Mississippi

Analysis: Work begins on Mississippi highway project — 20 years after being made priority

Published

2 years ago

August 11, 2024

Analysis: Work begins on Mississippi highway project — 20 years after being made priority

Tippah County, population about 20,500 in northeast Mississippi, was the state’s center of political power for one day this past week.

State Rep. Jody Steverson, a Republican who represents Tippah County, posted on social media, “I would like to personally invite every Tippah County citizen to this historic event… Never in our county’s history have the governor, lieutenant governor, and House speaker of Mississippi ever assembled in Tippah County simultaneously.”

Gov. Tate Reeves, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, House Speaker Jason White, as well as former Speaker Philip Gunn, were on hand for the ground-breaking of a project to four-lane about a 10-mile section of U.S. Highway 15 from the Tippah and Union counties line to about a mile north of Ripley, the county seat and largest city in Tippah County.

The ground-breaking was a big deal in Tippah County. The project has been on the drawing board since 2002 when the Legislature passed a bill called Vison 21 that established a method to four-lane highways in Mississippi based on needs and available money.

The section of U.S. 15 was on the initial Vison 21 map as an “immediate need.” More than two decades later, the state’s political leadership traveled to near the Tennessee state line to celebrate the ground-breaking.

Progress, finally.

Highway 15 has been in need of four-laning for decades, especially the section between New Albany in Union County and Ripley. Traffic on the two-lane road moves at a snail’s pace thanks in part to the big trucks at a furniture factory in the area and other businesses.

The ground-breaking more than two decades after U.S 15 was made a priority highlights the lack of funding the Department of Transportation has had for new highway construction projects. For more than a decade, the Department of Transportation has lacked enough money to maintain existing roads, much less construct new highways.

Thanks in large part to national economic conditions and federal funds, including the 2021 federal infrastructure bill, Mississippi currently has more money for roads and bridges. Mississippi has surplus funds that are being used, in part, on road and bridge needs. Work will begin soon on a few other highway projects.

But the surplus state money is not likely to last. The three Transportation commissioners and their executive director, Brad White, are still talking about the need for a source of new, sustained money to fund the state’s transportation needs on an ongoing basis. Central District Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons focused on the need of a new source of revenue recently during the political stumping at the Neshoba County Fair.

Many also would argue that the lack of funding has been exacerbated at times by the Legislature passing bills to place projects above those cited as priorities by the process spelled out in Vision 21.

Gov. Reeves, who was no doubt the star in Tippah County at the ground-breaking, was blamed by some for bypassing the Vison 21 projects as lieutenant governor.

In 2014, the House voted to kill the Department of Transportation budget because of what House leaders described as the Senate leadership’s insistence on placing “pet projects” in the bill.

Those projects included the six laning of Lakeland Drive in suburban Jackson near where then-Lt. Gov. Reeves, who presided over the Senate, lived.

The issue of Lakeland Drive was a major one during Reeves’ successful 2019 gubernatorial bid as it came to light that part of the Lakeland Project included building a $2 million frontage road to make it easier for people in the gated neighborhood where Reeves lived to gain access to Lakeland Drive.

The access road was scrapped by the Transportation Commission after it made news. The addition of the extra lanes on Lakeland Drive was completed.

Reeves took credit for the six-laning of Lakeland, but said he had no input on the frontage road. But emails at the time indicated that members of his staff were in discussions with MDOT officials about the project.

Then-MDOT Executive Director Melinda McGrath said in correspondence with Reeves that the Legislature in budgeting money for projects such as Lakeland Drive was ignoring the Vison 21 priorities.

Work is finally beginning on Highway 15 in Tippah County and the governor said he is happy about it.

On social media he posted, “Stopped in Tippah County to break ground on a nearly $200 million Highway 15 expansion project. This massive investment will help further solidify Mississippi as a transportation hub for the country. Together, we’re making our infrastructure bigger and better than ever before.”

Slowly, that might be finally happening.

This analysis was produced by Mississippi Today, a nonprofit news organization that covers state government, public policy, politics and culture. Bobby Harrison is Mississippi Today’s senior Capitol reporter.

