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Water levels and frustrations rise as crews repair breaks across the city

By Roslyn Anderson | February 26, 2021 at 10:31 PM CST – Updated February 26 at 10:31 PM

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Frustrations grow with each passing day for residents without water. Meanwhile, city crews are fighting the battle of repairing water main breaks.

Public Works Director Dr. Charles Williams said more water is filling storage tanks and progress is being made each day. There are water line breaks across the city like one on Old Canton Road.

Breaks on Benning Road are filling the street and some yards with water. Williams said the PSI (pounds per square inch) level rose from the lower 80′s Thursday to 87 Friday.

Service is being restored to more homes.

Vanessa Farrington and her 81-year-old mother, Diana Sanders, are struggling without water on Maddox Road.

They say they couldn’t find bottled water at distribution sites and filled buckets behind their house with snow and rain water for flushing.

“We lost our water. I’m at Sunday and it’s been out for two weeks. One day shy of two weeks,” said Farrington. “We’ve got dishes all piled up. We’ve gone to a hotel once just to be able to take showers.”

Public works crews are working on 13 confirmed reported breaks. Thirty breaks have been repaired.

Eric Stallworth grew tired of the water breaks on Benning Road, sold his house in January and moved to Ridgeland.

He said during the 13 years he lived on the street there were at least 20 breaks and the city would not replace the faulty line.

“Every year this is what we have. Not one break, two break,” said Stallworth. “There’s patches on top of patches where the same spots keep continuously breaking and they band aid until waiting for it to break again.”

The public works director is starting to see a lot of recovery in the system, but warns that now is not the time to relax. He discourages washing cars and other non-essential water use as water levels in storage tanks rise.

The water system PSI goal is 90.

Jackson’s 21st homicide of 2021 occurs after man killed on N. Prentiss Street

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By WLBT Digital | February 26, 2021 at 9:29 PM CST – Updated February 27 at 6:12 AM

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The Capital City has reported its 21st homicide of 2021.

It occurred in the 300 block of North Prentiss Street Thursday evening around 11:45.

The victim has been identified as 32-year-old Samual Pollard.

The suspect, who has not been identified, in now in custody.

Woman killed in hit-and-run on Old Fannin Road

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By WLBT Digital and Therese Apel | February 26, 2021 at 9:02 PM CST – Updated February 26 at 9:14 PM

FLOWOOD, Miss. (WLBT) – A woman has died after being involved in a hit-and-run incident in Flowood.

It happened around 7:15 Friday night on Old Fannin Road.

WLBT has been told by the sheriff’s department that she was taken from the scene by ambulance.

If you know anything about this situation, you are asked to contact the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office.

Prayers encouraged for Copiah Co. sheriff diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer

By WLBT Digital | February 26, 2021 at 7:19 PM CST – Updated February 26 at 7:59 PM

COPIAH CO., Miss. (WLBT) – A Mississippi sheriff’s office is encouraging prayers be sent for one of their own.

According to the Copiah County Sheriff’s Facebook page, Sheriff Percy Calhoun was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer of the liver, stomach and esophagus.

In addition to prayers, the police force is also accepting donations towards Calhoun’s medical expenses.

“Percy has served this county with pride and now it’s our opportunity to show him some support,” the post reads.

If you would like to help, donations can be dropped off at the Copiah County Sheriff’s Office during normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.).

Vicksburg PD: 16-year-old taken to hospital after being shot in the back, legs

By WLBT Digital | February 26, 2021 at 7:00 PM CST – Updated February 26 at 7:00 PM

VICKSBURG, Miss. (WLBT) – A teenager has been hospitalized after being shot in Vicksburg.

According to the Vicksburg Police Department, the shooting happened around 5:30 p.m. Friday in the 1800 block of Court Street.

There they found a 16-year-old male who had taken multiple shots in the back and in the legs.

Those that witnessed the incident told police that the suspected shooter left the scene in a small, red hatchback – possibly a Toyota Corolla.

The victim was taken by ambulance to Merit Health River Region for treatment. Authorities are currently on the scene and call this an active investigation.

Updates on this case will be provided as they become available.

