Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
Gov. Tate Reeves (right) and Executive Director of MEMA Col. Gregory S. Michel at a press conference at the State of Mississippi Woolfolk Building in Jackson, Miss., Tuesday, March 31, 2020.
Hurricane Delta on Thursday appeared on track for landfall in Louisiana, but Gov. Tate Reeves and emergency officials warned Mississippi will feel its effects, both wind and rain, starting late Friday afternoon.
Reeves and others warned that its track could shift and Mississippians should remain “weather aware” through the weekend.
Southwestern and western Mississippi along the Mississippi River could see winds up to 65 mph, rainfall of 4-6 inches and spinoff tornadoes. The rest of the state could see rainfall of 1-2 inches and gusty winds before the storm exits Mississippi through the Corinth area in the early hours of Sunday, if it keeps its current track toward a landfall around Lake Charles, Louisiana.
“This thing is about 27 or 28 hours from making landfall,” Reeves said. “And it’s just not that far from the Louisiana-Texas line to the Mississippi-Alabama line in terms of where these things can shift.”
Hurricane Delta weakened after a brief landfall on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, but reorganized and strengthened on Thursday into a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. Forecasters expected it to continue to strengthen through Thursday night and could reach Category 3 or higher before U.S. landfall.
Hurricanes are rated on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale from 1-5, with Category 3 and higher considered major hurricanes. The scale is:
Category 1: wind 74-95 mph
Category 2: wind 96-110 mph
Category 3: wind 111-129 mph
Category 4: wind 130-156 mph
Category 5: wind 157 mph or higher
Reeves declared a state of emergency for Mississippi on Wednesday, and the White House approved the declaration, freeing federal funds if needed. Reeves said Mississippi is also prepared to help Louisiana if needed.
Mississippi Emergency Management Director Greg Michel said 161,000 sandbags had been delivered for use in southwest Mississippi and 11 shelters were on standby to open if needed, with three planning to open Friday. MEMA and the National Guard were staging people and supplies in case they’re needed.
Reeves on Wednesday repeated a term he uses often that Mississippi will “prepare for the worst, pray for the best and expect somewhere in between.”
Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith speaks to supporters during a campaign event hosted by the Madison County Republican Women, the Rankin County Republican Women and the Hinds County Republican Women on Wednesday evening at The Range in Gluckstadt.
Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who less than a week ago said she “wouldn’t mind” debating Democratic challenger Mike Espy, said on Wednesday evening a debate is “the last thing I’m worried about.”
Espy has accepted two debate invitations and has publicly chided Hyde-Smith for not doing the same.
“There is just such stark differences,” Hyde-Smith told WJTV on Wednesday. “So why would such stark differences, so much emphasis being put on a debate — if it was, if we were so close and people really wanted to hear, Mike Espy would be the most liberal candidate we’ve ever had in Mississippi. I’m a proven conservative, so, you know, I don’t think a lot of minds would be changed.”
In two separate statements within the past week, Hyde-Smith suggested she might be willing to debate Espy.
“I don’t know if the schedule will allow that. I don’t mind debating him at all,” Hyde-Smith told WJTV on Oct. 2. “We’ve already done that (in 2018). But you know, I’m more concerned right now on the issues in front of us than I am a debate. But I wouldn’t mind doing it at all, if the schedule allows that.”
Mississippi politicos have surmised that Hyde-Smith — prone to gaffes on the public campaign trail — believes she has a substantial lead in the race, can ride President Donald Trump’s coattails with voters, and is otherwise laying low and trying not to give Espy’s campaign any platform.
She is one of just nine U.S. senators running for re-election this year who has not agreed to a debate. Most of the eight other incumbent U.S. senators who have not agreed to debate face little-known, little-financed, or third party challengers.
In 2018, Hyde-Smith and Espy debated when they were vying in a special election to replace longtime Sen. Thad Cochran, who resigned for health reasons. Hyde-Smith was appointed by then-Gov. Phil Bryant to replace Cochran in the interim before the special election. She is now vying for a full six-year term, and Espy, who captured more than 46% of the vote in 2018, is challenging her again.
Hyde-Smith, in a video interview with Gray DC posted on Oct. 5, was asked to share her thoughts about the upcoming vice presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris.
“Well, you know, it’s always good to get their opinions on things, to be able to watch them,” Hyde-Smith said of the vice presidential debate. “They’re under pressure at that time, but how they respond. You’ve got two smart individuals there, and I think it will be very positive.”
Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith during a shootout competition against U.S. Congressman Michael Guest and Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Kenny Griffis. The shooting competition was part of a speaking event hosted by the Madison County Republican Women, the Rankin County Republican Women and the Hinds County Republican Women, Wednesday evening at The Range in Gluckstadt.
GLUCKSTADT — In a rare public campaign appearance on Wednesday, incumbent U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith fired guns at a shooting range and fired up her base with some red meat on law and order, President Donald Trump and a pending U.S. Supreme Court confirmation.
“You’re not hearing anybody talk about the borders anymore,” Hyde-Smith told a crowd of about 150 at a Madison, Hinds and Rankin County Republican Women event held at The Range by Jimmy Primos in Gluckstadt. “We have got to win this election. You talk about an open border, lawlessness, civil unrest, we can see an America that we do not recognize. I just encourage you to stay engaged, continue to ask your friends. We are 27 days out. It has been such an honor to represent you, it truly has and I have a great staff in D.C., I’m seeing so many of them out there.
“We need a conservative fighter in this seat,” Hyde-Smith said. “We need somebody that can stand up for unborn children, somebody that can stand up for the Second Amendment to protect our gun rights. We need somebody that understands Mississippi rural health care and everything that entails.”
Hyde-Smith, in a race for a seat that most prognosticators consider safely Republican in one of the reddest states in the country, has done little public campaigning and has declined invitations to debate her Democratic opponent, former U.S. Rep. Mike Espy.
In comments to WJTV this week, Hyde-Smith said: “We have 27 days left. The last thing I’m worried about is a debate. With such stark differences, why would so much emphasis be put on a debate? … I don’t think a lot of minds would be changed.”
Hyde-Smith defeated Espy in a 2018 special election to fill out the term of longtime Sen. Thad Cochran, after Gov. Phil Bryant appointed Hyde-Smith to the seat temporarily. Hyde-Smith is former state agriculture commissioner, and a former longtime state senator, serving as a Democrat for much of her time in the Legislature before switching parties in 2010.
Hyde-Smith on Wednesday focused mostly on the pending Senate confirmation of Trump Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett in her comments to the crowd and media at Wednesday’s event.
“Let me tell you about Amy Coney Barrett — she is amazing. I met with her last week,” Hyde Smith said. “… It will be such a pleasure to get back and be able to go through the hearings starting Oct. 12.
“She is going to have a tough, tough time,” Hyde-Smith said. “That family is going to have a tough, tough time. They’re telling us it is going to be worse than Kavanaugh (confirmation hearings). I don’t see how it could possibly be worse than Kavanaugh. But she is a strong woman. I wish she was with us tonight to see all the strong women I’m looking at right now.”
Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith speaks to supporters during a speaking event hosted by the Madison County Republican Women, the Rankin County Republican Women and the Hinds County Republican Women, Wednesday evening at The Range in Gluckstadt.
Of Trump, Hyde-Smith said: “He’s been unfairly attacked every day since he took office. He is going to lead us back to prosperity.”
Hyde-Smith was well received by the crowd at The Range on Wednesday.
“I think she’s done a fabulous job,” said Laurie McCarthy, president of the Hinds County Republican Women. “She’s done a lot of good stuff.”
Kathy Henry, with the Rankin County Republican Women, said: “Cindy Hyde-Smith is one of the hardest working women I’ve ever known. My daughter works for her in D.C. in healthcare. With the pandemic, she was immediately on the phone to our hospitals, making sure they had what they needed, from respirators to funds.”
Hyde-Smith and fellow Republicans U.S. Rep. Michael Guest and incumbent state Supreme Court Justice Kenny Griffis also got a shoutout from rocker and activist Ted Nugent in a prerecorded message played for the crowd.
“Ted Nugent reporting for duty …” the Motor City Madman said. “We know there is a party that stands for God, family, country, freedom, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and nowadays — more than ever — law and order. And there is a party that hates all that stuff, and they’re making it quite obvious … Big salute to Gov. Tate Reeves, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, Congressman Michael Guest (and Kenny) Griffis.”
Journalists wear many hats. We’re watchdogs who promote accountability among the powerful. We’re data miners who provide you with information to help you make important decisions. And, just as importantly, we’re storytellers. We want to lift up the stories of this beautiful, culturally rich and ever-complicated state we call home.
But here’s our problem: In the past year, 53% of the people who we talked to for our stories were white men, many of whom are elected officials. This is an issue across the country in journalism because many of the people who speak to the media regularly — politicians, spokespeople, department heads and others — are white men.
