NEW ORLEANS — It’s been 20 years since Hurricane Katrina slammed the Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm. The disaster is remembered not just for its winds, but for the crushing surge of water that devastated rural Louisiana parishes and tore through the heart of New Orleans.
A woman searches through storm debris in Buras, LA, following Hurricane Katrina’s landfall on Aug. 29, 2005. The storm left widespread destruction across the Mississippi-Louisiana border. (Sarah Alegre)
Katrina weakened before making landfall on Aug. 29, 2005, but still struck the Louisiana-Mississippi border as a Category 3 storm. The storm surge flooded homes, took more than a thousand lives and turned reality into a nightmare along the Gulf Coast.
Memories from Louisiana
In Plaquemines Parish, seven-year-old Corrine English lost nearly everything when the small fishing town of Buras was swallowed by floodwaters.
“Part of me feels like it was just yesterday because of the feeling of thinking about everything being taken away from us,” English said. “It just feels really raw.”
English said she remembers the moment watching her mother’s reaction to the news as Katrina’s eye centered over Buras, Louisiana.
“I think that’s when I realized something was really wrong,” she said, recalling her mother’s emotion. “This isn’t going to be something where we can just pack our suitcases back up and go back home.”
Sixty miles north, in the Superdome in New Orleans, Corbett Reddoch, a Louisiana National Guard member from Buras, expected to ride out the storm in a drill-like scenario.
“You’d come in, the storm would pass, and then everybody would leave,” Reddoch recalled.
But when the levees failed, thousands of people were trapped inside as supplies dwindled and conditions deteriorated quickly.
“It was basically a three-day fist fight…people didn’t know how to act,” Reddoch said.
For families in Buras, survival looked different. Entire neighborhoods disappeared underwater, leaving residents cut off and isolated.
“Not only were they going through this as parents who had watched on TV their entire world washed away,” English said, “they had to figure out how to make it normal for two 7-year-olds and a 10-year-old.”
Today, the only piece of English’s childhood that remains is a Build-A-Bear she carried through the storm, a small reminder of survival and resilience.
“Sometimes it feels like yesterday,” English said. “Other times it feels like it was 100 years ago, because my life has changed so…much. And it’s hard not to wonder what my life would have been like if that didn’t happen.”
Reflections from Mississippi
A fallen tree rests on a damaged home in Gulfport, Miss., in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Aug. 2005. The storm’s winds and surge destroyed thousands of homes across the region
(Sarah Alegre)
In Mississippi, where Katrina’s storm surge leveled much of the Gulf Coast, communities are also reflecting on what has changed and what hasn’t.
“Everybody had a loss,” said Leonard Papania, former police chief of Gulfport. “In moments like these, you don’t build character, you demonstrate it,” he said.
Today, Gulfport is marked by blue skies, palm trees and a new look. But two decades ago, the scene was unrecognizable. Papania, then a young lieutenant, recalls walking through streets he could no longer recognize.
A collapsed home is seen in Gulfport, Miss., after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. Entire neighborhoods were leveled by the storm surge.
(Sarah Alegre)
Today, emergency officials say lessons from Katrina continue to guide their response.
“We do plan for the potential failures of our systems,” said Matt, an emergency leader in Gulfport. “We do have paper backups, we have alternate forms of communication.”
Still, for Papania, the memories remain close.
“I always say I wouldn’t trade the experience I had in Katrina, but I absolutely don’t want to do it again,” he said.
Sarah Alegre joined Fox News in 2024 as a Multimedia Reporter based in Houston.
Biloxi, Mississippi — Twenty years ago Friday, Katrina made its second and most destructive U.S. landfall, coming ashore just southeast of New Orleans as a Category 3 hurricane.
While the damage and destruction left by Katrina in 2005 changed New Orleans forever, the storm surge and powerful winds also left a lasting blow to other parts of the Gulf Coast, including Alabama and Mississippi.
Two decades later, Biloxi, Mississippi, is still trying to rebuild. Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich says it has been a constant battle with the Federal Emergency Management Agency over funding.
To rebuild the city’s pier stronger than before, the city says it needs $4 million. Gilich says FEMA has proposed a different number: $555,000.
“$555,000, which in my mind is absolutely ridiculous, you can’t build anything with that,” Gilich told CBS News.
The biggest unfinished project, though, has been upgrades to the city’s sewage and stormwater system in order to better protect Biloxi from the next monster storm.
“We can’t bid these last two projects unless we have assurance of funding,” Gilich said.
Gilich said FEMA still owes Biloxi $34 million to finish work planned about 20 years ago. FEMA won’t pay it until Biloxi begins the work on the final phase, but Gilich says he doesn’t want to start something he knows he won’t be able to afford to finish. The mayor said as time has passed, the cost of supplies and labor has outpaced the original estimates.
Gilich saysthe city now needs $111 million to finish the project, but FEMA has denied his request for more money — twice.
“I’m not bashful, and they [FEMA] understand, you know, where our concern is,” said Gilich, who described the way he feels his city has been treated by FEMA as “just ridiculous.”
Biloxi submitted a second appeal to FEMA this summer.
Over the years, FEMA has tried to claw back some of the money provided for earlier phases of the sewage system upgrades, claiming that the city has not used the federal money it has received appropriately. Biloxi and FEMA reached a court settlement over those concerns a few years ago.
Gilich says FEMA’s allegations are “not right.”
“Bottom line, I’m here to say we’ve done everything we could possibly do,” Gilich added.
In documentation Biloxi provided to CBS News, FEMA’s denial this summer of Biloxi’s request was due to the fact that the city, “has not provided documentation substantiating the reasonableness of the costs claimed or demonstrating any errors or omission in the approved…cost estimate requiring adjustment of the costs agreed upon.”
Biloxi is not alone in its struggles with FEMA. CBS News found 254 other FEMA Katrina relief projects through the agency that were designed to help municipalities across Louisiana and Mississippi that still aren’t done.
Gilich said the experience is “almost like dealing with insurance agents. The delay, depose and deny.”
And earlier this week, a group of 181 current and former FEMA officials signed on to an open letter that said the White House’s changes to the agency could undo decades of reforms that were enacted post-Katrina. More than 20 employees who publicly signed their names to the letter have since been suspended.
In May, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem testified before Congress about her plans to improve the agency’s processes.
