NESHOBA COUNTY, Miss. (WTOK) – Neshoba County Deputies arrested Dondi Parnell Johnson, who turned out to be wanted, along with Tymicka Summers for felony possession of a controlled substance (crack cocaine) after they were stopped at a safety checkpoint Friday.

Officials said Johnson was driving a Black Mitsubishi Galant with Alabama registration but did not have a valid driver’s license when his vehicle was stopped on Highway 15 North, near the intersection of Road 573 (Dunn Road) at a safety checkpoint.

Then deputies discovered Johnson was wanted by the Jefferson County, Ala., Sheriff’s Office on a warrant for attempted murder/homicide. Neshoba County expects Johnson to be extradited.

Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter!

Copyright 2024 WTOK. All rights reserved.

A high school student from Alabama is dead after experiencing a medical emergency during football practice.

Alabama’s Coffee County School System announced on social media on Thursday, Aug. 15, that New Brockton High School student Semaj Wilkins died on Tuesday, Aug. 13. The county’s coroner’s office said Wilkins, who was a football player, experienced a “medical emergency” and was transported to the hospital before he died. 

“Semaj was a young man who brought joy and inspiration to his peers, teammates, coaches, and faculty members,” the Coffee County School System said in a statement. “His loss will be deeply felt by everyone who knew him.”

The Coffee County Coroner’s Office said that the incident is being investigated by the sheriff’s office and district attorney’s office.

“This is a very emotional time for [Wilkins’] family and the Emergency Responders involved,” the coroner’s office said in its statement, adding that it asked others to “please respect and pray for the family during this difficult time.”

Coffee County Coroner Arnold Woodham told TODAY that Wilkins suffered a “medical emergency” during warmups for football practice and collapsed.

The New Brockton High School freshman was given CPR on the field while waiting for emergency responders to arrive. They arrived on the scene within minutes and transported Wilkins to the nearby Medical Center Enterprise where he was pronounced dead.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

“It’s dealt a real blow to this small community,” Woodham said. “I’ve been here all my life and this is the first time I’ve seen or heard of anything like this occurring here.”

Wilkins’ body has been sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy, which may take several weeks to complete, according to Sports Illustrated. 

The Coffee County School System said a vigil would be held for Wilkins on Friday, Aug. 16 at 7:00 p.m. at the New Brockton High School Football Stadium. That was the location and date the New Brockton High School’s football team was scheduled to scrimmage against Barbour County, per SI. 

The school said in a post on Facebook that it invites everyone “to join us in celebrating the life of Semaj Wilkins and to honor his mother, Regena Adams” and “come together” to “remember the positive impact Semaj made on our community.”

The school system also announced that it will be helping the Wilkins’ family collect payment contributions both in person and through their website to help “assist with the funeral and burial expenses.”

News Release

For Immediate Release: August 16, 2024

Alabama’s Labor Force Participation Rate Holds Steady in July

State Sets New Records for Labor Force and People Employed

MONTGOMERY – Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced today that Alabama’s labor force participation rate for July held steady at 57.5%. The percentage of prime-age workers increased by one-tenth of a percentage point to 79.3% over the month. Over the year, this number increased by one and a half percentage points from 77.8%. Prime-age workers are those aged 25-54 years.

“ While we all are working to increase our labor force participation rate, the continued growth, especially year over year, in the number of prime age Alabamians who are holding down a job, remains a positive trend in the state’s economy.” said Washington. “All other economic indicators showed improvement this month as well.”

Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 2.8%, down from June 2024’s rate of 2.9%. July’s rate is higher than July 2023’s rate of 2.4%.  The rate represents 66,591 unemployed persons, compared to 67,782 in June and 55,583 in July 2023.

The number of people counted as employed increased by 20,156 over the year to a new record high count of 2,273,759. The civilian labor force also increased to a new record high of 2,340,350, with 31,164 more people joining over the year.

Over the year, wage and salary employment grew by 52,500 to 2,211,700, with gains in the private education and health services sector (+13,500), the leisure and hospitality sector (+9,400), and the trade, transportation, and utilities sector (+9,000), among others.

“The labor force continues to increase – by more than 30,000 people in the last year – and those people are getting jobs,” continued Washington. “Our economy added more than 52,000 jobs in the past year, which is great news for Alabama.”

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are:  Shelby and Morgan Counties at 2.5%, Marshall and Cullman Counties at 2.6%, and St. Clair, Madison, Limestone, and Elmore Counties at 2.7%.  Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 8.8%, Perry County at 7.0%, and Dallas County at 6.2%.

Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Vestavia Hills at 2.2%, Trussville and Hoover at 2.3%, and Alabaster, Homewood, and Madison at 2.4%.  Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 7.4%, Prichard at 5.7%, and Bessemer at 4.4%.