Mississippi Today

Court of Appeals backs proposed military site in North Gulfport

Published

1 year ago

February 14, 2024

The Mississippi Court of Appeals on Wednesday affirmed a decision to permit a proposed military site in North Gulfport, despite local and environmental advocates’ concerns that the site could contaminate public waters.

John Johnson, at the Smith Robertson Museum in Jackson, where he, other Turkey Creek/North Gulfport residents and their legal representatives, will present oral arguments before the Court of Appeals regarding the Dept. of Defense’s plans to build on wetlands in their area, Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

In 2019, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Permit Board approved the proposal from the Mississippi State Port Authority. The Port Authority is seeking to build a storage facility for the U.S. Department of Defense to serve as a link between Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg and the state’s ports.

The decision this week follows a 2022 ruling in the Harrison County Chancery Court that reached the same conclusion. The appellants in the case included North Gulfport residents John Johnson, Glenn Cobb and Lattie Grubbs, the Anointed Temple AOH Church, as well as two local organizations: EEECHO Inc. and the North Gulfport Community Land Conservancy, Inc.

The appellants, represented by ACLU-MS and Earthjustice, argued that the MDEQ Permit Board failed to consider whether the proposed site would store explosive ammunition. Attorneys working with the appellants say they discovered this possibility through a “Port Planning Order” they obtained from a records request only after the Permit Board approved the site.

Residents are also concerned because the project, which would require filling three acres of wetlands, would be located on the former home of a fertilizer company that operated in the early 1900s. In 2009, the state ordered a remediation plan for the property after finding illegal levels of arsenic and lead. As part of the plan, the contaminated area has been capped off with a 10-inch layer of clay and a 4-inch layer of topsoil.

Explaining the court’s ruling, Judge Jim Greenlee wrote that the project’s proposal only said that ammunition might be stored at the site, not that it was a necessary part of the project. Thus, the ruling argues, the Permit Board didn’t have to consider the impact of storing ammunition in order to issue a water quality certification.

The appellants also argued that the Permit Board should have redone its public notice process to inform residents that the site may store ammunition. But, Greenlee wrote, “The joint public notice was complied with the applicable regulations, and it was not deficient simply because it did not mention the single reference to explosive ammunition in the (Port Planning Order).”

In her dissent, Judge Deborah McDonald countered that very point.

“The strategic port criteria state that the port should preferably be able to receive and store up to 188 tons of explosive ammunition…” McDonald wrote. “Further, I believe the possibility of storing such highly explosive ammunition near such a site to be a ‘pertinent issue’ of which the nearby community should have been informed in the public notice…”

Attorneys for the appellants released a statement on Thursday disagreeing with the ruling.

“We are extremely disappointed with the court’s decision,” Earthjustice attorney Rodrigo Cantú said. “This allows the Permit Board to endanger the health and safety of a historically black community by ignoring the possibility of storing explosive ammunition in a residential area.”

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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As cancer spread in Susie Balfour’s body, she says prison medical providers failed to treat it. Now she’s fighting for life.

Mississippi Today

UMMC holds free cancer screenings

Published

3 days ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @EricJShelton – 2025-04-30 12:00:00

by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Resident physician Claire Babin, right, performs an oral cancer screening on Ella Holmes during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Physicians prepare for oral, head and neck cancer screenings during a free screening event at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, screens Diane Carter for oral cancer as medical students Mason Nodurft, left, and Eva Kiparizoska observe during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Educational giveaways advocating against smoking are available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Sharon Terry, senior tobacco treatment specialist, waits for patients during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Skylar Robinson, medical office assistant, left, and Kiandria Bruce, registered nurse, review materials at the patient sign-in table during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Head and neck cancer literature is available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Dr. Alex Brooks and registered nurse Angela Noble talk during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Nina Brown, clinical manager, helps Ned Bostic with paperwork during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin performs an oral cancer screening on Ned Bostic at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Ned Bostic receives a neck cancer screening during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, and medical student Hanna Watson examine Ned Bostic during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery hosted a free oral, head, and neck cancer screening Wednesday at the Jackson Medical Mall as part of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.

The event featured quick, noninvasive screenings aimed at catching cancer early — when treatment is most effective. Onyx Care provided free HPV vaccinations, while the ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education, and Research offered resources on smoking cessation and free services.

“These screenings take about 10 minutes and can save lives,” said Dr. Gina Jefferson, head and neck surgical oncologist at UMMC. “The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the better chance we have of curing it.”

Tobacco and alcohol use remain major risk factors for these cancers. However, physicians say an increasing number of cases are linked to HPV, especially among younger adults with no history of smoking or drinking. Dentists are often the first to spot early signs, which can include persistent sores, lumps in the neck, or difficulty swallowing.

Oral, head and neck cancers are among the most common globally. When found early, survival rates can exceed 80 percent.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post UMMC holds free cancer screenings appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article presents factual information about a free cancer screening event without showing a clear ideological stance. It primarily focuses on the health benefits of early cancer detection and the availability of free resources, such as HPV vaccinations and smoking cessation support. The language used is neutral and the content is centered around public health education rather than promoting a political viewpoint. The inclusion of factual statistics, such as survival rates and risk factors, adds to its informative and objective tone. There are no signs of bias or advocacy for a particular political agenda, making this a centrist piece.

Crooked Letter Sports Podcast

Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball?

Published

3 days ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @rick_cleveland – 2025-04-30 10:46:00

by Rick Cleveland and Tyler Cleveland, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi State didn’t even wait until the end of the season to fire Chris Lemonis, who brought the national championship to Starkville not quite four years ago. Where do the Bulldogs go from here. Robbie Faulk who covers the Bulldogs more closely than anyone else joins the podcast to discuss the situation.

Stream all episodes here.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball? appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Mississippi Today

Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you

Published

3 days ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-30 10:21:00

by Mississippi Today, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi Today is looking to speak with current and former mobile sports betting users. We’d like to speak with people who spend considerable amounts of time and money betting on sports through online gambling sites.

We’re interested in hearing the experience of people who have suffered from gambling addiction or problems, or friends and family members of people who have. We also would like to talk with people who believe legalizing mobile sports betting would benefit Mississippi and its residents.

We want to hear from you. Please take the survey below or contact Political Reporter Michael Goldberg by email at mgoldberg@mississippitoday.org

TAKE THE SURVEY:

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This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article from Mississippi Today appears to present a neutral stance, focusing on gathering input from various groups of mobile sports betting users, including those who may have experienced addiction issues. The content does not advocate for or against the legalization of mobile sports betting but instead seeks to gather diverse perspectives, including those of individuals who may support or oppose it. The language used is objective and does not suggest a particular ideological perspective, allowing for a balanced exploration of the issue at hand.