WMJY-FM, Biloxi
Possible legal action over the opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway
By Kelly Bennett
Biloxi Mayor Andrew Gilich says he and other coastal leaders are exploring the possibility of taking legal action against those responsible for the opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway, which devastated the local economy. The freshwater intrusion caused harmful algae bloom, which prompted officials to issue water contact advisories, which kept thousands of tourists away during the peak summer vacation season. Gilich said he and others are looking into several options to help Biloxi and the Mississippi Gulf Coast recover some of the millions of dollars lost in 2019.
We've probably seen the last of those triple digit temperatures in Mississippi, at least for the time being. Clouds and a chance of rain today will make things more tolerable although many locations will still be in the 90s. Yesterday, for the second day in a row, Meridian and Greenwood both topped the century mark with highs of 102 and 101. As Tropical Depression Imelda moves through eastern Texas, we'll see rain chances increasing in Mississippi, especially from the Jackson area down into the Pine Belt this afternoon and up into the Delta tonight.
We're not being told much about the first case of a vaping-related lung illness in Mississippi. But the State Health Department says it was important to get the word out that the problems reported in three dozen other states have shown up here. The unidentified patient is undergoing treatment for the illness. But a woman's death in northeast Mississippi may have been linked to vaping. Investigators in Monroe County aren't sure and say the body of the 27-year-old woman from Smithville will undergo an autopsy. She was found unresponsive in her home Tuesday and died a short time later. Nationwide, six vaping-related deaths have been confirmed.
The average price for gas is up another three cents in Mississippi this morning as a result of last weekend's attack on Saudi Arabia's oil industry. Triple A says that's a 13 cent increase since Monday. The auto club says the average price statewide is now almost two-32 a gallon although drivers in some parts of Mississippi, especially in the southwest, are paying a good bit more.
The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce is opening an office on the coast. Commissioner Andy Gipson says the international trade and commerce office is aimed at boosting business at Mississippi's ports. He's hoping for an increase in imports and exports, especially those involving the state's agricultural products that are being shipped around the world. A location for the new office hasn't been selected yet.
There's a special day later this month honoring America's Gold Star mothers. But Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith says when members of the Armed Forces are killed, their whole families are affected. And again this year, the Republican senator has introduced a bipartisan resolution establishing September 22nd through the 29th as Gold Star Families Remembrance Week. She got it through the Senate last year, the first time there's ever been a formal recognition of the sacrifices made by the families of fallen service members -- although their mothers have been honored with a special day of recognition since 1936.
Two Head Start Programs in Harrison County are scheduled to re-open on Friday. Officials say the Isaiah Fredricks Center in Gulfport and the Doll Moffet Center in Pass Christian will open tomorrow. A third center in Saucier is scheduled to open on October 1st. The Head Start Programs were temporarily shut down for reorganization on August 31st. The Mississippi Action for Progress and Mississippi State University will administer the new Head Start Program.