Mississippi
State GOP leaders boast banning critical race theory. Experts say they didn’t
![State GOP leaders boast banning critical race theory. Experts say they didn’t State GOP leaders boast banning critical race theory. Experts say they didn’t](https://mississippitoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/AP_22062714129571-scaled.jpg)
Mississippi lawmakers spent greater than seven hours in early 2022 debating a invoice that they stated would ban the instructing of crucial race idea. They handed it after dismissing the emotional objections of each Black lawmaker and the truth that no state Ok-12 classroom taught the educational idea.
On the marketing campaign path and through current talking occasions, a number of Republican officers have since boasted their arduous work and deal with the difficulty.
However the lately up to date Mississippi Code, the state’s guide of legal guidelines which replicate payments handed in the course of the 2022 legislative session and can quickly be distributed throughout the state, doesn’t embrace the time period “crucial race idea” — and even language banning its instructing, specialists say.
The brand new legislation’s language reads no college, group faculty or public college “shall direct or in any other case compel college students to personally affirm” that “any intercourse, race, ethnicity, faith or nationwide origin is inherently superior or inferior or that people ought to be adversely handled on the idea of their intercourse, ethnicity, faith or nationwide origin.”
Gov. Tate Reeves, Speaker Philip Gunn and others have touted that Senate Invoice 2113, handed in the course of the 2022 session, prohibits the instructing of crucial race idea. The invoice created a brand new part of legislation at 37-13-2 within the authorized code. A normal index for the authorized code does say, “Important race idea, prohibition,” after which cites the code part. However the code part itself doesn’t use the time period “crucial race idea.”
“This legislation doesn’t prohibit crucial race idea, and courts usually usually are not seeking to the index to interpret a statute,” stated Yvette Theresa Butler, a professor on the College of Mississippi Faculty of Regulation and the one particular person within the state who focuses a whole class on crucial race idea.
READ MORE: Inside Mississippi’s solely class on crucial race idea
On the Neshoba County Truthful earlier this yr, Reeves proclaimed to the widely conservative crowd, “Right here in Mississippi we’re main the best way and we’re driving the conservative motion. We’ve banned crucial race idea, and we’ve banned vaccine mandates.”
In response to questions on crucial race idea not being within the code, Cory Custer, the governor’s deputy chief of workers despatched a press release: “Mississippi Right this moment has persistently missed the purpose on this concern. You’ve been so centered on the label ‘crucial race idea,’ that you just’ve completely failed to grasp that the laws prohibits instructing the core tenets of this radical indoctrination. It’s nearly like you might have blinders on. Passing laws that merely states crucial race idea is banned isn’t sufficient.
“This laws goes past labels and targets the discriminatory instructing that’s the basis of crucial race idea – that college students are inherently superior or inferior due to their intercourse, race, ethnicity, faith or nationwide origin.”
However Butler stated the language of the controversial legislation “really prohibits the precise reverse of what CRT explores. CRT is simply one other theoretical methodology that’s used to discover the legislation’s function in perpetuating and remedying inequality.”
“CRT explores the methods the legislation has been and remains to be used (even when written in a impartial – non-discriminatory – method) to perpetuate racial inequality,” Butler stated. “Consequently, it’s factually inaccurate to say that anybody instructing CRT directs or compels college students to undertake a perception that any race (intercourse, faith, and so forth.) is inherently superior or inferior.”
Important race idea has usually been taught as a graduate degree class on the college degree and is designed to discover the influence of race on varied elements of society. When the invoice was being debated earlier this yr, state Division of Training officers stated no public kindergarten by means of twelfth grade college within the state was providing crucial race idea courses.
A crucial race idea class will once more be provided on the Ole Miss Regulation Faculty within the 2023 spring semester, Butler stated.
Each African American member of the Legislature opposed passage of the invoice in the course of the 2022 session. Within the Senate, all 14 African People walked out earlier than the ultimate vote in an unprecedented transfer.
Whereas many Black legislators argued that the language of the invoice is meaningless, they nonetheless voted in opposition to it saying they feared that it might make some educators afraid to show the true historical past of the state.
