Summarized Jackson News in November

Jackson Water Lawsuit and EPA Funding

The Environmental Protection Agency has promised $75 million to Mississippi for water infrastructure. The state will have power over distributing the funds across cities, but the administrator of the EPA has specifically mentioned Jackson as a community that needs this money. The city has already approved an increase in pay for its water system workers in order to improve its safety and efficiency.

The EPA also gave an administrative order detailing what Jackson needs to fix in its water infrastructure which would cost approximately $170 million, but this is only a fraction of Jackson’s total infrastructure needs which total up to over $2 billion. In this order, the EPA also gave various occasions from January 2016 to June 2021 in which the city did not meet requirements for lead and copper treatment, including a few times that Jackson did not disclose to the public.

Now a lawsuit has been filed by over 500 children over long-term lead exposure and Jackson’s attempted cover-up of it. In 2014, Jackson allegedly changed the water source from wells to the Pearl River and Ross Barnett Reservoir to mitigate lead problem complaints, but the harsher water corroded pipes causing more lead problems, and Jackson once again failed to notify the public until five months later. The city currently has until January 12^th to respond to these allegations.

UMMC Job Fair for Jackson Residents

On December 9^th, the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Jobs for Jacksonians are hosting a job fair at Tougaloo Community Center from 9-2 a.m. All of the jobs are at least $10 an hour and include training so experience isn’t required. Face masks are required.

Boosie Badazz Plans to Enroll at JSU

Boosie Badazz recently announced that he plans to enroll in Jackson State University next year in a video posted on Well Off Media’s YouTube page.

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

As the only abortion clinic in Mississippi, the Jackson Woman’s Health Organization went to court on November 29^th to argue against a state law that prohibits abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. This case is about upholding Roe v. Wade, which dictates abortions are allowed up to 24 weeks. Mississippi is currently arguing that this time frame should be left for the states to decide. Considering the Supreme Court’s conservative majority, many predict that Roe v. Wade will be overturned.

Jackson Awarded $20 Million to Reconstruct Medgar Evers Boulevard

Jackson will soon be rebuilding a 1.5 mile strip of Medgar Evers Boulevard with $20 million recently promised by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding America Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity Grant Program. This project will “include cool pavement drive lanes, sidewalks, transit stops and amenities, a landscaped median, street trees, energy efficient streetlights, new water and sanitary lanes and sustainability drainage improvements” as reported by Gabriela Szymanowska in the Clarion Ledger

Jackson Teen Feeds the Homeless with Make-A-Wish

Adeola “Abraham” Olagbegi grew up feeding the homeless with his family every month until last year when he was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia, but he thankfully received a bone marrow transplant a few months later. He decided to use his Make-A-Wish to feed the homeless in Jackson one day a month for a year. In September alone, he was able to help approximately 80 people.

Hinds County Has Less than Two Weeks to Prevent Federal Control over Raymond Jail

Hinds County has been accused of acting unconstitutionally in the treatment of Raymond Jail prisoners. Six inmates have died this year due to medical negligence, staffing issues, a drug overdose, and one murder. Chemical spray is used to control prisoners which is supposed to only be used as defense as detailed in the jail’s policies. There are many power struggle issues as well, such as detainees who have allegedly created committees to choose who lives in their unit. There have been multiple instances of riots, fires set without working fire alarms or sprinkler systems, and safety issues such as officers of multiple cellblocks leaving the control rooms unattended and giving inmates the opportunity to release everyone in the prison. Jail staffers organized a walkout this month which left only three employees to run the jail, and their demands are currently in the process of being met.

There are many cell doors that do not lock, so approximately 30 have been welded shut and currently function as large trash dumps that pose major cleanliness and health issues. There is also a broken air conditioning unit that make conditions “unbearable” for inmates. In addition, here are major contraband issues as almost half of the detainees own drugs, cell phones, cash, and weapons. As reported by Anthony Warren at WLBT, “inmates have even been known to leave the facility to obtain contraband and bring it back inside.”

If solutions to these problems aren’t implemented within less than two weeks, the federal government will receive control of the jail.

