WDAM TV - Channel 7 - Hattiesburg and Mississippi NewsNews 7 Today

News 7 Today

For news tips and story ideas, e-mail news7@wdam.com

Welcome to the News 7 Today page of WDAM.com.  If you have an idea for a future interview on our program, please send it to us at news7today@wdam.com and include your name and phone number for verification purposes as well as the words "News 7 Today Interview Request" in the subject line. You may also fax your interview request to us at 601-450-7777; please include the words "News 7 Today" on the cover sheet. Thanks for starting your mornings with News 7 Today on WDAM.

Nominations are being accepted in February and March for the annual Sales & Marketing Professionals awards.    The awards dinner will take place July 10th at Hattiesburg's Lake Terrace Convention Center.   Visit http://www.smppinebelt.org/ for more details.

Jackson Hewitt Tax Service- (601) 545-7300

For more information on their upcoming events, contact the Salvation Army of Laurel at 601-428-4232.

American Red Cross, local chapter-601-582-8151. Their website is www.mississippi-redcross.org

United Way of Southeast Mississippi- The United Way of Southeast Mississippi presents its annual Home Sweet Home Raffle -- where the grand prize is a dream home. Tickets are $100 each; proceeds benefit the United Way and its member agencies.  Last day to purchase a ticket is April 1st. The drawing will be held April 9 during News 7's Six O'Clock Edition.  For more details, visit www.unitedwaysems.org or call 601-545-7141

Hattiesburg Area Habitat for Humanity-601-582-4663. Their website is www.hattiesburghabitat.org.

Historic Hattiesburg Downtown Association-  For details on upcoming events, visit www.downtownhattiesburg.com or 601-583-4329.

Southern Miss Athletics- www.southernmiss.com

For more on fire safety, contact Billy Russell  of the  Northeast Lamar Volunteer Fire Department at 601-297-5659.

ADP - For more details on First Friday breakfasts and other ADP-related activities, www.theadp.com or 601-296-7500

Fearless Entertaining Contact Catherine Strange at info@fearlessentertaining.com, www.fearlessentertaining.com or 601-310-2202 for tips on entertaining for summer. Click here to see the 2011 schedule of appearances on WDAM.

Kathleen Koch   The Southern Miss graduate, Bay St. Louis native and former CNN correspondent, has written a book entitled Rising From Katrina: How My Mississippi Hometown Lost It All and Found What Mattered.  Visit www.kathleenkoch.com for more details.

Mentoring Training  This program is part of Jones County Youth Court, Jones County Junior College, and Safe Schools/Healthy Students collaborating efforts.  For more details, e-mail julmer@lawrence.k12.ms.us or call 601-399-0561 or 601-455-5038.

Stay Safe Hotline  To share school safety concerns confidentially, e-mail
staysafe@officeofhealthyschools.org, visit www.healthyschoolsms.org or call, toll free, 1-866-960-6472.

Salvation Army of Hattiesburg  For more details on upcoming events, visit www.salvationarmyhattiesburg.org or call 601-544-3684.

Identity Theft  If you feel you may be a victim of identity theft -- or want to report suspicious activity -- visit http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft or http://www.ago.state.ms.us or contact your nearest law enforcement agency.

Christian Services -Donations of books may be dropped off at Lifeway Christian Bookstore in Hattiesburg.  For more details on  ministries from Christian Services, visit http://www.christianserve.org or call 601-582-5683. 

Price Gouging  If you believe you've been a victim of price gouging, call the Mississippi Attorney General's office toll free at 1-800-281-4418.

Community Calendar   Please send community announcements at least two weeks in advance to calendar@wdam.com (and include the words "Community Calendar" in the subject line).  You may also send your announcement to one of the following U.S. mail addresses...

Community Calendar
c/o News 7 Today
P.O. Box 16269
Hattiesburg, MS 39404

Community Calendar
c/o News 7 Today
P.O. Box 835
Laurel, MS 39441

Please include your name and phone number for verification purposes because we do not react to anonymous correspondence.  No phone calls please.  We cannot guarantee public service announcements will be included in a News 7 Today broadcast.  Breaking news and/or weather developments may take precedent.   We appreciate your understanding in this matter.

