Local News 

Sheriff David Hedrick    See our CPSO Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CPsheriff.

As the Pilgrimage Garden Club faces increasing financial problems and low tour numbers, seven of the antebellum homeowners have withdrawn from the club. Fall and Spring Pilgrimage have had years of decline since the peak of the early 1990s. Both garden clubs have seen their tour numbers and and entertainment ticket sales drop. The clubs used to release numbers for their ticket sales but starting in the mid 1990's they stopped doing so, as business ebbed away.

The State of Miss. has just released both positive and remarkable employment numbers for Adams County. As of March 2025, the county had 9,970 people employed, up 770 jobs from March 2024. The numbers reveal the best growth in three years. The jobless rate is 5.6 percent.

Lori Spinks

CPSO’s Criminal Investigations Division received a complaint that Tori Estes Spinks, 47, of Wildsville, ] had stolen the identities of three people. According to the complaint, more than $50,000 was fraudulently obtained by Spinks, some of which included federal loans. One victim became aware of the situation after noticing a garnishment from their paycheck. An investigation revealed evidence of the alleged crimes, and an arrest warrant was obtained; Spinks was arrested on April 11. The investigation remains open. Anyone with information regarding the case or additional victims is urged to contact CPSO’s Criminal Investigations Division by calling (318) 437-0740. She was charged with three counts of Forgery, three counts of Identity Theft and Theft Greater Than $25,000.

The Canal Street Bridge in Natchez was built in the 1930s or 1940's and nearing the end its life, despite recent repairs. A consulting engineer says the city needs a one span 75 foot long bridge with sidewalks. A new design will include lighting, railings and the look will meet preservation guidelines. Estimated cost is $5-6 million. The construction process will use drill shafts versus pile driving to minimize noise and vibration to the neighbors. The city will ask for federal funds to build.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents arrested a Jonesville man for alleged turkey hunting and trespassing violations in Catahoula Parish. Agents arrested Jeffrey K. Hudnall, 58, for taking turkeys during a closed season, intentional concealment of wildlife, failing to tag harvested turkeys and criminal trespassing.

Visitor center

The National Park Service is spending $6 million to renovate the Natchez visitor center, including roofing, air conditioning, interior and exterior repairs and new exhibits. Park Superintendent Kathleen Bond says the center should reopen in late 2026. Bond also said the Mellon Foundation has given the Service a $1 million grant to buy additional land near the Forks of the Road.

The Franklin County Pro Rodeo is returning to the area this weekend. Rodeo performances will begin at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at the 
 Franklin County Fairgrounds in Bude. Everyone is asked to bring lawn chairs for seating. Tickets can be purchased at the gate for $10 per adult and $5 for children under the age of 12. Competitors are part of the Tri-State Rodeo Association, and bearded Pro Rodeo Company will be running the shows. Also featured will be Funny Man Ronald Burton during the family-friendly event. Concessions will also be available, and a kids calf scramble will take place during intermission each night.

Russell Purvis is now Ferriday Town Attorney. Born in Jonesville in 1949. Admitted to bar, 1975,  Purvis is also admitted to practice before U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit: U.S. District Court, Eastern, Western and Middle Districts of Louisiana. He has also served as attorney for Jonesville.

Adams County supervisors haves called and asked the State Auditor to investigate the theft of cash from Adams County Justice Court. Supervisors have delayed canceling their garbage contract with United Infrastructure, giving the company another chance to answer complaints about poor service, and vehicles that are not insured and not MDOT inspected.   

Natchez aldermen are soliciting bids for the procurement of lights as specified in the Contract Documents, for the MS River Aesthetic Bridge Lighting Project. This contract includes only the procurement of materials. Installation and/or construction activities are not included in this bidding. The City of Natchez will receive sealed bids until the hour of 10:00 AM local time on May 27 and taken under advisement until the next meeting of the Natchez Mayor and Board of Aldermen. Funding for this project is provided by House Bill 1353 from 2022.

Concordia deputies arrested Deshawn Williams, 17, of Ferriday, for felony battery of a correctional officer. No other details are available.

Teens wounded

Natchez police said four teenagers were shot at in Maryland Heights in Natchez on Saturday evening, with three wounded. No assailants have been arrested so far.   

Adam County Coroner James Lee retires at the end of April, after 28 years of service. He wants supervisors to appoint his assistant, Rosa Newman, as his interim replacement. Lee was reelected in 2023. Since there is more than a year to the end of his term, I believe supervisors will have to call a special election after making the interim appointment.

Woodville Police Chief Lemuel Rutledge reported that Summit gave Woodville a patrol car as a donation. This will help keep tabs on the ever present criminal element. Woodville has been suffering like Natchez with an outbreak of crime in the last 10 years. Recently, automatic gunfire has been reported on several occasions. One burst wounded a person near United Mississippi Bank‘s parking lot.

Foreclosure postponed

The Vidalia Mills sheriff’s sale has been delayed, as at least two appraisals need to be done and additional paperwork for the foreclosure. The plant closed in 2024, owing two credit unions, accounts payable creditors and the employees. When the property finally does go up for sheriff’s sale, it will include the 82 acres of land, the building and equipment. The foreclosure will handle the hard assets, but accounts payable, money owed to employees and money owed to the town of Vidalia for utilities are more likely to be handled through a bankruptcy. Unsecured creditors are unlikely to get anything, as the company has run through its cash.

Adams deputies arrested Albert McClure Jr., 64, of Natchez, for failure to register as a sex offender. He remains in jail on a $15,000 bond. In a separate arrest, deputies arrested Keith Doss, 18, of Natchez, for possession of a stolen firearm. Bond has been set at $100,000 and he remains in jail.

 The Mississippi River at Natchez should rise to 54.5 feet and then begin to fall around April 26, reaching 40 feet by May 10. Flooding has occurred in Adams County, Concordia Parish and Wilkinson County. The spring flood has temporarily stopped work on the rebuilding of the Jackson Point Road bridge in Wilkinson County, as well as flooding much low-lying agricultural land. Judge Danny Barber withheld bond.

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Devin Wheeler

A man accused of killing another man in Natchez was arrested in Louisiana. The Adams County Sheriff's Office was called to a home on Hillcrest Drive Sunday. Authorities said William "Billy" Ray had been shot and killed. After investigators went through the victim's digital data, presumably on his cell phone, they were led to a home in West Monroe. At the home, law enforcement arrested Devin Wheeler, 28, of West Monroe on Wednesday for being a felon in possession of a gun. Law enforcement found a loaded 9 mm pistol, which has been sent to the Mississippi State Crime Lab. On Thursday, an arrest warrant was issued for Wheeler for first-degree murder. Adams County deputies served the warrant. Wheeler's brother, Adam Cade Wheeler, had been listed as a person of interest in the case, but he was questioned and released with no charges filed. Devin Wheeler is in jail, pending a bond hearing.

Jacqueline Marsaw has been rehired by Congressman Bennie Thompson to lead his Natchez office. Marsaw posted on Facebook in July 2024 that she wished the Butler, Pennsylvania, shooter “had better aim,” after Thomas Crooks wounded Trump, killed one man and wounded others. Her implied threat and death wish for Trump literally made news across the world and forced Thompson to fire her. Now that she is back in her post, she has not said whether or not she still wants Trump killed.

Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s Natchez Campus inducted three outstanding students to the college’s Hall of Fame during the annual awards day program. The Hall of Fame is the most prestigious award given to a student and is voted on by students, faculty, and staff members. Only college sophomores are eligible for the honor and basis for selection includes fineness of character, superior scholarship, worthy leadership, and contribution to the betterment of Copiah-Lincoln. Dottie Davenport of Natchez, Domonique Doss of Natchez, and Angelica King of Washington were selected as this year’s inductees.Read more about the  honorees here: https://bit.ly/3G7kswG

Murderer indicted

A man whose death sentence was commuted by former President Joe Biden in December 2024 has been indicted for the first-degree murder of  12-year-old Lexis Roberts, according to Catahoula Parish District Attorney Brad Burget. Thomas Steven Sanders was put on death row back in September of 2014 for the 2010 kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Lexis Roberts of Las Vegas. Following a four-year trial, Sanders was sentenced to death by a jury at Alexandria’s Federal Courthouse. Sanders admitted to kidnapping and then killing Roberts in Catahoula Parish near Harrisonburg after murdering her mother in Arizona. Biden commuted his federal death sentence. But state courts can still pursue charges. Burget says the evidence is clear and overwhelming, and he will seek the death penalty.

