Morning Business Report: August 21, 2025
Categories: Business
Mississippi State Department of Health declares infant mortality emergency
The Mississippi State Department of Health has declared a public health emergency over rising infant mortality rates in the state. Data from 2024 shows the overall rate has increased to 9.7 dates per 1,000 live births, which is the highest in more than a decade. To respond to this, MSDH officials are working with other health agencies and medical systems…
Waveland Ground Zero Museum celebrates 20 years of rebirth after Hurricane Katrina
WAVELAND, Miss. — As we approach the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall, we take a look at Waveland, the storm’s ground zero, and we remember one of the cities that lost so much that day in 2005. The Ground Zero Museum was established in 2013 to showcase not only the devastation caused by the storm, but also the strength…
Miss Virginia Volunteer 2026 and Mississippi native in studio
Joining us in studio is Miss Virginia Volunteer 2026, Kennedy Fewell. Kennedy is a Mendenhall, Mississippi native. Categories: Community Headlines
25 Teams in 25 Days: The Poplarville Hornets!
After 11 seasons, nine south state games and five state championship appearances under Head Coach Jay Beech, the Poplarville Hornets made history by bringing the first ever football state championship to the school in 2024. It was a game of gutsy throws, 66-yard house calls, on side kicks, and of course a failed two point conversion. The Hornets truly never…
Picayune Police Department increases effectiveness of drug busts, leading to decrease in offenses
PICAYUNE, Miss. (WXXV) — It’s in the news every day: drugs making their way into the hands of community members, changing lives forever. “If a community thinks that they don’t have fentanyl, meth or anything in their community, they’re very naive,” Picayune Police Chief Joe Quave said. The Picayune Police Department is finding that with deeper investigations into seemingly unrelated…
‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign kicking off along the Coast
GULF COAST, Miss. (WXXV)- Law enforcement agencies across the Coast are kicking off their ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaigns. Drivers are seeing an uptick in patrols and cruisers on the interstate and highways. The campaign will run through September 1 with officers identifying and stopping impaired drivers over the Labor Day weekend. Anyone going out to drink is…
Mississippi Alliance for Child and Community Advocacy annual leadership conference
BILOXI, Miss. (WXXV)- The Mississippi Alliance for Child and Community Advocacy hosted day one of its annual leadership conference at IP Resort Casino Wednesday. This two-day conference is designed to spark leadership, advocacy, and transformation across Mississippi’s child welfare community. This year’s theme ‘lights, leadership, action’ is all about equipping people with tools to lead boldly and advocate effectively. Attendees…
8/20 – Sam Lucey’s “Warm and Dry” Wednesday Evening Forecast
Tonight stays mostly clear with lows in the mid 70s. Thursday will be hot and humid with highs in the low 90s, but feeling more like 105, and scattered afternoon storms likely. Storm chances stick around Thursday night and increase again Friday, with highs near 91. The unsettled pattern continues into the weekend, with storm chances each afternoon and highs…
‘Ocean of Opportunity’ offering free children’s admission at Mississippi Aquarium
GULFPORT, Miss. (WXXV)-Hancock Whitney is teaming up with the Mississippi Aquarium, allowing kids 12 and younger into the aquarium for free on select days. This will allow free admission as well as special animal appearances, exclusive activities, free gifts, and so much more. The Ocean of Opportunity takes place on the weekends with the first opportunity on September 20 and…
SHEA Community Baby Shower
The Mississippi Public Health Institute’s SHEA Program is putting on a free community baby shower at the end of the month in Gulfport. Here to tell us more are Elizabeth Ozene and Kezi Jones. The SHEA Community Baby Shower takes place Saturday, August 30 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Lyman Community Center. Categories: Community Headlines, Local News, News…
Chamber Spotlight – Cooley Financial Group
Gulfport Chamber Director, Laura Benoit introduces us to Cooley Financial Group in downtown Gulfport for all our insurance, Medicare and retirement needs! Categories: Chamber Member Spotlight Tags: Chamber Of Commerce, chamber spotlight, cooley financial group, Finance, insurance, retirement
Morning Business Report: August 20, 2025
Categories: Business Tags: business, morning business report
Hurricane Hunters monitor Hurricane Erin
Air Force personnel based at Keesler Air Force Base are helping weather officials measure Hurricane Erin. This footage filmed by the Air Force showed the personnel onboard Super Hercules aircraft assigned to the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron dropping ocean buoys ahead of Hurricane Erin. The Hurricane Hunters are working with the U.S. Navy and partner agencies to collect real-time data…
Red Cross blood drives held in remembrance of Hurricane Katrina
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (WXXV) — The American Red Cross is holding multiple blood drives across the coast over the next two weeks in remembrance of Hurricane Katrina. People were in and out of Central Bible Church, donating their blood and time to help save lives on Tuesday. This is all in remembrance of the category 5 storm that devastated…
Merchants and Marine Bank temporary location in Moss Point closing, reopening at new branch
MOSS POINT, Miss. (WXXV)- A heads up for Moss Point residents, the Merchants and Marine Bank is moving to their new branch. The temporary location will close at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, August 20 to prepare for the move. Customers are able to head to the brand-new branch starting on Thursday with regular hours. An official reopening is taking place…
08/20 Sophie’s “Weather Kid” Wednesday Forecast
Meet today's WXXV Weather Ki...Teen, Sophie!
