- Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
In Mississippi
1. Mayor Lumumba says city, church in talks to open youth curfew center
According to WLBT, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba said this week that the city of Jackson was in talks with a local church on setting up a youth curfew center.
WLBT reported that the mayor wouldn’t say the name of the church but said it’s an idea he’s been wanting to try since he first heard about it from the mayor of Baltimore.
”Instead of detaining them and becoming part of the problem, we want to apply a solution that ultimately gets to the root cause of why that young person may be on the street in the first place,” he said, according to WLBT. “If a criminal act happens, then there’s a process for that… But merely being out on the street, we want to make sure that we are addressing the problem with the right tools.”
2. Possible human remains found during renovation of Tallahatchie County Courthouse
WJTV has reported that possible human remains were discovered during renovations inside the Tallahatchie County Courthouse in Charleston, Mississippi.
According to WJTV, the remains were found in late February during the renovation of an office used for evidence storage at one time.
WJTV cites the Sun-Sentinel Newspaper in quoting Tallahatchie County Sheriff Jimmy Fly as saying, “The remains were located in an area previously used to store evidence and court exhibits. The Sheriff’s Office has been working with multiple state and federal agencies to assist in determining the source of the remains.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Biden delivers State of the Union address
President Joe Biden delivered his fourth State of the Union address, setting the tone for his 2024 re-election campaign and drawing distinctions between he and his predecessor, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.
Alabama U.S. Senator Katie Britt, a freshman, offered the Republican Reponse.
For complete coverage of the State of the Union along with reaction from Mississippi officials, read here.
2. No shutdown in D.C. as House, Senate agree on funding bills
Reuters is reporting that the U.S. Senate will vote Friday to approve funding for a number of federal agencies through September. The agreement between the House and Senate averts a partial government shutdown that would have occurred Friday night.
The House passed the measure on Thursday by a vote of 339-85, with 83 Republicans voting no to the negotiated package endorsed by Speaker Mike Johnson.
Reuters noted that House Appropriations Committee Republicans “boasted in a statement that with this legislation they have reversed the trajectory of accelerating government spending, delivering on a 2022 campaign promise,” while “House Democrats highlighted the Republican upheaval, along with their own role in breaking the budget logjam on Wednesday.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. Southern Miss season comes to an end
Southern Miss and Texas State met on the hardwood Thursday night in the opening game of the SunBelt conference tournament in Pensacola.
The Golden Eagles lost 75-59, bringing their season to an end.
Southern Miss was 16-16 overall and 9-9 in Sun Belt play during the 2024 season.
2. Miss. State can’t comeback against Texas A&M
Mississippi State men’s basketball ran out of steam in their comeback bid on Wednesday at Texas A&M. The Bulldogs fell to the Aggies 75-69.
State now sits at 17-14 overall and 8-9 in SEC play.
The Bulldogs will host South Carolina on Saturday for their regular season finale.
Markets & Business
Aldi acquires Winn-Dixie, Harveys
Aldi’s acquisition of Southeastern Grocers and its Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores has been completed, the company said on Thursday.
The company plans to add 800 stores nationwide by the end of 2028.
Aldi locations have been popping up across Mississippi in recent months, with new stores in Hattiesburg, Ocean Springs, Pascagoula and more either already open or in the final stages.
