Talking Health Care With Mike Espy
Of all the issues separating Mike Espy from his opponent, Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith, their approach to health care may represent the starkest divide.
COVID-19 Numbers Slumping As School Opens Across Mississippi Today
Mississippi is showing the signs of a promising downward trend in new coronavirus infections as August unfolds, with a rolling average on a continued slump from late July’s all-time peaks.
Dr. Thomas Dobbs: COVID-19 Improvement, But Schools Pose Grave Danger
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs sees improvement in the fight against COVID-19 following the governor’s two-week mask mandate across Mississippi. But a return to in-person schooling presents grave danger.
Legislature Overrides Gov. Tate Reeves' Veto, Spending Battles Remain
The Mississippi Legislature has beaten back a gubernatorial veto, pushing through the education bill that Republican Gov. Tate Reeves partially vetoed in July, while simultaneously funding the incentives program that led him to bounce portions of the bill back to the statehouse in the first place.
UMMC’s LouAnn Woodward: Delay School Until After Labor Day, ICU at Capacity
Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, spoke to the Jackson Free Press at length on Aug 7, sharing her concerns for an oncoming wave of hospitalizations and the long-term care requirements of COVID-19 patients.
Deadliest in U.S.: COVID-19 Deaths, Severe Hospitalizations Worsening in Mississippi
Mississippi hit a tragic new milestone in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic this week: Its 241 reports of COVID-19 fatalities from the previous seven days have been the deadliest per capita of any state in the U.S., the New York Times reports.
As School Looms, Confusion Reigns
Erica Lowell waits for her students to return, and her anxiety waits with her. She is a public-school teacher in Rankin County, speaking to the Jackson Free Press under a pseudonym.
State Awaits Tate Reeves’ Decision On School Openings
Last week’s coronavirus metrics showed COVID-19 in Mississippi growing at an unmatched rate, reaching an all-time peak with 1,775 cases reported Friday morning.
Amid Record COVID-19 Fatalities and Cases, School Reopenings Loom in Mississippi
Mississippi is suffering from yet another record week of COVID-19 infections as July ends, with Gov. Tate Reeves placing eight more counties under his growing mask order.
Mississippi and Nationwide Experts Call For End To COVID-19 Reopenings
As COVID-19 debilitates the nation, experts across both Mississippi and the United States are calling for a full reversal of the openings that have driven mass spread of the virus in the summer months.
JPS Announces Virtual-Only Fall Semester, Gov. Reeves Expands Executive Order
Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Errick L. Greene announced that JPS students would receive only virtual instruction in the fall semester, citing concerns over the spread of COVID-19 into the classrooms and back to Jackson’s families.
‘Crisis Care,’ Hard Decisions Looming Due to COVID-19 Surge in Mississippi
A week of uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 has elapsed in Mississippi, with case numbers swelling to unprecedented numbers at the same time that the state’s hospital system reports the unbearable stress of earlier infections.
Lonely Farewells on the Front Line of Coronavirus
For many Mississippians, coronavirus metrics are numbers on a screen. For the many health care workers who spoke to the Jackson Free Press, it is the cadence of their lives, the increasingly rapid drumbeat forcing the countless decisions they make in any given day.
1,251 New COVID-19 Cases As Governor Expands Mask, Distancing Orders
After a week of unprecedented spread of coronavirus across Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves has extended Mississippi’s “Safe Return” period by two weeks and heightened restrictions for individuals and businesses in 10 additional counties across Mississippi.
Record-Shattering New Cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi, Now a Pandemic ‘Red Zone’
The July spread of COVID-19 across Mississippi is catastrophic and shows no signs of letting up, with new cases peaking as severe hospitalizations resulting from earlier spikes continue to rise.
Dobbs: Spike in COVID-19 Hospitalizations ‘Just Going to Keep Compounding’
Mississippi’s hospital system is experiencing an unprecedented spike in coronavirus cases, with more than 100 newly confirmed hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients in the period between July 11 and 13.
Elective Surgeries End Statewide, 13 Counties Under Stronger COVID Restrictions
The rampant spread of coronavirus across Mississippi has finally triggered new restrictions from Gov. Tate Reeves for the 13 counties with the heaviest spikes in COVID-19 over recent weeks.
