Mississippi
Jackson puts Mississippi on notice: Take back Medgar Evers Boulevard
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The Jackson City Council, backed by Mayor John Horhn, is pushing Mississippi to reclaim Medgar Evers Boulevard — a move supporters say is long overdue, and critics say jumps the gun under state law.
The resolution asks the Mississippi Transportation Commission and Mississippi Department of Transportation to resume responsibility for the roadway, describing it as “a major roadway of statewide importance” whose long-term maintenance requires state-level resources.
But council members were split over whether the city should formally ask for the transfer now or wait until the road meets state construction standards, a legal requirement that remains unresolved.
How Medgar Evers Boulevard became a city road
During the meeting, Horhn said the city’s responsibility for Medgar Evers Boulevard dates back to a very different era at City Hall.
In 1986, then-Mayor Dale Danks asked the state to hand over several major highways inside Jackson’s city limits, including Medgar Evers Boulevard, State Street, Woodrow Wilson Avenue, and parts of U.S. Highway 80. At the time, Danks said the city could maintain them better on its own as “the city was flush with cash.”
That calculation didn’t age well. While Jackson may have had plenty of dollars to spend in the 1980s, Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes’ resolution notes the “City of Jackson is currently experiencing financial and operational constraints that limit its ability to adequately maintain major state-designed thoroughfares.”
In 2002, the Legislature changed the rules, passing a law that says if a city wants to give a road back, it has to first bring it up to state construction standards. It was this law, Mississippi Code § 65-3-99, that gave Ward 7 Councilman Kevin Parkinson pause about the resolution.
Medgar Evers Boulevard, Parkinson said, does not yet meet those standards. Parkinson proposed amending the resolution to request the transfer only after the road meets state standards. That amendment failed on a 2-5 vote. Only Parkinson and Ward 4 Councilman and Council President Brian Grizzell voted in favor of the amendment.
“Some would say it makes us look a little foolish to pass a resolution knowing that it can’t be done at this time,” Parkinson said. “I don’t want to vote this down because I really, really, really want to give this to the state. But the reality is, it’s not going to happen now.”
Stokes: waiting misses the point
Stokes, who authored the resolution and represents the area Medgar Evers Boulevard runs through, said he disagreed with waiting.
Stokes said he believes the condition of the road — and the state’s role in maintaining it — can’t be separated from its history and who it was named after.
“Once Medgar Evers’ name became a part of Highway 49, some hateful spirits took place,” Stokes said. “You do not punish a city because you name a street for a Black man.”
Stokes also argued that the city does not have the same financial capacity as the state to maintain a major highway, pointing to the condition of U.S. Highway 49 outside Jackson’s city limits as a comparison.
“If Rankin County’s Highway 49 can look the way it looks, then Jackson’s Highway 49 should look the same way,” Stokes said.
In 2022, MDOT completed a major widening of U.S. Highway 49 in Rankin County, a $253 million project that expanded 7.5 miles of the corridor, according to the Rankin First Economic Development Authority.
Federal money already in play
The council debate comes as major improvements to Medgar Evers Boulevard are already underway.
In 2024, then-U.S. Transportation Secreatry Pete Buttigieg visited Jackson to mark the start of “The Medgar Evers Boulevard Project,” a multimillion-dollar reconstruction project along roughly 1.5 miles of the corridor.
The project is funded through a $20 million federal grant awarded in 2021. The City of Jackson is required to provide a local match of $17 million, according to Horhn. Additional roads, such as Woodrow Wilson Avenue, McDowell Road, McDowell Road Extension, could also benefit from those funds, Horhn said.
Planned improvements include sidewalks and streetlights, road repairs, medians and upgrades to sewer and stormwater infrastructure. Construction of the project is expected to be completed this year.
Horhn: vote sets intention
Horhn referenced that federal investment during the council meeting, saying the project would bring Medgar Evers Boulevard up to state standards — clearing the legal pathway for a transfer.
But he said he did not have an issue with the council going on the record now about wanting the state to take control of the boulevard, as Parkinson argued against.
“This doesn’t make us look foolish,” Horhn said. “It sets an intention in motion.”
