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Fate of on-again, off-again Yazoo Pumps expected by December despite no price tag

ROLLING FORK — For years, the fate of a project known as the Yazoo Pumps has bounced back and forth in a game of political ping pong. Now, with a retooled pumps proposal, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is inching closer to a new flood control plan for the South Delta.

Partnering agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, which vetoed the Yazoo Pumps in 2008 under President George W. Bush, are still studying the draft environmental impact statement that the Corps released in June. The EPA vetoed the project in part because of its impact on the area’s ecologically significant wetlands, a point that conservationists around the country have continued to argue amid attempts to resurrect the pumps project.

The June draft EIS, which the Corps says it collaborated on with the EPA, proposes slightly less aggressive pumping than in the 2008 version in addition to buyouts for property owners in the floodplain. The proposal also limits the pumps’ operation to a certain stretch of the year, aiming to balance the needs of the wetlands with those of local farmers.

The agency held its first in-person public meetings for the report on Monday in Rolling Fork. The public has until Aug. 12 to submit comments (click here for the report and instructions for submitting comments). The Corps’ timeline suggests it will have a final EIS by November, and then a final decision in December from the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael Connor.

A Corps public meeting in Rolling Fork to discuss the latest flood control options for the Yazoo Backwater area on July 22, 2024. Credit: Alex Rozier, Mississippi Today

Most of those who came to give their thoughts on Monday supported what the Corps laid out despite the added restrictions on the pumps’ operation.

“You’ve heard a lot of people say turn the pumps on at a lower elevation, turn them on earlier,” said Peter Nimrod, chief engineer for the Mississippi Levee Board and a supporter of the Yazoo Pumps for years. “We completely agree, but if this is all we’ve got, we’ll take it. It’s a great project.”

The June study proposes turning the pumps on when the backwater reaches 90 feet of elevation (from sea level), as opposed to the 87-foot starting point the 2008 version had. The new study also suggests two options for when to allow the pumps to run: One is from March 15 until Oct. 15, and the other from March 25 until Oct. 15. Those windows are meant to give the wetlands enough time to absorb rain during the winter while also allowing farmers time to plant their crops.

The report details that about 1,800 structures, about half of which are homes, would see some flooding if there were a repeat of the 2019 events.

In the proposal, the 101 structures, including 55 homes, that are in the 90-foot flood level zone would have mandatory buyouts. The Corps estimates that those buildings flood about every two years. There would also be a voluntary buyout or floodproofing option for 231 more structures, 95 of which are homes, that are between the 90-foot and 93-foot levels, or the five-year floodplain. There are another 1,500 or so structures, including 759 homes, that would have flooded in 2019 and would see some flood risk benefits from the pumps, the report says.

Most of the structures that would be affected, either through buyouts or flood reduction, are between Eagle Bend and Rolling Fork, as seen in the map below:

A map included in the Corps’ draft EIS released in June, 2024.

In addition to the pumps proposal, the June report also lays out a “non-structural” alternative, which wouldn’t include the pumps and extend the option of voluntary buyouts to the roughly 1,500 structures beyond the 93-foot level.

Of the dozen or so people who gave comments on Monday night, just one talked about the merits of that option.

“There are people who lost their homes, there are people who are still living in the flood areas who don’t have the resources to move, so I think (the non-structural) option lends itself to those individuals,” said Anthony White, a teacher in Sharkey County, adding that the job opportunities in agriculture aren’t what they used to be because of growing farm technology.

While the agency is expecting a final decision on the project in December, the June report left out crucial details, namely how much the different proposals would cost. Critics have long said the cost of building the pumps far exceeds that of non-structural, less ecologically-invasive options, such as buying out or floodproofing homes, or paying landowners through conservation easement programs. But the June study is entirely missing a cost-benefit analysis, a common tool the agency uses to evaluate potential projects.

“We’re still working on the benefits and costs,” said Robyn Colosimo, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Project Planning and Review, adding that the final EIS in November will include some of those details.