Ferriday Mayor Alvin Garrison is now responsible for cleaning up the bookkeeping and accounting mess left behind by incompetent Mayor Rydell Turner and his staff. Even with the 2022 CPA audit filed in November, the town is two years behind in filing, missing now very past due 2023 and 2024 audits. Knight Masden CPAs performed the latest submitted audit. Here's what the CPAs told Mayor Garrison, the Town Council and the Legislative Auditor. The Town could not locate documentation to support various numbers on the financial statements. It had an unfavorable expenditure variance of $412,950 or 14.5% for the year, a deficit and operated without a budget for eight months of the fiscal year. Town Minutes of several council meeting could not be produced. Ferriday did not remit Safe Drinking Water fee payments for several years, nor did it remit the funds due to the various judicial and law enforcement agencies for the charges/tickets paid during the year. The Town did not timely file their financial statements with the Legislative Auditor on a timely basis. Ferriday's bank account that holds utility deposits is less than the schedule of utility customer deposits, basically siphoning off customers' money. The Town could not supply documentation on grants received and tracking of expenditures and grant restrictions. It could not supply documentation that it complied with Louisiana Bid Law in the purchasing of several assets during the fiscal year. And Ferriday is not depositing the correct amount of funds in the required bank accounts to meet bond requirements.

Alexandru Ionut Gheorghe, 28, and Marian Aurelian Neacsu, 29, were both sentenced today to 15 months in federal prison for possession of device-making equipment, also known as skimmers. Judge David Bramlette delivered the sentences. Their codefendant, Bogdan Gabriel Radu, 22, pleaded guilty today to possession of device-making equipment. All three defendants are Romanian nationals who entered the United States illegally. According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning on June 21, 2024, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office Cyber Crime Division began receiving reports from various agencies regarding the discovery of skimmer devices being located at various stores in central Mississippi. The Cyber Fraud Task Force began investigating leads that would determine the location of installed skimmers throughout the Southern District of Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana. Gheorghe, Neacsu, and Radu could be seen on surveillance video at various stores throughout the Southern District of Mississippi placing skimming devices on point-of-sale machines in June and July 2024. The skimmers were adhered using double-sided tape and were equipped with electronics that captured or recorded bank card magstripe track data and PIN numbers, stored the skimmed card data, were Bluetooth capable for remote connectivity, and were powered by lithium batteries. Gheorghe and Neacsu would install the skimmers while making a small purchase using a gift card. Radu was primarily responsible for retrieving the stolen data from the skimmers.Included in the information skimmed or stolen by these defendants were SNAP benefits totaling over $85,000, for which the defendants will be required to pay restitution. SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget. These stolen SNAP benefits were used in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and can be traced back to the skimming devices in Mississippi.A criminal complaint was filed against Gheorghe and Neacsu on August 2, 2024. A federal grand jury returned an indictment against them on August 13, 2024. Thereafter, a superseding indictment was filed on November 6, 2024, adding Radu as a codefendant. Radu is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15, 2025, and faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. As the defendants entered the United States illegally, they may be subject to deportation upon their release from prison.

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Historic photos reception

The 30th Anniversary Celebration of Natchez in Historic Photographs at Stratton Chapel will be held Apr. 24 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and include a reception with hors d’oeuvres and special music to be held at the gallery. This event is free and open to the public. The address is 405 State St. For info, call 601-442-2581.

Congressman Bennie Thompson  held a town hall in Natchez at New Beginnings Missionary Baptist Church on Triumph Lane. He said the President and Musk continue to be a threat to democracy and the nation and want to destroy Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, voting rights and women's rights.

Catahoula voters will cast ballots for the parishwide law enforcement district ballot initiative on May 3. The measures asks voters to approve or reject a 15.72 mills 10-year property tax renewal to fund the sheriff's office, Early voting runs April 19-26. Miss-Lou Magazine supports this renewal as necessary for running parish law enforcement and providing public safety. Vote Yes.

Trey Hess

Trey Hess of PPM Consultants in Ridgeland will be helping the City of Natchez demolish the Fry Building as a precursor to rebuilding the Eola Hotel.  PPM provides compliance consulting and related environmental services to business  industry and government. Before working for PPM, Hess served as the Chief of the Groundwater Assessment & Remediation Division for MDEQ and was responsible for the State cleanups at superfund, leaking underground storage tanks, Brownfields, voluntary cleanups, and uncontrolled sites. The Fry site will be turned into a parking lot for the Eola and the public. The city intends to borrow $500,000 for the demolition project.  It will likely cost another $200,000 to design, pave, stripe and light the parking lot. It's the first time in modern history that the city has decided to spend taxpayer money directly to subsidize a business venture without a formal written contract or guarantee that the business (in this case, the Eola) would carry through with its plans.

Jekia Horton, 36, of Natchez, was serving as an Adams County assistant justice court clerk, when it was discovered that she allegedly stole money from her office. She offered repayment of approximately $2,100 to keep her job. Supervisors fired her and she was arrested by Adams deputies for grand larceny. Bond was set at $10,000. Supervisors have the option of asking the State Auditor to conduct an investigation. Supervisors are not certain just how much money was lifted.

Through most of 2024, Adams County had 9,900-10,200 workers with jobs, depending on the month, a slight increase over 2023. The 2020 pandemic cost 1800 jobs in the short term. But it’s taken several years since then for the economy to grow back to the 9,800-10,000 jobs level. In 2011, the county had 11,580 jobs and in 2017, a reported 10,380.

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Drone in the air!

Sheriff David Hedrick and the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office staff are sincerely grateful for the continued support of the Concordia Bank staff. The bank has made a donation that assisted with the purchase of a new DJI M30T drone for the agency. This new drone, also known as CPSO Air 1 provides the drone pilots with the ability to scout and assess potentially dangerous situations from a distance. The drone allows CPSO to gain critical insights into risky environments before our deputies are physically present, significantly enhancing the safety and tactical planning of all involved personnel.   

Students at the Franklin County Career and Technical Center, especially those in carpentry, welding and construction trades classes, will be the main beneficiary of a $10,000 donation from Milwaukee Tool. The check was presented to the center by Vice President of Accessories Manufacturing Jack Bilotta and United States Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. The donation was also made in memory of Nigel Wentworth, who was tragically killed in an accident at the center two decades ago. An overhead door came loose and fell on him, causing him to suffer fatal injuries. Members of Wentworth’s family were also in attendance for the check presentation. 

William "Billy" Ray, 63, on Natchez was shot and killed on Hillcrest Drive in Cloverdale on Sunday. Adams deputies said the killing was a homicide. Deputies were searching for Adam Cade Wheeler as a person of interest. He showed up at ACSO and is being interviewed.

Adams deputies arrested Marlon Frye, 50, of Natchez, for dealing drugs. The charge carries an enhancement penalty of double the sentence if convicted, because he has previous drug convictions. The last time he made big news was in 2014, when he received three vehicles in Jackson, with altered serial numbers and tried to sell them in Natchez.  He gave one of the stolen cars to his mother. However, deputies did not allow her to keep the car. He was charged with receiving stolen goods. While Frye has a record of distributing drugs, possessing drugs and possessing stolen cars, justice court gave him a modest $50,000 bond. He has posted bond and been released.

Marlon Frye

Zachariah Combs, 49, of Natchez, was arrested by Adams County deputies for distributing drugs, a felony, and possessing counterfeit drugs. He is currently being held in jail. He served time in the past for drug possession and was charged with simple assault following a jail fight when he was previously serving time in the Adams County jail.  

Governor Tate Reeves is expected to sign a bill that would include Pike County in the Sixth District. The district currently includes Adams, Franklin, Wilkinson and Amite counties. The change will affect the jurisdiction of the chancery and circuit judges and district attorney. As of now Adams Couny is the population center for the district. With Pike added, the center of the district becomes the larger Pike County, with the smaller Amite County, which is often politically aligned with Pike. The change could affect the reelection efforts of Carmen Drake, Debra Blackwell and Tim Cotton. Normally, black majority sub districts are protected. But such protection is discriminatory and could be challenged.

