Adams County supervisors Monday praised an announcement that county-owned land will be leased to a metal refinery expected to create 134 jobs. Supervisors also said it is too early to discuss prospects for a data center mentioned in recent reporting.
According to a supervisor, last month’s reports about Adams County supervisors having secret discussions with developers about a potential data center were premature. Another supervisor said no decisions have been made regarding a data center at the old International Paper property the county purchased in 2013, and said the county is aiming for transparency in any process involving new industries.
A developing Gulf storm is expected to strengthen as it moves over warm waters, according to an LSU Health climatologist. Forecasts cited during the newscast call for possible landfall as a Category 2 storm near the Alabama-Mississippi line, and the climatologist said southeast Louisiana should prepare. The storm was described as being within an area of forecast uncertainty, with changes expected in advisories.
Three friends of Nolan Wells, the 18-year-old who went missing from a Mississippi island during a Fourth of July celebration and was later found dead, filed a federal defamation lawsuit Monday against NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens. The newscast said the friends’ lawyers plan additional defamation claims against content creators and have previously indicated intent to sue other individuals for comments made while discussing Wells’ death.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the three friends’ fathers, who are representing the friends as minors under Mississippi law. The lawsuit alleges Owens defamed the three friends in a Twitter posting that the suit said also linked to an Instagram video theorizing they killed Wells and tampered with his phone. The newscast said the post was made days after a Mississippi grand jury declined to recommend charges in Wells’ death.
The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services announced a new online certification process for prospective foster parents. DCFS Secretary Rebecca Harris said the program, called Home Ready, is launched today and moves the certification steps online. The newscast said prospective foster parents can use a computer or mobile device to complete forms, upload documents, and track progress, and that a link to Home Ready is available on DCFS’s website.
In weather updates, the Mississippi River in Natchez-Vidalia was reported at 25.68 feet and falling.
