RHCJC

Steel plant scrapped, Perry County left in limbo

Justin Glowacki, Sonya Woods and Pragesh Adhikari • March 24, 2025

Plans for an anticipated steel plant in Perry County have silently ended, leaving local residents unaware of what comes next.

Mississippi’s forgotten nuclear test site still under federal watch

Morgan Gill, Hailey Perkins, Kennedi Drake and Rowan Luke • March 24, 2025

There’s no signpost marking Mississippi’s only nuclear test site. There’s no visitor center, either — just timberland, wildlife … and a radioactive legacy buried beneath the surface.

With nowhere to go, more face homelessness on Mississippi’s coast

Samuel Hughes, Nischit Sharma, Mallory Strickland, Gerome Webster and Hailey Perkins • March 24, 2025

Betty has been on the Gulf Coast for three years. Her journey away from her hometown of Fourt Collins, Colorado, began when she and her mother lost their home.

Mississippi public housing struggles as federal funding falls short

Samuel Hughes, Pragesh Adhikari and Aidan Tarrant • March 17, 2025

From cinderblock, single-story duplexes and quadplexes to rows of brick townhomes, public housing projects aren’t difficult to spot in Mississippi — particularly those that buckle under the weight of their age.

Jackson County braces for stronger storms, rising flood risks

Justin Glowacki and McKenna Klamm • March 17, 2025

Chris Snyder has lived just 500 feet from the beach in Ocean Springs for 43 years. He knows firsthand the destruction hurricanes can cause.

‘We need licensure’: Mississippi mothers, midwives fight for safe birth options

Morgan Gill, Miracle Jennnings, Mallory Strickland, Nischit Sharma and Pragesh Adhikari • March 17, 2025

For Cassidy Sager, the birth of her child wasn’t just a life-changing moment — it was a calling.

Leakesville addresses water infrastructure headaches ahead of funding deadline

Samuel Hughes, Pragesh Adhikari, Evan Baronich and Nischit Sharma • March 17, 2025

For small towns like Leakesville, keeping water flowing isn’t just about convenience — it’s about survival. Many of the city’s water lines date back to the 1970s, and while officials have worked to replace aging infrastructure, the costs add up quickly.

Poplarville faces challenges replacing old water lines

Whitney Argenbright, Morgan Gill, Gerome Webster, Kennedi Drake, Pragesh Adhikari, Evan Baronich, Samuel Hughes and Aidan Tarrant • March 17, 2025

Poplarville is working to replace its aging water infrastructure, but the upgrades are causing unexpected problems, including frequent water line breaks and boil water notices. Additionally, city officials said rising costs and the strain on old pipes are making the process even harder.

House attempts to keep mobile sports betting alive

Justin Glowacki, Matthew Martin, McKenna Klamm and Pragesh Adhikari • March 10, 2025

For the second consecutive year, an attempt to legalize mobile sports betting in Mississippi collapsed in the Senate Gaming Commission as House Bill 1302 failed to advance on March 4. Despite overwhelming support in the House, where it passed 89-11, the bill met the same fate as last year’s proposal, dying in committee without reaching the Senate floor.

Food banks brace for increased demand as Mississippi declines federal summer food program

Morgan Gill, Miracle Jennnings, Srividya Karuturi, Nischit Sharma, Javion Henry and Gerome Webster • March 10, 2025

Federal food aid has dwindled after Gov. Tate Reeves opted out of the federal Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program for the second year in a row, leaving more families in southeast Mississippi struggling to put food on the table.

Bacterial advisories prove challenging for beachgoers, businesses

Samuel Hughes, Kennedi Drake, Rowan Luke, Rasheed Ambrose, Gretta Graves, Gerome Webster and Hailey Perkins • March 3, 2025

Soft sand, cool water … and high levels of bacteria? Mississippi’s beaches are popular spots for spring break visitors, and they’re a cash cow for local businesses. However, visitors might discover a regular roadblock in their planning: advisories of high levels of bacteria along Gulf Coast beaches.

Perry County Schools face budget struggles amid enrollment drop

Morgan Gill, Kennedi Drake, Stephani Perez Munoz, Sonya Woods, Colbey Penton, Srividya Karuturi, Nischit Sharma and Pragesh Adhikari • March 3, 2025

For 16 years, Perry County Schools have been underfunded under the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, the state's previous funding formula. During that time, the district navigated a cumulative funding loss of $8,747,681.