'Holy goat:' A goat guards a Mississippi church

Billy goat stands on front steps of Rose Bower M.B. Church on July 7, 2020, in McComb, Miss.
ERNEST HERNDON

'It sucks': Coronavirus outbreak at Capitol leaves state government in limbo

When COVID-19 kicked into full force, state Rep. Trey Lamar said the aches “felt like somebody took a nine-iron to my back.”

Lamar is among dozens of Mississippi legislators and staff infected in a coronavirus outbreak at the state Capitol as lawmakers ended, for now, their 2020 legislative session. Many lawmakers by the end of the session on July 1 were eschewing face masks and social distancing, and the Capitol at times was packed with people as lawmakers voted to retire the state flag with its divisive Confederate emblem.

With unfinished business, including dealing with the governor’s veto of the state public education budget, the legislative outbreak has state government in limbo. The Capitol is shut down, and health officials warn lawmakers shouldn’t gather again for at least a couple of weeks.

Both Speaker of the House Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who presides over the Senate, have tested positive. A spokesperson for the Republican speaker, who announced his test results on July 5, said earlier this week that Gunn is “doing great.” He is slated to give online interviews later this week in his capacity as the chair of the American Legislative Exchange Council, a national organization that promotes conservative ideas and legislation.

Read more: https://mississippitoday.org/2020/07/14/it-sucks-coronavirus-outbreak-at-capitol-leaves-state-government-in-limbo/

Giving Jackson students laptops for remote learning 'puts a target on them,' says superintendent

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - The Jackson Public School District and the effects of remote learning were the focus of a Wall Street Journal piece published Wednesday.

In the piece entitled ‘Are They Setting My Children Up for Failure?’ Remote Learning Widens Education Gap, JPS Superintendent Dr. Errick Greene admitted that the district was caught “flat-footed” during the pandemic, noting connectivity issues for some while remote learning and parents having challenges teaching their children.

The piece also revealed the hardships the Jackson school district faces, noting that it is the largest low-performing district in the state and that nearly all of its students rely on free and reduced-school lunches.

It also mentioned the fact that almost a third of JPS students have no access to a computer or internet.

Read more: https://www.wlbt.com/2020/07/17/giving-jps-students-laptops-remote-learning-puts-target-them-says-superintendent/

Video Captures Space Object Entering Atmosphere in West Texas

Mississippi's governor considers closing bars midst rising Coronavirus cases

The Mississippi Department of Health is reporting more than 10,000 new cases of the Coronavirus in the first 15 days of July, a benchmark that took two months at the start of the pandemic

State and healthcare leaders met with members of the White House Coronavirus task force Wednesday to discuss the state's response to the virus. Governor Tate Reeves says they were supportive of the state's mask mandates, but they advised that he close bars to slow the spread further. The Governor says he's considering this option, but a decision may not be reached this week. "It is not in my DNA to shut down private businesses, so this is something that we're having a lot of conversations about. There seem to be distinctions between those who are outdoor and those who are indoor, and so there's a lot of nuances there that we're trying to work through. But I am concerned about potential transmission in bars," says Reeves.

State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs says the amount of patients being admitted to hospitals has doubled in the last month, and one-third of all intensive care patients in Mississippi have the Coronavirus. He says "Goldman Sachs, you know no socialist enterprise at all, strongly endorses masking. And even a modest increase in masking could save our economy up to a trillion dollars. Why in the world are we not doing that? It's absolutely maddening."

Alabama's Governor has issued a statewide mandate requiring masks in public. Reporters asked Governor Reeves if he's considering a statewide mask mandate, a question he's been asked at nearly all of his recent press conferences. He says "You know it would be a heck of a lot easier for me just to sign the order so y'all can quit asking that question. Then I wouldn't have to deal with it every day. But I'm here to tell you, I think fewer people would wear masks in the counties where it's most important if that's what I did. Otherwise, I'd do it. But I don't believe that's the best strategy."

Read more: https://www.mpbonline.org/blogs/news/mississippis-governor-considers-closing-bars-midst-rising-coronavirus-cases/

Governor Reeves is an idiot.

"We refuse to be silenced": Oxford organizers plan next steps in call to remove Confederate monument

OXFORD • After the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously against a proposal to relocate the Confederate monument, organizers within Lafayette County are planning more targeted actions in opposition to that decision.

Protesters will protest before the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors meeting on July 20 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. in front of the Chancery Building. Protests will occur every Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. at the Square.

“They’re going to hear our voices. We will not be silenced. They’re trying to silence us, and we refuse to be silenced,” said Tracey Williams, a member of Take it Down Oxford and Justice.

