Mississippi is not taking their chances with dangerous weather.

Six DeSoto County schools have been approved for stand alone safe rooms that are built to withstand tornados.

Grants from the federal emergency management agency and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency are covering 95 percent of the $8 million total.

That leaves the county on the hook for only $405,000.

Superintendent Milton Kuykendall said it's a small price to pay for added safety.

"It is a win win for Desoto County. Our children win because we can get them all in case of a tornado we can use them for physical education we can use them for facilities," said Kuykendall.

Hernando Elementary, Horn Lake Elementary, Lewisburg Elementary, Olive Branch Elementary, Walls Elementary and Hope Sullivan Elementary will house the safe rooms.

Construction will start this spring and should take about a year.

The Olive Branch Police Department is hosting the 12th Citizen's Police Academy Class March 7 through May 9.

Citizens get a chance to take a closer look to what police do on a day-to-day basis.

Also, citizens get to see the functions officers do including investigations, procedures, K-9 operations, DUI and traffic enforcement.

Classes are once-a-week from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Mississippi tops the list of most religious states once again, according to a new Gallup poll.

The survey found that 58% of people living there consider themselves very religious.

Utah and Alabama tied for second in the poll with 56%.

Arkansas ranks fifth and Tennessee ranks seventh. Vermont is the least religious, according to the poll.