Governor Haley Barbour said Friday he will call Mississippi lawmakers to the State Capitol for a Special Session beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 21, to consider re-authorizing the Mississippi Department of Employment Security and other subjects.

"It is critical that the Mississippi Department of Employment Security be reauthorized," Governor Barbour said. MDES has been recognized as among the best in the nation at placing job applicants and its one-stop system has been praised as among the most efficient and effective in the nation.

"Failure to reauthorize would mean unemployed Mississippians can not receive their benefits; businesses will see their unemployment insurance tax rates multiply dramatically; the State will lose millions of dollars in federal grants; and our community colleges will see the loss of workforce investment dollars that are helping train Mississippians for new and higher-paying jobs," Governor Barbour said.

"It would be unthinkable for Mississippi’s employers to have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes or for beneficiaries to be denied services because MDES is hamstrung by a totally unrelated issue," Governor Barbour said.

Over the past four years Mississippi’s job-creating programs have resulted in a net gain of more than 60,000 new jobs, attributable at least in part to the solid successes at MDES.

Governor Barbour said filling a fiscal hole in the Mississippi Medicaid program will not be in the initial call because work on the best solution is continuing; it is anticipated that Medicaid will be added to the call next week.

"I’m grateful to the Medicaid Hospital Advisory Board, the Mississippi Hospital Association and the Division of Medicaid for their joint efforts to revise the methodology by which state match funds are generated so it is as beneficial and fair as possible to the state’s hospitals," Governor Barbour said.

      Scarborough, who's also an avid outdoorsman, says when there's a heavy rain, the river becomes a huge trash dump. "If you float from Jackson to Byram on the Pearl River... you're gonna see soccer balls, footballs basketballs, thousands of plastic bottles."

      He says Richland works to reduce trash on the river. "We use our prisoners to pick up trash on the roads. Our homeowners pick up trash in their ditches. The key to stopping it is stopping it before it gets to the river."

      Once it gets to the river, Scarborough says the trash has an impact on the birds and other animals that depend on the river. "It kills the fish or animals or the fowl …they never think about what impact on the life that lives in that river," he says.

Here are flooding reports from the National Weather Service as of 8:30 a.m:

-One lane on the southbound side of Highland Colony Parkway near Livingston Road is impassable closed after its covered by a foot of water.

-Roads in Belzoni and Rolling Fork are under water due to flash flooding.

-Streets are also flooded around Yazoo City.

-Emergency officials warn that rain is also causing drainage backups.  Storm debris left from the April 4th storms that hasn't been picked up is also floating into the drains causing them to back up.

To find out any watches or warnings for your area, click here .

Be sure to watch News Channel 12 at Noon for the latest on your Storm Team 12 forecast.

Top 10 Girl Names:

Emily

Isabella

Emma

Ava

Madison

Sophia

Olivia

Abigail

Hannah

Elizabeth

Top 10 Boy Names:

Jacob

Michael

Joshua

Matthew

Ethan

Daniel

Christopher

Anthony

William

Andrew

The National Retail Federation expects people to spend less on Mother's Day gifts in 2008 than in previous years.  Americans are expected to spend about $15 billion dollars for the holiday.

The owner of a local card and gift store says Mother's Day is usually a top-selling holiday for her shop--only behind Christmas and Valentine's Day. 

"We normally do a lot of gifts for Mother's Day normally.  In previous years, we've done a great job. But this year gifts were zero," Pat Singh, the owner of Kaye's Hallmark on Old Canton Road, said.

Singh says people bought mostly cards, but even card sales were down.

Restaurants are expected to take in more Mother's Day cash than any other business.  By three o'clock Sunday afternoon, there was still a long line of customers waiting to get into Barnhill's Restaurant.

"We wanted to take mom out to a special dinner and this is what she chose, so this is exactly where we came," Earl Yarbrough said.

The Yarbrough boys went all out for their mom, but it wasn't easy.  Gifts, cards, and the buffet at Barnhill's added up fast.  The restaurant is a full thirty miles from their home.

"I mean food and things are going up, but gas is what's getting astronomical," Yarbrough said. 

Since things are tight, the meal was a big surprise for mom.

"Well, I hadn't been out to eat in a long time.  It's been a while," Tonia Yarbrough said.

For the latest on possible severe weather in your area, click here.

Click here for more information on Brandon Day

Officials have identified the person killed in a deadly plant explosion at Warren County paper mill.  More than a dozen others were injured.

28-year-old Marcus Broome from Bolton died of chest trauma in Saturday's explosion at the International Paper Mill.  It's located in Redwood on State Highway 3.  Officials with International Papter say a boiler exploded.  They're working to make sure the facility is secure before attempting to find out what caused the explosion.  Federal officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating.

