Mississippi Today

Jackson sees 12,000 lose water pressure, JXN Water takes aim at misinformation

Published

1 year ago

January 18, 2024

About 12,000 customers, largely in west and south Jackson, are seeing low to no water pressure after this week’s winter freeze, third-party manager JXN Water reported Thursday morning.

JXN Water subsequently issued boil water notices to those customers in the following areas:

39209 – West Jackson along the 49 corridor
39204 – West/Central Jackson along 49 corridor to Pearl River and south on east side of 55 between 55 and the Pearl River
39212 – South Jackson
39272 – South Jackson
39170 – South Jackson

Those parts of the city have historically seen the most pressure issues because of their distance from the water treatment facilities, where water enters from the Pearl River and gets sent out for consumption.

Ted Henifin, head of JXN Water, said the demand for water was 40% higher by Wednesday afternoon than on a typical day, and that the plants were “using up pretty much all the margin in our system.” He attributed the issues to pipe breaks in the distribution system, but he also suspected delays with fixing leaks on private properties, which are outside of JXN Water’s authority.

“Last Christmas’ (of 2022) outage, we learned that a lot of private property plumbing that broke wasn’t getting repaired quickly,” Henifin said.

In addition, JXN Water said “deliberate” misinformation in social media posts about the water system’s condition had led to “isolated pressure issues.” The social media posts, JXN Water said in a Wednesday news release, claimed that the city’s water treatment plants would shut down and that residents should prepare by filling up bath tubs and jugs.

The press release claimed that those posts were directly causing an increase in water demand.

Henifin said during a Thursday briefing that JXN Water would share screenshots of the social media posts with the media, but it had yet to do so by this publication.

When asked why he thought it was deliberate, Henifin called the messaging “well crafted” and that it cited JXN Water staff as a source. He also called the timing “suspect” because the system was already under stress.

He added that JXN Water was working with law enforcement agencies to find the original source of the posts and determine if there was any “malicious intent.” JXN Water declined to say which agencies Henifin was referring to.

Overall, compared to the Christmas 2022 event, which led a citywide boil water notice lasting nearly two weeks, Henifin said the weather conditions this week weren’t much different, but that the city has responded better by having 14 crews to make repairs versus just the two the city had in 2022.

“I think our estimation is we would’ve lost the system, probably (Tuesday night) without the crews and without the plants and the condition they’re in today,” he said.

Henifin added that it may take “a day or two” to restore pressure, and asked customers to minimize water use over the next day.

Jackson Public Schools, which closed its schools this week due to icy conditions, announced that it would shift to virtual learning on Thursday because of the pressure issues. Henifin said he recommended that JPS continue virtual learning on Friday, too, because the issues wouldn’t be resolved by then.

The drinking water disruptions, a familiar occurrence for Jacksonians this time of year, come just after the state Mississippi State Department of Health issued a citywide boil water notice after detecting E.coli in the city’s supply. JXN Water disputed the test results, and ultimately the Health Department lifted the notice after just a day. MSDH also issued a notice for Flowood’s water system after finding E.coli, but lifted that one after two days.

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

Published

3 days ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

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.

Crooked Letter Sports Podcast

Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball?

Published

3 days ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

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

Mississippi Today

Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you

Published

3 days ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

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

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.