Whether you find yourself in Soulé Coffee + Bubbletea by chance, out of curiosity or as a regular, the sighs of satisfaction emanating from you are the results of sipping and savoring worldly fusions.
Owner Ezra Brown, a native of South Carolina, has lived and toured the world as a renowned jazz musician. His travels have taken him to Dakar, Africa, and he lived nearly six years in Asia, residing in places like Japan, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.
These places helped Brown discover and develop a love for the creativity and innovation of how teas and coffees were created.
It was the mixing, the fearless fusions; the adding of fruit or making drinks “dirty” by adding little shots of espresso that intrigued Brown.
“It’s was a different kind of vibe in these places,” said Brown. “Watching, learning and partaking … the drinks kind of follow my whole life, and I had an epiphany. Encompass drinks and community, and forward thinking about economic inclusion. So, why not here?”
Brown says plans for expansion into other areas of the city are also taking shape.
“Jackson can be the breeding ground for greatness from an enterprise standpoint,” said Brown. “All the components are here that you can take to the world.”
His coffee shop and tea house has an easy, welcoming feel. From the artwork on the walls to the soothing jazz and wafting aromas that fill the senses.
“It just hits different,” said a customer of the shop’s ambiance.
The federal government is providing $20 million for the troubled Jackson water system in legislation that passed the U.S. House of Representatives Friday by a 230-201 margin.
The bill passed the Senate earlier this week.
The bill will avert a partial government shutdown and continue funding of the federal government through Dec. 16. President Joe Biden will sign the legislation into law before midnight Friday when the current funding authorization expires.
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, the lone Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation, voted for the proposal while the three House Republicans – Michael Guest, Trent Kelly and Steven Palazzo — voted no. Thompson and Guest both represent portions of Jackson.
Mississippi’s two U.S. senators, Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, both Republican, voted for the proposal when it passed their chamber.
“I support providing additional resources to help the city of Jackson address its water infrastructure needs,” Wicker said. “The $20 million included in this funding legislation would build on the initial $5 million provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers earlier this year through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. I recognize this funding will not be enough to address the long-standing water infrastructure issues in Jackson, but this is a good start.
A Wicker news release went on to explain, “The 2007 Water Resources Development Act authorized $25 million for the city of Jackson’s water and wastewater infrastructure needs. This authorization was provided through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Section 219 Environmental Infrastructure Assistance Program. The city received an initial $5 million appropriation from that authorization earlier this year, which will enable the Corps of Engineers to complete projects in partnership with the city.”
Politico reported at one time Thompson was trying to incorporate into the legislation funding the government an additional $200 million for the City of Jackson. Despite the much smaller appropriation to the city, Thompson, like all congressional Democrats, voted for the proposal.
In a statement, Guest said he voted against the funding bill, known as a continuing resolution, because, “Mississippians are experiencing record high inflation. I have and will continue to fight for legislation that restricts the size of government and addresses our national debt.
As far the $20 million in the bill for Jackson, Guest said, “I continue to be committed to working with local, state, and federal leaders to help with long-term solutions to the Jackson water system problem, but the continuing resolution did not address the situation on a long-term basis. The continuing resolution included concerning levels of spending and a risk for additional inflation that the people of our state cannot afford.”
Both the president and Gov. Tate Reeves issued emergency declarations in late August and early September when the system malfunctioned leaving no water pressure for many of the about 180,000 customers of the system. Water pressure has been restored and boil water notices that lasted for much of the summer have for the most part been lifted.
But officials say the system still faces long-term problems that some estimate will cost as much as $1 billion to fix.
The City of Jackson has committed to spend between $27 million and $34 million of the federal COVID-19 relief funds it received to draw down on a dollar-for-dollar basis COVID-19 relief money the state received from the federal government. Hinds County also is committing about $17 million of its COVID-19 relief funds for the project.
Often, the Republican leaders of the state and the Democratic leaders of Jackson, the state’s capital and largest city, have been at odds on how to fix the water system.
