LUY-Development

Category: Mississippi News

  • Co-Lin announces 2025 Homecoming Court

    Co-Lin announces 2025 Homecoming Court

    WESSON – Copiah-Lincoln Community College is pleased to announce the 2025 Homecoming Court and Queen Reagan Fortenberry of Brookhaven. Members of the court include from left, Natchez Campus freshman maid Kahidreuna Jones of Fayette, Wesson Campus freshman maid Kelis Daniels of Crystal Springs, Natchez Campus sophomore maid Arijeanette McDonald of Natchez, Wesson Campus sophomore maid Jamesha Chandler of McComb, Homecoming Queen Reagan Fortenberry of Brookhaven, Wesson Campus sophomore maid Brianna Brown of Hazlehurst, Simpson County Center sophomore maid Ariana Gaspar of Magee, Wesson Campus freshman maid Lilly Kate Channell of Wesson, and Simpson County Center freshman maid Amber Wilson of Mize.

    The court will be presented at halftime of the Homecoming football game against East Central Community College on Thursday, October 23 at 6:30 p.m. in Stone Stadium. The full homecoming schedule can be found at www.colin.edu.

  • Giants Turn to Rookie Jaxson Dart After Wilson’s Struggles

    Giants Turn to Rookie Jaxson Dart After Wilson’s Struggles

    The New York Giants are making a move at quarterback, benching veteran Russell Wilson in favor of first-round rookie Jaxson Dart, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday.

    Dart, the 25th overall pick in this year’s draft out of Ole Miss, will make his first NFL start Sunday at MetLife Stadium against the undefeated Los Angeles Chargers. The Giants (0-3) also have Jameis Winston on the roster, but head coach Brian Daboll made clear the team was “evaluating everything” following Wilson’s shaky start to the season.

    Wilson’s latest outing — a 160-yard, two-interception performance in a 22-9 loss to Kansas City – drew boos from the home crowd. The tone shifted when Dart entered for a snap, drawing cheers from fans eager for change.

    At Ole Miss, Dart built a reputation as a dynamic dual-threat, leading the Rebels with over 3,300 passing yards and 23 touchdowns in 2023, while also flashing mobility that made the zone-read a staple of their offense. That versatility is exactly what the Giants hope can spark life into their struggling attack.

    Dart impressed throughout camp, quickly rising on the depth chart. Now, he’ll face his toughest test yet. a disciplined Chargers defense allowing under 300 yards per game.

    For Giants fans, the switch isn’t just about wins. It’s about hope. And in Jaxson Dart, they see a quarterback who might just deliver it.

  • Autopsy finds hanged Mississippi student died by suicide, police say

    CLEVELAND, Miss. (AP) — An autopsy by the office of Mississippi’s state medical examiner concluded that a Black student found hanging from a tree at Delta State University died by suicide, police said Thursday.

    The police department in Cleveland, where the campus is located, announced the findings in a news release. It said the autopsy results were consistent with a preliminary examination of the body by the Bolivar County coroner, which found no evidence of foul play.

    The 21-year-old student’s death, discovered early Monday, immediately ignited strong emotions in a Southern state with a history of racist violence.

    Even before the autopsy results were announced, the student’s family and their lawyers had called for an independent autopsy and implored police to show them any security camera recordings and other video gathered as evidence. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has said he will lead an independent investigation.

    Crump’s office did not immediately return an email message seeking comment Thursday.

    Cleveland police released no details of the autopsy’s findings other than to say the cause of death was hanging and the manner of death had been ruled a suicide. It said results of toxicology tests are still pending and could take weeks.

    The statement said police are still investigating the student’s death and that evidentiary files in the case are being shared with the FBI and federal prosecutors.

    U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, had previously called on the FBI to investigate.

  • Democratic prosecutor Scott Colom announces US Senate race in Mississippi

    Democratic prosecutor Scott Colom announces US Senate race in Mississippi

    JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Scott Colom, a Democratic district attorney in Mississippi, is running for U.S. Senate, challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.

    Colom announced his candidacy in a video Wednesday that criticized Hyde-Smith for voting for President Donald Trump’s ’ big beautiful bill ’, a sprawling piece of legislation that included Medicaid cuts, tax breaks and new money for national defense and deportations.

