nearly 5,000 mourners turned out for his funeral in hattiesburg, mississippi. he was killed last week by his mistress who committed suicide herself. his wife, friends and family focused on the accomplishments of his life. larry smith was there. >> reporter: this was an emotional two-hour farewell as thousands gathered to say good-bye to their local son and former nfl co-most valuable player. at times it was enjoyable. plenty of song. this is just church and was one of the largest home-going services ever in mississippi history. it was attended by brett favre, the three-time nfl most valuable player and titans' head coach jeff fisher who coached mcnair 11 seasons, including the lone super bowl a decade ago. everyone here said they didn't want to think about the circumstances that led to mcnair's death but focus on his legacy on and off the field. >> steve was like a hero to me. heroes are not supposed to die. >> mississippi has lost a tremendous legend. i truly feel that it will be a long, long time before there will eastern player the caliber of steve mcnair. >

yesterday in hattiesburg mississippi the body of steve mcnair was laid to rest.n we come back, we'll have more from a rough day. that's next on abc2 news at 6:30. >>> nascar in chicago last night, lap 63 kyle busch gets loose and hits the wall. he would finish in 33rd place. 17 laps to go, jimmie johnson in the lead. he goes three wide with denny hamlin and brian vickers who weren't even on the lead lap. johnson gets shuffled back. mark martin jumps into the lead and takes the checkered flag, his series best fourth win of the season. they are in indianapolis next weekend. >>> in case you missed it yesterday the body of steve mcnair was laid to rest in his hometown of hattiesburg, mississippi. almost 5,000 mourners were at the funeral including vince young in the middle all there to say good-bye to no. 9, the 36-year-old mcnair. steve's son, high school -- steve's son's high school football team all came in uniform. a number of ravens were also there including ray lewis who told steve's son to respect the man mcnair was on the field. >> your father put out one hec

hello there, from hattiesburg.s an emotional two hours. some times very upbeat. other times again very sad. everyone said good-bye to steve mcnair, one of the largest in mississippi, attended by several famous nfl athletes. three time most valuable player, brett favre, jay cutler of the chicago bears, also ray lewis of the baltimore ravens, the star linebacker who recruited mcnair to go play with him in baltimore after 11 seasons with the titans. steve mcnair, nfl most valuable player shared it with peyton manning in 2003. grew up here in this area. although the sordid details of his death have come out during the week, everyone here wanted to remember his legacy both on and off the field. >> mississippi has lost a tremendous legend. [ applause ] i truly feel that it will be a long, long time before there will be another player the sk caliber of steve mcnair. >> steve was like a hero. a hero to me. heroes are not supposed to die. >> maybe the most emotional point of the afternoon. vince young, man ultimate low repl

thousand turned out funeral services held in hattiesburg, mississippi, 35 miles from his hometown. the former raven was shot to death last saturday by his 20- year-old girlfriend who then killed herself. ray lewis was among the speakers. he had a special message for mcnair's children. >> your father pulled out one heck of a sacrifice young men. every time you walk out the door, hold your head up high because left something that a lot of men can't follow. >> a private burial in mcnair's hometown of mount olive followed the emotional service today. >>> tomorrow the space shuttle "endeavour" is expected to launch off. nasa postponed today's launch after several lightning strikes near the launch pad. they will try again 7:13 sunday night. today marks the third time endid you ever's launch was delayed. it was postponed twice because of a liquid hydrogen leak. >> i didn't see any lightning today but plenty of clouds. >> a lot of clouds. that kept the temperature lob where we thought it would be after yesterday and the day before, we got back to summer today. back to the humidity. back to

. >>> hattiesburg, mississippi, is in mourning today for nfl quarterback steve mcnair. you're looking at live pictures right now from mcnair's memorial service at university of southern mississippi. thousands friends and fans of the slain former baltimore ravens player are paying their respects. several ravens players are there. the married mcnair was shot and killed last weekend by his girlfriend according to police, before she turned the gun on r herse herself. our larry smith filed this report moments ago. >> reporter: they are going to begin the funeral services for steve mcnair inside green coliseum on the campus of southern miss. mcnair started alcorn state the historically black college several hours away. but he is very well known, his son is a high school football star. they'll remember more the accomplishments of the 36-year-old's career. the only super bowl in the tennessee titans history a decade ago and the nfl's most valuable player award that he won. steve mcnair will be buried in mt. olive, mississippi, about three hours away. the program said to be 90 m

