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To save a dying swamp, Louisiana aims to restore the Mississippi River's natural flow

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To save a dying swamp, Louisiana aims to restore the Mississippi River's natural flow


GARYVILLE, La. (AP) — Louisiana has long relied on a vast levee system to rein in the Mississippi River and protect surrounding communities from flooding. But cutting off the natural flow of the river with man made barriers has been slowly killing one of the nation’s largest forested wetlands.

The 176 square mile (456 square kilometers) Maurepas Swamp just to the west of New Orleans holds Louisiana’s second largest contiguous forest, a beloved state wildlife refuge filled with water tupelo and bald cypress trees, their branches adorned by wisps of Spanish moss. A beloved recreation site, the swamp also houses bald eagles, ospreys, black bears and alligators and serves as a waystation for hundreds of different migratory birds.

Deprived of nutrients from the stanched Mississippi River, the swamp’s iconic trees are dying in stagnant water. Yet they’re now set to receive a life-saving boost.

State and federal authorities on Tuesday celebrated breaking ground on an ambitious conservation project intended to replenish the ailing trees by diverting water from the Mississippi back into the swamp.

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“This is about reconnecting a natural system, actually fixing it to what it used to be,” said Brad Miller, who has shepherded the project for the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority since 2006.

Miller likened the $330 million river diversion to watering a garden: “The swamp needs river water to be a good swamp.”

The River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp will allow for a maximum of 2000 cubic feet per second (57 cubic meters per second) to flow out of a gated opening to be built in the levee system and routed along a 5.5 miles (9 kilometers) diversion channel. The project expects to revitalize around 45,000 acres (182 square kilometers) of swamp in an area where less than a third of the forest is considered healthy according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Besides injecting much-needed nutrients and oxygen into the swamp, river water will leave thin layers of sediment deposits that mitigate the effect of subsidence — a natural phenomenon on Louisiana’s fragile coast exacerbated by fossil fuel extraction — and climate change-induced sea level rise, said Nick Stevens, a researcher at Southeastern Louisiana University’s wetlands ecology and restoration lab. Healthier forests bolster the swamp with decomposing matter from branches and leaves, he added.

“All of that is completely hindered by not having the Mississippi River attached to it anymore,” Stevens said. “You’ve got all this land sinking as a result of just not getting nutrients.”

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The swamp’s diminishing health has had ripple effects on biodiversity, says Erik Johnson, director of conservation science at Audubon Delta, an organization focused on bird ecology in the Mississippi River delta. Some migratory birds like the yellow throated warbler, prothonotary warbler and the northern parula have had their populations plummet by nearly 50% in the past two decades, Johnson said.

These birds rely on caterpillars who are dependent on water tupelo and bald cypress foliage. When there’s less healthy leaves for the caterpillars to gorge on, there’s less food for the birds.

“That’s driving a really rapid decline in these bird populations that depend on this one forest,” Johnson said. “The whole system has shifted.”

Scientists say they expect to start seeing an increase in canopy cover and new tree growth within a few years of the project’s anticipated completion in 2028.

Unlike the state’s controversial $3 billion river diversion project intended to combat coastal land loss, the Maurepas project has received widespread support from elected officials and local communities.

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The Maurepas project is primarily funded by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, a multi-state and federal program managing settlement funds from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill that devastated the Gulf Coast.

The Maurepas project benefits from an innovative partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is building an adjacent 18.5 miles (30 kilometers) levee system to protect several southeast Louisiana parishes. The Corps will count 9,000 acres (36 square kilometers) of Maurepas Swamp restoration towards offsetting environmental damage caused by the new levee construction, meaning it can direct additional federal funds towards the diversion program.

“For every dollar the state can save here, they have more to invest” in other coastal restoration projects, said John Ettinger, director of policy and environmental compliance with Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council.

And conservationists say the Maurepas reintroduction project highlights the importance of coastal protection and wetlands restoration going hand in hand in a hurricane-prone region.

“You’re going to have a healthier ecosystem on the outside of that levee, which means you’re going to have a better buffer for storm surge and it’s going to allow the levees to be more effective,” said Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation’s Gulf Program senior director. “This is how we need to be thinking at large about what’s possible and how we can how we can do more effective conservation by working with nature.”

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Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for June 30, 2026

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Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for June 30, 2026


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The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at June 30, 2026, results for each game:

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Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from June 30 drawing

02-11-17-29-30

Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 30 drawing

Midday: 9-2-2, FB: 6

Evening: 0-0-8, FB: 8

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 30 drawing

Midday: 4-3-6-6, FB: 6

Evening: 7-6-5-5, FB: 8

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 30 drawing

Midday: 07

Evening: 02

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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.

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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

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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

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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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Amy Carruth named director of Mississippi State Hospital – SuperTalk Mississippi

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Amy Carruth named director of Mississippi State Hospital – SuperTalk Mississippi


Mississippi State Hospital now has a new director.

Following the retirement of 36-year veteran administrator James “Bo” Chastain, the behavioral health facility has announced Brandon native Amy Carruth as its director. Carruth was hired from within after having spent the last 14 years in several key roles, including deputy hospital administrator and director of quality assurance.

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Throughout her tenure, she has led policy development, strategic planning, and organization-wide quality improvement initiatives, helping strengthen operations and support high-quality patient care across the hospital.