Take It Down Oxford formed in June and represents a collective effort among different networks in Oxford to remove the Confederate monument located in the middle of the Oxford Square. Take It Down Oxford leadership and members stated that with July 6’s vote, the main objective will be targeting all businesses owned by supervisors to put pressure on them. Protesters gathered around Larson’s Cash Saver, co-owned by District 1 Supervisor Brent Larson, on July 10 at 4:30 p.m. to protest, and said they are calling for a daily boycott to push for supervisors to call for another vote. There were also counter-protesters present to support Larson's decision.

Read more: https://www.djournal.com/news/we-refuse-to-be-silenced-oxford-organizers-plan-next-steps-in-call-to-remove-confederate/article_60103882-ac1a-56bd-a546-d2a965728159.html
(Tupelo Daily Journal)

Is Mike Espy auditioning for a Joe Biden gig?

Mike Espy, the Democrat nominee for U.S. Senate in Mississippi, has a history of campaigning for his next political gig while appearing passionate about his current one.

In December 1992, soon after Bill Clinton won his first presidential term and Espy won his 4th term in the U.S. House of Representatives, then-Congressman Espy aggressively pushed himself on the President-elect angling for an appointment as Secretary of Agriculture.

The Los Angeles Times chronicled Espy’s pursuit of greener pastures, noting how Espy sat on a wooden milk crate behind Union Station in D.C. and scribbled on an envelope 10 reasons why Clinton should appoint him to the post. Espy gave the list to Clinton’s team at a dinner that evening but he went a step further to mention it to Clinton himself. The LA Times called it a “brash move.”

Espy had been an active supporter of Clinton during the 1992 presidential campaign, going so far as to defend Clinton to Jesse Jackson “as a leader in race relations who could bring people together.”

Read more: https://yallpolitics.com/2020/07/17/corder-is-mike-espy-auditioning-for-a-joe-biden-gig/

Rename Edmund Pettus Bridge for John Lewis? Some civil rights veterans say no

Lynda Lowery was just 14 when she was one of hundreds of civil rights marchers beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965, an event forever known as Bloody Sunday. She got seven stitches over her right eye, and 28 on the back of her head.

The memories of the emergency room — the needle; a nurse telling her many of the injured were treated without anesthesia — have only come back to her recently.

“After all these years, the bridge, Bloody Sunday and so forth brings back bad memories,” Lowery, a Selma resident, said in a phone interview on Saturday.

Lowery wept Friday evening on learning of the death of U.S. Rep. John Lewis, whose skull was cracked on the bridge that day. But she opposes efforts to name the bridge after him.

Read more: https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2020/07/18/rename-edmund-pettus-bridge-john-lewis-some-activists-say-no-selma-alabama-decision/5465094002/

Mobile police officer at center of viral arrest video submits resignation, MPD says

MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) — Officer Blake Duke has submitted his resignation Friday while under investigation for an off-duty incident, according to Mobile Police.

Duke was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday. Mobile Police Department did not offer details on why.

In February, Duke was placed on desk duty during an administrative investigation into the actions captured on cellphone video during the arrest of Howard Green, Jr.

Duke was returned to full duty on April 6, 2020, according to the department. That viral video is not related to this resignation, as Duke was on duty during the arrest.

Read more: https://mynbc15.com/news/local/mobile-police-officer-at-center-of-viral-arrest-video-submits-resignation-mpd-says

The cellphone video showed that he used a choke hold on Howard Green, Jr.

State moves to ban antidepressant sold in convenience stores, can mimic opioids

The Alabama Department of Public Health is moving to ban a widely available antidepressant that can mimic the effects of opioids.

Tianeptine is approved in some other countries to treat depression, but is not approved in the United States, State Pharmacy Director Nancy Bishop told Alabama Daily News.

“The dose for depression is very low, but when taken in high doses, the drug produces a high and euphoric effect similar to opioids and can lead to dependence,” Bishop said. “It is taken as an opioid substitute or to eliminate opioid withdrawal symptoms and can be purchased at convenience stores and online as a dietary supplement.”

This week, the State Committee of Public Health, at the recommendation of Alabama Department of Public Health, moved to categorize tianeptine as a Schedule II drug. Other Schedule II drugs include morphine, cocaine, methamphetamine and hydrocodone. Some Schedule II drugs are available legally through prescriptions.

Read more: https://www.wbrc.com/2020/07/17/state-moves-ban-antidepressant-sold-convenience-stores-can-mimic-opioids/