Law enforcement agencies are continuing to investigate a crash that killed a Sicily Island man in Natchez last Tuesday. Investigators are awaiting toxicology reports related to two drivers involved. The first driver collided with bicyclist James Hilliard, who was riding on lower Woodville Road near Briarwood Drive shortly before 8 p.m. Tuesday. Natchez Police Chief Lee Bess said an eastbound driver turned into Hilliard’s path, striking the motorcycle and causing Hilliard to lose control. A second driver then collided with Hilliard. Hilliard died at the scene, and Chief Bess said the second driver was not at fault.
Gas prices in Louisiana are above $4 per gallon, with AAA stating drivers should budget for gasoline to average $4 a gallon and that no near-term relief is expected. The report also cited effects from the Ukraine-Russia war on fuel supply, particularly diesel. The statewide average for diesel in Mississippi and Louisiana was described as a record high above $6 per gallon, with Ukraine reportedly launching drone strikes against energy infrastructure in Russia. The segment said Russians are standing in gas lines.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announced Mississippi’s total non-farm employment reached a new record high in August 2026, with 1,199,800 jobs. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was reported as 3.4%, the lowest in September 2024. The announcement was described as coming after Reeves said Hitachi Energy is investing $528 million and creating 654 jobs in Copiah County, which he characterized as the single largest investment in the company’s worldwide history.
Louisiana is also pursuing a role in a proposed U.S. Space Academy. The federal government, according to the segment, would build and operate the academy to educate scientists, engineers, astronauts, and warfighters. The segment reported that Greater New Orleans, Inc. said southeast Louisiana already has rocket-building capacity, including the MISHU facility, and that SpaceX is coming to Vermilion Parish. A decision on the location was described as potentially occurring by the end of the year or early next year.
In regional updates, the Mississippi River in Natchez-Vidalia was reported at 15.32 feet and rising.
