City of Natchez Workforce Development Director Tawana Williams has resigned to accept a position at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. She will become Executive Director of Workforce Education on January 5. Williams was the first to lead Natchez’s formal workforce department. During her tenure, she secured about $2 million in state and federal workforce funding, formed partnerships with employers, and helped establish training pathways designed to meet local labor needs. In her new role, she will work across seven counties.
As part of Operation Swamp Sweep, federal authorities have launched Operation Catahoula Crunch. The effort targets specific undocumented individuals with violent crime arrests who were previously released by police departments that the Department of Homeland Security says did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Those taken into custody could be sent to a new detention facility at Angola announced by Governor Jeff Landry in September. The facility at the refurbished Camp J is intended to serve as a centralized holding and deportation site for individuals identified by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Food and Drug Administration is urging consumers to check certain shredded cheese products after Great Lakes Cheese Company recalled multiple items distributed to 31 states due to potential metal fragments. The recall was initiated on October 3 and recently reclassified as a Class 2 recall, which the FDA defines as a situation where use of a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible health effects, with a remote likelihood of serious harm. Affected products were shipped to Louisiana and Mississippi and include shredded cheese sold under the Always Save, Borden, Great Value, and Happy Farms by Aldi brands, among others. Consumers are advised not to eat the products and to return them to the store for a refund.
Tributes are being shared in memory of former LSU System President Dr. William Jenkins, who died last week at age 88. He served twice as LSU president and was also dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine. Former LSU Foundation head Stephen Moret reflected on Jenkins’ leadership and character, noting his lasting influence on colleagues.
The Mississippi River at Natchez-Vidalia stands at 18.30 feet and is falling.