Gov. Reeves Vetoes Parole Reform Bill
Parole reform in Mississippi hit a brick wall this week, with Gov. Tate Reeves vetoing the bipartisan legislation that would have provided more, and earlier, opportunities for parole hearings in Mississippi’s overburdened prisons.
Central Mississippi Hospitals At Capacity, School Openings Planned Amid Growing Crisis
The Mississippi State Department of Health announced 703 new cases of COVID-19, paired with the catastrophic new highs of hospitalizations: 686 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 fill the state’s hospitals, with 255 additional suspected cases.
COVID-19 In Mississippi: Lacking Leadership, Buy-In or Both?
The grand debate over a protective mask, played out on social media from the local level to the halls of the White House itself, is representative of the state of the pandemic in America.
870 New COVID-19 Cases and Peak Hospitalizations, as Reeves Warns Health System ‘At Risk’
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs’ increasingly frantic warnings about the state of COVID-19 in Mississippi continue to reflect in the numbers.
COVID-19 Hits New Mississippi Highs, Municipalities Issuing Own Mask Orders
Mississippi’s rising coronavirus curve is prompting dire warnings from state health officials—and some municipalities are beginning to issue mask orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in public spaces.
‘Today I Feel Like a Mississippian’: State Flag Consigned to History in Bipartisan Vote
The contentious Mississippi state flag is officially no more today, consigned to history after a legislative supermajority voted Sunday to retire it for good.
Mississippi’s Healthcare System In Imminent Danger, Stressed MSDH Officials Warn
Mississippi’s health-care system is rapidly approaching catastrophe, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs warned Thursday—not in a matter of months, but in a matter of weeks.
BREAKING: Mississippi Adds 1,092 New COVID-19 Cases In Single Day
The day after State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs warned of a looming catastrophe facing Mississippi in the fall, the state’s hospitals reported the highest incidence of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 hospitalizations since the virus first arrived in Mississippi: 767.
‘About Healing and Reconciliation’: Legislative Fight For New State Flag Continues
A raft of Democratic legislators joined House Democratic Leader Rep. Robert Johnson III in calling for a new state flag yesterday.
Legislature In Overtime, Criminal Justice Reform Top Priority
Efforts to change the Mississippi flag first appeared stalled out: Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann condemned the effort to a committee, which showed no intention of calling it up.
State Health Officer Warns in Interview: Prepare For Overwhelmed Hospitals by Fall
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs has led Mississippi’s response to COVID-19 since the first days of the crisis. Now, facing spiking metrics in all of the state’s key indicators for the spread of the virus, even in the warm summer months in which COVID-19 was expected to recede, Dobbs told the Jackson Free Press in a phone interview to prepare for an overwhelmed hospital system in which basic emergency care will be rationed.
UPDATE: 1646 New Cases of COVID-19 Since Jun 17
The Mississippi State Department of Health is reporting a severe “data processing” issue preventing the release of new COVID-19 information that has persisted since the middle of last week, meaning the agency has not shared updated numbers on new cases and deaths since June 18.
Oxford Sees COVID-19 Crisis as ER Visits Up Statewide; State Blames Fraternities
Mississippians are not doing enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs warned at yesterday’s press event.
UM Confederate Statue to Move to Cemetery; Some Fear IHL Building New ‘Shrine’
The Confederate monument at the heart of the University of Mississippi campus will move to the Confederate graveyard elsewhere on campus, 114 years after its construction.
Mississippi Saw 489 COVID-19 Infections Tuesday, State May Not Be Reporting All Cases
Mississippi saw 489 new cases of COVID-19 as of the end of Tuesday, June 16, one of the highest single-day counts on the records since the crisis started in the state in March.
UPDATE: Senate Confirms Burl Cain To Lead State Prisons
A lightning-quick committee hearing placed ex-Angola warden Burl Cain on track to command the Mississippi Department of Corrections on June 16. The next day, the full Senate confirmed him for the position of Commissioner.
Criminal Justice Reform Alive at Capitol, But Gang Bill, Teacher Pay Raises Dead for Now
Mississippi legislators’ ambitious plans for funding initiatives like state employee and teacher pay raises have taken a backseat to dealing with the coronavirus crisis, which is obliterating both state revenues and best-laid plans for the 2020 session.
