Mississippi

‘We’re 50th by a mile.’ Experts tell lawmakers where Mississippi stands with health of mothers, children

Published

2 years ago

September 27, 2022

‘We’re 50th by a mile.’ Experts tell lawmakers where Mississippi stands with health of mothers, children

A panel of lawmakers attempting to provide you with insurance policies to assist girls and kids post-abortion ban heard a well-known chorus from consultants Tuesday: Mississippi ranks worst or near-worst in toddler and maternal mortality, poverty, starvation, entry to well being care and baby care and lots of different pertinent statistics.

“… This implies 39% of youngsters in Mississippi belong to households with no full-time working mum or dad,” stated Heather Hanna, assistant analysis professor on the Mississippi State College Social Science Analysis Middle. “… 43% of Black kids in Mississippi reside in poverty … Girls in Mississippi have increased charges of instructional attainment than males, but earn much less.”

The disheartening stats from varied consultants continued for a lot of the day — 46% of Mississippi kids are in single-parent houses. One in 5 kids skilled starvation within the final yr. 9 out of 1,000 infants in Mississippi die. Within the rural Delta, there are 4,000 kids for each one pediatrician — statewide that quantity drops solely to 2,000 per — and lots of counties don’t have any OB/GYN. Many moms don’t obtain correct prenatal or postpartum care. Mississippi has alarming charges of untimely, low-weight infants being born.

Younger girls have issues acquiring or affording long-acting, reversible contraception. The state Well being Division is estimating Mississippi will see an extra 5,000 unplanned pregnancies a yr now that abortions are banned right here.

The Senate Research Group on Girls, Youngsters and Households opened the primary of 4 deliberate hearings with an examination of the extent of the issue. The committee was introduced by Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann after the U.S. Supreme Court docket in June struck down longstanding Roe v. Wade and a dormant Mississippi abortion ban on the books subsequently took impact. Hosemann stated it’s now incumbent on lawmakers to provide you with insurance policies to assist moms and kids. Home Speaker Philip Gunn has additionally created a fee with an analogous cost.

“As a state we’re within the flawed place on a variety of lists,” Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor on the College of Mississippi Medical Middle, informed the nine-member, bipartisan committee on Tuesday.

Dr. Daniel Edney, director of the state Division of Well being, confirmed lawmakers a chart with a nationwide report card that ranks states on quite a few well being points.

“We’re not simply fiftieth,” Edney stated. “We’re fiftieth by a mile. I feel if we had 60 states we’d be sixtieth … The Division of Well being is totally dedicated to work with you and do no matter it takes to get us off the underside.”

Tuesday’s listening to was open to the general public and the committee is asking for written testimony from the general public, which might be emailed to WCFStudyGroup@senate.ms.gov. The feedback will probably be introduced to the complete committee.

A big a part of the listening to’s viewers — lots of those that weren’t lobbyists or authorities staffers — walked out of the listening to, holding hand-made indicators, briefly mid-morning Tuesday to carry a press convention organized by leaders of organizations representing Black girls. Black girls and infants expertise a disproportionate share of the state’s highest-in-the-nation charges of stillbirth, low beginning weight, and toddler mortality. They stated the statistics concerning the state’s issues are outdated information, and the title of the press convention was “We’re the Knowledge.” They complained a couple of lack of Black girls on the Senate committee — solely one of many 9 members — and amongst Tuesday’s presenters.

They wish to see some motion from lawmakers, and lots of had come to name on lawmakers to increase postpartum Medicaid protection for moms — a topic of a lot debate in Mississippi over the past yr.

“What we’re asking for right here is only a proper to life,” stated Angela Grayson, lead organizer for Black Girls Vote Coalition and advocacy and outreach coordinator for The Lighthouse. “The information is right here. The information exhibits that that is good laws and that that’s what we want right here in Mississippi for Black girls to have the ability to undergo the childbirth expertise and never have the pointless burdens of insufficient well being care.”