Last week federal Environmental Protection Agency officials met with Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and voiced a desire to work with city officials to solve the problems with the water system. But in a letter to city officials the EPA said it is prepared to take action under federal law if “an enforceable agreement that is in the best interest of both the city and the United States” is not reached.
En lunes, el administrador de la Agencia de Protección Ambiental, Michael Regan, se reunió otra vez con el alcalde de Jackson, Chokwe Antar Lumumba, esta vez junto con el Departamento de Justicia, para trazar el próximo curso de acción en el sistema de agua de la ciudad.
“El fiscal general adjunto Todd Kim del Departamento de Justicia y yo nos reunimos hoy con el alcalde Lumumba para discutir las acciones que el gobierno federal está dispuesto a tomar para ayudar a remediar esta injusticia de larga data”, dijo Regan en un comunicado de prensa. “Durante esa reunión, transmití nuestro deseo de trabajar con la Ciudad para llegar a un acuerdo judicialmente exigible que asegure un sistema de agua sostenible a mediano y largo plazo”.
El prensa no mencionó el convino entre la EPA y Jackson que ya existe. Las dos partes firmaron una orden administrativa en 2021, que tenía una lista de 40 requisitos de contratación y reparación descritos por la agencia federal.
El alcalde Lumumba dijo recientemente que la EPA ha sido flexible al establecer los plazos en ese convino. Todos los plazos originales ya paso. Mississippi Today le preguntó a la EPA cuál de esos elementos ha cumplido Jackson hasta ahora, pero un portavoz le dijo: “Debido a las actividades de cumplimiento en curso, no podemos proporcionar información relacionada con el estado de cumplimiento de la ciudad”.
Las dos partes también están sujetas a un convino de confidencialidad ordenado por un tribunal que les impide compartir un “plan muy detallado” con un costo estimado para arreglar el sistema de agua de la ciudad, dijeron recientemente oficiales de la ciudad. La EPA confirmó a Mississippi Today que existe una orden de confidencialidad, pero no proporcionó más detalles.
El comunicado de prensa agregó que Jackson ha emitido aproximadamente 300 avisos de agua hirviendo en los últimos dos años.
Nuevos avisos de hervir agua efectan a más de 1,200 clientes
Obtenga las últimas noticias sobre la crisis del agua de Jackson.
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Desde que el departamento de salud del estado levantó el aviso de hervir agua de un mes y medio de duración hace solo 11 días, Jackson ha emitido nuevos avisos de hervir agua para más de 1,200 clientes.
La ciudad anunció el lunes por la tarde que un “contratista cortó inadvertidamente la línea de agua” para aproximadamente 1,000 conexiones en Byram.
Jackson emitió avisos de hervir el agua para las otras 200 conexiones debido a roturas en las líneas provocadas por el aumento de la presión en el sistema, dijeron las autoridades. El alcalde Lumumba advirtió a los residentes a principios de septiembre que el desgastado sistema de distribución sería susceptible a tales problemas.
Trabajadores de la ciudad, con la ayuda de la Asociación de Agua Rural de Mississippi y equipos de Maryland, Arkansas, Minnesota y Carolina del Sur, han continuado las reparaciones en las dos plantas de tratamiento de Jackson. Un comunicado de prensa del lunes dijo que las cuadrillas volvieron a poner en servicio dos de las bombas de agua cruda en O.B. Curtis antes del fin de semana.
La ciudad dijo el lunes que las siguientes áreas, incluidas Byram, Belhaven, North Jackson y Eastover, se encuentran actualmente bajo un aviso de agua hirviendo:
Byram:
[7300-8899] Gary Road, Byram: 39272
Gary Drive
Glen Haven Subdivision
Glennhaven Drive
Glennhaven Court
Glenn Oak Circle
Cedar Glenn Drive
Brank Creek Drive
Red Oak Cove
Cedar Glenn Cove
Trelles Cove
Highland Cove
Azalea Cove
Glennwood Cove
Ridge Place
Redwood Cove
Holybush Place
Glennoak Circle
Eagle Nest Subdivision
Eagle Nest Drive
Freedom Cove
Highpoint Drive
Mountain Crest Drive
Golden Eagle Drive
Talon Cove
Canyon Cove
Lake Ridgelea Subdivision
Turtle Road
Park Avenue
Mary Lane
Lake Shore Drive
Oak Avenue
Pike Avenue
Ridgelea Road
Lure Avenue
Meadow Lane
S. Ridge Road
E. Ridge Road
Bob White Street
Rod Street
Reel Street
Hook Street
W. Ridge Road
Horse Shoe Circle
Line Street
Spinning Street
Jackson:
[1200-2399] North State Street: 39202
[1600-1899] Pine St.
