NATCHEZ &045; With war in Iraq under way &045; and the nation on high alert for terrorist activity &045; Adams County Sheriff Tommy Ferrell is getting hourly briefings from the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Locally, deputies are patrolling infrastructure facilities such as ports and bridges.

But despite the increased security, Ferrell said he wants local residents to know the extra security should be his department’s worry &045; not theirs.

&uot;There is no threat to our area or to the state of Mississippi or to the United States,&uot; he said. &uot;We need to keep the public from becoming panicked or overly afraid.&uot;

Ferrell said the sheriff’s department has not increased its manhours, just the patrols around vulnerable facilities.

Today, the Adams County Civil Defense office will hold a briefing on its crisis response plan. The meeting will be held at Copiah-Lincoln Community College.