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Highway 465 in Warren Co. closed due to rising backwater
By China Lee | February 23, 2020 at 5:04 PM CST – Updated February 23 at 6:49 PM
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The Mississippi Department of Transportation has closed Highway 465 between Highway 61 and Eagle Lake Shore Road in Warren County due to rising backwater.
The road will be closed in both directions until water recedes and it’s safe to travel again.
Copyright 2020 WLBT. All rights reserved.
By China Lee | February 23, 2020 at 3:16 PM CST – Updated February 23 at 5:20 PM
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The Jackson Police Department is investigating after a body was found inside of a car.
Fire fighters responded to a car fire in a wooded area in the 4900 block of South Drive just after 12:30 p.m. when the body was discovered.
Investigators say that identification is not yet possible. The remains and vehicle have been sent to the state crime lab for processing.
Jackson police are working alongside Jackson fire arson investigators on the death investigation.
The manner of death is not yet known.
This is a developing story.
#JPD is investigating a death after a body was found inside a vehicle. Firefighters responded to a vehicle fire in a wooded area, in the 4900 block of South Dr. The discovery was made just after 12:30pm, when the fire was extinguished.
— Jackson Police Department (@JacksonMSPolice) February 23, 2020
Copyright 2020 WLBT. All rights reserved.
By Michael Haynes | February 23, 2020 at 7:50 AM CST – Updated February 23 at 7:50 AM
Once again, starting out dry this morning with temperatures near 40. The warming trend continues today as highs reach the 60s as we become mostly cloudy; a few spotty showers are possible, but the main time frame for rain will hold off until the beginning of the work week. A batch of rain and storms arrive during the day Monday. The severe threat is minimal, but a few storms will be capable of producing gusty wind and heavy downpours. The overall pattern remains unsettled over the next 5 to 7 days bringing additional opportunities for rain throughout the week along with a fluctuation in temperatures.
First Alert Forecast: Clouds Increasing; Rain, Storms Monday
Copyright 2020 WLBT. All rights reserved.
By Chelsey Sellars | February 22, 2020 at 11:00 PM CST – Updated February 22 at 11:00 PM
MONTICELLO, Miss. (WLBT) – The One Lake project is predicted to save homes in Hinds and Rankin county, but what about the smaller communities on the south end of the Pearl River?
“There’s over 200 river miles below that are getting no attention that are absolutely, as you can see, affected by Ross Barnett and anything that happens on the Pearl. It flows down here,” said Martha Watts, the mayor of Monticello.
She could not drive in and out of her home due to flood water, Saturday.
“We can either boat out, like you saw a while ago. Or we can hike out, which is about 3/4 of a mile I guess through a swamp,” she said.
City Hall was blocked off by yellow tape and flood water. A moat now surrounded a home and less than a mile away, the local water park was under several feet of roaring water
While there is lots of support for the One Lake Project in Rankin and Hinds Counties, Watts believes it could possibly make things worse for towns like Monticello.
“A one lake will clog up the tributaries just that much more. There are other alternatives that are less environmentally destructive and would actually do better. You can have a dry pond, you could relocate levees, build some more levees,” said Watts.
She said the economic impact of this current flood will make it hard for some people to bounce back.
“Columbia and Monticello are really the largest entities on the river. We don’t have the money. We don’t have the resources to fight this in any other larger way than what we’re trying to do here,” she said.
Copyright 2020 WLBT. All rights reserved.
By China Lee | February 22, 2020 at 8:36 PM CST – Updated February 23 at 3:29 PM
YAZOO COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) – The Mayor of Satartia has confirmed that all evacuated families in Yazoo County affected by a large gas leak have been given the all clear to return home.
This after a 24-inch high-pressure pipeline containing carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide burst and over 222 barrels escaped into the air.
More than 300 people were evacuated and 46 were hospitalized. All first responders treated for their injuries at area hospitals have now been released.
All those who were hospitalized are expected to be okay.
MEMA assisted the Yazoo County Emergency Management Agency and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality worked to determine if the area was safe for residents to return home.
Environmental Specialists conducted air quality tests to ensure no gas was lingering in low-lying areas.
Residents in the area at the time of the gas leak complained of green gas and a noxious odor. Some experienced shortness of breath.
The company who owns the pipe, Denbury Onshore, was contacted and the pipe was shut off.
They released the following statement:
“At approximately 7pm on Saturday, February 22nd, a leak was detected on a carbon dioxide pipeline operated by Denbury Onshore in Yazoo County, MS near the town of Satartia. The affected area of the pipeline was isolated within minutes, and the leak site was evacuated as a precaution. Denbury has been working closely with state and local officials in the response and evacuation efforts to ensure the safety and welfare of the community, its residents and the environment, which is Denbury’s top priority. It is important to note that no injuries have been reported, the area is secure and poses no threat to the public, and local authorities lifted the evacuation at 8am Sunday morning permitting residents to return to their homes. Company and local officials are available to assist residents as they return. The cause of the release is under investigation.”
Through an initial investigation, MEMA reports that the rupture may have been the result of recent weather events.
The ground appeared to have caved into a ravine, damaging the 24-inch pipe.
A 1/2 mile area around Satartia was evacuated and first responders went door-to-door to make sure that everyone had gotten out.
The Yazoo County Sheriff’s Department assisted by Warren County and MHP helped turn drivers around to keep them away from the area.