. >>> thousands turned out in hattiesburg, mississippi, for the funeral of steve mcnair. many former teammates and opponents. mcnair died jewel 4th, shot in a murder/suicide. >>> we were keeping track, in a especially gruelling day in the tour de france. after all of that pedaling, lance armstrong ended the day right where he began, third pla place. >>> the hospital worker's addiction on the drugs meant for the patients has put thousands at risk. dto beleve it. but that night at the bowling alleyey. where's alice? oh, there she is! she seems little confused. that's when i knew... i couldn't wait. our doctor told us prescription aricept... is the only treatment " proven effective... for all stages of alzheimer's. studies showed aricept slows the progression of symptoms. it improves cognition... and slows the decline ofoverall function. aricept ipeople at risked ! for stomach ulcers.../ or who take certain othe medicines... should tell heir doctors... because serious .stomach problems... such as bleeding, ay get worse. some people may xperience fainting. somemeeople may hav

funeral service is also expected on saturday in steve mcnair's hometown of hattiesburg mississippi. ozzie newsome will represent the franchise. steve mcnair is a hero in nashville for putting the titan franchise on the map. 1 yard away from winning superbowl 34. now jeff fisher was steve mcnair's head coach in tennessee for 11 seasons and he shared the emotions for the first time this afternoon. >> i have known him for 15 years. endured wins and loss. joy and laughter. sadness. i watched one of the greatest competitors of all time on the field. do whatever it took to stay on the field. what he was is a tremendous teammate. that is his legacy, and i am proud to have been a part of that. >> get past the circumstances and look at the human being, that we will -- we were all impacted by. because he blessed us with so many memories and great times. and he has a positive impact on the community. and we will miss him dearly. >> former raven's head coach billick weighed in on his death telling radio today, quote, it is a life lesson for all of us. that all it takes is conduct in a certain w

nfl quarterback shot and killed last week by his mistress will be honored at a public service in hattiesburg, mississippi. he will be buried later today in a private service. more than 4,000 people turned out thursday in nashville to pay tribute to their former star quarterback. meanwhile a brief private funeral was held yesterday for mcnair's mistress and killer. >>> passengers and crew got out of this plane as fast as they could when a smoky odor filled the cabin of that plane. 15 people were hurt during the evacuation that happened at phoenix airport yesterday. passengers apparently smelled the odor while the plane was preparing to take off for london. a fire department spokesman says the smoke may have been caused by electrical problems. >>> a spokesman for pakistan's military says his government could help the taliban negotiate peace with the u.s. but says the u.s. would have to put more pressure on pakistan's main rival india. senior officials say the obama administration is willing to address their conflict with india and talk to top taliban leaders. that could be the start of a possi

officials say 22-year-old brad wells from hattiesburg, mississippi was found in his barracks from monday evening. he was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. his death is under investigation. >>> the national federation of the blind has filed a complaint with the maryland department of education. the group alleges that blind students in baltimore schools are not receiving a proper education as required by law. >> in the united states, we are told that 10% of blind students learn to read and write braille. only 10%. that means 90% do not. in our own city we are told that the number is less than 10%. that's why we filed this complaint. >> the group is demanding better supplies and teaching tools for blind students. >>> you know, children and good nutrition don't necessarily go hand in hand. kids love junk food, and need to be taught healthy eating habits. so maryland schools and local pharmacy have teamed up to help your kids and themselves at the same time. >> something good to eat that was raised in maryland. >> reporter: maryland farmers have always known that it was

larry smith, cnn, hattiesburg, mississippi. >>> a one-ti at one time, soldi cigarettes with their food supplies. now, the military the recommending tobacco. the study recommends it should be gradually phased out, maybe over five or ten years. however, one senior general says smoking gives much-needed relief to troops in intat. top military officials are looking into the study and will make recommendations. >>> california governor, arnold schwarzenegger and state lawmakers will meet again today behind closed doors. they say they're making steady progress, inworking on the massive hole in the budget. they are coming out of the meetings hoping the budget crisis can be meet in the next couple of weeks. right now, the state cannot meet its financial obligations and is issuing ious. most major banks stopped taking the ious on friday. some say they will accept them for at least another week. >>> to arizona, now, where record heat is scorching the state. and people are being urged to stay inside as much as possible. the national weather service issued an excessive heat warning for the entire w