Pride Of The Pine Belt   If you'd like to see someone honored in this weekly feature, please e-mail Colleen Donovan at cdonovan@wdam.com and include the words "Pride Of The Pine Belt" in the subject line.

Mississippi Seen   Airs Wednesday mornings on News 7 Today ; walt@wlbt.net is Walt Grayson's e-mail address.

Operation Iraqi Freedom and War On Terrorism   Coverage continues on NBC News, WDAM.com and News 7. 

Here are some websites and addresses related to the war in Iraq we've mentioned on News 7 Today ...

• www.centcom.mil - United States Central Command Home Page – This site offers the official statements of the status of the war.  The site is fully searchable and also offers a links page that has dozens of government, military, and newspaper sites online. 
• www.operationdearabby.net - This site allows you to send email messages to our troops in support of their efforts.  You can send messages to troops from your state or city.  You can pick what branch of the military you wish to send a message to.   You can also read messages that have been sent to troops from across the world or in your state.
• www.defendamerica.mil - You can send a virtual thank you to our troops at this site.  Click on the Support Our Troops Button if you wish to send them your thanks for defending our freedom.
• www.operationuplink.org - This website allows people to donate calling cards to keep military personnel in touch with their families.  Operation Uplink purchases phone cards and distributes them to servicemen and women.
• www.usocares.org - This official website for donating care packages to soldiers.  You can donate $25 at this website, which will give a soldier a personal care package.  You have the option to include your name.  The care package contains an assortment of items specifically asked for by the soldiers such as disposable cameras, calling cards, sunscreen, razors, shampoo, and toothpaste.    
• www.treatsfortroops.com This is the website for the Colorado-based Treats for Troops.  You can visit their site to find out how to send a care package to a soldier in Iraq, or if you know a soldier who'd like to receive one.
• www.operationac.com  Soldiers from Monticello heading to Iraq will have some relief from the desert heat -- thanks to Frankie Mayo of Washington, DC.  Operation AC, founded by Mayo, sends air conditioning units to our troops in Iraq.
• www.freedomcalls.org For service members overseas and their relatives, sharing in everything from milestone family events to everyday conversation is limited to the rare phone call or long-awaited letter.  But, Freedom Calls is using technology to change that.  The organization is uniting families free of charge with the help of satellite communication and the internet.
• David Bloom - The NBC News correspondent died April 6, 2003, while covering the war in Iraq.  His death was not combat-related. 
  • NBC News has set up an email address and P.O. Box for viewers who want to send messages of sympathy to the family of David Bloom.  You can convey condolences to the Bloom family by e-mailing bloomfamily@nbc.com or you can write to: The Bloom Family, c/o NBC, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY, 10112.
  • If you'd like to contribute to the David Bloom Children's Trust, set up to help provide for the education of his three daughters, Christine, Nicole and Ava, send your donations to: David Bloom Children's Trust, c/o Latham & Watkins, 885 3rd Avenue Suite 1000, New York, NY, 10022.
  • David Bloom's widow, Melanie, is speaking out about Deep Vein Thrombosis -- the condition that took David's life -- in hopes that others can prevent a similar tragedy.   For more, visit www.preventdvt.org -- the website for the Coalition to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis.

More information on stories News 7 Today has aired related to the events of September 11, 2001...

• American Red Cross: Visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-HELP-NOW to donate money via your credit card. You may also mail a check or money order to a local chapter of the Red Cross. Please include the words "September 11, 2001 Attacks" on the envelope as you send your check to one of these addresses.
  • American Red Cross, PO Box 2913, Laurel, MS, 39442.
  • American Red Cross, 606 Hutchinson Avenue, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401.
• Salvation Army: Their national number is 1-800-SAL-ARMY.  Locally, their phone numbers are...
  • 544-3684 in Hattiesburg.
  • 428-4232 in Laurel.
• Remembering The Victims: One of our viewers e-mailed us about this website. The viewer writes it's a website that gives the many victims of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Pennsylania a name and a face. Visit http://www.legacy.com/nytimes/Sept11.asp for more.
• Flag of Remembrance:    Mindy Kombert and Sherry Kronenfeld are coordinating an effort to have pictures of victims from the September 11, 2001, attacks on America displayed in a special American flag.  For details on this project, visit www.flagofremembrance.com on the web.