Mississippi
How this Illinois-based nonprofit is working to keep the Mississippi River mighty
College students spending spring break by a body of water is nothing new. However, through an “alternative spring break” program, Illinois-based nonprofit Living Lands & Waters made such a trip an opportunity for students to learn about and clean up that body of water instead of simply sunbathe beside it.
Throughout March, 140 volunteers from 14 universities joined the crew of Living Lands & Waters at McKellar Lake in Memphis to remove 131,419 pounds of trash.
For Roslin Johns, an environmental science major at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, she returned to take part in the program for a second year after remembering a fun-filled and fulfilling time spent on the water.
“They just make it such a fun experience,” Johns said. “At the end, I leave feeling good not just about myself, but what I did for the environment and I had fun doing it.”
Living Lands & Waters is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1998 by Chad Pregracke. While living and working on the river around his home in East Moline, Illinois, Pregracke was disturbed by the immense amount of debris he saw dumped into the rivers.
Expanding greatly from the once one-man mission, Living Lands & Waters now has a full-time staff with a fleet that includes four barges, two towboats, five workboats, two skid steers, an excavator, six work trucks and a crane.
The history of the organization is visually present in every room of the barge where they work and live. In the classroom space, one wall is filled from top to bottom with toys found within the rivers during cleanups. On the ceiling, hundreds of lighters removed from their watery grave have been turned into a multicolored art piece and signs lost to the waves decorate the walls.
Since its founding, Living Lands & Waters has removed more than 13 million pounds of trash from America’s rivers with the help of over 135,000 volunteers.
The crew of Living Lands & Waters, who spend 6 to 9 months of the year living on one of the barges as they travel across 28 rivers in 25 states to host river cleanups, workshop classes and further conservation efforts, are no strangers to McKellar Lake.
Since 2010, the crew and volunteers have removed more than 1.8 million pounds of trash from the lake.
“There’s always a need,” Callie Schaser, programs manager and communications specialist with Living Lands and Waters, said about McKellar. “It’s a great place to bring a ton of students and get a lot done and then we fill up the barge in three weeks.”
Due to the fast speeds of the Mississippi River, the crew can’t operate on the river itself for cleanup efforts. However, cleaning up McKellar Lake removes trash that inevitably will make its way into the Mississippi and possibly all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.
“McKellar Lake acts as this little net for us to catch everything and trap everything,” Schaser said.
In removing trash from the lake, trash that made its way there from the streets of Memphis and Nonconnah Creek, Schaser said the students are reacting to an issue. While this is important, she and Living Lands & Waters hope that they return to their community knowing they can impact their community before trash ever makes it to a river.
“This is reactive, but you guys can be proactive around your campus, around your hometown,” Schaser said. “Anything you see, if it’s near a storm drain and it’s on the ground that’s going in there and that’s going in the water.”
‘Mighty Mississippi is 2,300 miles of opportunity’
In bringing students to the river, Living Lands & Waters doesn’t want to only focus on conservation efforts. Through their Mississippi River Institute, they also hold workshops for students to learn all the occupational possibilities living near the Mississippi can offer.
Separate from the barges they use in their trash-collecting efforts, Living Lands & Waters has built a second classroom barge, constructed from and decorated with recycled material, of course. This classroom barge is used to teach students how they can pursue one of the many careers the river can offer.
The program, which is traveling down the Mississippi River, offers workforce development programs and STEM-related jobs near riverfront cities, such as Memphis.
“We’re hoping to showcase the mighty Mississippi is 2,300 miles of opportunity,” said Rachel Loomis, the Mississippi River Institute manager.
Soft launching in 2023, the institute had its first full year in 2024. In the spring and winter of 2025, the institute has been docked near the Mud Island Marina in Memphis to host workshops. After May 9, the institute will head to St. Paul, Minnesota, for its winter location.
In a workshop on March 26, AP biology and health sciences students from White Station High School heard from employees of Wepfer Marine Inc., a tugboat company that operates out of Memphis and along the Mississippi, and from a commercial fisherman. The students were then able to tour one of the tugboats and ask questions of the captain and crew as they learned about what it’s like to live aboard the ship for weeks at a time.
“Today is about a day of exploration,” Loomis said to the students during the workshop. “If you’re not able to know about these jobs, you’re not able to pursue them.”
For the crew of Living Lands & Waters, there is an inseparable link between their tenets of protecting the river and working with and on it.
“We have to respect the river before we learn how to make money on it,” Loomis said as one of the main lessons she hopes students take away from the workshop.
Chris Day is a photojournalist at The Commercial Appeal. Contact him a cjday@gannett.com.