former nfl player steve mcnair will be held tomorrow at the university of southern mississippi in hattiesburg. and several ravens are scheduled to attend, including ray lewis, samari rolle, and ed reed. last night family and friends and former teammates and coaches gathered with thousands of fans for a memorial service at a nashville church. they remembered his accomplishments on and off the field. ravens receiver derrek mason paid tribute to his good friend. >> every time he came out of the huddle, he gave two bumps to your chest and pointed to the sky. so i'm going to give two bumps for you and point to the sky. [ applause ] i love you. >> police say mcnair was killed saturday by his 20-year-old girlfriend in a murder-suicide. sahel kazemi was laid to rest today in a private ceremony near jacksonville, florida. >>> the white supremacist from maryland accused of opening fire inside the u.s. holocaust memorial in washington, d.c. last month is still unable to go to court. a federal public defender told a judge today that james von brunn's condition has not changed much. he is bedridden, but a

r that. r: peter, thank you ant >>> in hattiesburg, mississippi, thousands gathered for the funeral of nfl star steve mcnair. the 36-year-old former quarterback was shot last week by his 20-year-old girlfriend who police say then killed herself. mourners recalled mcnair's toughness on the field, his generosity towards teammates and his charity work. >>> the investigation of an historic burr oaks cemetery in suburban chicago continue today as hundreds of distraught families delivered information about missing loved ones. the sheriff has declared all 150 acres of the historic cemetery where four workers are charged with digging up bodies to resell grave sites a crime scene. burr oak is closed until investigatorsetermines full scope of the crimes. >>> in cape canaveral, lightning strikes forced a scrub of the space shuttle "endeavour." technicians say they haven't seen lightning related damage but are still checking critical systems. the liftoff has been pushed back again until tomorrow. >>> when "nbc nightly news" continues this saturday, an uphill climb for lance armstrong. fig fighting

funeral services for mcnair will be held tomorrow at the university of southern mississippi in hattiesburg. and several ravens players are scheduled to attend including ray lewis, samari rolle and ed reed. last night family friends and former teammates and coaches watered with thousands of fans for a memorial service at a nashville church. they remembered mcnair's accomplishments on and off the field. ravens receiver derrek mason paid tribute to his good friend. >> every time he came out of that huddle, he gave two bumps to your chest and pointed to the sky. so i'm going to give two bumps for you and point to the sky. [ applause ] i love you. >> sahel kazemi, the woman police say killed mcnair, was laid to rest today in a private ceremony in jacksonville, florida. and we will be right back. america, whattaya say to big cheesy-steaky-ness! - subway. eat fresh! - eat fresh! when you wanna kick it up with zesty chipotle sauce. - eat fresh! - eat fresh! the flavor-fullest sub only subway can offer. - eat fresh! - eat fresh! try the new subway big chipotle cheesesteak. an updated all-time favor

his funeral is in hattiesburg today. family, friends, and fans of the former titans star are turning out to pay respects. mcnair was shot and killed by his girlfriend on the fourth of july. >>> in sports, it was a no-hitter last night in the mlb. sap fran's giants, sanchez, hit the first no-hitter against the padres. the nationals have recorded 60 losses befe the all-star break for the second straight year. more on "sports minutes." >>> good morning, everyone. your sports minute begins with baseball. not picking on the astros. high drama in houston. bottom of the ninth, jeff blum up with the bases loaded. a walkoff to win it. the astros beat the nationals. orioles hosting the blue jays. dave trembley walks the game as he begins serving a two-game suspension. brent cecil shot out the os, the former terp, two hits. brendan morrison yesterday to a one-year contract with a reported $1.5 million. in his 12-year nhl career, morrison has four 20-goal seasons. notary public golf, at the u.s. women's open, christy kerr who won th

a private funeral will be held today in hattiesburg, mississippi. 200 students attending summer school had to be evacuated after a drug suspect used the school to hide from police. officers picked up keyon earl outside of william paca elementary school on suspicion of selling drugs but before they could take him into custody he ran in the school forcing the evacuation. after a six-hour search he was found inside a classroom cabinet. with california's budget awash in red ink one advocacy group is proposing a unique solution to the crisis. legalizing marijuana. the group argues that the potential tax revenue from making pot legal could pay the salaries of 20,000 school teachers of one assemblyman is taking the proposal seriously introducing it to the state assembly but governor schwarzenegger calls the idea a distraction and step in the wrong direction. that brings us to your answers to our water cooler question of the day. we asked what do you think of legalizing marijuana to fill in a state's budget gap. terry writes this is interesting and worthy of serious discussion as a public poli