Democratic state Rep. Robert Johnson of Natchez, the Home minority chief and longtime legal professional, agrees with Butler’s interpretation of the legislation. The legislation threatens to chop off funding to any college that violates its circumstances, although Johnson stated there is no such thing as a enforcement mechanism within the proposal.
“This legislation doesn’t prohibit the instructing of crucial race idea,” Johnson stated. “It doesn’t forestall lecturers who’re courageous and need to problem their college students from doing so.”
The invoice lawmakers handed earlier this yr didn’t embrace the time period “crucial race idea” in its textual content. The one point out was on the backside of the ultimate web page of the invoice the place in nondescript kind it reads “ST: Important Race Principle: prohibit.” The Mississippi Legislature’s web site additionally shows what is named the brief title of the invoice “Important Race Principle, prohibit” if the invoice known as up.
Numerous proper wing teams and politicians have argued that crucial race idea makes an attempt to create racial strife and makes an attempt to put undue burdens on younger white kids. Butler stated that isn’t the case.
“Sadly, I’ve had many college students in my Civil Rights class on the legislation college who’re behind,” Butler stated. “They acquired very restricted formal schooling (as did I) concerning the antebellum period, the causes of the civil battle and secession, the reconstruction period, and the civil rights motion. A civil rights class in legislation college is supposed to debate civil rights statutes and case legislation and the right way to use them to deal with authorized injustices.
“Whereas some civil rights historical past is roofed in legislation college, it isn’t an alternative to a historical past class. I’m involved about what the final two years of messaging will do to college students’ understanding of, not solely historical past, however the valiant battle by advocates of many races, sexes, genders, and religions to strengthen our conceptions of democracy, liberty, and equal safety.”
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Mississippi
Mississippi deer season 2024-25: Here’s what hunters need to know
![Mississippi deer season 2024-25: Here’s what hunters need to know Mississippi deer season 2024-25: Here’s what hunters need to know](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/862901dc9b267d7563f3e2acf80fcc0603d4133d/c=0-484-5152-3390/local/-/media/WisconsinGroup/Appleton/2014/06/11/1402515356070-U0-20130905-WOF07-309050315-71.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=1200)
Up-to-date information on deer season 2024-25 in Mississippi including CWD, season dates, bag limits, antler restrictions and more.
Watch: Black bear family turns a tree and back porch into a jungle gym
It was playtime for a family of black bears in this North Carolina backyard.
Deer season is almost here and will kick off this month with the early, buck-only archery season followed by the traditional archery season in October then the early primitive weapon season and gun season in November. For thousands in Mississippi, it’s the most exciting time of the year.
But, as has been the case in many years, there have been some changes. Here’s what hunters need to know about chronic wasting disease, bag limits, harvest reporting and season dates for the 2024-25 deer season.
Deer hunting season dates
North Central, Delta and Hills deer management units
- Archery: Sept. 13-15, One legal buck. Special permit, mandatory reporting and CWD sampling required. Private land and authorized state and federal lands.
- Archery: Oct. 1-Nov. 22, Either sex on private land, open public land, and Holly Springs National Forest.
- Youth: Nov. 9-22, Either sex on private lands and authorized state and federal lands.
- Youth: Nov. 23-Jan. 31, Either sex on private lands. On open public lands, youth must follow below legal deer criteria.
- Antlerless primitive weapon: Nov. 11-22, Antlerless deer only on private lands.
- Gun with dogs: Nov. 23-Dec. 1, Either sex on private land and Holly Springs National Forest. Legal bucks only on open public land.
- Primitive weapon: Dec. 2-15, Either sex on private land, open public land, and Holly Springs National Forest. Weapons of choice may be used on private land with the appropriate license.
- Gun without dogs: Dec. 16-23, Either sex on private land and Holly Springs National Forest. Legal bucks only on open public land.
- Gun with dogs: Dec. 24-Jan.22, Either sex on private land and Holly Spring National Forest. Legal bucks only on open public land.
- Archery, primitive weapon: Jan. 23-31, Either sex on private land and Holly Springs National Forest. Legal bucks only on open public land. Weapons of choice may be used on private land with appropriate license.
Black bears in Mississippi: How many are there and how big do they grow?
Southeast Deer Management Unit
- Archery: Sept. 13-15, One legal buck. Special permit, mandatory reporting and CWD sampling required. Private land and authorized state and federal lands.
