by Maya Miller, Mississippi Today
June 6, 2025

After nearly a year closed, Thalia Mara Hall has been cleared for reopening after a follow-up inspection from the State Fire Marshal’s Office on June 3. 

Thalia Mara Hall was closed last August due to mold remediation, to replace the heating and cooling systems and perform updates to the fire system. The building had previously failed an inspection in late January.

State Fire Marshal and Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney issued the following statement on June 6: 

“The State Fire Marshals Office (SFMO) conducted a follow-up inspection of Thalia Mara Hall on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, and determined that the building met standards to reopen. A Certificate of Occupancy will be issued to the City of Jackson (COJ). A hydrostatic test was conducted on Monday, June 2, 2025, to determine the integrity of pipes and valves in the building. The test was successful. The building elevators and escalators remain out of service pending repair and inspection. The COJ has scheduled a new fire curtain to be installed in July.

A condition of the reopening is that a third-party fire watch must be in place until the fire curtain is installed and passes inspection. A fire watch involves having someone monitor the building during events for fire hazards and to alert occupants and emergency services if a fire breaks out.

My office remains committed to working with Jackson officials to protect the health and safety of the public and important cultural structures like Thalia Mara Hall.”

Thalia Mara Hall’s closure brought with it a slew of scheduling issues for performing arts groups such as Ballet Mississippi and Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, who had to move performances to Madison Central High School Auditorium and Jackson Academy Performing Arts Center.

The city has spent nearly $3 million in repairs, with the bulk of the funding going to Guarantee Restoration Services, which was in charge of mold remediation, encapsulation and HVAC cleaning.

The city of Jackson was unable to provide a comment on when Thalia Mara Hall will reopen. 

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

The post Thalia Mara Hall cleared to reopen by State Fire Marshal’s Office 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

The article reports factually on the reopening of Thalia Mara Hall after necessary repairs and inspections, presenting statements from the State Fire Marshal and city officials without editorializing or political framing. It focuses on safety updates, costs, and impacts on local arts groups without promoting any ideological stance or partisan viewpoint. The neutral tone and straightforward presentation indicate adherence to balanced, factual reporting rather than pushing a particular political agenda.

by Taylor Vance, Mississippi Today
June 4, 2025

The Democratic Party flipped several seats and made significant gains during Tuesday’s municipal elections across Mississippi. 

The day-to-day functions of municipal government often don’t involve partisan policy decisions. But local elections can gauge voters’ moods before congressional midterms next year and the 2027 statewide election for governor. 

The election results as of Wednesday afternoon are not official because local election workers will still process mail-in absentee votes for five business days after the election and process affidavit ballots.

The unofficial and incomplete results of some Mississippi mayoral races on Tuesday:

Gulfport 

In one of the most hotly contested municipal elections this year, Republican Hugh Keating defeated Democrat Sonya Williams Barnes. 

Keating, an attorney, led Barnes, a former state representative, by roughly 1,110 votes in a race that saw relatively high turnout, according to the Sun Herald. The election drew several prominent national figures to the coastal town, such as U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. 

Toward the end of the campaign, the two campaigns accused the other of skirting election laws. Republicans alleged that a group close to the Barnes campaign was offering meal vouchers to people who voted by absentee ballot, but Barnes denied any affiliation with the organization. 

Democrats then cried foul when Rick Carter, a managing partner of Island View Casino, distributed a letter to his employees encouraging them to vote for Keating. 

For years, Democratic candidates have attempted to make inroads to break up the GOP’s hold on the Gulf Coast. Polling leading up to the election showed the two candidates were close 

Despite Barnes’ loss, Cheikh Taylor, chairman of the state Democratic Party, praised the former legislator for proving Democrats can be competitive in south Mississippi. 

Jackson 

Longtime state Sen. John Horhn easily won the election to lead Mississippi’s capital city by defeating the Republican nominee and several independent candidates. 

Horhn’s general election victory was widely expected after he defeated incumbent Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba in the Democratic primary in April. The primary has historically decided who will go on to win the general election. 

Vicksburg 

George Flaggs Jr., a former state legislator who’s served as Vicksburg’s mayor for more than a decade, appears to have been defeated by Democrat Willis Thompson.  

Flaggs, an independent, trailed his Democratic opponent by 61 votes, according to the Vicksburg Post. 

Vicksburg City Clerk Deborah Kaiser-Nickson told the Vicksburg Post that results will remain unofficial until 111 affidavits are counted, along with any mail-in votes. 

