Magnolia Tribune

Parrish’s 2023 College Football Picks and Predictions: Week 4

Published

1 year ago

September 22, 2023

Veteran sports writer Parrish Alford takes a look at the Week 4 matchups for Southern Miss, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

Last week’s pick record was 3-0, making 9-0 overall for the 2023 season. But the games are getting tougher.

Let’s take a look at the Week 4 matchups for Mississippi’s Big Three.

#####

No. 15 Ole Miss at No. 13 Alabama

Time: 2:30 p.m. TV: CBS

There used to be a theory that you didn’t want to be the team that played Nick Saban coming off a loss. Only bad could result.

South Florida, in a 17-3 defeat after Alabama was controlled in Tuscaloosa by Texas, showed that this is a different Alabama team.

The Tide didn’t lead until 4 minutes were left in the third quarter when it broke a 3-3 tie. Even after that South Florida had its chances, no bull.

For whatever reason Nick Saban, the master motivator, the prince of “the process,” isn’t getting this team to respond like almost all other teams in the Alabama dynasty have responded. At least that’s been the case for the last two weeks. Whether that’s true for a third-straight week remains to be seen.

It’s too early to trash a team that for the last five years, according to 247Sports, has finished No. 1 in the recruiting rankings three times and No. 2 the other two times. The recruiting stars on that roster haven’t changed.

There’s no doubt Lane Kiffin wants this game. Since arriving at Ole Miss Kiffin has spoken with great respect for Saban.

Not long ago we would all see the ESPN graphic about Saban’s unbeaten record against his former assistants. Now Kirby Smart and Jimbo Fisher have already beaten him, and now Texas’ Steve Sarkisian has gotten into the mix.

Kiffin would love to get into the club.

Frankly, he’s had two great chances to beat Saban. His first year it would have been an upset for the ages, but the game was tied with eight minutes left in spite of the Rebels’ historically bad defense in 2020.

The next season in Tuscaloosa the Rebels were better, and Matt Corral was more established at quarterback. Kiffin thought it was time. He told the CBS audience to settle in and get their popcorn.

But the Rebels didn’t cash in on an early opportunity, and Kiffin’s ill-advised fourth-down attempts on his own end of the field further hurt his cause. It got out of hand before the popcorn got cold.

Last year the Rebels had the ball at the end with a chance to win – it was indeed popcorn worthy – but they didn’t finish.

It was such an emotional letdown it was part of the reason – Kiffin’s wandering eyes with Auburn were another – that the Rebels were mostly flat in the games that followed. The Egg Bowl wasn’t so much about being flat as it was an inability to figure out Zach Arnett’s defense.

Now Kiffin’s quarterback situation is better than it was a year ago, and Jaxson Dart has some pieces around him.

Alabama looks vulnerable.

So, who will get their players to respond this week?

Kiffin has been kind of spotty there.

On offense Dart is much improved with seven touchdown passes and only one interception through three games. Dart leads the SEC in pass efficiency and ranks No. 6 nationally.

Last week he was the spark the Ole Miss running game needed.

There’s still been no spark from Quinshon Judkins who led the SEC in rushing last year. There’s been an injury in there somewhere, the extent of which probably hasn’t been made clear, but the fact remains the production has lacked.

Kiffin doesn’t involve himself with the defense, but he’s the head coach, so it belongs to him, and it’s been very average between the 20s.

I see Alabama’s quarterback revolving door. I’ve seen three players getting a chance to win the job on game day. I read the comments about evaluating quarterbacks after the South Florida game, and now they’ve gone back to Jalen Milroe after his week of personal reflection.

I see the numbers for a rushing offense that ranks No. 7 in the SEC and outside the national top 50 and a passing offense that ranks No. 100.

I see all that.

What I also see are Tulane and Georgia Tech moving up and down the field against Ole Miss and not cashing in.

Alabama’s not going to see the end zone within arm’s distance and not finish the drive.

They’re not going to kick a field goal from the Ole Miss 8 as Tulane did. They’re not going to get to the Ole Miss 2 and the 5 on separate drives and come away with three total points as Georgia Tech did.

Alabama is No. 13 in The Associated Press Top 25, but they’re No. 1 in another very important poll: red zone offense. Their six touchdowns on eight red zone attempts have all come on the ground.

I just haven’t reached a trust level with this Ole Miss defense to make me think they’re about to force a lot of punts.