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 Cloverdale murder

Dr. Christian Pinnen, professor in the Department of History at Mississippi College, is coming  to Natchez to talk about the colonial Natchez District in an attempt to resurrect the stories of the enslaved and the role Atlantic Africans played in shaping the region.  Dr. Pinnen will present his lecture, "Race and Slavery in Colonial Natchez” at the Tuesday, April 22 meeting of the Natchez Historical Society at 108 S. Commerce St. The program is free to the public.  It will begin with a social at 5:30 p.m. and the presentation at 6 p.m.As European settlers began to explore the lower Mississippi Valley and displace Native American people to build settlements, the Europeans knew that they needed to generate profits to make it a worth while enterprise. Most, specifically in Natchez, believed that the key to success was rooted in the ability of settlers to purchase enslaved Africans and utilize their forced labor in their endeavor to build wealth. While the labor practice of racial slavery was well established in European colonial efforts, local settlers had to make sense of the African people among them in social and legal settings. Using Natchez as a lens, this talk explores how legal concepts around slavery create racial categories in Natchez.Dr. Pinnen’s research focuses on the American borderlands and the legal landscapes that gave rise to definitions of blackness and whiteness in the face of maturing slave societies. He specifically investigates the colonial Natchez District in an attempt to resurrect the stories of the enslaved and the role Atlantic Africans played in shaping the region.He has published two books: Complexion of Empire in Natchez and Colonial Mississippi. While Colonial Mississippi provides an exhaustive overview of Mississippi’s colonial past, Complexions of Empire in Natchez specifically investigates how the various definitions of race in Europe and the Americas influenced the way that slavery and the law developed in Natchez and, by extension, the colonial southern borderlands.Dr. Pinnen has won national and international research fellowships from the German Historical Institute, the LSU and University of Texas Libraries, and has presented his research in Europe and the US. He was selected as the Mississippi Humanities Teacher of the Year in 2019, and Complexion of Empire in Natchez won the 2021 Book of the Year Award from the Mississippi Historical Society. In 2024, he was named the Humanities Scholar of the Year by the Mississippi Humanities Council and Distinguished Professor of the Year at Mississippi College.The April 22 program is funded in part by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council, through funding by the National Endowment for the Humanities.  For more information, visit natchezhistoricalsociety.org or call 601-431-7737. Emails may be sent to info@natchezhistoricalsociety.org

Dan Gibson

Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson said he is optimistic about the Tennessee company plans for a new shopping center near Walmart in Natchez. The company took out an option on the city owned land in 2024. Its goal is to secure enough leases from companies interested in coming to Natchez , so the firm can follow through and build. The mayor said he thinks Natchez is strong enough and large enough to support both the new shopping center near Walmart and the revitalized Tracetown Shopping. Center. 

 In early January, the CPSO Special Victims Unit began investigating an adult subject who was communicating with an Under Cover Profile online that he believed to be a minor. The subject engaged in conversations over several months about having a sexual relationship with the juvenile, making plans to meet, and sending explicit photos of himself to the juvenile. The subject had previously contacted the same Under Cover Profile in July 2024. After being made aware of a pending arrest, Joseph Cader, 40, of Olla, drove himself to the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, April 10, to turn himself over to authorities. At this time he was arrested, and booked into the Concordia Parish Correctional Facility. He is charged with two counts each of Indecent Behavior with Juveniles and Computer-Aided Solicitation of a Minor.   

Adams deputies arrested Justin Blackwell, 34 of Natchez, for trafficking drugs. His history of drugs goes back more than 10 years, with possession of drugs and possession of drugs within a church zone.   

Slight dip in sales tax

Natchez sales tax collections were $3.7 million from July through February, showing a decline of $100,000 from the previous year. The state shares sales tax collections with towns and cities and uses a fiscal year of July through June. 

Adam‘s deputies arrested Brandon White, 49, of Goldonna, Louisiana, for burglary of a dwelling. He is being held by Adams County authorities. White was formally arrested in Louisiana for aggravated arson in 2020. His current bond is set at $50,000.   

Adam supervisors hired Mitzi Conn to be their new county administrator. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting from Southeast Louisiana University and worked for Callon Petroleum in accounting and finance. Twenty-one people applied for the job and supervisors voted 5-0 to hire her.

Bennie Thompson

Congressman Bennie Thompson will hold a town hall in Natchez on April 15 between 6 and 7 p.m. at New Beginnings Missionary Baptist Church on Triumph Lane.

The first quarter of the year is always lackluster for job numbers. Adams County reported 9,890 persons employed in February, up 20 jobs from January.

JCP Management asked the Ferriday Town Council to revise the 2022  increased the hourly rate for water-sewer workers from $20.50 per hour to $24.50 an hour. Aldermen voted to approve the request. The pay raise had been part of an earlier agreement.

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Adams -Concordia deputies seize drugs and guns 

Adams deputies arrested Kelvin T. Johnson, 39, of Natchez, for six counts of distributing drugs and possession of a gun by a felon. Judge Danny Barber placed him on a $350,000 bond, and he remains in jail.  

Concordia deputies arrested Otis Jefferson, Jr., 22, for possession of a firearms by a felon, possession of drugs while possessing firearms, intent to distribute drugs, possession of drug and parole violation. Jefferson is originally from the Alexandria area, but has been involved in shooting and drug activity in Ferriday and Clayton. Three years ago, he was charged with shooting into a vehicle in Ferriday, over a drug selling and gang dispute. in a separate arrest, deputies arrested Lisa Barber, 56, of Ferriday, for five counts of child desertion. She was released on bond.

The Annual Bude Shop the Block event will be from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday. April 12. There is no booth fee for vendors, and craft and food booths are welcome to be a part of the event. The Pecan Creek Farm Petting Zoo will have animals on hand and the Bude Thrift Store will be open. Local shopping will take place all along Main Street in Bude. For more information or to reserve a booth, contact Brother Wes Arnold at 318-230-0626.

Tracetown to be rebuilt

Natchez businessman and developer Jimmy Smith and city and county officials announced today that Tracetown Shopping Center will be demolished and a new shopping center built, with as many as 10 tenants, Smith said total investment will be $20-30 million and indicated that Hobby Lobby had signed a lease. Smith stated that the new center will take 18 to 20 months to build. 

The United State Forest Service will hosting a Public Input Workshop on Wednesday, April 16 regarding its Master Plan Study for the Okhissa Lake Recreation Area. The meeting will be from 5-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Franklin County Courthouse, located at 55 Main St. in Meadville. The purpose of the workshop is to help officials develop a vision for the future of the area through site analysis and community input. Draft concepts have been prepared, and officials are wanting feedback from the public.

Natchez aldermen will interview three candidates for interim city judge including Terrence Hunter, Timothy, Blalock, and J. Pierce Beach. Repaving of Homochitto Street and Canal Street should begin in late April or early May. The work was poorly done the first time.

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Car show

Natchez Concours d’Elegance returns to Natchez April 10-12. Events include: Thursday, April 10 – 6:00 pm – 10:30 pm- Lower Lodge Courtyard 712 Franklin St. Opening “Early Bird Party” Party with food, drinks, and great music sponsored by Lower Lodge Antiques ; Friday, April 11 – 10:30 am – 4:00 pm – Leave from in front of the Natchez Grand Hotel, Scenic Drive with Lunch; ;Friday, April 11 – 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Broadway Street, downtown Natchez; Show Preview Party – Enjoy a party along the river, sponsored by: The Natchez Grand Hotel & Live at Five; and Saturday April, 12 – 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Broadway Street, downtown Natchez Concours d’Elegance, Car Show.  https://natchezconcours.com/

Hewitt’s Roofing and its archery store  in Ferriday suffered serious damage from a fire on April 8. Fire spread from a house on Mickey Gilley Avenue to the two commercial buildings

Natchez aldermen are expected to appoint an interim city judge, as Christina Daughtery has resigned to take a position as assistant prosecutor with District Attorney Tim Cotton.

Travis Patten, Kevin Wilson,, Ricky Gray

Adams County Supervisors Kevin Wilson and Ricky Gray will meet with Sheriffs Travis Patten and David Hedrick to discuss continuing jail issues. While supervisors wanted Patten to close the dilapidated Adams jail and send all prisoners to Concordia, Patten decided two use both jails and the Adams jail is fully staffed, mushrooming costs. Supervisors said openly that Patten was trying to punish supervisors for not building a new jail and spent the extra money, so the county would be backed into a corner and forced into building something. Wes Middleton said a new jail could cost as much as $30 million. That would require a huge tax increase to pay the bonded indebtedness and more money to operate the facility. At this point, supervisors have been unwilling to limit or curb Patten’s spending. And Fatten continues to push them to build a jail the county cannot afford. Costs for the sheriff’s office and jail are expected to run to $8-9 million. But supervisors haven’t done anything about the rising expenses.   

Nurse Practitioner Raven Campbell-Smith has resigned her post as county nurse. She has served the medical needs of inmates for the past seven years. 

Adams County deputies arrested Shykesia Rankin, 27, of Fayette, for felony child endangerment, possession of drugs and DUI. She was released on bond.

Pageant competitor Camryn Tassin won the Miss Catahoula contest.

