The family of Lacey Handjie has settled its lawsuit over her death in the Adams County Jail during the summer of 2023.
Last year, Handjie’s husband and mother-in-law sued Adams County, the Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff’s Office employees. Handjie was 37 when she died. The lawsuit said she was on a mental health hold at the time and suffered from bipolar disorder. The family alleged that Handjie repeatedly asked for medical help in her cell, but her requests were denied.
In its public health guidance, the Louisiana Department of Health advised people not to use tap water to clean and store contact lenses to reduce the risk of a rare but serious eye infection. The department said that since 2024, there have been 10 cases of acanthamoeba infections. State epidemiologist Teresa Sokol said eight of the cases involved eye infections in relatively healthy people. Seven of the individuals wore contact lenses, and five of those cases resulted in permanent vision loss. Acanthamoeba can be found in tap water, and the department emphasized safe water practices, including washing hands with soap and water and drying them well before handling contact lenses.
Politically, the Mississippi Senate race between Democrats Scott Colom and incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith was described as too close to call. The report said fewer than 50 votes separated the candidates for most of the night, and that independent Ty Pinkins had 2.1% of the vote, or just under 20,000.
In Louisiana, the report said Julia Letlow will be the next U.S. senator. It stated that Letlow defeated Jamie Davis by 2 points, 51% to 49%, in a race that had been expected to be won by double digits.
It also reported that two of six U.S. House races are headed to runoffs. Among them, District 5 will feature Republican Gabe Furman against Democrat Pat Moore.
Elsewhere, the report said the Mississippi River at Natchez-Vidalia is at 14.93 feet and falling.
