Natchez city aldermen have agreed to join officials in Meadville and Brookhaven to advance plans for a potential Natchez‑to‑Brookhaven passenger train service. The project depends on securing federal funding and remains uncertain, as discussions have been ongoing for several years. According to Mayor Dan Gibson, significant work is still required before the service could become a reality. The proposal involves collaboration with Natchez Railway, which currently uses the 65‑mile rail line to transport freight between the two cities. The development comes as Natchez–Adams County prepares for the return of commercial passenger air service in July, the first since the 1990s.
Louisiana officials have reached a tentative $4.8 million settlement with the family of Ronald Green, a Black motorist who died during a 2019 roadside arrest involving five white law enforcement officers. The information comes from two individuals familiar with the agreement who spoke with the Associated Press. The settlement would conclude a federal wrongful‑death lawsuit filed by Green’s family. Green’s case drew national attention after the Associated Press obtained and released footage in 2021 showing Louisiana State Police officers punching, kicking, and using stun guns on him near Monroe. A Louisiana State Police spokesperson said the agency could not comment on the agreement because it has not been finalized.
The Mississippi State Department of Health reports that its statewide program to expand access to substance‑use‑disorder care has reached all 82 counties. The program aims to identify risk earlier, reduce treatment barriers, and provide services closer to where patients live. MSDH cites several factors contributing to the need for expanded care. In 2023, 49 percent of Mississippi households were either in poverty or earning below the cost of basic needs. Overdose deaths in the state increased by more than one‑third from 2020 to 2021, including a 51 percent rise in deaths involving synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. Federal estimates from 2022 and 2023 indicate that about 327,000 Mississippi residents age 12 and older who needed substance‑use treatment did not receive it.
Concerns have emerged following a hantavirus outbreak on a sightseeing cruise ship, but infectious‑disease experts say the risk of a pandemic is low. According to an infectious‑disease specialist from LSU Health New Orleans, hantavirus generally does not spread easily between people and is far less transmissible than viruses such as COVID‑19 or influenza. While hantavirus typically does not spread from person to person, officials noted that the outbreak involves a specific strain known as the Andes virus.
The Mississippi River at Natchez Valley stands at 37.38 feet and is falling.
