LUY-Development

Category: Mississippi News

  • Texas woman arrested for hiding razor blades in loaves of bread at Mississippi Walmart stores

    A woman who allegedly pushed razor blades into loaves of bread at two Biloxi, Mississippi, Walmart stores was arrested on Tuesday.

    Camille Benson, 33, of Texas, has been charged with attempted mayhem. Her bond is set at $100,000.

    Customers reported finding the razor blades at a Walmart Supercenter and a Walmart Neighborhood Market, said Lt. Candace Young, a public information officer for the Biloxi Police Department.

    Walmart employees told police a customer first reported finding a razor blade in a loaf purchased from the Walmart Supercenter on Dec. 5. On Dec. 8, a customer who bought a loaf at the Walmart Neighborhood Market also reported finding a razor blade.

    After another customer complained to the Walmart Supercenter on Sunday, employees inspected the merchandise and found several more loaves had been tampered with, law enforcement officials said.

    The police department was notified on Monday.

    In a press release, the department asked all citizens who bought bread from those Walmart locations to inspect the loaves and report any findings.

    “The health and safety of our customers is always a top priority,” Walmart said in a statement. “We have removed and thoroughly inspected all potentially affected products at impacted stores in Biloxi. We appreciate law enforcement for their swift action and will continue cooperating with them as they investigate.”

    The Biloxi Police Department said it does not believe any other stores have been targeted.

    If customers purchase a product that has been tampered with, they should immediately throw it out and visit their local Walmart for a full refund, the company said.

  • Ole Miss Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss Named SEC Newcomer of the Year

    Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has been named the 2025 SEC Newcomer of the Year, as voted on by the league’s 16 head coaches, the SEC office announced Wednesday afternoon.

    Chambliss becomes just the second player in SEC history to earn the honor, joining Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, who won the award in 2024 during its inaugural year.

    A Division II transfer from Ferris State, Chambliss made an immediate impact in his first season in Oxford. He helped lead the Rebels to the best regular season in program history and guided Ole Miss to its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, marking a historic year for the program.

    Chambliss’s rapid rise from Division II to the top of the SEC highlights both his talent and his pivotal role in one of the most successful seasons Ole Miss football has ever seen.

  • Man to serve 40 years for killing University of Mississippi student Jay Lee

    JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A man who pleaded guilty to killing a University of Mississippi graduate student was sentenced to a total of 50 years in prison with 10 years suspended on Tuesday.

    Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr. pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and tampering in the death of Jimmie “Jay” Lee, a gay man who was prominent in the LGBTQ+ community. Herrington, 25, entered the plea on Monday at the beginning of his second trial.

    Herrington was originally charged with capital murder, but prosecutors agreed to reduce the charge to second-degree murder.

    He was sentenced to 40 years with 10 years suspended, meaning he will serve 30 years, for second-degree murder. He received another 10 years for tampering. The sentences will run consecutively for 40 years total, and he will he will be subject to 10 years of post-release supervision.

    Herrington’s lawyers were not immediately available for comment.

    Lee, 20, disappeared from Oxford, where the university is located, in July 2022.

    Herrington, also an Ole Miss graduate, was arrested two weeks later and eventually charged with capital murder.

    A judge declared a mistrial last year when jurors failed to reach a verdict after more than 9 1/2 hours of deliberation. At the time of the trial, Lee’s body had not been found, but a judge had declared him dead.

    In February of this year, deer hunters stumbled upon Lee’s skeletal remains in a wooded area, according to Mississippi Today.

    During the first trial, prosecutors claimed Herrington, who was not openly gay, killed Lee after the two had a sexual encounter.

    During a press conference after the sentencing, prosecutors indicated Herrington killed Lee to keep their relationship secret.

    Campus cameras showed Lee leaving his apartment shortly before 4 a.m. the day he disappeared. He returned 40 minutes later, before leaving again just before 6 a.m.