The Rebels lead the SEC with 52.7 points a game, but the numbers are skewed by 73 points against Mercer and late flurries against Tulane and Georgia Tech.

Alabama is allowing 14.7 points a game.

Lane Kiffin wants this one bad. But he’ll have to wait another year.

Prediction: Alabama 27, Ole Miss 22

#####

Mississippi State at South Carolina

Time: 6:30 p.m. TV: SEC Network

Last week against No. 14 LSU the Bulldogs began the lonely path to the woodshed soon after the opening kick, and 3 ½ hours later barely a splinter remained.

Defensively, LSU looked nothing like the team that gave up 45 points and almost 500 yards in a season-opening loss to Florida State.

I was critical of Will Rogers last week because State’s record-setting quarterback had a performance worth criticizing. I’ve never seen him look so uncomfortable.

Some media hot takes after the game took issue with MSU coach Zach Arnett for putting a quarterback so accomplished in the Air Raid offense of former coach Mike Leach and trying to run a new system.

Certainly, that’s a consideration, but Rogers did not look so out of sync in wins over Southeastern Louisiana and Arizona.

Granted, the competition took a giant step up last week, but in those first two games mass confusion in the offense was not evident. The Bulldogs sputtered but eventually collected themselves and made plays.

A coaching friend floated a theory to me I’d not considered, and that’s the much more narrow splits on the offensive line in the new system compared to the wide splits preferred by Leach.

The narrow splits drew LSU’s fast athletes closer to the action – closer to Rogers – at the snap of the ball and left State’s linemen with very little margin for error.

Arnett didn’t sound like a coach who thought too many adjustments were necessary when he talked about poor execution.

Every remaining team won’t have LSU’s level of talent, but it’s the SEC. The talent won’t be far off.

Whether change is major or minor, the product on display at Davis Wade Stadium last week has to change.

Defense was less of a train wreck, but it was no party. LSU gained 530 yards, and quarterback Jayden Daniels was 30-for-34 passing.

The MSU secondary was absolutely torched by wide receiver Malik Nabers, who caught every one of 13 balls thrown to him for 239 yards and two touchdowns. Nabers made physical catches and also ran past a couple of defensive backs.

South Carolina, meanwhile, gave No. 1 Georgia fits for most of three quarters in Athens before losing 24-14.

The Gamecocks were held to minus-2 yards rushing in a season-opening loss to North Carolina and managed just 53 yards against Georgia. They weren’t very committed to the run in Athens with only 16 attempts.

I like the Bulldogs’ chances to get pressure on Carolina QB Spencer Rattler if they can make the Gamecocks one-dimensional. Rattler isn’t a great runner, but he picks his spots well.

These are two teams trying to climb in their respective divisions.

The question will be whether Rogers can regain the form he’s shown most of his career.

Prediction: MSU 31, South Carolina 28

#####

Southern Miss at Arkansas State

Time: 6 p.m. TV: Live Streaming at ESPN-plus

The Red Wolves are coming off a 31-7 win over Stony Brook, a winless FCS team that hasn’t played anyone closer than a three-touchdown defeat.

Arkansas State has been outscored 110-3 by its two FBS opponents, Oklahoma and Memphis.

Frankly, it’s hard for Southern Miss fans to take solace in Arkansas State’s struggles because they so closely resemble those of the Golden Eagles.

Southern Miss, too, has had its “breakout” game against an FCS foe, a 40-14 win over Alcorn State.

The Golden Eagles have scored just one touchdown in lopsided losses to Florida State (66-13) and Tulane (21-3).

Coach Will Hall wasn’t pleased with execution in the passing game against the Green Wave, noting missed throws by quarterback Billy Wiles that could have resulted in touchdowns.

Things would be worse for Southern Miss, but Wiles continues to mostly protect the football. The Clemson transfer has thrown two interceptions over 95 attempts through three games.

The Golden Eagles have been unimpressive in the run game too, averaging just 91.3 yards to rank last in the Sun Belt and No. 120 nationally.

Wiles was sacked three times by Tulane, and Southern Miss amassed just 55 rushing yards before the negative sack yardage was considered.

The first three games have been a far cry from last when Southern Miss averaged a respectable 141.8 yards on the ground, and Frank Gore Jr., ranked second in the Sun Belt and No. 19 in America with 106.3 rushing yards a game.

