JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Governor Tate Reeves has announced the state is investing over $110 million toward economic development, infrastructure upgrades, workforce development, tourism, and conservation efforts throughout Mississippi.

The majority of grant approvals, totaling over $97 million, will be invested into projects that, the governor says, will strengthen Mississippi’s economy.

“Mississippi’s economic development results have been historic and unprecedented,” said Governor Tate Reeves. “We’ve secured billions in new private sector investment and created thousands of jobs across the state. The funding we announced today will go a long way toward continuing Mississippi’s economic momentum and will help create more high-paying job opportunities for Mississippians across the state.”

According to Reeves, the investment will help expand infrastructure capabilities at sites across the state and better position Mississippi to secure more private sector investment.

Funding for these projects is available through the Mississippi Development Authority, Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Regional Authority, RESTORE Act, GOMESA, and Southeast Crescent Regional Commission.

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STARKVILLE — Eniya Russell had spent four years in the Southeastern Conference almost exclusively coming off the bench. But Mississippi State head coach Sam Purcell was familiar with Russell long before she scored a combined 29 points in two games against the Bulldogs with Kentucky last year.

Russell grew into a five-star recruit and a top-50 national prospect in the class of 2020 at St. Vincent Pallotti High School in Maryland, and Purcell, then an assistant coach at Louisville, tried to recruit her to the Cardinals. Instead, Russell chose to play for Dawn Staley at South Carolina, where she won a national championship in 2022 but played roughly seven minutes per game.

She broke out as Kentucky’s sixth woman last season, averaging 10.1 points per game, but with the Wildcats making a coaching change, Russell transferred again, and this time Purcell landed her for her final year of eligibility.

“He stayed consistent throughout this whole process,” Russell said. “When we played against him when I was at Kentucky, I witnessed the fan base here. It was amazing. And when I came on my visit, it felt like home. Even when I got here and committed, he stayed consistent. It was like a real, true friendship. He wasn’t just a coach, he was helping me on and off the court.”

A 6-foot wing who has been a jack of all trades throughout her career, Russell can spell Jerkaila Jordan for stretches, but the two also work well on the court together. Jordan struggled in MSU’s season-opening win over Memphis, and it was Russell who filled her usual role as the lead scorer, finishing with 26 points on 10-for-15 shooting — including 4-for-8 from 3-point range.

Jordan returned to her usual form Sunday against Alcorn State and Russell was held to eight points, but she did pull down 10 rebounds, all on the defensive end.

“The style of play has changed. I wouldn’t say my role has really changed,” Russell said. “Coach Sam allows me to play free and fast, (which is) how I like to play. I fit into this system very well.”

Russell did turn the ball over five times against the Braves, and turnovers have been the Bulldogs’ biggest weakness so far. MSU (2-0) had 20 turnovers and just 12 assists Sunday, though the Bulldogs did hold Alcorn State to just nine points off those turnovers.

“The turnovers are coming because sometimes we’re too unselfish, and we love to make that home run pass,” Purcell said. “We’re new, with so many new pieces. It’s a combination of everything. Do I think it’s going to improve and get better? I do. Because every game we play better.”

Scouting Alabama State

MSU will play in front of its largest crowd of the season so far against the Hornets (2-0), with elementary school students representing most of those in attendance. This is the Bulldogs’ annual Education Day game, tipping off at 11 a.m., and schools from around the Golden Triangle region will bus their kids to the game for a field trip.

Purcell, who has three daughters himself, recognizes the importance of being introduced to high-level athletics at a young age. He said MSU expects 5,800 kids will be in the stands at Humphrey Coliseum.

“When we score a bucket or get a stop, they’re going to cheer for us, but you know what, they’re probably also going to cheer for Alabama State,” Purcell said. “A young kid who doesn’t have the opportunity to come to the game because of hard-working parents, when they sit there and come to the game and watch Eniya Russell, they might say, ‘I want to grow up and I want to be her.’ This game is bigger than just getting them out of school.”

Alabama State played two NAIA opponents to start the year, beating Faulkner University 70-58 and defeating Stillman College 55-50. The Hornets’ schedule is about to get a lot tougher — the Bulldogs are the first of six SEC teams Alabama State will face between Wednesday and the end of December.

Cordasia Harris leads the Hornets in scoring and rebounding, averaging 20.5 points and 14 boards per game.

“Their coach (Freda Freeman-Jackson) plays a tough non-conference schedule because she understands they have to win their conference in order to make the NCAA Tournament,” Purcell said. “They would love to have an opportunity to knock us off. Every possession matters, and that’s what I want our team to learn from coming into this game. We have to have that same kind of mentality.”

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Last week‘s flurry of federal charges against Jackson’s mayor, Hinds County’s top prosecutor and a former city council president highlighted how alleged bribes can be concealed by exploiting weaknesses in state law.

“Because public officials finance their personal lives through their campaigns accounts, campaign contributions were the most effective way to influence them,” federal investigators wrote in the indictment unsealed Thursday, attributing the statement to Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens.

Owens allegedly made the remarks more than eight months ago, the first mention in federal documents of a method to conceal bribes for votes.

The developers in this deal for a Jackson convention center hotel — who were actually undercover FBI agents — lured Owens and Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba to a Florida yacht where a photo was taken of Lumumba accepting campaign contribution checks, five of them for $10,000 apiece.

It’s unclear if the public ever would have known about it, though.

3 On Your Side dug into the Capital City’s records, finding that Lumumba hasn’t filed any reports of these contributions as required by law since June of 2021.

Lumumba admitted this to reporters when asked about it last month.

“I have not filed my campaign finance report, which unfortunately is not uncustomary for my campaign,” the mayor said at a Oct. 21 press conference.

Secretary of State Michael Watson said the bribery scandal serves as a reminder that the state needs greater campaign finance reform.

“If people aren’t following the law, they need to be held accountable,” Watson said.

Figuring out what agency’s responsible for holding officials accountable, however, isn’t clear in state law.

The most recent campaign finance report Lumumba filed lists the penalty for not filing at the bottom of the page, saying the elected official “shall not be paid a salary unless and until they file all required reports.”

Who’s supposed to keep the official from being paid? That’s not clear in statute, either.

“That’s a great question, again. What the [Attorney General] opinion says is the municipality may not, shall not, pay the individual who is not up to speed on their reports. Look, I know the [state] auditor audits at the state level, municipal level,” Watson said. “I’ve seen prosecutions at different levels, so I would think that would probably fall under the purview of the auditor’s office. That said, I’ve not researched that enough to say yes or no with finality.”

Though it failed last year, Watson plans to push for more robust campaign finance reform in 2025, making sure these reports are filed and spelling out which agency must step in when someone breaks the law.

“This is just another mechanism, in my opinion, to help keep elected officials honest,” Watson said. “When you have the statewide campaign finance system where everyone can go see who’s getting what, how are they spending those dollars from? Who is it coming? Did it change a vote? I just think that Mississippians deserve that, and we aim to deliver that as soon as we can.”

A spokesperson for the State Auditor’s office said enforcing the statute to withhold an official’s salary falls to the Mississippi Ethics Commission, but state law doesn’t mention which agency is responsible for that particular penalty.

3 On Your Side contacted Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office to see whether it plays a role here, but the office has not officially responded.

Mississippi law doesn’t require cities or counties to notify the state when a candidate fails to file.

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