Morning Blog News Update: Wednesday Edition

That was a short nap. But this is no time to sleep -- I have very important work to do. I must bring you the Morning Blog News Update. I can sleep when I take my dirt nap. So before that fateful day happens, let's get started.

Weather
It is cold in my study this morning. That leads me to believe that it is cold outside. OK, just checked my Jim Cantore-model Weather Channel Weather Station and it is 39 degrees. But the good news is that it will be sunny and 67.

New Health Director to possibly be picked today. Maybe. It could happen. There's a chance. Stay tuned. Any second now. We're waiting. Hurry the @#$# up.
The new, shiny, happy Board of Health will vote on a shiny new State Health Officer. Kudos to Dr. Ed Thompson for stepping back into his former job and trying to pick up some of the pieces. And considering how serious the health issues facing this state, I hope the Board is picking someone who is more into solving them instead of just saying "yes" to the Board. To all of my friends at the Health Department, good luck on the new boss.

Another Beef Plant indictment
This time it is James Draper of Mount Juliet, Tenn. He's a refrigeration company sales representative and he faces federal charges for allegedly pocketing funds designated for equipment at the failed Mississippi Beef Processors plant in Oakland. He's the third person in deep beef doo doo. Will he be the last? Who knows.

Big dreams in a small town
Pelahatchie and Puckett (love that name) are planning for growth. And the way Rankin County is booming, I'd say their dreams will come true. There once was a man from Nantuckett who just said Puckett.

Latest on the Scruggs
Here's this morning's story. Timothy Balducci was arraigned and pleaded not guilty.
The Wall Street Journal is all over the story. Here is a Q&A with John Grisham about the case. And they are reporting that Scruggs' firm will be pulling out of the Katrina cases. Here's the Scrugg's Katrina Group's website with the letter on it.

The latest on Iran
From the story: A new U.S. intelligence review concluding Iran stopped developing an atomic weapons program in 2003 is a "declaration of victory" for Iran's nuclear program, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday. Bush read it differently. He still sees Iran as a threat."Look, Iran was dangerous, Iran is dangerous, and Iran will be dangerous if they have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon," he said. "The NIE says that Iran had a hidden -- a covert nuclear weapons program. That's what it said. What's to say they couldn't start another covert nuclear weapons program?"

How about a trailer for the new Narnia movie?
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian -- coming May 16,2008

The Grinch had nothing on these thugs
Two boys Scouts and their dads were robbed in Ohio while selling Christmas Trees. They were robbed of $350, knocked to the ground and had sawed-off shotguns pointed at them. "At first I thought it was just a little joke, but then, when I saw the gun, I was terrified," said John Hancock Jr., 13, of Troop 393. "And after I saw the gun this guy just punched me right here and it knocked me down," the boy said, pointing to his face. A local business owner replaced their money and the thugs got away.