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Editor’s note: This essay is part of Mississippi Today Ideas, a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share fact-based ideas about our state’s past, present and future. You can read more about the section here.

Jackson is proud to welcome the National Folk Festival, and there’s a real sense of excitement here as we prepare for this landmark event.

For three days – this Friday through Sunday –  our city will be the heart of a celebration that brings together music, art and community from every corner of the nation. The National Folk Festival is a free event open to everyone, giving residents and visitors a chance to experience music, art and culture in the heart of downtown Jackson.

As the festival arrives, downtown Jackson businesses are energized, opening their doors to guests with local cuisine and displays of the city’s creative talent. It puts Jackson on the map for thousands of visitors, giving us a chance to share our history, our food and what makes us unique.

Walking through downtown, you’ll hear everything from blues to bluegrass and see artists showcasing their craft. If you stop for a bite to eat, you’ll notice the pride our chefs and cooks take in every dish – fried catfish, barbecue, homemade pecan pie. Each plate carries a story.

We believe the real foundation of the National Folk Festival isn’t found in the performances alone, but in the connections made between people. Jackson’s greatest strength has always been our community. Folks around here greet you like family, and it’s common to see neighbors lending a hand or sharing local lore with newcomers.

This spirit is at the core of what we’re offering to visitors.Jackson takes pride in our rich stories and creative traditions.

This year, the festival’s Legacies of Empowerment program, curated by the Mississippi Arts Commission, salutes two giants of Mississippi history: civil rights leader Medgar Evers and blues legend B.B. King, both marking 100 years since their birth.

Across several stages, festivalgoers will hear music shaped by King’s unmistakable blues, gospel inspired by the fight for equal rights, and experience the talents of HBCU choirs, hip hop artists, punk, Mexican huapango musicians and Choctaw dancers.

Guests can meet craftspeople, quilters, skateboard designers, sign painters and farmers, who all demonstrate the ingenuity and community spirit that set Jackson and Mississippi apart. 

Getting ready to host the festival has meant a team effort. The city’s departments have come together to spruce up parks, resurface streets and clean up public spaces.

We’re making sure venues are accessible, signage is clear and the downtown area puts its best foot forward. Our local artists and musicians are stepping up, preparing performances and pop-up exhibits that show off their skills.

Safety is a top priority, too. City police, fire and emergency teams have coordinated plans to keep visitors and residents safe throughout the festival. We’re working with volunteers and civic groups to provide assistance and emergency support, so guests know they can enjoy themselves without worry.

The National Folk Festival also offers a chance for Jackson’s students and youth organizations to get involved through volunteering and art showcases. It’s an opportunity to highlight the next generation of Mississippi creators.

This festival means more than fresh faces and business for our city. It’s about proudly sharing who we are. Every visitor who stops in a local shop, cheers for a band or sits down for a meal helps support our city’s local businesses and strengthens Jackson’s reputation as a center for music and culture.

As mayor, I invite you to experience this celebration for yourself. Talk to our people, enjoy the music and let Jackson surprise you. With every handshake and shared meal, you’ll see what makes our city special.

We’re getting ready for a festival that’s unforgettable, and we hope it leaves you feeling right at home in Mississippi’s capital.

Welcome to Jackson. Enjoy the National Folk Festival, an event where art, culture and community come together.

Bio: John Horhn was inaugurated as mayor of Jackson on July 1. He previously served in the Mississippi Senate, first being elected in 1992.

Is this any way to run a business?

That should be the first question asked to anyone involved in big-time college football these days.

Let’s take a look around the SEC, shall we?

LSU presumably owes Brian Kelly $53 million after firing him. This comes just as the Baton Rouge school makes final payments on a $17 million buyout of Ed Orgeron, the former Ole Miss coach. That’s $70 million right there LSU has paid – or will pay – football coaches not to coach. The Tigers got out cheap on Les Miles, the LSU head coach before Orgeron. They only paid Miles a lump sum of $1.5 million not to coach.

