Mississippi
US appeals court denies injunction for Mississippi state-run court law in capital city
The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit denied an injunction Thursday against a Mississippi law that created a state-run court district in the state’s capital of Jackson. The court held that the plaintiffs in the case had failed to show standing to maintain a case for a preliminary injunction. The NAACP originally appealed to the Fifth Circuit on behalf of several Jackson, Mississippi residents after losing a district court case only a few days ago.
The case stems from Mississippi House Bill 1020, which created a court with judges appointed by the state’s Supreme Court and prosecutors appointed by the state’s Attorney General in Jackson’s Capital Complex Improvement District (CCID). The CCID is an administrative district that includes nine square miles encompassing the state capital. Several wealthy residential and shopping parts of the city were also included in the district. The bill also gives the court jurisdiction over misdemeanors, violations of city ordinances and felony preliminary matters.
Judges and prosecutors of municipal courts in Mississippi are generally appointed by locally elected officials.
Critics of the bill argue that the legislation foists unelected judicial officers appointed by white conservative state actors on Jackson citizens, a city with a considerable Black majority that skews Democrat. Meanwhile proponents of the bill cite the high crime rate in Jackson as justification for state intervention in the city’s affairs.
The NAACP argued that the appointments violated their equal protection rights under the US Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment. The NAACP claimed that the appointments would harm Jackson residents by creating a judicial body with no accountability, which dilutes their voting rights. They also argued that the law damaged the appointment power of local elected officials and took away one of the local governments key functions namely enforcement of its own laws.
The court rejected these arguments, writing that any injury sustained was not “particularized” and that meritless prosecution was only hypothetical. Additionally the court held that the city’s residents had no “legally protected interest in electing local officials with exclusive appointment power for the CCID court.” The court also rejected claims that the plaintiffs were injured because benefits of the law would go to an area with a disproportionately white majority.
In a statement to the press, general counsel for the NAACP Janette McCarthy Wallace expressed disappointment with the ruling but vowed to continue to fight the law without elaborating on future strategy.
Here’s the nominees for Clarion Ledger girls Athlete of the Week for May 4-9
Here’s the five nominees for the Clarion Ledger girls Mississippi high school Athlete of the Week for May 4-9.
There were several top performers across the state in girls high school sports, but only one can be voted as the Clarion Ledger athlete of the week for May 4-9.
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
Kara Applewhite, Sumrall: Applewhite had four hits with a home run and five RBIs in Sumrall’s 10-0 win against East Central.
Caydance Brumfield, West Marion: Brumfield produced four hits and five RBIs in West Marion’s two wins against Pisgah.
Addison Collum, West Union: Collum pitched eight innings and recorded seven strikeouts and only two earned runs in West Union’s wins against Smithville.
Addison Cornish, West Lauderdale: Cornish recorded five hits and a home run in West Lauderdale’s wins against Choctaw Central.
Addison Davis, George County: Davis pitched nine innings with 20 strikeouts and recorded two home runs and four RBIs in George County’s wins against Pearl River Central.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.
‘We’re doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We’re trying to move that pressure on into later in the season.’
Bobcat stalks and strikes at Wisconsin turkey hunter
Turkey hunter Carson Bender of Wisconsin Rapids recorded a video of a bobcat that stalked and lunged at him as he hunted April 18, 2026 near Nekoosa, Wis.
Carson Bender
If a proposal made in the April meeting of the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is finalized, nonresident turkey hunters will see big changes in the 2027 spring turkey season.
“We’re doing this in a way to impact how hunting pressure occurs and how the harvest happens in the early season,” said Caleb Hinton, Wild Turkey Program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. “We’re doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We’re trying to move that pressure on into later in the season.”
Turkey hunters enjoy a three-bird bag limit and a little more than six weeks of hunting in spring, which is similar to some other states. What is at issue is when it opens. March 15 is the typical opening date for the regular season, making it one of the earliest in the nation.
That early opening date combined with a growing trend among turkey hunters is where the problem lies.
Mississippi is a destination for early season, nonresident hunters
Possibly more than any other group of hunters, turkey hunters like to travel. For some, it may be a matter of seeing a different landscape and hunting birds under condions they don’t encounter in their home state. For others it may be a quest to harvest each of the subspecies in North America.
For yet another group, it’s the challenge of harvesting a gobbler in each of the 49 states that have turkeys.
“It seems to be getting more and more popular every year,” Hinton said.
Regardless of why a turkey hunter chooses to travel, it puts a target on Mississippi’s back because for the first few weeks of the season, it’s almost the only game in town, so hunters flock to the state.
In an effort to curb the amount of hunting pressure in those first weeks of turkey season, MDWFP proposed limiting nonresident hunters to two legal gobblers per season and only one of those can be harvested before April 1.
“Hopefully, it will help curb the massive influx of pressure we get the first week or two of the season,” Hinton said.
When will turkey season changes for nonresidents be voted on?
The proposed changes aren’t the first that have been geared toward alleviating pressure on turkeys in the early part of the season by nonresidents. In 2022, the commission passed a rule requiring nonresident hunters to enter a drawing for a hunt on public land during the first two weeks of turkey season. Currently, the number of hunters drawn is limited to 800.
Like that change, the current proposal will pass or fail by a vote of the wildlife commission. In the April commission meeting, the proposal passed an initial vote. It is now in a 30-day public comment period and a final vote will be taken in the May meeting.
Public comments may be submitted at https://www.mdwfp.com/proposed-rules-regulations.
A lifelong outdoorsman and wildlife enthusiast, Brian Broom has been writing about hunting, fishing and Mississippi’s outdoors for the Clarion Ledger for more than 14 years. He can be reached at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.
Mississippi
Mississippi high school addresses social media post, says it won’t tolerate racism or harassment
LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) – A Mississippi high school has made a statement after a social media post involving a student surfaced.
Northeast Lauderdale High School officials say they’re reviewing a social media post involving a student.
In a statement, the school said administrators are aware of the post and are “reviewing the situation.”
The school said it is committed to maintaining a safe, orderly and respectful environment for students and staff.
“Neither our district nor our school accept or condone racism, discrimination, harassment, or behavior that is inconsistent with the expectations of our school community,” the statement said.
Officials said they are working with the appropriate parties and will address the matter in accordance with district policies and procedures.
The school added that it cannot share additional details because of student privacy laws.
Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.
Copyright 2026 WLBT. All rights reserved.
-
Kentucky57 seconds agoLiberty Trees planted throughout Kentucky
-
Louisiana7 minutes agoNeuty, the beloved Bucktown nutria rat that charmed Louisiana, has died
-
Maine13 minutes agoHow a data center derailed $240,000 for affordable housing in Wiscasset
-
Maryland19 minutes agoDC man wins $5M in Maryland lottery – WTOP News
-
Michigan25 minutes agoMichigan groom sentenced for killing his best friend on his wedding night
-
Massachusetts31 minutes agoSmoke from North Attleborough fire visible for miles
-
Minnesota37 minutes agoMinnesota gas prices surge: Twin Cities hits $4.18, costs climb $1.28 from 2025
-
Mississippi43 minutes agoVote Clarion Ledger Mississippi girls high school athlete of the week May 4-9