Reporting What Matters

RHCJC
Reporting What Matters

RHCJC
Reporting What Matters

RHCJC

Mississippi auto insurance rates begin to stabilize after years of increases 

Samuel Hughes, Kristen Kaylor, Nischit Sharma and Sameen Chand • August 25, 2025
After years of steady hikes, Mississippi auto insurance rates are showing signs of stabilizing, with more than a dozen companies approving decreases this year that could affect 80% of drivers. 

Mississippi leads nation in deadly heartworm infections

Justin Glowacki, Sami Jordan and Nischit Sharma • August 18, 2025
“We diagnose about 1 in every 8 dogs with heartworm disease,” said Tamara Huff, shelter director of Hub City Humane Society. “Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes … it just takes one bite from one mosquito for your pet’s life to change.”

Ampact tutors strengthen skills in Hub City schools

Morgan Gill, Alexa Hatten, JC Roberts and Sameen Chand • August 18, 2025
As Hub City students settle into a new school year, tutors from Ampact, a national nonprofit, are once again working alongside the city’s public school teachers to help students succeed.

No board, no clarity: Beauty educators stuck in licensing transition

Justin Glowacki, Sami Jordan and Nischit Sharma • August 11, 2025
For six years, Asheena Woods taught barbering students state laws, walked them through the licensing process and gave them structure, support and transparency.

Lack of legal venues leaves racers and cities at odds 

Morgan Gill, Cadence Renfro, Jaydon Koss and Sameen Chand • August 4, 2025
As legal racetracks close across Mississippi, some racers are turning to city streets — a trend drawing both safety concerns and debate about access to controlled racing environments. 

‘Nowhere to Go’: Hattiesburg’s unhoused face uncertainty under new state laws

Samuel Hughes, JC Roberts, Rochak Basnet and Whitney Argenbright • July 28, 2025
Two new state laws are raising concerns across Mississippi, particularly in communities where support systems for unhoused people are already strained.

Ward 5 residents lead the way in Hattiesburg change

Morgan Gill, JC Roberts and Alexa Hatten • July 14, 2025
Streetlights are getting fixed, debris is being cleared faster and neighbors who once felt ignored are now sitting at the table with city leaders. 

HIV prevention advances, but stigma persists

Justin Glowacki, Sami Jordan and Nischit Sharma • June 30, 2025
For John, a 19-year-old from rural Mississippi, getting medication to prevent HIV came with more than just a prescription — it came with fear.

Mississippi looks to reverse brain drain with jobs, education

Morgan Gill, JC Roberts and Sameen Chand • June 30, 2025
For Stephanie Rodriguez, Mississippi offers safety, affordability and a quieter lifestyle, but for Gunnar Hamm, it was a place he couldn’t wait to leave. Their stories reflect the growing divide in how young adults view life in the Magnolia State — and what’s driving many to look elsewhere for opportunity.

With little aid, sober homes fill vital recovery need

Samuel Hughes, Cadence Renfro and Rochak Basnet • June 9, 2025
Mississippi continues to fall behind neighboring states when it comes to sober-living housing, a critical step in long-term addiction recovery. Sober-living housing often follows the Oxford House Model, a community-based approach to recovery that emphasizes peer support, shared responsibility and sober living

Animal clinics urge spaying, neutering to curb pet overpopulation 

Morgan Gill, Nischit Sharma, Alexa Hatten and Kiran Silwal • June 2, 2025
Animal advocates across Mississippi are launching a statewide awareness campaign to promote spaying and neutering, hoping to reduce shelter overcrowding, animal abandonment and one of the highest euthanasia rates in the country. 

Hall Health aims to close care gaps for Hattiesburg’s uninsured

Morgan Gill and Nischit Sharma • May 19, 2025
A new downtown health clinic is offering an alternative to traditional health care — one designed for those who often go without it. Hall Health, which opened May 8, provides primary care without requiring insurance.
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