“We still have claims outstanding in FEMA from Hurricane Katrina,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department oversees FEMA, testified before the House in May. “Wildfire claims from out West that are 10 years old, where people said, ‘We have this claim, this loss. FEMA committed to pay it and still has not followed through on it.’ We saw political targeting that happened in North Carolina, where individuals within FEMA decided who could get help and who didn’t get help. So that needs to end. And this needs some integrity to it and making sure the federal government is there for support, but [that] the states are empowered to do the emergency response is very important to President Trump.”
Gilich has traveled to D.C. three times already this year to advocate for his city. He said he’s feeling cautiously optimistic that the funding will eventually come through and the rebuilding process will be complete within about three years.
“The end result is righteous,” Gilich said. “It’s going to be something that we can sustain a lot of the things, you know, as far as what Mother Nature throws at us.”
In a statement provided to CBS News Thursday in response to a question about those communities who say they are still waiting on post-Katrina funding, a FEMA spokesperson said, in part, that “it’s ridiculous, unacceptable, and absurd that FEMA is still working and processing claims from a disaster that happened 20 years ago. This is an example of unnecessary red tape and a broken government agency that does not work in the best interest of the American people. We’re moving away from the bloated, DC-centric model of the past and creating a lean, fast, and effective disaster response agency focusing on empowering states and local communities to lead the way in helping their citizens, with FEMA standing ready to support.”
The spokesperson noted that the FEMA Review Council, established by President Trump in January, “is conducting a thorough review to ensure FEMA delivers swift, effective disaster response for Americans.”
That council is expected to release a final report with “actionable recommendations,” the spokesperson said.
The FEMA spokesperson also added that, “To date, FEMA has provided impacted states with significant federal assistance, including over $6.6 billion in Individual Assistance – which includes money for rent, basic home repairs and other disaster-caused needs – and over $17.1 billion in Public Assistance reimbursements has been approved for recovery projects like rebuilding roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure.”
Kati Weis is a Murrow Award-winning reporter for CBS News based in New Orleans, covering the Southeast. She previously worked as an investigative reporter at CBS News Colorado in their Denver newsroom.
While the damage and destruction left by Katrina in 2005 changed New Orleans forever, the sea surge and powerful winds also left a lasting blow to other parts of the Gulf Coast, including the Mississippi city of Biloxi. Two decades later, they’re still trying to rebuild. Kati Weis reports.
It’s been 20 years since one of the worst hurricanes ever hit the U.S.
Hurricane Katrina killed more than 13-hundred people and caused $125 billion in damage along the Gulf Coast.
New Orleans bore the brunt of the storm, but it left damage along the coast.
In that time of need, teachers and students from Pittsburgh answered the call for help.
Channel Eleven’s Rick Earle traveled with them on their first trip to Mississippi 20 years ago.
That one visit led to nearly a dozen trips over a decade to help the residents of Bay St. Louis.
Earle went with the teachers on their first trip.
During the next ten years, they would return every year with groups of high school students who volunteered their time to help rebuild homes and lives torn apart by Hurricane Katrina.
Earle recently sat down with Richard Yount, the man who organized the relief effort, and a chaperon who participated in a number of trips.
Earle: Is it hard to believe it’s been 20 years?
Yount: Yes and no. It seems like yesterday, but I know I’ve gotten 20 years older.
20 years ago and just three months after Hurricane Katrina, Yount and a group of teachers from Baldwin High School boarded a small jet at the Allegheny County Airport.
“We’re going to go down and assess the situation and see exactly what the people need,” said Yount at the time.
The group headed to the Mississippi coast. They had seen the devastation and destruction on television and wanted to help.
Earle also traveled with them.
“There we go, we just touched down in Mississippi,” said Earle.
They landed in Biloxi and drove to Bay St. Louis.
There was damage and destruction everywhere.
“The storm surge from the bay slammed into Bay St. Louis, and now nearly three months later, the beach here is still littered with debris,” Earle reported at the time.
“It’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen,” said Yount.
One of the first stops, the Bay St. Louis school district.
“We’re here to help,” said Yount, when he arrived at the temporary offices they were working out of.
“Once I did go I felt like I had to keep going. There was so much to do,” said Yount, during an interview this week at his home in Crafton.
That one trip 20 years ago, led to a decade long mission to Mississippi to rebuild homes and lives.
Yount showed us pictures and memorabilia from his trips.
“This was a house we built in four days,” Yount said.
Yount, an english teacher at Baldwin High School and fellow teachers launched Vision Club.
They recruited students.
“This is a 93 year old lady who lost everything,” said Yount.
They helped put insulation in her home and built a railing for her handicap ramp.
Every year for a decade, students on their easter break would travel to the gulf coast to help those devastated by Katrina.
“We put up at least two houses from scratch, remodeled probably half a dozen. We did drywall work electrical work, plumbing work,” said Yount.
The students raised funds, and paid their own way. Yount and chaperone Kevin Clancy said students were eager to help.
“A lot of these students started out not knowing which end of the nail to drive into the wall, and now they’re asking their parents for power tools for Christmas,” said Clancy.
Yount and Clancy, whose two daughters participated, teamed up with Habitat For Humanity in Mississippi and Brother’s Brother in Pittsburgh.
For a decade from 2005 to 2015, Yount made at least ten trips with more than 200 students and 70 chaperones.
“It was like they came along side of us and said how can we help and I still tear up when I think about it,” said Donna Torres, who was with the Bay St. Louis school district when Katrina hit.
Earle and the teachers met Torres on that first trip, 20 years ago.
Today, she fondly recalls the helpers from Pittsburgh.
She said Yount put together most of the furniture to get the administrative offices up and running again.
“We were able to see the best of humankind, the best of our neighbors and you wouldn’t normally think of Pittsburgh being a neighbor, but truly that neighborhood spirit came out of that,” said Torres.
“That’s the reason we kept going back. They were incredibly appreciative. They couldn’t do enough for us, and they had nothing,” said Yount.
It’s been ten years since Yount and his students wrapped up their work in Mississippi, and 20 years since the devastating Hurricane, but they saw the incredible transformation.
“Watching the evolution from the total devastation to coming back as a community, you just can’t beat that. It was amazing,” said Clancy, who served in the military and is now retired.
Yount: For the most part it looks like a brand new city.
Earle: And that’s all thanks to you and your students?
Yount: Well, most of the kids and the chaperones. I was just the organizer.
The organizer who made it all happen.
Yount retired from teaching in 2010, but continued leading students to Mississippi until 2015.
