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Jackson water: Feds prepared to take action

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EPA: Feds prepared to take action on Jackson water

On Monday, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan again met with Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, this time alongside the U.S. Department of Justice, to plot the next course of action over the city’s water system.

“Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim from the Department of Justice and I met today with Mayor Lumumba to discuss the actions the federal government is prepared to take to help remedy this longstanding injustice,” Regan said in a press release. “During that meeting, I conveyed our desire to work with the City to reach a judicially enforceable agreement that ensures a sustainable water system in the mid- and long-terms.”

The release did not mention the agreement between the EPA and Jackson that’s already in place. The two parties signed an administrative order in 2021, which contains a list of 40 hiring and repair requirements outlined by the federal agency.

Mayor Lumumba recently said the EPA has been flexible in setting deadlines in that agreement. All of the original deadlines have since passed. Mississippi Today reached out to the EPA to ask which of those items the city has met so far, but was told by a spokesperson, “Due to the ongoing enforcement activities, we are unable to provide information related to the city’s compliance status.”

The two parties are also under a court-ordered non-disclosure agreement that prevents them from sharing a “very detailed plan” with a cost estimate for fixing the city’s water system, Jackson officials said recently. The EPA confirmed to Mississippi Today that there is a confidentiality order in place, but didn’t provide further detail.

The press release added that Jackson has issued roughly 300 boil water notices in the last two years.

New boil water notices hit over 1,200 customers

Since the state health department lifted the month and a half long boil water notice just 11 days ago, Jackson has since issued new boil water advisories for over 1,200 customers.

The city announced on Monday afternoon that a “contractor inadvertently severed the water line” for approximately 1,000 connections in Byram.

Jackson issued boil water notices for the other 200 connections because of line breaks caused by increased pressure in the system, officials said. Mayor Lumumba warned residents in early September that the worn down distribution system would be susceptible to such issues.

City workers, with assistance from the Mississippi Rural Water Association and teams from Maryland, Arkansas, Minnesota and South Carolina, have continued repairs at both of Jackson’s treatment plants. A Monday press release said the crews brought two of the raw water pumps back into service at O.B. Curtis before the weekend.

The city said on Monday that the following areas, including Byram, Belhaven, North Jackson, and Eastover, are currently under a boil water notice:

Byram:

  • [7300-8899] Gary Road, Byram: 39272   
  • Gary Drive 
  • Glen Haven Subdivision
  • Glennhaven Drive
  • Glennhaven Court
  • Glenn Oak Circle
  • Cedar Glenn Drive
  • Brank Creek Drive
  • Red Oak Cove
  • Cedar Glenn Cove 
  • Trelles Cove
  • Highland Cove
  • Azalea Cove
  • Glennwood Cove
  • Ridge Place
  • Redwood Cove 
  • Holybush Place
  • Glennoak Circle
  • Eagle Nest Subdivision 
  • Eagle Nest Drive 
  • Freedom Cove
  • Highpoint Drive
  • Mountain Crest Drive
  • Golden Eagle Drive
  • Talon Cove 
  • Canyon Cove 
  • Lake Ridgelea Subdivision
  • Turtle Road
  • Park Avenue
  • Mary Lane
  • Lake Shore Drive
  • Oak Avenue
  • Pike Avenue
  • Ridgelea Road
  • Lure Avenue
  • Meadow Lane
  • S. Ridge Road
  • E. Ridge Road
  • Bob White Street
  • Rod Street
  • Reel Street
  • Hook Street
  • W. Ridge Road
  • Horse Shoe Circle
  • Line Street 
  • Spinning Street 

Jackson:

  • [1200-2399] North State Street: 39202
  • [1600-1899] Pine St.
  • [700-799] Euclid St.
  • [700-799] Oakwood St.
  • [700-799] Fairview St.
  • [700-799] Arlington St.
  • [700-799] Pinehurst St.
  • [700-799] Gillespie St.
  • Popcorn Alley
  • Park Avenue
  • [1300-1399] Peachtree Street: 39202
  • [5300-5599] Highland Drive: 39206
  • [4300-4599] El Paso Street
  • Paso Cove

Editor’s note: This story was updated to include more streets impacted by the boil water notices because the City of Jackson released more locations after this story first published.

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

Mississippi News

Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: December 20-22

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-12-20 12:03:00

SUMMARY: This weekend (December 20-22), Mississippi offers a variety of festive events. In Jackson, enjoy Food Truck Friday, candlelight concerts, a Grinch movie screening, and Journey to the North Pole. In Ridgeland, experience Merry Bingo, Christmas on the Green, and Fleet Feet Coffee Run. Vicksburg hosts Rock the Halls, while Natchez offers a European Christmas Shopping Village. Other activities include Santa scuba diving at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, Million Dollar Quartet Christmas, and Magic of Lights in Brandon. Hattiesburg features Lights of the Wild and Teddy Bear Tea with Santa. Numerous holiday events are available across the state.

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Mississippi News

Attorneys seek protective order in Jackson bribery case

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-12-19 14:36:00

SUMMARY: Prosecutors in Jackson are seeking a protective order to prevent the release of sensitive information in a bribery case involving Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba, and City Councilman Aaron Banks. The motion aims to protect personal, financial, and grand jury information, fearing it could impair investigations and fair trial rights. The three officials face charges related to a bribery scheme involving $80,000 in bribes for approving a real estate development project. Other individuals, including former City Councilwoman Angelique Lee and Sherik Marve Smith, are also implicated, with Smith pleading guilty to conspiracy.

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Suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggles, shouts while entering courthouse

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www.wjtv.com – MICHAEL R. SISAK and MARK SCOLFORO, Associated Press – 2024-12-10 14:27:00

SUMMARY: Luigi Nicholas Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, was arrested in Pennsylvania and charged with the murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Mangione, who expressed disdain for corporate greed and the health insurance industry, was found with a gun matching the murder weapon and fraudulent IDs. He initially gave false identification but was recognized at a McDonald’s. Mangione, who wrote a three-page document expressing anti-corporate sentiments, is being extradited to New York. His family, shocked by his arrest, expressed condolences to Thompson’s family. Mangione had no prior criminal complaints but had a history of severe back pain.

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