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Deaths continue as Legislature fails to act on domestic violence bills

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1 year ago

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At least four people have died in suspected domestic violence crimes across the state since the Legislature has been meeting and failing to advance measures to help stem the violence and support survivors.

At the end of January, a Canton man shot and killed his wife. In February, Tupelo police responding to a domestic incident shot and killed a man who threatened another person with a gun. This month, a woman was found dead at a Stone County store, and the man suspected of killing her shot at a sheriff’s deputy before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot. 

The number of domestic violence fatalities could be higher, but it’s impossible to know because of a lack of data, advocates say.

“We don’t even have accurate data in the state to show a true picture of what domestic violence looks like,” said Stacey Riley, CEO of the Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence Inc. in Biloxi, which operates two shelters and serves six counties.

House Bill 842 would have established a multi-agency, statewide board to review suspected domestic violence fatalities and suicides, and the board would have collected that data and used it to make recommendations to the Legislature about proactive measures to decrease the deaths.

When a domestic violence fatality occurs anywhere in the state, it’s often categorized as a homicide, Riley said. Typically, it’s news stories that report whether domestic violence was involved, she said.

The Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence championed the legislation and lawmakers from both parties have supported the bill, but it did not make it out of the House’s Judiciary B Committee.

“One is too many,” Rep. Fabian Nelson, D-Byram, one of the bill co-sponsors, said about domestic violence deaths.

Several other bills relating to domestic violence and abuse also did not advance this session including:

  • House Bill 252 by Rep. John Hines Sr., D-Greenville, would have required school districts to adopt curriculum about dating violence and healthy relationships.
  • House Bill 435 by Hines would have established domestic abuse courts in every county. Hines has introduced this legislation for over a decade.
  • House Bill 800 by Rep. Oscar Denton, D-Vicksburg, would have allowed chancery courts to issue temporary domestic abuse protection orders. Currently, these orders are issued by the justice or municipal court.

Luis Montgomery, public policy and compliance specialist for MCADV, said the organization plans to work with lawmakers next session to reintroduce the review board legislation.

He said the bill’s failure to advance was a technical issue. The original draft of the bill had the review board under the state medical examiner’s office. After learning that office couldn’t house the board, an effort was made to revise the bill to place the board under the state Department of Health, but by that time the committee deadline passed, Montgomery said.

Riley and others who work with domestic violence survivors said they are disappointed that the review board won’t become law this year, but they are hopeful it will in the future. In the meantime, they say domestic violence remains an issue in need of attention.

Rebecca Stewart, executive director of The Domestic Abuse Family Shelter Inc. based in Laurel which serves 11 counties, said data can provide valuable insight. It would allow the group to examine events that led up to a fatality and know about gaps in response, which can help with intervention efforts.

She hopes the Legislature will take a more in-depth look at domestic violence and lawmakers will ask questions to understand more about the issue and what can be done about it.

“I encourage them to really ask their constituents what do you want to see because there are a lot of people out there who are survivors of domestic violence, vicitms of sexual assault,” Stewart said. “We wouldn’t ask for something (the review board) if it wasn’t important.”

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

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.biloxinewsevents.com/?p=342210

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Mississippi Today

UMMC holds free cancer screenings

Published

20 hours ago

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April 30, 2025

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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.

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Crooked Letter Sports Podcast

Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball?

Published

21 hours ago

on

April 30, 2025

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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

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Mississippi Today

Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you

Published

21 hours ago

on

April 30, 2025

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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


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 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.

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