Mississippi News
Ole Miss, MSU drop mask mandates
University of Mississippi, Mississippi State drop mask mandates
Mississippi's two largest universities announced modified mask mandates late Friday afternoon.
Masks are now optional at University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University except in healthcare and instructional settings, such as classrooms, labs and studios. UM cited updated guidance from the Mississippi Department of Health, as well as declining metrics such as case numbers and positivity rates, as factors in the adjusted protocol.
Public relations officers for the state's six other universities told Mississippi Today that their schools are continuing to require masks indoors.
UM and MSU announced the modified requirements about a week after MSDH updated its guidance for colleges and universities on Feb. 7 to new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC's updated guidance “recommends indoor masking in public for everyone in areas of substantial or high transmission” for colleges and universities.
Though cases are declining, Lafayette and Oktibbeha counties — where UM and MSU are located — continue to see a high level of community transmission, as does the entire state of Mississippi, according to the CDC.
Previously, MSDH required the universities to mandate that masks in indoor campus settings when community transmission in a county is substantial or high. That guidance was adopted during the delta wave, said Liz Sharlot, MSDH's communications director.
MSDH briefed the Institutions of Higher Learning on the new guidance last week, Sharlot said. So far, UM and MSU are the only public universities to loosen their mask mandates. Delta State University's administration is meeting this week to review its COVID protocol, said Brittany Davis-Green, the university's communications director.
At UM, faculty and staff can “require face coverings for visits to their private offices,” Chancellor Glenn Boyce wrote in an email to students, faculty and staff. Boyce wrote that masks will not be required in the following on-campus spaces: residence halls, libraries, dining facilities, the student union, recreation facilities, retail spaces, offices, or conference rooms.
In its press release, MSU said its COVID-19 task force will re-evaluate those metrics on a weekly basis.
“The university's goal is to return to normal campus operations as soon as possible,” wrote Sid Salter, MSU's director of public affairs.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
1 dead, 2 injured in Jackson crash involving stolen SUV
SUMMARY: A juvenile has died and two others were injured in Jackson after a crash involving a stolen vehicle. Officers responded to a call about a stolen brown Kia SUV and found three male juveniles near the crashed vehicle. The juveniles were taken to the hospital, where one passed away from his injuries. The investigation into the incident is ongoing. Additionally, multiple homes in Vicksburg were damaged by gunfire, adding to the violence in the area. Police are continuing to investigate both incidents to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash and the shooting.
The post 1 dead, 2 injured in Jackson crash involving stolen SUV appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Calm for tonight with thunderstorms by Sunday afternoon – Home – WCBI TV
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The post Calm for tonight with thunderstorms by Sunday afternoon – Home – WCBI TV appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
2nd Jackson man sentenced for bank fraud scheme
SUMMARY: Ronald Gardner, a Jackson man, was sentenced to 61 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He and his co-conspirator, Anthony Craig Myrick, opened an account at a Jackson bank in someone else's name, deposited counterfeit U.S. Treasury checks, withdrew the cash, and used false identification cards. Gardner admitted to manufacturing the counterfeit checks and using another person's identity. The scheme affected at least 10 victims. Both Gardner and Myrick were indicted and pled guilty, with Myrick receiving a 26-month sentence. They were also ordered to pay restitution to the bank.
The post 2nd Jackson man sentenced for bank fraud scheme appeared first on www.wjtv.com
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