A NIGHT OF MUSIC
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi lawmakers were giving Weight Watchers $1.5 million for a teacher voucher program that never appeared in any education funding bills or state contracts, and kept the money flowing for years even though relatively few teachers were using it.
The Clarion Ledger uncovered the payments while investigating how state legislators funnel education funding to favored vendors. It reported that Weight Watchers collected about $300,000 per year between 2011 and 2016 while working with lobbyist Beth Clay.
Senate Education Chairman Gray Tollison says lawmakers could direct $20 million a year in education funding without disclosing how the money was being spent until 2016, when his committee began listing each earmark in the education appropriations bill.
Mississippi ranks near the bottom of the 50 states in per-pupil spending on public education.
Mississippi police officer arrested in woman's killing
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — A north Mississippi police officer has been arrested in connection with the killing of a woman, but officials aren't saying what they're charging him with.
Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Capt. Johnny Poulos says Oxford Police Officer Matt Kinne (KIHN'-EE) was arrested Monday night in the killing of 32-year-old Dominque Clayton.
Poulos made the announcement Tuesday flanked by interim Oxford Police Chief Matt Mccutcheon.
Kinne is jailed in neighboring Panola County. It's unclear if he's been formally charged with anything, has seen a judge, has a lawyer or has been given bail. Mccutcheon and Poulos aren't immediately responding to messages seeking comment.
Mccutcheon says police learned shortly after Clayton was found dead Sunday she was "possibly involved"