    “Her last vote is going to run up our debt, kick over 100,000 Mississippians off their healthcare and put our hospitals at risk all so billionaires in California and New York can get a tax break,” Colom said of Hyde-Smith in his announcement video. “That’s not who I am.”

    Colom also said he would fight to eliminate income taxes for teachers and law enforcement and boost wages for Mississippians.

    Colom joins the race alongside U.S. Army Veteran Ty Pinkins, a former Democrat who announced he would be challenging Hyde-Smith as an Independent earlier this year.

    “We welcome Scott Colom to the race and congratulate Senator Chuck Schumer and national Democrats on their recruit,” Nathan Calvert, the communications director for Hyde-Smith’s campaign, said in a statement. “Make no mistake — Mississippians know the difference between conservative values that work and the liberal Biden/Colom policies that have failed us.”

    It is not the first time Colom and Hyde-Smith have clashed. In 2023, Hyde-Smith blocked President Joe Biden’s nomination of Colom to a federal judgeship.

    Hyde-Smith cited concerns about Colom’s connection to George Soros, a New York billionaire who gave money to Mississippi Safety and Justice, a political action committee that supported Colom’s 2015 race for district attorney. Soros did not contribute directly to Colom’s campaign.

    In an attempt to sway Hyde-Smith, Colom wrote to her that he did not request the funds from Soros and did not know the money would be contributed to his campaign.

    She also criticized Colom for opposing “legislation to protect female athletes,” after Colom signed a letter in June 2021 condemning efforts to criminalize gender-affirming care for transgender people.

    Colom is running to flip a seat in a state where Republicans control all statewide offices and both chambers of the Legislature. Democrats have attempted to gain a foothold in the state in recent years. In 2023, Democrat Brandon Presley was narrowly defeated in a gubernatorial election by Gov. Tate Reeves, who received nearly 51% of the vote.

    Colom is the district attorney in Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay and Noxubee counties. He is the first Black prosecutor in those counties, defeating the longtime incumbent Forrest Allgood in 2015. Colom was unopposed when he won a second term in 2019.

  • Mississippi becomes fourth state to send National Guard troops to DC in expanding federal crackdown

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Joining forces from three other Republican-led states, the Mississippi National Guard will deploy 200 troops to Washington as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing federal policing and immigration overhaul in the nation’s capital.

    Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement Monday that he has approved the deployment of approximately 200 Mississippi National Guard Soldiers to Washington, D.C.

    “Crime is out of control there, and it’s clear something must be done to combat it,” Reeves said.

    Mississippi joins three other states that have pledged to deploy hundreds of National Guard members to the nation’s capital to bolster the Republican administration’s operation to overhaul policing in the Democratic-led city through a federal crackdown on crime and homelessness.

    West Virginia said it was deploying 300 to 400 troops, South Carolina pledged 200 and Ohio said it will send 150 in the coming days, deployments that built on top of President Donald Trump’s initial order that 800 National Guard troops deploy as part of the federal intervention.

    Trump’s executive order that launched the federal operation declared a “crime emergency” in the District of Columbia and initiated a takeover Washington’s police department. The administration has ordered local police to cooperate with federal agents on immigration enforcement, orders that would contradict local laws prohibiting such collaboration.

    “D.C. has been under siege from thugs and killers, but now, D.C. is back under Federal Control where it belongs,” Trump wrote on his social media website a day after issuing his order. “The White House is in charge. The Military and our Great Police will liberate this City, scrape away the filth, and make it safe, clean, habitable and beautiful once more!”

    National Guard members in the District of Columbia have been assisting law enforcement with tasks including crowd control and patrolling landmarks such as the National Mall and Union Station. Their role has been limited thus far, and it remains unclear why additional troops would be needed.

    Over the weekend in Washington, protesters pushed back on federal law enforcement and National Guard troops fanning out in the city. Scores of protesters gathered in the city’s Dupont Circle on Saturday and marched to the White House.