Farm equipment is nearly submerged in flood water in north Issaquena County, Miss., Friday, April 5, 2019. Credit: Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today/Report For America

The 2008 version came with a $220 million price tag, but that number appears to be far below what the project would cost today. Rep. Bennie Thompson, who represents the South Delta and who has come around on the pumps idea after previously not supporting the idea, has estimated in recent years that the number is around half a billion dollars. American Rivers, an advocacy and conservation group opposing the pumps, estimates the price is actually more than double that.

The South Delta’s flooding issues trace back to the flood control work the Corps has done over the last century along the Mississippi River. In the 1960s and 70s, the agency built the Steele Bayou control structure as well as the Yazoo Backwater levee along the Yazoo River. When the Mississippi River reaches a certain flood stage, the Corps closes the control structure, which is a set of gates, to prevent river water from backing up into the South Delta.

The problem, which was most pronounced in the record-setting flood of 2019, comes when flooding from the river happens at the same time as flooding from rainfall north of the gates. With the gates closed, the rainfall landing in between the levees along the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers has nowhere to go.

After the 2019 flood, Delta residents, farmers, and statewide elected officials have amplified their calls for the federal government to carry the pumps project across the finish line. The astonishing inundation hit over 500,000 acres, and for some areas lasted about half the year. In some parts, the flooding forced locals in some parts to commute via boat just to get from their house to their car. State officials estimated that the catastrophe cost the Mississippi agricultural industry half a billion dollars.

In the years since, the EPA has repeatedly switched its stance on the Yazoo Pumps. During the end of the Trump administration, the EPA decided to exempt the project from the 2008 veto, citing a slightly different project design. The new proposal also introduced data suggesting that the wetlands were more reliant on rainfall during the winter months than the floodwater that the pumps would be used for.

A home is nearly is surrounded by flood water in Issaquena County Friday, April 5, 2019. Credit: Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today/Report For America

The agency changed courses yet again in 2021 under the Biden administration, restoring the 2008 veto. But last year, after pressure from top Mississippi officials like Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, the Corps and EPA came together to draft a new pumps proposal, which is what appears in the June report.

Of the two pump options presented (one from March 15 to Oct. 15, and the other from March 25 to Oct. 15), farmers in attendance Monday night preferred the March 15 option because it would allow them to plant crops earlier.

Reid Carter, a farmer in Rolling Fork, explained that even the earlier option could leave farmers struggling during the start of the season.

“March (15th) is early to middle corn planting season,” Carter said. “And with the pumps being turned on on that date, they said it’d take three to six weeks (for the pumps to drain the floodwater), which is still a lot of time.”

While not at Monday night’s event, conservation groups have remained vocal against any pumps project. Earlier this year, American Rivers again listed the Big Sunflower and Yazoo rivers on its “Most Endangered Rivers,” writing that the pumps would result in “an astounding loss of critical habitat that cannot be reasonably mitigated.”

After the news last year that the EPA and Corps were taking another look at the Yazoo Pumps, several groups blasted the decision in a press release.

“We are stunned that the Biden administration would choose to advance a plan that abdicates its conservation, climate, and environmental justice commitments by willfully putting the vetoed Yazoo Pumps back on the table,” Jill Mastrototaro, Mississippi Policy director for Audubon Delta, said in a press release last year.

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Podcast: A slow time in the world of sports?

If you think it’s a slow time in the world of sports, don’t tell that to Xander Schauffele, the Summer Olympics, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame or the Atlanta Braves who now use ambulances instead of a team bus. Today’s discussion involves The Open Championship, the Atlanta Braves hospital ward, next week’s big Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame celebration and the Paris Olympics.

Stream all episodes here.


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IVF grant revives hope for Mississippi couple’s parenthood journey

For over three years, Caitlin and Jake Miles of Biloxi have poured everything they have into starting a family.

Their journey has been complex and emotional — including two surgeries and multiple fertility treatments, all while Jake, a member of the United States Navy, traveled thousands of miles away on deployments.

