News

MSDH Reports 17,000 COVID-19 Cases Over New Year’s Weekend

Both nationwide and across Mississippi, the COVID-19 omicron variant has continued to spread through New Year’s weekend.

Angel Baker

The University of Mississippi women’s basketball team is off to a red-hot start this season. The Rebels dropped the opening game of the season and haven’t lost a game since. UM is off to a 13-1 start coming out of conference play.

Remembering Mississippi Children Who Lost Their Lives to COVID-19

Since the school year started in August, almost 23,000 students have tested positive for COVID-19, along with more than 4,000 teachers and staff. Schools have seen a total of 1,172 outbreaks in that time, the Mississippi State Department of Health reported.

#StandAgainstHate Concert, Future Stars of the Stage and Shen Yun

The #StandAgainstHate Old School Hip Hop Reunion will take place on Saturday, Jan. 15, at the Mississippi Coliseum after being rescheduled from August 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns.

City Engineer: Despite Improvements, Severe Winter Storm Could Wreak Havoc

February 2022 will mark Jackson's first anniversary of two back-to-back winter storms, which jeopardized the ability of many among the city’s more than 150,000 residents to get water.

Griffis Beginning 8-Year Term on Mississippi Supreme Court

The Mississippi Supreme Court is holding a ceremony Monday for Justice Kenny Griffis to begin a new term of office.

Analysis: Mississippi Legislators Face Full Agenda in 2022

Mississippi legislators begin their three-month session on Tuesday with a clear idea of several issues that will come up for debate.

‘Fifth Wave’ of COVID-19 Here, MSDH Leadership Says

Leadership among the Mississippi State Department of Health warned that the fifth wave of coronavirus is here, with more than 13,000 new cases of COVID-19 identified since Dec. 22, the majority of which consist of the highly contagious omicron variant.

Mississippi Supreme Court Appoints Senior Status Judge, Justice to Hinds County Cases

The lawsuit alleging slander that New Jerusalem Church Pastor Dwayne Pickett brought against two City of Jackson council members advanced on Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021, when Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Randolph assigned retired judge Lamar Pickard to the case.

JSU P3 Group Endowment, MSU and USM Donations for Teacher Training

Jackson State University recently received a $150,000 endowment from The P3 Group, Inc., the largest African American-owned real-estate development firm in the United States. The P3 Group also donated $150,000 to Florida A&M University.

Kickstarting ‘NEW JXN’: Violinist Shellie Brown Kemp Named Symphony Concertmistress

As a little girl growing up in Jackson, Miss., Shellie Brown Kemp loved to attend her older sister Bonnie’s violin lessons. “I heard her play all the time,” she recalls. “I really wanted to play because I looked up to her and I loved how it sounded.”

Remembering Dorothy ‘Dot’ Benford

Dorothy “Dot” Benford, a longtime political activist and 2020 Democratic nominee in Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional District who also ran unsuccessfully for several political offices in the state for many years, died of natural causes on Sunday, Dec. 26, at age 79.

State Legislatures in U.S. Poised to Act on Abortion Rights

Early in the new year, the Vermont House of Representatives is due to begin debate on an amendment that would enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution and send the question to voters in the fall.

COVID-19 Tests, Monoclonal Treatments in Short Supply amid Case Surge

As the highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the U.S., the Mississippi State Department of Health reported a skyrocketing number of COVID-19 cases this week. MSDH reported 2,698 new cases today alone, along with 22 fatalities.

Pickett v. Banks: Judge Green Asks Supreme Court for Special Judge

Senior Judge Tomie Green of Hinds County Circuit Court asked Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael K. Randolph on Dec. 21 to appoint a special judge to a slander case that New Jerusalem Church's senior pastor, Dwayne K. Pickett Sr., filed against two Jackson city council members on Oct. 14.

Jessie Daniels’ ‘Nice White Ladies’ Sparks Discussion About Race, Privilege In Jackson

Louwanda Evans, who said she was one of two Black women on faculty at the private college in downtown Jackson, said her daily encounters with race complicated her reading of the book. “I’m surrounded by ‘nice, white ladies’ all the time,” Evans remarked. “I have a hard time making friends. It’s hard for me to trust white women.”

Analysis: Reeves on Board with Reviving Initiative Process

Days before the Supreme Court ruling, health care professionals announced they were starting to gather signatures on an initiative to expand Medicaid in Mississippi. They were trying to bypass the Republican-led Legislature, which has steadfastly rejected expanding the government health insurance program to people who work in low-wage jobs without private insurance.

FDA Authorizes Pfizer, Merck COVID-19 Pills

“Today’s authorization introduces the first treatment for COVID-19 that is in the form of a pill that is taken orally—a major step forward in the fight against this global pandemic,” Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in the Dec. 22 FDA press release.

Remains Identified after Mississippi Man's Pre-Execution Tip

Mississippi authorities say they have identified the remains of a woman, identified as 40-year-old Felicia Cox, found following a tip from inmate David Neal Cox prior to his execution last month.

Denae Carter

Freshman Denae Carter has played a major part in the Bulldogs’ outstanding non-conference play, with Philadelphia, Pa., native Carter playing in all 12 games and starting in two so far this season.

City Council Approves $2 Million for Roads, Cemetery Transfer to Jackson State University

"This will take some (pressure) off the City who don't have to do the maintenance, and it will be a part of the plan where Jackson State (University) is improving and monitoring the heritage of our community there in the Washington Edition," he said. "So we certainly appreciate this move forward."

Judge Reeves Schedules Hearing Tuesday on Holding Hinds County in Contempt for Jail Conditions

“The County thus respectfully asks that the Court hold in abeyance any decision to engage in such an extraordinary use of power until July 1, 2022, to allow the County additional time to continue its ongoing efforts and to prove it can make even more significant, positive change at the RDC,” they wrote.

UPDATED: State Health Leadership Urges Holiday Caution as U.S. Sees First Omicron Death

State health leadership is urging Mississippians to take safety precautions against COVID-19 this holiday season, as the Mississippi State Department of Health reports slow but steady increases in the number of cases.

Johnny Hubbard

Lifelong Jackson native Johnny Hubbard has served as an adjunct professor of jazz education at Jackson State University since January 2015.

Mississippi Governor Sets $1K Bonuses for State Law Officers

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday that he is approving $1,000 in hazard pay bonuses for state law enforcement officers, and they will receive the money by the end of this month.

Crisler Weighs 'Options' After Circuit Clerk Rejects Election Boxes’ Examination Request

Former Hinds County Interim Sheriff Marshand Crisler requested to examine the election boxes in a letter hand-delivered to the Hinds County Circuit Clerk Zach Wallace on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021.

The Culture Concert, Kwanzaa Celebration at the Two Museums and Soule' Cafe

Jackson Indie Music Week, a week-long series of concerts, showcases, panels and parties spotlighting creatives from all genres, is partnering with the Cool Kids from Third Coast Radio to host "The Culture Concert" at Hal and Mal's in downtown Jackson on Friday, Jan. 14.

Ellington