We’ve faced the same issue at Mississippi Today and have fallen short with finding people to talk to who represent all of Mississippi. It’s problematic because if we’re not talking to a variety of people from different races, regions, ages, genders, and socio-economic backgrounds, are we really telling the story of Mississippi?
In May, we started addressing this issue by creating a committee to take an honest look at how we cover stories and how our journalism could better reflect the state. Every reporter on staff went through the stories they wrote the past year to see who they quoted and why. The committee took that information and started brainstorming how we can do a better job of writing for Mississippi’s diverse communities instead of about them. We’re working on several different ideas, but there’s one in particular that we need your help with.
We at Mississippi Today want to expand our network of who we regularly talk to for stories. We want to be in ongoing conversation with people in every corner of the state — especially those of races, genders and socio-economic backgrounds who are typically underrepresented in the news. You deserve to be a part of the newsmaking process. Mississippi needs to hear from you.
We are looking for people who want to be volunteer ambassadors for their communities by letting us know what’s happening on the ground there. If you are interested in learning more about our Mississippi Today Community Ambassador Network, please click here.
Thanks so much for showing interest in becoming part of our Mississippi Today Community Ambassador network!
First, let’s start by giving you a little background information. In journalism, a source is someone we talk to for a story. Sometimes we quote them, sometimes we don’t. It can be an elected official who issues a statement for us to consider adding to a story or a community member who has coffee with us to tell us more about what’s going on locally.
Many times, sources give us story ideas. They also help us form the way we think about stories. Good sources are vital to good journalism. But, as journalists, we don’t just want to use people for whatever ideas they can give us. We truly want to listen. If you feel like the news doesn’t represent you and have suggestions for how we can do better, we want to know what we’re missing. We want to hear from you so the decisions about which stories we pursue are equitable and community focused — not just based on what a small group of journalists thinks is important.
This is where we could really use your help. We’re looking for a diverse group of people — racially, geographically, politically, socioeconomically — across the state to help us form a network of people who will help guide our journalism, and also be able to share their insight for particular stories we are working on.
Here’s how that can work:
You would fill out a survey telling us a little bit more about yourself and the best ways to get in touch with you. A few weeks after that, the facilitator of this program would reach out to you about how we’ll be moving forward. While we would love to be in touch with as many of you as possible, we want each ambassador to form meaningful relationships with reporters, so we are aiming for quality connections over quantity. Because of that, we’ll have to cap the number of participants at a certain point.
If we’re able to move forward with you, you will be paired with one of our reporters. The reporter will reach out to you to set up a time to talk. We don’t have a set agenda for this conversation — our main goal is to get to know you and your community. Our hope is that this conversation will be the first of many that are ongoing, trusting and in service of community-powered journalism.
Still interested? Enroll in the Mississippi Today Community Ambassador Network program below.
Mike Espy needs historic Black voter turnout to defeat Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in November.
Democrat Mike Espy said to defeat Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in the U.S. Senate race on Nov. 3, he will need a historic surge in Black voter turnout.
Espy, the first Black Mississippi congressman since Reconstruction and the first Black U.S. secretary of agriculture, lost to Hyde-Smith by more than 7 points in a 2018 special election runoff. But some 2020 polls have Espy as close as 1 point to Hyde-Smith, and Espy has raised more money than Hyde-Smith in all but one reporting period this year.
We asked several members of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus, who represent a majority of Black Mississippians and remain in close touch with the constituencies across the state, how they think Espy is doing this year and whether they sense enthusiasm in their districts for his candidacy.
Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
Sen. Derrick T. Simmons, D-Greenville
“There is a lot of enthusiasm in the Delta. The Delta came out big for Mike Espy in 2018,” said state Sen. Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, the Senate minority leader. “I think it will be even greater support in a presidential year.”
Mississippi House of Representatives
Rep. Bryant Clark, D-Pickens
Rep. Bryant Clark, D-Pickens, who represents portions of the south Delta, agreed. “I think in my area people are energized. I think it is spilling into the Senate race. I think Espy will do well in the second congressional district.”
But some members of the Legislative Black Caucus fear that there isn’t yet enough excitement to give Espy — and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden — a chance for victory in reliably Republican Mississippi. Still, even skeptical Legislative Caucus members expressed optimism that there is still time for Espy to generate that enthusiasm.
Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
Rep. Robert Johnson III, D-Natchez
“(Enthusiasm) has not been there so far in our community,” said Rep. Robert Johnson of Natchez, the minority leader in the House. “He needs it to explode. It is not quite exploding yet.