- Archery: Oct. 15-Nov. 22, Either sex on private or open public land.
- Youth: 15 years and under, Nov. 9-22, Either sex on private land and authorized state and federal land.
- Youth: 15 years and under, Nov. 23-Feb. 15, Either sex on private land. On open public land, youth must follow legal deer criteria.
- Gun with dogs: Nov. 23-Dec. 1, Either sex on private land. Legal bucks only on open public land.
- Primitive weapon: Dec. 2-15, Either sex on private or open public land. Weapons of choice may be used on private land with appropriate license.
- Gun without dogs: Dec. 16-23, Either sex on private land. Legal bucks only on open public land.
- Gun with dogs: Dec. 24-Jan. 22, Either sex on private land. Legal bucks only on open public land.
- Archery, primitive weapon: Jan. 23-31, Either sex on private land. Legal bucks only on open public land. Weapon of choice may be used on private land with the appropriate license.
- Archery, primitive weapon: Feb. 1-15, Legal bucks only on private and open public land. Weapon of choice may be used on private land with the appropriate license.
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Deer bag limits
- Delta DMU: The bag limit for antlered deer is one per day, three per annual season. The antlerless bag limit is five.
- Hills DMU: The bag limit for antlered deer is one per day, three per annual season. The antlerless bag limit is five.
- North Central DMU: The bag limit for antlered deer is one per day, four per annual season. The limit for antlerless deer is 10 on private lands.
- Southeast DMU: The bag limit for antlered deer is one per day, three per annual season. The bag limit for antlerless deer is one per day, three per annual season.
- U.S. Forest Service National Forests: The bag limit for antlered deer is one per day, three per annual season. The bag limit for antlerless deer is one per day, five per annual season except in the Southeast DMU where the antlerless limit is one per day, three per annual season.
Antler requirements
- Delta DMU: 12-inch inside spread or 15-inch main beam
- Hills DMU: 10-inch inside spread or 13-inch main beam
- North Central DMU: No antler restrictions apply to this zone. Hunters may harvest bucks with any hardened antler.
- Southeast DMU: 10-inch inside spread or 13-inch main beam
- Youth hunters: For youth hunters 15 years of age and younger, hunting on private land and authorized state and federal lands, all of the buck bag limit may be any antlered deer.
- Buck of choice: In the Delta, Hills and Southeast DMUs, hunters may harvest one buck that does not meet antler requirements on private land and Holly Springs National Forest.
- Public lands: Antler requirements vary among public lands. Hunters should check regulations for the specific public land they plan to hunt before hunting.
Blaze orange
Hunters have traditionally been required to wear 500 square inches of unbroken blaze orange while deer hunting as a safety measure, but this year they have an alternative. A bill passed in the 2024 Legislative session allows hunters to choose between blaze orange or pink.
CWD testing
Testing deer for CWD, a disease that is considered always fatal for deer, is not mandatory other than during the early archery season, but the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks urges hunters to provide tissue samples of harvested deer for testing.
According to the department, knowing where the disease exists and how prevalent it is helps in managing and slowing the spread of the disease.
Although there has been no known case of it spreading to humans, the CDC warns against consuming infected deer. So hunters should know if their deer is infected as well.
Since the disease was first detected in Mississippi in 2018, there have been 318 cases found in the state as of September 2024.
For convenience, MDWFP has provided freezers at locations across the state where hunters can leave deer heads with six inches of neck attached for testing. The agency has also partnered with a number of taxidermy businesses that will have deer tested at the customer’s request.
CWD management zones
Counties in CWD management zones have changed with some added and a zone added this year. Within these zones, special regulations are in place to slow the spread of the disease such as a supplemental feeding ban and carcass transportation restrictions.
North CWD Management Zone
The North CWD Management Zone includes all portions of the following counties:
- Alcorn County
- Benton County
- Desoto County
- Lafayette County
- Marshall County
- Panola County
- Prentiss County
- Tate County
- Tippah County
- Tishomingo County
- Union County
Portions of Coahoma, Quitman, and Tunica counties are also included and are defined as:
- Areas south of MS 4
- Areas east of Old Highway 61 to the intersection of US 49
- Areas east of US 49 to the intersection of US 278
- Areas north of US 278
- Areas west of MS 3
Issaquena CWD Management Zone
- Claiborne County
- Sharkey County, east of the Mississippi River and south of MS 14
- Warren County
Harrison CWD Management Zone
Portions of Hancock and Harrison counties are included and defined as:
- All portions of Harrison County west of US 49
- All portions of Hancock County east of MS 53, MS 603 and MS 43
- All portions of Hancock County east of Nicholson Avenue
What is banned in a CWD management zone?