He still does some volunteer work with Habitat For Humanity.
He said he misses the yearly trips to Mississippi, but he’s glad he played a small part in helping to rebuild the communities along the Gulf coast.
Yount said he couldn’t have done it without the support of the Baldwin School District.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) unveiled his plans to combat crime in his state while taking a jab at President Donald Trump‘s threats to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-led cities.
Newsom held a press briefing on Thursday afternoon, where he announced that he would be expanding the California Highway Patrol in key regions to deter crime. He also suggested that Trump send troops to Republican-led states where there are skyrocketing crime rates while touting his own efforts to deter crime in California.
Newsom said that Mississippi is the state with the highest murder rate, noting that the state’s murder rate is 180% higher than the city of Los Angeles, which has more people. He also said that the murder rate in Louisiana, the home state of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), is four times higher than California’s.
“These are not just observations. They’re stone cold facts. And the fact remains, if the President is sincere about the issue of crime and violence, there’s no question in my mind that he’ll likely be sending the troops into Louisiana and Mississippi to address the just, unconscionable wave of violence that continues to plague those states,” Newsom said.
The states with the highest homicide rates per 100,000 people are Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, according to 2023 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Newsom suggested on Thursday that Trump focus on bringing down crime in those states.
“Alabama’s top three murder states in America. Where’s the President of the United States? I thought he cared,” Newsom said.” These are his states that voted for him. His state of mind doesn’t seem to be focused on the issue of crime and violence. It’s about an expression of authoritarianism. He reflects and waxes, I think, two of the last three days talking about being a dictator. I hope people pay attention,” Newsom said.
Newsom’s press office continued to highlight the high crime rates in GOP-led states on its social media account while also taking a swipe at Fox News.
“Mississippi’s homicide rate is 380% California’s, yet FOX NEWS refuses to cover it!” the account posted.
Another post read: “Alabama has a homicide rate 290% higher than California’s, but Fox News is choosing to ignore that.”
The account also posted: “Tennessee’s homicide rate is 220% higher than California’s, why is Fox News not covering it?”
The fourth post stated: “Missouri’s homicide rate is 200% higher than California’s, but you wouldn’t know that by watching FOX NEWS.”
Trump has repeatedly threatened to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-led states, including the cities of Chicago and New York City, after deploying troops to Washington D.C. earlier this month. His deployment of troops to D.C. has been met with sharp criticism, with many critics warning that Trump could do the same to other U.S. cities.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll, released Wednesday, found that just 38% of Americans support Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard in the nation’s capital to combat crime in the city. Another 46% said they were opposed to Trump’s decision, while the rest of respondents said they were unsure.
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The commemoration of 70 years since Emmett Till’s death is being marked by family, friends and officials Wednesday as they repeated the fateful train ride he took from Chicago to Mississippi in 1955.
The ride was organized by the Emmett Till Interpretive Center and National Parks Conservation Association. Among the passengers were the Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., Till’s cousin and the last surviving eyewitness to his kidnapping, his wife Dr. Marvel Parker, and Juliet Louis, the widow of sharecropper Willie Reed who reported Till’s death and testified at the trial of his murderers.
The Amtrak City of New Orleans left Chicago’s Union Station at 8:05 p.m. Wednesday night, following a communal prayer. It was set to arrive in Greenwood, Mississippi, on Thursday morning, which marks 70 years since Till’s death.
Back in 1955, the Rev. Parker and his cousin Till were just teenagers. They jumped on a train together from Union Station to Mississippi to visit family — but only one of them returned alive.
While in Mississippi, Till, 14 at the time, was kidnapped in the dead of night and then brutally lynched after reportedly whistling at a white woman.
Parker was in the house when Till was taken by white men at gunpoint.
“They came to me first in this room,” Parker recalled in 2021. “And I was shaking like a leaf on a tree.”
When Till’s badly decomposed body was found three days later in the Tallahatchie River, his mother Mamie Till refused to allow a quick burial and instead brought his remains back to Chicago, where she insisted on an open casket funeral.
That open casket funeral, and photos from it which were printed in newspapers nationwide, are credited with sparking the modern-day Civil Rights Movement.
Seventy years later, Parker boarded a train with a purpose.
“There’s a saying in the Bible, ‘Less thou forget,’” he said. ‘It helps us to remember.”
As Parker took the solemn ride, he said it is essential never to forget.
“For one thing, 70 years ago, we didn’t think about what was going to happen,” said Wheeler.
What did happen was that Till’s lynchers, Roy Bryant and John Milam, were tried and acquitted by a jury. The woman at the center of the whistling allegations, Carolyn Bryant, confessed decades later to historian Timothy Tyson that her allegations against the teenager were false.
“We’re not here to stir up animosity or hate, but to remind people of how far we’ve come and how much progress we’ve made,” said Wheeler.
While 70 years have passed, Till’s family said America still has healing to do.
“I’m always reminded of the suffering and price that he paid, but we’ve come a long way — and his mother’s statement was, ‘I hope he didn’t die in vain,’” said Wheeler. “He didn’t die in vain.”
The family has much on which to reflect on the long train ride.
Jermont Terry joined the CBS 2 team in October 2019. He’s born and raised on Chicago’s South Side. He’s happy to return home to report on his community after 18 years of uncovering stories across the country.
The 70th anniversary of Emmett Till’s death is being marked by family, friends and officials repeating the fateful train ride he took from Chicago to Mississippi in 1955.
The ride is organized by the Emmett Till Interpretive Center and National Parks Conservation Association. Among the passengers will be Rev. Wheeler Parker, Jr., Till’s cousin and the last surviving eyewitness to his kidnapping, his wife Dr. Marvel Parker, and Juliet Louis, the widow of sharecropper Willie Reed who reported Till’s death and testified at the trial of his murderers.
The Amtrak City of New Orleans will leave Chicago’s Union Station at 8:05 p.m. Wednesday night, following a communal prayer. It will arrive in Greenwood, Mississippi, on Thursday morning, which is the 70th anniversary of Till’s death.
Emmett Till was 14 years old when he was kidnapped in the dead of night and then brutally lynched after reportedly whitling at a white woman while he was visiting family in Mississippi. When his badly decomposed body was found three days later in the Tallahatchie River, his mother Mamie Till refused to allow a quick burial and instead brought his remains back to Chicago, where she insisted on an open casket funeral.