Hannah Harveston

The Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office received a report on March 20 about a severely burned infant who was receiving treatment in the Pediatric ICU in a Jackson, Miss., hospital. The CPSO Special Victims Unit immediately began an investigation into an incident that occurred at a Vidalia residence on March.  The investigation revealed probable cause, and Hannah Harveston, 23, of Vidalia, was arrested and booked into the Concordia Parish Correctional Facility on April 1 for 2nd Degree Cruelty to a Juvenile and Obstruction of Justice.   

Jonesville police arrested Tyquenton Bell, 31, of Ionesville, after he shot and wounded a man during an argument on Tal Gibson St. He is being held in the parish jail.

Ben Ceasor has pleaded guilty to the 2024 vehicular homicide of Jason Tyson. Ceasor also pleaded guilty to aggravated flight. He will be sentenced May 28 by Judge John Reeves. 

Beverly Adams

Beverly Adams is the new director of The Natchez Stewpot. She is smart, hardworking and very energetic. The non-profit provides 200-30 meals per day to the needy.  

Rance L. Champ, 49, of Natchez, has been arrested by Adams deputies for distributing drugs. An enhancement charge has been added because he has a previous conviction for possession or distribution of drugs or was caught distributing drugs near a school or church. An enhancement charge allows the judge to double the penalty if convicted. Bond has not been set. Champ was most recently arrested in 2022 for possessing drugs.

AMR has returned to Jonesville to provide ambulance service. The parish has been without service for several months. Renewed allocations from the police jury and towns within Catahoula have provided enough subsidy to bring AMR back fir emergency and transport calls.

Corey Adams

Corey King is the new fire chief for Ferriday. He replaces Danny Cupit who resigned last month. Congratulations and best wishes. 

Adams deputies arrested Dominique J. Williams Sr., 31, of Natchez, for felon in possession of a weapon. Judge Danny Barber set bond at $250,000, and Williams remains in jail. Williams was arrested for burglary in 2014 and escaped custody. He was later captured and sentenced to jail for both crimes.   

Natchez will hold an Autism Awareness Day, Walk and Gathering, Wednesday, April 2, 4-7 pm on the Bluff. 

Truck recovered

Adams deputies recovered a 2023 Chevy Silverado on Flowers Rd. that had been stolen as part of a carjacking and robbery in Jackson over the weekend. The perpetrator or perpetrators have not yet been found. 

Louisiana voters rejected all four constitutional amendments on Saturday, with more than 60% voting against each amendment.

Concordia deputies arrested Deshawn Williams, 17, of Vidalia, for auto theft. He ran away from the Sundhine Group Home with a fellow resident, stealing a vehicle. Both teens were caught. Concordia deputies also arrested Sean Contrez Wells, 47, of Vidalia, for aggravated battery and two counts of resisting an officer. He has been released on bond. Deputies arrested Steve Fair, 55, of Vidalia, for aggravated assault and domestic abuse. He has been released on bond.

Merit Health donates

For the third consecutive year, Merit Health Natchez made a donation to the Natchez Stewpot on behalf of their medical staff to celebrate Doctors' Day.. A $2,000 donation will help feed locals.

Adams deputies arrested Darrell J. Tuesno, 38, of Natchez, for aggravated domestic assault. He’s been arrested in the past for domestic violence, false pretense and failure to appear. Judge Danny Barber set bond at $250,000.

Adams deputies Robert E Lee, 53, of Natchez, for aggravated domestic assault. No bond has been set. In March 2022, Concordia deputies charged him with three counts of molestation of juveniles, after law enforcement raided a Vidalia home used to engage in sexual acts with kids.  Judge Danny Barber set bond at $250,000.

Bobby Craig

Former Natchez resident and Starkville businessman Bobby Craig has pleaded guilty to federal bid rigging charges. Craig and others conspired to rig bids, forcing schools to pay more for sports equipment and gear. Since federal funds were used to make some of the purchases, Craig admitted guilt to three counts of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act and one count of obstruction. His plea is likely to lessen his sentence.

On the afternoon of March 26, the Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Jonesville Police Department responded to reports of gunfire in the area of Tal Gibson Street.  911 dispatch received multiple calls regarding a disturbance involving yelling and gunfire. Callers reported a male subject walking down the levee stating he had been shot. CPSO immediately dispatched all available units along with JPD officers, and the Sandy Lake Fire and Rescue provided emergency medical services at the scene. Responding deputies located the injured individual near 9th and 10th Streets, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Medical personnel provided treatment on-site before the victim was airlifted to Rapides Regional Medical Center for further care. Witness statements and evidence collected at the scene identified a suspect, and law enforcement swiftly began searching the surrounding area. As a precaution, local schools were placed on lockdown by Superintendent Johnnie Adams until the suspect was apprehended. The lockdown lasted less than an hour. This incident did not occur on school grounds, nor did it involve any students. Jonesville Police Department will be conducting the investigation into this matter. Sheriff Toney Edwards urges anyone with information regarding this incident to contact the Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-744-5411. Anonymous tips are welcome.

Natchez Powwow will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 29-30 on the Bluffs downtown at 319 Broadway. Saturday events run 9 a.m.-9 p.m. with a food and craft fair, vendors, stickball, gourd dance, intertribal dancing and a camp feed. Sunday events run 9 a.m.-3 p.m., with the craft fair, gourd dance and intertribal dancing. For info, go to https://www.natchezpowwow.com.

Tracetown plans still in process

While JKS Engineers has been working on the proposed Hobby Lobby project for Tracetown Shopping Center, and the city has given planning approval for the store, Tracetown owner Jimmy Smith says that Hobby Lobby has not yet signed a lease for the site. Tracetown does qualify for a state environmental grant for cleanup, which Smith can use to help demo a portion of the shopping center.

The Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration takes pride in announcing plans for the 36th annual Celebration, taking place March 27-29. Using the theme “Follow the Frenchman through Natchez: The Farewell Tour of Lafayette,” this historical conference will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Gilbert du Mortier, the Marquis de Lafayette’s farewell tour of the United States.This two-and-a-half-day event will be done in partnership with the Sons of the American Revolution. It will feature a living history educational encampment for high school students, a series of expert lectures on the life and contributions of Lafayette to the history of our nation, a reenactment of Lafayette’s journey up the Mississippi and his stop in Natchez in 1825, and several events including a General’s Banquet with period music and dance. 

Natchez Little Theatre presents "Barefoot in the Park" with show dates and times of Thursday, March 27. 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 28, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 5, 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 6, 2:00 p.m. General admission tickets are $25, military and student tickets $15. For reservations call, 601-442-2233.   

Maurice Sheppard

Concordia deputies arrested Maurice Sheppard, 44, of Clayton, for abusing and neglecting more than 40 dogs. Deputies said the malnourished and injured pit bulls were kept on a 28 acre lot and used for dog fighting. The accused is being held in the parish jail. The dogs were seized and have received vet care.

Louisiana now considers 17-year-old violent offenders adults. So the state will fund extra prison space for the most violent of these teenage offenders Concordia Parish and the Concordia Parish sheriffs office will get $3 million to rehab the Ferriday community center into a juvenile prison for these most violent offenders.   

The City of Natchez, through its Workforce Development Department, has officially launched the Building Trades Electrical Program at Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s Natchez Campus. This program aims to address the increasing demand for skilled electricians by offering accessible, high-quality training for residents interested in careers within the electrical trades. The program kicked off on March 3 and comprises five 8-week sessions extending through December 30. Classes are conveniently scheduled in both morning and evening slots, Monday through Thursday, accommodating diverse schedules. The first cohort proudly welcomed 27 students. 

 Chris Kent

The two elementary schools in Franklin County will become one starting with the 2025-2026 school year, it was decided last week. During Thursday’s meeting of the Franklin County Board of Education, Superintendent of Education Chris Kent received approval to combine Franklin Lower Elementary and Franklin Upper Elementary into one school. The new school will simply be named Franklin Elementary. Kent said the paperwork to make that change is being processed. In addition, he said there will be no expenses involved in combining the two schools since they are on the same campus. “There will be zero cost to make this move,” he said. “In fact, we will save some salary because we will only have one principal over all of the grades.” 

The Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office is issuing an urgent warning about a disturbing trend targeting juvenile males online. We have received reports of adult individuals, often located overseas, creating fake online profiles and posing as young females. These individuals are engaging in conversations with juvenile males, building trust, and then coercing them into sending inappropriate pictures. Once these images are obtained, the perpetrators are then demanding money from the victims and their families, threatening to distribute the explicit photos across the internet and social media if their demands are not met. Please be vigilant and talk to your children about online safety. Emphasize the following: Never share personal information or photos with strangers online. Be cautious of friend requests from people they don't know in real life. Understand that people online may not be who they say they are. If someone online asks for inappropriate pictures or makes them feel uncomfortable, they should immediately stop communication and tell a trusted adult. Never give in to demands for money or other favors from someone threatening to share private information. If your child has been a victim of this type of online exploitation, please do not hesitate to contact the Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office immediately.