Recognized for her expertise in Joint Commission standards, Carruth has guided Mississippi State Hospital through multiple accreditation surveys while leading continuous improvement efforts across the organization. She has also helped modernize organizational workflows, implement evidence-based quality improvement practices, and strengthen accountability through data-informed decision-making, officials say.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Carruth coordinated infection prevention efforts, implementing evolving safety standards, developing operational procedures and supporting the rollout of employee vaccinations. Her leadership helped position the hospital to continue delivering care while adapting to unprecedented challenges.

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In addition to her administrative responsibilities, Carruth has served as the designated institutional official for the medical center’s psychiatry residency program, overseeing graduate medical education and supporting the development of future psychiatrists.

Before joining Mississippi State Hospital in 2012, Carruth served in leadership positions with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, the Mississippi Public Employees’ Retirement System, and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, where she gained extensive experience in public administration, organizational leadership, and strategic planning.

“At the core of Mississippi State Hospital’s mission is the belief that every person served here deserves compassionate, high-quality care,” Carruth said. “I’m proud to be a part of this agency and our mission, and I look forward to continuing the legacy of providing hope, safety and recovery to Mississippians in need.”

Mississippi State Hospital a publicly funded behavioral health facility operated under the direction of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health. It is located on 350 acres in Rankin County near Pearl and Brandon, and is colloquially known as Whitfield.



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Bobby Harrison: Mississippi Democrats hope they are not saying ‘if’ again after midterm elections

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Bobby Harrison: Mississippi Democrats hope they are not saying ‘if’ again after midterm elections


“If” has often been the refrain for many Mississippi Democrats after losing statewide elections, as they have done with regularity since 2003.

“If we only had a candidate who could energize true Democrats to the polls, we could win those statewide elections,” is a paraphrase of the full refrain.

That “if” has to be in the back of Lowndes County District Attorney Scott Colom’s mind as the Democrat campaigns to upend incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in the November midterm election.

In short, what Colom has to ponder is some people’s belief that a lot of Mississippians support many of the principles of national Democrats but are not voting because Mississippi candidates generally avoid those issues or campaign with a more conservative bent.

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Colom’s already herculean task is made even more difficult by the fact that independent Ty Pinkins, a former Democrat, is also in the race and could possibly siphon votes from him.

Colom, obviously, needs every Democratic vote in his bid to upset Hyde-Smith and become the first Democratic senator from Mississippi since the 1980s and the first Black Mississippi senator since the 1800s.

Recent Democratic campaigns

Former Attorney General Jim Hood, the last Mississippi Democrat to win a statewide election, was accused of not embracing his party as he campaigned with his hunting dog, rifle and pickup truck in his 2019 loss to Republican Tate Reeves in the governor’s race.

After the 2023 election, former Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley faced much of the same criticism after his unsuccessful attempt to defeat Reeves. Most would concede that Presley ran closer to the national Democratic Party than did Hood.

The results, though, were close to the same.

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In his 2020 campaign against Hyde-Smith, former U.S. Rep. Mike Espy came closer to running as a national Democrat than both Presley and Hood. For that effort, Espy garnered more votes than any Democrat in a statewide campaign since Bill Waller in his victorious 1971 gubernatorial race.

But Espy garnered a lower percentage of votes in a higher-turnout election than did Hood or Moore.

In 2019, Reeves defeated Hood 52% to 47%, or by a little more than 45,000 votes. In a lower-turnout election four years later, Reeves beat Presley 51% to 48%, or by fewer than 27,000 votes.

In the 2020 Senate election, Hyde-Smith won 54% to 44%, or by fewer than 131,000 votes in the highest turnout election in the state’s history. Remember, Espy garnered more votes than any Democrat since Waller in the 1971 gubernatorial election.

What the numbers mean for midterm election

Based on the numbers, can the argument be confirmed that some Mississippians are sitting at home on election day who could sway the election to a Democrat if they could be inspired to go to the polls?

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In considering that question, it is important to keep in mind that Mississippi is generally near the bottom each election cycle in terms of voter participation.

According to the University of Florida Election Lab, nationally 66.4% of eligible voters cast a ballot in 2020. That year 60.6% of eligible Mississippians did so.

If Mississippians had equaled that national participation in 2020, an additional 126,500 people would have voted.

If that had occurred and all the additional voters had cast Espy ballots, which of course would not have happened, he still would have lost to Hyde-Smith by about 5,000 votes.

But that was a presidential election, and by happenstance an election that set both a national and Mississippi record for the number of voters. A midterm election, such as the upcoming Colom vs. Hyde-Smith contest, is a different story. The turnout will be much lower – perhaps closer to a Mississippi gubernatorial turnout.

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In that instance, new voters perhaps could make a difference for Colom if – there is that word again –  he could equal Presley’s or even Hood’s performance.

Colom, though, must walk that fine line of attracting those mysterious hard-to-find Mississippi progressives while not scaring away moderate voters who might be considering him in the current political environment where Trump and the Republicans have lost some of their luster nationally and perhaps even in true-red Mississippi.

If – if – Colom could accomplish those goals, perhaps he could give Mississippi Democrats something to cheer about for the first time in a long time.

Bobby Harrison, Mississippi Today’s senior capitol reporter, covers politics, government and the Mississippi State Legislature. He can be reached at [email protected]

Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.

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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.

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