That open casket funeral, and photos from it which were printed in newspapers nationwide, are credited with sparking the modern-day Civil Rights Movement.
Till’s lynchers were tried and acquitted. The woman at the center of the whistling allegations, Carolyn Bryant, confessed decades later to historian Timothy Tyson that her allegations against the teenager were false.
After arriving in Mississippi Thursday, there will be programming to commemorate the anniversary of Till’s death and his legacy.
Mississippi health officials have declared a public health emergency after releasing data showing the state’s infant mortality rate has risen to its highest level in more than a decade.
In Mississippi, 9.7 infants died for every 1,000 live births in 2024, nearly double the most recent national average of 5.6 deaths per 1,000, according to the state Department of Health. Since 2014, more than 3,500 Mississippi infants have died before their first birthday.
The decision to declare a public health emergency places Mississippi’s struggle within a wider national story. Here’s what to know.
Infant mortality rate a nationwide concern
Even in cities with strong healthcare systems, such as Boston, Black infants continue to die at far higher rates than their White peers.
In Boston, the city’s most recent report showed Black infants dying at more than twice the rate of the overall population and triple the rate of White infants, despite the city’s overall infant mortality rate falling below the national average. Public health experts say both examples underscore the limits of focusing only on individual behavior or clinical care when structural inequities are key drivers of infant deaths.
“Every single infant loss represents a family devastated, a community impacted, and a future cut short,” said State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney, who announced the Mississippi declaration. “We cannot and will not accept these numbers as our reality.”
What is causing higher infant mortality rate?
The leading causes of infant death in Mississippi include congenital malformations, premature birth, low birthweight, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Disparities remain stark — Black infants in Mississippi are more than twice as likely as White infants to die before their first birthday, and recent state data show those racial gaps have widened.
Despite growing concerns, declaring a public health emergency for infant mortality is unusual.
“This is a novel and necessary step,” said Dr. Michael Warren, Chief Medical and Health Officer at March of Dimes. “It elevates infant mortality to the level of urgent crisis response, which it truly is.”
Why a public health emergency was declared
State officials said the declaration allows them to move more quickly to address gaps in care.
Their plan includes expanding prenatal services in counties without obstetric providers, creating an obstetric system of care to regionalize services and improve emergency transfers, and strengthening home visiting and community health worker programs.
“Improving maternal health is the best way to reduce infant mortality,” Dr. Edney said.
Dr. Morgan McDonald, National Director for Population Health at New York-based nonprofit Milbank Memorial Fund, said the declaration “should draw our attention to a problem that is tragic and preventable.”
She added: “We applaud Dr. Edney and his public health team for raising the alarm in a way that honors the families who have suffered this tragedy and also focuses attention on concrete solutions.”
Experts caution, however, that individual and clinical interventions alone cannot solve the problem.
“Healthy babies come from healthy moms,” said Dr. Rebekah Gee, former Louisiana health secretary and now CEO of Nest Health, a New Orleans-based company which provides in-home whole-family care, with a focus on those covered by Medicaid. “If women can’t get continuous healthcare before, during, and after pregnancy, it is no surprise their babies are dying at higher rates.”
Dr. Stephen Patrick, a neonatologist and professor at Emory University, added that treating infant deaths as a series of isolated medical cases misses the broader reality. “So much of what we see in neonatal intensive care units reflects challenges that moms face long before delivery — poverty, access to healthcare, housing, even transportation,” Patrick said.
Health care programs and infant health
Federal funding cuts are also complicating the state’s response to the crisis.
The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program that collects state-specific data on maternal and infant health, has been targeted for elimination. CDC staffers who carried out the survey established nearly 40 years ago to improve maternal and infant health outcomes were fired in June.
Mississippi relied PRAMS to track maternal behaviors before, during, and after pregnancy, and to monitor infant outcomes. Many of CDC’s Safe Motherhood initiatives are also in jeopardy of losing funding, which would affect maternal mortality surveillance, infant sleep safety programs, and hospital-based collaboratives designed to standardize care.
“Without robust data, we are flying blind,” Patrick said.
Analysts also warn that such cuts could limit the state’s ability to detect trends such as unsafe sleep practices or gaps in postpartum care.
“It’s willful ignorance to cut vital maternal and child health programs when we have public health crises of both maternal mortality and infant mortality in this country,” said a former CDC Division of Reproductive Health staffer who lost their job in a recent reduction in force. “For many people, it’s downright dangerous to be pregnant in the U.S. in the 21st century. And that is shameful.”
Polling suggests most Americans support maintaining these programs. According to the Emory-Rollins National Child Policy Poll, 65% of Americans say PRAMS is important for improving outcomes for mothers and infants, while fewer than one in ten believe it is not needed.
Similarly, only 16% supported ending federal funding for the long-running “Safe to Sleep” campaign, which educated parents about reducing risks of sleep-related infant deaths.
How changes to Medicaid will impact Mississippi
Medicaid plays an outsized role in Mississippi, financing almost 6 in 10 of births in the state, compared to about 4 in 10 nationally, according a KFF Health News analysis of government data.
Meanwhile, Congressional proposals could reshape Medicaid coverage, including the reconciliation bill already passed by Congress which would require many enrollees in the government health care program to prove they are either working, volunteering or in school to receive coverage.
Dr. McDonald noted that since Mississippi is not a Medicaid expansion state, it would be subject to most of the work requirement and frequent redetermination provisions of President Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.”
KFF analysts estimate that bill’s funding caps and work requirements could raise Mississippi’s uninsured rate by 1 to 2%, potentially leaving 20,000 to 40,000 more residents without coverage.
Public health experts say such policies could destabilize rural hospitals that rely heavily on Medicaid reimbursement, in turn limiting access to prenatal and delivery services in regions already described as “OB deserts.”
Other states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act have seen measurable improvements in infant health.
Arkansas, for example, reported a 29% reduction in Black infant mortality in the five years following expansion. In Louisiana, which expanded Medicaid in 2016, researchers documented increases in early prenatal care and decreases in premature births. Colorado also saw declines in infant mortality, particularly in rural areas, as more women gained access to continuous coverage before, during, and after pregnancy.
Nationally, one analysis found a 50% greater reduction in infant mortality in expansion states compared to those that did not expand Medicaid, with the steepest gains among Black infants. Today, 40 states and the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid, while Mississippi remains one of 10 holdouts.
The U.S. has long treated infant mortality as a measure of societal health. More than a century ago, sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois argued that high rates of infant deaths among Black families reflected inequities in living conditions rather than innate differences.