And it’s not just LSU. Now let’s look at Florida, which recently fired Billy Napier. Florida must pay Napier more than $21 million not to coach. That includes half the buyout paid immediately and then monthly installments through 2029. That’s not all. Florida reportedly still pays Dan Mullen, the former Mississippi State coach and current UNLV coach, to coach elsewhere. Mullen’s buyout in 2021 was $12 million. He got $6 million immediately and the rest in yearly installments of $1 million, the last of which will be paid in 2027. Jim McIlwain, the Gators coach before Mullen, was paid $7.5 million after his firing. Will Muschamp, fired before McIlwain, was paid $6.3 million over four years. Pretty soon, we are going to be talking about some real money.

So, let’s do. Texas A&M, which fired Jimbo Fisher in 2023  will pay him $7.2 million annually through 2031 for a total buyout of approximately $77 million. That’s a record that will be hard to break.

Funny thing: A&M pays Fisher more not to coach than it pays Mike Elko to coach. At least the Aggies are getting a bigger bang for their buck with Elko, who has his team undefeated and ranked No. 3 nationally. Elko’s contract runs through 2030, at which time the school will still be paying Fisher more than $7 mill at year. Heavens to Betsy, I mean, to Jimbo!!!

Before Fisher, A&M bought out Kevin Sumlin for a mere $10 million. Look, I know they’ve got a lot of oil money in Texas, but does it all go to fired football coaches? I ask because Texas paid Tom Herman $10 million not to coach. Before Herman, Texas paid Charley Strong $10 million not to coach. Before Strong, Texas bought out Mack Brown for $2.75 million. Yes, Texas bought out John Mackovic before hiring Mack Brown for another $1.8 million.

There’s a readily apparent pattern here, which shows that the more recent buyouts are much, much higher than those a decade ago. We can only imagine what they will be like in 2035.

Not to worry, Auburn will probably find out. Auburn just fired former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze and must pay him $16 million not to coach. That follows a $15.3 million buyout for Bryan Harsin and a $21 million buyout for Gus Malzahn. There are not that many oil wells in Alabama.

Arkansas? The Razorbacks just fired Sam Pittman and must pay him $8.7 million – not to coach. Before Pittman, Arkansas bought out Chad Morris for $8 million. Before Morris, Arkansas paid Brett Bielema $8 million not to coach. Interesting to note: Bobby Petrino did not get a buyout when Arkansas fired him back in 2012. His contract called for an $18 million payout, but Arkansas didn’t have to pay it because Petrino was fired for cause. (Remember the sordid motorcycle accident/extra-marital affair happening?) And wouldn’t you know it? Petrino is back for an encore performance as the Razorbacks’ interim head coach. Thus far, he is 0-4. You really couldn’t make this stuff up.

Understand, these buyouts aren’t just restricted to head coaches. Every time a head coach is fired, the employer also must buy out most, if not all, his assistants. And sometimes an assistant coach is fired before the head coach. That’s what happened at South Carolina this week after Saturday’s 30-14 loss to Ole Miss. South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer on Monday fired his offensive coordinator, Mike Shula, who was in the first year of a three-year contract. South Carolina now must pay Shula $2 million not to call plays. Shula is no stranger to buyouts. Alabama once paid him $4 million to no longer be its head coach.

This isn’t just an SEC deal. The madness is elsewhere, as well. Ten months after guiding Penn State into the national semifinals, James Franklin was canned by Penn State, which now must pay him a $50 million buyout. Historically, that’s second only to Fisher’s massive buyout at A&M. That’s not all. Oklahoma State, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Stanford, Oregon State, Colorado State and UAB all fired coaches before the 2025 calendar reached November. Most, if not all, will pay significant buyouts.

