Mississippi State News

Gay Pride Parade will take place in Starkville

It was a packed house inside and out at Starkville City Hall last night as aldermen revisited a move denying a parade permit to an LGBT group. After hearing public input from both sides of the issue, a motion was…

Pro-Life Mississippi responds to HB 1510

Pro-Life Mississippi applauds the passage of HB 1510 in a statement that reads in part: “This bill recognizes the biological reality that babies in the womb at 16 weeks have a heartbeat and DNA unique from the parents.” They go…

Mississippi Senate shake up

Governor Phil Bryant announced today he will not appoint himself to succeed longtime Senator Thad Cochran. Roger Wicker is already up for re-election. Eighty-year-old Thad Cochran announced Monday that he is resigning April 1st because of poor health. Cochran is…

Proposal to strengthen school safety

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed legislation today to add security to school campuses and offer training for staff in Mississippi. The proposal was placed into House Bill 1083 by Senator Briggs Hopson. The amendment allows school leaders the option to…

Cigarette tax increase option

A pack of cigarettes at a convenience store near the Mississippi capital costs about $4.99 including tax. If the legislature chooses one possible option for a cigarette tax increase the same pack could run $5.31. The pressure for a state…

Second pediatric flu death reported in Mississippi

The Mississippi State Department of Health reports the second confirmed pediatric flu death for the 2017-2018 season. Officials say this death occurred in central Mississippi. State Epidemiologist Dr. Byers said influenza activity has decreased from the previous week, but still…

Starkville, MS says no to Gay Pride Parade request

Leaders of a Mississippi college town have denied a request to host the city's first gay pride parade, a decision that left some members of the group in tears and drew criticism from the mayor. Starkville Pride, an LGBT support…

Mississippi woman hired hit man to kill half-brother

A federal prosecutor says a 32-year-old Mississippi woman has admitted trying to hire a hit man to kill her half-brother so she could collect $40,000 in life insurance. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Hurst Jr. says in a news release that…

Capitol officer fired after confrontation

According to the Clarion Ledger, a capitol police officer in Jackson has been fired after a confrontation with a man waving the Mississippi State flag. It was all caught on video as the officer and several bystanders were standing outside…

Working out the state budget for the new fiscal year

Mississippi lawmakers are considering early versions of budget bills with much more work to come in the next few weeks. The state fiscal year begins July 1st and the overall state-funded portion of the budget is expected to be nearly…

Anniversary Of Tornado Touchdowns

One year ago yesterday, a catastrophic storm ripped through Hattiesburg. The storm drew national attention and left behind a lot of damage across the city and destroyed much of William Carey University. News 25's Caroline Eaker joins us live in…

USS Fitzgerald Comes To Ingalls Pascagoula

The US Navy Has Made A 63 Million Dollar Contract With Ingalls Shipbuilding In Pascagoula To Begin Repairing The Damage On The USS Fitzgerald. And After A Long Trip, The US Navy Destroyer, Docked At Ingalls Today. News 25's Caroline…

Shutdown Deadline Approaches

The deadline for congress to come up with a budget compromise is midnight tonight - Based on what's happened in Washington in the last 24 hours, there's a very real possibility of a government shutdown. The House of Representatives passed…

Statewide Walmart Wellness Day

Tomorrow, all Walmart locations across the state are hosting the first Walmart Wellness Day of 2018. The event will provide free health screenings and other valuable health information for Mississippians. From 10 am till 2 pm, the stores will offer…

Retrial In The Jessica Chambers Case

The re-trial of a man charged with killing a north Mississippi woman by setting her on fire has been set. Panola county district attorney john champion said Thursday that the second trial in the death of 19-year-old Jessica Chambers has…

Edgar Ray Killen dies

Mississippi’s corrections department says Edgar Ray Killen, a former Ku Klux Klan leader who was convicted in the 1964 ‘Mississippi Burning’ slayings of three Civil Rights workers, has died in prison at the age of 92. The part-time preacher and…

Reformulating the education fund

The Mississippi House intends to recommend a new education funding formula that would require the state to spend $107 million more than it is spending this year to aid K-12 schools. The legislature has fully funded the current education formula…

Health department requests bigger budget

After two years of reductions, the Mississippi State Department of Health is requesting a modest budget increase for the coming year. The state health officer, Dr. Mary Currier, says the department has cut expenses by going from nine administrative districts…

Possible utilities rate reductions

Mississippi utility customers could see their power and gas bills reduced as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The Mississippi Public Service Commission requested the public utilities staff to investigate possible rate reductions available to Mississippians due…

State of the State Address

Phil Bryant is delivering his State of the State address for his second term as Mississippi’s governor. Governor Bryant is expected to address the state’s weakening infrastructure, education, and state tax structure. News 25’s Kendra Turley joins us live from…