As the bills pile up and negative results take their toll, the journey to motherhood for women and families who undergo fertility treatment can be hard. Recognizing this, a national grant was developed to offset the cost of one cycle of IVF for five women — including Caitlin.

“It was almost to that point where we were wanting to give up,” Jake said. “The financial struggle of doing it the last time, having enough time to save up and raise the money again. Then going through all the pain, and all the stuff that she has to go through to get ready for the procedure — having this grant flipped our whole outlook 180 degrees and for the better.” 

The grant is the result of a partnership between The Wyatt Foundation and The Conceive Foundation to provide $15,000 grants to five couples nationally who are in need of IVF to grow their families. The Wyatt Foundation is the nonprofit arm of Inception Fertility, a fertility care company. The Conceive Foundation is the nonprofit arm of Caden Lane, a company that sells apparel and accessories for newborns. 

Caitlin and Jake Miles share a home near the marshes of Biloxi. They got married in February 2021, and after unsuccessful attempts at starting a family, the couple discovered Caitlin had uterine fibroids — non-cancerous tumors that grow on the womb. Black women and those with a family history of uterine fibroids are at the highest risk of developing them, according to the Mayo Clinic. 

“My mom had them, my grandmother, my aunts — we’ve all had them. I didn’t know up until that point that I had them, though,” she said. “I went and had surgery and got what I thought was all of them removed. We tried again, were unsuccessful, and then he deployed.” 

Jake Miles, a Navy first class petty officer, is periodically deployed to locations around the world for months at a time. 

“Very stressful would be the best way of describing it,” he said. “Being deployed, while we’re doing it, being on the other side of the planet for six months, with an 8 hour or 12 hour time difference — it’s hard.” 

After seeking out a different medical provider, Caitlin’s suspicions were confirmed: despite undergoing major surgery to have the uterine fibroids removed, she had more of them. She underwent surgery again and healed, but attempts at conceiving naturally continued to be unsuccessful for the couple. 

They turned to IUI, or intrauterine insemination which, too, was unsuccessful. Caitlin found out their last round of IUI didn’t take just as Jake was deploying again in February 2023. From there, after discussions with Caitlin’s doctor, the couple decided that the next step would be a cycle of IVF.

“I went into it (IVF treatment) with the opinion of, ‘This is going to work.’ Unfortunately, it didn’t. And that was very hard for both of us,” she said. 

IVF is a process where eggs, collected from the ovaries, are fertilized outside of the body and then placed in the uterus. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the average cost of one cycle of IVF is $15,000. Despite Caitlin working in health care and Jake being an active member of the U.S. Military, neither have insurance that covers more than a small portion of the costs associated with their fertility treatments.

An estimated 2.1% of babies born every year are conceived using some form of assisted reproductive technology like IVF, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Age is an important determinant of whether or not an IVF cycle will be successful. For patients younger than 35, 42.6% of assisted reproductive technology cycles are successful. For patients over 40, that falls to 28%, the CDC estimates.  

“We were taking time to heal and see how we are going to proceed forward. And then the grant fell in our laps” after a friend texted her the application, Caitlin said. 

“She knew that I’ve been struggling and thought in the kindness of her heart to send me the link, knowing that we were at a standstill for what we were going to do,” she said. “I applied and here we are.”

Applicants had to verify that they had “unexplained infertility” and submit a video detailing their fertility journey. Caitlin filmed hers in her car on a busy day before heading into work — “raw and real.” From a pool of more than 1,000 applicants, she was one of the five recipients selected. 

“It’s been a huge positive impact,” Jake said. 

Dr. John Preston Parry is the founder of Positive Steps Fertility, a fertility clinic in Madison with locations across Mississippi and Louisiana. Positive Steps specializes in fertility testing and treatment. 

“When people are getting IVF, they’ve been trying everything short of IVF to get a family,” Parry said. “If they could get spontaneously pregnant, they wouldn’t bother their time with a fertility specialist. (There are) low cost, low tech measures — we’re about $500-600 a month for oral medication and insemination. If you could get pregnant with that, why would you get a $20,000 solution like IVF? Most people wouldn’t. So it’s really that they’ve done everything else.” 