Mississippi
Eight tornadoes confirmed in Louisiana and Mississippi from Post-Tropical Cyclone Arthur storms
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The National Weather Service has confirmed eight tornadoes touched down across Louisiana and Mississippi on June 18th, 2026, with damage surveys revealing significant impacts to homes, businesses, and infrastructure.
The survey work continues on several areas, including Eden Isle, where meteorologists are analyzing whether additional weak tornadoes occurred within widespread wind damage.
The NWS has asked for patience as crews complete their analysis, with the next update expected Monday, June 22.
A busy morning of severe weather
The tornado activity began early Thursday morning around 2:49 a.m. and continued through the morning hours, with the last confirmed tornado occurring around 8:12 a.m.
The storms primarily impacted the greater New Orleans area, including parts of Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish, and St. Tammany Parish in Louisiana, as well as Hancock and Harrison counties in Mississippi.
The damage: eight confirmed tornadoes
Houma area hit hardest
Four of the eight confirmed tornadoes touched down in the Houma area, with a fourth nearby.
The most significant damage in Houma came from an EF-1 tornado that tracked through the city around 3:47 a.m., producing winds up to 95 mph.
This tornado damaged the Lynn Park Shopping Center, where nearly every window was damaged, and interior walls partially collapsed. Four homes sustained partial to significant roof loss, and one home had an exterior wall collapse.
Another EF-1 tornado in the same area tossed a truck 30 feet and caused significant damage. Multiple trees were snapped and uprooted, with several homes sustaining partial roof loss, and at least one carport collapsed.
An EF-1 tornado causes significant roof damage to two homes on Crozier Drive, and at least one exterior wall collapsed on each.
An EF-0 tornado also impacted the McCord area of Houma, damaging trees, several homes, and electrical poles.
Long-track tornado from St. Tammany Parish to Mississippi
The most significant tornado of the day was an EF-1 that traveled 12.42 miles from Treasure Isle in St. Tammany Parish to rural Hancock County, Mississippi. With maximum winds of 105 mph and a width of up to 300 yards, this tornado caused extensive damage across its path.
The tornado flipped a large boat near Treasure Isle and progressed northeast, removing shingles from homes and snapping trees along Bluegill Drive.
As it moved into Avery Estates, the tornado grew in size and strengthened, uprooting numerous trees along U.S. Highway 190 and damaging several outbuildings. A manufactured home had most of its roof removed and was shifted significantly off its foundation.
The tornado maintained strength as it moved over the Pearl River Basin before weakening as it approached Hancock County, where ground survey teams documented widespread tree damage on rural roads.
Additional tornadoes
An EF-1 tornado tracked 7.26 miles from Bridge City through New Orleans to the University of New Orleans area around 5:43 a.m., producing winds up to 95 mph. Damage was primarily tree damage and minor building damage across the city.
A brief EF-1 tornado touched down north of Highway 90 in Avondale, injuring two people. The tornado tracked northeast with home damage and snapped tree branches. One home sustained damage when another mobile home rolled into it. The wind speeds were estimated to be 90 mph.
An EF-1 tornado also tracked across Hancock and Harrison counties in Mississippi, with widespread tree damage, including several large trees uprooted and snapped. Minor damage occurred to several properties along the 6.38-mile path.
No Fatalities Reported
Despite the significant damage from eight tornadoes, no fatalities were reported. However, two injuries were reported in the Avondale area.
All information in this report is preliminary and subject to change pending final review and publication in NWS Storm Data.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.
Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.
Mississippi
Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for June 19, 2026
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 19, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from June 19 drawing
07-10-13-22-31
Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 19 drawing
Midday: 1-4-2, FB: 5
Evening: 5-5-4, FB: 9
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 19 drawing
Midday: 2-3-2-8, FB: 5
Evening: 9-2-8-4, FB: 9
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 19 drawing
Midday: 05
Evening: 04
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.
Mississippi
Police shooting of a 1-year-old Mississippi boy ignites tension between police and residents – WXXV News 25
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The fatal shooting of a 1-year-old boy by police who were responding to a shoplifting call this week has ignited simmering tensions between police and Black residents in the small town of Senatobia, Mississippi.
The death of Kohen Wiley is the latest in a series of troubling encounters with police that have outraged community members in recent years. It has led to protests and calls for greater police accountability in the town of 8,000, with some civil rights activists pointing to Kohen’s death as another example of a Black life lost over something of nominal value — in this case, allegedly stolen diapers.
“We are treating items on a shelf as more valuable than a child,” Bernice King, the daughter of civil right icon Martin Luther King, Jr., said in a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday. “That is not just bad policing; it is a moral collapse.”
Differing accounts of what happened
There are still many unanswered questions about the shooting and what led up to it.
