Thank you for joining us for Eyewitness News at Eleven.
I'm Jennifer Moulliet.
Our top story tonight... Rain and lots of it. Let's go to Meteorologist John Boyer for more.
Emergency officials say an apparent tornado has caused significant damage in Hattiesburg, Mississippi Sunday evening (2/10) after passing along a main road.
Forrest County Fire Coordinator Chip Brown says there is major damage in Hattiesburg and Petal, including on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi.
He couldn't confirm injuries.
Brown said the damage was still being evaluated, but that the storm passed along a main Hattiesburg thoroughfare.
National Weather Service meteorologist Joanne Culin says there have also been reports of injuries in Marion County.
At least three people have been injured and widespread damage has been reported after a tornado touched down in southern Mississippi today.
Martha Shade has the latest.
A SEVERE STORM SYSTEM RIPPED THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST SUNDAY EVENING, CREATING THIS TERRIFYING SIGHT IN HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI.
"This is happening right outside my hotel, look at that, look at all that damage dude."
"I heard the sirens, looked ok outside, and then next thing I know, all the lights went out and it got dark outside and I ran to the bathroom and I could hear all the noise outside. It was really a matter of within seconds everything changed."
OFFICIALS SAY THE TORNADO CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IN THE SECTION OF HATTIESBURG WHERE IT TOUCHED DOWN.
"That's a very populated area, a lot of businesses in that area, that's where the growth out from Hattiesburg has extended, so there's a pretty large, densely populated with businesses as well as residences in that area."
A STATE OF EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED ON CAMPUS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI, WHERE THE TORNADO DAMAGED A NUMBER OF BUILDINGS. STUDENTS ARE CURRENTLY ON MARDI GRAS BREAK.
IT ALSO HIT THE ATHLETIC FIELDS AT OAK GROVE HIGH SCHOOL.
"It looks like it went straight through the baseball field and then over student parking lot, all the light poles and other things were ripped up, and then it hit the football facilities."
School will be canceled tomorrow at Oak Grove High School, the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi will also be closed.
Now Oak Grove High School is where former NFL quarterback... Brett Favre coaches football.
A head-on crash in Troup County, Georgia took the lives of five people over the weekend -- including a one-year-old.
Two others are clinging to life.
Alina Machado has more on what happened.
"She was just a great person. Anybody who knew her -- she was an angel."
DAVID DODSON STRUGGLES WITH THE GRIEF OF LOSING HIS FIANCEE, MELANIE LEMMON.
"She was my best friend. She was everything to me."
THE GEORGIA STATE PATROL SAYS THE 23-YEAR OLD WAS DRIVING THIS RED PONTIAC ON GEORGIA 14 FRIDAY AFTERNOON WHEN WILLIE HOOKS IGNORED A NO-PASSING ZONE AND SLAMMED HEAD-ON INTO LEMMON'S CAR.
HOOKS DIED.
SO DID LEMMON AND THREE PASSENGERS IN HER CAR.
37-YEAR-OLD MIRANDA HURSTON, HER 16-YEAR-OLD SON, TRIDARIUS HARRISON, AND HER 1-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON, QUAMAURI.
"We're all heartbroken. We not only lost my sister, I lost my nephew and a great-nephew in the accident."
STACY LAYE IS HURSTON'S OLDER SISTER.
SHE STOPPED BY THE CRASH SCENE WHERE FAMILY AND FRIENDS HAVE CREATED A MEMORIAL OF FLOWERS, TEDDY BEARS AND CROSSES TO HONOR THE LIVES LOST HERE.
DODSON COULD NOT MAKE IT OUT TO THE SITE.
HIS EMOTIONS ARE TOO RAW.
BUT BOTH FAMILIES ARE HOPING OTHERS LEARN FROM THEIR TRAGEDY.
"All I can really say is people should just slow down. 'Cause the car you might hit might contain someone really special to somebody."
Police say alcohol may have been a factor and are planning to test Hooks' blood.
The Georgia Army National Guard's 48th Brigade held a ceremony today to hand over the chain of command.
Colonel John King served as commander for almost 30 years and passed the torch to Lieutenant Colonel Major Randall Simmons.
King started as a private and rose to the ranks of colonel and brigade commander.
His next plans are to be the director of the joint staff of the air force army and national guard in Atlanta.
Simmons will take over the role of Commander.
He has been with the brigade for almost 21 years of his service.
Command Sergeant Major Shawn Lewis will be filling the shoes of Command Sergeant Major Joey Recker who is retiring this year.
"It was a surprise. one morning, out commanding general called me into his office, i thought it was about routine business. he said, just want you to know, you're going to be the man. he said, the 48th brigade, it's yours."