The Miles couple was faced with more uncertainty earlier this year when access to IVF was threatened in Alabama after the state’s supreme court ruled that frozen embryos could be considered children. The decision had a ripple effect, and IVF became a national talking point.

“I remember coming home and asking Jake like … what is happening? I didn’t know how to react except for like ‘This could be ripped away from us. This could be the only way that we could get pregnant and it’s being ripped away from us,’ said Caitlin. “It was a very scary time to know that something that has brought so many babies to people’s families could be nonexistent.”

Many politicians came out in support of ensuring IVF remained legal and accessible, but some leaders in Mississippi have blocked efforts to protect access to IVF. U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith who blocked federal legislation that aimed to protect IVF, and Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson likened a bill that would protect access to IVF in Mississippi to “backdoor abortions” and “cloning.”

“It is a time of vulnerability for fertility patients across the US. And I think particularly here in the Deep South. And I also think there are many people who say they are deliberately coming after IVF and fertility. Which is sad, because most women and most people want to respect and protect those who love children and who want families,” Parry said. “So, it’s concerning that judges and legislators will act against the interests of their constituents, as well as the good of the state. Because helping families is important.”

The grant has lit the way for the couple’s fertility journey. Still, the process has not been without difficulty. 

“It’s just hard because usually I like to be the person that can fix problems for her. Having to stand there and just be supportive and help where I could, but not being able to actually do something about it — that was the hard part,” Jake said.

As others in Caitlin’s life are having children, she shared that while she is happy for them, it’s tough not to ask: why not me?

“I’ve always known that I’ve wanted to be a wife and a mom and the fact that we’re both about to turn 35 in the next few weeks — not having a child has been hard. This isn’t what I ever expected of my life,” Caitlin said. “I have an amazing husband and I’m just like — why hasn’t this happened for us? I’ve got so much motherly love to give and I’m just like … is it going to happen for me, you know?”

Parry emphasized the importance of research when navigating infertility. Both on the front end, when deciding which clinicians are the best for your circumstance, and after the fact: if IVF or other reproductive technology is unsuccessful, a thorough investigation into why matters. 

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 91,771 babies were born in 2022 with the help of Assisted Reproductive Technology.

Caitlin and Jake will begin their IVF cycle with the support of the grant in August.

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‘Star chamber’: Joint motion seeks to seal Tim Herrington’s capital murder case 

A joint effort to seal filings in the case against a former Ole Miss student accused of slaying Jimmie “Jay” Lee is very unusual, a legal expert told Mississippi Today. 

The petition states that due to “significant” media coverage, the only way Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr.’s right to a fair trial will be secured is if the judge agrees to seal all pretrial documents, including docket entries, motions, exhibits, subpoenas and notices. It was first reported by the Oxford Eagle

Lafayette County District Attorney Ben Creekmore and Herrington’s attorney, Rep. Kevin Horan, filed the motion together. 

It is unusual to see prosecutors partnering with the defense to seal cases, said Mississippi College School of Law professor Matthew Steffey, because they work on behalf of the public in lieu of more archaic forms of vigilante or community justice. Therefore, the public has a right to know what the district attorney is doing on its behalf. 

Plus, Steffey noted that defendants in Mississippi have a constitutional right not just to a speedy trial, but also to a public one. Herrington’s family, who is from Grenada, has maintained his innocence in interviews with news outlets, and dozens of people, including powerful local officials, have written letters to the court on Herrington’s behalf.

“It is not simply in our legal tradition to hold criminal trials in secret,” said Matthew Steffey, a Mississippi College law professor. “You make it secret enough, then it’s a ‘star chamber,’ albeit with jurors.” 

So far, the case has been handled by Lafayette County Circuit Court Judge Gray Tollison.

The joint motion comes little over a month after Horan filed his own motion seeking a change in venue.

Also citing the media attention Herrington’s case has received, Horan’s motion argued that Herrington could not receive a fair trial in Lafayette County. He attached articles from multiple news outlets as well as screenshots of social media activity from Justice for Jay Lee, a group organized by Lee’s friends that has held protests outside the courthouse and called on police to find Lee’s body.

