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The dozens of independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan news organizations that make up the Rural News Network are developing the broadest news alliance reporting on rural America. These newsrooms are pursuing coverage that provides a more complete picture of what it means to live and work in these communities.
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LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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A Displaced Family Finds Their Way Home After Rolling Fork Tornado
April 08, 2024
The town of Rolling Fork (Pop. 1,700) has struggled to rebuild after a deadly tornado struck last year as it charted a merciless path across one of the country’s poorest regions. One family is finding their way home.
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Mississippi Moves 10 Voting Precincts, Provides Incorrect or Missing Information For 90
March 11, 2024
The Mississippi Free Press’ latest investigation and an examination of data in the Statewide Election Management System found missing, incomplete, incorrect or old addresses for 90 precincts across 19 counties – a slight decrease from the 92 errors across 21 counties the MFP found ahead of the November 2023 statewide elections.
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A Medical Marijuana Graduate Degree Coming to University of Mississippi in Fall 2024
November 09, 2023
The program would provide advanced training for people who are seeking jobs or looking to advance their current careers in dietary supplements.
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Heart of Darkness: 1991 Lafayette County Cold Case Spurs Black Family’s Struggle for Justice
October 11, 2023
The historically dismissive treatment of Black families who have lost loved ones to violence has long been rampant in Mississippi and beyond, seeding fear, distrust of law enforcement, and even rumors about coverups.
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Childhood Illnesses Could Spike In Mississippi After Vaccine Ruling, State Health Officer Warns
September 29, 2023
Before the ruling, the state was one of five that did not have religious exemptions for childhood vaccines.
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‘Heartstopper’ Books Removed From Marion County Library Amid Anti-LGBTQ+ Complaints
August 18, 2023
The “Heartstopper” graphic novel series is a young adult series that tells the story of two teen boys who fall in love.
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Mississippi Officials Made 161 Voting Precinct Changes Since November 2022
August 07, 2023
A Mississippi Free Press investigation found that statewide, local election officials moved 92 preexisting precincts to new polling locations; closed 41 old precincts; and opened 28 new precincts. One small county accounted for about 85% of the net decrease in voting precincts statewide.
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Boy, 16, Dies At Hattiesburg Poultry Plant In Third Worker Death Since 2020
July 19, 2023
Federal law prohibits anyone under 18 from working in poultry plants because they are considered too hazardous for multiple reasons, including their use of power-driven equipment.
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Dam Break At Archusa Creek Water Park Unleashes Flood in Quitman
July 17, 2023
A 100-foot-wide dam break at Archusa Creek Water Park unleashed a deluge in Quitman – a town of 2,000 in the eastern part of the state, Sunday evening.
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Richland Officer Fired For Attack On Black Men, Police Chief Says
July 07, 2023
The Richland Police Department has fired Officer Joshua Hartfield for allegedly participating in the January beating and torture of Michael Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker.
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Gov. Reeves Celebrates Affirmative Action Ruling: ‘Their Race Is Not To Blame For Everything’
June 30, 2023
Reeves, who governs a 38%-Black state with some of the most brutal history of white supremacy and some of the worst racial disparities in the nation, has long denied the role of racism in society.
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Gov. Tate Reeves Hasn’t Returned TANF Defendants’ Campaign Donations Yet. We Asked Why.
June 16, 2023
The criminal defendants, whose nonprofit Mississippi Community Education Center funneled tens of millions in Temporary Assistance For Needy Families welfare funds to illegal causes, have since pleaded guilty to multiple charges.
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Congenital Syphilis Rates Up 900% Among Mississippi Babies, Expected to Grow
June 08, 2023
Until this year, Mississippi was one of just six states that did not require syphilis testing during pregnancy.
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Bryant Texts: Favre, Partner Sought Trump’s Help Funding Drug Company Named In TANF Scandal
May 04, 2023
Long before Prevacus became embroiled in Mississippi’s massive welfare fraud scandal, the drug company’s founder Jake VanLandingham and retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre sought the Trump White House’s help to fund its efforts to launch a new concussion drug, text messages former Gov. Phil Bryant released Thursday show.
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UPDATE: Phil Bryant Releases TANF Welfare Scandal Texts, Video After Media Filing
May 04, 2023
Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant says he will release “all” of his text messages related to the State’s massive welfare-fraud scandal, he announced in a video message released to media outlets this morning.
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