Mississippi

Magnolia Mornings: October 10, 2024

Published

2 hours ago

October 10, 2024

Press Room

Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.

In Mississippi

1. PSC to host Nuclear Summit

The Mississippi Public Service Commission will host a Nuclear Summit, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss the future of nuclear energy in Mississippi and its role in the state’s energy landscape.

The Nuclear Summit is scheduled for Tuesday, October 22, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the MPSC Courtroom in the Woolfolk Building in Jackson.

This free event will feature speakers including: Scott Hunnewell (Vice President of the New Nuclear Program at Tennessee Valley Authority); Jeff Merrifield (US Nuclear Industry Council Chairman, and former NRC Commissioner); Jim Smiley (Senior Manager Advanced Nuclear Development Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Port Gibson, Mississippi); Mike King (US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Special Assistant for ADVANCE ACT Implementation); and CEO James Walker Chairman Jay Yu (Nano Nuclear Energy Corporation).

The Commissioners are inviting all interested parties to the educational summit for a more comprehensive understanding of the current state of nuclear in Mississippi, including the innovative technologies, and the benefits and challenges the state faces.

2. Mississippi Governor approves National Guard deployment to aid Florida

(Photo provided by the Governor’s office)

Governor Tate Reeves announced Wednesday that he approved the deployment of 22 Soldiers of the Mississippi National Guard (MSNG) to Tallahassee, Florida. The 22 Soldiers will support emergency response missions in Florida in the anticipated aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

“Mississippi stands ready to assist Florida as they brace for Hurricane Milton,” said Governor Reeves in a statement. “Our state is no stranger to hurricanes, and we’ll always be grateful for the assistance we’ve received in the past from people across the country. It’s only right that we now help our fellow Americans in their time of need. I know the Mississippi National Guard will do an excellent job assisting Floridians.”

Twenty-two members of the Mississippi Army National Guard’s 185th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, headquartered in Jackson, Miss. deployed to Tallahassee International Airport, Florida today, October 9, 2024, in preparation for recovery operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. The Mississippi National Guard aviation response team consisted of 22 soldiers, aviators, and crewmen, flying two HH-60M Blackhawks from Jackson and one CH-47 Chinook helicopter from Meridian to aid in hurricane response missions.

National News & Foreign Policy

1. Milton makes landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane

Hurricane Milton made landfall on the west Gulf Coast of Florida on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm. As the Associated Press reported, Milton pounded cities with ferocious winds and rain, whipping up a barrage of tornadoes and causing an unknown numbers of deaths.

“As dawn broke Thursday, officials repeated that the danger had not passed: Storm surge remained a concern in many parts of Florida and tropical storm warnings were in place for much of the east-central coast. Officials in the hard-hit counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota and Lee urged people to stay home, warning of downed power lines, trees in roads, blocked bridges and flooding,” the AP reported.

According to poweroutage.us, more than 3 million homes and businesses were without power as of Thursday morning.

2. Harris bobs and weaves in interviews

2024 presidential debate — Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on reproductive freedom at Howard University on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)

The New York Times reports that when sitting for interviews, Vice President Kamala Harris “continues to bob and weave.”

“Running an abbreviated campaign in the final sprint before Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris blitzed the media this week in a series of interviews to speak to voters who say they still don’t know enough about her,” wrote Michael Bender with NYT. “One thing they learned: how she keeps answering the question she wants, not the one that was asked.”

Bender continued, writing, “Her media swing provided a glimpse into how she often responds to unpleasant questions without answering them, questions the very premise of questions she finds unfair and can take it upon herself to reword a query she considers unhelpful. Ms. Harris, 59, can turn the typically defensive crouch of a non-answer into a bit of verbal jujitsu, as she did in declining the opportunity to identify Mr. Netanyahu as an ally.”

Sports & Entertainment

1. Full slate of JUCO action on tap for Thursday night

Here’s a rundown of the full schedule of community college games set for Thursday night in Mississippi.

