As each of you knows, Trooper Casey Mayo’s wife, Heather, has been diagnosed with stage 4 Melanoma.  She is undergoing treatment at M.D. Anderson.  Because of a recent setback and a brief stay in ICU, her second round of treatment has been postponed until she regains her strength.  There are two things that we are asking of our Trooper Family, the first is to please keep Heather and Casey in your prayers.  Second, on August 2, 2010, from 2 pm until 8 pm at the MSU Extension Center behind the Crossroads Arena in Corinth, there will be a “replenishment” blood drive for Heather.  If you are not in the Corinth area, you can still get involved by going to any United Blood Service location throughout Mississippi at any time and donate blood in Heather Mayo’s name. So come on Troopers; roll up those sleeves and give blood for Heather! Our thoughts are prayers are with Heather and Casey as they continue this fight!

Trooper Casey Mayo (F31) and his wife, Heather, continue to need all prayer warriors!  Heather has now had her surgery in Tupelo. She is at M.D. Anderson and getting treatment. Their plan is to receive treatment for one week at a time, and then return home to rest for about two weeks. Heather will be undergoing about four different treatment trips to M.D. Anderson. She is fighting melanoma and needs everyone to join in an say a prayer for her recovery. If you need additional information or an update on Heather, please contact M/Sgt Allen Lyles, MSTA President.  We are asking that everyone please keep the Mayo family in your thoughts and prayers and keep checking our web site for new information about Heather’s progress.  Very soon we will be announcing some fund raisers to help them defray some of the medical costs that they will have. On behalf of the entire Mississippi Highway Patrol family, we send the Mayo family our love, positive thoughts, and our heartfelt prayers.

On behalf of all members of the Mississippi State Troopers Association, we’re happy to welcome our newest little trooper fan.  Trooper Adam Speeg and his wife, Samantha, are the proud parents of their first child.  Baby Julia Emerson Speeg was born on February 15 and weighed 7 pounds.  She was 20 inches long.  Please join us in helping to welcome Julia Emerson Speeg into our trooper extended family.  Congratulations Trooper Adam Speeg and Samantha!

We told you at the beginning of the Mississippi Legislative session that the MSTA was going to ask lawmakers to codify the David R. Huggins (DRH) Act of 2002.  This year’s attempt is unique in that it would take the Huggins Act out of the appropriation bill for DPS and move it into general law.  By having the DRH Act in general law, it prohibits any one single person from ever removing it.  We are thrilled to tell you that the Mississippi Legislature has UNANIMOUSLY PASSED the “David R. Huggins Act of 2002″ as a general law as opposed to a section in our appropriation bill.  On Saturday, March 27, the Senate passed HB 1159 by a vote of 52-0.  A few minutes later, the House passed this measure by a vote of 119-0.  Mississippi Troopers extend a huge, heartfelt THANKS to all members of the legislature for their support in passing this landmark bill.  We also wish to extend our humble thanks to the the following conferees on HB 1159:  Representatives Johnny Stringer, George Flaggs, Preston Sullivan, and Senators Alan Nunnelee, Perry Lee, and Willie Simmons.  In a nutshell, HB 1159 codifies the “David R. Huggins Act of 2002″ into general law.  It gives Mississippi Troopers credit for working 171 hours.  This bill DOES NOT provide a pay increase for troopers; instead, it provides supplemental pay that legislators have intended for troopers to get since the inception of this act back in 2002! Please click on the bill number at the end of this article to read the DRH Act of 2002 as it was passed in HB 1159; the underlined language is what was voted on.  We are hopeful that Governor Haley Barbour will sign this bill into law.  A tremendous debt of appreciation goes out to David R. Huggins - the namesake of this act, the former trooper, the former chief of the Highway Patrol, and the former commissioner of DPS - for his role in providing insight, leadership, advise, and helping to broker a deal with legislators.  Again, on behalf of all Mississippi Troopers, we wish to THANK the members of the House and Senate for unanimously passing this this legislation!  HB 1159