    Prosecutors allege Lee had been at Herrington’s apartment, and that when Lee had left Herrington’s apartment he was upset. Herrington, they said, invited Lee back and searched “how long does it take to strangle someone” online before Lee arrived.

    The final text message from Lee’s phone was sent to a social media account belonging to Herrington at 6:03 a.m. from a spot near Herrington’s apartment, law enforcement testified. Accounts belonging to Herrington and Lee had previously exchanged sexually explicit messages, they said.

    Herrington was later captured by surveillance video jogging out of a parking lot where Lee’s car was found. He was also seen picking up a shovel and wheelbarrow at his parents’ house, authorities said.

    Herrington is from Grenada, Mississippi, about 52 miles (83.7 kilometers) southwest of Oxford. Lee’s body was found in neighboring Carroll County.

    Lee had been pursuing a master’s degree. He was known for his creative expression through fashion and makeup and often performed in drag shows in Oxford, according to a support group called Justice for Jay Lee.

  • New owner to open Mississippi barn where Emmett Till was killed as a memorial site


    The barn in Mississippi where 14-year-old Emmett Till was tortured and killed will open to the public as a “sacred” memorial site by 2030, the new owner announced.

    The Emmett Till Interpretive Center disclosed late Sunday that it had purchased the barn located in a rural area outside the city of Drew, aided by a $1.5 million donation from television producer and writer Shonda Rhimes.

    “We think that where the worst harms have happened, the most healing is possible,” ETIC Executive Director Patrick Weems said.

    The center plans to open the barn as a memorial ahead of the 75th anniversary of Till’s lynching in 1955.

    Two white men publicly confessed to the killing after being acquitted by an all-white jury in Mississippi later that year, but a Justice Department report released in 2021 said at least one more, unnamed person was involved in Till’s abduction. Experts who’ve studied the case believe others participated, from a half-dozen to more than 14.

    Till was abducted from his great-uncle’s home on Aug. 28, 1955, after the Chicago teenager was accused of whistling at a white woman in a rural Mississippi grocery store. According to accounts, the men took Till to the barn, where they tortured and killed him. His body was later found in the Tallahatchie River.

    At Till’s funeral, his mother insisted on an open casket so the public could see the state of her son’s battered body. It was a pivotal moment in the emerging Civil Rights movement.

    Weems said he hopes opening the barn to the public will encourage people to ask questions about a dark chapter in American history.

    “Have we done enough? Is there justice yet? Has our society moved in the direction of human rights so that this sort of thing never happens?” Weems said.

    The center will have the barn under 24-hour surveillance, and the property will be equipped with floodlights and security cameras, Weems said, calling those measures precautionary.

    A historical marker, erected where Till’s body was discovered, has been replaced three times after being vandalized. The first marker was stolen and thrown into the river in 2008. The second was shot more than 100 times by 2014. It was replaced in 2018, and shot another 35 times. Now the marker is the only bulletproof historical marker in the country, according to Weems.

    The barn was purchased Nov. 18. Weems noted that Nov. 23, the day the purchase was announced, was the birthday of Till’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley. Till’s mother was a civil rights activist in the aftermath of her son’s death and died in 2003.

    ___

    This story was first published Nov. 24, 2025. It was updated Nov. 25, 2025, to correct the day the barn was purchased. It was purchased Nov. 18, not Nov. 23.


  • Reunion Parkway Ribbon Cutting Marks Major Milestone for Madison County

    Reunion Parkway Ribbon Cutting Marks Major Milestone for Madison County

    MADISON, Miss. — November 13, 2025
    Local, county, and state leaders gathered Thursday afternoon to celebrate a transformational moment for Madison County’s road network: the long-awaited ribbon cutting for the newest segment of Reunion Parkway.

    Officials, including Congressman Michael Guest, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, Transportation Commission Chairman Willie Simmons, and Madison County Board of Supervisors President Gerald Steen, joined together on the newly completed roadway to officially open the latest stretch of the multi-phase project.