Horhn said he has spoken with Central Commissioner Willie Simmons of the Mississippi Transportation Commission, who indicated the state would have no issue resuming control of the road once it meets code.
While the vote does not immediately shift responsibility for Medgar Evers Boulevard, it formally places Jackson on record asking the state to take back one of the city’s most visible — and most contested — roadways.
In the end, the resolution passed in a 4-2-1 vote. Stokes, Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley, Ward 6 Councilwoman Lashia Brown-Thomas and Parkinson, though he voiced opposition at first, voted in favor. Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote and Grizzell voted against. Ward 2 Councilwoman Tina Clay abstained.
The Mississippi Department of Transportation did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.
Charlie Drape is the Jackson beat reporter. You can contact him at cdrape@gannett.com.
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Millions of Americans live with post-traumatic stress disorder, and this June, mental health experts at the Jackson VA Hospital are urging Mississippi veterans not to wait to get help.
June is PTSD Awareness Month, a nationwide effort to combat stigma and connect those struggling with trauma to available resources. At the Jackson VA Hospital, counselors say the disorder is far more common than most people realize, and it rarely looks the way Hollywood portrays it.
“What we typically see is individuals who are trying their best to manage with an insurmountable amount of negative emotions, anger, fear, shame, guilt, sadness, regret,” said Alex Rakhshan, manager of the PTSD Residential Program at the Jackson VA Hospital. “And they’ve done their best. They’ve done the best they can to manage through.”
Rakhshan, a licensed psychologist with nearly 10 years of experience, says one of the biggest barriers to treatment is avoidance, and it doesn’t always look the way people expect.
“Avoidance takes many forms, such as working really hard, doing a lot of work in the community, volunteering, staying really focused on the needs of other people,” Rakhshan said. “And while that is laudable, ultimately it serves as a way to stay away from and push away some of those challenging beliefs.”
Rakhshan says PTSD affects all ages and walks of life, not just combat veterans. Natural disasters, car accidents, childhood abuse and neglect can all be triggers. However, veterans face a higher prevalence of the disorder due to the elevated dangers of military service.
Treatment at the VA has changed dramatically over the last decade. Veterans can now receive therapy from the comfort of their own homes through video health technology. Shorter treatment options, like written exposure therapy, a five-session program, are also now widely available, lowering the barrier for veterans hesitant to commit to a full course of treatment.
Iraq War veteran Mike Watkins knows that barrier well. Watkins served as a medic, deploying to Iraq in October 2003 and returning in November 2004. He was stationed in Balad, Taji, Fallujah, Samarra and Mosul. After coming home, he spent years managing hypervigilance, avoiding crowds and struggling to readjust to civilian life before seeking treatment.
“Whether you got a performance car or you’re just trying to take care of your body or you’re cleaning up your house, maintenance is key,” Watkins said. “The way you create muscles is by ripping and regrowing new ones. That’s a metaphor for what you’re doing emotionally.”
Rakhshan says the first step doesn’t have to be intimidating. “They can just give us a call. We don’t lock you in. You don’t need a signature on a form guaranteeing you’re going to show up. We’re here to serve,” Rakhshan said.
The Jackson VA Hospital offers a range of PTSD treatment options, from in-person counseling to medication to video therapy from home. Veterans and their caregivers are encouraged to contact the Jackson VA Hospital to learn more. No appointment is needed to make that first call.
PTSD affects an estimated 12 million Americans in any given year, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
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Mississippi
Post-Tropical Storm Arthur unleashes High Risk Level 4 flood threat to Mississippi | Latest Weather Clips | FOX Weather
Post-Tropical Storm Arthur unleashes High Risk Level 4 flood threat to Mississippi
The Mississippi coastline is under a rare Level 4 out of 4 High Risk flood threat as remnants of Post-Tropical Storm Arthur continue fueling hazards through late week. FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell brings us the latest live from Biloxi, Mississippi, where rain is already falling:
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 17, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from June 17 drawing
03-06-10-13-24
Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 17 drawing
Midday: 6-1-7, FB: 4
Evening: 6-4-0, FB: 5
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 17 drawing
Midday: 9-8-4-1, FB: 4
Evening: 9-1-2-3, FB: 5
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 17 drawing
Midday: 09
Evening: 11
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.
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