Mississippi’s emergency declaration and Boston’s persistent disparities suggest those inequities remain deeply entrenched. State officials said the declaration is intended to galvanize coordinated action across hospitals, state agencies, and community groups.
“It will take all of us working together to give every child the chance to live, thrive, and celebrate their first birthday,” Dr. Edney said.
Dr. Céline Gounder, an internist, epidemiologist and infectious disease specialist, is a CBS News medical contributor as well as senior fellow and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News.
Blue Bell has issued a recall after a packaging mix-up resulted in the wrong flavor being placed in the wrong container—specifically, Moo-llennium Crunch ice cream being packed inside Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough half-gallon cartons. The problem: Moo-llennium Crunch contains tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans) that aren’t declared on that Cookie Dough carton, which is a serious hazard for anyone with allergies.If you’re looking at a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough half gallon with a Moo-llennium Crunch lid and the code 061027524 is stamped on top, you’ve got a problem. An employee caught the error while restocking, and the company promptly removed the affected product. No illnesses have been reported.The mix-up reached retailers across parts of 16 states, including Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, New Mexico, and portions of Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, and Virginia. Undeclared tree nuts can trigger severe reactions in people with allergies, and shoppers rely on labels to make informed choices. If your carton matches the description, don’t eat it. Return it to the store for a refund or toss it if returning isn’t possible.A few more notes for the detail-oriented: the affected ice cream was produced at Blue Bell’s Brenham, Texas, plant. The recall targets the specific half-gallon described above—not the entire Cookie Dough line—and Blue Bell says no other incorrect packaging has been found to date.One code check, one quick swap, and you’re back to stress-free scoops. If you have questions, Blue Bell’s consumer relations team can assist you during business hours. However, the fastest solution is to bring the matching carton back and trade it in.
Blue Bell has issued a recall after a packaging mix-up resulted in the wrong flavor being placed in the wrong container—specifically, Moo-llennium Crunch ice cream being packed inside Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough half-gallon cartons. The problem: Moo-llennium Crunch contains tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans) that aren’t declared on that Cookie Dough carton, which is a serious hazard for anyone with allergies.
If you’re looking at a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough half gallon with a Moo-llennium Crunch lid and the code 061027524 is stamped on top, you’ve got a problem. An employee caught the error while restocking, and the company promptly removed the affected product. No illnesses have been reported.
The mix-up reached retailers across parts of 16 states, including Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, New Mexico, and portions of Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, and Virginia.
Undeclared tree nuts can trigger severe reactions in people with allergies, and shoppers rely on labels to make informed choices. If your carton matches the description, don’t eat it. Return it to the store for a refund or toss it if returning isn’t possible.
A few more notes for the detail-oriented: the affected ice cream was produced at Blue Bell’s Brenham, Texas, plant. The recall targets the specific half-gallon described above—not the entire Cookie Dough line—and Blue Bell says no other incorrect packaging has been found to date.
One code check, one quick swap, and you’re back to stress-free scoops. If you have questions, Blue Bell’s consumer relations team can assist you during business hours. However, the fastest solution is to bring the matching carton back and trade it in.
Users with Mississippi IP addresses can no longer access the Bluesky app. The decentralized social media network has explained in a post that Mississippi’s new age verification law for social networks “would fundamentally change” how it operates, and it wouldn’t be possible to comply with its small team and limited resources.
Bluesky says that while it does follow the UK’s Online Safety Act, it works very differently from Mississippi’s approach to age verification. In the UK, it’s only required to check for a user’s age if they’re accessing certain content and features. In Mississippi, however, it cannot allow anyone to access its service at all, unless they hand over sensitive data proving how old they are. Further, the platform will be required to keep track of which users are children under 18, and it will be responsible for making sure those users won’t be able to access “harmful materials.” Earlier this month, the Supreme Court decided not to intervene with the legislation, allowing it to go into effect.
The service says that it doesn’t have the significant resources needed to be able to build the required “verification systems, parental consent workflows and compliance infrastructure.” In addition, it could be penalized with up $10,000 per user if the government finds it to be non-compliant. Because only big tech companies can afford the costs associated with those requirements, Bluesky says the “dynamic entrenches existing big tech platforms while stifling the innovation and competition that benefits users.”
Bluesky will now show a note to any user accessing the service from Mississippi, telling them why it’s no longer available in the state.
Mississippi has declared a health emergency over the rising infant mortality rate, which last year reached the highest level since 2013 and nearly double the national average. Dr. Celine Gounder has more.
At least one person is dead after a shooting Friday at Ingalls Shipbuilding, a Mississippi shipyard that builds vessels for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, police said.
The Pascagoula Police Department said on social media that its officers were dispatched to the shipyard at about 7:32 a.m. Police did not release the name of the person who was killed. HII, Ingalls Shipbuilding’ parent company, said the victim was a shipbuilder.
Police said a suspect is in custody. No information about the suspect was provided. A Pascagoula County Deputy police chief referred to the incident as a “workplace dispute.”
Multiple agencies responded to the scene, police said, asking people stay away from the shipyard.
HII said it is “doing everything possible to ensure the safety of our employees.” The statement said all personnel were being urged to “shelter in place” and await further instructions.
Ingalls Shipbuilding, in Pascagoula, is the largest supplier of U.S. Navy surface combatants, according to its website, and the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi. The shipyard has built U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels for 85 years.
Pascagoula is the county seat of Jackson County, Mississippi, and is home to about 22,000 people.
Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University’s Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News’ TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
When mom of two India Collins noticed her favorite makeup products mysteriously disappearing, she wasn’t prepared to discover the unlikely culprit: her toddler.
The 33-year-old mother of two from Mississippi first noticed something was wrong when she couldn’t find her MAC Cosmetics “Chestnut” lipliner. After weeks of missing products, the mystery was solved when she spotted her 2-year-old son sneakily slipping an item into a large decorative vase.
When her husband pulled out the tall decorative sticks from the vase to investigate, the family discovered a hidden stash of makeup carefully collected by their little boy, who clearly had an interest in her cosmetics.
“I was in shock,” Collins told Newsweek. “How long had he been the vase bandit? How did we not notice this was his stash spot? A couple of weeks ago my makeup started going missing. I realized my lipliner was gone and started looking all over the house. Then I saw my son put something in the vase, and when we checked, there was an abundance of my makeup.”