Hall protected his offensive line as he sifted through the ashes of the Tulane game.

“They stopped the run a lot with a six-man box. I don’t think that’s all on our O-line. I think we had some runs there that maybe we just didn’t hit right,” he said.

Southern Miss has had the same five OL starters for all three games, each of which started at least five games last season and has a combined 89 career starts.

It will be interesting to see if Hall tweaks anything to help his offense build a little momentum.

His defense can use a little momentum too.

As they are on offense, the Golden Eagles are last in the Sun Belt in rushing defense also.

There’s time to get better, but the Eagles know Arkansas State has had its issues too. Florida State and Tulane are two very good football teams, but another week of lackluster play could lead to confidence problems in Hattiesburg.

Hopefully that won’t happen.

Prediction: Southern Miss 26, Arkansas State 19

#####

Recipe of the Week

Mississippi BBQ Sauce

Rhett and Link and The Homestead Pickers say a vinegar-based bar-b-que sauce is popular among us, and that’s what I was looking for when I slightly modified a recipe I saw making the rounds on social media.

It gets good reviews at my house.

The contents:

1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
half cup brown sugar
third cup yellow mustard
1 TBSP garlic powder
quarter teaspoon chili powder
quarter teaspoon salt
several shakes of Worcestershire

The process:

Add everything to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk together. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Stir frequently for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cool and store.

The post Parrish’s 2023 College Football Picks and Predictions: Week 4 appeared first on Magnolia Tribune.

…

By: Parrish Alford
Title: Parrish’s 2023 College Football Picks and Predictions: Week 4
Sourced From: magnoliatribune.com/2023/09/22/parrishs-2023-college-football-picks-and-predictions-week-4/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=parrishs-2023-college-football-picks-and-predictions-week-4
Published Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2023 12:05:00 +0000

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Magnolia Tribune

Staring mortality in the face at Christmas

Published

11 months ago

December 16, 2023

Staff Editor

My friend Jarrod is dying after an eight year battle with cancer. He’s lived a life worth celebrating, one that has drawn people to Christ.

I was going about my business this week when I received a text that stopped me in my tracks. A college friend was being moved to hospice care.

Jarrod Egley was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in early 2017. In the fall of 2018, tests revealed the cancer had spread to his lungs and Jarrod’s cancer was classified as Stage IV.

For almost eight years from the date of the original diagnosis, he’s fought. Through surgeries, radiation, endless rounds and cycles of chemotherapy, and experimental immunotherapies, he’s fought.

Last year, I flew out to California and spent some time with Jarrod and his wife, Emily. We sat outside one night. He acknowledged to me that it was not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’ the cancer would claim his life. I told him I was sorry, because what else is there to say?

We talked about our faith, about the trials of Job, about Jacob wrestling with God, about Paul’s affliction. But mostly we reflected on our time together in school, on the good things, and the mundane things, that happened since.

Jarrod and I met at Tulane University. One Sunday morning in the Spring of my freshman year, I rose from my dorm room bed, dressed, and began walking down Saint Charles Avenue in New Orleans with no particular agenda. I walked until I came across First Baptist Church and the thought flickered in the vacuous recesses of my brain to enter.

Some would say it was a lark. The Calvinist in me says providence. The walk that morning changed the trajectory of my time at Tulane and my life on the whole. Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and the Baptist Collegiate Ministry became central to my life and put me in regular league with Jarrod. I met him first at the BCM and we ultimately ended up attending church together.

Jarrod was a faithful servant on and off campus. He helped organize a group of us that would weekly make our way down to the Esplanade seawall on the backside of the French Quarter to feed the homeless. On Friday nights, he could be found at chapel with a small cadre of students foregoing Bourbon Street for early 2000s worship music.

Jarrod was a loyal friend in those years. Never rude or biting. Not prone to an insult for an easy laugh. Persistently encouraging. An engineering student, his mind worked linearly and was oriented to problem solving. There were never a lot of wasted words — always a lot of deliberative questions when he disagreed or did not understand a point. He exhibited intelligence, empathy, and the kind of moral conviction that sets someone apart.

He also had a wry and dry sense of humor and a penchant for beating people at Madden football. He was fair-to-midland on the ultimate frisbee pitch. Along the way, there were crawfish boils, Mardi Gras outtings, poorly attended Tulane football games, and more than a decent amount of wing eating.

