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Fear No Man, and Render Justice to All MenRankin County Brandon, MS Volume 163 Number 18 Wednesday November 24, 2010Established 1848

Two Sections

50

Blue Cross/Blue Shield

Two face chargesfor embezzlement

By Tom HillBRANDON Two former Blue

Cross Blue Shield employees whoallegedly generatedfictitious claimsand then cashed the checks worth areported $229,943.63 were arrestedby the state Attorney Generals of-fice last week and charged with in-surance fraud. According to courtrecords, the checks were drawn onthe State of Mississippi Health In-surance Plan account.

Sonja Mitchell, 34, of Jackson,was charged with six counts of in-surance fraud for six claims that to-taled $206,855.12. Those allegedlytook place between December 2008and March 2009.

Tiana Whitsett, 35, of Jackson,was charged with three counts ofinsurance fraud for three claimsthat totaled $23,088.51. Those al-legedly took place in August 2010

Mitchell and Whitsett werebooked into the Rankin CountyJail on Nov. 16. Both women madetheir initial appearance before

County Court Judge Kent McDan-iel on the morning of Nov. 17 dur-ing which they told him they hadresigned their positions with BlueCross Blue Shield.

Judge McDaniel told the womenthat they were presumed to be in-nocent of all charges against them.He then went on to say that thecrimes they allegedly committedamounted to direct theft from thepocket book of every taxpayer inMississippi and every state em-

ployee who is on the state insur-ance program. He said anyonewho could do something like thathad a complete lack of concern forthe law, their employer and the tax-payers.

This is the most unacceptableconduct I have ever seen, he said.It evinces a cold heart that I couldnot imagine.

At the hearing, Judge McDanielset Mitchells bond at $300,000 andWhitsetts bond at $60,000. Thatafternoon, Mitchell posted a cashbond and was released and Whit-sett posted a surety bond and was

released.According to court documents,

the suspects allegedly generatedfraudulent claims on the State ofMississippi Health Insurance Planaccount for alleged hospital visitsto Memorial Hospital in Gulfport.The documents do not specify towhom the checks were made out orwho cashed them.

The fraud came to light whenan individual received a State ofMississippi Health Insurance Plancheck and returned it to Blue CrossBlue Shield because she had not re-ceived any medical treatment forwhich she should have receiveda check from her health insuranceplan. Blue Cross Blue Shield staffthen conducted an internal audit.When BCBS contacted MemorialHospital, hospital staff there re-ported that there were no hospitalrecords for the BCBS group mem-bers who were the recipients of thefraudulent insurance checks.

Attorney General Office spokes-man Jan Schaefer said the AGs of-fice could neither confirm nor denyanything about any investigation.

A representative with BCBS didnot respond to requests for infor-mation on the matter.

SONJA MITCHELL TIANA WHITSETT

USM Mass Communications

and Journalism Department

inducts Dr. Frank Buckley intoHall of Fame

By Marcus BowersDr. Frank W. Buckley, long time

resident of Brandon now deceased,was inducted into the Univer-sity of Southern Mississippi MassCommunications and JournalismDepartment Hall of Fame.

The presenter for Dr. Buckleywas a former student of Dr. Buck-leys Charles Kershner. Kershnerwas a 2007 Hall of Fame inducteeat the USM Mass Communicationand Journalism.

The inscription on the plaquewhich will hang on the walls at theSchool of Mass Communicationand Journalism about Dr. Buckleyreads: Dr. Frank Buckley servedas head of the journalism depart-ment at the University of SouthernMississippi form 1954 to 1963 andleft a lasting impression on a gen-eration of students who went onto remarkable journalistic careers.As department chair, he acquired apress for the Student Printz, mak-ing the university the first in thecountry to have its own printingoperation and allowing studentsthe full experience of newspaper

production. He was removed fromhis position by the university ad-ministration after fighting unsuc-cessfully to prevent the confisca-tion of the Student Printz whenthe newspaper published a photoof an African-American student

who had attempted to gain ad-mission to the segregated univer-sity. Remarkably well educated,he earned a bachelors degreefrom Louisiana College, a law de-gree from Vanderbilt University, amasters degree from Florida Stateand a PhD. from Southern Illinois.Early in his career, he worked as areporter, photographer and editor

at serveral newspapers until WorldWar II, when he became an ensignin the Navy. In the late 1960she founded Buckley Newspa-pers which still publishes severalweekly newspapers in south Mis-

DR. FRANK W. BUCKLEY

Week of Activities

Brandon gearing up for Winter WonderlandBy Linda Horton

BRANDON Twas the monthbefore Christmas, when all throughthe town, lots of Brandon folkswere stirring to get Winter Won-derland week kicked off with thegreatest of ease.