A ruling has yet to be made on either motion, but Horan has been successful in negotiating on behalf of Herrington in the past. A few months after Herrington was denied bond, Horan and the district attorney’s office came to an agreement that set bail, and Herrington was released.

Steffey said that judges very rarely grant change-of-venue motions, in part because the internet allows news to easily spread beyond specific communities. 

“Changing venues doesn’t put the trial on the moon,” he said. 

It’s one thing, Steffey added, for judges to seal specifics in a case in order to protect a police investigation or the names of witnesses. In Derek Chauvin’s trial, for example, the judge ordered the jury remain anonymous to preserve the officer’s right to a fair trial.

“But everything so that nobody has any kind of knowledge of the conduct of the case?” Steffey asked. “Do they intend to call and pick a jury in secret?” 

Lee, a well-known member of Oxford’s LGBTQ+ community, went missing on July 8, 2022. 

Herrington was arrested two weeks later. Police later determined that he had been in a sexual relationship with Lee and that his apartment was the last place Lee went. That night, a few minutes after Lee messaged that he was coming over, Herrington Googled “how long does it take to strangle someone gabby petito,” then “does pre workout boost testosterone.” 

The theory of the case that prosecution presented during an earlier preliminary hearing is that Herrington killed Lee to keep their casual sexual relationship a secret — something Herrington’s defense attorney deemed “sensational.”  

The Oxford Eagle reported that while Herrington’s trial is set for October, court officials said the date is expected to be pushed to December, after the height of football season, considering the lack of hotels and the possibility that jurors will be brought in from surrounding areas.

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Marshall Ramsey: You First

Not many people would have done what Joe Biden just did. He came to the conclusion, with a lot of help after a terrible few weeks, that he was not the best choice to defeat Donald Trump and stepped aside. He put the country first. And history will note this day.

Now things get interesting.

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President Biden drops out of 2024 race, endorses Vice President Kamala Harris

Editor’s note: This story is breaking and developing. It will be updated.

President Joe Biden announced on Sunday afternoon he would not seek reelection in November 2024 and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.

Biden’s historic decision followed weeks of pressure from fellow Democrats who feared the president could not defeat former President Donald Trump in November and would drag down congressional Democratic candidates across the nation.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president,” Biden wrote on social media on Sunday. “And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus entirely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”

Many prominent Democrats for weeks publicly expressed concern that Biden, after a late June debate performance, appeared to have lost mental acuity over the past four years and wasn’t up for another term. Post-debate polling showed that Biden slipped in key swing states — even in states where Democratic congressional candidates still ran ahead of Republican challengers.

Biden and his top campaign aides publicly insisted he would resist the pressure and stay in the race. But the post-debate pressure grew by the day, culminating in Biden’s withdrawal announcement on Sunday.

Harris, a former top prosecutor in California, notably landed Biden’s immediate endorsement. Many Democrats and pundits have questioned whether Harris would be endorsed by Biden or whether the Democratic Party would open up their August convention to multiple candidates.

Regardless, the 2024 election will mark the first time in 56 years that a major U.S. political party will nominate a candidate who did not run for president in primary elections.

“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” Biden posted to social media. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”

Politicians in Mississippi and around the nation immediately took to social media to respond to Biden’s historic announcement or made statements about it Sunday.

State Rep. Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, House Democratic leader and Democratic National Convention delegate: “President Biden has demonstrated he is more interested in doing what is best for the county than for himself.” Johnson said he will support the new nominee, which is crucial because Trump poses a threat to democracy. He said he believes Harris is ready to serve as president, otherwise Biden would not have chosen her as his running mate.

State Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, a delegate to the convention who will be on the Democratic National Committee for the next four-year term: “History will remember Joe Biden as a successful president who always put his country first,” Blount said. “President Biden restored decency and statesmanship to our country. He stood up to Russia and those who sought to overthrow an election with violence.