An International Paper spokesperson tells us maintenance crews are returning to work as normally scheduled.  Grief counselors will be on site throughout the week to give support.

17 contract workers were hurt.  The explosion happened during the start-up of one of the two boilers.  The mill was undergoing its annual maintenance outage and was in the process of starting back up.  International Paper says no employees have been seriously hurt at the mill in more than a year.  This is the first accident of its kind in the mill's 40-year history.

Emergency responders from across Mississippi are putting their skills to the test.

The latest drill involves a hurricane hitting the coast. In the drill, a fictional category five hurricane named Ulysses made landfall in Biloxi early Thursday morning around 2.

In the scenario, the responders reacted to the hurricane as if it was already six hours later since it hit.

Before hitting Biloxi, the fictional hurricane hit Miami, Florida.

The drill is designed to simulate what it would be like if federal resources were strained. The drill took place at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency in Pearl.

So how are different agencies pulling together for the mock disaster?

The Mississippi Highway Patrol is discussing it's plan. The National Guard is working the phones, and people are typing away as the new map of the path of Hurricane Ulysses is coming off the printer. All of Mississippi's state agencies are preparing for what lies ahead.

"We need to be prepared for it because it is the most likely threat to the state is that of tropical storms and hurricanes," said MEMA Executive Director Mike Womack.

Womack said the biggest reason for the drill is to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

"This communication piece is exactly why we have these executive seminars so that state agency heads can understand what their roles are in a hurricane response," said Womack.

Along with the 15 emergency support functions MEMA has going, the 6 southern counties along the coast have their emergency operations centers fully activated.

"We wanted to test the actual computer software and radio and telephone networks in addition to everything else," said Womack.

So as this hurricane carves a path of destruction over Florida and Mississippi in this simulation, all agencies are on hand to get the proper authorities in place on time.

Womack said they will try to have the government out responding to the people as soon as possible but he urges everyone in the state to follow three things. First, be educated on where you live and what dangers you face. Second, have a plan ready in case a disaster were to strike. And last, have enough food, water, medication or whatever else it may be that you need in case the government is not able to get to you for a couple of days.

This year's drill was cut down to just one day because so many state agencies are still coping with tornado damage and flooding from April.

Jackson Police have an armed robbery suspect in custody.  Lawrence Epps turned himself in to authorities at Capitol and West Street Downtown.  He's accused of stealing $8,000 from the "Mississippi Public Employees Credit Union" on South West Street last Friday.

Investigators say Epps handed a teller a note that said he had a gun and wanted money.  Police say the teller gave him the cash and he ran out of the bank.  The 36-year-old is the former President of the Jackson Police Officers' Union.

"Rushing out to buy a new TV is not the best advice.  I would save it or pay off debt," McAlpin said.

Financial advisor Chris McAlpin, of Financial Strategies Group, Inc., recommends using the money to pay credit card bills.  If you do not have debt, McAlpin recommends starting an emergency savings account.  The account should cover up to six months of expenses, in case of an emergency. 

But the government is counting on taxpayers to spend their rebate checks, and that spending could give the economy a much-needed boost.

Click here for the latest discount codes

Thousands of Americans are about to get some money from Uncle Sam.  The 1st round of the economic stimulus rebates go out Monday, April 28th to Americans who signed up for direct deposit on their tax return.  If you opted to have your rebate check mailed to you, the first of those will go out May 9th.

The IRS has developed a schedule for people to receive their checks based on the last two digits in their Social Security Number.  To find out when you could be seeing your rebate check, click here.

Single taxpayers could receive up to $600, while it could be up to $1200 for married taxpayers.  Additional money may also be given out for children.  You had to file a tax return for 2007 to be eligible for the money. About 130 million households are expected to receive the rebate checks.

The new comedy "Baby Mama" earns this weekend's top spot at the box office with more than $18 million dollars.  Saturday Night Live veterans Tina Fey and Amy Poehler star as an odd couple about surrogate motherhood.  Another comedy, "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay," opened in second with $14.6 million.  Lionsgate's kung fu movie, "The Forbidden Kingdom," starring Jackie Chan and Jet Li fell from the top spot to third with more than $11 million.

Here's a look at the top 10 movies:

Grammy-winning singer Amy Winehouse is released by London police after a night in custody over assault accusations.  Two men claim she assaulted them at a London bar.  One says she head-butted a man trying to hail her a cab.  The other says she hit him when he got in her way as she was playing pool.  Winehouse's reps say she admits slapping one man.  After being questioned, she was released with a warning the incident stays on record.  It could be held against her if she does something similar to this again.

Every 30 seconds, a person is killed in a drunk driving accident.  Saturday night, Mothers Against Drunk Driving took time to remember those affected by alcohol related accidents.  MADD's held its annual candlelight vigil at the Liberty Baptist Church in Flowood. 