After college, I lost touch with Jarrod. He moved back to his home state of California. He got married to his college sweetheart, who could not have anticipated her husband’s journey, but has been a steady and constant helpmate throughout. Jarrod became a very successful engineer and a bourbon connoisseur. One of his bucket list trips took him to Kentucky, where he got to meet and became friends with bourbon “Hall of Famer” Freddie Johnson of Buffalo Trace acclaim.

Jarrod at Buffalo Trace Distillery (Spring 2022).

Sitting in his backyard nearly 20 years after graduating from Tulane, I saw many of the same qualities I had grown to admire when we were students together. I saw a husband who doted on and supported Emily’s passions. But I also saw someone whose body had been beaten to hell and back, who was tired, and who, like Jacob, had been wrestling with God. We quickly fell back into friendship, which perhaps is the mark of good friendship.

We all have aspirations in our youth — for the kind of spouse or parent we might be, for what we might accomplish, for what we might experience. Along the way, dreams are satisfied, modified, or they die on the vine. The clock inevitably works against all of us. That night in Oceanside, California, Jarrod, a numbers guy, saw that time was not on his side. He believed, as we all would, that he still had more to give, more impact to be made, and more things to see and experience.

After that trip, Jarrod and I stayed in touch, most frequently triggered by news of his cancer. It has been mostly the bad variety in recent months. Now spread throughout his body, down to his bones, he has lived in constant pain for months. Not even a steady diet of morphine and an implanted pain pump solve for it. Jarrod’s been hospitalized twelve times just in 2023.

But his matter of fact sense of humor and way of seeing the world remains in tact. So too does his faith that despite these trials, he has always been safe in the hands of Christ.

There are people in the world who believe that life is random, disordered, and without reason. I am not among them. I think my friend is staring mortality in the face at Christmas for a reason.

For thousands of years before Christ came, there was darkness and despair. Sin and shame gripped the hearts of men. Until one holy night, God, in His infinite love, mercy and wisdom, sent His son to save. Jesus is the light of the world and the hope of man. He has won victory over death and Jarrod’s will not be the exception. Jesus came for Jarrod, and for you.

For thousands of years since Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection, His disciples have been used as divine instruments to point the way to God. Jarrod is among them. If life expectancies were the measure, Jarrod would be at the midway point for most people. He’s made a lifetime of impact for the Kingdom and on other people.

So, to my friend Jarrod, you were placed here with a purpose. You have run your race. You are loved. And when this chapter closes, you will hear “well done, my good and faithful servant.” There is no greater evidence of a life well lived.

While Jarrod and Emily have been fortunate to have health insurance, their portion of the medical bills so far in 2023 have eclipsed $30,000, and Emily is facing additional uncovered expenses during Jarrod’s hospice care, including a night nurse that costs over $400 a night. If you would like to help defray the cost, a contribution can be made at their Go Fund Me page.

The post Staring mortality in the face at Christmas appeared first on Magnolia Tribune.

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By: Russ Latino
Title: Staring mortality in the face at Christmas
Sourced From: magnoliatribune.com/2023/12/16/staring-mortality-in-the-face-at-christmas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=staring-mortality-in-the-face-at-christmas
Published Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:05:22 +0000

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Magnolia Tribune

Magnolia Mornings: December 15, 2023

Published

11 months ago

December 15, 2023

Staff Editor

Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.

In Mississippi

1. Laurin St. Pe’ named CEO of Singing River Health System

The Board of Trustees of Singing River Health System announced the immediate appointment of Laurin St. Pe’ as the Chief Executive Officer on Thursday.

“We are thrilled to announce Laurin St. Pe as the new CEO of Singing River,” said Steve Ates, Board President in a statement. “His wealth of healthcare experience and proven track record make him the ideal leader to steer our health system toward its next phase of growth and success.”

St. Pe’, who has been serving as Interim CEO since July 2023, said he is honored to assume the role of CEO at Singing River. He has worked at Singing River as Administrator of Singing River Health System’s Pascagoula Hospital and Gulfport Hospital, in addition to overseeing program service lines throughout the entire system to his subsequent appointment as Chief Operating Officer of Singing River.

The health system says St. Pe played a crucial role in the financial revitalization of Singing River Health System while steering the organization toward financial stability.