Adams deputies arrested Keitheitha L. Blanton, 47, of Natchez, for felony aggravated domestic violence. Bond was set at $10,000.

Jason Tipton killed

On March 21, at approximately 7:40 a.m., Louisiana State Police Troop E responded to a fatal crash on Louisiana Highway 569 near Ferriday. This crash killed 46-year-old Jason R. Tipton of Vidalia. The initial investigation revealed that a 2014 Eager Beaver 50 GSL Trailer was parked in the southbound lane of Louisiana Highway 569. Tipton was standing behind the trailer assisting with loading a piece of heavy machinery. For reasons still under investigation, a southbound 1994 Ford F-150, driven by 68-year-old Edwin R. Tillery of Ferriday, failed to slow down and rear-ended the trailer. As a result, Tipton was struck and pinned against the trailer. Tipton sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Tillery, who was not restrained, sustained moderate injuries and was transported to a local hospital. Routine toxicology tests are pending.   

Hobby Lobby will build a new 50,000 square foot store in Tracetown Shopping Center. Part of the shopping center from the old Miss Lou Magaxine office down to the post office will be demolished to make room for the new store. The post office will remain. The Natchez Planning Commission and Planning Department have approved the plans.Construction could start as early as next week.

Authorities are looking for Matthew Huggins. His last known location was walking by the Miss. River Bridge on the Natchez side, wearing black coveralls . Huggins is wanted for mutiple burglaries in the area. If you have any information about the whereabouts of this individual please contact Adams County Sheriff’s Office or Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office by calling 318-336-5231.

Pastor arrested

Jefferson County investigators said Pastor Elvis Colenberg, 65, forced a 14-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl to have sex with each other on the school bus he was driving. The female student told law enforcement this happened roughly 20 times. Sheriff James Bailey said the pastor would drop all the other students off at their homes until it was just the 14-year-olds left. That’s when he would force them to have sex while he sat back and watched. He’s being charged with one count of exploitation of children. Bond was set at $200,000. 

A group of Monterey residents have filed a class action lawsuit against JCP Management, alleging the company delivery poor quality and unhealthy water to customers for several years. The company manages the Monterey water system. The customers said they have tried to get the company to improve service, but the company has misled them and the public repeatedly. Brownish and unhealthy water is routine, according the suit. People are unable to cook, bathe in or drink the water.

La. wildlife agents reportied a confirmed case of Chronic Wasting Disease in a hunter-harvested white-tailed buck in Catahoula Parish. LDWF said this is the first case of CWD confirmed positive in a wild deer outside of Tensas Parish.CWD was first detected in Louisiana in 2022. LDWF said this latest positive brings the total number of detections for Louisiana to 34. CWD is a neurodegenerative disease of white-tailed deer and other members of the Cervidae family. It is caused by a prion, an infectious, misfolded protein particle, and is 100% fatal in affected deer after an indeterminate incubation period. There is no treatment or preventative vaccine for CWD.

Ricky Gray

Adams County supervisors voted 2-1 to send United Infrastructure a letter saying its garbage service was awful and that the company was in violation of its contract. But since it was Kevin Wilson and Wes Middleton who wanted the letter sent and Warren Gaines did not want the letter sent, County Attorney Scott Slover never sent the letter, knowing that Angela Hutchins and Ricky Gray didn’t want to sue United Infrastructure. When supervisors got to together this week, Gray then criticized Slover openly and at length, objecting to the way the county attorney was doing his job. Gray was rather lighthearted in his remarks. But it was obvious he was threatening the county attorney with termination, if he did not pay attention to what Gray wanted. Scott replied that he appreciated the friendship of Gray and Angela Hutchins and would do better in the future. Supervisor Gray was obviously setting the tone that he expected the county attorney to do what Ricky Gray, Angela Hutchins and Warren Gaines want done and to ignore requests from Wes Middleton or Kevin Wilson, if those requests went against majority thinking. Slover did not mention Gaines as a friend, simply because Gaines was not in attendance at the meeting. But Slover and the Dist. 5 Supervisor are on good terms.

Concordia Parish reports 6.4 percent unemployment, with 5,975 with jobs, down 5 jobs from a year ago.

 Natchez police arrested Christopher Donte, 39, of Natchez, for aggravated assault, attempts to do seriousl bodily harm and misdemeanor charges. No bond was set. In a separate arrest, Natchez police arrested Dylan Campbell, 22, of Natchez, for sexual battery. No bond was initially set. Vidalia PD Jessie Pounds, 47, of Vidalia, for aggravated assault with a firearm. He was released on bond. 

Gregory Thompson

The prime suspect in the death of Bernadine Rogers, 60, is dead after law enforcement officers attempted to arrest him March 16 at his residence in Clayton. The Wilkinson County Sheriff Office obtained an arrest warrant for Gregory Thompson, 60. Concordia Parish Sheriff Deputies, Concordia Parish Narcotics Task Force Agents and Vidalia Police Officers attempted to execute the arrest warrant on him, when he shot himself. Thompson was transported to the hospital, where he died. Bernadine Rogers was reported missing after no contact with her family starting March 3 in Wilkinson County. Wilkinson County Sheriff deputies along with Woodville Police Chief Lemuel Rutledge and his officers started a missing person investigation. Thompson was developed as a suspect due to a relationship between the two and conflicting statements made by him as to the nature of their relationship. Upon finding Rogers’ body on March 6, Thompson stopped all communications with law enforcement. Wilkinson County Sheriff Investigator O.J. Packnett continued the investigation along with members of Mississippi Bureau of Investigations (MBI), Adams Co Sheriff’s Office, Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office and Vidalia Police Department. Evidence was discovered linking Thompson to Rogers' death.

Vidalia police and Adams deputies worked together to arrest LaJessica Washington, 22, Tyrone Davis, 19, and Archie Pinder Jr., 18, both of Natchez. They were charged with two counts of armed robbery and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, after beating and robbing their victims. Bonds were set at $495,000 each. Police also have a warrants for the arrest of a third suspect.   

Adams County Administrator Stephanie Washington has resigned her post effective March 31. She will be accepting a similar job for the City of Indianola at $110,000 per year. Washington says she has family in Indianola and a boyfriend there and would like to return home.

Water dispute

The Town of Meadville has annexed property from its town limits out to the lodge being developed on Okhissa Lake. Scenic River Development Alliance announced in January that Hyatt would be the operator of the lodge. Plans are to develop a lodge that will include 152 guest rooms along with 28 cabins scattered around the property. Two ballrooms for events, chess competitions and conferences will be complimented by three dining spaces — including a lakeside restaurant — and a resort pool with covered cabanas. Currently, the newly annexed area is serviced by the Franklin County Water Association, Inc. (FCWA), and members of the Board have indicated they plan to remain as the provider of water to the area. The FCWA Board of Directors will not transfer its “valuable property rights to Meadville because the City wants FCWA to irresponsibly give away its most valuable rights, which we believe will ultimately require FCWA to raise its water rates charged to its remaining members...."

The Concordia Parish School Board will open bids on April 1 for the remodeling of Ferriday High School. The architect for the project is the same firm that did the Monterey Gym and Natchez High, M3A Architecture of Jackson, Miss. The school board expects to spend $5.5 million on the project.

Concordia deputies arrested Tamesha Cole, 29, of Ridgecrest, for felony domestic battery strangulation and child abuse. She was released on bond. 

Tom Graning as Saint Patrick

The annual Krewe of Killarney St. Patrick’s Day Parade will occur March 17 at 6 p.m. It is a walking parade, with no motorized vehicles. Gathering for the parade will start at 5:30 p.m. The parade will begin at Memorial Park, behind St. Mary’s Basilica on Main Street, and will go down Main Street to the Band Stand on Broadway.

The Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office has received reports of counterfeit $100 bills circulating in the parish. These fake bills were discovered outside a local business in Jonesville.Please be extra vigilant when handling cash. These counterfeit bills are marked with the words “For Motion Picture Purposes.”If you come across any counterfeit money, please report it immediately to your local law enforcement agency. Stay alert and help us keep our community safe!

After two court directives, the City of Natchez has issued Truth Lounge a privilege license. The bar owners have not set a re-opening date. 

Fry Building

Natchez aldermen want to borrow $500,000 from the state to demolish the Fry Building and turn the property into a parking lot for the Eola. The mayor and aldermen have said on several occasions they will help subsidize the hotel project.   

