GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - The Gulfport City Council has approved the appointment of Gary Joffrion as the city's urban development director.

The Sun Herald reports (http://bit.ly/10eidwA ) Joffrion, an urban development department employee, fills the vacancy left open by David Nichols, who recently became Biloxi's chief administrative officer.

The

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The commission that governs Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport has announced its officers for 2013.

The Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission says Kay Kelley Arnold has been elected chairman. Arnold was first appointed to the commission in 2003. She is vice president of civic and social responsibility for Entergy

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Federal, state and local officials are to join in announcing the designation of the White River in Arkansas as the nation's second National Blueway.

Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Hayes will join Sen. Mark Pryor, Rep. Tim Griffin, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Terrence Salt and Deputy Undersecretary of

JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) - The Jackson Police Department is crediting 1 of its investigative units for helping reduce the number of homicides related to domestic violence.

The department says that between 2005 and 2009, domestic violence contributed to 11 of the city's 45 homicides, or 24%.

In September 2009, the Domestic Violence Unit began handling