Flanked by local law enforcement officials and state lawmakers, Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann declared war on unscrupulous scrap metal thieves and dealers who profit from illegal transactions.

Filled with smiles and laughter, the first day of school at Moss Point High was a little like Christmas, said Lewis Sims, the school's new athletic director.

Jackson County schools opened for the 2008-09 school year without a hitch as two of the district's schools opened their doors to students after suffering tragic losses last week.