The good news in Mississippi is that we aren’t looking at any huge football coach buyouts any time soon. Ole Miss probably will have to pony up two kings’ ransoms just to keep Lane Kiffin, who already makes nearly $10 million a year. Mississippi State would be foolish to fire Jeff Lebby, who has engineered a remarkable turn-around in 2025. At Southern Miss, Charles Huff would be the Sun Belt’s coach of the year if the season ended now. With continued success, his services will be in great demand elsewhere.

Besides, state law limits Mississippi’s state-supported schools from offering contracts of more than four years. That law has often been criticized over the years – not from this corner. Fisher’s A&M contract was for 10 years. Franklin’s Penn State contract was for 10 years. So was Kelly’s at LSU. That’s why the buyouts were so high. By law, that can’t happen in Mississippi. You ask me, that’s a good thing.

Voters in several areas of the state will participate in special general elections Tuesday to decide who will represent them in the state Legislature.  

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Anyone in line to vote by 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot beyond the 7 p.m. closure.

There will be 10 special legislative elections across the state Tuesday, seven general elections due to a court redistricting order, and three special nonpartisan elections to fill legislative vacancies from members who left before their terms were up.

Voters in Hinds County also will elect a coroner, choosing from a crowded field of six candidates.

​​A federal three-judge panel ordered Mississippi to conduct special elections for 14 legislative seats this year because the court determined the Legislature diluted Black voting strength when it redrew legislative districts.

The federal panel specifically ordered the state to have special elections for House districts in the Chickasaw County area, Senate districts in the Hattiesburg area and Senate districts in the DeSoto County area.

2025 SPECIAL ELECTION GUIDE: Find your legislative district, see the candidates for Mississippi’s special legislative elections

Four seats are not contested, which means only one candidate filed paperwork to run in the race. Candidates in three of the elections faced contested primary elections, but not a contested general election. But seven races related to redistricting are contested in the general election: six in the Senate and one in the House.

No matter the outcome of Tuesday’s races, Republicans will still retain control of both chambers of the Legislature when lawmakers convene in January for their 2026 session. However, national Democratic organizations are hoping to end the GOP’s two-thirds supermajority control of the state Senate. 

SPECIAL ELECTION GUIDE: See the candidates vying to replace John Horhn in the Hinds County Mississippi Senate seat

Unrelated to the redistricting lawsuit, voters in parts of the Delta and the Jackson metro area can participate in special elections Tuesday because of incumbents vacating their seats. 

Sen. David Jordan, a Democrat from Greenwood whose district includes portions of Leflore, Panola and Tallahatchie counties, retired over the summer, and six candidates are vying to replace him. 

READ MORE: Hinds County is set to elect a new coroner

Seven candidates are looking to fill Jackson Mayor John Horhn’s old Senate seat, and voters in Bolivar, Coahoma and Sunflower counties can choose a new representative for House District 26 after Orlando Paden won the election to become the new mayor of Clarksdale.  

If voters have any questions about voting on Election Day, they can contact their local circuit clerk or the secretary of state’s elections hotline at 1-800-829-6786. For more voter information, visit the secretary of state’s Elections and Voting portal.

Holly Springs officials have filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Mississippi Public Service Commission accusing the agency of exceeding its authority and for violating the city’s right to due process.

The complaint, filed Thursday, comes less than two months since the PSC voted to impose daily fines of up to $12,500 against the city for failing to address deficiencies with its power system. The Holly Springs Utility Department, which serves about 12,000 customers across multiple counties, has struggled for years to maintain its power grid infrastructure and subsequently left customers with frequent electric outages.

In September, just days before imposing the daily fines, the PSC held a hearing in New Albany to listen to the utility’s customers and to give city officials a chance to respond. After the session, the three-member commission voted unanimously to move forward with steps to place the utility into a receivership.

But the commission, the new complaint alleges, overstepped its authority by interfering with the city’s contract with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Since 1935, Holly Springs has purchased and distributed electricity from TVA, a federal agency created under the New Deal to provide power to rural areas in the Southeast. Because TVA is a federal body, the lawsuit says, the PSC can’t “intrude upon” the city’s power agreement.

