Published: May 13, 2008 07:49 pm         

Steakhouse goes up in flames; one known injury

NEWPORT – A gas explosion has left at least one man injured and a restaurant destroyed in Newport on Highway 14 Tuesday afternoon.

Dowdle Gas Company employees were working on a gas line behind Longhorn’s Steakhouse when an explosion happened. It is unknown at this time if they were injured.

According to Attala County Sheriff William Lee, Felix Hutchison, the father of Longhorn co-owner Stacie Sizemore, was badly burned and was taken to the Montfort Jones Memorial Hospital. He was quickly airlifted for further treatment.

Attala County firefighters and volunteers worked for several hours to put out the flames as bystanders watched from a nearby church.

For more details, see next week’s edition and go online at www.starherald.net.