No. 7 Northwest travels to Southwest
Hinds hosts No. 12 Jones
MS Delta heads to No. 8 Holmes
East Central hosts No. 3 MGCCC
Itawamba visits Coahoma
Pearl River hosts Co-Lin
East MS travels to Northeast

2. LSU-Samford to play baseball exhibition in Biloxi

The Biloxi Shuckers announced that the LSU Tigers and Samford Bulldogs will play a fall exhibition game as part of the Hancock Whitney Classic at Keesler Federal Park on Sunday, November 3. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and gates open at 10:00 a.m. The two teams will play three seven-inning games for a total of 21 innings.

Tickets for the game can be purchased here or the Shuckers Box Office at Keesler Federal Park. All tickets will be general admission and are available for $15.

Markets & Business

1. Stock futures down ahead of inflation report

CNBC reports that stock futures slipped Thursday as investors looked ahead to the release of September’s consumer price index report.

“Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 50 points, or 0.1%. S&P 500 futures were 0.1% lower, and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.2%,” CNBC reported. “September’s CPI report is due at 8:30 a.m. ET, with investors looking for further signs that inflation is on a cooling trend. Economists polled by Dow Jones anticipate a 0.1% increase on a monthly basis, and a 2.3% advance over the prior 12 months.”

2. Home Depot dropping warehouses

The Wall Street Journal reports that Home Depot “is shedding some of the sprawling warehouse space it had added in the midst of the pandemic as the home-improvement goods retailer grapples with falling sales in an uncertain consumer market.”

“The Atlanta-based company is looking to sublease four buildings of around 1 million square feet or more across the U.S. that it had been using to store products imported from Asia that it had rushed into the country to get ahead of supply-chain bottlenecks,” WSJ reported. “The changes come as Home Depot is targeting about $500 million in cost savings this fiscal year, including by getting rid of space leased during the Covid-19 pandemic amid feverish consumer demand to complete home-improvement projects.”

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Mississippi

3 Georgia Defensive Stars Mississippi State Must Contain for an SEC Upset

Published

9 hours ago

October 10, 2024

Press Room

3 Georgia Defensive Stars Mississippi State Must Contain for an SEC Upset

Georgia football has what could be a trap game headed its way with Mississippi State coming to Athens, Ga. on Saturday.

The maroon and white Bulldogs were off last week and got to see three SEC teams upset ranked opponents, including Vanderbilt beating then-No. 1 Alabama at home.

Now, Mississippi State gets its chance to upset the red and black Bulldogs on its home field where they’ve won 27-straight games.

To do so, Mississippi State will need to be perfect on both sides of the ball and that will require making sure Georgia’s playmakers don’t make big plays.

Here are three Georgia defensive players Mississippi State will have to account for it is to pull of next big upset of the 2024 college football season:

Mississippi State’s offense has given up 19 sacks this season, which could give Georgia’s leader in sacks a chance to extend his lead. Ingram-Dawkins has three sacks for the season, but also has seven tackles for a loss. He’ll need to be a defender Mississippi State’s offensive line accounts for every play.

Georgia has two defenders tied for the lead in tackles, but Jackson has made more of impact this season than CJ Allen. Jackson has 26 tackles (20 solo), 1.5 TFLs, an interception, two pass breakups and a blocked kick.

Remember Starks next April because he’s almost certain to be a first round pick in the NFL draft. Starks is the No. 8 overall player on Mel Kiper’s Draft Board. He’s second on the team in tackles with 25 and has two TFLs and an interception this season.

Georgia Football Preview: Key Offensive Players to Watch vs. Mississippi State

Week 7 SEC Football Betting Odds: ESPN FPI Predictions & Expert Game Picks

5 Stats to Know About Georgia Football

Why Mississippi State Could Stun Georgia: 4 Key Factors

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Mississippi

Mississippi Medicaid director resigns. Read why he’s leaving

Published

17 hours ago

October 9, 2024

Press Room

Mississippi Medicaid director resigns. Read why he’s leaving

Mississippi Division of Medicaid Director Drew Snyder will leave his current role for a position in the private sector.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves’ office announced Wednesday afternoon the news of Snyder’s departure, which will happen on Oct. 31. The office also said in a press release that Cindy Bradshaw will be taking over the Mississippi Division of Medicaid’s top spot.