Brookhaven 

Incumbent Brookhaven Mayor Joe Cox, a Republican, appears to have lost a close race to Democratic challenger Larry Jointer in Tuesday’s election, with Jointer claiming victory by a margin of 37 votes, according to the Daily Leader. 

Jointer would be the city’s first Black mayor. 

Greenwood 

Incumbent Independent Mayor Carolyn McAdams lost to Democrat Kenderick Cox, who garnered around 53 percent of the vote, according to the Greenwood Commonwealth. 

Clarksdale 

State Rep. Orlando Paden won the mayor’s race and will replace outgoing two-term Mayor Chuck Espy, who did not run for re-election. Paden defeated two independent candidates.

Horn Lake 

Democrat Jimmy Stokes defeated his Republican opponent, Danny Klein. The current mayor, Allen Latimer, did not run for reelection.

According to the Commercial Appeal, just one seat on the city’s Board of Aldermen is currently held by a Democrat. 

Now the Democrats flipped the script. A Democrat will take office as the new mayor, and Republicans secured just two seats on the board of aldermen. 

Meridian 

Former Mayor Percy Bland, a Democrat, will return to City Hall in Meridian after losing his re-election bid four years ago.

Bland won back the mayor’s seat Tuesday over Independent candidate Jimmy Copeland by less than 100 votes, according to the Meridian Star. 

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

The post Democratic candidates make gains in Mississippi city elections, but GOP keeps Gulfport red 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 reports on recent municipal election results in Mississippi with a factual tone, focusing on both Democratic gains and Republican holds. It highlights election dynamics, candidate profiles, and accusations from both parties without endorsing either side. The language remains neutral, presenting quotes and election data without emotional or loaded wording. While it notes partisan competition and includes statements from party officials, it does not take a side or push a particular ideological viewpoint. Overall, the article maintains balanced, objective coverage of political events without displaying a clear bias.

by Kate Royals and Sophia Paffenroth, Mississippi Today
June 3, 2025

Former Mississippi Medicaid Director Drew Snyder is stepping down as head of the federal Medicaid agency. 

Snyder, an attorney, was tapped by the Trump administration in January to serve as the deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services.

Snyder is resigning due to personal family matters, a source familiar with the situation told Mississippi Today on Tuesday. 

Caprice Knapp, former North Dakota Medicaid director, will take over as interim acting director of the Centers for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS), the nation’s public health insurance program for children, pregnant women and people who have low incomes or disabilities. 

“Drew has played an invaluable role leading our Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services as we began strengthening the programs to better serve the nation’s most vulnerable,” CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said in a statement. “Caprice is an incredibly talented leader and will help lead the Center through this transition, ensuring we continue building upon Drew’s efforts.” 

Snyder declined to comment to Mississippi Today. Politico first reported the news of his departure. 

Snyder led the Mississippi Division of Medicaid for nearly seven years and was the agency’s longest-serving director. He served under two Republican governors who successfully opposed expanding the Medicaid program to include working low-income Mississippians. 

Snyder also briefly led The Healthcare Collaborative, which represents dozens of hospitals that splintered off from the Mississippi Hospital Association. The Collaborative is housed under Capitol Resources, a powerful multistate lobbying firm that has donated thousands of dollars to Republican officials’ campaigns. 

Snyder’s resignation comes as the Medicaid program faces monumental changes under what Trump calls a “big, beautiful bill” of tax breaks and spending cuts, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives and will begin making its way through the Senate this week. 

The bill directs states to impose work requirements for Medicaid, lowers the federal match for states that have expanded the program under the Affordable Care Act and requires agencies to conduct eligibility checks more often.

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

The post Former Medicaid head steps down from federal role 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: Center-Right

The article maintains largely factual and neutral reporting on Drew Snyder’s resignation from his federal Medicaid leadership role. It outlines Snyder’s background, including his service under Republican governors opposing Medicaid expansion, and notes his association with a lobbying group linked to Republican campaigns, which subtly frames his political alignment. The coverage includes references to the Trump administration and legislation that reflect conservative policy priorities, such as Medicaid work requirements and funding cuts. However, the tone remains measured, presenting information without overt editorializing or partisan language. Overall, the article reports on ideological positions without strongly advocating a viewpoint, but the contextual emphasis slightly leans toward a center-right perspective due to its focus on Republican-aligned figures and policies.