TVA, though, has itself recently sued Holly Springs for multiple breaches of the contract. That lawsuit, filed in May, alleges the city took money from the utility department before ensuring the electric system was stable, among other financial mishaps. After a stay in the case, U.S. District Judge Debra Brown ordered the parties last week to show cause by Tuesday.

The PSC didn’t allow the city an “opportunity to cure (its) alleged negligence,” Holly Springs’ lawsuit also claims. The city had elected a new mayor and brought on new counsel shortly before the September hearing.

“As a result, the Plaintiff was unable to conduct a full review of the case file, identify relevant evidence, or prepare a complete presentation of its position,” the complaint says. “Proceeding under such circumstances deprived the Plaintiff of a meaningful opportunity to be heard, in violation of fundamental due process principles.”

The PSC’s authority over the city’s utility department came from state legislation in 2024. Republican Sen. Neil Whaley of Potts Camp wrote the bill, which allows the PSC to investigate whether utility service for certain customers is “reasonably adequate.” The commission’s September hearing found Holly Springs fell short of that bar.

The PSC told Mississippi Today on Monday that it has only issued one fine of $12,500 against the city so far. Kyle Jones, an attorney for the commission, said, while the city is subject to further fines as long as it provides inadequate service, the PSC would have to hold another hearing before it could actually impose more fines.

Regarding next steps toward placing the utility under a receivership, the PSC said it would present its petition to a chancery court judge through the state attorney general’s office. The AG’s office did not respond to a request for comment before publication.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — President Donald Trump’s administration said Monday that it will partially fund SNAP after two judges issued rulings requiring it to keep the nation’s largest food aid program running.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, had planned to freeze payments starting Nov. 1 because it said it could no longer keep funding it during the federal government shutdown. The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. It costs more than $8 billion per month nationally. The government says an emergency fund it will use has $4.65 billion — enough to cover about half the normal benefits.

Exhausting the fund potentially sets the stage for a similar situation in December if the shutdown isn’t resolved by then.

It’s not clear exactly how much beneficiaries will receive, nor how quickly they will see value show up on the debit cards they use to buy groceries. November payments have already been delayed for millions of people.

“The Trump Administration has the means to fund this program in full, and their decision not to will leave millions of Americans hungry and waiting even longer for relief as government takes the additional steps needed to partially fund this program,” Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, who led a coalition of Democratic state officials in one of the lawsuits that forced the funding, said in a statement.

How will SNAP beneficiaries manage?

People who receive the benefits are trying to figure out how to stretch their grocery money further.

Corina Betancourt, who’s 40 and lives in Glendale, Arizona, already uses a food bank sometimes to get groceries for herself and her three kids, ages 8 through 11. With her SNAP benefits reduced and delayed, she’s expecting to use the food bank more and find ways to stretch what she has further.

But she is worried that there won’t be enough for her children to eat with about $400 this month instead of around $800. “We always make things work somehow, some way,” she said.

In Camden, New Jersey, 41-year-old Jamal Brown, who is paralyzed after a series of strokes and on a fixed income, said family members asked him for a list of groceries he needs so they can stock him up.

But not everyone has that help.

“How did you expect to live a healthy life if you’re not eating the right stuff?” he asked. “If you don’t have the access to the food stamps, you’re going to go to the cheapest thing that you can afford.”

Details on how payments will roll out are still to come

The administration said it would provide details to states on Monday on calculating the per-household partial benefit. The process of loading the SNAP cards, which involves steps by state and federal government agencies and vendors, can take up to two weeks in some states. But the USDA warned in a court filing that it could take weeks or even months for states to make all the system changes to send out reduced benefits. The average monthly benefit is usually about $190 per person.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said at a news conference that it would take his state about a week to load benefit cards once the funding is made available.

“These are folks who are hungry, and every day matters,” Bonta said.

The USDA said last month that benefits for November wouldn’t be paid due to the federal government shutdown. That set off a scramble by food banks, state governments and the nearly 42 million Americans who receive the aid to find ways to ensure access to groceries.