his funeral service held at reed green coliseum at university of southern mississippi in hattiesburg. mcnair was killed last weekend by his girlfriend, before she took her own life, that's what police say. attending, former jets' quarterback, brett favre, and baltimore ravens linebacker ray lewis. a lot of tears shed for a tremendous player. >>> they make their living by picking garbage. now one woman is using the trash to make an environmentally friendly loon of products. important news that could be impacting your world soon. (music plays) wellbeing. we're all striving for it. purina cat chow helps you nurture it in your cat with a full family of excellent nutrition and helpful resources. purina cat chow. share a better life. >>> trash problems all over the world are plaguing countries as they try to figuree what to do with them. as the world's population gets bigger and bigger. over in indonesia, however, it is fueling a cottage industry that has no place to go but up. we mean that. cnns tony harris explains in today's "impact your world" segment. >> reporter: garbage, everywhere y

cnn's larry smith is live in hattiesburg.s. >> reporter: good morning to you, t.j. mourners lining up more than three hours ago. three hours, i should say, before the start of the service. the first of an estimated capacity crowd of more than 8,000 and by the colosseum here on the campus in mississippi all to say good-bye to see mcnair. to the people here he's more than a retired football star. an active, leading part of a very tight knit community. his son, star wide receiver on the local high school team. his dad always on the sidelines. here he held his final football camp here for youngsters. the last of four days of paying respects to the former nfl player. on wednesday and thursday, the tennessee titans, owning a super bowl a decade ago, opened themselves to the public. a church service in the suburban nashville area where mcnair attended church services while playing and last night a smaller visitation in his hometown of mount holly, where his body will return after today's service for his final resting place. the hers

thousands of mourners gathered for his funeral today in hattiesburg, current and former nfl quarterbacks favre, vince young and doug williams also attended the service. nashville police say mcnair was shot and killed by his mistress on july 4th. they are calling it a murder/suicide. >>> new details about the michael jackson death investigation. talking to a prominent family friend and weeding out the roomers for you. and just starting and stopping. having to go in the middle of a ballgame and then not being able to go once i got there. and going at night. i thought i had a going problem. my doctor said i had a growing problem. it wasn't my bladder. my prostate was growing. i had an enlarging prostate that was causing my urinary symptoms. my doctor prescribed avodart. (announcer) over time, avodart actually shrinks the prostate and improves urinary symptoms. so i can go more easily when i need to go and go less often. (announcer) avodart is for men only. women should not take or handle avodart due to risk of a specific birth defect. do not donate blood until 6 months after stopping avodar

larry smith, cnn, hattiesburg, mississippi. >>> t minus 11 hours now before nasa tries to send up the endeavor again. it will take a crew of seven to the international space station. >> and taking the final piece of a japanese space lab. but it depends on whether the shuttle's electrical system checks out and also weather always plays a role and that plays a role why it's still sitting there in the first place. >> a scrub because of, well, you're looking at it, about a dozen lightning strikes near that launch pad. nasa says there's nothing to show that the shuttle was affected by it. that's good news. >> yeah, and reynolds was describing this yesterday, do you really want a bolt of lightning anywhere close to those fuel tanks? it makes sense not to launch. this is the third time they've delayed this launch. canceled twice last month because of a liquid hydrogen leak. sounds bad, as well. >>> the president's stimulus plan, in effect for about 100 days. how is it working for you? josh levs following the money. >> good morning, we're going to find out how much of that money is going to a

thousands of mourners gathered for his funeral today in hattiesburg, currents and former nfl quarter barqs including brett favre, vince young and doug williams, also attended the service. nashville police say mcnair was shot and killed by his mistress on july 4th. they are calling it a murder/suicide. >>> new details about the michael jackson death investigation. talking to a prominent family friend and weeding out the roomers for you. what's real and what is true. >>> also, president barack obama's trip to ghana has special significance for african-americans. we'll talk to a young documentarian who made the same journey. jushgs are we going to 22? or we on the right page here, guys? >>> at 36, not the naacp oldest. what the naacp centennial, marking went it is still relevant, especially since the nation elected its first african-american president. put in a to lewder louis farrakhan. take a listen. >> the naacp, the reverend jesse jackson, the reverend al sharpton, the urban league, the nation islam, all of us will continue to be relevant if the focus is on injustice correcting it a