2. Gulfport-Biloxi airport, Stennis evacuated after threats

The Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport was evacuated on Thursday morning “out of an abundance of caution,” airport officials said, after receiving an emailed threat to certain transportation entities across the state.

The airport was thoroughly security swept, cleared and reopened in just over two hours. Gulfport-Biloxi is now operating regularly.

The threat was also sent to Stennis International Airport. Their staff and personnel were also evacuated until the facilities could be swept and cleared.

Any passenger whose travel was affected by the evacuation is encouraged to contact their respective air carrier.

3. Cassidy arrested in Iowa for beheading Satanic Temple statue

Former Mississippi congressional and legislative candidate Michael Cassidy was arrested this week in Iowa for beheading a statue at the state’s Capitol erected by The Satanic Temple.

Cassidy reportedly decapitated the statue and turned himself to police on Thursday. He was charged with fourth degree criminal mischief. He then started an online legal defense fund where he’s raised upwards of $20,000 as of Thursday night, according to his X account.

4. “Serial fraudster” ordered to cease offering investments into companies

According to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office, on October 26, 2023, Secretary Michael Watson and the Securities Division issued an order against Stephone N. Patton. The SOS says Patton is a serial fraudster with multiple criminal convictions in Mississippi and Florida.

Through business filings with the SEC and Mississippi, Patton has held himself to be the CEO of various companies, including Star Oil and Gas Company, Inc., North Gulf Energy Corporation, Inc., Patton Oilfield Services, Inc., and Patton Farms, LLC.

The SOS says using these business filings and company websites, Patton claimed to have raised hundreds of billions of dollars through investment opportunities. Through investigative efforts and collaboration with the SEC, the SOS discovered none of Patton’s companies are operational, have any assets, or generate any revenues. Account records show Patton spent investors’ funds almost as soon as he received them on personal expenses. The total amount of known investments made to Patton’s fraudulent companies is over $80,000. Further, none of Patton’s investment offerings have been registered or notice filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office.

The SOS order requires Patton to cease and desist from offering investments with his companies, requiring Patton to permanently deactivate his companies’ websites to prevent any further dissemination of his false or misleading information. Patton is also ordered to pay an administrative penalty of $25,000 to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office for these violations, in addition to restitution owed to all his Mississippi investors.

National News & Foreign Policy

1. Congressional retirements mounting as 2024 election cycle nears

Retirement and departure announcements are piling up ahead of the start to the 2024 election cycle. The New York Times has developed a Retirement Tracker that currently shows 22 Democrats and 11 Republicans who are in Congress now will not be seeking re-election next year.

“Dozens of members of Congress have announced plans to leave their seats in the House of Representatives, setting a rapid pace for congressional departures, with more expected as the 2024 election draws closer,” the NY Times reports. “Given Republicans’ razor-thin House majority, the wave of exits has the potential to lead to a significant shake-up next year.”

You can find the tracker here.

2. Texas, Daily Wire, The Federalist sue U.S. State Department over media censorship

The U.S. State Department’s Global Engagement Center has come under fire as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton along with The Daily Wire and The Federalist have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the department funded technology that could “render disfavored press outlets unprofitable.” They claim that the department has helped social media – Facebook, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) – to censor free speech while funding technologies used to censor right-leaning news outlets such as theirs.

New Civil Liberties Alliance is representing The Daily Wire and The Federalist. Paxton and the outlets claim the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a British think tank, received a $100,000 grant from the State Department in 2021, and NewsGuard, which rates the “misinformation” levels of news outlets, received $25,000 from the State Department in 2020, according to the lawsuit.

According to the State Department’s website, the Global Engagement Center’s mission is to direct, lead, synchronize, integrate, and coordinate U.S. Federal Government efforts to recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining or influencing the policies, security, or stability of the United States, its allies, and partner nations.

As reported by Reuters, the lawsuit cited a GDI-produced list from December 2022 that ranked The Daily Wire and The Federalist as among the 10 “riskiest sites” for news while the least-risky included The New York Times, Associated Press and NPR. Reuters notes that the lawsuit alleges such “blacklists” are reducing revenues to The Daily Wire and The Federalist along with their visibility on social media and ranking results from browser searches.

