updated: 6:23 PM The price of gasoline shot up 10 cents a gallon virtually overnight in the Meridian area.

Updated: 11:05 AM The announcement of an acting principal for West End Elementary School is set for Tuesday.

Updated: 6:20 PM The Noxubee County School District joined a growing list of school systems that closed for a couple of days due to flu or flu-like illnesses.

Updated: 11:57 AM The Bush Administration Friday raised the national terror alert from yellow to orange, citing a U.S. intelligence warning of a "high risk" of terrorist attack, a senior administration official said.

Updated: 9:49 AM The manager of Meridian Regional Airport won a major award, bestowed by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Updated: 9:50 AM The Mississippi Senate Thursday passed a bill to strengthen Mississippi's Open Meetings law.

Updated: 6:28 PM Federal marshals took meridian attorney Dwayne Watts to Pensacola, Fla., to insure he appears before a U.S. Magistrate.

Updated: 6:53 PM Illnesses among students have caused another school system to halt classes for a couple of days.

Updated: 6:52 PM The president of the Meridian School Board told a task force of teachers and principals what's wrong with local schools and asked for help to find a remedy.

Updated: 6:43 PM Closely related to such big name stars as Oprah Winfrey and Morgan Freeman. Katharine Esters is a woman on a mission for change and has even made a mark on Meridian.

Updated: 2:41 PM UWATEC AG announced a recall of dive computers sold in 1995 and 1996 and Trak Inc. announced a recall of snowshoe bindings.

Updated: 10:04 AM A pair of teenagers at Northwest Junior High were arrested Wednesday after marijuana was allegedly found in their possession.

Updated: 10:03 AM A bug going around is filling hospitals and emptying some schools in the Meridian area.

Updated: 10:01 AM Sales taxes from the Christmas season will determine how the city is doing financially for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Updated: 9:52 AM A school principal tosses his hat into the 2003 superintendent's race.

Updated: 6:22 PM Law enforcement authorities have issued a warrant for Keith Green, 20, of Stonewall, a suspect in a burglary in which guns were taken.

Updated: 6:16 PM For the seventh year in a row, Oakland Heights teacher Ronnie Shumaker has won a BellSouth grant for innovative teaching.

Updated: 6:08 PM Haley Barbour has all but announced his candidacy for governor of Mississippi. He's courting organizational support across the state.

Updated: 7:45 PM Meridian's police chief wants to reactivate a bike patrol unit that proved itself effective in drug busts and gaming raids.

Updated: 5:49 PM Each day millions worldwide tune in and watch the Oprah show. We recently caught up with one of Oprah's close relatives who told us that success runs in the family.

Updated: 3:12 PM Secretary of State Colin Powell says there's a "sinister" link between Iraq and al-Qaida.

Updated: 10:01 AM Five years since five people died from carbon monoxide poisoning, a family member continues an awareness campaign to try to save lives.

Updated: 10:05 AM More than two million children play Little League baseball in the United States. A new study suggests it could be safer.

Updated: 6:54 PM Veteran driver Richard Holloway of Meridian has logged over three million miles without a preventable accident.