Deborah Brown with MADD's Victims Services says the ceremony is important to the families because its a way for the victims to always be remembered.

Madison and Rankin County District Attorney Michael Guest attended the vigil and says he hopes the ceremony shows the public the consequences of driving under the influence. 

"We hope by doing this that we can call attention to this problem and hopefully prevent people from getting behind the wheel after they've had too much which can cause the serious injury and death of other individuals," Guest said.

Guest said his office is working a case where a young girl and her mother were hurt in a drunk driving accident.  The girl was paralyzed by the waist down and her mother was seriously injured.

Deception: Thriller starring Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor, and Michelle Williams.  A clean-cut accountant accidently finds his way into an underground sex club only to find himself implicated in major crime.

Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay: Comedy with hit duo from 2004 hit Harold and Kumar go to White Castle.  The two find themselves accused of terrorism.

Ashlee Simpson announced her engagement to bass player Peter Wentz earlier this month.  Wentz is the bass player for Fall Out Boy. The couple has been dating since 2006.

Sky News television reports Grammy-winning artist Amy Winehouse has been arrested on suspicion of assault.  London's police say they arrested a 24-year-old woman but aren't naming her until she's been charged.

Step into a grocery store to buy any produce and you can feel the pinch on your wallet. But grocery stores have to increase the prices since they're having to pick up the tab for the packing and shipping of the produce. So now, some people are looking to shopping at farmer's markets where not only is the crop fresh, but it's cheaper as well.

Coming up tonight on News Channel 12 at 5 and 6, we talk to customers and farmers on why the fresh crop is their top choice.

Gas prices are on the rise, but it's not only affecting people when it comes to the pump. Even buying basic necessities is beginning to cost too much. The prices of milk, eggs and bread have increased dramatically with the cost of diesel on the rise. Coming up today at 5, we talk to customers on what they're having to do in order to afford groceries.

Actor Wesley Snipes is expected to be sentenced on tax charges.  Prosecutors are asking for 3 years in prison and a $5 million dollar fine for willfully failing to file taxes for three years.  Snipes is asking for probation.  His defense attorneys filed nearly a dozen letters attesting to Snipes' good character, including letters from celebrities Woody Harrelson and Denzel Washington.  Snipes didn't file returns from 1999 to 2001.  The government claims he should have paid nearly $3 million dollars in taxes.

FHM magazine released their list for 100 Sexiest Women in the World.  Actress Megan Fox took the top spot.  She recently fought alongside the Autobots in "Transformers" and last year was only ranked 65th.  Jessica Alba fell from the top spot to third, behind Jessica Biel.  Actresses Elisha Cuthbert and Scarlett Johansson rounded out the top 5.   "Gossip Girl's" Blake Lively, "Heroes" Hayden Panettiere, Lindsay Lohan, and Beyonce were also on the list.  Jessica Simpson made the cut, along with Evangeline Lilly, Katherine McPhee, Katherine Heigl, Eva Longoria, Ellen Page, and Paris Hilton.  Britney Spears landed at the bottom ranked 100.

     The fire broke out before 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon at the Cypress Pointe Apartment complex in Flowood.

     Volunteers with the Red Cross passed out debit cards to 14 people affected by the fire. The cards can be used to buy food and clothing.

     Starting Thursday, the agency will also pay for three nights in a local hotel, if the residents still need a place to stay

     But on Wednesday night, the company that manages Cypress Pointe is paying for hotels.

     One displaced tenant at the complex is counting her blessings.

     Bailey Williams was at work when she found out about the fire.

     When she got a look at her unit, she discovered, “there's a lot of water on the floor, smells like smoke really bad, but I don't think there was any damage to the walls except that it's saturated with water.”

     But Williams’ biggest concern wasn't her personal belongings. She was terrified her two cats “Tom Socks” and “Little Feet,” might be in danger.

     They were stuck in the apartment hiding, but the animals were unharmed. 

     Williams and her pets are spending the night at a local hotel.  

An apartment fire in Flowood leaves two apartment units destroyed and 10 more damaged.  Flowood Fire officials say the fire broke out around two o'clock in the afternoon at the Cypress Pointe Apartments Wednesday. 

"I ran down there with jugs and water bottles, and we hooked up a hose until the fire department got there," Jacob Anderson said. 

Anderson was settling into his new apartment when the flames broke out.  He just moved into the apartment Monday. 

Fire officials say after an air conditioning unit caught, the blaze spread to dry grass, up the vinyl siding on the building, and to the building's attic space.

Anderson is okay, but the business he runs out of the apartment may not be.

"We have three years of work on the hard drive, and we may be able to salvage it," Anderson said.

People who lived in the apartment building will stay in a hotel for three days.  After that Cypress Pointe managers say they will place the residents in new apartment units.