New commander... Randall Simmons says he plans to get the brigade ready to deploy to Afghanistan by the end of the year.
Hundreds lined up for Delta sigma thetas annual scholarship ball over the weekend.
Each year, the Warner Robins Alumnae Chapter awards scholarships to deserving college-bound high school seniors...
More than 250 guests turned out for this year's Oscar themed event
Warner Robins Mayor Chuck Shaheen was on hand to give the sorority a key to the city.
Organizers say the current state of the economy makes the scholarship more important than ever.
Shelly Holmes/President: "Well as you know the economy has changed even if you can afford it's still difficult and any little bit helps and so we do several scholarships. We do scholarships based on need, based on academics and so it helps to cover books, tuition, those things that would help and make it affordable for any student to attend school."
The Warner Robins Chapter has given out more than 80-thousand dollars in scholarship money since 1980.
The Sorority recently celebrated their centennial in Washington DC.
Those headed to Cumberland Island may want to change your plans.
The island plans to burn debris and people along the coast may see smoke rising from the island in the next month.
Park rangers plan to burn dead vegetation and other debris
Fred Boyles, the park superintendent on Cumberland Island, says fire managers will be trying to burn on days when weather conditions are favorable to dispersing any smoke and blowing it out to sea.
Still, the Park Service says smoke will likely be visible on the island for several days.
Performances dominated the 55-th annual Grammy Awards.
Some of the acts topping the charts wowed the crowd along with one big comeback performance!
Bigad Shaban is at the ceremony with a look at some of the big moments.
Taylor Swift kicked off a night of performances at the Grammy awards.
And, Adele kept last year's winning streak alive - taking home the first award for best pop solo performance.
(SOT ADELE 20:21:00) I JUST WANTED TO COME AND BE PART OF THE NIGHT BECAUSE I LOVED IT LAST YEAR OBVIOUSLY! LAUGHS
But, it was a night for FUN.
The trio sang as it rained on stage and took home best new artist and song of the year for "We Are Young."
FUN: "I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WAS THINKING WRITING THE CHORUS FOR THIS SONG. IF THIS IS IN HD, EVERYBODY CAN SEE OUR FACES, AND WE ARE NOT VERY YOUNG."
In an apparent grammy snub - Chris Brown didn't stand when rival Frank Ocean beat him out for best contemporary urban album.
Justin Timberlake used the Grammy stage to re-launched his solo career.
He premiered new music from his upcoming album and shared the stage with Jay-Z.
Bigad Shaban: "It's not just fans at home who were excited to watch the performances. Even nominees themselves had their favorites to watch here at the Grammys."
Country singer Miranda Lambert performed but was looking forward to seeing a friend on stage.
MIRANDA LAMBERT: "I'M SITTING BEHIND BEYONCE WHICH THRILLS ME TO DEATH . I WANNA SEE KELLY CLARKSON, SHE IS A BUDDY OF MINE."
Kelly Clarkson paid tribute to Carole King and to the late Patti Page after winning the award for best pop vocal album.
It wouldn't be the Grammy's without a few one of a kind moments....
Pairing a-list stars with each other for some show-stopping performances.
Every day you trust that the things you bring into your home are safe for you and your family but when those products don't work the way they should. The company issues a recall to protect you.
Progressive International is recalling their canning jar lifters because they can detach over time due to a missing stainless steel core in the hinge. This can cause the tongs to fail to grip and let the jar being used fall... Posing a laceration hazard.
The company hasn't received any incident reports.
The jar lifters were sold at Ace Hardware and Chef Central from February 20-12 to october 20-12 for about ten dollars.
For more information call 1-800-426-7101.
Mutsy U-S-A is recalling their EVO strollers because the opening between the grab bar and seat bottom of the stroller can allow an infant's body to pass through and become entrapped at the neck... Posing a strangulation hazard to young children when a child is not harnessed.
The company hasn't received any reports of incidents.
The strollers were sold at juvenile product stores nationwide from April 20-12 to December 20-12 for around 4-hundred dollars.
For more information call 1-877-546-9230.
Prizer Painter Stove Works is recalling their Blue Star Wall Ovens because some of them have been improperly installed and or have damaged flexible gas appliance connectors... Posing a fire hazard.
The company has received one report of a fire resulting in property damage.. No injuries were reported.
The ovens were sold at appliance stores nationwide from January 2008 to November 20-12 for around 39-hundred dollars.
For more information call 1-800-449-8691.
That's it for this week's recall wrap.
For more information on recalled products visit our website... 13 WMAZ dot com.
Look for the features drop down menu on our homepage and select recalls.
That is the show for tonight. We'll see you back here at 5 for Eyewitness News Mornin
But the news is always on at 13wmaz dot com.
Law call is next. We'll see you tomorrow