Local officials and residents marked the return of commercial airline service to Natchez-Adams County, ending a three-decade absence. SkyWest Airlines, operating as a regional partner of United Airlines, has begun daily flights between Natchez’s Hardy-Andrews Field and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The route uses 50-seat jets for early afternoon departures and arrivals.
United and SkyWest agreed last October to provide the service, supported in part by a $950,000 government risk‑mitigation fund intended to offset potential financial losses as the carriers establish the route.
A new voter registration report in Louisiana shows a significant political shift. According to July data from the Secretary of State, registered Republican voters now outnumber registered Democratic voters for the first time in the state’s modern history. Republicans lead by approximately 2,300 voters. Each major party has about 1 million registered voters, while no‑party registrations have risen to about 820,000. Analysts expect no‑party registrations to continue increasing and potentially surpass Democratic registration totals.
In Mississippi, recent heavy rainfall has caused major damage to fruit and vegetable crops in the southern region of the state. The Mississippi State University Extension Service reports that watermelon and blueberry growers have experienced high yield losses. The South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station recorded at least 30 inches of rain from mid‑May to mid‑June, with some areas receiving more. Farmers are also losing much of the portion of melons that had already been harvested, and other vegetable crops have been affected as well.
Louisiana officials announced multiple arrests in a nationwide Medicaid fraud crackdown. Attorney General Liz Morial reported that 21 people were arrested, including one individual accused of stealing more than $415,000 from the program. Morial said Medicaid fraud enforcement remains a top priority, noting that the state has secured 105 convictions and more than $73 million in restitution orders. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit now operates as a standalone division within the Louisiana Department of Justice.
The Mississippi River at Natchez has reached 39.95 feet and continues to rise.
