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.
Mississippi
NCAA appeals to Mississippi Supreme Court, seeking to bar Trinidad Chambliss from playing in 2026
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The NCAA has filed an appeal in the eligibility case of Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
In the appeal, filed Thursday with the Mississippi Supreme Court, the NCAA argues that Chambliss has “exhausted his eligibility” to play Division I football because he has already played four seasons in a five-year period, the maximum allowed under NCAA rules.
A Mississippi judge last month granted Chambliss a preliminary injunction against college athletics’ governing body, giving him an extra year of eligibility that would allow him to play in 2026. The NCAA had previously denied Chambliss’ request for a waiver.
Chambliss began his college career at Ferris State in 2021, redshirted his first season and did not play in 2022 because of medical issues. He played two more seasons at the Division II school in Michigan, leading the Bulldogs to a national championship before transferring to Ole Miss before the start of last season.
The 23-year-old Chambliss led the Rebels to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
“I’m proud of myself for the work I’ve put in. A lot of people say they want to do stuff but they don’t work on it, so I’m proud that I stuck to stuff like practicing at home. Even when I didn’t want to go to practice I went,” Johnson said. “This year since I was a captain I had to show my leadership skills and step up, especially with our shortage of players. Not every year is the best but you’ve got to make the best of what you’ve got and I’m proud that I’ve been able to adapt to the changes.”
Johnson joined a growing pipeline of Warren County players who are headed to East Mississippi. She’s the fourth player from the county to sign there in the past two years. Johnson said another Vicksburg native is to credit for that.
Ryan Theriot, a former St. Aloysius star, is an assistant coach at East Mississippi. He’s mined his hometown for talent, including recruiting Johnson.
“The assistant coach, Ryan (Theriot), is from Vicksburg so he saw me. He emailed me asking if I was interested in playing soccer, so I said yes, if I get the opportunity I would be happy to,” Johnson said. “It’s very surreal, because honestly I did not think I would be playing soccer at this level. It’s hard to get looked at for soccer, especially in Vicksburg. Sometimes Vicksburg gets overlooked.”
During her high school career Johnson has played nearly every position on the field at one time or another, including keeper. She wasn’t sure where she’d play at East Mississippi, and doesn’t really care as long as she’s in the lineup.
“One time I had to play striker, and the next midfield. One time I had to go to defense. It was stressful. But then I’m kind of happy because when I get to college we’ll have other people to play all these positions. It was good for me to be versatile,” Johnson said. “If I have to change positions to play I definitely will, because I do want to start by the end of my freshman year.”
More than anything, she just wants to play and continue to leave her mark.
“I’m really excited to play at this next level so I can tell my kids I played soccer in college,” Johnson said. “I just want to thank my teammates from soccer, softball and volleyball, my coaches, and my mom and grandmom. I love all of y’all very much.”
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 March 7, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from March 7 drawing
08-11-15-23-24
Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from March 7 drawing
Midday: 9-6-4, FB: 4
Evening: 4-5-1, FB: 0
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from March 7 drawing
Midday: 4-3-0-7, FB: 4
Evening: 2-2-0-8, FB: 0
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 7 drawing
Midday: 06
Evening: 09
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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