Mississippi
Murrell scores 24, No. 25 Mississippi uses early surge to beat No. 14 Kentucky 98-84
OXFORD, Miss. — Matthew Murrell scored 24 points and No. 25 Mississippi dominated the first half to beat No. 14 Kentucky 98-84 on Tuesday night.
Murrell made six 3-pointers, four in the first half, as Ole Miss (17-6, 6-4 Southeastern Conference) never trailed and used runs of 10-0 and 15-3 to race to a 54-31 halftime lead.
Dre Davis scored 17 points, Malik Dia added 16 points and Jaylen Murray had 15 points and a season-high 10 assists for the Rebels. Jaeymn Brakefield had 10 first-half points as the Rebels finished the night shooting 54.7%.
Amari Williams had a triple-double for Kentucky (15-7, 4-5) with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Otega Oweh led the Wildcats with 24 points, 19 in the second half, and Jaxson Robinson scored 18 points.
Kentucky shot 50% from the field overall but just 38.7% (12 of 31) in the first half.
Takeaways
Kentucky: First-year coach Mark Pope’s Wildcats have lost four of five. The schedule appears favorable with three of the next four games at home. Injured point guard Lamont Butler missed his third consecutive game.
Ole Miss: After a handful of close SEC losses, the Rebels snapped back with an inspired defensive effort and timely perimeter shooting. Ole Miss, 6-4 in road games or at neutral sites, plays four of its next five games on the road. The Rebels finished with a season-low one turnover.
Key moment
Murrell made three 3-pointers during the 15-3 run that closed the first half.
Key stats
The Rebels, averaging eight 3-pointers per game, had nine in the first half and finished 13 of 30. Ole Miss outscored Kentucky 9-0 off turnovers, winning the turnover margin 8-1.
Up next
Both teams play Saturday. Kentucky hosts South Carolina while Ole Miss visits LSU.
Mississippi
Mississippi’s first Dutch Bros now open in Pearl
PEARL, Miss. (WLBT) – Mississippi’s first Dutch Bros is now open in Pearl!
The coffee shop had its grand opening on Wednesday, July 8, around 5 a.m. It is located at 200 Bass Pro Dr.
To celebrate the grand opening, customers can enjoy $3 medium drinks on Wednesday.
Store hours are Sun-Thurs: 5 a.m.- 10 p.m., Fri-Sat: 5 a.m.- 11 p.m.
Dutch Bros now has stores in 26 states.
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Mississippi
Police investigating video of Nolan Wells’ alleged argument on Horn Island before Mississippi teen went missing
MIAMI – Police are said to be investigating a video that allegedly shows a heated argument before Mississippi teen Nolan Xavier Wells went missing and was later found dead – as his grandfather said: “There’s nothing right about this.”
The 18-year-old star football player vanished during a Fourth of July boat trip with friends Saturday and a body which authorities said matched his description was found Monday morning.
Wells was last seen around 3 p.m. Saturday “talking to a girl” at the north end of Horn Island, a popular barrier island about 10 miles off the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the Cajun Navy Jackson County Sheriff’s Department said.
Law enforcement have been looking into a viral clip circulated online which appears to show several people having an “intense” argument near the shoreline, TMZ reported.
It sparked speculation that the tense moment could be connected to Wells’ disappearance.
However, authorities have not confirmed that the footage is authentic or whether the people seen in it have any connection to the college student.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said that Wells’ friends had left the island and gone back without him, ABC News reported.
“From what we understand, he chose to stay there,” Ledbetter added.
Ledbetter said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon that officers want to speak with anyone who “observed or heard an argument, disturbance, or other unusual activity while on the island that day.”
Meanwhile, the family of the teen – who played as a wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College – said they were seeking answers.
“Too many unanswered questions — how can a Island that was searched yesterday produce my grandsons body this morning,” his grandfather Christopher Wells Sr. wrote on Facebook on Monday.
“There’s nothing right about this, Nolan Xavier Wells deserved the same things that people he knew and associated with will enjoy in life.”
Wells Sr. later said Wells’ mom Christine and dad Elmore had “prayed for a positive outcome but they also had to prepare themselves for the worst”, adding that “it’s time for answers.”
Photos of the 6-foot-1, 180-pound teen showed him shirtless while sporting blue swim trunks, sunglasses and grinning alongside friends on a boat before he went missing.
The United Cajun Navy non-profit disaster relief organization launched aerial reconnaissance during the search to scour the waters between Horn Island and Ship Island, stretching south to the Chandelier Islands.
The United States Coast Guard, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department also reportedly assisted in the frantic search.
Mississippi
Jabil to invest $119 million in Marshall County, create 2,200 jobs
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Staff
Global manufacturing giant Jabil plans to open a massive new production facility in Marshall County, representing a $119 million corporate investment that will create approximately 2,200 jobs North Mississippi, officials announced Tuesday, July 7.
The St. Petersburg, Florida-based company is purchasing and renovating an existing 1.5 million-square-foot facility to support customers in the booming data center infrastructure market.
The expansion comes just nine months after Jabil first entered the Marshall County landscape. In September 2025, the company’s healthcare division announced a separate $70 million investment over three years to establish X-ray sterilization capabilities in the area.
“Investments like this are why Mississippi has one of the hottest job markets in America,” Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement, noting the quick turnaround between Jabil’s local projects. “Jabil would not be making this investment unless the company was confident that Mississippi and her people can deliver results.”
The Mississippi Development Authority is assisting the project through the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive, known as the MFLEX program. Additional support is being provided by Marshall County officials, AccelerateMS and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Large scale facility is key
State economic leaders emphasized that the scale of the facility positions Mississippi to capitalize on the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure.
“A 1.5-million-square-foot operation producing data center infrastructure isn’t a marginal project,” said Bill Cork, MDA executive director. “It’s proof we are in the game for advanced manufacturing tied to global demand.”
Jabil operates in more than 25 countries with a workforce of 140,000 employees, providing engineering, supply chain and manufacturing solutions across the robotics, automotive, healthcare and energy sectors.
Matt Crowley, Jabil’s executive vice president of global business units for intelligent infrastructure, said domestic capacity is becoming increasingly vital for the industry.
“Companies across the data center ecosystem are looking to build fast, and they’re increasingly looking to build in the United States,” Crowley said.
A timeline for the completion of the renovations and the start of hiring has not yet been disclosed.
Ross Reily is a writer for the Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter @GreenOkra1.
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