Author: Josh

T-Mobile named 40 finalists in its Friday Night 5G Lights contest — Natchez and Covington among the South picks — while the parents of 17-year-old Martha Odom filed suit over the Mall of Louisiana shooting. Officials also warn residents to prepare as Hurricane Isaias nears the northern Gulf Coast.

The Historic Natchez Foundation received a $750,000 National Park Service grant to fund preservation and safety upgrades at Historic Auburn. Meanwhile, Hurricane Isaias threatens the region with heavy rain and possible flooding, and the IBHS is proposing a 15-year limit on fortified-roof insurance discounts.

Adams County will lease county-owned land to a metal refinery expected to create 134 jobs, while supervisors say it’s too early to discuss a possible data center at the former International Paper site.

Westwood Elements will invest $502 million to build a Class 1 nickel refinery at Natchez’s Bellwood Industrial site, creating 134 jobs (avg. $84,000) and producing about 18,000 tons a year, with commissioning targeted for 2029.

A citizen complaint led to the arrest of 67-year-old Richard Washington in Natchez on drug-related charges. Louisiana fell from 3rd to 19th in the latest obesity rankings, frozen berry products were recalled over possible E. coli contamination, and the UL System is reviewing athletic budgets as river levels rise.

A Natchez narcotics raid resulted in the arrest of a convicted felon and seizure of drugs and a handgun; two Louisiana Tech students were arrested after a viral video using a racial slur; Mississippi’s Office of Child Nutrition is accepting CACFP funding applications.

Albert Kendall Washington was extradited from Monroe to Adams County to face a murder charge in the death of Felicia Bates; a judge denied bond and he remains in custody. Separately, Louisiana Tech announced record undergraduate and freshman enrollment, with strong gains in engineering, nursing and accounting.

Six people were injured in a two-vehicle crash in Wilkinson County; an arrest was made in the 2021 death of Floyd Rosemond. Diesel prices are climbing amid global tensions, and the Mississippi River at Natchez‑Vidalia continues to rise.

Southbound lane of the 200 block of Martin Luther King Street will close for demolition of an unstable building. St. Tammany’s coroner warns of rising suicides and urges gun-safety/988; legal updates include drug-settlement claims and a review of AG Murrell’s indictment.

A Selma Estates woman died after her SUV ran into a pond, authorities said. Other local developments: asthma and ragweed warnings, a parolee escape from Madison County, a Louisiana Senate poll showing Julia Letlow up by four points, and the Natchez River rising.