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FEMA visits Jackson’s water plant; Lumumba warns of rupturing lines

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FEMA visits Jackson’s water plant; Lumumba warns of rupturing lines

Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel arrived at the O.B. Curtis treatment plant on Friday to provide technical assistance as Jackson restores pressure in its drinking water system.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell detailed how the federal emergency declaration President Joseph Biden signed this week will help the city’s repairs.

“The funding is available to support the temporary measures to reestablish the (water) pressure but also to sustain that pressure while they’re looking at the more permanent repairs,” Criswell said. “What the emergency declaration does not do is support the permanent repairs for this facility.”

The emergency declaration also frees up funding to reimburse Mississippi for bringing clean water into Jackson, as well as for staffing the plant, she said. Criswell added while the declaration lasts for 90 days, FEMA can reevaluate during that time to decide whether or not to extend its support for a longer period.

Jim Craig, senior deputy and director at the Mississippi State Department of Health, said the pressure at O.B. Curtis climbed back up to 85 pounds per square inch (PSI) on Friday, but later dropped back down to 77 PSI because of a “chemical imbalance.” Craig clarified that the city’s equipment for measuring the pH and turbidity of the water before it enters the plant is not working, meaning that it takes longer for the operators to treat the water.

Craig also estimated that both of the plant’s out-of-service pumps, which led to water pressure issues for Jackson in early August, will be “back on site” on Sept. 9.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba warned that while progress is being made to increase water pressure, doing so may cause the city’s decades-old distribution lines to burst in the coming days.

Earlier Friday, Lumumba appeared with Rep. Bennie Thompson, White House senior advisor Mitch Landrieu, and FEMA Coordinating Officer Allan Jarvis at Grove Park, where reporters got photos of the officials handing out cases of water to a line of cars. Landrieu was scheduled to appear with Gov. Tate Reeves and Criswell at their press conference later on, but was not present.

FEMA Coordinating Officer Allan Jarvis (left), Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Rep. Bennie Thompson, and White House senior advisor Mitch Landrieu speaking to reporters at a water distribution event at Grove Park in Jackson, Sept. 2, 2022.

Friday began with a miscommunication between the governor’s office and Jackson officials, who announced that Reeves and Lumumba were set to hold a press conference together that afternoon. Within an hour, the governor’s communications director Hunter Estes tweeted that the release was false.

“We have not invited city politicians to these substantive state press conferences on our repairs,” Estes wrote, “because they occur to provide honest information about the state’s work. We are investigating why they are releasing misinformation.”

City spokesperson Justin Vicory quickly let reporters know afterwards that there would be no such briefing. 

The mix-up came a day after Reeves and Lumumba first appeared at a press conference together since this week’s water crisis began. The mayor called his presence there a “symbol of the unity that is taking place.” 

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi News

Attorneys file motion to delay Jackson bribery trial

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-11-21 16:41:00

SUMMARY: In connection with the Jackson bribery scandal, attorneys for federal officials and local leaders filed a motion to postpone the trial to allow time for extensive evidence review, including hours of recordings and thousands of pages of documents. Key figures charged include Hinds County DA Jody Owens, Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba, and Councilman Aaron Banks, each facing multiple counts of conspiracy related to bribery and fraud. The scandal involves alleged bribes amounting to over $80,000 related to a downtown development project, facilitated by individuals posing as real estate developers working with the FBI.

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Family of Dexter Wade rallies outside JPD nearly two years after his death

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www.wjtv.com – Tia McKenzie – 2024-11-20 14:20:00

SUMMARY: Nearly two years after Dexter Wade’s death, his family continues seeking justice. On November 20, Dexter Wade Day was observed in Jackson, declared by Councilman Kenneth Stokes. Wade, hit by a Jackson police cruiser in March 2023, was later found in a pauper’s grave in Hinds County, and his mother, Bettersten Wade, was unaware of his death until August 2023. She believes his death was covered up. No arrests have been made, and authorities consider it an accident. Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade expressed condolences and shared updates on new policies to prevent similar tragedies.

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Mississippi News

Man shot while helping with stalled vehicle in Jackson

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-11-20 19:08:00

SUMMARY: A man was shot in Jackson, Mississippi, while attempting to assist a person with a stalled vehicle on State Street at Beasley Road around 4:00 p.m. on November 20. Detective Tommie Brown reported that the victim was working on the vehicle when the suspect approached, questioned him, and then opened fire. The assailant fled the scene in a vehicle. Fortunately, the victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital. The Jackson Police Department is seeking information about the incident and encourages anyone with details to contact them or Crime Stoppers.

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