BILOXI, Miss. (WJTV) – A Biloxi couple has been arrested in connection to the death of their five-month-old child.

Biloxi police said they responded to Merit Health Biloxi just before 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 13. When officers arrived at the location, staff members told them that 20-year-old Summer Rose Hill and 21-year-old Takavian Keivon Gibbs arrived at the emergency room with their deceased five-month-old.

During the initial examination, police said the medical staff discovered multiple injuries to the child consistent with abuse.

Hill and Jones were both arrested and charged with child abuse. They each received a $500,000 bond. Police said Hill and Jones will be booked into the Harrison County Adult Detention Center.

The death investigation is ongoing, and police said there could be additional charges.

Anyone with information about the incident can contact the Biloxi Police Department at 228-435-6112 or 228-392-0641.

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Global warming is often regarded as a remote, long-term problem, but extensive research shows its impact currently affects the Magnolia State.

Mississippi was an outlier nationally for lower average temperatures over the last century, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, the state’s diverse coastal and inland ecosystems still face a serious threat from global warming. The EPA asserts that the state has become drier, annual rainfall has increased and the sea level is rising about one inch every seven years. Additionally, the agency projects that the days above 95 degrees Fahrenheit yearly will potentially quadruple by 2086.

Though some crops like soybeans and cotton benefit from higher temperatures and increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, others like corn will likely have smaller yields. Higher temperatures are also likely to reduce livestock productivity because heat stress disrupts an animal’s metabolism.

Timber is the state’s third largest commodity, according to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. Forestry accounts for 4% of all of the state’s jobs. Warmer and drier conditions could change the makeup of Mississippi’s forests and increase the frequency of wildfires, hurting the state’s lucrative commercial timber industry.

Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows that hurricanes and other major storms have increased in intensity and duration by about 50 percent since the 1970s. Rising sea levels leave beachfront development more vulnerable to storm surges and erosion. By 2100, the EPA estimates that the sea level along some South Mississippi beaches will rise by 15 inches.

Many of the negative effects of climate change cannot be eliminated but can be reduced. Below are things you can implement to reduce your carbon footprint:

• Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs
  • The average household can save more than $200 yearly using LED bulbs. 
• Lower the water heater temperature
  • Adjusting the temperature from 140 to 120 degrees can reduce the risk of scalding and build-up in your pipes, potentially saving consumers hundreds of dollars on energy costs. 
• Get smart with thermostat use
  • People can save as much as 10% on heating by adjusting their temperature seven to 10 degrees from its normal setting for 8 hours a day. 
• Reverse the ceiling fan in the summer
  • Changing the fan direction could save consumers up to 15% on their winter energy bills and up to 30% on their summer energy bills.
• Weatherstrip around windows and doors
  • Weatherstripping around moveable joints reduces air leaks and helps homeowners stay more comfortable year-round. 
• Seal around windows with caulk
  • Certain types of air sealing are best done by a professional, but air sealing around windows or doors with a tube of caulk is an effective, inexpensive DIY energy project.

(NEXSTAR) – El Niño has officially ended, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center said Thursday, and its cooler counterpart could be just around the corner. La Niña conditions are predicted to take hold over the Pacific Ocean as soon as July, setting the stage to affect our weather here on land.

The Climate Prediction Center issued a La Niña watch Thursday. The group of national forecasters say there’s a 65% chance La Niña forms between July and September. Chances increase even more as we move later into the year.

Odds are La Niña will be with us as we move into peak hurricane season. La Niña years are associated with more hurricanes and more damaging storms in the Atlantic basin.

This year appears likely to follow that pattern. Experts are predicting a record-breaking “hyperactive” 2024 season of tropical storms and hurricanes.

“The likelihood of a La Niña coupled with record warm sea surface temperatures is the reason the National Hurricane Center is forecasting an extraordinary hurricane season,” said Kathie Dello, North Carolina’s state climatologist. “States from Texas to Maine are making preparations for an active year.”

La Niña typically reaches its peak in the winter. That’s when it will likely have the strongest impact on weather patterns.

A La Niña winter usually means dry, warmer-than-average conditions across the southern half of the country. Past La Niña years have contributed to severe drought conditions in California and the Southwest.

Meanwhile, the Pacific Northwest and Ohio Valley tend to get more precipitation, and northern states can see extra-cold weather.

When we’re in a La Niña, water along the Pacific coast is also colder and more nutrient dense, according the National Ocean Service. That’s also good news for marine life, like salmon and squid, that live along the West Coast.

Between now and whenever La Niña officially takes over, we’re in a situation described as “ENSO neutral,” meaning neither El Niño nor La Niña is in place. With or without La Niña in effect, national forecasters are expecting an abnormally hot summer for nearly all parts of the U.S.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.