The Mississippi Legislature has approved a bill to name the Sergeant Prentiss Drive Bridge crossing Liberty Road in Natchez after former Mayor Butch Brown. Local leaders in Natchez and Adams County requested the designation. The bridge is part of the state highway system. The bill now goes to Governor Tate Reeves for his signature. Brown, who died in 2023, served three terms as mayor and was also the executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation between his terms in office.
NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans marked a major milestone as components built there play key roles in the Artemis 2 mission to the moon. The facility produced the propellant tanks and the module that will carry astronauts. NASA officials said about 2,000 people contributed to Artemis 2. Michoud has a long history with NASA and is expected to participate in building the spacecraft planned to land on the moon, possibly in 2028.
The Mississippi Department of Education announced that new, higher standards for school and district accountability grades will take effect in the 2025–26 school year. Grades released this fall will establish a new baseline for evaluating performance. The department said grades for 2025–26 cannot be compared with previous years due to the increased standards. As a result, many schools and districts may receive lower grades than those earned in 2024 and 2025. State law requires raising accountability standards when 75 percent of students are proficient or when 65 percent of schools or districts earn a B or higher, a benchmark Mississippi reached in 2023.
A proposed constitutional amendment in Louisiana that would limit governors to two total terms advanced in the legislative process. The House Governmental Affairs Committee approved the measure by Representative Mike Bayham with an 11–2 vote. Current law allows governors who have served two consecutive terms to run again after a four‑year break. Supporters of the amendment argue that two terms should be sufficient for any governor to accomplish their goals.
The Mississippi River at Natchez–Vidalia is at 28.33 feet and falling.