Adams deputies arrested Raven Carver, 32, a Natchez police officer, following a domestic violence incident. She was charged with disorderly conduct and failure to comply with an officer’s orders. 

The 2025 Natchez Powwow will be a weekend of Native American culture brimming with great music, food, and exciting entertainment on the Natchez Bluff, said Natchez Powwow Chairman Dr. Chuck Borum. The event is set for Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30, at 319 N. Broadway Street. 

Saturday, March 29 

9 a.m. — Food and Craft and Farmer Market Vendors open
1 p.m. — Gourd Dance
2:30 p.m. — Grand Entry and Intertribal Dancing
4 p.m. — Camp Feed for Singers and Dancers and family/friends
6 p.m. — Gourd Dance
7 p.m. — Grand Entry and Intertribal Dancing
9 p.m. – Closing 

Sunday, March 30 

9 a.m. — Food and Craft Vendors open
1 p.m. — Gourd Dance
2:30 p.m. — Grand Entry and Intertribal Dancing
Spectators bring your lawn chairs

 Painting of "Frederick"

The Pilgrimage Garden Club has put up a famous painting for auction. Neal Auctions has a starting bid of $140,000 for the work. There are very few high quality formal portraits of enslaved men, which makes the painting historically significant. It's esimated the painting may bring $300,000 or more.

Adams County employment has dropped after a strong fourth quarter. January figures show 9.860 workers with jobs and a 5.2 percent jobless rate. Traditionally, January-March are the months with the lowest employment of the year.

The City of Natchez will sponsor "Natchez Together: A Festival of Ideas", a free symposium dedicated to exploring the rich civil rights history and bright future of this vibrant and diverse community at the Natchez Convention Center from 9 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on April 5,, with panels throughout the day.The symposium is set to be a transformative day of discussions, storytelling, and celebration bringing together historians, artists, civic leaders, and change-makers to examine the legacy of race relations, the influence of faith, the power of storytelling, and the contributions of future leaders that are shaping Natchez today.

Billy Rucker

William "Billy" Rucker, of Lake St. John, Ferriday, has died at the age of 83. He served as both administrator and finance manager of Riverland Medical Center for more than 20 years and spent three years as special projects manager for Trinity Medical. Billy was appointed to the 5th District Levee Board and the Delta Bike Trail Commission. He also served as a Ferriday Town Councilman and held the position of Mayor Pro Term. He served as a board member of the Kisatchie-Delta Regional Planning & Development District and was a member of the Louisiana Municipal Association, the Jaycees and Rotary Club. He was a Rotary Club President, a distinguished Paul Harris Fellow, and a proud 50-year member of the organization. Billy was instrumental in the formation of the Delta Music Museum, and the Downtown Ferriday Revitalization Project.

In the last two years, Merit Health Natchez has collected nearly 2000 jars of peanut butter to donate to local food banks. The hospital collects peanut butter because it is a nutritious food and easy to store long-term. If you would like to donate some peanut butter to the area’s needy, drop off your jars at the hospital between now and March. 24. The Natchez Chamber of Commerce is also collecting peanut butter. If your family or business wants to donate a large quantity, call Kay Ketchings at the hospital and she will arrange for someone to come pick up your donation. The donations will be given to Pilgrim Baptist Church, Natchez First Assembly of God and River Assembly Feed the Hungry for distribution through their food banks.

Louisiana Early Voting runs March 15-22 for the March 29 election. Voters will consider fouramendments. Amendment No. 1: Do you support an amendment granting the Louisiana Supreme Court jurisdiction to discipline out-of-state lawyers for unethical legal practices in the state of Louisiana, and to grant the legislature the authority to establish trial courts of limited and specialized jurisdiction? Amendment No. 2: Do you support an amendment to revise Article VII of the Constitution of Louisiana including revise to lower the maximum rate of income tax, increase income tax reductions for citizens over 65, provide for a government growth limit, modify operation of certain constitutional funds, provide for property tax exemptions retaining the homestead exemption and exemption for religious organizations, provide a permanent teacher salary increase by requiring a surplus payment to teacher retirement debt and make other modifications? Amendment No. 3: Do you support an amendment to provide the legislature the authority to determine which felony crimes, when committed by a person under the age of 17, may be transferred for criminal prosecution as an adult? Amendment No. 4: Do you support an amendment to provide for the use of the earliest election date to fill judicial vacancies?

Aldeerman Robert Gardner

Vidalia Alderman Robert Gardner and Mayor Buz Craft got into a bit of an argument at this week’s meeting. Gardner complained he was not being treated right and wanted some more business cards to hand out to voters. Craft said he already received 1500 cards like all the other alderman, so the mayor denied his request. Gardner then said he wanted to see an itemized statement of the mayor’s salary, benefits and expenses, which Craft said he would provide. The alderman stated he felt the mayor was out to get him. Craft responded saying, he felt Gardner did wrong when Gardner stole envelopes, postage and copies from the town to use for his reelection campaign. And that Gardner did wrong again when he clipped the town for travel money and pocketed the cash. The town eventually took the liberated cash from Gardner’s paycheck. Gardner said the mayor is persecuting him. The mayor advised him to behave. 

Mississippi returns a portion of the sales tax collected by cities and towns back to the communities. The Department of Revenue’s tax year starts in July. For the period July 2024-January 2025, Natchez received $3.3 million, down $74,000 from the year before, a decline of 2.2 percent.

The Jonesville Fire Protection District and other Catahoula Fire Departments have received three fire fighting trucks from Ascension Parish District #1 to our departments. "It is our intent to improve our fire fighting and rescue capabilities with the addition of these trucks to our fleets,” said Jonesville Fire Chief Michael Bennett.

Second ruling

Following Judge Drake’s order on  March 8 that Truth Lounge was illegally denied the right to operate, the bar owners went back to the city to get a privilege license, and city officials promptly denied them a license. The city then asked the judge for a hearing for an emergency stay of her order. The judge held a telephone conference with the city attorney and the attorney for Truth. The judge then issued another order March 11 in even stronger language that the planning commission decision to revoke the special exception is void and the aldermen’s decision to sustain the planning commission is illegal. The city attorney argued that according to Miss. law, the judge’s order can only be enacted after a 10 day waiting period (MRC 62 A). Judge Drake rejected that argument saying 62A applies to trial courts only, and she heard an appeal from Truth. She did not conduct a trial. The city can file an appeal to her original order or the aldermen can rehear the special exception case. It is clear from the judge’s order that Drake expects the city to allow Truth to open now, while the city considers its options. The city latest effort was to try to slow the course of events a bit, using 62A and prevent the bar from an immediate opening. The city could ask for the appeals court for an expedited appeal hearing due to the potential for violence near the bar.

Concordia deputies arrested William Goodwin, 61, of Ferriday, for attempted homicide because he ran over a man with his vehicle and for battery for punching a woman in the face. In 2017, he was charged with two counts of cruelty to the infirm. Goodwin is being held in the parish jail.

In Monterey, when the fiber optic company was drilling to put its lines in, it broke many water lines bringing dirt into the system. JCP and Monterey Water had to fix the broken lines and then flush out the lines to get rid of that dirt. That process should be complete. If you are still having brownish water, then call 318-386-2232 and the company will send a service person to your house. Residents responded to the company's claims, saying the water has been dirty for years, very brown and not suitable for washing clothes, bathing and drinking..

Filing now

April 1 is the Mississippi deadline to apply for or make changes to a Homestead Exemption. If you have had no changes to your Homestead Exemption status, then no action is required on your part. You will need to file a new application if you have had any of the following changes over the past year: Bought a new residence. Any change in marital status. Change in title to your land. Sold part of your land. Purchased more land. Became 100 percent disabled prior to Jan. 1, 2025. Became age 65 prior to Jan. 1, 2025.  Became a service connected, totally disabled American veteran or are the un-remarried surviving spouse. This reminder only applies to applicants with a change or a first-time filer.. See your circuit clerk's office.

Dr. Roscoe Barnes of Visit Natchez, the city’s cultural tourism director, has been elected president of the Mississippi Historical Society.

Following Judge Carmen Drake’s decision that the planning commission and the aldermen did not follow the law, when they revoked Truth Lounge’s ability to operate, the city has several options: It can do nothing and allow Truth to reopen. It can appeal Judge Drake’s decision to the Mississippi Appeals Court. It can redo the hearing process and aldermen vote legally to revoke the special exception. Since the decision was just rendered on Friday, city officials have not yet met to discuss the situation. The city has 30 days to file an appeal. 

