Florida women hold on to beat Alabama

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Senior Tierney Jenkins and freshman Kaneisha Horn combined for 35 points, but it wasn’t enough as the University of Alabama women’s basketball team fell to Florida 70-64 Thursday night at the O’Connell Center.

Local employment picture brightens

Mississippi turned overall employment in the right direction in 2010, adding 3,600 non-farm jobs, though the manufacturing and construction sectors continued to fall, the state Department of Employment Security said Wednesday.

MSU football coaches will be busy Feb. 2

STARKVILLE — Coming off a 2010 campaign in which the Mississippi State football team earned nine victories, another Egg Bowl win, and drubbed the University of Michigan in the Gator Bowl on New Year’s Day, the Bulldogs will continue their momentum on National Signing Day on Feb. 2.

Coach Dan Mullen and several assistants will travel to five locations to speak and to interact with supporters around the state of Mississippi.

New Hope girls soccer earns first playoff win

OXFORD — Effie Morrison helped the New Hope High School girls soccer team keep its season alive — and make history.

Morrison’s goal in the third minute of the first 10-minute overtime period Wednesday night lifted New Hope to a 3-2 victory against Oxford in the first round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A North State playoffs.

Franklin students evacuated briefly after heating unit overheats

Franklin Elementary Medical Sciences and Wellness Magnet School was evacuated briefly this afternoon after the motor in one of the school’s heating units overheated.

Frank Webb: Who is our neighbor?

On Monday I observed an event some of which should be passed on to others in our community. It concerned the life and more particularly the death of Mr. Hozie Hawthorne.

Tupelo promoted as complete shopping destination

Downtown Tupelo and The Mall at Barnes Crossing should be partners, not competitors, according to initial recommendations from a consultant.

Trustmark nearly doubles fourth-quarter profit

Regional banker Trustmark Corp. says it nearly doubled its fourth-quarter profit from a year ago as the company recorded declines in bad loans and cut its exposure to Florida real estate problems.

Miss. Senate panel passes bill making animal cruelty a felony

The Senate Judiciary B Committee passed a bill Tuesday that would make animal cruelty a felony in Mississippi.

Bill authorizing genetically enhanced deer fails in Senate

A bill authorizing the raising of genetically enhanced deer on breeding farms in Mississippi has failed to pass the Senate.

Beating suspect calls 911 for trip to hospital

A man suspected of attacking an employee at a Northport auto repair shop with a hammer called 911 and asked to be taken to a drug and mental health treatment facility just hours after the attack.

New Miss. license plates commemorate Civil War

The state of Mississippi will offer a different license plate each of the next five years to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War.

Winter storm watch in north Alabama

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for parts of north Alabama, with up to four inches of snow forecast for some areas.

Biofuels company gets loan for Pontotoc plant

Enerkem Corp. has obtained a conditional commitment for an $80 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for construction of its waste-to-biofuels plant in Pontotoc County.

Soccer matches for Tuesday rescheduled

Rain Monday night and today wiped out the slate of local Mississippi High School Activities Association playoff soccer games.

Columbus Speedway will play host to ‘Racin’ for Life 200′ in March

The Columbus Speedway will play host to the “Racin’ for Life 200” United Speed Contest Sanction (USCS) Enduro Race for strictly stock cars at 2 p.m. March 5.

The 200-lap race will benefit the American Cancer Society Relay For Life charity.

Ole Miss women upset No. 23 Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Valencia McFarland scored 21 points and hit two late free throws Sunday afternoon to lift the University of Mississippi women’s basketball team to a 69-65 upset of No. 23 Arkansas.

Ole Miss (9-9, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) rallied from an early 14-2 deficit to snap a four-game losing streak.

Georgia women hand MSU seventh straight loss

ATHENS, Ga. — The No. 24 University of Georgia women’s basketball team used a 13-0 run midway through the first half to get early separation en route to a 78-58 victory against Mississippi State on Sunday in a Southeastern Conference game at Stegeman Coliseum.

Georgia (16-3, 6-0 SEC), which won its seventh game in a row, remains one of two unbeaten teams in league play. MSU fell to 8-10 and 0-6 with a seventh-straight defeat.

MUW Gordy Honors Series to feature Gregory, Reyes and more

The Gordy Honors College Forum series opens Thursday, Jan. 27, at 6 p.m. at Nissan Auditorium in Parkinson Hall on the campus of Mississippi University for Women, and continues through April, presenting lectures and undergraduate research.

Group to present an evening of French music

Two celebrated French composers will be the focus of a Tuesday recital and lecture at Mississippi State University.