. >>> in hattiesburg, mourners gathered to say good-bye to former nfl quarterback steve mcnair. funeral services were held at southern mississippi. police say mcnair, married father with four children was killed by his mistress on july 4th were in a murder/suicide. >> youth, guns and death, who could believe the culture of violence has become such a way of life for so many americans. we're looking for solutions, answering your we questions. after chicago tall lid 11 fatal shootings over at weekend, a newspaper headline asked "where is the outrage"? you can ask that in a great many american cities. dawn turner trite is a columnist with the "chicago sun-timechict years ago, even one child's death did provoke a great sense of outrage and it doesn't seem to be there anymore. >> absolutely. it's amazing when we looked at chicago last november right after the election, chicago was just stage set. it was beautiful that night. and i mean the i have skooiline was beautiful. and we saw all of the people in grant park, black, white, hispanic, asian, hugged up and it really made the city lo

a private funeral will be held in hattiesburg, mississippi. >> now for a look at the beautiful forecastes. not much of the big deal. stormy weather to the west, but that will catch up with us, but not during the day today. a big area of high pressure keep as high and dry. rain chances to the south, and rain associated with the front out to the west, but will not be coming in during the day to day. this will be tomorrow's weather. for today's forecast, a high in the low 80's. partly cloudy skies. on saturday, a little warmer, a bit more humid with a thunderstorm chance in the afternoon and evening. dry weather sunday. >> thank you for joining us. we will see you for 11 news at noon. noon. - subway. eat fresh! - eat fresh! when you wanna kick it up with zesty chipotle sauce. - eat fresh! - eat fresh! the flavor-fullest sub only subway can offer. - eat fresh! - eat fresh! try the new subway big chipotle cheesesteak. an updated all-time favorite: juicy steak layered with zesty chipotle sauce... and melted cheese, piled high with only... the toppings you love. subway. eat fresh! ah, just ins

. >> 5,000 people gathered in hattiesburg to remember steve mcnair. among them, titan's quarterback vince young. >> steve was like, you know, a hero, a hero to me, and heroes are not supposed to die. >> emotional there. nashville police said mcnair was shot and killed by his mistress on july 4th. he leaves a wife and four children behind. >> mexican officials say three federal officers were killed in six planned attacks across eight cities. 18 officers also wounded. the attacks happened yesterday and are believed to be retribution after police arrested a high ranking member of a drug gang. >>> as we mentioned a moment ago confirmation hearings zpourt nominee sonia sotomayor start tomorrow. we don't have a witness list. >> yes we do, republicans are expected to bring a firefighter from connecticut. he was a plaintiff in a reverse discrimination case rejected by sotomayor. her ruling was recently overturned by the supreme court. and the democrats witnesses include new york mayor michael bloomberg and former fbi director. according to a new cnn opinion r

buried in his home state of mississippi. 8,000 people are expected to show up for his funeral in hattiesburg today. they were paying their final respects. many turned out for his public procession on thursday. he was shot and killed business his girlfriend. >>> we teal you why 350 passengers were forced to evacuate this plane using inflatable emergency slides. >>> the crew of the space shuttle "endeavour" will try to launch for the third time today, but already weather is a concern. we'll have the latest. >> and why bicyclists need to stick to the rules of the road or it will really cost them. stay with us fios guy! where ya headed? ah, just installed fios in the whole building. now everyone has the fastest upload speeds. and we're giving them a mini netbook. well, i'm sticking with cable. so's ted. (voice) no i'm not! he's just goofing. (voice) no i'm not! (sighing) ted has betrayed me. (announcer) unlike cle, fios brings 100% fiber optics straight to your home and when you switch now, you n get a free compaq mini netbook. just pay shipping, handling and taxes. with fios, you'll get razor-s

quarterback, who was shot and killed last week, by his mistress, will be honored at a public service in hattiesburg, mississippi. mcnair will be buried later today at a private service. more than 4,000 people turned out thursday in nashville to pay tribute to their former star quarterback. meanwhile, a brief, private funeral was held yesterday for mcnair's mistress and killer. >>> families may have to wait several days to visit loved ones buried at an illinois cemetery. that's pause the grounds have been declared a crime scene. hundreds of bodies were allegedly dug up and dumped in a scream to resell burial plots. cook county sheriff, tom dart, says he has received complaints about the scheme, half of which were about missing headstones. >> our goal is to reopen the cemetery, shortly. we're hoping within five days or so, we'll be able to have our hands around this better, to where we can identify certain sections where we don't believe there is a crime scene and we're going to be allowing people in. >> four former workers, seen here, are accused in the scheme. authorities say they made about $300,0