Resolution Drops to Change Mississippi Flag, Interfaith Leaders Call For Change
Mississippi legislators began a formal process to change the state flag today with an ambitious attempt to revive Senate Bill 2446, which would put an end to the Confederate symbolism on the official state flag.
Families Accuse JPD Of Police Brutality, Demand Justice
Four Jackson families whose loved ones were victims of local police violence, three of them fatally, spoke out yesterday, publicly calling for justice in the wake of national awareness over police brutality.
Byram Police: A Model for Domestic-Abuse Response?
Byram Police Chief Luke Thompson acknowledges that the typical method of responding to a domestic call fails both the victims and the community at large.
Historic Protests For Black Lives Sweep Mississippi Over Weekend
Thousands of protesters took to the streets across the state of Mississippi this weekend, calling for freedom from racial injustice and an end to police brutality.
MSDH Releases Delayed Long Term Care Facility COVID-19 Data
After weeks of refusing, Mississippi State Department of Health last night released the names and counties of long-term care facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks.
Jackson Protest to Honor George Floyd, Call for End to Systemic Racism
Calvert White, vice president of Alcorn State University’s chapter of the NAACP, says George Floyd is a “martyr,” killed by an oppressive power complex that affects everyone in the country.
Mississippi Fully Reopens Today After Biggest Week of COVID-19 Cases, Yet
Today marks the “final stage” in Gov. Tate Reeves’ order to reopen the state. All businesses may now open, and the state’s schools may proceed with summer programs.
Mississippi Fully Opening as COVID-19 Cases Grow, State Naming Nursing Homes
Mississippi’s transitional COVID-19 shutdown period is slated to end Monday, June 1, with the end of Gov. Tate Reeves’ “Safer At Home” executive order and the beginning of what he is calling a “Safe Return” order.
COVID-19: UMMC Expert on Emerging Knowledge of the Virus
In March, Dr. Bhagyashri Navalkele watched the crowds gathering on America’s beaches during spring break with a heavy weight on her shoulders.
Mississippi In Deep Recession Facing Long Recovery, 273 New Cases of COVID-19
Mississippi is suffering the effects of a COVID-19-induced recession, deeper than any since the end of World War II, and can expect a long recovery even after it ends, State Economist Dr. Darrin Webb said at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing this morning.
Mississippi Reports 402 New COVID-19 Cases, Admits Testing Totals Mix In Antibody Tests
Mississippi State Department of Health’s COVID-19 testing totals include both traditional viral tests and antibody tests, a metric national health experts insist must not be included in testing totals.
Infamous Ex-Angola Warden Is Reeves' Choice To Lead Beleaguered Mississippi Prisons
Burl Cain, the infamous ex-warden of Louisiana’s Angola prison, is Gov. Tate Reeves’ choice to lead the Mississippi Department of Corrections out of the morass in the state’s prisons that the governor inherited at the start of his term, a culmination of prison issues that grew during his two terms as lieutenant governor.
Reeves: New Corrections and Public Safety Leaders, Still No Nursing Home Names
Gov. Tate Reeves is expected to announce new leadership for the Mississippi Department of Corrections and the Department of Public Safety today, bringing new oversight to the two state agencies.
Reeves to Help 'Safely Resume' In-Person Church Services, 27 New COVID-19 Deaths in MS
Gov. Tate Reeves will provide guidance to the state’s churches today, in an attempt to help “safely resume” in-person services, the governor tweeted this morning.
Legislature Sends $300 Million in Relief Funds to Mississippi Small Businesses
The Mississippi Legislature passed a $300-million stimulus bill directed at Mississippi’s small businesses on Wednesday night, putting a declarative end to the debate over who would appropriate $1.25 billion in CARES Act funds, and how to administer the money.
‘We Have Not Met Our Peak’: Dr. LouAnn Woodward on UMMC’s Battle Against COVID-19
LouAnn Woodward spoke to the Jackson Free Press about the breakthroughs in testing and treatment at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, as well as the state's larger coronavirus strategy.