Warren County and Yazoo County Fire and Rescue also assisted.
Copyright 2020 WLBT. All rights reserved.
By Michael Haynes | February 22, 2020 at 7:19 AM CST – Updated February 22 at 7:19 AM
Dry weather and sunshine continues today, providing a continuation in the much needed break from the rain. A cold start on this Saturday morning. Temperatures are running below freezing, and with calm conditions we have frost in many areas across Central and South Mississippi. Warmer this afternoon; temperatures rebound to the upper 50s, which is a good ten degrees warmer than Friday. And once again, we remain dry with lots of sunshine. The warming trend continues Sunday as highs reach the 60s. however, clouds increase throughout the day; a few spotty showers are possible, but the main time frame for rain will hold off until the beginning of next week.
First Alert Forecast: Dry, Pleasant Afternoon
Copyright 2020 WLBT. All rights reserved.
By Roslyn Anderson | February 21, 2020 at 7:41 PM CST – Updated February 21 at 7:41 PM
PEARL, Miss. (WLBT) – Wendy’s workers are undergoing counseling following Thursday’s fatal stabbing at the Pearl restaurant on Pearson Road.
An employee, who was there at the time, is now traumatized after watching the tragic incident unfold.
“He protected us from someone who could have killed us all,” said a Wendy’s employee we will call “Alice”.
She was in the kitchen of the Wendy’s restaurant when she saw the fatal stabbing of 25 year old Herbert Redmond of Jackson.
The restaurant worker said Redmond kept a gun in his backpack and had an ongoing dispute with Edward McWilliams.
Forty two year old McWilliams is charged with murder.
“It was all self defense because Edward was protecting us and I say he was protecting us, because Herbert had a gun, a loaded gun at that”.
The shaken woman is now trying to cope with the tragic incident she says she can not unsee.
“I’m just standing there,”said Alice. “It’s happening a few inches from me and I’m just standing here, and it’s just blood everywhere. It’s everywhere”.
Alice said Redmond threw the first punch and there had been tensions between the two workers for about two months.
As the feud escalated the Wendy’s workers said no one took steps to end it.
“Herbert was not supposed to have even been at work last night, and he was still on the clock,” said the 25 year old. “I don’t know why, but he was”.
According to Pearl City officials, McWilliams is a convicted felon who served time in the Mississippi Department of Corrections for armed robbery and manslaughter.
He is being held in the Rankin County Detention Center without bond.
Copyright 2020 WLBT. All rights reserved.
By Jacob Gallant | February 21, 2020 at 4:39 PM CST – Updated February 22 at 7:07 AM
TUPELO, Miss. (WLBT) – A Mississippi Lottery player won a big jackpot in Tupelo.
The unnamed winner hit a $200,000 prize on a Mega Ca$h ticket–the biggest prize won in Mississippi yet.
The ticket was purchased at Tobacco Superstore in Tupelo.
The winner said he plans to move his mother back home with the winnings.
Copyright 2020 WLBT. All rights reserved.
By David Kenney | February 21, 2020 at 6:12 PM CST – Updated February 21 at 6:12 PM
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The Rankin Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District held a special meeting Friday, discussing the impacts of the recent flood.
They were also briefed by engineers who have studied the One Lake plan, on how it would have reduced this flood.
They say 162 structures in Northeast Jackson flooded, but only 8 would have with One Lake in place.
51 flooded downtown, but only 9 would have with the flood control lake.
Hinds county Supervisor Robert Graham said, “Even if it only does half the number of homes that will not be flooded I think it’s worth doing because of the fact the human aspect of people worrying about every 2-3 years every time it rains whether or not their homes are going to be flooded.”
Engineers believe 80-90 percent of the recent flooding could have been limited with One Lake.
The 150,000 acre lake would be constructed near downtown Jackson, holding water that would normally flood neighborhoods.
One Lake engineer Blake Mendrop said, “The EIS (Environmental Impact Study) has been submitted to the corp and it’s going under it’s final review hopefully were getting closer to the end now.”
One Lake would cost between $300-$400 Million dollars to build.
Supporters are hoping the federal government will foot the bill.
Congressmen Bennie Thompson and Trent Kelly were in attendance at Friday’s meeting.
Copyright 2020 WLBT. All rights reserved.
By Chelsey Sellars | February 21, 2020 at 6:03 PM CST – Updated February 21 at 6:24 PM
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Jackson Public Schools have been locked out of their computer network by hackers.
Superintendent Errick Greene said the district’s cyber team has been checking every computer and printer for other threats since February 6th.
“We’ve just been very very intentional about not having folks use all of the devices that we have throughout the district as you might imagine with 23,000 scholars and with about 4,000 employees, we’ve got lots of devices,” said Greene.
Greene said none of the school’s data was stolen. However without access to their data, teachers have had to teach without their computers.
“Working with the FBI. We’ve also reached out to the Army Corp of Engineers… How do we ensure that we are safe to move forward? And even looking at additional protocols and precautions that we might us in the future,” said Greene.
The IT department has temporarily shut down their system as they investigate the hack. We asked JPS Spokesperson Sherwin Johnson if this is a case of ransomware.
In a statement he said, “we have not participated or engaged in any negotiations with any entity related to a ransom.” But, he did not say that no ransom had been demanded.
Copyright 2020 WLBT. All rights reserved.