. >> rachel, thanks so much for that report from hattiesburg, mississippi. we appreciate it. >> thanks. >> in other news, former giants star receiver plaxico burress will testify before a manhattan grand jury at 10:00 a.m. eastern tomorrow. his attorney says it's important for the grand jury to hear burress' side of the storerism lester munson now on the legal issues facing burress and former teammate antonio pierce. >> the district attorney is serious about going after abtone owe pierce. he does have a problem. if you put together the antonio pierce gambit from the district attorney and plaxico burress going in front of the grand jury to testify, what you have here is some very high-stakes bluffing going on. it may be part of a plea bargain process. if it isn't, this case is going to get a lot more complicated and a lot more unusual. >> and then you have this coming today: giants team president john marrow with his first public statement on the incident: >> turning to baseball now, a major league source tells espn's peter gammons the boston red sox are not

. >> today is the second day football fans will have a memorial honoring mcnair in h hattiesburg, mississippihe is back after winning a trip to the world championships in italy. after his success in indianapolis, phelps is doing the butterfly. >>> folks are checking to see if it will be a world record when it's finished. lightning struck a tree in cooperstown, so instead of cutting it down, chain saw artists are making a sculpture of the runaway bat. >>> watching tv is good for you. at least, it's good for these kitties, anyway. an animal shelter says watching tv may be good therapy for kitty cats. i'll clean the pool if you clean the windows. pick the windows, pick the windows! anything but the windows. deal. oh! new windex outdoor all-in-one... cleans outdoor glass fast. just spray with water, wipe with a windex cleaning pad, and rinse for a streak-free shine in half the time. you're done? she pulled a fast one! ( laughs ) new windex outdoor all-in-one. a streak-free shine in half the time. s.c. johnson, a family company. >>> the new york stock exchange is open for business. the president o

the reason i'm here to introduce wick is because he's a native of hattiesburg, mississippi. wick moorman. [cheers and applause] >> thank you, governor barber. i grew up about 70 miles per hour from here. when i get down to this part of the world, i call it mississippi, too. up there we say mississippi and spell it out. thank you for the opportunity to be here, and thanks to the n.g.a. for making this opportunity available. i feel very privileged to be able to participate in this discussion this morning about our nation's infrastructure. and i'm obviously here today to talk to all of you about the critical nature of rail, as a vital part of the solution to what i think i see, and i know many of you see, as a luming transportation crisis in this country. and i think that the fact that i've been invited here, in itself, speaks of the recognition that all of you, and the public policy leaders at all level have and a growing awareness that rail has to be part of the solution, and that rail roads offer significant economic and environmental benefits, while helping to relieve the s

his funeral will be tomorrow in hattiesburg, mississippi. >>> let me know, have you ever played hidefrom your boss? greg ellis says that's what demarcus ware did. he would hide from coaches during games so his buddy would get more playing time. ware was a pro bowler last year who jokes he was just trying not to get dehydrated. >>> kyle busch is still steaming mad at tony stewart and thinks he should have gotten credit for last weekend's race after he nudged busch into the wall. >>> this morning's true champion is shad ireland. he was diagnosed with kidney disease as a child and attempted suicide before age 11. but he has turned things around and is now an iron man competitor. he's currently biking cross-country to educate people about kidney disease, all while undergoing dialysis every other day, five hours per treatment. >> every other day he has to do that and he's biking across the country. incredible. >> amazing. >>> the crash that killed adventurer steve fossett, almost two years ago already, may have been caused by strong winds. the ntsb now says that fossett's plane ran into d

the reason i'm here to introduce wick is because he's a native of hattiesburg, mississippi. wick moorman. [cheers and applause] >> thank you, governor barber. i grew up about 70 miles per hour from here. when i get down to this part of the world, i call it mississippi, too. up there we say mississippi and spell it out. thank you for the opportunity to be here, and thanks to the n.g.a. for making this opportunity available. i feel very privileged to be able to participate in this discussion this morning about our nation's infrastructure. and i'm obviously here today to talk to all of you about the critical nature of rail, as a vital part of the solution to what i think i see, and i know many of you see, as a luming transportation crisis in this country. and i think that the fact that i've been invited here, in itself, speaks of the recognition that all of you, and the public policy leaders at all level have and a growing awareness that rail has to be part of the solution, and that rail roads offer significant economic and environmental benefits, while helping to relieve the s