Democratic state attorneys general or governors from 25 states, as well as the District of Columbia, challenged the plan to pause the program, contending that the administration has a legal obligation to keep it running in their jurisdictions. Cities and nonprofits also filed a lawsuit.

Trump posted on social media Friday that he does “NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT.” He said he was telling government lawyers to prepare SNAP payments as soon as possible.

State governments step in

Most states have boosted aid to food banks, and some are setting up systems to reload benefit cards with state taxpayer dollars. The threat of a delay also spurred lawsuits.

Federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled separately but similarly Friday, telling the government that it was required to use one emergency fund to pay for the program, at least in part. They gave the government the option to use additional money to fully fund the program and a deadline of Monday to decide.

Patrick Penn, Deputy Under Secretary Food Nutrition and Consumer Services for USDA, said in a court filing Monday that the department chose not to tap other emergency funds to ensure there’s not a gap in child nutrition programs for the rest of this fiscal year, which runs through September 2026.

Advocates and beneficiaries say halting the food aid would force people to choose between buying groceries and paying other bills. The majority of states have announced more or expedited funding for food banks or novel ways to load at least some benefits onto the SNAP debit cards.

Rhode Island officials said Monday that under their program, SNAP beneficiaries who also receive benefits from another federal program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, received payments Saturday equal to one-fourth of what they typically get from SNAP. Officials in Delaware are telling recipients that benefits there won’t be available until at least Nov. 7.

To qualify for SNAP in 2025, a household’s net income after certain expenses can’t exceed the federal poverty line. For a family of four, that’s about $32,000 per year.

___

Associated Press writer Kimberlee Kruesi reported from Providence, Rhode Island; Geoff Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey. Associated Press writer Tran Nguyen in Sacramento, California, contributed to this report.

The death of a Hinds County sheriff’s deputy over the weekend in south Jackson is being investigated as a homicide. 

Sgt. James Dotson Jr., 32, died Sunday evening at a home on the 1700 block of Dorgan Street from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Hinds County Coroner’s Office. 

“On behalf of the entire Hinds County Sheriff’s Office, I extend our heartfelt condolences and prayers to Sgt. Dotson’s family, friends, and the many lives he touched throughout his career,” Hinds Sheriff Tyree Jones said in a Monday statement. 

“May they find comfort in the legacy he leaves behind and the love that surrounds them during this difficult time.”

Jackson police spokesman Tommie Brown said no suspects had been arrested by midday Monday, and the investigation remains active as detectives interview witnesses and locate surveillance video. The department is encouraging people to reach out with tips, which may lead to a cash reward.

Dotson worked at the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond and served the sheriff’s department and community with unwavering commitment, professionalism and compassion, Jones said. 

“His presence was a source of strength and stability, and his contributions to our mission of justice and public safety will not be forgotten,” Jones said. “He exemplified the very best of corrections — steadfast in duty, generous in spirit, and respected by all who had the privilege to work alongside him.”

Dotson’s death comes less than a year after the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department lost Deputy Sgt. Martin Shields Jr., who died Feb. 23 while responding to a domestic violence call in Terry. The suspect, who also shot his wife and another woman trying to flee, shot Shields and died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 

The National Fraternal Order of Police tracks line-of-duty shootings and releases monthly updates. The most recent report through Oct. 31 found nationwide 285 officers were shot in the line of duty, and 38 of those died. 

Among those fatalities is McComb Police Sgt. Jason Blake, who died Aug. 5 while responding to an off-duty request for help at a domestic violence call. The suspect shot and injured a woman before fatally shooting Blake and himself.  

The Officer Down Memorial Page, a national nonprofit tracking line of duty deaths, also lists the Oct. 17 death of Jackson County Deputy Sheriff Joshua Brashears. The sheriff’s office said he was on his way home in the early morning when his cruiser collided with horses on Mississippi Highway 15.