    Photo by Teri Taylor

    A New Connection to Ease Growing Traffic

    The newly completed phase — part of a $22.7 million investment — creates a direct two-lane connection from Highway 51 to Parkway East. County leaders say the opening will bring immediate relief to some of the area’s busiest corridors, offering a smoother east-west route for both drivers and commercial traffic.

    Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons highlighted the impact on safety, mobility, and economic development.

    “This project is about more than convenience,” Simmons said. “It’s about giving residents a safer way to travel and giving local businesses the infrastructure they need to keep Madison County moving forward.”

    The work was made possible through a partnership between Madison County and the Mississippi Department of Transportation, which helped secure federal funding for the project. Hemphill Construction served as the contractor, with MDOT’s Local Public Agencies Division overseeing the federally funded components.

    Photo by Teri Taylor

     

    Part of a Larger Vision

    Thursday’s celebration marks one of several major transportation improvements underway in the fast-growing county. Construction continues on both Bozeman Road and Reunion Parkway Phase II — the segment that will carry traffic over I-55 and connect Parkway East to Bozeman Road. That phase is expected to open in August.

    Madison County Supervisor Trey Baxter said the progress is building toward a long-planned, fully connected roadway network.

    “By late summer, drivers will be able to travel from Reunion to Highway 51 without the congestion we’ve all known for years,” Baxter said. “And with Bozeman also under construction, we’re creating a complete system to help people get to work and school more safely.”

    A Community Growing — and Preparing for More

    Residents at the ribbon cutting say the improvements couldn’t come at a better time. Madison County continues to be one of the fastest-growing regions in Mississippi, placing heavy demand on existing roads.

    “We really needed this,” said longtime resident Phil McCoy. “Madison is growing so fast, and these new connections are going to make a big difference in how we all get around.”

    Looking Ahead

    While Thursday’s ceremony marked the official completion of the Reunion Parkway, officials emphasized that the work isn’t over. Additional stages are expected to open over the next two years, gradually bringing the full project — an idea first discussed in the Legislature more than a decade ago — to life.

    Simmons noted that MDOT remains committed to seeing future phases through.

    “Madison County has been a strong partner,” he said. “We look forward to being back here to cut the ribbon on the next phase soon.”

  • Explosion at Mississippi chemical plant causes ammonia leak, evacuations

    YAZOO CITY, Miss. (AP) — An explosion at a hydrogen and nitrogen product manufacturer in Mississippi on Wednesday caused an ammonia leak and forced nearby residents to evacuate, officials said.

    Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a post on the social platform X that emergency officials from across the state were responding to the anhydrous ammonia leak at CF Industries’ plant north of Yazoo City.

    No deaths or injuries have been reported, he said.

    “Thank you to all of Mississippi’s first responders and emergency managers for quickly responding to the leak,” he said.

    Photos and video posted online show a large plume of yellowish smoke rising above the facility, which includes an ammonia plant and four nitric acid plants, among other things.

    The facility is able to store about 48,000 tons of ammonia, although the exact amount there when the explosion took place was not immediately clear.

    CF Industries said in a statement that there are no injuries, and “all employees and contractors on site at the time of the incident have been safely accounted for.”

    Andre Robinson, who lives about a half-mile (800 meters) from the facility, said he and his son were getting ready to make gumbo when he heard what sounded like a sonic boom or a tree crashing on his house.

    “There was a boom and then the house shook,” he said.

    When he looked outside, Robinson said he saw smoke rising from the facility and started to smell a strong scent of ammonia.

    “We’re used to the ammonia smell, but not that bad,” he said, adding that his family has since evacuated to Jackson.

    Part of U.S. Route 49E was temporarily closed, according to the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

    The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality said in a post on X that “air monitoring operations are underway and will continue as long as necessary to ensure public safety.”

    Anhydrous ammonia is used as a fertilizer to help provide nitrogen for corn and wheat plants, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. If a person touches it when it is in gas or liquid form, they could be burned.

    Yazoo City is a small community about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Jackson.