  • New state homeless law revives discussions about shelter

    New state homeless law revives discussions about shelter

    NATCHEZ, Miss. – A new state law is forcing local officials to crack down on homeless people encamped in public spaces and is reviving discussions about Natchez-Adams County’s lack of a homeless shelter.

    Adams County Emergency Management Director Brad Bradford is wondering whether the county must now fence off the grounds of the county’s disaster shelter, where homeless people have been congregating. The community’s Safe Room building on Liberty Road was constructed to provide temporary refuge for people during weather-related emergencies. However, vagrants routinely gather there and must be chased off by sheriff’s deputies, said Bradford, who met today with the Adams County Board of Supervisors.

    The state homeless law, which went into effect last month, specifically prohibits encampments on public properties not intended to be campsites. People convicted of violating this law can be fined and jailed for up to six months.

    To enforce the new law, Natchez has begun posting signs in known homeless encampments telling people to vacate the premises and remove their belongings and litter or face legal action.

    Adams County Supervisor Ricky Gray expressed concerns about the state Legislature enacting the law against the homeless but doing little to help local officials enforce the law or provide itinerants a place to stay.

    Bradford pointed to previous discussions about Natchez-Adams County’s lack of a homeless shelter. In 2018, he called for creating a committee to find a location and come up with money to pay for a fully operational facility. Nothing has come of that.

    Adams County supervisors in the past have opened the community Safe Room to people without homes during frigid weather but only for brief periods.

  • Child Care Payment Program to Resume Applications for Mississippi Families on August 1, 2025

    Jackson, MS — The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS), through its Division of Early Childhood Care & Development (DECCD), has announced the highly anticipated reopening of the Child Care Payment Program (CCPP) for working families beginning August 1, 2025.

    Waitlist Processing Begins

    Families that joined the CCPP waitlist on or after April 1, 2025, will be the first to receive application invitations. The applications will be sent in the order families were added to the waitlist.

    Eligible families will receive:

    • An email notification from MDHS with a personalized application link and a unique access code.

    • 10 calendar days to complete the application after receiving the email.

    If an application is not submitted within the 10-day period, the opportunity will pass to the next eligible family on the waitlist.

    12 Months of Child Care Assistance

    Approved applicants will receive 12 months of subsidized child care, giving families much-needed financial relief and stability. The continuation of services beyond this period will depend on the availability of additional funding in 2026.

    Once approved, families will be empowered to choose a local child care provider that best fits their child’s needs, emphasizing both convenience and personalized care.

    Leadership Comments

    “MDHS is pleased to resume serving Mississippi’s working families,” said Dr. Chad Allgood, Director of the Division of Early Childhood Care & Development. “We are committed to distributing this support fairly and efficiently to strengthen family stability and workforce participation across Mississippi.”

    MDHS Executive Director Robert G. (Bob) Anderson echoed this sentiment, adding, “We appreciate the critical funding that has enabled MDHS to lift the pause on child care certificates for working families across the State of Mississippi.”

    Important Reminders for Families

    • Check your email frequently, especially folders like SPAM or Junk, for a message from ccnotices@mdhs.ms.gov.

    • Add the sender to your contacts to ensure you receive the application notification.

    • Act quickly upon receiving your link to avoid missing your spot in line.

    The waitlist will remain active until current funding is exhausted. Once that happens, the application process will pause again until more funds become available.

    Contact Information & Support

    For additional support or questions, families are encouraged to:

    This reopening of the CCPP represents a critical opportunity for Mississippi’s working families to access child care support and improve their overall quality of life. Families are urged to stay alert and be ready to apply once notified.

  • Relatives, authorities ask for public’s help with investigation of Ole Miss player’s fatal shooting

    MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities on Monday asked for members of the public to provide surveillance footage and details from eyewitnesses as they investigate the fatal shooting of an Ole Miss freshman football player in a Memphis neighborhood after a pool party.

    Corey Adams, an 18-year-old defensive lineman from New Orleans, was found with a gunshot wound inside a vehicle at an intersection in the Memphis suburb of Cordova on Saturday night, said Anthony Buckner, chief deputy of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Adams died at the location of the shooting.

    Four other men who suffered gunshot wounds that were not life-threatening arrived at nearby hospitals in personal vehicles. Three of them had been released from the hospital as of Monday afternoon, Buckner said.

