JACKSON, MISS–Here’s the Weekly Rundown, with the top stories you may have missed.
THURSDAY AFTERNOON, BAY ST. LOUIS POLICE CHIEF MIKE DE NARDO COMMITTED SUICIDE OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT AS HE WAS BEING LED OUT BY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES.
THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION SURROUNDING DE NARDO… NOT RELATED TO HIS POLICE DUTIES… THAT WAS CAUSING HIM TO BE PLACED ON UNPAID SUSPENSION. HE WAS ASKED TO TURN IN HIS GUN AND EQUIPMENT AS THE HANCOCK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE WOULD BE TAKING OVER OPERATIONS. DE NARDO PUT A GUN TO HIS CHEST AND PULLED THE TRIGGER.. AND WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE HOSPITAL. OFFICIALS SAY DE NARDO HAD RECENTLY LOST HIS MOTHER AND HAS ISSUES COPING WITH THAT.. BUT IT ISN’T KNOWN.. NOR WILL IT EVER BE… WHY HE SHOT HIMSELF.
FOLLOWING YOUR TAX DOLLARS THROUGH THE PROCESS… LEGISLATIVE BUDGET GROUPS MET WITH STATE AGENCIES THIS WEEK TO DISCUSS HOW TAX MONEY IS SPENT ON PERSONNEL WITHIN THE AGENCIES.
NEARLY EACH STATE AGENCY SAID LOW PAY WAS A FACTOR IN THEIR HIGH TURNOVER RATES… WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH SEEING A NEARLY 50% TURNOVER IN THE PAST 5 YEARS… MOST OF THAT WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THE LOW STARTING PAY FOR DIRECT CARE WORKERS.. NOW DIRECT CARE WORKERS ARE THOSE THAT ASSIST THOSE WITH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES ON THEIR DAY TO DAY LIFE… FROM MEDICATION TO BATHING. STARTING PAY IS JUST 16k NOW… AND THE AGENCY SAID MANY OF THOSE WORKERS HAVE TO WORK TWO OR THREE JOBS TO GET BY, OR THEY EVENTUALLY LEAVE TO WORK IN FAST FOOD WHERE THEY MAKE MORE.
LOW PAY WAS ALSO CITED AS AN ISSUE FOR THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, AND IN THE MISSISSIPPI PUBLIC COLLEGE SYSTEM. ALL THREE OF THOSE AGENCIES SAID THEY’RE LOSING EMPLOYEES TO STATE AGENCIES FROM OTHER STATES THAT CAN PAY ANYWHERE FROM 10 THOUSAND TO 25 THOUSAND MORE DOING THE SAME JOB.. AND MAYBE WITH A SMALLER WORKLOAD.
THIS COMES AS THE GOVERNOR HAS ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK YET ANOTHER BUDGET CUT, THIS ONE TO ACCOUNT FOR WHAT BRYANT CALLS A “STAFF ERROR” THAT CREATED A 56.8 MILLION DOLLAR HOLE IN THE BUDGET.
AN UPDATE ON THE BATTLE OVER THE STATE FLAG…. U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE CARLTON REEVES HAS TOSSED THE CASE FILED BY ATTORNEY CARLOS MOORE THAT CLAIMED MOORE SUFFERED HARM OVER THE STATE FLAG. MOORE SAID THE FLAG INCITED FEAR AND WAS A REMINDER OF THE STATE’S PAST.. BUT JUDGE REEVES SAID THAT CAN’T BE PROVEN AND ISN’T A DIRECT HARM.
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