“Drew Snyder is a talented and dedicated public servant who has driven positive, lasting change in our state’s Medicaid program,” Reeves of Snyder in the press release. “I appreciate his acumen and his exemplary leadership and wish him continued success in the next chapter of his career.”

Snyder became director of MDM in 2018 during Gov. Phil Bryant’s administration. In his time, he has worked to balance the agency’s budget and overseen the period of Medicaid patients’ enrollment rising after a moratorium was placed on removing Medicaid patients from the state plan during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Many of those patients have now been disenrolled after the moratorium ended last year.

He has also overseen the implementation of a program that expanded Medicaid eligibility for women who have just given birth and a new program that was passed by the Legislature this year to give pregnant women prenatal care access.

That new program is currently in limbo over the eligibility requirements set by the state.

Snyder recently during a Joint-Legislative Budget Committee hearing said the agency was in the best “fiscal shape”.

“Working with the Division of Medicaid team, health care professionals, state leaders, and other partners to enhance value and elevate quality in the Mississippi Medicaid program has been the most rewarding experience of my career,” Snyder said. “I’m pleased with the progress that has been made, and I’m optimistic about what can be accomplished in the years ahead for the betterment of Medicaid members and Mississippi’s economic health.”

Bradshaw has been serving as Medicaid’s Deputy Executive Director for Eligibility since April 2023, and she was previously a state insurance administrator. Bradshaw also has nearly two decades of experience in health plan operations for private insurers, the press release said.

“With deep experience in health plan operations in the public and private sectors, Cindy Bradshaw is well-prepared to lead Mississippi’s Medicaid program,” Reeves said of Bradshaw. “She has a proven record of elevating operational performance and advancing initiatives aimed at improving outcomes and protecting taxpayers. She is an excellent choice to ensure continuity and continued progress in the Medicaid program.”

Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.

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Mississippi

'Critter catcher' offers tips to keep wild animals out of homes as temperatures cool – SuperTalk Mississippi

Published

1 day ago

October 9, 2024

Press Room

'Critter catcher' offers tips to keep wild animals out of homes as temperatures cool – SuperTalk Mississippi

As Mississippi ditches the summer heat and welcomes the refreshing coolness of fall, pesky wild animals are beginning to seek shelter where they may not belong.

Mike McDowell, a licensed nuisance wildlife operator and owner of The Critter Catcher in central Mississippi, warns the public that unwelcome visitors could soon be finding any possible means of lodging in residences across the Magnolia State.

“Animals are going crazy,” McDowell said on MidDays with Gerard Gibert. “They’re getting their nests and their dens ready. They’re looking for any way they can to get into homes.”

With Mississippi being home to a multitude of what are considered nuisance species, McDowell urges homeowners to examine their houses and seal possible entryways underneath the residence, in the roof, or any soft spots wild animals could exploit and use as a pathway inside.

The pest control expert warns that it just takes one female wild animal to give birth in a home to kickstart a wildfire of houses being infiltrated by unwanted guests.

“Once you find one female animal, whether it’s a raccoon, opossum, squirrel, or rat, it doesn’t matter. Once they’ve found a way to get into that house, had a litter of young, and taught those litter how to get into that house, they’re now knowledgeable. When they get older, they’re going to go to some other house and they’re going to find a way to get in,” McDowell continued.

“It’s just a whole process and it doesn’t take very long … Eventually you have a subdivision full of animals getting in houses. People don’t realize what is that’s what’s happening. They’ve taught those animals to get into houses.”

But for those who have already experienced an intrusion, McDowell recommends calling an expert to flush the animals out instead of taking matters into their own hands.

“We have issues nowadays where people are trying to do their own thing — the [do it yourself] stuff — and they’re catching the animals, taking them out, letting them somewhere else, and educating the animals about the traps and being caught,” McDowell added. “So, when I get there, if they’ve already been caught, it’s even harder for me. Now I’ve got to up my game level to try to find a way to get those animals out of there.”