Mississippi News
Greenwood Leflore Hospital to lay off up to 80 employees
Struggling to stay open, Delta hospital to lay off dozens
Greenwood Leflore Hospital will lay off as many as 80 employees in an effort to cut costs and keep the hospital open through the end of the year as it continues takeover negotiations with the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
The hospital’s interim CEO Gary Marchand announced the plans in a memo to hospital staff Friday morning. Marchand wrote that the hospital’s administrators decided to maintain current services, including emergency, surgical, inpatient, outpatient diagnostic services, and outpatient treatments including cancer and wound care.
The staff cuts will affect as many as 55 full-time and 25 part-time employees.
“Today we are announcing a further reduction in our staffing so that all remaining services can be adequately and consistently matched to current patient volumes,” Marchand wrote. “While unfortunate, we believe this will allow the best option for current services to continue into early next year.”
The struggling 208-bed hospital employs more than 600 people. It suspended inpatient services entirely in August following a sewage leak, transferring patients to other hospitals in the area. It reopened 12 beds in late August; it’s unclear how many beds are currently open.
The hospital has been negotiating a takeover deal with UMMC since the summer. Marchand told staff last week that negotiations had hit a road block over the hospital’s outstanding debts to Medicare and deferred maintenance costs, together totaling around $9 million. UMMC did not want to assume those debts in taking over hospital operations.
The City of Greenwood and Leflore County last week agreed to put up $4.5 million each to cover the hospital’s debts and deferred maintenance.
Any deal would require approval by the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL), which oversees colleges and universities in Mississippi. Because the two parties could not resolve the debt issue in time to finalize documents before the IHL’s last scheduled board meeting of the year on Nov. 17, any deal will likely have to wait until early 2023. Marchand told staff last week that staff cuts and possibly service reductions would be necessary to keep the hospital open.
UMMC could ask IHL to hold a special called meeting to approve any documents as soon as they are ready, but UMMC spokespeople have said there are no plans to do that. They would not explain why.
UMMC did not respond to a request for comment Friday morning.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Can you remain anonymous in Mississippi if you win the $1.8B Powerball jackpot?
SUMMARY: The Powerball jackpot has reached an estimated $1.8 billion, the second-largest in U.S. history. Winners must decide between a lump sum or annuity payout and should keep their ticket safe, sign it, and assemble a team of financial, tax, and legal advisors. Experts recommend maintaining privacy, though disclosure laws vary by state. Some states require public release of winners’ names and locations, while others allow anonymity or temporary confidentiality based on prize amounts. Many winners use trusts for privacy. Powerball is played in 45 states plus D.C., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, with odds of 1 in 292.2 million.
The post Can you remain anonymous in Mississippi if you win the $1.8B Powerball jackpot? appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: September 5-7
SUMMARY: This weekend (September 5-7) in Mississippi offers diverse events across the state. In Central Mississippi, highlights include the “Wild Robot” screening in Jackson, the Roosevelt State Park reopening in Morton, the Hurricane Katrina photo exhibit, and art shows at the Mississippi Children’s Museum and Mississippi Museum of Art. Activities also include roller derby, farmers markets, painting classes, and a Woodstock-themed festival. In the Pine Belt region, Hattiesburg hosts charity events, art classes, live music concerts, a food truck festival, and Southern Miss football games, alongside karaoke nights and museum exhibits. These events suit all ages and interests, ideal for relaxation and exploration.
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Mississippi News
Mississippi universities halt funding for student groups, citing DEI law
SUMMARY: Some Mississippi universities have halted funding for student organizations due to a state law (House Bill 1193) banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, currently blocked by a federal judge for potentially violating First Amendment rights. The law exempts registered organizations but prohibits using student activity fees—considered state funds—for DEI-related programming. Consequently, universities like the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State redirected these fees to campus departments for organizing activities, suspending the student-driven funding process. Students and leaders express concern, fearing loss of support for events and club activities, with efforts underway to find alternative funding amid growing legal uncertainty.
The post Mississippi universities halt funding for student groups, citing DEI law appeared first on www.wjtv.com
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