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Jackson council reviews water authority as Horhn offers few details on plan

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Jackson council reviews water authority as Horhn offers few details on plan



“We continue to weigh our options going forward,’ mayor says

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  • A new law creates a nine-member regional board that could take over Jackson’s water and sewer systems.
  • The authority cannot take control of the system without a lease agreement from the city of Jackson.
  • Jackson city leaders have raised concerns about governance, timing, and funding for the new authority.
  • Any transition away from the current federally-overseen system must be approved by a U.S. District Judge.

Jackson city leaders got their clearest look yet at how a new regional water authority would work and what it could mean for the city’s control of its water and sewer systems.

During a Wednesday, April 222 Public Works Committee meeting, members of the Jackson City Council received a detailed legal breakdown of the Metro Jackson Water Authority Act, raising new concerns about governance, timing and what happens if the city does nothing.

The law, signed April 1 by Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, creates a nine-member regional board that could eventually take over Jackson’s water and wastewater systems. But as City Attorney Drew Martin explained, the authority does not legally exist until at least five members are appointed, which is a threshold that could be reached without Jackson naming any of its own representatives.

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That possibility drew concern from council members, who noted the board could begin operating — and even hire a president to lead the system — before the city fully decides its approach, though it the odds of that happening quickly and by the May 1 deadline are unlikely.

Under the law, Jackson would appoint three members. The remaining six seats are filled by state leaders and surrounding municipalities, including appointments from the governor (two), lieutenant governor and the mayors of Byram and Ridgeland. One additional seat is appointed by the governor with input from Jackson’s mayor. Those appointments are due May 1.

Still, the city retains a critical point of leverage: the authority cannot take control of the system without a lease agreement from Jackson. The law requires the authority to negotiate a lease with the city to transfer control of the water and wastewater systems, but the terms are left up to both sides and the city is not required to agree.

“If the city does not enter into a lease … the authority can’t come onto our property and use our infrastructure,” Martin said.

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But even if the board is formed, any transition away from the current system — operated by JXN Water under federal oversight — must ultimately be approved by U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate. Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley, who chairs the Public Works Committee, said the city needs to better understand where Wingate stands and how he is thinking about a potential transition.

Additionally, the authority is charged to hire a president to lead the new entity, according to the law. But that person would not immediately take over operations. Instead, the president would serve as a deputy to JXN Water’s court-appointed manager, Ted Henifin, and work alongside the utility during a transition period until federal oversight ends.

Council members noted that hiring a president would take time and that the authority would still need to determine how to fund the position.

They also pointed to major unanswered questions, including how the authority would be funded, how debt would be handled and whether the system is ready for a transition at all. Jackson’s Chief Administrative Officer Pieter Teeuwissen also stressed that any transition would take time.

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“There are a number of unknowns in this bill — both known and unknown,” Teeuwissen said “This isn’t something where a new entity is going to take over in a month or two. At best, you’re looking at a year-plus transition, and that’s assuming there’s no litigation or other challenges.”

The discussion comes a day after Mayor John Horhn said it remains “up for discussion” whether the city will appoint members to the board before the May 1 deadline. When asked again after the meeting about his plans and what message he had for concerned residents, Horhn did not offer additional clarity.

“We continue to weigh our options going forward,” Horhn said to both questions.

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The developments come as appointments to the board have already begun. On Tuesday, April 21 the City of Ridgeland named City Engineer Paul Forster as its representative, becoming the first to fill a seat on the nine-member authority.

Charlie Drape, the Jackson beat reporter, has covered the Jackson water crisis from its collapse in 2022 through the system’s ongoing recovery, including independent testing and other accountability reporting. You can contact him at cdrape@gannett.com.



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Governor: At least 47 homes, 50 roads damaged by Mississippi storms, flooding – SuperTalk Mississippi

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Governor: At least 47 homes, 50 roads damaged by Mississippi storms, flooding – SuperTalk Mississippi


Gov. Tate Reeves has released updated damage assessments following the severe weather and flooding that inundated parts of southern Mississippi last week.

According to Reeves, assessments through the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency are ongoing, and disaster aid is still being distributed through a mix of federal, state, and local agencies, along with nonprofits. But numbers as of Monday morning showed dozens of homes and businesses damaged and even more public roads affected.

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Among the counties with significant impacts are Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Jackson, Pearl River, Perry and Stone. Across those counties and others, at least 47 homes were affected, seven of which were completely destroyed. Nine businesses sustained damaged, six of which are considered major. One farm sustained major damage.