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Mississippi

Mississippi veterans urged to seek PTSD help during Awareness Month

Published

10 hours ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi veterans urged to seek PTSD help during Awareness Month

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Millions of Americans live with post-traumatic stress disorder, and this June, mental health experts at the Jackson VA Hospital are urging Mississippi veterans not to wait to get help.

June is PTSD Awareness Month, a nationwide effort to combat stigma and connect those struggling with trauma to available resources. At the Jackson VA Hospital, counselors say the disorder is far more common than most people realize, and it rarely looks the way Hollywood portrays it.

“What we typically see is individuals who are trying their best to manage with an insurmountable amount of negative emotions, anger, fear, shame, guilt, sadness, regret,” said Alex Rakhshan, manager of the PTSD Residential Program at the Jackson VA Hospital. “And they’ve done their best. They’ve done the best they can to manage through.”

Rakhshan, a licensed psychologist with nearly 10 years of experience, says one of the biggest barriers to treatment is avoidance, and it doesn’t always look the way people expect.

“Avoidance takes many forms, such as working really hard, doing a lot of work in the community, volunteering, staying really focused on the needs of other people,” Rakhshan said. “And while that is laudable, ultimately it serves as a way to stay away from and push away some of those challenging beliefs.”

Rakhshan says PTSD affects all ages and walks of life, not just combat veterans. Natural disasters, car accidents, childhood abuse and neglect can all be triggers. However, veterans face a higher prevalence of the disorder due to the elevated dangers of military service.

Treatment at the VA has changed dramatically over the last decade. Veterans can now receive therapy from the comfort of their own homes through video health technology. Shorter treatment options, like written exposure therapy, a five-session program, are also now widely available, lowering the barrier for veterans hesitant to commit to a full course of treatment.

Iraq War veteran Mike Watkins knows that barrier well. Watkins served as a medic, deploying to Iraq in October 2003 and returning in November 2004. He was stationed in Balad, Taji, Fallujah, Samarra and Mosul. After coming home, he spent years managing hypervigilance, avoiding crowds and struggling to readjust to civilian life before seeking treatment.

“Whether you got a performance car or you’re just trying to take care of your body or you’re cleaning up your house, maintenance is key,” Watkins said. “The way you create muscles is by ripping and regrowing new ones. That’s a metaphor for what you’re doing emotionally.”

Rakhshan says the first step doesn’t have to be intimidating. “They can just give us a call. We don’t lock you in. You don’t need a signature on a form guaranteeing you’re going to show up. We’re here to serve,” Rakhshan said.

The Jackson VA Hospital offers a range of PTSD treatment options, from in-person counseling to medication to video therapy from home. Veterans and their caregivers are encouraged to contact the Jackson VA Hospital to learn more. No appointment is needed to make that first call.

PTSD affects an estimated 12 million Americans in any given year, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

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Mississippi

Post-Tropical Storm Arthur unleashes High Risk Level 4 flood threat to Mississippi | Latest Weather Clips | FOX Weather

Published

20 hours ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

Post-Tropical Storm Arthur unleashes High Risk Level 4 flood threat to Mississippi

The Mississippi coastline is under a rare Level 4 out of 4 High Risk flood threat as remnants of Post-Tropical Storm Arthur continue fueling hazards through late week. FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell brings us the latest live from Biloxi, Mississippi, where rain is already falling:

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Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for June 17, 2026

Published

1 day ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for June 17, 2026

The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at June 17, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from June 17 drawing

03-06-10-13-24

Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 17 drawing

Midday: 6-1-7, FB: 4

Evening: 6-4-0, FB: 5

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 17 drawing

Midday: 9-8-4-1, FB: 4

Evening: 9-1-2-3, FB: 5

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 17 drawing

Midday: 09

Evening: 11

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Story continues below gallery.

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.

Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:

Mississippi Lottery Corporation

P.O. Box 321462

Flowood, MS

39232

If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.

Mississippi Lottery Headquarters

1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100

Flowood, MS

39232

Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.

When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?

Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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