In stitches, Collins decided to share the discovery on TikTok, where the short clip quickly went viral, gaining more than 300,000 views and thousands of amused comments.
Pictures from the video where the mom revealed where her makeup had been missing. Pictures from the video where the mom revealed where her makeup had been missing. @indy.cree/TikTok
Internet reacts
The moment struck a chord with fellow parents who know all too well the mischief toddlers can cause.
“I honestly just wanted to let other parents know you’re not alone in the toddler trenches,” Collins said. “And to keep an eye on your makeup! I never thought it would go viral—it was just a funny little video that snowballed into laughter across TikTok.”
In the comments, parents shared their own hilarious toddler moments. “We lost the remote for days—turns out my daughter did the same thing,” said one commenter.
Another wrote: “Little man just thinks mummy’s already so pretty she doesn’t need makeup.”
While some makeup fanatics sympathized with the loss: “Are those Marc Jacobs liners? I’d cry if I found one missing—they’re discontinued!” said one commenter.
This isn’t the first time toddlers have gone viral for their mischievous tendencies. Last year a one-year-old was caught on camera conducting a “jailbreak” with the family’s golden retriever. While earlier this year a dad caught his twin boys taking part in a hilarious mission to climb onto the couch, with one climbing over the other.
Why do toddlers hide objects?
At around 18–24 months of age, toddlers generally begin to grasp object permanence—understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight.
This often leads to an increase in hiding things, because the child knows that the object still exists and can be retrieved later.
In fact, experts say this behavior is an important step in cognitive development, helping lay the groundwork for memory, problem-solving, and more complex cognitive abilities as children grow.
Visit Highlights Mississippi’s Role in Defense Innovation and Economic Growth
TUPELO, Miss., August 13, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) welcomed Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves to its Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Tupelo, Miss on Tuesday, August 12, where he toured the facility and met with company leaders to discuss Mississippi’s expanding role in national defense and advanced manufacturing.
Reeves emphasized the importance of high-tech job creation and public-private partnerships in driving economic growth. GA-EMS briefed him on its manufacturing capabilities and weapons systems that complement the Golden Dome for America initiative including hypersonics, directed energy, space-based missile tracking and warning payloads and Bullseye™, the company’s long range precision-guided missile that will be produced in Mississippi. The Governor was also briefed on GA-EMS’ investments and initiatives to support the expansion of the maritime and submarine industrial bases and its nuclear power solutions for future Mississippi data centers.
“General Atomics is helping build the future of American defense right here in Mississippi,” Reeves said. “Their work reflects the strength of our workforce and the success of our pro-growth policies. Mississippi is breaking economic development records and bringing in billions in new private sector investment – and it’s thanks to great companies like General Atomics.”
GA-EMS operates more than 750,000 square feet of manufacturing space in Tupelo and maintains additional facilities in Iuka, Miss., with strategic access to world ports via the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway to support future shipbuilding and logistics expansion.
“This facility represents our long-term commitment to building resilient, world-class manufacturing capability in Mississippi,” said Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “We’re investing in infrastructure and workforce development to deliver advanced technologies at scale for critical national defense priorities and to facilitate military readiness.”
About General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) develops innovative technologies to create breakthrough solutions supporting operational environments from undersea to space. From electromagnetic, power generation and energy storage systems and space systems and satellites, to hypersonic, missile defense, and laser weapon systems, GA-EMS offers an expanding portfolio of capabilities for defense, government, and national security customers. GA-EMS also provides commercial products and services targeting hazardous waste remediation, oil and gas, and nuclear energy industries.
Coahoma and Warren Counties highlight a sustainable, community-driven model for increasing digital readiness and opportunity.
NORTH CONWAY, N.H., April 22, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– Digitunity, a national nonprofit focused on closing the digital divide through expanding computer ownership, has released a new case study about its recent work in Coahoma and Warren Counties, Mississippi. The report details a collaborative effort to expand computer ownership, digital skills training, and affordable internet in rural communities that face some of the country’s highest rates of digital disconnection.
In partnership with the Mississippi Broadband Association(MSBA), AT&T, and local community organizations, Digitunity helped distribute refurbished laptops and fostered sustainable pathways to computer ownership. By combining computer access with digital literacy instruction and localized support, the initiative helps build a community-centered model known as a Sustainable Device Ecosystem.
“We know that access to a computer is more than a convenience; it’s a gateway to opportunity,” said Scot Henley, Executive Director at Digitunity. “This case study shows what’s possible when communities come together to build their own digital future.”
The need is urgent. In 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 1 in 4 households in Mississippi lacked access to a large-screen computer or relied only on a smartphone for internet connectivity. That figure rose to 39% in Coahoma County, while in Warren County, 25.3% of households faced the same barrier.
Digitunity’s work in Mississippi reflects its role as a field catalyst, helping rural communities create systems they can adopt, sustain, and lead independently. The model documented in this case study offers a replicable framework for practitioners, funders, and policymakers focused on long-term digital access strategies.
Key Highlights from the Case Study
As of January 2025, more than 500 refurbished laptops have been distributed or are scheduled for deployment across Coahoma and Warren Counties through various community-driven initiatives outlined in the case study.
Community-based pathways to computer ownership were integrated with workforce development and digital skills training through local institutions
Launch of a Digital Opportunity Fund reinvests in local access and training
About Digitunity Digitunity is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to make owning a computer possible for everyone. For over 40 years, Digitunity has been engaged in the work of shaping and strengthening systems to address computer ownership among those impacted by the digital divide. Through generating and placing donated computers with organizations serving people in need, supporting a national practitioner network, and providing strategic advisory support to states and cities, Digitunity works to create sustainable solutions that make computer ownership possible for all.
Vacations are fun … but they’re better with your best friend. And choosing a pet friendly destination that isn’t over-run with tourists will really allow you to get away from it all!
Start making your plans, but don’t call the kennel or schedule a sitter for your dog or cat. We’re giving you the inside scoop on nine great pet friendly trips to avoid crowds, so you and your furry travel buddy can really relax.
Pet Friendly Trips To Avoid Crowds
Big Bend, Texas
Big Bend isn’t on the way to anywhere else, so you have to make an effort to get there. And that means fewer people do. Plus, with amazing scenery, friendly locals, and a pet friendly ghost town, you’ve got the makings for a fantastic pet friendly trip!