[700-799] Euclid St.
[700-799] Oakwood St.
[700-799] Fairview St.
[700-799] Arlington St.
[700-799] Pinehurst St.
[700-799] Gillespie St.
Popcorn Alley
Park Avenue
[1300-1399] Peachtree Street: 39202
[5300-5599] Highland Drive: 39206
[4300-4599] El Paso Street
Paso Cove
Nota del editor: esta historia se actualizó para incluir más calles afectadas por los avisos de hervir el agua porque la ciudad de Jackson lanzó más ubicaciones después de que esta historia se publicó por primera vez.
Andrés Fuentes
Andrés Fuentes es periodista de FOX8-TV en Nueva Orleans y traductor de Mississippi Today. Antes de que el nativo de Nueva Orleans regresara, era periodista para WLOX-TV en Biloxi, Mississippi.
Bill Meredith of Sumrall was hospitalized 10 times in 2021.
In September of last year, he passed out in the shower. The next thing he knew, he woke up in a hospital bed with no clothes.
The cause of most of those visits – and loss of consciousness – was hepatic encephalopathy. Hepatic encephalopathy is a nervous system disorder brought on by severe liver disease. Meredith’s liver doesn’t properly filter toxins, and as a result, they build up in his blood and travel to his brain.
His hospitalization in December was the final straw for Meredith. He took a medical leave from his job, which he felt he could no longer adequately perform.
A doctor he was seeing in Hattiesburg referred him to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, where he began seeing a team of specialists that helped him get the medicine he needed to decrease his frequent hospitalizations. He was put on the transplant list for a new liver on March 16.
But just two weeks later, on April 1, UMMC, which houses the state’s only organ transplant center, went out of network with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi, Meredith’s insurance company and the state’s largest private insurer.
Meredith was paying close to $800 a month to keep his Blue Cross health insurance while on medical leave under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, commonly known as COBRA.
When UMMC went out of network, Meredith and other transplant candidates who have Blue Cross were marked as “inactive.” The status change means the candidate stays on the list, but if his or her organ match becomes available in the time frame the hospital is out of network, the candidate won’t be getting a call.
UMMC and Blue Cross are at odds over reimbursement rates and Blue Cross’ quality care plan, which measures hospital performance and whether services provided to patients are adequate. UMMC officials say they are underpaid by Blue Cross compared to other academic medical centers in the region, while Blue Cross leaders say UMMC’s request is unreasonable and would necessitate an increase in member premiums.
The stalemate between the two has left tens of thousands of Mississippians in the lurch — particularly those who receive care at UMMC that they cannot get elsewhere in Mississippi.
Emails between officials with the Mississippi Insurance Department, UMMC and Blue Cross show failed attempts on the part of Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney to get UMMC and Blue Cross to agree on a “single case agreement” on at least one occasion.
“As Insurance Commissioner, I have an additional request to make on Mr. (redacted) behalf. Please work to enter a single case agreement that will shield Mr. (redacted) from any excess charges above and beyond his standard cost-sharing responsibilities,” Chaney wrote to UMMC and Blue Cross attorneys on May 13. “This single case approach will allow Mr. (redacted) to receive the life-saving (redacted) he so desperately needs without depleting his life savings and without him having to travel long distances to have the procedure done in a location where he has no family or other support group who could assist him in the recovery and healing process.”