Information relating to the investigation of Dotson’s killing can be given to Crime Stoppers at 601-355-TIPS (8477) or the Jackson Police Department at 601-960-1234.

In the heart of rural America, small businesses, which have served as the backbone of these communities, are evolving. Among them, microbusinesses – typically defined as those with less than 10 employees – are gaining ground and reshaping local economies, specifically in towns historically reliant on industries such as agriculture, manufacturing and mining.

The JPMorganChase Institute’s research, “The Rural Divide: Small Business Revenue Milestones in the U.S.,” reveals that the vast majority of businesses in rural counties are microbusinesses.

While rural areas are known for historically employing more in industries such as Agriculture, fishing and hunting, Manufacturing, and Mining, regional specialization in those industries has less of an influence on microbusinesses. These enterprises are most prevalent in industries where there are less challenges to starting a business and fewer employees are needed.

The path to success isn’t without hurdles and challenges. The JPMorganChase Institute’s research also found that these rural businesses often face slower revenue growth during the first five years, compared to their urban counterparts. To bridge this gap, rural communities need tailored solutions that empower small businesses to scale and succeed.

Here are five considerations for microbusinesses in Mississippi:

            •           Set up a sales funnel: Turn potential customers into loyal buyers by forming a trusted relationship with them. Start with engaging social media posts – guiding them to informative content, capture contact information for special offers and invite them to online demos.

            •           Enhance customer service: Conduct an audit of your customer service processes. Implement tools like customer relationship management software or a loyalty program to keep your business top-of-mind and boost sales.

            •           Form strategic partnerships: Collaborate with complementary businesses to package deals that potentially reach new demographics. Align with partners that share your values and seek professional advice before formalizing partnerships.

            •           Identify customer pain points: Use focus groups and direct, honest feedback from loyal customers to uncover hidden issues or give inspiration for products and services to offer.

            •           Expand your network: Build a support system of advisors, consultants and experts. Attend trade shows, expos, informational sessions, and networking events to connect with potential customers and suppliers.

To support business on their journey toward growth, JPMorganChase also offers a complimentary one-on-one Coaching for Impact program that will be expanding and in 42 cities by the end of this year, featuring Certified Small Business Consultants to mentor and coach small business owners so they can better run their business. As of the end of 2023, the program has helped over 5,000 businesses grow.

As small businesses grow, they invigorate local economies, sparking innovation and creating jobs. Their growth story is one of resilience and opportunity, proving that even the smallest enterprises can have a big impact.

For more insights on growing your small business, visit chase.com/business

After evaluating applications asking for over $100 million of public money, the Mississippi Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Council discussed Monday which proposals deserved state investment to prevent more deadly overdoses.

But its members have yet to agree on funding recommendations for the Legislature. Instead, the members introduced a number of new concerns with the application process — ones that are expected to be discussed further at another meeting in the coming few weeks.

This spring, lawmakers established this council to make recommendations on how Mississippi should spend most of its money from national lawsuits related to the opioid epidemic, a crisis that has claimed over 10,000 Mississippi lives since 2000. The council, overseen by Attorney General Lynn Fitch, is set to oversee around $300 million of Mississippi’s expected $421 million of settlement money over the next 15 years.

Before Monday’s meeting, Fitch’s office published a summary of those applications that assigns each request a score between 0 and 100, with 100 being the most qualified for funding. The council created 10-point tiers based on how highly it recommends the Legislature fund each project. 

The subcommittees scored 23 applications in the top tier of grants — requests that asked for more than $40 million of opioid settlement funds. Around $23 million of those high-scored applications were from organizations with representatives serving on this council. Many of those representatives are the top officials of the requesting group. For example, two applications from the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, which is led by council co-vice chair Wendy Bailey, were among the top-scored projects.

The subcommittees did recommend funding adjustments even from highly-scored applicants. It suggested adjusting grant funding for Oceans Healthcare, whose chief executive officer Mark Stovall serves on the council, from roughly $4 million down to roughly$2 million.

