MISSISSIPPI DEADLY WRECK

Man charged in crash that killed 5 kids, 1 adult

PHILADELPHIA, Miss. (AP) - The driver of a SUV that careened off a road and into a rain-swollen creek has been charged with six counts of DUI manslaughter.

Neshoba County Sheriff Tommy Waddell says bond has been set at $150,000 for 34-year-old Duane John. John remained in the county jail Tuesday. Waddell says John was arrested Monday after his release from Neshoba County General Hospital.

Five children and one adult died in Saturday's accident in Neshoba County.

Waddell says authorities they are awaiting the official toxicology report.

Waddell says the victims apparently drowned after their Dodge Durango left a country road and plunged into a creek 20 miles southeast of Philadelphia. John and two others survived the accident.

The victims of Saturday's crash were members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

Municipal election qualifying begins

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Candidates can begin qualifying Wednesday to run in upcoming municipal elections in Mississippi.

The deadline is March 8.

Party primaries take place May 7 with runoffs on May 21 if needed. The general election occurs June 4.

Most cities will elect mayors and local governing boards. Some cities will elect police chiefs and city clerks.

Candidates must be registered voters living in a city. Candidates for aldermen or city council posts must live in the ward or district in which they run.

A $10 fee is required for Republican or Democratic party candidates.

To qualify as an independent candidate, residents must submit a petition signed by 50 registered voters of the city. Independent candidates will appear on the general election ballot.

STURGIS BIKE RALLY

Sturgis to look at bike rally proposal

STURGIS, Miss. (AP) - Sturgis officials say they'll renew talks with organizers of a popular motorcycle rally that's not been held in two years.

Mayor Walter Turner tells the Starkville Daily News (http://bit.ly/S1xVI4) that the rally will be back on the table in early 2013.

Turner says the board of aldermen has received a proposal from the Sturgis South Bike Rally Board to hold a rally in 2013. He says he doesn't know when rally organizers will meet with aldermen.

The event was canceled ion 2011 and 2012 in a dispute over funds for city services including security, sanitation and trash collection.

Organizers say the rally, once an Oktibbeha County staple for 14 straight years, has been a dependable source of revenue for local hotels and restaurants.

LOWNDES COURTHOUSE SECURITY

Lowndes supervisors look at courthouse security

COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) - Chancery Clerk Lisa Neese says the Lowndes County courthouse needs full-time security.

The Commercial Dispatch reports that Neese has urged supervisors to improve security in the aftermath of the shooting at the Newtown, Conn., elementary school.

Sheriff Mike Arledge and county administrator Ralph Billingsley were asked to meet with the board of supervisors on Jan. 7 to discuss the costs associated with hiring a full-time officer for the courthouse.

Arledge says there are bailiffs at the courthouse, but they do not have arrest powers.

Board president Harry Sanders also suggested Billingsley work up a cost estimate on installing security cameras in the courthouse.

MUSEUM CHECK

$1M check to support Grammy museum

CLEVELAND, Miss. (AP) - Gov. Phil Bryant was to deliver a $1 million check Thursday to the Cleveland Music Foundation to support the proposed Grammy museum in Cleveland.

The museum, styled after Los Angeles' Grammy Museum, would use interactive exhibits to commemorate Mississippi's musical heritage and attract tourists to the Delta region.

The check is the first installment of money guaranteed to the project from the state.

Cleveland and Bolivar County are also making large commitments to the project.

The rest of the funding is expected to come from personal donations.

Bryant's check presentation will be 10:30 a.m. in the Hugh Ellis Walker Alumni House on the campus of Delta State University in Cleveland.

T25-GATOR BOWL

No. 21 Northwestern ends drought in Gator Bowl

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Behind huge interceptions early and late, No. 21 Northwestern beat Mississippi State 34-20 in the Gator Bowl on Tuesday and snapped college football's longest postseason losing streak.

The Wildcats (10-3) won their first bowl game since 1949, snapping a 9-game losing streak that was tied for the longest in NCAA history. They also celebrated double-digit victories for the first time since the 1995 Rose Bowl season.

Quentin Williams returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown on the third play of the game and Nick Vanhoose set up a late touchdown with a 39-yard interception return. Those plays were the difference in a back & forth game that featured more interceptions (seven) than touchdowns (six).

In between, Northwestern's two-quarterback system kept the Bulldogs (8-4) off balance most of the day.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.