Journey Wall and Jada Griggs

A former Concordia Parish deputy and a former jailer have been arrested for Malfeasance in Office. Arrested were Journey M. Wall, 26, and Jada Griggs, 28, both of Jonesville. Wall and Griggs were booked into the Concordia Parish Correctional Facility. In late February, CPSO authorities were made aware of an incident in which Wall and Griggs knowingly and willfully withheld information relevant to an ongoing investigation. Probable cause was found to support the complaint, therefore, both Griggs and Wall were immediately dismissed from their posts and warrants were issued for their arrest on March 5. The Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office is working in conjunction with The Baton Rouge Police Department and The U.S. Marshals Service regarding this matter. This case remains under investigation.

Adams deputies arrested Dometrice Scott, Jr., 37, of Natchez, for possession of a weapon by a felon and possession of drugs. He has been previously arrested for six counts of vehicle theft, grand larceny, burglary and parole violation. Bond has not yet been set. 

Myco Fort, 22, of Natchez, escaped from the Adams County jail on State Street. He was arrested for burglary in February and made a trusty, despite his record of other arrests for grand larceny and stealing a motor vehicle and possession of a stolen firearm. Apparently he was taken downstairs at 3:30 a.m. to mop floors. He was left unguarded and instead of mopping, he walked out the back door. Fort was recaptured by Adams deputies near Northgate Road the night of March 7. He will face additional charges for the escape the day before.

Judge Drakes rules

On March 7, Judge Carmen Drake has ruled that the City of Natchez acted improperly and illegally when it withdrew its special exception, withdrawing Truth’s Lounge’s permission to operate its bar. Drake said the Natchez Planning Commission has no legal authority under statute or city code to revoke the special exception once granted. And when the aldermen voted to sustain the illegal act of the Planning Commission, they acted illegally and improperly as well. The city has the option to appeal the judge’s order, or it can allow Truth Lounge to operate. Drake’s decision is a narrow one. It does not specifically order the reopening of the lounge. She says the city must follow the law, and its own regulations, which it did not.

Bernadine Rogers of Woodville had been reported missing. Unfortunately, she was found dead on March 6. Authorities have not said anything yet about her cause of her death. 

House remodeled

Natchez businessman J. T. Robinson has finished remodeling the exterior of the Nellie Jackson House. He plans to open a museum there, highlighting the history of Jackson's house of prostitution.

Womack and Sons has started construction on Vidalia’s new $8.95 million water plant. The new plant will increase the town’s capacity to produce more water for homes, businesses and industry. The plant will make it easier for the community to expand services should a major industry want to locate in the community. The new plant will be able to produce 2,000 gallons per minute.

Ferriday Mayor Alvin Garrison said the town will replace 20 old leaking fire hydrants. 

Hotel auction

Virgil Jackson’s Clarion Hotel is for sale, with the realtor using an auction to solicit bids. Jackson really kicked off the development of a totally inactive Vidalia riverfront. What followed was two large medical centers, another hotel and a RV park. 

The Franklin County Lion’s Club has announced that this year’s St. Patrick’s Day will be on Monday, March 17. Line-up will begin at 5 p.m. in the high school circle, with the parade itself rolling through downtown Meadville starting at 5:30 p.m. There is no entry fee, but all floats, boats, pets, four-wheelers, church groups, clubs, bicycles, scooters, horses, walkers, vehicles and more must register in advance. Candy, beads, toys and throws are welcome to be thrown from floats and other riders in the parade. To register in advance, cal Jill Gilbert at 601-384-2330.

Ja’Nel’s Flowers in Natchez reported that they lost their roof in the March 4 storm. Even though the roof blew off, there was another complete roof under the one that blew off. The flower shop and bakery suffered no water damage and will be open as usual tomorrow. 

Lawsuit vote

Adams County supervisors voted 2-1 to file suit against United Infrastructure, the company charged with picking up homeowners’ garbage. The suit would terminate the existing contract and seek damages. Supervisors Wilson and Middleton voted in favor of the motion and Gaines voted against. Hutchins and Gray were absent. Gray, Hutchins and Gaines may pass a new motion next meeting, dropping the proposed lawsuit before it is filed.   

Adams deputies arrested Patrick Grayson, 37, of Sicily Island, for illegal deer hunting and hunting without a license. Bond has not yet been set.

Two subjects were arrested after police conducted separate sexual investigation cases with one case dating back to June 30, 2024. Cory Renfrow, 37, of Natchez, was arrested on two counts of sexual battery. Vidalia Police Investigator, Lt. Del’Marcus Johnson, started this investigation on Feb. 18, after a report of two victims being touched inappropriately by Renfrow. The victims reported these incidences that took place two years prior when they were ten and eight years old. He was taken into custody on Thursday, by Adams County Sheriff Deputies and extradited to Vidalia for booking. Charles Gooden Jr., 45, of Natchez, was arrested on one count of second degree rape. Lt. Johnson, started this investigation on June 30, 2024, after a report of a 16 year old being victimized by Gooden. Gooden took advantage of a relationship with the victim’s mother to gain access to the victim. A warrant was signed on July 1, 2024, for Gooden’s arrest. Officers spoke with Gooden shortly thereafter, and he stated he was going to turn himself in. However, Gooden went on the run. Gooden’s run ended when he was taken into custody last week by Adams County Sheriff deputies and extradited back to Vidalia for booking.

Missing woman

The Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office reports that the family of Bernadine Rogers, 60, has reported her missing and stated that she was last seen on Sunday March at 2985 Coons Mill Road at a birthday party for her father. She was wearing gold pants, red t-shirt, and white tennis shoes. Rogers drives a grey 2016 Honda Accord (4 door), MS License Plate WJC351 (Wilkinson County). If you have any information on the whereabouts of Rogers, please contact the Wilkinson County Sheriff Office at 601-888-3511. 

Cornelius Baldwin, 39, of Natchez, was arrested by Adams deputies for failure to register as a sex offender. Baldwin was convicted in 2002 for aggravated assault with intent to rape. He is now being held in jail. Baldwin was previously sentenced in 2012 to three years for dog fighting. When he was in the county jail in 2013, he used a phone to call residents of Lagrange Subdivision, threatening them with retaliation for interfering with his criminal activities.   

Adams deputies arrested Wayne Hammett, 64, of Natchez, for felony aggravated domestic violence. Bind was set at $15,000.

Drug bust

A little over two pounds of marijuana was recovered after a traffic stop by Vidalia Police. Vidalia Police Narcotics Officer, Lt. Mark Davis, observed a vehicle with no license plate along Carter Street. As he went to make a traffic stop, the subject exited his vehicle quickly and went inside the restroom of a local eatery. After detaining the subject, a search of his vehicle yielded over two pounds of marijuana and a digital scale. The subject was identified as Marcus Washington Jr., 26, of Ferriday. This arrest makes his eighth arrest for possession of marijuana. His previous marijuana arrests were on Sept. 28, 2016, Feb. 2, 2017, April 6, 2017, July 11, 2017, Oct. 5, 2018, Oct. 15, 2018 and Dec. 22, 2021. In addition to the marijuana charges, he’s been charged with unlawful carrying of weapons, evading arrest, resisting an officer, providing false information or identity, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, evading arrest with a vehicle or flight from an officer, assault, possession of a firearm while in possession of a controlled dangerous substance, no driver’s license and no seat belt. Washington was charged with no driver’s license, no license plate or failure to register a vehicle and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. His bond was set at $40,700.

The Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration will hold its 36th annual Celebration, taking place March 27-29. Using the theme “Follow the Frenchman through Natchez: The Farewell Tour of Lafayette,” this historical conference will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Gilbert du Mortier, the Marquis de Lafayette’s farewell tour of the United States. This two-and-a-half-day event will be done in partnership with the Sons of the American Revolution. It will feature a living history educational encampment for high school students, a series of expert lectures on the life and contributions of Lafayette to the history of our nation, a reenactment of Lafayette’s journey up the Mississippi and his stop in Natchez in 1825, and several events including a General’s Banquet with period music and dance.

The Adams County Airport Commission will open bids March 15 for a contractor to harvest 160 acres of its trees for pulpwood and hardwood. The Commission will use the revenues to supplement its budget. 

Missing man

The body of Ezekiel Conner, 41, was found in a ravine near his Laurel Hill Rd. home in Natchez. He had been missing for several days. Authorities haven’t determined a cause of death.

A 51-year-old man was shot and wounded at Holiday Apartments on Sunday, according to Natchez police. The wounded man was airlifted out of town for surgery, but his injuries were not considered life threatening. Police are looking for the shooter but have not identified him by name.

Natchez attorney Bryan Callaway has died at the age of 60. He served as a Sixth District Court attorney, did a term as City Attorney and had an excellent private practice. Bryan was known as friendly and outgoing and was one of Natchez’s most respected lawyers. 