  • MDHS Announces Temporary Pause in SNAP Benefits Due to Federal Shutdown

    The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) announced today, in a press release, that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for the month of November may be delayed, or possibly not issued, due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.

    In a clarification, MDHS stated that SNAP recipients will still be able to use any existing benefits received prior to November 1, 2025. However, no new benefits for November will be issued unless federal guidance changes.

    According to the release, this temporary pause is a direct result of the federal shutdown and not a state-level decision. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has directed all states not to transmit Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) issuance files to EBT vendors until further notice. As a result, no new SNAP benefits will be issued for November unless federal guidance changes.

    MDHS is encouraging SNAP recipients to use their existing benefits to stock up on eligible shelf-stable foods, such as canned goods and other non-perishable items, before the end of the month. Starting November 1, there is uncertainty about whether clients will be able to access previously issued benefits during the federal government shutdown.

    The department also reminds current clients to complete all required actions to maintain their eligibility during this period.

    As of now, MDHS has not received confirmation from federal partners regarding when SNAP benefits will resume. The agency says it will continue to provide updates to beneficiaries and retailers as more information becomes available.

    MDHS SNAP customer service representatives will remain available to answer technical questions but will not be able to provide information about the timing of benefit issuances.

    SNAP clients and community organizations are encouraged to visit www.mdhs.ms.gov/home/federal-shutdown-updates/ for the latest updates on SNAP and a comprehensive list of local food resources.

  • 4 arrests made in connection with mass shooting that left 6 dead in Mississippi, FBI says

    Three people have been arrested on murder charges and a fourth person on an attempted murder charge in a weekend shooting that left six dead and more than a dozen injured in a small Mississippi town, the FBI announced Monday.

    Teviyon L. Powell, 29, William Bryant, 29, and Morgan Lattimore, 25, have been charged with capital murder, while Latoya A. Powell, 44, has been charged with attempted murder in the mass shooting, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Jackson Field Office said.

    It was not immediately clear whether they have attorneys. The Associated Press left a voicemail with the Washington County Public Defender’s Office asking if its attorneys are representing the defendants.

    The shooting, which came as people celebrated homecoming weekend in downtown Leland shortly after a high school football game, was the deadliest of several shootings across Mississippi over the weekend. Other shootings were reported at two Mississippi universities on Saturday, as those schools celebrated their homecoming weekends.

    Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive for Friday night’s shooting in Leland, but the FBI said the gunfire appears to have been “sparked by a disagreement among several individuals.” The spokesperson said without elaborating in an email late Monday that “other arrests are pending” as the investigation continues into the shooting in the rural northwest Delta region.

    Four of the victims died at the scene, where abandoned shoes were left and blood stained the pavement of a downtown street the following day.

    Witness Camish Hopkins described seeing people wounded and bleeding and four people dead on the ground. “It was the most horrific scene I’d ever seen,” Hopkins told the AP.

    The shooting in Leland was the 14th mass killing in 2025, according to The Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killing Database. The database tracks all homicides in the U.S. since 2006 in which four or more people were killed intentionally within a 24-hour period, not including any offender.

    Elsewhere, in the small town of Heidelberg on the east side of the state, the bodies of two people, including a pregnant woman, were found on a high school campus Friday night. That shooting happened the same evening Heidelberg High School played its homecoming football game, according to police and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves. Police have not said exactly when the gunfire occurred or how close it was to the stadium.

    An 18-year-old man was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and illegally having a gun on a school campus in the Heidelberg shooting, Jasper County Jail records show.

    Heidelberg, a town of about 640 residents, is about 85 miles (135 kilometers) southeast of the state capital of Jackson.

    On Saturday evening, three people also were found with apparent gunshot wounds on the Alcorn State University campus in Claiborne County, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said. One of the victims died, the agency said. Police found the victims after a call reporting shots fired in the area of the industrial technology building. No arrests were announced.