Chaney said he is not aware of any single case agreements ever being signed by either UMMC or Blue Cross, and he has not been in communication with either party about the progress of mediation since August.
UMMC declined to comment for this story. Blue Cross did not respond to Mississippi Today’s questions by publication time.
Meredith spent the first months of summer getting his long term disability insurance in place, hoping the dispute between UMMC and Blue Cross would be resolved. After the 90-day grace period that allowed certain people to continue paying in-network rates for care at UMMC expired, he began having to pay out of pocket for his appointments with UMMC doctors.
He asked one of his doctors if it would be safe to wait until his next appointment in three months to see if the two parties reach an agreement, and she said yes.
“Then as that began to draw to a close, I’m not hearing anything about where this negotiation is going,” he said, referring to the mediation the two parties began in June. “I finally gave up on that.”
In July, he decided to switch insurance companies so he could keep his care at UMMC, which has a nationally recognized liver transplant program.
The process has been a stressful one, he said, and that’s had an impact on his health.
“My numbers are back up. When I quit work, my MELD score dropped to 10 from a 16,” said Meredith, referring to his Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score, which is used as an indicator for how urgently someone needs a liver transplant. “Now it’s like 13 or 14, so it’s creeping back up.”
He will have to pay $6,000 out of pocket before his insurance kicks in this year, on top of the about $450 a month he pays in premium. In January, he will have to do it again.
Following his transplant, he will also have to pay for round-the-clock in-home care for anywhere from three weeks to three months.
As a result, he’s launched a GoFundMe to help him financially – a measure he is not comfortable having to take but feels he must.
So far, Meredith has raised nearly $8,000 of his $50,000 goal.
“I’ve never begged for money in my life,” said Meredith, a professional geologist. “… I’m not happy about having worked all my career, paid all my taxes, paid all my insurance premiums for years and years and years, and now they all evaporate or hold their hand out.”
Editor’s note: Kate Royals, Mississippi Today’s community health editor since January 2022, worked as a writer/editor for UMMC’s Office of Communications from November 2018 through August 2020, writing press releases and features about the medical center’s schools of dentistry and nursing. A longtime journalist in major Mississippi newsrooms, Royals had served as a Mississippi Today reporter for two years before her stint at UMMC. At UMMC, Royals was in no way involved in management decisions or anything related to the medical center’s relationship or contract with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi.
Mississippi babies are likelier to die before their first birthday than infants anywhere else in the country, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.
The state had an infant mortality rate of 8.12 per 1,000 live births, well above the national average of 5.42 in 2020, the most recent year for which the national data is available. Louisiana, second from the bottom, saw 7.59 deaths for every 1,000 live births.
Mississippi has had the country’s highest infant mortality rate for years. In 2019, the state topped the list with a rate of 8.71.
Black babies are twice as likely to die as their white counterparts in Mississippi. In 2020, the infant mortality rate among white infants was 5.7, compared to 11.8 among Back infants, according to health department figures. In 2019, 322 babies died before their first birthday in the state. Nearly 60%, or 185, were Black, though Black infants accounted for just 43% of births.
Nationally, the leading cause of infant mortality is birth defects. But in Mississippi, premature birth and pregnancy or delivery complications as well as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) are the leading causes. Mississippi has the country’s highest rate of premature birth, which is linked to chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes among mothers.
The infant mortality rate is one of the many health indicators in which Mississippi “is not just 50th” but “50th by a mile,” as state health officer Dr. Daniel Edney put it during the first hearing held by the Senate Study Group on Women, Children and Families on Tuesday.
The group, which was created by Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, heard speaker after speaker indicate that the state is not prepared for the additional high-risk pregnancies that will occur in the wake of Mississippi’s abortion ban.
The health department estimates the state will see an additional 5,000 births every year.
The Senate commission hearing, chaired by Sen. Nicole Boyd, R-Oxford, made clear that extending postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months will be a priority for the Senate in the next session. But the legislation likely faces an uphill battle in the House, where Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, killed the measure last year, claiming it would expand Medicaid– though it would not make more people eligible for the program.