“All Mississippians who will enjoy better highways, improved water/sewer systems and high speed internet should thank President Biden for what he did for our state. Our party will leave the convention united and ready to win in November.”

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Judge exempts 7 Mississippi universities from revised Title IX rule

A federal judge has temporarily excused seven universities and community colleges in Mississippi from complying with the Biden Administration’s revised Title IX rule that expanded protections for LGBTQ+ and pregnant and parenting students. 

The state of Mississippi has been exempt from the new rule, which is set to take effect Aug. 1, since it worked with several Republican states earlier this year to successfully obtain a temporary injunction. 

But now, seven colleges and universities in Mississippi, including the University of Mississippi and Mississippi College, will be subject to an additional injunction following a Kansas judge’s ruling on what one expert called a “clever legal gambit,” because it applied to any campus that has one of three conservative education groups.

In that case, Kansas sued to block the new rule along with three conservative education groups, including Young America’s Foundation and Moms for Liberty. The judge’s temporary injunction was broadened beyond Kansas to any school, college or university campus where those organizations have a chapter — all told, more than 670 institutions across the country, according to Inside Higher Ed

The Biden Administration is seeking to contest the ruling, Inside Higher Ed reported.

The seven universities and colleges in Mississippi with chapters of those three groups are Holmes Community College, Pearl River Community College, Millsaps College, Mississippi College, Mississippi State University, University of Mississippi and University of Southern Mississippi, according to court filings.

Through university websites, Mississippi Today confirmed there are Young Americans for Freedom chapters at MSU and Ole Miss. 

Officials in some conservatives states vowed to defy the new Title IX rules shortly after they were announced, citing state laws banning trans athletes from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity. Mississippi passed such a ban in 2021.

In Mississippi, USM “has not received any guidance on this issue from any outside state entity,” a university spokesperson, Brittney Westbrook, wrote in an email.

“Preparations have been made to comply with the revised policies should the temporary injunction be dissolved,” she wrote.

Sid Salter, the vice president for strategic communications at MSU, wrote in an email that the university is waiting for guidance from federal and state officials and the courts before implementing any Title IX changes.

“Our consistent set point as a university is to fully comply with federal and state policies when those policies have been clearly established and shared with us,” Salter wrote.

Ole Miss had intended to revise its Title IX policies this summer but had suspended the plans when last month’s injunction was issued, wrote Jacob Batte, the university’s director of news and media relations, in an email.

Last year, Young Americans for Freedom threatened to sue Ole Miss, alleging the university was violating its members’ free speech rights after officials claimed YAF had held an unauthorized event in the Grove.

The chapter had constructed, then torn down, a mock Berlin Wall that was spraypainted with the words “safe spaces,” “microaggressions,” “Taiwan #1” and “chicken.”

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Capital City Kayaks is an adventurers gem close to home

Chris Lockhart is the own/operator of Capital City Kayaks, based in Jackson. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

Before the sun reaches its searing height in the day, Chris Lockhart, 33, owner and operator of Capital City Kayakers, is out at Crystal Lake in Flowood, unloading kayaks and other gear from his colorful bus in preparation for a group he and friend Justin Henderson will guide in and around the oxbow lake.

Lockhart and Henderson begin by wiping down every piece of equipment with disinfectant — kayaks, life jackets and paddles. Excitement is in the air, and Lockhart is all smiles in anticipation of the arrival of his morning adventurers.

Capital City Kayaks owner Chris Lockhart unloads gear before adventurers arrive for a paddle at Crystal Lake in Flowood. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Justin Henderson (left) and Capital City Kayaks owner Chris Lockhart, unload kayaks and other gear at Crystal Lake in preparation for arriving clients. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Capital City Kayaks owner Chris Lockhart preps his kayaks before a group of adventurers arrive for a paddle at Crystal Lake in Flowood. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

The air is warm, but not oppressive, and filled with birds singing, the endless screech of cicadas and the distant hum of occasional traffic along U.S. 80 and Flowood Drive.