    The shooting happened after a pool party attended by about 100 people, including Adams, Buckner said during a news conference. About 40 rifle and pistol casings were found at the shooting scene.

    No arrests have been made. Buckner asked members of the public who may have information useful to investigators, including surveillance footage from video cameras at neighbors’ homes, to come forward.

    “We have far more questions right now than we have answers,” Buckner said. “We know people saw something or heard something.”

    Adams, who played at Edna Carr High School in New Orleans, is listed on the Ole Miss football website as a 6-foot-4-inch, 235-pound defensive end. He had been one of the top defensive lineman recruits in the country.

    Adams’ mother, who spoke at the news conference but declined to be named for fear of retribution, said Adams was a loving son and brother who had hopes of playing in the NFL. He had time off from practice and went to Memphis to enjoy himself, she said.

    Memphis is about 85 miles (135 kilometers) north of Oxford, Mississippi, where Ole Miss is located.

    The Edna Karr Cougars said in a Facebook post that “words can’t describe this type of pain.”

    “Corey Adams was more than a football player! He was a friend, brother, son, student, and all around great young man,” the team stated. “We never question God but this is one we just don’t understand.”

    ___

    AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

  • Court rules Mississippi’s social media age verification law can go into effect

    A Mississippi law that requires social media users to verify their ages can go into effect, a federal court has ruled. A tech industry group has pledged to continue challenging the law, arguing it infringes on users’ rights to privacy and free expression.

    A three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals overruled a decision by a federal district judge to block the 2024 law from going into effect. It’s the latest legal development as court challenges play out against similar laws in states across the country.

    Parents — and even some teens themselves — are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of social media use on young people. Supporters of the new laws have said they are needed to help curb the explosive use of social media among young people, and what researchers say is an associated increase in depression and anxiety.

    Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch argued in a court filing defending the law that steps such as age verification for digital sites could mitigate harm caused by “sex trafficking, sexual abuse, child pornography, targeted harassment, sextortion, incitement to suicide and self-harm, and other harmful and often illegal conduct against children.”

    Attorneys for NetChoice, which brought the lawsuit, have pledged to continue their court challenge, arguing the law threatens privacy rights and unconstitutionally restricts the free expression of users of all ages.

    The industry group, which has filed similar lawsuits in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Ohio and Utah, represents some of the country’s most high-profile technology companies, including Google, which owns YouTube; Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat; and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

    In a written statement, Paul Taske, co-director of the NetChoice Litigation Center, said the group is “very disappointed” in the decision to let Mississippi’s law go into effect and is “considering all available options.”

    “NetChoice will continue to fight against this egregious infringement on access to fully protected speech online,” Taske said. “Parents — not the government — should determine what is right for their families.”

    ___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

  • Ole Miss football player Corey Adams is killed in Tennessee shooting

    Ole Miss freshman football player Corey Adams was killed in a shooting in Tennessee, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office announced Sunday.

    Law enforcement officials found Adams with a gunshot wound inside a vehicle at an intersection in Cordova on the outskirts of Memphis late Saturday, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

    “They provided life-saving measures until Shelby County Fire arrived,” the sheriff’s office said. “Shelby County Fire personnel later pronounced the victim deceased on the scene.”

    Four other men who suffered non-life-threatening gunshot wounds in the incident arrived at nearby hospitals in personal vehicles, authorities said.

    Law enforcement officials have not named any suspects but said they are investigating the shooting as a homicide.

    Adams, an 18-year-old New Orleans native, had been one of the top defensive linemen recruits in the country.

    The football program at the University of Mississippi said in a social media post it was “devastated” to learn of Adams’ death.

    “While our program is trying to cope with this tragic loss, our thoughts are with his loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” the team said. “We ask the Ole Miss community to keep Corey in their thoughts and respect the privacy of everyone involved.”

    Adams’ former New Orleans high school football team, the Edna Karr Cougars, said in a Facebook post that “words can’t describe this type of pain.”

    “Corey Adams was more than a football player! He was a friend, brother, son, student, and all around great young man,” the team stated. “We never question God but this is one we just don’t understand.”

    ___

    AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football