Mississippi News
Mississippi Today wins Sidney Award for Jackson water crisis coverage
Mississippi Today wins prestigious Sidney Award for coverage of Jackson water crisis
Reporter Alex Rozier and the Mississippi Today newsroom have won the September Sidney Award for their coverage of the Jackson water crisis.
The drinking water system in Jackson — Mississippi's largest city and home to more than 150,000 residents — failed in late August, leaving thousands of capital city residents with low or no water pressure and little information about when service would be restored.
Mississippi Today's newsroom sprung to action, deploying every journalist on staff to the story to provide accurate, timely information residents needed immediately. The staff has published more than five dozen stories about the crisis so far in September, covering a broad range of angles. The journalists also relied on public records to add investigative context to why the water system had failed and what was needed to fix it.
The newsroom circulated a text messaging line to reach Jacksonians directly, published an FAQ post, provided resource pages about where to find water and mutual aid links, and partnered with local television station WJTV to stream every major news conference live.
READ MORE: Mississippi Today's complete coverage of the Jackson water crisis
“Covering this crisis is deeply personal for us,” said Mississippi Today Managing Editor Kayleigh Skinner, highlighting that most newsroom reporters live inside the city limits themselves. “When readers send in questions about whether it's safe to use their dishwasher, or where in the city they can go to receive free bottled water, we do our best to find them answers because it's our job, but also because it's information we need, too.”
The Sidney Award is awarded to outstanding journalism that appeared in the prior month. It is run by the Sidney Hillman Foundation, which honors excellence in journalism in service of the common good, and upholds the legacy and vision of union pioneer and New Deal architect Sidney Hillman.
Winners so far in 2022 are: The Washington Post, Miami Herald, THE CITY, Reuters, The New York Times, ProPublica, Austin American-Statesman and KVUE-TV, and now Mississippi Today.
Mississippi Today's deep understanding and long-standing coverage of the Jackson water crisis contributed significantly to the newsroom's winning, Sidney judges wrote.
“Mississippi Today has been on this story for years,” said Sidney judge Lindsay Beyerstein. “They're proceeding with determination, creativity and compassion, which shines through in their ongoing coverage.”
Alex Rozier is Mississippi Today's data and environment reporter and has covered the Jackson water crisis and flooding for several years. He leads the Mississippi Today Jackson water crisis team, which consists of Anna Wolfe, Geoff Pender, Julia James, Molly Minta, Rick Cleveland, Bobby Harrison, Mina Corpuz, Kate Royals, Isabelle Taft, Will Stribling, Adam Ganucheau, Kayleigh Skinner, Sara DiNatale, Lauchlin Fields, Bethany Atkinson, Nigel Dent, Alyssa Bass, Eric Shelton, Vickie King and Marshall Ramsey.
Sidney Award judges are Jamelle Bouie, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alix Freedman, Harold Meyerson, Katrina vanden Heuvel, and Lindsay Beyerstein.
READ MORE: Mississippi Today wins September Sidney for Crusading Coverage of Jackson Water Crisis
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Calm for tonight with thunderstorms by Sunday afternoon – Home – WCBI TV
SUMMARY: A few spotty showers are possible this evening, with thunderstorms expected tomorrow afternoon and into the overnight hours. Temperatures will reach the lower 90s by the middle of next week. Tonight, expect a few spotty showers with overnight lows in the mid 60s. Tomorrow will start off mild with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the middle 80s. Rainy conditions will continue into next week with temperatures climbing into the upper 80s and lower 90s. Heavier rain is expected by Thursday as a cold front pushes through.
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
Mississippi News
Multiple Vicksburg homes damaged by gunfire
SUMMARY: Vicksburg police are investigating a shooting incident where multiple homes and a vehicle were damaged by gunfire on May 3. No injuries were reported, but there were spent shell casings from different caliber weapons found at the scene. The incident occurred on Meadowvale Drive just before 9:30 p.m. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Vicksburg Police Department.
The post Multiple Vicksburg homes damaged by gunfire appeared first on www.wjtv.com
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