“He is doing well. He is working hard. People need to understand how important this election is. I am not sure they do yet.”
When Espy announced his plans late last year to again challenge Hyde-Smith, he revealed the formula that he believed would guarantee a victory. That consisted of an increase in Black voter turnout by 3% from the 32.5% that he earned in the 2018 special election. Espy also seeks to increase his share of the white vote from the 2018 special election by 4% to 22%.
In that 2018 special election runoff, Espy garnered just under 47% of the vote against Hyde-Smith, who became the first woman elected from Mississippi to the U.S. Senate. Most national political forecasters rate the Mississippi Senate race as a safe Republican seat, though there is a recent poll indicating a 1% Hyde-Smith lead. Some, including the Hyde-Smith campaign, question the findings of that poll.
On the national MSNBC television show hosted by Lawrence O’Donnell last week, Espy said people around the nation might not realize Mississippi has the highest percent of African Americans in the nation at about 38%.
“So we have a lot to work with from the beginning,” said Espy, vying to be the first African American elected by popular vote to the Senate from Mississippi and the first African American to win statewide office since the 1800s. “All we have to do is build our coalition — just get out the Black voters like never before and get enough white votes in the suburbs, in the college towns or on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to build that coalition to do what we need to do and we are doing it.”
Espy believes his effort to drive up Black voter turnout will be helped by having Democrats Biden and Kamala Harris on the ballot. Harris is vying to become the first Black and Indian American woman elected to the office of vice president. Espy also said interest in the November election could be bolstered as Mississippi voters are being asked to approve or reject a replacement for the 126-year-old state flag that included the Confederate battle emblem in its design.
State Rep. Zakiya Summers, D-Jackson, said she agreed that multiple issues on the ballot this November could attract African American voters to the polls. She said those issues already are attracting voters in Hinds County, home of Jackson, the state’s capital city and home by substantial margin of the largest concentration of Black voters.
“There is a lot of excitement for the Nov. 3 election and I have seen that,” she said. “At the Hinds County Courthouse, daily, people are standing in line up to an hour or more to vote by absentee. “
Mississippi is one of the few states that does not have no excuse early voting or mail-in voting, but the elderly, people who are going to be away from their home on Election Day, the disabled and some impacted by the coronavirus can vote early.
“If they could vote tomorrow, they’d be rushing to the precincts even in the midst of grappling with a pandemic,” Summers said. “They are excited about being civically engaged. And they’re certainly excited about supporting Secretary Espy.”
Rogelio V. Solis, Associated Press
Sen. Sollie Norwood, D-Jackson
State Sen. Sollie Norwood, D-Jackson, added the surge in fundraising to the Espy campaign in recent months will provide the money to help with get out the vote efforts. Espy has said that the contributions he received in the 2018 election for the most part came in late, and his campaign was not able to plan in an effective manner how to spend the funds.
“The timeline that he had to prepare and to run last time was difficult,” Norwood said. “Actually, I don’t think Mike ever stopped running, you know, physically and mentally. I think he kept running, which is a good thing, his contacts in the community.”
While the COVID-19 pandemic has limited Espy’s ability to campaign, he has been engaged in more events in recent weeks. His campaign normally holds the events outdoors and mandates social distancing and mask wearing. The campaign has distributed personal protection equipment to members of the community in various areas of the state.
State Sen. Tammy Witherspoon, D-Magnolia, said such an effort was effective at the Pleasant Grove East McComb Baptist Church in her district.
“I think his support is picking up as it gets closer to Election Day,” Witherspoon said.
At a similar event in Greenwood, Espy was accompanied by veteran Sen. David Jordan, who is active in the influential Greenwood Voters League.
Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press
State Sen. Angela Turner Ford, D-West Point
Sen. Angela Turner Ford, D-West Point, chair of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus, said Espy also was effective at an event in her hometown that she attended. But she said the caucus has not officially endorsed Espy.
“Many individual members have endorsed him,” said Turner Ford. “In terms of a group, we have not endorsed candidates — at least during my years as chair we have not.”
Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
Gov. Tate Reeves votes at Liberty Baptist Church during the GOP runoff elections in August 2019.
In Mississippi, those entering a school, a Wendy’s or a Walmart must wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But those entering packed polling places don’t have to don one.
“This is absolute insanity,” said Dr. Claude Earl Fox III, a Mississippi native and former head of public health in Alabama. “What’s to be gained by a no-mask requirement on Election Day?”
Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson says masks can’t be mandated at the polls this November because it’s a federal election.
