Mississippi News

No Hugs Or Handshakes: Pandemic Complicates Storm Relief

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — For people who lost homes to the deadly tornadoes that rampaged across the South, there are no comforting hugs from volunteers or handshakes from politicians. For homeless families, there are no Red Cross shelters, only hotel rooms. …

Floods Put Mississippi Capital in ‘Precarious Situation’

JACKSON, Miss. — With the waters in the Pearl River continuing to rise in and around Mississippi’s capital city and more rain on the way this week, the governor warned residents that it would be days before flood waters start …

Mississippi Grand Jury to Review Global Cybercrime Ring

A Mississippi federal grand jury will decide if a New York man will be prosecuted for his alleged role in an international cybercrime organization with South Mississippi connections. Olutoyin Ogunlade of Brooklyn, New York, is accused of bank fraud and …

Mississippi Family’s Home Among First to be Rebuilt After Tornado

Mack and Kathryn Towery’s new home stands in sharp contrast to much of their neighborhood. The section of Old Saltillo Road just north of the Tupelo city limits shows heavy damage from the April 28 tornado. More than a dozen …

Federal Grant to Create Nearly 420 Tornado Recovery Jobs in Mississippi

The U.S. Labor Department is sending up to $5.6 million to Mississippi to pay for unemployed people to help with recovery and cleanup from the April 28 tornadoes. The money, being sent to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, could …

Mississippi Legislature Approves $17M in Disaster Recovery Aid

The Mississippi Legislature met in a three-hour session Thursday approved $17 million to help pay for recovery from disasters, including tornadoes that recently pounded the state. Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed the funding measure, Senate Bill 2001, and it became …

Mississippi Legislature Convenes Special Session on Tornado Costs

Gov. Phil Bryant has called the Mississippi Legislature into special session starting Thursday to help pay state government’s share of recovery costs after the deadly April 28 tornadoes. The governor said Tuesday that lawmakers will be asked to provide up …

Mississippi County Hires Engineer to Examine Crumbling Roads

The Lamar County Board of Supervisors has given the county engineer approval to hire a firm that will look into why roads in at least three county subdivisions have been crumbling away. The Hattiesburg American reports that GeoCon Laboratories Inc. …

Mississippi City to Test, Repair Hydrants

The Petal Fire Department will begin testing and refurbishing the Mississippi city’s hydrants on Monday. The Hattiesburg American reports the work is expected to continue through May. Fire Chief Joe Hendry says the hydrants will be tested, cleaned and painted. …

Mississippi Man Sentenced to a Year in Prison for Bogus Claim

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood says a 28-year-old Pontotoc County man will serve at least a year in prison after filing an insurance claim for a nonexistent four-wheeler accident. He says in a news release that Eric Long of Randolph …