Mississippi State News

MS Leaders Speak at Neshoba County Fair

Mississippi leaders spoke at the Neshoba County Fair, discussing a wide variety of issues. U.S. Senator Roger Wicker called for Republican unity behind Donald Trump to defeat Hillary Clinton in the presidential election. Governor Phil Bryant took the stage to…

Donald Trump Jr. Speaks in Mississippi

At the Neshoba County Fair this afternoon, all eyes were on Donald Trump Jr. Trump Jr. is seen by many in the Republican Party as a possible presidential candidate years from now. News 25’s Katarina Luketich joins us from the…

State Adopts New Test Score Standards

Grading for Mississippi schools will not be getting easier any time soon. State officials have adopted test score standards that will mirror those used on a multi-state test students took in 2015. The State Board of Education voted unanimously Monday…

Tori Bowie: Mississippian Olympian

Tori Bowie is from Sand Hill, Mississippi. All of our state will be rooting for her at the Olympics next month. Tori is one of the fastest sprinters in the United States, but it’s the slow pace of her hometown,…

Sentencing for Former Ole Miss Student

One of the former Ole Miss students accused of placing a noose around the statue of James Meredith learned his fate today. Austin Reed Edenfield was sentenced to one year probation, along with 50 hours of community service. He was…

Mississippi Sues Landlords

The state of Mississippi is going after landlords and would be landlords who promised to fix up property after hurricane Katrina for low to moderate income tenants but failed to abide by the terms of their forgivable loan agreements. The…

Mississippi Casinos Cash In

Casino revenue continued to grow statewide in Mississippi in June. Gamblers lost more at casinos along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast. Figures released this week by the State Revenue Department show casinos won $175 million in June, up…

Opening Arguments Today

Opening arguments are scheduled in a fraud case against a Texas lawyer accused of inflating his client list for gulf oil spill litigation. Online court records show prosecutors dropped 22 counts of fraud before jury selection began Monday in Gulfport…

Former Mississippi Mayor Re-trial

Former Southaven Mayor Greg Davis in a different county. Mississippi's court of appeals Tuesday overturned Davis's 2014 conviction in Desoto County on two felony charges. The appeals court found that the trail judge should have moved the case outside Desoto…

Quinton Tellis Due in Court Today

The man charged of burning Panola County resident Jessica Chambers to death pleads not guilty. Quinton Tellis faces capital murder charges for Chambers’ murder two years ago. This morning he entered a not guilty plea in court. Detectives say Tellis…

2014-2015 School Districts Grading

Nineteen of Mississippi’s 146 school districts achieved the top score on an “A” through “F” grading scale for the 2014-15 school year, according to the long-delayed ratings released. However, some of those “A” rated districts retained the top grade because…

Legislative Leaders Appoint Tax Study Group

Mississippi legislative leaders are appointing groups to study tax policies and examine state spending. Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn announced that they are co-chairmen of the tax study group. The goal is to make recommendations for…

Attorney General will not Appeal House Bill 1523

Attorney General Jim Hood says he will not appeal the ruling that blocked the controversial House Bill 1523 from going into effect July 1st. In a statement released today, Hood says: “Simply stated, all HB 1523 has done is tarnish…

Statement by Attorney General Jim Hood on HB 1523

Attorney General Jim Hood says he will not appeal the ruling that blocked controversial House Bill 1523 from going into effect July 1st. In a statement released, Jim Hood says “I am convinced that continuing this divisive and expensive litigation…

Lottery for Special Needs Scholarships

The Mississippi Department of Education will hold a scholarship lottery for students with special needs. The Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Act of 2015 provides scholarships to parents of students with disabilities who want to remove their child…

Lawsuit aims to Block Charter Schools

A lawsuit filed this week seeks to block charter schools in Mississippi, arguing they violate the state constitution by making school districts share property taxes with schools they don’t control. The suit was filed in Hinds County Court on behalf…

Three New Zika Cases in Mississippi

Today the Mississippi State Department of Health reports three new cases of Zika virus. This brings the 2016 total to eight. The cases were in residents from Chickasaw, Hinds and Rankin counties who recently traveled to St. Thomas, Nicaragua and…

Endangered/Missing Child Alert

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has issued an Endangered/Missing Child Alert for 15-year-old James Wesley Lott. He is described as a white male, five feet, two inches tall with blonde hair and blue eyes. He may be accompanied by his…

Bryant Appeals Rejection Of HB 1523

Governor Bryant breaks away from co-defendants and files his own appeal against a federal judge’s rejection of the Religious Accommodations Act. In a motion filed Thursday in U.S. District Court, Bryant argues the plaintiffs in the four lawsuits contesting House…

Federal Judge Blocks Religious Accommodations Act

A federal judge killed Missississippi's controversial "religious freedom" law Thursday night minutes before it was set to take effect. U.S. District Court Judge Carlton Reeves stated that the bill was an unfortunate example of mississippi trying to write discrimination into…

Legal Defense Of HB 1523

Tomorrow many laws will go into effect, the biggest and likely most controversial one being House Bill 1523. It’s been several months since Governor Phil Bryant signed the Religious Accommodations Act into law. It is a law allowing private businesses…