Senatobia police responded to the shoplifting call at a local Walmart on Sunday, where they found two women and a child leaving the store, getting into a car and driving away. According to a statement released by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation: “Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one. An officer then discharged their weapon and the vehicle fled the scene.”
Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, said her son and her friend, who was driving, were hit by gunfire. In a video posted on social media Wednesday by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, Wiley said her friend was not driving toward the officers because they were “all on the right side and she was driving towards the left.”
She also disputes the shoplifting claim, saying in the video that she believes her friend paid for the diapers she was carrying.
Policing expert Ian Adams, who teaches criminal justice at the University of South Carolina, said regardless of the circumstances, the officer should not have fired at the car.
“Modern policing knows that shooting into a moving vehicle is a very bad idea and one to be avoided at almost all costs,′ Adams said. For one thing, ”vehicles have other occupants, which is obviously a concern here in the current case.”
Shooting revives racial justice concerns
Kohen was Black, as are his mother and her friend, and the circumstances leading to Kohen’s death quickly drew comparisons to another Black mother shot during a response to a shoplifting accusation.
In 2023, Ta’Kiya Young, who was pregnant, was shot by police in a Columbus, Ohio, suburb, after they attempted to apprehend her. Police said Young, who was also the mother of two young sons, got into her car and accelerated in the direction of the officer who fired at her through the windshield. Both Young and her unborn daughter were killed.
The officer in that case was acquitted of criminal charges and found justified in his use of force by a review board.
The two deaths join a long list of other instances of Black Americans dying in interactions with police after accusations of petty criminal offenses. That list includes the murder of George Floyd in 2020, who was killed after police responded to a call that he used a fake $20 bill at a Minneapolis grocery store.
For some racial justice advocates, such cases serve as a constant reminder of the consequences of systemic racism in law enforcement.
“In the name of ‘law and order,’ a child was killed and family was shattered over items that could be restocked, written off, and replaced,” King wrote on Instagram. “Our charge is clear: until the sacredness of human life is the starting point of every police encounter, we must demand changes in training and work unrelentingly to reform policies around police accountability.”
Tensions in Senatobia
Marquell Bridges, the president and founder of an advocacy group called the Building Bridges Coalition and who has been helping the Wiley family, said Kohen’s death was “just the breaking point” after years of problematic interactions between Black residents and police.
Bridges pointed to an encounter last year in which an officer threatened Breshari Faulkner with a Taser, pulled her from her car onto the ground and arrested her during a confrontation over a handicapped parking space in the same Walmart lot where Kohen was shot.
Two years earlier, in 2023, a Senatobia officer was fired for his role in arresting a 10-year-old Black boy who had urinated in a different parking lot. The boy’s family settled a federal lawsuit with the city earlier this year.
“There is a culture there that they are above the law – just because they wear a uniform,” said civil rights attorney Carlos Moore, who has represented the 10-year-old boy and others accusing the department of misconduct.
Police did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. The mayor and city aldermen also did not respond to messages.
About 40% of the city’s population of approximately 8,300 is Black, according to 2020 Census data. Police did not respond to questions about the racial makeup of the department, but the mayor and a majority of the Board of Alderman members are white. The city has elected only three Black aldermen since it became a municipality in 1860, according to the Tate Record, a local newspaper.
A toy lawnmower that blows bubbles
The officer who shot Kohen and the woman driving the car he was in has been placed on administrative leave, a standard practice, while the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation looks into what happened. They have promised to release video of the shooting once the investigation is complete.
Kohen’s grandmother, Veronica Roberson, was there when Kohen was born and babysat him often. She described him as a happy little baby with “the prettiest smile you could ever imagine.”
She said he was a sweet child and: “He just loved on me, and I loved on him. We loved each other.”
One of his favorite toys was a little lawnmower that would blow bubbles when pushed. Roberson would sit outside with him while he played with it. “He really thought he was mowing my yard,” she said, laughing a little at the memory. “That baby was my world.”
-
Los Angeles, Ca44 minutes agoArmed home invasion in L.A.’s Fairfax District leaves resident assaulted
-
Detroit, MI1 hour agoTigers top Chicago White Sox 4-1; Detroit pitcher Troy Melton allows 1 hit in 6 innings
-
San Francisco, CA1 hour agoMLB Rumors: Latest Intel on Potential Matt Chapman Trade for San Francisco Giants
-
Dallas, TX1 hour agoDallas’ Fair Park to Get $2.5M Boost From McKesson – Dallas Weekly
-
Miami, FL1 hour agoAir quality alert in effect in Miami-Dade and Broward counties: National Weather Service
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoBoston Signs Big Blueliner Rylind MacKinnon To One-Year Extension
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoFire destroys home under construction in northwest Denver
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoWe can stop pretending that a suburban stadium would be better for soccer in Seattle