- Salt licks
- Mineral licks
- Supplemental feeding
- Transportation of deer carcasses outside the zone
What parts of a deer can be taken out of a CWD zone?
- Cut/wrapped meat
- Deboned meat
- Hides with no head attached
- Bone-in leg quarters
- Finished taxidermy
- Antlers with no tissue attached
- Cleaned skulls or skull plates with no brain tissue
- Hunters may transport deer heads to permitted taxidermists participating in the CWD collection program. A CWD sample number must be obtained from a participating taxidermist prior to transporting a deer head outside of the CWD management zone.
Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.
Mississippi
Mississippi High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams – September 2
![Mississippi High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams – September 2 Mississippi High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams – September 2](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/09/02194523/HS-AFI-MS.png)
The Mississippi high school football rankings saw some drastic changes after an opening week which saw multiple ranked matchups in the Magnolia State.
Brandon, Madison Central and Louisville each won top-10 games while Oak Grove, West Jones, Clinton and Germantown also picked up ranked wins.
Below is the updated Mississippi On3 Massey Ratings top 25, as of Sept. 2.
The On3 Massey Ratings — which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated college high school sports team rankings since 1995 — rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule and margin of victory.
CLICK HERE to watch high school games on NFHS Network now!
Previous Ranking: No. 4 (+3)
Madison Central opened the season in style with a 27-20 top-10 win over Ocean Springs. Ocean Springs shut out Madison Central for nearly the entire first half — until Madison Central running back Glen Singleton rattled off four consecutive rushing touchdowns. The Jaguars are on the road again Friday in the Mississippi game of the week as they travel to face No. 2 Brandon.
Previous Ranking: No. 3 (+1)
Brandon featured in another Mississippi top-10 game in week one, thrashing then-No. 7 Picayune Memorial 60-34. Star junior defensive back Preston Ashley recorded a 45-yard scoop-and-score touchdown, Logan Drummond returned a punt 61 yards to the house and Trey McQueen returned an interception 38 yards for a score in a night filled with unconventional scoring for the Bulldogs. Brandon will host No. 1 Madison Central on Friday.
Previous Ranking: No. 2 (-1)
Starkville took down Noxubee County 43-22 in week one. Tyson Knox picked off Mississippi State commit KaMario Taylor on Starkville’s own 1-yard line to keep the Yellowjackets’ 14-point lead in the second half. Two plays later, quarterback Jaylen Ruffin hit Jaheim Deanes for a 97-yard touchdown. Starkville now gets to look forward to hosting No. 20 West Point this week.
Previous Ranking: No. 1 (-3)
Oak Grove fell in the rankings this week simply by virtue of other teams’ impressive performances — as the Warriors won their game over No. 15 Grenada 38-24. Oak Grove quarterback Kellon Hall was 19-of-27 passing for 306 yards with a touchdown. Next up is No. 11 Ocean Springs at home.
Previous Ranking: No. 5
Tupelo escaped upset-minded Whitehaven last week with a 26-19 opening win. Quarterback Noah Gillon and running back J.J. Hill each accounted for two touchdowns as the Golden Wave came away with an ugly win in ugly conditions following a 90-minute weather delay. Tupelo will play Southaven on the road next.
Previous Ranking: No. 9 (+3)
Yet another top-10 matchup on opening night in Mississippi. Louisville took down then-No. 10 West Point 15-14 in a nailbiter. Louisville scored the only points of the second half — a 21-yard field goal to put the Wildcats on top. Louisville will hit the road again this week at Neshoba Central.
Previous Ranking: No. 8 (+1)
West Jones knocked Laurel out of the Mississippi top 25 with a dominant 34-6 win on Friday. Senior running back Elijah Jones was unstoppable on the ground with 226 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries. West Jones will play Northeast Jones on the road this Friday.
