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Reporting What Matters

Roy Howard Community Journalism Center

Reporting What Matters

Roy Howard Community Journalism Center

Reporting What Matters

Roy Howard Community Journalism Center



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Mississippi lawmakers aim to tackle abandoned properties

Tall grass creeps up boarded windows. Overgrown lots hold little but broken glass and flat tires. Rotten porches sag under the weight of years of neglect. These sights of urban decay are common in Mississippi – and cleaning them up is not a simple job.

Mississippi researchers investigate growing tick-borne allergy to red meat

Mississippians are no strangers to ticks, but residents of the Magnolia State may be surprised to learn that these pesky parasites are capable of spreading a food allergy that makes red meat particularly hazardous.

Mississippi works to keep police officers from leaving for better pay 

Mississippi lawmakers are advancing House Bill 855 to help police departments across the state retain officers by offering financial incentives. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jeffrey Harness, D-McComb, would provide a one-time, $600 stipend to certified law enforcement officers who have worked at least one year at their agency.
Mississippi state capitol

Mississippi lawmakers push PERS funding, teacher recruitment, insurance relief in 2025 session 

Samuel Hughes February 3, 2025
Mississippi lawmakers are prioritizing Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi reform, teacher recruitment and insurance relief as key legislative goals for the 2025 session. 

Mississippi tax reform bill promises grocery savings, higher gas costs

Samuel Hughes, Gerome Webster and Morgan Gill February 3, 2025
A proposed tax reform in Mississippi promises to cut grocery taxes and raise gas costs to support infrastructure improvements, marking a major shift in the state’s approach to taxation and funding. 

AMPLIFY: High preterm birth rates in Mississippi highlight health care barriers

Mississippi has the highest preterm birth rate in the United States, standing at 15%, compared to the national average of 10.4%.
What southeast Mississippi mayors want from the state Capitol in 2025

What southeast Mississippi mayors want from the state Capitol in 2025

Samuel Hughes January 13, 2025
The 2025 legislative session is underway, and state Capitol leaders are preparing to tackle major issues affecting Mississippians. From tax reforms to infrastructure improvements, the decisions made under the dome will have lasting impacts on communities across the state.

Bill of Health: Policymakers, health care professionals explore potential consequences of expanding Medicaid

Morgan Gill January 6, 2025
Medicaid expansion has been a contentious issue across the United States, especially under the Affordable Care Act, and in southern states like Mississippi. While some argue it increases access to health care for low-income individuals, others, including Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and Brown, raise concerns about its long-term economic sustainability, effects on state budgets, and potential impacts on the health care system.

Bill of Health: Advocates outline widespread impact of Medicaid expansion

Lamar County resident Kenneth Hornsby doesn’t mince words when discussing the challenges of accessing health care in his town.

Bill of Health: Rural Mississippi confronts health care crisis amid calls for Medicaid expansion

“We have a little hospital, like a Band-Aid station. They still send us to another hospital, whether it’s Hattiesburg or New Orleans,” she said.
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