A Harrison County roadway is flooded by the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Photo by Hunter Dawkins/The Gazebo Gazette via SuperTalk Mississippi News)

50 public roadways were affected, including four that are considered major and four that were completely destroyed. Two bridges sustained major damage, while two public buildings sustained minor damage.

Reeves said two rivers are in the moderate flood stage – Leaf River near McClain and the Pascagoula River at Graham Ferry.

15 other waterways are in the minor flood stage: Big Black River near Bentonia, Biloxi River near Lyman, Chickasawhay River at Enterprise, Chickasawhay River at Leakesville, East Hobolochitto Creek near Caesar, Pascagoula River at Merrill, Pearl River at Jackson, Pearl River near Pearl River, Pearl River near Philadelphia, Pearl River at Rockport, Strong River at D’Lo, Tallahala Creek at Laurel, Tuscolameta Creek at Laurel, West Hobolochitto Creek near McNeill, and Wolf River around Gulfport.

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A sinkhole caused by flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur is seen in Covington County on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Photo courtesy of the Covington County Emergency Management Agency)

Damage reports could have worsened on Monday with additional rounds of severe weather in some parts of the state. The worst of the storms and floods came with the remnants of what was Tropical Storm Arthur late last week and into the weekend.



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Family of 1-year-old killed by police at a Walmart in Mississippi wants video released

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Family of 1-year-old killed by police at a Walmart in Mississippi wants video released


(AP) – A Mississippi family whose 1-year-old child was killed when police fired into a moving vehicle said Monday they want authorities to release video showing whether officers were in danger of being struck when one of them opened fire.

The shooting has sparked outrage in the small city of Senatobia, where some say it’s the latest in a series of troubling encounters between police and Black residents.

Kohen Wiley was riding with his mother and another woman in a Walmart parking lot on June 14 when police responded to a shoplifting call. The family says they were driving away, while the officers say the car was heading toward them.

This undated photo provided by Veronica Roberson in June 2026 shows her grandson, Kohen Wiley, of Senatobia, Miss.(Veronica Roberson | Veronica Roberson via AP)

“I watched my baby take his first breath, and I watched my baby take his last breath,” Vellesiya Wiley said at a news conference Monday.

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The other woman in the car, whose name has not been released, suffered “critical injuries,” according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which is handling the inquiry.

Standing alongside Kohen’s parents and grandparents at a local church, civil rights attorney Ben Crump told reporters Monday that the best way to determine whether the officers were at risk is to publicly release any body camera, dash camera or Walmart security camera video.

“If that is the truth, then show us that,” Crump said. “The longer you delay releasing the video, the more distrustful we become.”

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation declined to comment on what videos investigators have or whether they would be released, agency spokesperson Bailey Martin said Monday.

“This case has been made a top priority,” Martin said in an emailed statement, “and we currently have multiple agents working tirelessly to ensure every aspect of the investigation is thoroughly examined.”

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The agency says the officers weren’t hurt. Senatobia Police Chief Harold Vanderford did not return a phone message seeking comment Monday.

State investigators gave an initial account of the shooting last week, saying that when Senatobia police arrived at the Walmart, they found two women and a child getting into a car and driving away.

“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,” the agency statement said.

Kohen’s mother has said the shoplifting call was over a box of diapers that her friend was carrying — and that she believes her friend had paid for the diapers. State investigators declined to comment on those details.

Crump questioned why police didn’t let the car go and take down the license plate number.

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“They were called over a box of diapers and a family now has to bury their baby,” Crump said Monday. “You cannot put those two things next to each other and call it reasonable policing.”

Crump also said an independent autopsy would be performed.

While there’s no question the child was shot by police, he said, details about the angles at which any bullets struck the child could yield clues as to whether the officer fired from in front of the car or off to the side — and therefore whether that officer was in any danger.

Policing expert Ian Adams, who teaches criminal justice at the University of South Carolina, told The Associated Press last week that police should know that “shooting into a moving vehicle is a very bad idea and one to be avoided at almost all costs,” noting the danger to passengers and other bystanders.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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Mississippi Association of Coaches Inducts Six New Members

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Mississippi Association of Coaches Inducts Six New Members


Six new members were inducted into the Mississippi Association Coaches Hall of Fame on Friday.

Five electees and one surprise honorary inductee announced at the evening’s end.

Each says the MAC HOF is a special one and this is the ultimate honor for a coach in Mississippi.

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