Mississippi
Online rumors partially to blame for drop in water pressure in Mississippi capital, manager says
Law enforcement agencies are investigating whether social media rumors about a potential water outage prompted people to quickly fill bathtubs with tap water in Mississippi’s capital during a cold snap and cause a drop in pressure that temporarily made faucets run dry for thousands of customers on the city’s long-troubled system.
JXN Water, the private corporation that has been under a federal order to run Jackson’s system since late 2022, said in a statement Friday that U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate authorized the release of information about the investigation and advised the corporation on what to communicate to the public.
The organization did not specify which law enforcement agencies are involved or what charges might be brought if people are found to have spread false information on social media.
JXN Water identified one specific social media post, but Palacios said the organization had not traced its origin.
“Just got word they are about to shut off water in Jackson,” the post said. “If you’re in Jackson, fill up your tubs and jugs! Get prepared for not having water.”
Taps ran dry Wednesday and Thursday for almost a quarter of Jackson’s 52,000 water customers as icy conditions strained local infrastructure. JXN Water officials said a “deliberate misinformation campaign” was partially to blame. People responded to social media posts by filling bathtubs with water in a short period, causing demand to spike beyond what the water system could support, water manager Ted Henifin said.
The water woes began as an arctic blast kept temperatures below freezing in Jackson for nearly three days. The temperature rose on Thursday, but the National Weather Service warned that dangerously cold air would return this weekend.
Jackson residents and officials were already concerned that frigid conditions could disrupt the water system. Cold snaps in 2021 and 2022 caused frozen pipes and drops in water pressure across the city of nearly 150,000 residents. People had been told to prepare for past disasters by keeping jugs or bathtubs full of water.
Maintenance crews had restored water to all but about 1,000 customers Friday.
Ameerah Palacios, a spokesperson for JXN Water, said the news release about an investigation was partially written by Wingate, who is overseeing a federal intervention to improve the water system.
“Judge Wingate, that’s a man who chooses his words very carefully,” Palacios told The Associated Press in an interview. “The way that he worded it was, all of ‘the appropriate law enforcement agencies,’ so definitely more than one at play.”
A court clerk took a phone message for Wingate on Friday, but the judge did not immediately return a call to the AP.
It was unclear how many Jackson residents saw the social media posts or were influenced by them.
Although JXN Water did not release names of anyone who shared the post it cited, AP identified a Facebook post from Wednesday that had the exact wording. The Facebook account belongs to Bob Hickingbottom of Jackson, who ran unsuccessfully for governor as a Constitution Party candidate in 2019 and tried to run for governor in 2023 before the state Democratic Party removed him from its primary ballot.
In one phone interview with the AP, Hickingbottom said somebody might have put the post on his page.
“Something like that would be outside the realm of civilized behavior,” Hickingbottom said.
In a second phone call moments later, Hickingbottom said he put the water post on his page and he thought he was sharing information to help people.
“I’m a flamethrower when it comes to politics, but this is not politics,” Hickinbottom said of Jackson’s water system.
The latest disruption in Jackson water service came a week after Mississippi health officials issued and then quickly lifted a health advisory after tests identified E. coli in the water supplies of Jackson and a suburb. Henifin said he believed the tests were false positives caused by lab contamination, but the state health department stood by its tests.
Wingate appointed Henifin in November 2022 to oversee reforms to Jackson’s water system after infrastructure breakdowns during the late summer of that year caused many city residents to go days without safe running water.
There were several top performers across the state in boys high school sports, but only one can be voted athlete of the week for Sept. 2-7.
Fans may vote in the poll BELOW one time per hour per device. The poll closes at noon on Friday.
To nominate a future athlete of the week, email mchavez@gannett.com or message him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.
To submit high school scores, statistics, records, leaders and other items at any time, email mchavez@gannett.com.
Nominations
Kendetryon Backstrom, Kemper County: Backstrom had 247 passing yards, going 13-of-16 on completions for with two touchdowns and had six carries for 45 yards and three touchdowns in Kemper County’s 46-8 win over Noxapater.
Ronde Baker, Terry: Baker produced 171 rushing yards on 12 carries with four touchdowns in Terry’s 57-6 win over Pure Academy.
Wyatt Bond, Lamar School: Bond recorded 320 passing yards, going 24-of-37 with three touchdowns, and had 43 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Lamar’s 35-34 loss to Winston Academy.
Coby King, Greene County: King was 24-of-35 passing for 418 yards with a touchdown and had 11 carries for 137 rushing yards with four touchdowns in Greene County’s 51-36 loss to George County.
Tray Kinkle, Holly Springs: Kinkle produced 10 carries for 300 yards and four touchdowns in Holly Springs’ 33-0 win over Byers.