Winter Wonderland is a weekof holiday activities planned by theCity of Brandon beginning Tuesday,Nov. 30, with the official lighting ofthe Christmas tree and culminatingSunday, Dec. 5, with the BrandonGarden Clubs Deck the Hall.

Tuesday, Nov. 30 - Mayor TimCoulter will light the Christmastree in downtown Brandon, at 6:30p.m. Immediately following, therewill be Carols on the Square onthe front steps of the Justice CourtBuilding adjacent to the old court-house on Highway 80.

This is the first year for Carols onthe Square and the official lightingof the Brandon Christmas tree. TheBells of Faith hand bell choir from

Mustard Seed will perform. DebbieBurnham accompanied by JenniferClark and Skylar Harden directs thehand bell choir. The Brandon HighSchool Singers directed by MarilynJulian will also perform.

Thursday, Dec. 2 - Santa will beat the Brandon Library reading sto-ries to the children at 6 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 3 - There will bedancing to Christmas music for se-nior adults at the Senior Center at

1 p.m.The highlight of the season,

an Old Fashion Christmas, paradebegins at 7 p.m., Taya Dobbs, as-sistant to the mayor, said. The pa-rade will follow the same route ithas used in the past.

The parade starts at the cornerof S. College and Jasper St. It goesnorth on College St. and turns easton to Highway 80. The parade stayson Highway 80 and turns on to Lou-is Wilson Dr. Then, at Louis WilsonDr., the parade heads south back to

Jasper St. and then west ending atJasper and College Sts.

Saturday, Dec. 4 The day kicksoff with two chances for BreakfastWith Santa in the Senior Center atCity Hall on Highway 80. The firstis at 8 a.m. and the second is at 10a.m.

Dobbs said breakfast consists ofpancakes and sausage. Members ofthe Mayors Youth Council will beon hand to help serve.

Santa and Mrs. Santa Clausewill be available for pictures,Dobbs said. Parents need to re-member to bring their cameras tothe event.

Tickets for Breakfast With Santaare $5 each. Children four and un-der are free. Tickets are available atCity Hall. Members of the MayorsYouth Council will travel to RouseElementary School, Brandon Ele-mentary School and to StonebridgeElementary School, Wednesday,

GEARING UP FOR WINTER WON-

DERLAND WEEK The City ofBrandon is getting ready to usher inthe Christmas season with WinterWonderland week. Activities for thecommunit are lanned throu hout

the week of Nov. 30- Dec. 5. Pictureare (l-r): Erma Jones, Laura MayoAngela Jones, Amanda Tolstad, An-gela Bean, Beth Johnson, Mayor TimCoulter, and Tahya Dobbs.

East Metro Road

$14M road section beginsBy Charles Bailey

FLOWOOD- With a bid award-ed and a contractor in place, offi-cials are anxious to see construction

begin on the northern leg of a vitalnew Rankin County road.

The East Metropolitan Road,

RANKIN COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPT. NEEDS YOUR HELPThe RankinCounty Sheriffs Dept. is requesting information on the pictured subject. If youcan identify the subject who drives a late model Black Ford Explorer, pleasecall the RCSD at 601-825-1480. Hes wanted for vehicle burglary and usingstolen Credit/Debit cards.

See East Metro, page 5

BRANDON

Friday, Dec. 3

7:00 p.m.

PEARL

Saturday, Dec. 4

9:00 a.m.

RICHLAND

Saturday, Dec. 11

4:30 p.m.

FLORENCE

Saturday, Dec. 4

6:00 p.m.

PUCKETT

Saturday, Dec. 4

4:30 p.m.

PELAHATCHIE

Saturday, Dec. 4

10:00 a.m.

See Winter Wonderland, page 5

See Dr. Buckley, page 3