Health officials say a person who contracted West Nile virus in Shelby County is Tennessee’s third case of the illness this year. In a news release Friday, the Shelby County Health Department did not identify the person who got the illness, which is transmitted to humans through mosquito bites. The West Nile virus can occasionally … Read more
Mississippi has 120 days to come up with proposed long-term plan for how it will work to prevent unnecessary institutionalizations of people with mental illness in state hospitals, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves ordered that the state’s initial plan be submitted to the U.S. Justice Department and an independent monitor, … Read more
The state Department of Health says the number of children contracting COVID-19 now makes up 40% of all of Tennessee’s cases. Tennessee is confronting a steady rise in hospitalizations that mirror the drastic numbers from the state’s last peak during the winter. As of Wednesday, more than 3,300 Tennesseans were hospitalized with the virus — … Read more
Former first lady Michelle Obama and The Poor People’s Campaign have been chosen to receive Freedom Awards from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. The museum said Wednesday that Obama and the campaign’s leaders, the Rev. William Barber and the Rev. Liz Theoharis, will be honored at a virtual ceremony Oct. 14. The … Read more
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Thursday that he’s appointing a former aide as his new chief of staff. Parker Briden was one of the spokesmen for Reeves during the 2019 gubernatorial campaign. He became the governor’s deputy chief of staff for external affairs in 2020, working on response to severe weather outbreaks and the COVID-19 … Read more
Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Randolph is extending an emergency order to keep COVID-19 precautions in place in the state’s courts. Randolph’s order allows judges to postpone jury trials through Oct. 8. It says courts may continue using teleconferences, video conferences and electronic filing. They may also continue using interactive audiovisual equipment to conduct … Read more
Hurricane Ida damaged at least 164 homes in Mississippi, destroying six of those and leaving 42 with major damage, state officials said Wednesday. Mississippi Emergency Management Agency director Stephen McCraney also said at least 184 roads and 53 bridges had some damage. Two people were killed and at least 10 were injured late Monday after … Read more
A task force from DeSoto County has responded to George County to help with recovery efforts after a section of Highway 26 collapsed Monday night. Two people were killed and 10 others were injured when a 75 foot span of the highway gave in, sending seven vehicles plunging as much as 30 feet. Mississippi Task … Read more
Gov. Tate Reeves has appointed an interim executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority. Laura Hipp, the head of marketing and a senior advisor at the agency, will be stepping into the role, Reeves announced Tuesday on Twitter. Before working at MDA, Hipp was Reeves’ communications director when he was lieutenant governor. “My confidence in … Read more