News Staff Mississippi’s two Republican U.S. senators agree on many issues, but they split on a proposal for the federal government to spend $1 trillion on highways, water systems, broadband expansion and other infrastructure projects. Sen. Roger Wicker was involved in bipartisan discussions that crafted the bill. He voted for the measure when it passed the Senate … Read more
Shelby County COmmissioner Van Turner has launched an exploratory committee to delvbe into a possible run for mayor of Memphis. Current Mayor Jim Strickland is term limited and cannot run again. Tuner, meanwhile, is a local attorney and president of ther NAACP Memphis Branch. He said this was NOT an announcement of candidacy… only that … Read more
Mississippi will open a 50-bed field hospital and the federal government will send medical professionals to help treat patients as COVID-19 cases continue surging in a state with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S., officials said Wednesday. Many Mississippi hospitals face a crunch for space and staffing. The state health officer, Dr. … Read more
An advocacy group for the disabled is suing Mississippi’s Department of Corrections, alleging disabled prisoners are suffering inhumane conditions at the state’s prisons. Disability Rights Mississippi filed a lawsuit in federal court Monday against the department and the state prisons’ health provider, Vitalcore Health Strategies LLC, The Clarion Ledger reported. The complaint names MDOC Commissioner … Read more
All 73 Tennessee House Republicans are signaling support for a special session to limit the authority of local officials to make rules aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19. That would include mask mandates, which have been implemented by a handful of school districts. House Speaker Cameron Sexton sent a letter to Republican Gov. Bill … Read more
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival has announced that its festival-goers will be required to show proof that they’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19 or tested negative for the virus within the last three days. The four-day festival in Manchester, Tennessee starts Sept. 2 after being delayed for more than a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. … Read more
Mississippi is approaching its record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations as the virus continues spreading rapidly in a state with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S. The state Health Department reported Tuesday that 1,410 patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were in Mississippi hospitals Monday. Cases and hospitalizations have risen sharply in recent … Read more
The sheriff of a north Mississippi county has died, the state’s second sheriff to pass away in the last week. Yalobusha County Sheriff Mark Fulco died Monday. The Calhoun County sheriff’s office posted a brief message on its Facebook page: “We are saddened and broken hearted to learn of the passing today of Sheriff Mark … Read more
Memphis Police say a security guard at a local supermarket has been charged with killing a man during an argument about loud music coming from the man’s car. Police said Gregory Livingston was working at a Kroger supermarket in Memphis when he got into an argument with Alvin Motley at the supermarket’s gas station on … Read more
There’s growing interest in grassroots programs aimed at reducing community violence at a time when violent crime around the country is on the rise. Violence interrupter programs use homegrown peacemakers from communities plagued by violence to try to ease tense situations. Other programs focus primarily on issues such as poverty and education. These kind of … Read more