    The shooting happened after a crowd of more than 7,000 watched Alcorn State defeat Lincoln University of Oakland, California, in the Mississippi school’s homecoming game Saturday afternoon.

    In Jackson, police responded around 7 p.m. Saturday to the tailgating area of Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, where Jackson State University hosted Alabama State University. A juvenile had been shot in the abdomen and was taken to a hospital, police said. No arrests were announced, and few other details about that shooting were immediately available.

    ___

    Associated Press freelance photographer Katie Adkins in Leland and AP writer Mead Gruver in Fort Collins, Colorado, contributed.

  • One Dead, Two Injured in Alcorn State University Campus Shooting During Homecoming Weekend

    A shooting on the campus of Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi, left one person dead and two others injured Saturday evening, according to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (MDPS).

    Bailey Martin, spokesperson for MDPS, confirmed that the shooting occurred around 6:30 p.m. on October 11, 2025, near the Industrial Technology Building. When responding officers arrived at the scene, they discovered three individuals suffering from gunshot wounds. One of the victims later died from their injuries. Authorities have not released the names of the victims at this time, and no arrests have been made.

    The university quickly issued a campus-wide emergency alert just after 7:00 p.m., instructing students to shelter in place until an all-clear was given. “Effective immediately, campus is closed until further notice. Only current students and employees are permitted on campus,” university officials announced.

    The incident occurred on the same day as Alcorn State’s homecoming game, an event that draws students, alumni, and visitors from across the region. As of Saturday night, investigators remained on scene as the investigation continued into the motive and identity of the shooter.

    The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) will take the lead on the investigation.
    Anyone with information or video regarding the shooting can contact Campus Police at 601-877-3000, Claiborne County Sheriff’s Department at 601-437-5161 or MBI at MBITIPS@dps.ms.gov.

     

     

  • Chambliss accounts for 3 TDs and No. 4 Mississippi escapes against Washington State with a 24-21 win

    OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Trinidad Chambliss threw for two touchdowns and ran for another score to lead No. 4 Mississippi over Washington State 24-21 on Saturday.

    Ole Miss (6-0) trailed 14-10 late in the third period before Chambliss scored on a 17-yard touchdown scramble. Chambliss threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Cayden Lee to build a 24-14 lead with 6:51 remaining.

    “I just told our players that we did get to 1-0 today and that’s the most important thing, but that was about the only good thing,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said. “That performance was definitely not to our standard. We got up two scores and didn’t finish it.”

    Washington State (3-3) led for a majority of the first three quarters. The Cougars scored late on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Zevi Eckhaus to Tony Freeman, bringing them a field goal away from tying the game. They had a final possession with just over a minute remaining, but were unable to score.

    “Nobody can question our effort. I’m proud of that effort,” Washington State coach Jimmy Rogers said. “Yeah, like I said, there’s no moral victories. You win or you lose in competitive sports and nobody will care in a week how well we played. So we lost and that’s a little bit of a sick feeling.”

    Chambliss went 20-of-29 passing for 253 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown pass to Dae’Quan Wright to take a 10-7 halftime lead. Kewan Lacy had 24 rushes for 142 yards. Ole Miss finished with 439 yards of total offense.

    Eckhaus completed 24 of 31 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns. He found Landon Wright for a 26-yard score to to take a 14-10 third quarter lead.

    Freeman had nine receptions for 90 yards.

    The Cougars converted just 2 of 10 third downs.

    The takeaway

    Washington State: The Cougars were not phased by a cross-country trip two time zones away. They made enough plays to put a serious scare into a top-five team.

    Ole Miss: The Rebels were good enough in the second half to escape an upset. Their uneven performance could cause a slip in the AP poll.

    “We all read our press clippings about being No. 4 but we looked like we were No. 84 today,” Kiffin said. “Maybe we will look back and say this was good for us but it doesn’t feel too good today.”

    Up next

    Washington State: Visits No. 19 Virginia on Oct. 18.

    Ole Miss: Visits No. 10 Georgia on Oct. 18.

    ___

    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football