The diversity of Big Bend is its biggest draw. Massive canyons, vast expanses of desert, forested mountains, and an ever-changing river provide a stunning variety of landscapes to admire. One of the best places to experience all the area has to offer is Big Bend National Park.
Unfortunately, the National Park doesn’t allow pets on any trails, on the river, or in the backcountry. However, leashed pets can walk the 200+ miles of dirt roads running through the park – and most of them get little very little traffic! Jeep trips, a scenic drive along the Rio Grande to Presidio, and exploring the little communities are other popular activities.
Pet friendly campsites are available year round at Big Bend National Park and at many private campgrounds in the area. You’ll also find many, many pet friendly vacation rentals and Airbnbs in Big Bend. And there are four pet friendly hotels within easy driving distance of the National Park.
If you’re looking for pet friendly trips where you can really stretch out, it’s hard to beat Dixie National Forest. Covering almost 2 million acres, it would take a lifetime to explore the 1,600 miles of trails, hundreds of miles of scenic drives, 500 miles of fishing streams, and 90 lakes within the park’s boundaries. And the best part is … every square inch is pet friendly!
The stunning scenery of southern Utah is something to behold. But if you’re traveling with pets, the area’s most popular attractions – Bryce and Zion National Parks – will leave you disappointed. Both of these national parks have strict pet regulations.
Fortunately, Dixie National Forest provides plenty of options! We highly recommend the Red Canyon Trail, a five-miler with plenty of ups and downs that winds through the incredible hoodoos.
Dixie has 18 seasonal campgrounds, which are generally open from May through September. If you’re planning to travel outside camping season, the town of Panguitch has several pet friendly hotels which provide good access to the park.
Florence has all the amenities that make a shore town fun, but without the inflated price tag and touristy atmosphere. The locals are friendly and the pace is relaxed, though you and your pet will find plenty to do!
You can take a drive down to explore the Oregon Dunes, hike the Sweet Creek Trail past eleven waterfalls in the Siuslaw National Forest, or rent a kayak and watch for otters as you paddle the Siuslaw River.
Be sure to visit Cape Perpetua, where you and your pet can walk over ancient lava flows that formed the coast in this part of Oregon. All 26 miles of trails here are pet friendly, so you’re sure to find something that suits you. If you’re looking for the best view, climb nearly 800 feet to the overlook, where on a clear day you can see 70 miles of coastline!
Florence boasts a surprising number of pet friendly restaurants for a town this size. There are also several pet friendly vacation properties. And the Best Western welcomes two pets per room, including cats and dogs up to 80 pounds.
Fort Worden State Park – Port Townsend, Washington
Located on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, Fort Worden was an active military base until 1953. Now it’s a truly unique 433-acre state park overlooking the Puget Sound.
While exploring twelve miles of pet friendly trails, you’ll find bunkers and gun batteries atop strategic hilltops. Of course, your pet won’t want to miss the two miles of sandy beaches. And bring the canoe or kayak, because the park has two convenient boat ramps.
You can choose to stay in one of the park’s two pet friendly campgrounds, or opt for a truly unique pet friendly vacation rental experience. Three dozen Victorian houses which comprised the original barracks have been renovated into vacation accommodations, and five of the units welcome pets!
All of this is just a few miles from the quaint fishing village of Port Townsend. With historic buildings, a lovely marina, and great eateries, it’s a great choice for pet friendly trips.
For those looking to be dazzled by spectacular vistas, prepare yourself for the Hudson Valley. Just 90 minutes north of Manhattan, where the Hudson River cuts along the backbone of the Catskill Mountains, you’ll find rolling hills, quaint villages, and plenty of wide-open spaces to explore.
During your visit, plan to spend a day at Bear Mountain State Park. You’ll want to pack a picnic and pull up a bench while you admire the view. When the weather cooperates, you can spot Manhattan’s skyscrapers on the horizon!
After lunch, hit the Appalachian Trail on the east side of the mountain. It includes 800 stone stairs and is considered one of the most beautiful trails built in the last fifty years. And be sure to take a stroll around Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, where many famous (and some infamous) people have been laid to rest.
There is no shortage of lodging options for pet friendly trips to the Hudson Valley! From Kingston to Newburgh to Tarrytown, you’ll find campgrounds, hotels, and vacation rentals ready to welcome your furry family members.
Take the ferry to Mackinac Island, and you’re in for a special treat! At just 3.8 square miles, this jewel sits in Lake Huron between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas, about a 15-minute ferry ride from shore.
Eighty percent of the island is preserved within Mackinac Island State Park, and personal automobiles have been prohibited here since 1898. Pets, however, are very welcome! You’ll find ferries, lodging, restaurants, horse-drawn taxis, guided carriage tours, and bike and kayak rentals for cats and dogs eager to explore.
Though camping isn’t allowed on Mackinac Island, there are three pet friendly lodging options to choose from. Mission Point Resort has beautiful grounds and a restaurant with pet friendly patio, and welcomes pets for an additional per-stay fee of $100, plus tax. Park Place Suites offers three condo units in the heart of downtown, which come complete with a yard. They charge an additional pet fee of $30 per night. Sunset Condos offers more seclusion and fantastic views of Lake Huron and the Mackinac Bridge. Their pet fee is based on the size of your pet – less than 40 pounds is $75 per stay, more than 40 pounds is $100 per stay, and two pets over 40 pounds are $150 per stay.
For off-the-beaten-path pet friendly road trips, there’s nothing like the Natchez Trace! Stretching 444 miles from Nashville, Tennessee to Natchez, Mississippi, it’s a blissfully quiet, billboard-free retreat from other American highways.
Along the way, more than 100 exhibits, interpretive signs, and marked trails provide archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic insights.
The Trace is best enjoyed at a relaxed pace, because there’s something to sniff around every bend! And when it’s time to really stretch your legs, 28 pet friendly hiking and self-guided trails are just steps away.
Appreciating the changing landscapes is another enchanting part of the Trace. From thick forests, to boggy cypress swamps, over 2,000 types of plants live and bloom along the route. The drive is especially lovely during the spring bloom and the colorful fall foliage.
The only overnight accommodations you’ll find on the Natchez Trace are primitive national park and forest campgrounds. However, there are plenty of pet friendly lodging options in the towns and cities just off the Trace. If you’re traveling at one of the more popular times of the year, reservations are recommended.
Many of our national parks see millions of tourists every year, but few visitors spend much time outside the park borders. This is definitely true of Yellowstone National Park, and it makes Paradise Valley the perfect place for a pet friendly trip that avoids crowds!