Tyshun Willis, Velma Jackson: Willis had 15 carries for 203 rushing yards with a touchdown, four receptions with 59 receiving yards, and a touchdown. On defense, he recorded four sacks, 8.5 tackles and three tackles for loss in Velma Jackson’s 24-22 win over Yazoo County.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.
GRENADA COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – A Mississippi woman was killed during a two-vehicle crash in Grenada County.
Officials with the Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) said the crash occurred on Highway 7 just after 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 7.
Mississippi woman killed in head-on crash in Louisiana
According to MHP, a 2002 Toyota Sequoia was traveling north on the highway when the vehicle collided with a Mercedes van that was also traveling north.
The driver of the Mercedes, 53-year-old Loretta Hopkins, of Winona, died at the scene.
This crash remains under investigation by MHP.
Thanks for signing up!
Watch for us in your inbox.
Subscribe Now
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV.
Outside of Mississippi State, Arkansas and Auburn, the SEC had a very successful Week Two of the college football season. The latest AP Top 25 poll reflects the strength of the SEC with 6 of the top 7 spots belonging to SEC teams.
Here’s a recap of how the ranked SEC teams fared in the second full week of the college football season:
Click here for a recap of the unranked SEC teams.
With the exception of giving up three points, this was probably exactly how Georgia expected this game to go. Carson Beck threw five touchdowns and the defense held Tennessee Tech to less than 150 yards of total offense. Anything less would be a surprise.
More than 100,000 people saw Texas come into Ann Arbor, Mich. and leave with a huge win. The Longhorns looked like the better team from the first drive of the game where they easily marched down the field. That Oct. 19 game in Austin against Georgia is looking better and better.
It was a lot closer than Alabama would’ve liked, but it’s a win that will fend off the “Nick Saban is gone, we’re doomed” crowd. At the same time, though, there were some things that crowd could point to at a later time.
Two games against inferior competition and Ole Miss has outscored its opponents 129-3. They’ll take a slight step up in competition next week against Wake Forest, but the Rebels are still about a month away from playing a team that will truly test them.
Missouri’s schedule just took an unexpected bump in its level of difficulty with No. 24 Boston College joining the top 25. Bill O’Brien is brilliant at game planning and calling plays (not so much with making trades, but that hasn’t reached the college ranks yet). Missouri needs to be on upset alert (and ready to stop the run).
This happens every year. Tennessee looks really good to start the season and by the end Volunteer fans are saying next year is their year. But maybe this year is their year with the way Nico Iamaleava has been playing.
Of the two SEC newcomers, Texas is getting most of the attention which makes sense based on the current teams. But folks, don’t sleep on the Sooners. They ruined many of my own childhood memories growing up in Texas. This week’s way-too close game doesn’t help that argument, but think long term.
LSU was one of three SEC teams to play FCS schools after playing top 25 teams last week. The Tigers and Texas A&M both lost, while Georgia won. So, it’s not surprising to see each of them play FCS teams and neither were any of the results.
SEC Week 2 Power Rankings: Which Teams Are Contenders or Pretenders?
WATCH: Mississippi State’s Bowl Hopes Take a Hit with Arizona State Defeat
Mississippi State Crumbles in the Trenches: What Went Wrong Against Arizona State?
'After Midnight' host Taylor Tomlinson is ready to joke about her bipolar II. Mostly
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25612691/DSC_3097_Enhanced_NR.jpg "iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max hands-on: don’t call it a shutter button")
iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max hands-on: don’t call it a shutter button
Iran threatens 'nightmare' for Israel as UN watchdog warns Tehran nuclear programs runs unchecked
Liberal think tank's deep ties to Biden admin, far-left policies could come back to haunt Harris campaign
First case of human bird flu diagnosed without exposure to infected animals, CDC says
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
At least 2 dead as tornadoes hit Alabama, damage homes across Southeast
Liberal think tank's deep ties to Biden admin, far-left policies could come back to haunt Harris campaign
Princess of Wales says she has completed chemotherapy
Tropical Storm Francine forms in the Gulf of Mexico, with its sights on Louisiana
Video: Kamala Harris’s Key Moments in Debates
9/11 families call on Trump, Harris to oppose US-Saudi deal until kingdom admits involvement in terror attack
-
Politics1 week agoTrump impersonates Elon Musk talking about rockets: ‘I’m doing a new stainless steel hub’
-
World1 week agoBrussels, my love? Is France becoming the sick man of Europe?
-
World1 week agoLocals survey damage after flooding in eastern Romania
-
World1 week agoTaiwan court orders release of ex-Taipei mayor arrested in corruption probe
-
World1 week agoSeven EU members hadn’t received any post-Covid funding by end-2023
-
Politics1 week ago'For election purposes': Critics balk at Harris' claim she will 'enforce our laws' at southern border
-
World4 days agoMeloni says 'we are making history' as Italy’s FDI reviews progress
-
World1 week agoOasis fans struggle to secure tickets for band’s reunion tour