In Mississippi, about 60% of births are to girls on Medicaid. The Senate on this yr’s legislative session tried to increase customary postpartum Medicaid protection from 60 days to 12 months, an effort to assist fight excessive maternal mortality charges and different well being issues for moms and kids. The Home shot down the proposal, with Home Speaker Philip Gunn linking extension of postpartum protection to basic Medicaid enlargement underneath the Inexpensive Care Act. Gunn and different Mississippi Republicans have fought Medicaid enlargement underneath “Obamacare” for years, and Mississippi stays certainly one of 12 states that has not expanded protection.

On Tuesday, Woodward, Edney and different presenters voiced help for extending postpartum Medicaid protection.

Mississippi Medicaid Director Drew Snyder, when requested his opinion on extending postpartum Medicaid protection, appeared to sidestep the query with a prolonged phrase salad. However he famous that extending postpartum protection is “a unique” dialogue from basic Medicaid enlargement underneath the ACA and stated, “I don’t suppose it poses long-term sustainability questions like ACA enlargement does.”

Snyder suggested lawmakers contemplating postpartum extension: “in the event you do it, do it since you imagine it’s going to assist moms and kids, don’t do it as a result of others say you’re being merciless and heartless.”

Sen. Nicole Akins Boyd, R-Oxford, is chair of the brand new Research Group on Girls, Youngsters and Households, which can proceed hearings on Wednesday, then on Oct. 25 and 26.

Boyd stated a part of Woodward’s presentation stood out to her.

“She stated {that a} 20% lower in low-birth-weight infants at UMMC’s (New child Intensive Care Unit) would save about $8 million a yr,” Boyd stated. “Extending postpartum Medicaid protection would price about $7 million, so that might pay for it.”

Mississippi At the moment employees author Isabelle Taft contributed to this report.

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Mississippi

Mississippi High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams – September 2

Published

6 hours ago

September 3, 2024

Press Room

Mississippi High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams – September 2

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

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Mississippi

MPCA testing the entirety of the Mississippi River within Minnesota

Published

14 hours ago

September 2, 2024

Press Room

MPCA testing the entirety of the Mississippi River within Minnesota

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.

Erin Hassanzadeh

Erin is back home in the Twin Cities after stops in South Korea and Omaha. The Jefferson High School grad (Go Jags!) is excited to get back to storytelling in the community that raised her.

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Mississippi

Who should be SBLive’s Mississippi high school player of the week? (Aug. 25-31)

Published

21 hours ago

September 2, 2024

Press Room

Who should be SBLive’s Mississippi high school player of the week? (Aug. 25-31)

Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Mississippi high school Athlete of the Week for August25-31. Read through the nominees and cast your vote. The poll will close Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If you would like to make a nomination in a future week, email Tyler@scorebooklive.com. For questions/issues with he poll, email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com.

Editor’s note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes that receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.

Kohl Bradley, DB, George County: Racked up 17 tackles and returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown in a 33-7 win over East Central.

DaJuan Colbert, DB, Natchez: Recorded 15 tackles, forced one fumble and returned another one 75 yards for a touchdown in a 58-50 win over Hancock.

Garrison Davis, QB, Holmes County Central: Completed 14 of his 21 pass attempts for 375 yards and three touchdowns in a 20-6 win over Vicksburg.

Xzavion Gainwell, DB, Yazoo County: Recorded nine tackles, an interception and an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Panthers’ 20-16 win over South Delta.

Elijah Jones, RB, West Jones: Had 24 carries 226 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-6 win over Laurel.

Kingi McNair, WR, Pearl: Caught four passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-20 win over Neshoba Central.

Ashton Nichols, DB, Clinton: Recorded six tackles to go with two big pass breakups, a blocked punt and a return for a touchdown in a 26-20 win over Warren Central.

Ethan Prater, RB, Pisgah: Rushed for 132 yards on 27 carries with three scores and caught a 60-yard touchdown pass in a 33-32 win over North Forrest.

Glen Singleton, RB, Madison Central: Rushed for 174 yards on 18 carries with all four touchdowns in a 27-20 win over Ocean Springs.

Damarius Yates, RB, Kemper County: Rushed for 193 yards on 17 carries and returned a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown in a 38-15 win over Kosciusko.

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