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. MS Supreme Court won’t hear Ronk appeal
WJTV reported Sunday at that the Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled for the second time that it will not reconsider an appeal from a death row inmate convicted in the stabbing death of a woman with whom he was living.
“Timothy Ronk was convicted in 2010 of capital murder and armed robbery in Harrison County for the August 2008 killing of Michelle Craite. He received a death sentence for capital murder, plus a 30-year sentence for armed robbery,” WJTV reported. “Prosecutors said Ronk stabbed Craite and burned her house in the Woolmarket community, near Biloxi, to cover up the crime.”
Ronk remains in Parchman and no execution date has been set.
2. Boil water notices lifted in Jackson, Flowood
Over the weekend, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) lifted the state imposed boil-water notice for the City of Jackson and the City of Flowood.
This has been done in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Revised Total Coliform Rule, said MSDH. Officials have confirmed appropriate disinfection is in place and the samples taken from the distribution system are clear.
In spite of the allegations made by the City of Jackson Water Supply, the Mississippi State Department of Health said it stands behind the initial test results that indicated the presence of E. coli in the City of Jackson’s surface water. Upon review, all evidence supports that these test results were true positives. Since 2003, there have been 29 instances of E. coli detected in the City of Jackson’s water system. During the same time period, the City of Flowood has had three instances of E. coli in their water system.
“Clean drinking water and its availability to the public are fundamental to protecting the health, well-being and safety of everyone, with no exception,” said State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Air Force 2nd Lieutenant wins Miss America
Madison Marsh is the new Miss America and the first active-duty Air Force officer to win the title. Marsh, an Arkansas native representing Colorado, is a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.
On Sunday, the Air Force posted on X: “Congratulations to our very own #Airman, 2nd Lt. MadisonMarsh, aka Miss Colorado — who was just crowned @MissAmerica 2024! Marsh is the first active duty servicemember to ever win the title.”
2. Biden campaign sitting on over $100 million to start 2024 re-election bid
The AP is reporting that President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee finished 2023 with $117 million cash on hand for the Biden re-election campaign, taking in some $235 million since April. The campaign is reporting that it was “the highest total amassed by any Democratic candidate at this point in the cycle.,” as reported by the AP.
“More than 520,000 donors made 926,000-plus contributions in the quarter, it said,” the AP reported.
Sports & Entertainment
1. NFL Playoffs: Who won, who lost, who’s yet to play
The Detroit Lions won a playoff game Sunday night for the first time in 32 years, beating the Los Angeles Rams 24-23.
Green Bay provided the biggest upset of the first round playoffs so far, as the Packers overwhelmed the home-standing Dallas Cowboys 48-32.
On Saturday, the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs easily defeated the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins. The Texans whipped the Browns 45-14 while the Chiefs drowned the Dolphins 26-7 in one of the coldest NFL games ever to be played.
The final two games of the first round will be played Monday. The Bills are hosting the Steelers in a game that was rescheduled due to heavy snow accumulation and severe winter weather and the Buccaneers are hosting the Eagles.
2. Ole Miss, Miss. State basketball roundup
Following a loss to Tennessee last weekend, the Ole Miss men’s basketball team bounced back this Saturday with a 69-56 win versus Vanderbilt in Oxford. The Rebels are now 15-1 overall and 2-1 in SEC play.
Mississippi State’s men lost on Saturday, falling to Alabama 82-74. The Bulldogs are 12-4 overall and 1-2 in SEC play.
3. Rogers back in transfer portal
Former Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers has reentered the transfer portal after Washington Coach Kalen DeBoer was named the new head coach at Alabama.
Rogers transferred to Washington at the end of 2023 and was on track to likely start in the Huskies offense looking to replace Michael Penix.
Now, Rogers is looking for a new home and an opportunity to play in the 2024 season.
Markets & Business
Dow ends down on Friday
As reported by CNBC, the Dow lost 118.04 points, or 0.31%, to close at 37,592.98 on Friday. The S&P 500 ended the day 0.08% higher at 4,783.83, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite closed just above flat, gaining 0.02% to settle at 14,972.76.
CNBC notes:
UnitedHealth dragged the Dow lower, with the stock losing nearly 3.4% despite the company announcing higher-than-expected earnings and revenue for the fourth quarter. Delta Air Lines also fell nearly 9% even after exceeding quarterly earnings expectations.
A slew of big banks also reported earnings Friday. Bank of America lost about 1.1% after posting declining fourth-quarter profit, while Wells Fargo shares shed 3.3% despite posting a higher profit for the quarterly period. Shares of JPMorgan Chase lost 0.7% even after the bank said its earnings slipped by 15% from a year earlier.
Magnolia Tribune