Committee members are supposed to recuse themselves from evaluating grant applications they’re directly or indirectly involved with, according to the council’s rules. There’s no evidence any council member had a hand in evaluating their own application. 

When the meeting started, members of the council were once again quick to point out potential issues with both the call for and evaluation of applications. 

Sen. Nicole Boyd, a Republican from Oxford and a non-voting member of the council, told the group she was concerned the council didn’t have a plan to make sure funded projects weren’t duplicating efforts — both in where the projects are planned for and what they hope to do. 

“Have we kind of looked at that aspect yet?” she asked. 

“Not yet,” responded Caleb Pracht, the meeting moderator and a special assistant to Fitch. “But that’s certainly an important consideration, I agree.” 

Boyd also highlighted the absence of a guiding roadmap that could help the council determine how to best respond to the public health crisis. A third DMH opioid settlement application, which scored in the second tier of projects, proposed to create that next year.

That application summary says “the state does not currently have a unified, evidence-based assessment of prevention, treatment and recovery needs.” 

“In the ideal world, we would have done that first thing,” Boyd said. “But I think (the Legislature) would like to go ahead and get this money out to people immediately.” 

Some members asked whether a few of the applications themselves raised questions among council as to whether they would actually prevent more overdoses. Greg Spore, a lawyer with the Office of State Public Defender, called attention to a proposed project from the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Department for license plate readers, tasers and officer tablets – tools more akin to law enforcement than to opioid abatement. 

The local government subcommittee scored the project in the second highest tier of applications.

“How is that responsive to opioid use disorder?” Spore asked the committee. 

Adam Cooper, chief of the Gulfport Police Department, said these types of technology were important for preventing drugs from being sold in the community. He said he thought more Mississippi opioid settlement money should be going for these types of efforts.

“That is what I think really has been missing from these applications,” he said.

Michelle Williams, Fitch’s chief of staff, suggested that tasers might be a “non-lethal use of force” option for law enforcement. 

Another application that concerned some council members was a roughly $9 million request from a company called Stercus Bioanalystics. Its project summary said it would use this money to conduct wastewater surveillance for drug use with the aims of identifying areas and substances the state should address. A report shows the company pitched a similar project to Nevada.  

Mississippi’s settlement council gave the application a score in the third-highest tier of applications, projects the council is not expected to review at its next meeting. But Andy Taggart, a voting member of the committee, asked that the council consider adding it to the second-highest tier of grants at the next meeting. 

Dr. Dan Edney, Mississippi’s health officer and a co-chair of the committee, told members that researchers have found no public health or law enforcement use for wastewater opioid data. But after some council members, including Boyd, suggested the project could still be useful, the members voted to keep the application in consideration for the next meeting.

“I do see what they’re talking about in terms of specific law enforcement instances,” Edney told Mississippi Today after the meeting. “But in terms of overall abatement, I don’t see the evidence that opioid wastewater testing is all that effective.”

At the end of the meeting, Pracht said the council will meet again in the next few weeks to discuss the two highest tiers of opioid settlement projects. He instructed the 15 voting members to more thoroughly review the dozens of applications that scored in those ranges, in addition to Sercus’ proposal.

A state law enacted this year says the committee must finalize its recommendations by Dec. 1. Lawmakers are expected to approve or reject those suggestions during their 2026 session that begins in January. 

This story was updated Monday evening after the meeting ended.

Correction, 11/3/2025: This story has been corrected to reflect the correct number of applications in the top tier of grants for opioid settlement funds.

Republican House Corrections Chairwoman Becky Currie of Brookhaven began touring state prisons when she got her committee chair assignment a couple of years ago, and found a disturbing dearth of medical care for inmates. “We’re paying $124 million to a company for health care and they are not doing it and they are keeping the money,” said Currie, who is pushing for reform and been a centerpiece of Mississippi Today’s investigative series on prison health care, Behind Bars, Beyond Care.