Dr. Horne: Recent drop in Miss. COVID cases may have led to ‘unreasonable optimism’

By WLBT Digital | February 26, 2021 at 3:59 PM CST – Updated February 26 at 8:03 PM

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The Mississippi State Medical Association hosted their weekly COVID update Friday in what was advertised as containing a “robust review” of the new Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

Dr. Thomas Dobbs, State Health Officer, said that the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine does appear to have benefits in counteracting severe illness and death in regards to new COVID variants. He went on to say, however, that the research indicated that it is not as good at preventing symptomatic illness.

The conversation then turned to the downward trend in COVID cases Mississippi has experienced over the past weeks.

Dr. Mark Horne, president of the Mississippi State Medical Association and moderator of the discussion, then asked the group of doctors to put the downward trend in context because, in his opinion, “I’ve heard what I thought was perhaps- I mean, I understand the optimism because I’m optimistic about it but I thought some people had, perhaps, an unreasonable optimism that things were over just because [cases] are down.”

“We have done this twice now where everyone was overly optimistic,” Dobbs responded. “Can we learn after twice to be more cautious?”

Dobbs did say that it is “a good thing” that we have vaccine distribution but pointed out that only 12 percent of Mississippians have received one dose of vaccine.

And after telling citizens to continue to wear their mask and socially distance, he then advised Mississippians not to travel during Spring Break and to keep it “small and outdoors.”

“I don’t think we can say anything until a week after Spring Break,” Dobbs said in relation to the optimism around the lowering COVID cases.

Dr. Paul Byers, State Epidemiologist, then noted that the extreme winter weather the state experienced last week may have affected the reported number of new cases each day.

“You have these numbers that may not truly reflect what was going on,” Horne added.

Continued progress in Jackson water pressure, but no timeline for restoration

By Jacob Gallant | February 26, 2021 at 3:20 PM CST – Updated February 26 at 3:58 PM

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Jackson Public Works Director Dr. Charles Williams says he is encouraged by the progress in restoring water across Jackson.

Williams says the PSI is up to 87 pounds per square inch (PS) as of Friday, which is continued progress from the last week. Pressure at O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant must stay at around 90 PSI to ensure that water is pushed out throughout the city’s distribution system.

Last week, it was down to as low as 37.

He says some areas are now getting water back as the pressure continues to rise, while there are still some areas with no water at all, such as areas that are at higher elevations.

He stressed that people conserve water if they can.

“We are still in a critical area right now … this is not a time to get relaxed,” Williams said.

Williams says about 15 water breaks have been confirmed; there are also a few dozen that were called in but remain unverified.

He didn’t give a definitive timeline for when water will be completely restored.

“The water system loops in many areas of the city, and it just takes time to get the water pressure charged up in these areas,” he said.

JPD officer arrested for domestic assault

By WLBT Digital | February 26, 2021 at 3:03 PM CST – Updated February 26 at 3:03 PM

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – A Jackson police officer faces criminal charges after an arrest Thursday.

Derrick Thomas, 32, was arrested on a charge of domestic aggravated assault, according to Hinds County Sheriff’s Office.

Thomas was taken to the detention center in Raymond.

WLBT has reached out to JPD regarding Thomas’ employment status and history with the department.

Mississippi teen accused of biting police officer is now in jail

By WLBT Digital | February 26, 2021 at 2:51 PM CST – Updated February 26 at 2:51 PM

LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A Louisville teenager is accused of biting a police officer at a traffic stop.

Now, Tyberanna Coleman is charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, and possession of marijuana.

Louisville police say Coleman was pulled over this morning on Mill Street. When an officer asked for her ID, Coleman argued with the policeman.

While being arrested, investigators say she clamped down and bit the cop.

The officer was treated and released from a local hospital. Coleman remains in jail.

ATM burglarized in Flowood, undetermined amount of cash taken

By WLBT Digital | February 26, 2021 at 9:46 AM CST – Updated February 26 at 9:46 AM

FLOWOOD, Miss. (WLBT) – Police in Flowood are investigating an ATM burglary that happened in the wee hours of the morning Friday.

Detectives say they responded to an alarm call at a local credit union.

When the officers arrived on the scene, they found that the ATM had been burglarized and an undetermined amount of cash had been taken.

Officer located an abandoned truck nearby that was used in the burglary.

They say the truck was stolen from a local hotel.

Surveillance video shows a black SUV and a white dully truck, both from the state of Texas.

If you have any information that could help the police, call Crime Stoppers at 601-355-8477 (TIPS).

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