Read more about it here: https://www.wlbt.com/2021/11/13/interim-sheriff-marshand-crisler-meets-with-hinds-co-detention-center-employees-discuss-worker-demands/

https://www.wlbt.com/2021/11/24/county-has-three-weeks-convince-federal-judge-not-take-over-raymond-jail/

New Hinds County Sheriff

Former Captain Tyree Jones won the run-off election against interim Sheriff Marshand Crisler and was sworn in on December 3^rd. His main priorities are addressing the crime in Jackson as well as improving Hinds County Detention Center. He will finish out the term of Sheriff Lee Vance who passed on August 3^rd due to COVID-19 complications.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/tyree-jones-elected-hinds-county-sheriff/ar-AAR3MJK

Mississippi Eviction Law Declared Unconstitutional

A federal judge has deemed part of Mississippi’s eviction law unconstitutional during Samatha Conner’s court case over her eviction in 2019 in which all of her possessions were seized by her landlord during her eviction. Under this law, landlords could take all of their tenants’ belongings as soon as a judge granted an eviction on their first day of nonpayment without any grace period. In Conner’s case, this included even birth certificates and baby photos. Mississippi Legislature will be able to revise this law next year.

Read more about it here:

Federal judge finds Mississippi eviction law unconstitutional

Women’s Business Center Launches Next Month at JSU

Female entrepreneurs with small businesses will be able to receive help such as “confidential confidential one-on-one counseling, low-cost training, networking, free workshops, technical assistance, and mentoring…” as reported by Carmen Poe of WLBT. This center will open in January 2022, and the criteria to qualify is provided at the link below.

Metrocenter Mall now Owned by the State

The Metrocenter Mall was purchased by Emily Sanders in 2020, but it has now been revealed that she was convicted of fraud in 2013 and arrested for embezzlement in 2012. Two people now claim that she hired and never paid them as promised, and she currently owes roughly $100,000 in taxes. The mall has been taken over by the state until she makes these payments within two years.

Crime:

JPS Basketball Coach Accused of Sexually Assaulting a Minor

A basketball coach at Wingfield High School allegedly sexually assaulted a seventeen-year-old in November 2021. There will be a restraining order hearing, but when JPS was questioned by by WJTV 12 News, they reportedly claimed, “’After a complete investigation, there was no evidence to support the allegations.’ When asked if the coach was still employed with the district, they said it was a personnel matter.”

Read more about it here:

JPS basketball coach accused of sexual assault

State Street Murder

On December 4^th, a man was shot and killed in his vehicle by the Texaco gas station on State Street. No additional information has been released at this time.

Read more about it here:

Man shot, killed at Texaco on State Street in Jackson

Stray Bullet Hit Fire Station

On November 29^th, approximately twenty shots were fired on Ridgewood Road, and one stray bullet entered Fire Station 19 and hit a couch. There were no injuries.

Read more about it here:

Stray bullet fired into Jackson Fire Station

Capitol Street Murder

One man was shot and killed on December 1^st at Capitol Street and Prentiss Street. No additional information has been released at this time.

Read more about it here:

Man shot, killed on Capitol Street in Jackson

Jackson Breaks its Homicide Record again

2019 had 83 homicides followed by a jump in 2020 to 128 homicides. As of November 29, 2021, Jackson has reached 129 murders this year.

Derrick Street, One Injured and One Dead

On November 24^th, a man was shot and killed, and a 13-year-old was shot in both legs on Derrick Street. An assault rifle was left at the scene.

Read more about it here:

Man dead, teen injured in shooting on Derrick Street in Jackson

Multiple Shootings and Armed Robbery on Same Night

On November 22^nd, there were multiple reports of crime. That night, Laramie Collins was shot and killed in his car on McDowell Road.

On Cedar Lane, a man was shot multiples times, but his condition is unknown.

Two men were robbed at 5597 Robinson Road Ext. An eighteen-year-old was robbed at Burger King and shot, and he was announced to be in critical condition. The other victim was twenty-one years old, but his condition is unknown.

Read more about it here:

Jackson police investigating multiple shootings in city

West McDowell Road Murder

On November 21^st, a man was shot multiple times on West McDowell Road because of a domestic dispute. The victim is in stable condition and a suspect is currently in custody.

Raymond Road and McDowell Road Homicide

On November 16^th, 28-year-old Steven Patrick Woods was shot and killed at Raymond Road and McDowell Road. The police are currently in search of a Dodge Charger with a missing front, left hub cab that is suspected to be connected to the murder.

Crime:

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