The southbound lane of the 200 block of Martin Luther King Street will close today while a building is demolished. The structure at 731 Franklin Street is described as unstable and will be removed. Demolition is expected to take a couple of days.
The St. Tammany Parish coroner says the parish is seeing an increase in suicides. The coroner stated St. Tammany Parish is on pace for a record 60 suicides this year. The coroner also said these suicides are very often among white men and often involve a gun. The coroner said most incidents are not premeditated and occur spontaneously during extreme crisis. The coroner encouraged steps such as putting a lock on a gun to slow access long enough to rethink and suggested storing items in a way that adds a moment of pause, including placing a picture of children in a gun safe. The coroner also reiterated that the 988 helpline is available 24 hours a day for people in crisis.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch urged residents to check whether they are eligible for compensation related to certain generic drug purchases and to submit a claim for compensation. This follows a preliminary approval by the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut of a plan filed by 48 state and territory attorneys general to distribute settlement funds paid by generic drug makers in exchange for settlement of claims involving alleged illegal price-conspiracy conduct.
In Louisiana, the Louisiana Supreme Court appointed St. Tammany and Washington Parish District Attorney Colin Sims to examine the decision to seek an indictment against Attorney General Liz Murrell. An Orleans Parish grand jury indicted Murrell in early July on malfeasance and public intimidation charges, but those counts were later dismissed. The Metro Crime Commission president said the investigation is unusual, adding that typically the local district attorney handles investigations requiring prosecutorial assistance. Sims’ review will determine whether the process used to pursue the indictment was proper and whether any criminal or ethical violations occurred.
The Mississippi River at Natchez-Vidalia is reported at 16.90 feet and rising.