Cathedral dance team

The Cathedral Emerald Tide Dance Team has won first place, as national champion in the Small Kick Division and 5th place overall in the U.S. Dance/Drill Team Championship held in Orlando.

The Krewe of Phoenix Mardi Gras Parade will be held Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. in downtown Natchez.

LA DOTD said lane closures will occur along Hwy. 84 between Vidalia and Ferriday, as work crews do repairs between now and May 31. Slow-downs are expected.

Scholar-athletes recognized

The Miss-Lou Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame’s gave its annual scholarship awards to senior high school scholar-athletes totaling of $10,000 in scholarships. Those receiving scholarships included: Aiden Roche of ACCS, Landry Freeman of Delta Charter School, Dajuan Culbert of Natchez Early College, Briasen McCraney of Vidalia High, Linel Scott Jr. of  Ferriday High, and Frederick Lane, Cathedral High. Additionally, junior high and middle school scholar-athletes received acknowledgement for their achievement, including Robert Conerly of ACCS, Grayson Tosspon of Cathedral Middle, Tayton Fife of Delta Charter, Sherman Hawkins of Ferriday Junior High, Daylon Berry of Natchez Middle, and Enrique Garza of Vidalia Junior High.   

The Concordia Parish Police Jury has contracted with a Lafayette company to remove lily pads from a parish pond south of Ferriday. 

Wilkinson County supervisors heard that the guard rails on the Jackson Point Bridge should be completed shortly. Dirt work on the approach should then commence. The temporary bridge will be removed as the new permanent bridge can replace it.

Closed factory

Vidalia Mills is scheduled for sheriff’s sale April 9 for failure to pay its debt.

Natchez's consulting engineers filed an 11-page report with the mayor and aldermen outlining the problems with the asphalt and paving done on Homochitto and Canal Streets. While Mayor Gibson kept saying it was just a matter of a week or two before the contractor would redo the work, it turns out the contractor will not do a fix and the parties appeared headed to court, with each side claiming the other broke the original contract. Aldermen have directed James Johnston to help secure a new contractor to do the work.

Ferriday Mayor Alvin Garrison said notices of town water shut offs are posted on the town FB page. The town has shut off water at times for repairs.   

River rising

The Mississippi River at Natchez will hit 48 feet flood stage within the next day or so. It should stay at 48 feet for a week and then begin a slow decline.

Natchez's consulting engineers filed an 11-page report with the mayor and aldermen outlining the problems with the asphalt and paving done on Homichitto and Canal Streets. While Mayor Gibson kept saying it was just a matter of a week or two before the contractor would redo the work, it turns out the contractor will not do a fix and the parties appeared headed to court, with each side claiming the other broke the original contract. Aldermen have directed James Johnston to help secure a new contractor to do the work.   

Adams deputies arrested Clarence C. Wilson, 49, of Roxie with felony possession of drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was placed on a $25,000 bond and released.

Tire disposal

Wilkinson County supervisors have received a $20,000 grant from the Miss. Department of Environmental Quality for a used tire disposal site at the former Fruit of the Loom building on Hwy. 61 South. Supervisors are hopeful that the disposal site will discourage illegal dumping.

The Hotel Vue plans to make additional improvements. It will add a rooftop bar, 28 rooms, and reopen upscale dining. The company will add meeting space and an outside amphitheater for special events. Hotel Vue is co-owned with recently remodeled The Bridges, formerly Super 8.

Darvaughta Harrison, 31, of Natchez, was arrested for felon in possession of a firearm by the Miss. Highway Patrol. He has been arrested twice before by Adams deputies, again for felon in possession of a gun. Each time, he has bonded out. But he skipped a court date. So it is unlikely he will be released.

Shootings

Jeremy Wright, 34, of Centreville, was shot and killed in East Baton Rouge Parish, as he was helping a couple move their mobile home. Alex Senegal, 37, accused Wright of stealing drugs that were in the home. Senegal shot Wright eight times and fled. The shooter is still on the loose. Prayers for Jeremy and his family. Wilkinson deputies are investigating a shooting on Cherry Street. A woman was inside her home when multiple shots were fired into the home, and she was wounded. She was treated at Field Health, released and is recovering. Deputies did not say whether they have a suspect.

Tydreik Perkins, 24, of Natchez, was arrested in 2023 for two counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder. Now Adams County deputies have arrested him for possession of an illegal device to convert a pistol to fully automatic, possession of drugs and purchasing drugs. He was placed on a $500,000 bond.   

American Insurance of Natchez confirms that one of their insured’s vehicles was hit and damaged by a Metro-United Infrastructure garbage truck here in Adams County. After claiming it was insured, the company admitted it is not, a violation of state law. Adams County supervisors have known for some time that the garbage contractor was running uninsured trucks here and that those trucks were not compliant with DOT regulations either. The county’s contract with the garbage hauler specifies it must carry the proper insurance both for vehicles and general liability. Since supervisors willingly allowed United to operate outside the law, there is the question whether county leaders negligence could lead to a suit against the county and the individual supervisors themselves, as they and taxpayers could be held liable for any serious injuries and damages resulting from an accident with the uninsured trucks. Supervisors have purposely allowed United to ignore and violate state laws and failed to enforce provisions of the contract that would protect the public from grievous harm. By Mississippi law, supervisors themselves are generally protected from lawsuits for their governmental actions. But that protection ceases if supervisors are negligent and willingly complicit in illegal activity.

New audit

The Silas Simmons audit for the Town of Vidalia for the fiscal year ending 6/30/24 shows the town complied with state law and its bookkeeping and accounting procedures met all state and federal rules and accepted accounting principles. In its governmental funds, the town spent $24.1 million but had revenues $31 million, thanks to $21.7 million in hydro royalties. This resulted in a $6 million surplus. Vidalia's largest source of revenues is from the hydro plant. It's second largest contributor to revenues is sales tax, bringing in $4.1 million. Vidalia spends $3.5 million on police, $2 million on the fire department and $886,000 on ambulance services. Another $1.9 million is spent on streets. It ended the fiscal year with $36.5 million in cash, of which $33.3 million is hydro money. In its enterprise-proprietary funds, the town generated $14.7 million in revenues from electricity, gas, water, sewer charges and spent $13.7 million to provide those services, with a positive net of $883,000. Again, like in previous years. Silas Simmons said there were absolutely no negative findings in the audit. The town is fully in compliance with bookkeeping and accounting laws, regulations. Mayor Buz Craft credited Debra Moak for the town's excellent bookkeeping and accounting record over the years. Moak is Vidalia's in-house CPA and accountant. He said her professionalism and expertise is invaluable, and she plays a major role in providing public accountability which taxpayers expect. See4 the audit: https://app2.lla.state.la.us/publicreports.nsf/0/bc8961c8c5f1239886258c13006b86a5/$file/00006a50.pdf?openelement&.7773098

Facing declining school populations and a budget crisis, the Catahoula Parish School Board voted 5-4 to close Central High School and Sicily Island School. 

Zachary R. Nugent, 23, of Natchez, has been extradited from Dallas to face aggravated domestic assault charges here in Adams County for an attack he committed in 2024. Nugent held a knife to a woman’s throat, kicking, slapping and striking her in a rage for hours. He’s is currently being held in jail.

Lack of insurance?

Adams County supervisors had asked United Infrastructure to provide a copy of its vehicle insurance months ago. The trash pickup company did not do so. Supervisors learned recently that one of the company’s trucks failed to provide insurance after colliding with a passenger car in Adams County in January. Now the owner of United Infrastructure has allegedly claimed that his bigger trucks have insurance but his smaller pickups do not. It is a requirement of law that United has insurance on all its vehicles at all times and the insurance requirement is stated in the county contract. Supervisors were recently given a copy of a newly issued “binder of coverage” by United but that binder did not say which trucks were actually covered. After some discussion and investigation, supervisors concluded that binder was proof of some insurance but also proof that the company did not any vehicle insurance previously. Supervisors Gaines, Hutchins and Gray have remained steadfast in their support for Metro-United infrastructure, despite the company’s bankruptcy, poor service, lack of insurance and possible DOT violations.

Louisiana officials arrested Kyle Arceneaux, 21, in Concordia Parish on an outstanding warrant for unauthorized entry of a home, robbery and battery. He’s been charge with multiple felonies in the past and has been jailed in Vermilion, Lafayette and Jefferson parishes. 

Southwest Miss. Regional Crimestoppers offers Up to $5,000 reward is offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the November 15 shooting death of 18-year-old Damron James Jr. on Collins Loop Road in Woodville. Call 888-442-5001.

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