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At Jackson water update, Henifin pushes back on state health guidelines

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2 years ago

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During a wide-ranging discussion of the next steps for Jackson’s water system in federal court Wednesday, the attention zeroed in on a document familiar to many Jacksonians.

Since 2016, after Jackson failed to meet federal standards for lead in drinking water, the city has sent out regular notices to residents warning them of potential contamination.

“Our water system violated a drinking water standard and a drinking water requirement,” the notice starts. “Although this is not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we are doing to correct this situation.”

The letter specifically warns pregnant women and children 5 and younger to take extra precautions — including running cold water for a minute before use, and not using unfiltered tap water for baby formula — because of potential lead contamination.

During Wednesday’s status conference updating Judge Henry Wingate on the ongoing rebuild of the water system, federally appointed third-party manager Ted Henifin argued that the notices are unnecessary, especially because the city hasn’t shown lead levels above the federal action level since 2015.

The Mississippi State Health Department, in enforcing the federal rules, requires the city to send out the notices until it completes a “corrosion control plan,” which would help ensure lead doesn’t leach off of old pipes into the drinking water. The latest notice says the city’s plan will be operational by August.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, left, listens as Ted Henifin speaks during a press conference at City Hall in Jackson, Miss., Monday, December 5, 2022. Henifin was appointed as Jackson’s water system’s third-party administrator. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi Today

Both Henifin and Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba have questioned the impact of the notices on residents and their willingness to drink from the taps, given the decades of instability from the water system.

Last week, while unveiling $100,000 worth of water filters donated to the city by United Healthcare, Lumumba said the filters may help restore confidence in the system lost because of the lead notices. Local advocates have called for the government to provide filters out of concern for residents living in older homes, where there’s a higher likelihood of lead being in the home’s plumbing.

But Henifin, as he told the court Wednesday, took issue with Lumumba’s wording, arguing it could cause residents to think the water is dangerous to drink. Henifin repeatedly said that the water is safe for everyone, including pregnant mothers and young children. If anything, he said, the filters could make the water less safe if residents don’t change the filters out every four months, which could cause bacteria to build up.

His statement contradicted advice that Health Department has given Jacksonians for years. The agency’s website says: “Any child five years of age or younger and any pregnant woman should use filtered water (NSF53 certified filter) or bottled water for drinking and cooking.”

Lumumba, defending himself, pointed to other comments he made at last week’s event, when he said, “It hasn’t been demonstrated that the water is in fact dangerous.” The mayor made the clarification after a local doctor, John Patterson, said unfiltered water could be dangerous for those vulnerable populations. During questioning from Wingate, Lumumba said it’s his personal belief that the water is safe to drink.

Wingate called Wednesday’s conference to clear up the public messaging around the city’s water system. He said it’s not only the court’s duty to help repair the water system, but also to “instill confidence in the public” that the water is safe to drink.

When called upon by Wingate, an attorney representing Health Department said that the agency requires the notices to comply with federal standards, and that the notices are only meant to provide information to residents.

Both the Health Department and the City of Jackson are defendants in an ongoing lawsuit alleging a coverup of the city’s lead contamination dating back to 2013.

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

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Mississippi Today

UMMC holds free cancer screenings

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24 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

1 day ago

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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

1 day ago

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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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