Previous Ranking: No. 21 (+13)
Clinton pulled off the upset in week one with a 26-20 win over then-No. 11 Warren Central in the ‘Red Carpet Bowl’. Jakobe Williams rushed for two touchdowns while the Clinton special teams and defense scored on a blocked punt and recovered three fumbles. A road game against Northwest Rankin is on deck.
Previous Ranking: No. 16 (+7)
Oxford owned one of the few week one blowouts on this list, beating Lafayette 45-0 in the ‘Crosstown Classic.’ All six of the Chargers’ touchdowns came on the ground. Oxford will play No. 22 South Panola at home this Friday.
Previous Ranking: No. 12 (+2)
Madison-Ridgeland moved to 3-0 on the season after a 50-6 win over Oak Forest Academy that was never in question. Pulaski Academy — The No. 9 team in Arkansas — is on deck for the Patriots.
11. Ocean Springs (-5)
12. Gulfport (+2)
13. Pearl (+4)
14. Germantown (+10)
15. Hartfield Academy (+3)
16. Grenada (-1)
17. Picayune Memorial (-10)
18. Hattiesburg (NR)
19. Jackson Prep (+3)
20. West Point (-10)
21. D’Iberville (NR)
22. South Panola (-9)
23. Poplarville (NR)
24. Warren Central (-13)
25. Gautier (NR)
Dropped from rankings: Northwest Rankin, Meridian, Columbia, Laurel
Mississippi
MPCA testing the entirety of the Mississippi River within Minnesota
![MPCA testing the entirety of the Mississippi River within Minnesota MPCA testing the entirety of the Mississippi River within Minnesota](https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/09/02/0564de83-90fa-4d81-9619-84022c30819e/thumbnail/1200x630/e98078edb78f4dec2ccc9e494c22c33c/4p-pkg-river-testing-wcco61yp.jpg?v=25685eaa472b1a5dbb5bd46ae506d232)
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. —It winds 650 miles, rushing past the cities, industries and landscapes that make up Minnesota.
However, the Mississippi River has never gotten this type of attention from water quality professionals.
For the first time ever, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is testing the entirety of the river, from Itasca to Iowa, in a single year.
The governor’s office wants the river to be swimmable and fishable, but right now, parts of the river are polluted.
The MPCA says the upper Mississippi is largely healthy up north, but quality drops south of St. Cloud where metro development and tributaries from agriculture muddy the waters. The National Park Service says stretches of the river exceed water quality standards for things like mercury, bacteria and sediment.
Think of the testing like a checkup for one of our state’s most valuable and powerful resources. Researchers will check temperature, transparency and levels of pollutants like phosphorus, nitrogen and ammonia.
Crews also check fish for those contaminants and collect insects to test in a lab to identify any concerning trends.
“If we find the fish community is suffering — maybe the water is too warm and maybe there’s a thermal pollution source upstream or maybe it’s too much runoff — that sort of stuff. Temperature is an important indicator especially for sensitive species,” Isaac Martin with the MPCA said.
Also for the first time, the agency is looking for PFAS contamination with money from an Environmental Protection Agency grant to identify and stop the forever chemicals from streaming into the Mississippi.
PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals for industry and consumer products that don’t break down in the environment. While research is ongoing, the EPA says exposure to the chemicals can cause human health issues. It’s why the federal agency just lowered the amount allowed in drinking water.
“They go to parts per trillion, which is incredibly sensitive. You get that low, you’re talking drops in an Olympic swimming pool,” Martin said. “Part of the reason why it was chosen is because it’s a primary drinking source or potentially could be a primary drinking source. We’re just finding them in places we never expected to find them. We’re finding them almost everywhere and being that it is new, there’s just a lot of ‘I don’t know’ that goes with it.”
It’s too early to know what this complete snapshot will reveal, but we know this powerful river is part of our community, economy and health.
“Maybe you don’t use the resource yourself, but maybe you know someone who does or future generations of your own will,” Martin said. “In Minnesota, we’re just trying to be the best stewards we can be.”
The data from this testing will be available early next year. Researchers will use that data and compare it to 10-year pollution averages to determine which parts of the river are improved or impaired.
A full report will be released in 2026.
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