Albert Kendall Washington has been extradited from Monroe, Louisiana and transported to Adams County. Washington appeared in Justice Court for an initial hearing on a murder charge related to the death of Felicia Bates. Judge Danny Barber denied bond. Washington remains in the custody of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.
Bates was reported missing after she was last seen by family members on the 13th. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reported that the search shifted to a homicide investigation after the office located human remains believed to be Bates. Formal identification and additional forensic testing are still pending.
In Louisiana, Attorney General Liz Murrell is pursuing a different legal approach to prevent abortion pills from being shipped into the state. Murrell has sought prosecution of doctors in New York and California for sending abortion pills into Louisiana. The drugs are illegal in Louisiana, and the doctors have avoided prosecution in those cases due to shield laws in their states that protect providers from legal action. Murrell and the attorneys general in Alabama and Arkansas are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down those shield laws.
A spokesperson with the Center for Reproductive Rights says shield laws provide protections for patients seeking abortion care.
In entertainment, the film “The Deputy,” starring Duke Nicholson, William H. Macy, Tiffany Haddish, and Richie Montgomery, is scheduled to show for one night only at the Capri Theater in Jackson tonight from 7 p.m. Matt Sakard, the director, is expected to attend for a Q&A session.
At Louisiana Tech, the university reports a third straight record-breaking freshman class. The university says it has set a new record for its highest undergraduate and main campus enrollment in school history, and that the freshman class is its most academically prepared ever. Louisiana Tech reports 22% of the incoming freshmen have an ACT score of 30 or higher. University president Jim Henderson said the school aims to grow while maintaining rigor and recruiting students prepared to excel.
Louisiana Tech also reported enrollment increases across programs, including a 25% year-over-year increase in construction engineering technology, described as the highest among its programs. Other fast-growing programs include nursing, kinesiology, electrical engineering, and accounting.
In local water-level reporting, the Mississippi River in Natchez-Vidalia is at 20.58 feet and rising.
