Top Stories of 2011

2012 is just around the corner, but 2011 was a busy news year in central Mississippi. The big stories were severe weather and a high profile hate crime.

We set aside the champagne and rang in 2011 with severe weather. A strong line of storms last New Years Eve would be a preview of things to come.

In March, a tornado tore through Terry. In April, the storms were more wide-spread. Simpson and Lincoln Counties, Clinton, Jackson and Terry again torn by twisters.

In May, the Mississippi River flooded to levels not seen since 1927. Parts of Yazoo City, Vicksburg and Natchez were under water. News Channel 12 reported remotely from Vicksburg for most of the month. Cleanup efforts in that town topped $600,000.

Mother Nature wasn't done. Tropical Storm Lee brought more flooding to our saturated soil. More than 11 inches of rain fell over Labor Day Weekend.

In November, it was more tornados. 15 people were injured when a powerful storm hit Jones County.

After all the flooding and all the rain, we're still more than four inches below average in 2011.

Also in 2011, a story 18 years in the making. In 1993, Gladys and Jamie Scott were arrested for robbery and given life sentences. They pleaded innocent and maintained their innocence from prison. Over the years, people protested. Finally, Governor Haley Barbour suspended their sentences. The Scott Sisters were freed in January.

Another local story to make national headlines: the capital murder charge against Deryl Dedmon. The Rankin County teen is accused of driving to Jackson and running over and killing 49-year-old James Craig Anderson with his pickup truck. Dedmon is facing charges of capital murder and a hate crime. The other teen allegedly involved is John Rice. He's only facing simple assault charges. The victim's family is still calling for others to be charged. We just learned this week that Deryl Dedmon's trial has been delayed at least a couple months.

Also in 2011, the world lost little Allen Lutrick. The Richland fifth grader was waiting for his school bus early one morning when he was run over and killed. 82-year-old Raymond Watts admits driving around the stopped school bus, running over the boy, then driving off. He eventually turned himself in. He's out of jail on bond.

A Mississippi minister made headlines in 2011 after he admitted to his congregation that he had molested boys. John Langworthy is the former minister of music at Morrison Heights Baptist Church in Clinton. He resigned from the church and was later arrested. We learned in December that Langworthy is now working at a local pharmacy. He's scheduled to go on trial in the new year.

It was also a big year in politics for Mississippi with a lot of controversy and change.

Haley Barbour is finishing out his second and last term as Governor. His Lieutenant Governor, Phil Bryant, secured the Republican nomination and beat Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny Dupree in November to become our next Governor.

This election season, Mississippi voters approved the Voter ID Amendment, requiring identification at the polls.

Voters rejected Personhood. The controversial amendment would have banned abortions and some forms of birth control.

And in Hinds County, there's a new top cop about to take over. Tyrone Lewis defeated long-time Sheriff Malcolm McMillin in a contentious democratic primary and runoff ending McMillin's 20 year reign as sheriff..

2012 should be an exciting year as well. Lewis and other new leaders take over January 1st, and for the first time since Reconstruction, Republicans will have control of the State House and State Senate. Lawmakers kick-off the new legislative session January 3rd.