And while experts say extending Medicaid coverage after birth would help reduce maternal mortality and improve infant health as well, it would not help ensure women are healthy when they become pregnant. The Senate commission heard data indicating that one in six women of childbearing age are uninsured, making it hard for them to get care to manage conditions like hypertension that increase the risk of poor birth outcomes.
The State Board of Education voted Thursday to adopt a new policy regarding weapons on campuses, eliminating an existing one that was not in line with state law.
In 1990, the board created a policy which prohibited weapons in schools, except in the possession of law enforcement officials. The policy also allowed districts to create additional rules about weapons in their district. But in 2012, when state lawmakers passed an enhanced carry law that allowed enhanced permit holders to carry weapons on school campuses, the board never updated its policy.
The board voted in July to adopt a temporary rule change to address this issue, and after receiving and reviewing public comment, the board made its temporary change permanent on Thursday. The new policy reads “each local school district shall have a policy concerning weapons on school premises.”
In the July meeting, the Mississippi Department of Education’s (MDE) general counsel referenced an attorney general opinion from 2013, which clarifies that possessing a gun on school property is a felony according to Mississippi law unless one possesses an enhanced concealed carry permit.
The opinion elaborates that people with enhanced concealed carry permits are allowed in the “public areas of a school,” but specifies that “school districts may bar persons, including persons with enhanced carry permits, from areas of the school to which the general public is not allowed.”
In July and in Thursday’s press release, MDE recommended that local school boards consult with their board attorneys regarding revisions.
On Thursday, state officials highlighted the new Mississippi School Safety Alliance, which is working to evaluate and revise current state laws, state board policies, protocols, and best practices relating to weapons and other school safety concerns. The alliance is a collaboration between MDE and the Department of Public Safety.
The University of Mississippi Medical Center announced Thursday it will increase its capabilities for treatment of burn victims following the closure of the JMS Burn and Reconstruction Center at Merit Health Central in Jackson.
Merit Health Central announced in September that the JMS Burn and Reconstruction Center, the state’s only accredited burn program, would close on Oct. 14 due to staffing and financial challenges. Staff at the burn center told Mississippi Today that hospital administrators didn’t inform them of the decision until just over a month before the closure date, which left them scrambling to determine next steps and find care for the center’s current patients.
“It’s essential that burn patients in the area receive care in a timely manner, so we are stepping in to fill this need,” said Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs, in a press release.
Burn patients who require a higher level of care will either be accepted and cared for at UMMC or transferred to a regional burn center for treatment, the release stated. The care will be coordinated by Mississippi MED-COM, the emergency communications center for UMMC and hospitals and emergency providers throughout the state.
Although the University of Mississippi Medical Center has been out of network with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi since April 1, Blue Cross members are still able to receive emergency care at the in-network rate.
UMMC is Mississippi’s only Level 1 trauma center and academic medical center.
UMMC officials did not answer specific questions about whether caring for these patients will require hiring additional staff and physicians, purchasing additional equipment or what the timeline is.
They also did not answer whether the hospital would be using resources from the state’s Trauma Care Trust Fund. The Fund is used to cover administrative expenses of the statewide Trauma Care System and to fund trauma centers, ambulance districts and burn centers.
“There’s no additional information to provide at this time,” said Patrice Guilfoyle, director of communications for UMMC. “I’m sure there will be updates as it progresses.”
Editor’s note: Kate Royals, Mississippi Today’s community health editor since January 2022, worked as a writer/editor for UMMC’s Office of Communications from November 2018 through August 2020, writing press releases and features about the medical center’s schools of dentistry and nursing. A longtime journalist in major Mississippi newsrooms, Royals had served as a Mississippi Today reporter for two years before her stint at UMMC. At UMMC, Royals was in no way involved in management decisions or anything related to the medical center’s relationship or contract with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi.
Hot rods, packed hotels, and a steady cash flow: Mississippi’s largest event is about to kick off on the Coast, bringing with it one of biggest annual boosts to the state’s economy.