As the Yellowstone River flows north out the border of the park, the landscape opens up and mountain peaks frame the view. The beauty of the valley beckons you outdoors, as the river tumbles over perfectly worn stones. And there are plenty of activities to choose from!
The Yellowstone is a world-class fly fishing river with many access points along it’s shores. Wildlife viewing is always exciting in this part of the country, with antelope, big horn sheep, bison, elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer often seen from the roads. And the hiking is spectacular, with the Gallatin National Forest offering spectacular pet friendly trails for both serious hikers and those just out for a stroll in nature.
Between privately-owned and national forest campgrounds, finding a place to pitch your tent isn’t too difficult here. And Gardiner and Livingston both have several pet friendly hotel options. If you’re willing to drive a bit further, Bozeman offers even more pet friendly lodging.
If there is a Mecca for dogs, it’s Dog Mountain in St. Johnsbury. This 150-acre off-leash playground for pups was the vision of artists Stephen and Gwen Huneck. The property has a pond, hiking trails, and a pet friendly art gallery. But the heart of Dog Mountain is the chapel, with its pews carved with dogs on the ends and stained glass windows celebrating the gifts dogs bring to our lives.
Over the years pet lovers have contributed tributes, pictures, letters, and notes to their departed pets, covering the walls several layers deep. The result is a masterpiece beyond description.
Nestled along the banks of the Passumpsic and Moose Rivers, the picturesque town of St. Johnsbury has more bridges than traffic lights. And it makes a perfect base camp for exploring Vermont’s Green Mountains and New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
If you get a clear day, be sure to take the drive up Mount Washington. At 6,288 feet, it’s the highest peak in the Northeastern United States.
The Fairbanks Inn in St. Johnsbury offers pet friendly rooms with a $25 per night pet fee, and there are many camping options in the area.
We hope this gives you some ideas for places you can take your pets to avoid the crowds and enjoy a relaxing getaway. If you have some favorite destinations for off-the-beaten-path pet friendly trips that you don’t mind sharing, please leave a comment below!
LEXINGTON, Miss. — Three people were killed and eight others were injured in central Mississippi early Saturday when at least two people opened fire into a group of several hundred people who were celebrating a school’s homecoming football win at an outdoor trail several hours after the game had ended, authorities said.
The gunfire was proceeded by a fight between some of the men at the celebration, but deputies hadn’t yet learned what sparked the fight, said Holmes County Sheriff Willie March.
Anywhere from 200 to 300 people were on the trail celebrating, and the gunfire sent them fleeing, the sheriff said in a phone interview.
“It was chaos, to tell you the truth,” March said. “The shooting just started and people started running.”
The shootings about five miles (3 kilometers) outside of Lexington, Mississippi, followed a football game several hours earlier at the Holmes County Consolidated School’s homecoming celebration. After the victory, scores of young people headed to the trail to celebrate.
Lexington is located more than 60 miles (96 kilometers) north of Jackson.
Two of the victims who died were 19 and the third was 25. The injured victims were airlifted to local hospitals.
Deputies were collecting ammunition at the scene in an effort to determine how many weapons were fired, March said.
Shootings by young men have been an “off and on” problem recently in the county, which has a population of almost 16,000 residents. The young men who talk to the sheriff tell him that it’s often because they have a “beef,” or disagreement with someone.
“It’s hard to see what they are fighting over. I don’t think they are fighting over turf or drugs,” March said. “These are young men walking around with weapons. I wish I had an answer.”
LEXINGTON, Miss. — Three people were killed and eight others were injured in central Mississippi early Saturday when at least two people opened fire into a group of several hundred people who were celebrating a school’s homecoming football win at an outdoor trail several hours after the game had ended, authorities said.
The gunfire was proceeded by a fight between some of the men at the celebration, but deputies hadn’t yet learned what sparked the fight, said Holmes County Sheriff Willie March.
Anywhere from 200 to 300 people were on the trail celebrating, and the gunfire sent them fleeing, the sheriff said in a phone interview.
“It was chaos, to tell you the truth,” March said. “The shooting just started and people started running.”
The shootings about five miles (3 kilometers) outside of Lexington, Mississippi, followed a football game several hours earlier at the Holmes County Consolidated School’s homecoming celebration. After the victory, scores of young people headed to the trail to celebrate.
Lexington is located more than 60 miles (96 kilometers) north of Jackson.
Two of the victims who died were 19 and the third was 25. The injured victims were airlifted to local hospitals.
Deputies were collecting ammunition at the scene in an effort to determine how many weapons were fired, March said.
Shootings by young men have been an “off and on” problem recently in the county, which has a population of almost 16,000 residents. The young men who talk to the sheriff tell him that it’s often because they have a “beef,” or disagreement with someone.
“It’s hard to see what they are fighting over. I don’t think they are fighting over turf or drugs,” March said. “These are young men walking around with weapons. I wish I had an answer.”
Three people were killed and several more seriously injured Wednesday when a bridge in Mississippi that was closed nearly a month ago collapsed while a work crew was prepping it for demolition, authorities said.
The bridge over the Strong River on State Route 149 in Simpson County, about 40 miles south of Jackson, had been closed to traffic since Sept. 18 as part of a bridge replacement project, the Mississippi Department of Transportation said in a news release.
Gov. Tate Reeves said in a post on social media late Wednesday that first responders from the county and “other state assets have been on the scene at the tragedy” where they’d confirmed at least three fatalities and multiple injuries.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a social media post late Wednesday that the Federal Highway Administration was “engaging state officials concerning” the “premature collapse during demolition of a bridge on State Route 149 in Mississippi.”
Simpson County Sheriff Paul Mullins had previously told WLBT-TV three people were killed and four critically injured.
Terry Tutor, the Simpson County coroner, told the New York Times that seven men were working on the bridge, using heavy machinery to tear it down, when it gave way and plummeted nearly 40 feet. He said three of the men died, and four were injured, the Times reported.
Mullins and Tutor didn’t immediately respond to messages Wednesday night from The Associated Press.
A call to the construction company, T.L. Wallace Construction, was unanswered Wednesday evening, and it was not possible to leave a message.
Department of Transportation spokesperson Anna Ehrgott said the agency “would share more information with the public as it becomes available.”
The department said one of its inspectors was at the work site when the bridge collapsed, and that person was unharmed.