Sports & Entertainment

1. SEC releases 2024 schedules

Wednesday evening, the Southeastern Conference released the 2024 football schedules for its member schools, including of interest in the Magnolia State the schedules for Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

It is the first schedule that includes new conference members University of Oklahoma and University of Texas, bringing the conference to 16 schools. Each SEC team will play eight conference football games plus at least one required opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12 or major independent, each team will have two open dates.

The 2024 season will be the first year the SEC will play a schedule without divisional competition since 1991. The top two teams in the league standings based on winning percentage will play in the 33rd SEC Football Championship Game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, December 7.

2. White, Jesiolowski, Jones honored by MAIS

The Midsouth Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) in Mississippi, comprised of non-public schools, announced this week that Madison-Ridgeland Academy’s senior quarterback John White was named the 6A Player of the Year while Hartfield’s Reed Jesiolowski and Hartfield Chris Jones were named the MAIS 6A Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively.

All three have committed to play college football at the University of Mississippi.

White is Mississippi’s all-time leader in career passing yards with 15,259 yards, a record he broke during the 2023 season.

MAIS, like the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) for public schools, is broken down into classifications, from 1A to 6A. However, MHSAA added a 7A this season.

Markets & Business

1. Consumer retail sales up as energy, gas prices move down

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this week that the Consumer Price Index rose 0.1% in November after being unchanged in October. Retail sales rose 0.3% in November after rising 0.2% in October, meaning consumers continue to spend at the start of the holiday season.

The CPI or inflation rate is 3.1%, higher than the Federal Reserve target of 2% but below the 9% peak in 2022 which reached a 40-year high.

As for the energy index, BLS reported that it fell 2.3% in November after decreasing 2.5% in October. The gasoline index decreased 6% in November, following a 5% decrease in the previous month.

The index for fuel oil fell in November, decreasing 2.7%. However, the natural gas index rose 2.8% over the month after rising 1.2% the previous month. The index for electricity also rose 1.4% in November, after increasing 0.3% in October.

The energy index fell 5.4% over the past 12 months. The gasoline index decreased 8.9%, the natural gas index declined 10.4%, and the fuel oil index fell 24.8% over this 12-month span.

2. Week’s market rally continues into Friday

At close of trading on Thursday, the U.S. markets continued the week’s rally, pushing the Dow up 158 points to 37,248 while the Nasdaq and S&P also made gains, 27 points and 12 points, respectively, to close at 14,761 and 4,719.

The record high for the Dow on Thursday moved futures up 102 points.

According to CNBC, the major averages are headed for their seventh straight positive week. As of Thursday, the Dow is higher on the week by 2.8%. The S&P 500 is up by 2.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 2.5% this week.

Stocks rallied after the Federal Reserve left rates unchanged this week while members look towards cuts in the new year and beyond.

The post Magnolia Mornings: December 15, 2023 appeared first on Magnolia Tribune.

…

By: Magnolia Tribune
Title: Magnolia Mornings: December 15, 2023
Sourced From: magnoliatribune.com/2023/12/15/magnolia-mornings-december-15-2023/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=magnolia-mornings-december-15-2023
Published Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Magnolia Tribune

New water rates expected in Jackson come 2024; those who don’t pay face shut off

Published

11 months ago

December 15, 2023

Staff Editor

Interim Third-Party Director Ted Henifin said this week that only about 59% of the City of Jackson’s water customers are paying their bills.

JXN Water has announced new rates and fees coming in 2024. Those who are not paying will be at risk of shut offs.

The company, which was established by federal appointed interim Third-Party Director Ted Henifin, has been overseeing the city’s water system for the better part of a year.

Officials estimated that the average cost for water in the city was $76 per month for residents. Henifin clarified that JXN water will not attempt to recoup any charges prior to November 29, 2022, and will work with those who have failed to pay since that time.

He said only about 59 percent of the city’s water customers are paying their bills.

“You can’t forgive bills, so we have to be creative in how we part that,” said Henifin in reference to Mississippi’s laws that prevent giving away water.

According to a release by JXN Water announcing the rate changes, residents in single family households with small meters that use up to 748 gallons daily would see a bill increase of roughly .30 cents per day. Research indicates that the average U.S. family uses 300 gallons per day.

SNAP customers will have a new rate tier that could lower their bill by up to .69 cents per day, on average.

“Those who need to save the most benefit from saving money by drinking tap water. This new rate structure makes water affordability possible for 12,500 JXN Water customers who receive SNAP benefits,” said Henifin in the release.