The Natchez Board of Aldermen is considering a proposal to evaluate the operations of the Natchez waterworks. The evaluation would be used to ensure that the accounts and meters for water billing and trash collection services are accurately charging customers. Officials said an audit quote could identify unrealized revenues, which they said could help avoid raising rates.
In weather updates, LSU Health climatologist Barry Keim said the Atlantic has not had a hurricane this year. Keim said there have been five tropical storms so far, and that each was short-lived, being named storms for less than a day. He also noted that the record for the latest date of the first Atlantic hurricane is September 11, set in 2002 and 2013. Keim said that record is expected to be broken. He added that current forecasts from the National Hurricane Center suggest it is highly unlikely a hurricane would form between now and September 11.
Keim also said that there were no recorded hurricanes in 1907 or 1914, but that without satellites or aircraft, that distinction may be unreliable.
Mississippi Highway Patrol reported two fatal crashes during the 2026 Labor Day holiday travel period, which ran from Friday through Monday night. Troopers investigated 136 crashes during the period, resulting in 144 injuries, according to MHP. The two fatal crashes occurred in Winston County and Hancock County, with one death reported in each crash.
Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple said Louisiana drivers are paying $400 million less for private passenger auto insurance. He said the state now has up to 50 companies that have reduced private passenger auto insurance rates. Temple attributed the changes to reductions in crashes, saying fewer accidents lead to fewer bodily injury claims and less litigation. He also cited technology in vehicles, including sensors in bumpers that warn drivers during potential collisions. He said tort reform legislation approved in 2025 is also expected to contribute to changes.
Weather information from Natchez reported the Mississippi River in the Natchez Valley was at 19.36 feet and falling.
