Updated: 9:03 PM Firefighters battled a blaze near downtown that threatened to destroy a nearly 100 year old house.

Updated: 8:40 PM Philadelphia native Dick Molpus, Mississippi's former Secretary of State, will be recognized for his support of public education.

Updated: 8:44 PM Convicted killer Ernest Avants was sentenced to life without parole for the 1966 murder of Ben Chester White.

Updated: 8:41 PM The performance of Mississippi students on the ACT,and what to do about it, was discussed publicly by education leaders.

Updated: 7:00 PM The Southern Baptist Convention is focusing on family issues at its annual meeting.

Updated: 8:46 PM Identity theft is one of the fastest growing types of crime in America.

Updated: 2:32 PM A deadline of June 23 has been set for applications for disaster aid as a result of storms and flooding in April.

Updated: 2:30 PM The Alabama Senate has approved a state constitutional amendment that would remove segregation language.

Updated: 2:29 PM The Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors set taxes last September but were still talking about it Monday.

Updated: 7:22 PM Three bridges in the county are set to undergo repair and replacement in the coming weeks.

Updated: 2:27 PM The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is busy working at Archusa Water Park this week.

Updated: 6:08 PM Two people were charged for church burglaries in Newton County. Wesley Gilbert and Tina Roberts are also suspects in other crimes in Mississippi and Tennessee.

Updated: 8:09 PM Renovations and expansion were cause for celebration at the Sonic Drive-In Restaurant.

Updated: 5:58 PM Scams that use personal information to steal from unsuspecting victims is apparently on the rise in Mississippi.

Updated: 6:16 PM Officials at Naval Air Station Meridian honored Andrew Triplett of Shuqualak, Miss., who died while serving aboard the USS Cole.

Updated: 9:33 PM Two bodies were found at the site of a private Piper Saratoga crash in central Mississippi.

Updated: 9:32 PM The Mississippi Department of Human Services sponsored a training conference in east Mississippi this week.

Updated: 6:47 PM The U.S. military's operation aimed at cracking down on armed resistance in Iraq continued Friday. This latest action was carried out on land, sea and air.

Updated: 7:23 PM The investigation into the death of a Sumter County Jail inmate has been held up by a backlog of cases.

Updated: 6:50 PM Votes cast in Tuesday's Choctaw tribal elections have been certified.

Updated: 6:39 PM Reaction to the announcement of a joint economic development effort by Mississippi and Alabama has been swift and positive.

Updated: 7:39 PM Lauderdale County supervisors were asked to financially support a local Juneteenth celebration.

Updated: 7:17 PM Researchers have new details about the true extent of last summer's West Nile outbreak.

Updated: 7:14 PM Command of VT-9 changed hands Thursday with the retirement of Charles Aley.

Updated: 6:53 PM A summit sought to connect existing business with state resources that could promote growth.