Assistant Secretary of State Kendra James explained that while their office recommends wearing masks, “the governor, nor anyone else, may impose requirements on voting. No entity other than Congress, the Mississippi Legislature or a validly enacted constitutional amendment may place requirements, such as wearing a mask, on voters.”
That hasn’t stopped some governors from stepping in. Minnesota’s governor ordered voters to wear masks to polling precincts.
Some groups challenged that mandate, saying that wearing a mask violates the First Amendment, but a federal judge dismissed the challenge, saying, “There is no question that Minnesota has the constitutional authority to enact measures to protect the health and safety of its citizens.”
ABC News contacted all 50 states about their mask requirements on Election Day. Of the 39 that responded, 33 plan to require masks or strongly recommend them. Of those that didn’t respond, seven have a mask mandate in place.
In Mississippi, state Rep. Jeramey Anderson, D-Escatawpa, introduced a bill that failed to pass that would have required all voters to wear a mask in and around polling places.
“Voters who aren’t wearing masks could put public health at risk during the coming presidential election and elections following,” Anderson wrote.
Hinds County is requiring voters to wear masks on Election Day.
“We will be providing masks to people that do not have them,” said Hinds County Circuit Clerk Zack Wallace. “We don’t want to turn anyone down for voting.”
People can’t be denied the right to vote, Wallace said, but when it comes to masks, they have to wear them as a matter of public health and safety. Failing to do so, Wallace said, “is not taking care of people.”
On Aug. 4, Gov. Tate Reeves put in place a mask mandate for all citizens. Last week, he became the first governor to rescind that mandate.
“Public and private social gatherings and recreational activities shall be limited to groups of no more than 20 people in a single indoor space or groups of no more than 100 people in an outdoor space where individuals not in the same household are in close proximity (less than 6 feet) to each other,” his Sept. 30 order says.
He did not, however, apply this restriction to voting precincts.
Spokesman Parker Briden said Tuesday that Reeves “strongly encourages mask usage and believes that Mississippians should wear one when they go to the polls and vote.”
In a press conference on Friday, Watson said, “We need to make sure Mississippians feel safe and comfortable in going to the polls on Nov. 3.”
His office is delivering more than $500,000 worth of COVID-19 safety supplies, including hand sanitizer, gloves and masks, to circuit clerks across the state.
He said these steps ensure polling places are safe for the public, for staff and for poll workers.
But some poll workers aren’t convinced.
Ardell Hinton, a 65-year-old retiree in Ridgeland, was excited to begin training as a poll worker, but when she found out that Mississippi officials would not require voters to wear masks, she quit.
“I’m not willing to sit there for 10 or 12 hours and risk my life for that,” she said. “That’s why I backed out.”
Failure to require masks makes no sense, Hinton said. “It’s the attitude of some people saying, ‘You can’t tell me what to do.’ What happened to the idea we could sacrifice for each other? We’ve lost too many lives.”
For their part, health officials are urging voters to wear masks when they go to vote.
“No matter the activity, all possible steps should be taken to lessen the chance a virus could be transmitted between people who are in close proximity, especially when indoors,” said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and dean of the School of Medicine. “Wearing a mask, keeping surfaces sanitized, socially distancing and proper, frequent hand hygiene are all proven to be effective ways to curb virus spread and should continue to be a part of our daily lives until active transmission is no longer a concern.”
Advice from health officials continues to evolve as more is learned about this strain of the coronavirus.
Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now say “there is evidence that under certain conditions, people with COVID-19 seem to have infected others who were more than 6 feet away.”
Fox, the former head of public health in Alabama, said with Mississippi suffering such high rates for high-risk factors for COVID-19 (diabetes, hypertension and obesity), requiring masks should be a no-brainer.
“This is a deadly disease, and it’s very indiscriminate,” Fox said. “Some will hardly suffer from it; for others, it’s going to kill them.”
Wearing a mask “has gotten politicized, which is unfortunate,” he said. “We take vaccinations, not just to protect ourselves, but to protect others. You shouldn’t have the right to endanger the lives of other people.”
Jerry Mitchell is an investigative reporter for the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, a nonprofit news organization that is exposing wrongdoing, educating and empowering Mississippians, and raising up the next generation of investigative reporters. Sign up for MCIR’s newsletters here.
I plan on voting even if I have to wear a moonsuit. But it’s a shame that during a pandemic that has taken so many lives, that there couldn’t have been ways for people who are more at threat to COVID-19 to vote safely.
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