Cruisin’ the Coast last year generated an economic impact of just over $36 million for the entire state from out-of-town spenders, according to a study commissioned by the car show’s founders. That was after record-breaking attendance, prompted by visitors hungry for travel following a nationwide lull to tourism from the pandemic.
“It was the 25th anniversary and the weather was tremendous,” said Cruisin’ the Coast executive director Woody Bailey. “It was very special.”
Bailey wasn’t sure this year would be able to touch that.
“But we’re actually pretty close to being on the same track as last year,” Bailey said.
The bulk of cars will swarm the coast Saturday, Oct. 1 for the weeklong vintage car expo. Gulfport kicks off the scheduled events Sunday morning with the all-day “View the Cruise” downtown. The week’s events span several cities in Jackson, Harrison and Hancock counties before winding down on Oct. 9.
The number of pre-registered cars is just 17 shy of what it was last year. Cruisin’ won’t know the final count until on-site registration is over. About 9,500 cars registered by the end of the cruise week in 2021.
So far, car owners have registered from 44 states and Canada. For the first time ever, a classic car owner from England has registered. Bailey said he has a ‘74 Thunderbird.
Total attendance is hard to track. Most events are free. Up to 3,000 cars show up that opt not to register for the official events but just enjoy the scene, according to Bailey.
At last year’s cruise week, the Bradley Research Group surveyed out-of-town attendees to help measure the event’s impact on both the local and state economy. Cruisin’ the Coast has the study completed every five years.
At about $33 million, the event’s economic impact on the Coast’s three counties was up 27% since the last study in 2016. That’s more than doubled since the $15 million impact measured in 2004.
Last year, the tax revenue generated by the event totaled more than $2.4 million statewide. About $1.2 million of that is sales tax collection in the Gulf Coast.
Cruisin’ the Coast began in 1996 with just a few hundred cars. Casino and business leaders were looking for a way to extend the tourism season past the summer peak.
It worked – probably better than any of the originators ever anticipated.
This year, Jay Leno – the former talk show host and classic car lover – is doing a stand-up at the Beau Rivage during the car week. The Beau is also hosting two Beach Boys concerts to cater to Cruisin’ visitors.
“Crusin’ the Coast is similar to a busy peak week in the summer,” said Collin Caranna, marketing director for Shaggy’s Restaurants. “The anticipation is here even before the uptick of visitors begins.”
Shaggy’s – which has waterfront restaurants in Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pass Christian – extends its hours to accommodate for the surge in visitors. For a week, their parking lots are packed with vintage cars.
Despite high gas prices and inflation, director of tourism bureau Coastal Mississippi Judy Young said the local tourism industry is expecting another banner year for Cruisin’ the Coast.
“Everyone seems to be really excited,” Young said. “Who doesn’t want to participate in the No. 1 car show in the country?”
The event itself also introduces new people to the Coast as a destination – an impact that’s hard to measure with exact figures.
“It really is an economic engine,” said Young. “And it’s the front door to economic development because tourism is marketing the region 356 days a year.”
About a third of the non-local attendees surveyed last year were from other parts of Mississippi followed by about a quarter from Louisiana. The next highest concentrations were from Alabama, Texas, and Florida.
The research survey also asked attendees about their satisfaction with the coast’s hospitality. It earned high marks with more than 90% saying they were either “likely” or “very likely” to return and to recommend the event to someone else.
Gulfport resident Lisa Evans said traffic might be a bear during the car celebration, but she is still a big fan. She has chatted up car enthusiasts showing off their ‘57 Chevy Bel Airs or antique vehicles from the 30s to learn more about the thousands of dollars – and hours – folks have put into their automobiles.
She usually sets a blanket out on the beach in Gulfport and lazily watches all the classic cars go by. Evans recently wrote a book: “100 Things to Do in Coastal Mississippi Before You Die.” Cruisin’ the Coast, of course, made the list.
It’s become the quintessential Gulf Coast Mississippi event.
“The economic impacts alone to the coast are mind blowing,” Evans said. “But when I’m trying to sell people on visiting, I start with the cool cars.”
