Mississippi State News

Russian roulette death in Columbus, MS

Columbus authorities are investigating the shooting death of a teenager as a possible case of Russian roulette. Columbus, Mississippi police say 17-year-old Tovaris Deloach died Wednesday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Witnesses stated the victim talked about Russian roulette prior…

Ozone results again show the quality of Mississippi’s air

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) announced today that the 2017 Ozone Season ended on October 31 without any counties in Mississippi exceeding the current ozone standard set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Ozone levels have continued a…

Smaller budget ahead for Mississippi

Mississippi is on track to have a slightly smaller budget in the coming year, reflecting caution about the state economy. Top lawmakers met Wednesday and set an estimate that the state will have $5.6 billion available to spend during fiscal…

Religious Freedom law appeal

A second appeal has been filed by same-sex marriage supporters who want the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a Mississippi law letting government workers and business people cite religious objections to refuse service to LGBT people. The Monday appeal comes…

Shooting at Jason Aldean concert in Tupelo

For a second time this month, gunfire erupted at one of Jason Aldean’s concerts. This past Friday, police in Tupelo say 22-year-old Steven Hulbert fired multiple times in the parking lot of an arena where Aldean was performing. One person…

Gulfport native running for special election

Gulfport native Joel Carter announced he will run for District 49 state Senate to fill the vacant seat of Sean Tindell who was appointed judge to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Carter is a Mississippi Gulf Coast realtor and businessman…

New case of West Nile Virus

The Mississippi State Department of Health is confirming one new case of West Nile Virus. That brings the total so far this year to 61 cases of the mosquito borne illness, including two people who died earlier this year. The…

155th Armored Brigade to deploy

Four thousand and two hundred Mississippi National Guard soldiers of the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team have received orders to mobilize in support of Operation Spartan Shied. Operation Spartan Shield is a combined forces contingency operation designed to deter and…

Two children injured on fair ride in Laurel

Two children were injured Friday from a ride at the South Mississippi State Fair in Laurel. A fair representative said a seven-year-old girl fell out of a ride called “Up, Up, and Away” when the seat became loose. The girl…

Mississippi school district grades are in for 2017

State wide “Excellence for All” school gradings are in for the 2017 school year. Coast school districts fared well. Ocean Springs was the highest rated school district on the Coast, joined by Long Beach and Biloxi with a grade of…

Jessica Chambers’ mom reacts to mistrial

The trial may be over, but Jessica Chambers’ mom still wants justice for Jessica. Lisa Chambers shares her frustration over her daughter’s mistrial. Quinton Tellis was accused in the fiery death of the 19-year-old, but jury members could not agree…

Jackson School Changes Name Away From Jefferson Davis

A Mississippi school is shedding the name of the Confederacy's only president and will instead be named for the first African-American president of the United States. Davis International Baccalaureate Elementary School in Jackson was named decades ago for Jefferson Davis.…

Mississippi Senate special election

It is official: a former state senator from South Mississippi is now serving as a judge with the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Sean Tindell was sworn into his new position earlier today after resigning from his state Senate seat on…

Sick GOP members hurting party majority

Top Republicans coping with a razor-thin majority as they try pushing a partisan agenda through the Senate are running smack into another complication: the sheer age and health issues of some senators. On Monday, the office of ailing Senator Thad…

State Senator Sean Tindell resigns

Sean Tindell is hanging up his hat as state senator for District 49. Senator Tindell is officially resigning from his position with the Senate after serving as a state senator since 2012. Tindell is in Jackson right now and will…

Mistrial declared in Jessica Chambers murder trial

This afternoon a mistrial was declared in the case of a Mississippi man charged with burning a woman to death. Jurors initially said they found Quinton Tellis not guilty of capital murder in the death of 19-year-old Jessica Chambers. However,…

Senator Cochran postpones trip to Washington

A sickness is causing U.S. Senator Thad Cochran to postpone his trip to Washington D.C. Brad White, chief of staff to Senator Cochran, says the senator developed a urinary tract infection in a statement that says in part: “after a…

Latest in Jessica Chambers murder trial

A doctor says 19-year-old Jessica Chambers who was found alive with severe burns in Mississippi, but later died from her injuries suffered so much damage to her mouth, throat and chest that she would have had trouble clearly saying words.…

Jessica Chambers murder trial begins

The trial of a man charged with burning a 19-year-old Mississippi woman to death nearly three years ago is set to begin today. Opening statements are scheduled Tuesday in the trial of 29-year-old Quentin Tellis in Batesville, Mississippi about 50…

Mississippi transportation maintenance plan

Mississippi residents could vote on a state lawmaker’s plan that would raise taxes and fees to pay for renovations to roads and bridges. On Monday, Mississippi Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall announced the bill Republican State Senator Dean Kirby…

HB 1523 goes into effect

The controversial house bill HB 1523 is now in effect across Mississippi. The measure went into effect after the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a lower federal court ruling striking down the law as unconstitutional. HB 1523 specifically allows…