Mississippi News
Abortion doctor contemplates post-Roe future
Mississippi abortion doctor contemplates post-Roe future
When the U.S. Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion in the United States, Dr. Cheryl Hamlin was at her computer researching ways to expand access to medication abortion in a post-Roe country.
Since 2017, the Boston-based OB-GYN has traveled to Mississippi once a month to provide abortions at the state's only abortion clinic, the Jackson Women's Health Organization, also known as the Pink House. The clinic is part of the case at the center of the Supreme Court's ruling Friday morning.
“I didn't expect it today, and I guess I was still holding out hope, so now we can let that go I guess,” she told Mississippi Today.
Abortion rights advocates in Mississippi expect that medication that can end a pregnancy under 11 weeks will become the cheapest and most accessible form of the procedure in the state. Websites like Plan C provide information about online pharmacies that can ship the pills, and Austria-based Aid Access provides prescriptions for people living anywhere in the United States, including Mississippi.
Mississippi's trigger ban applies to medication abortion, but it's not clear how the state could stop the flow of pills through the mail given that pharmacies and providers can be based overseas and following their own country's laws. Hamlin hopes to get involved in efforts to help people get the pills.
“That's kind of what I was in the middle of when I heard the news, so I guess I'll go back to that,” she said.
During her most recent shift in Jackson, in early June, Hamlin knew she might never work at the Pink House again. But when she asked the clinic director Shannon Brewer if she ought to make plans to return in July, Brewer said yes, so Hamlin booked another ticket just in case Roe stood.
Now, she's hoping to travel to Las Cruces, New Mexico, instead. The Pink House's out-of-state doctors, leadership and some staff are planning to move there to open a new clinic they're calling Pink House West, about an hour from El Paso.
When she began working in Mississippi, Hamlin was struck by how lack of access to health care shaped her patients' trajectories to the clinic. Maybe they didn't have a regular OB-GYN, or weren't sure how to get contraceptives without health insurance.
During her recent shifts in Jackson, she had been careful to explain that Roe could soon be overturned, forcing the Pink House to close. But many people who came to the clinic didn't know that.
Now, Hamlin was afraid for the women of Mississippi.
“They'll either have to be under the radar and go to another state or they'll have to somehow get pills,” she said. “Sometimes they'll need medical care but they'll be afraid to get it. Some people won't be able to get access. They'll continue a pregnancy that they won't be able to afford or physically continue. And I have no doubt that women having miscarriages, and it's going to be mostly poor and women of color, are going to be scrutinized for their miscarriages, because there's no way to tell the difference.”
The doctor said she hopes the ruling will energize supporters of abortion rights. She wants to see the right to abortion restored across the country.
“It took them 50 years to overturn it,” she said. “I don't want it to take 50 years again, because I won't be alive.”
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Warmer days ahead for mid-week – Home – WCBI TV
SUMMARY: Temperatures in Columbus, Mississippi will be above average through mid-week before returning to normal for the weekend with a chance of rain. Tuesday will see fog and scattered clouds clearing for a mostly sunny afternoon with highs in the low 80s. Tuesday night will bring possible fog near the rivers with lows in the upper 50s. Wednesday and Thursday will be sunny with temperatures in the upper 80s before clouds increase on Thursday afternoon with isolated showers and storms possible in the evening. Friday and the weekend will continue to be warm with highs in the low 80s and isolated to scattered showers and storms in the afternoon and early evening.
The post Warmer days ahead for mid-week – Home – WCBI TV appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
How it’s remembered in Columbus
SUMMARY: Mississippi state employees had a day off for Confederate Memorial Day, a holiday to remember Confederate soldiers. Columbus, MS, has over 2,000 Confederate soldiers buried at Friendship Cemetery, along with Union soldiers. The holiday began in 1866 with the city's ladies honoring both Confederate and Union soldiers. This gesture of reconciliation inspired a national Memorial Day. Representative Kabir Karriem has tried to abolish Confederate Memorial Day, but his bills have not passed. The holiday's unique history in Columbus highlights the theme of reconciliation and unity in honoring all fallen soldiers.
The post How it's remembered in Columbus appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
Columbus projects progress report: City leaders give update
SUMMARY: Renovations at Columbus's oldest and largest park, Propst Park, including four baseball fields with new turf and fencing, are expected to be completed by mid-May. The city council, led by Councilman Stephen Jones and Vice Mayor Joseph Mickens, is overseeing the project. Additionally, the city is working on a $7 million annual paving project to improve 119 portions of roads and streets. Progress is also being made on the Columbus Riverwalk Pedestrian Bridge, with engineers aiming for completion in the fall, depending on weather conditions. Weather is a key factor in meeting anticipated completion dates for these projects.
The post Columbus projects progress report: City leaders give update appeared first on www.wcbi.com
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