Kaiser wins Miss OB pageant

DeSoto Central High School senior Katie Kaiser was crowned Miss Olive Branch 2009 following an annual pageant and Olive Twig Humanitarian Group fundraiser at Olive Branch High School on Saturday.

She competed against 32 other girls ages 14-18 for the title that comes with a full two-year scholarship to Northwest Mississippi Community College.

Rounding out the pageant’s Top 5 and receiving a half scholarship to the college were Sarah Mathis, fourth alternate; Cayce Brasel, second alternate; Kayleigh Richardson, first alternate; and Anna Ellingburg, third alternate and Miss Congeniality. Contestant Eryn Laine was named Miss Humanitarian.

As Miss Olive Branch, Kaiser, who also received the Miss Photogenic Award, will serve as a city ambassador at ribbon cutting and other events. She is the daughter of Robert and Kathleen Kaiser of Olive Branch.

Man flies to Boston in baggage compartment

A JetBlue employee says he took a free flight from New York to Boston — after falling asleep in a plane's cargo bin. The man was discovered by baggage handlers at Logan International Airport after the plane landed there Saturday. He told police he'd been accidentally locked inside the pressurized luggage compartment while taking a nap.

The 21-year-old man says he called JetBlue Airways officials when he realized he was no longer on the ground. A state police spokesman says the man wasn't charged with any crime and was returned to New York when it was determined he wasn't dangerous. JetBlue Airways Corp. says it's investigating.

Two men catch toddler after 40-foot fall

Two Massachusetts men are being hailed as heroes by police for catching a toddler who fell 40 feet from a home's third-story window. Robert Lemire tells the Eagle-Tribune that he was talking on his cell phone Sunday evening outside a pizza shop in Lawrence, about 25 miles north of Boston, when he saw the toddler dangling from a window across the street.

The 45-year-old father of two bolted across a busy street, where he met 23-year-old Alex Day, who had been inside the home at a Bible study meeting. Together, they caught the 18-month-old before she hit the ground. The child's father was caring for a newborn at the time.

Police Chief John Romero says "these guys are heroes, no question about it."

Bill banning teen texting while driving advances

JACKSON - Teens who text while driving should beware.

State senators on Wednesday approved a bill that would prohibit 15- and 16-year-olds with learner's permits or intermediate driver's licenses from indulging in their habit.

It previously passed the House and now is headed to the governor for consideration.

If signed into law, the bill would impose an up to $500 fine on teen drivers caught texting in non-accident cases or up to $1,000 if they are involved in an accident while texting.

It also would add six months to the minimum age for teenagers to get their driver's licenses. An intermediate license, which allows some unsupervised driving, would become available at 16, while an unrestricted license could be obtained six months later.

Southaven Police Chief Tom Long said he supports restrictions against texting while driving as the practice jeopardizes safety.

"You wouldn't want someone going down the road and on a typewriter, would you?" he asked. "Texting is like that, constant typed communication. You are looking away, having to read, having to respond."