“I started Capital City Kayaks around 2014, after I graduated from Mississippi State and I moved back to Jackson,” said Lockhart. “I had a kayak and so I’d go to different spots around the area. I really love being outdoors. I was one of those kids, ya know, who was always out exploring, riding my bike and I actually loved going to summer camp. Summer camp is where I had my first kayaking experience. I was hooked.”

Capital City Kayaks owner Chris Lockhart with a group of adventurers ready to explore Crystal Lake in Flowood. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

The morning’s group consists of nine paddlers, varying in experience and ages. There’s chatter and laughter as everyone grabs a paddle, a life jacket, and chooses a kayak. Lockhart assembles everyone for a safety check and paddling tips.

Capital City Kayaks owner Chris Lockhart demonstrates proper hand placement for paddling shortly before the group heads out to explore Crystal Lake in Flowood. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Adventure begins as kayakers head out to explore Crystal Lake for a few hours. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

Once on the water, one inexperienced kayaker admits to not being a very good swimmer and asks, “What happens if I tip this thing over?”

Knowing a demonstration was more believable than words, Lockhart scoots up and out of his kayak and into the water, saying, “Just stand up! The water isn’t very deep.”

The inexperienced kayaker is tickled, her nerves calmed as she paddles away with more confidence.

Capital City Kayaks owner Chris Lockhart offers a guiding hand to a client while paddling Crystal Lake in Flowood. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Exploring Crystal Lake in Flowood on a beautiful day. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
A kayaker explores the small island at Crystal Lake. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

“People began asking me about my dip spots,” said Lockhart. “I’d mention the Rez, Mayes Lake at LeFleur’s Bluff and here at Crystal Lake, and they’re thinking I’m out of state. I’d laugh and say, no, I’m just down the street. Even my home boys wanted to join me, and I thought, yeah, that’s cool. I’ll just buy one extra boat. And you know what? A lot of people started to express interest. So I sat down one day and decided to crunch some numbers.”

“That number crunching turned into seven kayaks I used to haul around in my ’86 El Camino. As business started to grow, I went from my El Camino to a pickup truck. Now I have three buses and a couple of guys that work with me.”

“Primarily, a lot of my business are Black females. I’d say about 70% are, and they tend to bring family members, friends and partners. Being in Mississippi, especially central Mississippi and in a metropolitan area like Jackson, a lot of us can’t swim. And that’s the biggest fear that can keep people away.” 

A Great Blue Heron takes flight after being startled by kayakers at Crystal Lake in Flowood. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

“Many are like, “Now look, I’m about to get in this little boat in this deep water out here with all this wildlife. Who’s going to save me?” Or it’s their apprehension that they are in a little boat in this water by themselves. So one thing I like to offer is peace of mind, knowing there’s somebody out here with you. That you don’t have to worry about all the extra variables like rough waters or unsuitable conditions. I’m here with folks every step of the way from when they check in to getting them in the boat and pointing out nature.”

A young alligator watches kayakers cruise past at Crystal Lake in Flowood. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Kayakers paddle the waters of Crystal Lake in Flowood. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

“I’m letting them know that, hey, you have reassurance that there’s nothing that’s going to happen to you. That your drive over here was more dangerous than what you’re about to do on this water. Out here, it’s calm, peaceful.”

Justin Henderson with Capital City Kayaks and clients take a break from the heat on the shores of Crystal Lake. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
A kayaker paddles the calm waters of Crystal Lake during an excursion provided by Capital City Kayakers. All are welcome no matter ecperience level. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

“Out here on Crystal Lake is a hidden gem, a stone’s throw from downtown Jackson, not somewhere where you have to drive miles away or go to another state. And that’s a beautiful thing. So come on out, y’all. Let’s explore.”

Capital City Kayaks owner Chris Lockhart offers kayaking tours of Crystal Lake in Flowood. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Capital City Kayaks owner Chris Lockhart calls it a day after exploring Crystal Lake with clients in Flowood. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

Book your paddling adventure with Capital City Kayaks by contacting:

www.CapitalCityKayaks.com
capitalcitykayaks@gmail.com
(601) 953-7615

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