Meet this week’s WXXV Weather Teen, Sophie! Sophie likes to spend quite a bit of time outdoors, and since Heat Advisories returned to South Mississippi over the last few days, we talked ways of staying cool and what activities she likes. Sophie comes from a big family, so she also spends quite a bit of time babysitting many of her…
City of Gulfport launches ‘Horizons 2045: Charting our Future”
GULFPORT, Miss. (WXXV)- The City of Gulfport is inviting the public to come together later this week for the launch of the ‘Horizons 2045: Charting our Future” program. The meeting will be taking place at 5:30 p.m. this Thursday, August 21 at Gulfport City Hall. The meeting will touch on the future of Gulfport for the next two decades. The…
‘He’ll be truly missed:’ remembering Biloxi legend Peter Roy Elder
BILOXI, Miss. (WXXV) — South Mississippi is mourning the loss of Biloxi icon Peter Roy Elder, who passed away unexpectedly on Monday night. “He was just the life of the party; wherever he went, he was the center stage,” Bobby Mahoney, owner of Mary Mahoney’s Old French House and a friend of Elder, said. Known across Major League Baseball as…
25 Teams in 25 Days: Resurrection Catholic Eagles
The amount of Resurrection Catholic Eagles on the field may be small, but what matters is the size of the heart and fight. Even though they may have to work harder than most, they’re not backing down from the task at hand. Head Coach Eric Denmark says he has 17-18 warriors ready for battle the 2025 season. Hear from…
Job seekers stopped by Memorial Health System career expo
GULFPORT, Miss. (WXXV)-Memorial Health System hosted a career expo Tuesday, giving job seekers a chance to explore opportunities across its health systems. Attendees were able to tour facilities, meet with hospital leaders, and explore open positions. From clinical roles to support staff, the event focused on matching people with the right job while showcasing benefits, growth opportunities, and Memorial’s mission-driven…
Car ends up on the beach in Pass Christian
PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. (WXXV)- A scary moment for two Pass Christian women driving on Highway 90. The driver avoided another vehicle and their car ended up on the beach. The car swerved, jumped the boardwalk, and landed in the sand. Pass Christian police and fire arrived on the scene. Emergency responders had to remove the women from the car as…
8/19 – Sam Lucey’s “Quiet and Comfortable” Tuesday Evening Forecast
Tonight will be mostly clear and quiet, with temperatures settling in the mid 70s and light southerly winds becoming calm. By Wednesday, the heat ramps up once again with highs in the mid 90s, but with the humidity, it’ll feel closer to 105. We have a heat advisory in effect from 10 am to 7 pm. A few pop-up…
Groundbreaking for Mississippi Cyber and Tech Center in Biloxi
BILOXI, Miss. (WXXV)- Mississippi and the U.S. Air Force are marking a new era in cybersecurity research, training, and collaboration as construction has begun on a transformative project on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The new Cyber and Technology facility will include office space for Mississippi State University personnel, private industry partners, classroom space for Keesler training, and an event center….