BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (WLOX) – The Bonnet Carre Spillway opened 13 times in 2019. Low salinity caused marine life in the sound to die, leaving fishermen with no catch.

Cary Trapani said fishing in Bay St. Louis hasn’t been the same since all the freshwater flowed into the Mississippi Sound, killing shrimp, crabs, and oysters.

“Our way of life was devastated,” Trapani said. “The salinity level was so low. It couldn’t sustain life or the main fish or the oysters or what have you.”

Trapani learned that officials in Louisiana want to rebuild marshlands as part of a Mid-Breton Sound sediment diversion project.

That’s why he met with the Mississippi Sound Coalition and the University of Southern Mississippi on Tuesday, to find ways to prevent this from happening.

“Freshwater will take over the sound which would change everything,” he said.

The proposed Breton Sound Project aims to rebuild Louisiana marshlands and divert more fresh water. Mississippi Sound Coalition Manager Gerald Blessey believes this will do more harm to marine life in the Sound.

“If you want to restore Louisiana, don’t do it with diversion water, dredge the Mississippi River,” Blessey said. “Everything that must have some saltwater and cannot live with too much pollution will be gone.”

The Coalition is also concerned about studies from the University of Southern Mississippi that show if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would open the spillway more over the next 15 years, causing algae blooms again, beaches to close, and impact tourism, as well as the seafood industry.

153 bottlenose dolphins died after the 2019 spillway openings. The Mississippi Sound Coalition said that was the highest one-year loss ever, even when compared to the BP oil spill.

Blessey said he and the Mississippi Sound Coalition will be following these Breton Sound projects in Louisiana as well as working to prevent harmful impacts to the Mississippi Sound.

“Protect Louisiana from flooding and protect the Mississippi Sound from being destroyed and by the way, protect the Louisiana fisheries from being destroyed like they are in Plaquemines Parish and St. Bernard Parish,” he said.

See a spelling or grammar error in this story? Report it to our team HERE.

Copyright 2024 WLOX. All rights reserved.

Red Lobster has closed its Jackson location as part of closures announced of 48 restaurants across 27 states, although the restaurant never reopened following being closed for renovations in July 2023.The Red Lobster at 6357 Interstate 55 North Frontage Road is officially no longer taking orders from patrons. The other closest location is in Meridian at 201 South Frontage Road.

Along with the closures, the equipment from more than 50 locations will go on auction this week. No equipment from the Jackson location will be auctioned. Winners of the auction will receive all the equipment from the individual locations.

More: Is Red Lobster filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy? How it could affect Mississippi restaurants

Here is what we know about the closures.

Why is Red Lobster closing so many stores?

According to a report from Bloomberg, the seafood restaurant considered filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.

The company had been getting advice from law firm King & Spalding as it looked to shed some long-term contracts and renegotiate leases, Bloomberg reported, noting that Red Lobster’s cash flows had been weighed down by leases and labor costs, among other issues.

Red Lobster ultimately suffered its biggest losses with its “Ultimate Endless Shrimp” promotion. What started as a $20 promotional item became a $25 permanent menu item. The promotion ended up becoming an $11 million loss for the restaurant in the third quarter of 2023.

When was Red Lobster started?

Red Lobster started in 1968 in Lakeland, Florida, by Bill Darden and Charley Woodsby. After going through several changes in ownership, it is now owned by Thai Union Group. In November, the parent company said the chain was headed toward a $20 million loss for 2023.

How many Red Lobster locations are in Mississippi?

Locations in D’Ilberville and Hattiesburg are listed as “temporarily closed.” That leaves the only open locations in the state in Meridian, Southaven and Tupelo.

A Mississippi triple murder suspect was shot and killed by a DPS trooper during a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 191 at the Horseshoe bend between Clifton and Morenci.

By Jon Johnson

jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com

MORENCI/CLIFTON – On Monday, May 13, at around 7:30 a.m., the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) was notified of a possible sighting of a suspect in the Safford area who was wanted for a triple homicide that occurred in Mississippi on May 12, 2024.

Ivory James Welch III, was a suspect in the murder of Ida Thomas Welch, 76, Vicky Renee Welch, 56, and Crystal Lynn Welch, 42, in Ridgeland, Mississippi on Sunday. The victims are the suspect’s mother and sisters.  

Utilizing investigative assets, detectives from the AZDPS, the Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clifton Police Department believed the suspect to be in the Morenci-Clifton area, and responded to attempt to locate the suspect.

“An arrest warrant was obtained and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force began searching for Welch,” Ridgeland Police Chief Brian Myers stated in a news release. “Arizona State Troopers attempted to apprehend Welch and he fired upon the troopers and was fatally wounded in the gunfight.”

At around 10:17 a.m., investigators successfully located the suspect’s vehicle on U.S. Highway 191 North between Morenci and Clifton and conducted a traffic stop to take the suspect into custody. The suspect exited the vehicle and presented a firearm, which resulted in a trooper-involved shooting, according to the DPS. The suspect, identified as Ivory James Welch III, was declared deceased on the scene.

No law enforcement personnel from any agencies were injured.

The AZDPS Major Incident Division is investigating the incident.

The highway remained closed to normal traffic until about 8:30 p.m.