Erica Jones, president of the Mississippi Association of Educators, joins Mississippi Today reporters Kayleigh Skinner and Adam Ganucheau to discuss Gov. Tate Reeves’ decision to close schools for the remainder of the year.
The post Ep. 102: ‘The decision should have come earlier’: Teachers react to governor’s school closure announcement appeared first on Mississippi Today.
Good Monday morning everyone! Temperatures are mild at 6 am and in the low to mid 50s across the area. We can expect sunny skies today with a high near 74 and north winds 5-10 mph. Tonight will remain mosty clear with a low around 52. Weak high pressure will move though keeping us dry through Wednesday with more seasonable temperatures in the 70s. It will be a great day to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine!
Our nerves can’t take much more.
The post Marshall Ramsey: The Forecast appeared first on Mississippi Today.
Wiki Commons
If Mississippians aren’t driving, they are not buying as much gasoline, resulting in a reduction in revenue from the tax on gasoline.
It is too early to see actual data, but it is highly likely that among the many negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the tragic loss of life, will be to Mississippi’s highways and bridges.
The primary source of revenue for Mississippi’s Department of Transportation is the state’s 18.4-cent per gallon tax on motor fuels, primarily gasoline.
With the state under a shelter-in-place order, it is logical to assume Mississippians are not driving as much. And if folks are not driving, they are not buying as much gasoline, resulting in a reduction in revenue from the tax on gasoline.
Bobby Harrison
If people are not driving as much, it also could be logical to assume damage is not being done to the state’s infrastructure system. But many argue that the roads and bridges already were in a deteriorated condition that a lack of use cannot fix. Besides, the large semi-trucks that do the most damage thankfully are continuing to travel up and down the roads, delivering much needed supplies, such as food and presumably toilet tissue, though, it is often hard to prove toilet paper has been delivered by looking at the store shelves.
The gasoline tax generated $305.5 million in revenue for the Department of Transportation during the past 2019 fiscal year. Collections from the motor fuel tax for the current 2020 fiscal year were slightly outpacing last year’s collections before COVID-19 ground much of the activity in the state to a halt. It is safe to assume that until the coronavirus is contained that travel will be diminished.
It should not be a surprise that COVID-19 is impacting the transportation system just as it is tragically impacting nearly every aspect of life.
“Like all of us, the Mississippi Department of Transportation is facing uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Melinda McGrath, executive director of the agency. “With residents sheltering in place to slow the spread, there is less demand for fuel. As a result, we anticipate fuel tax receipts to be decreased in the coming months. However, ongoing highway projects will continue as planned, and MDOT will continue to make efficient use of the resources available.”
For about a decade there have been ongoing debates on how to provide additional funds for transportation – on both the state and local levels. On the state level, the Department of Transportation has said it needs an additional $400 million annually to keep up with repair and maintenance needs.
A recent report said the state has about 30,000 miles of highway and that about 11,000 are in need of repair and the state has about 5,700 bridges with about 900 under restrictions that hinder commercial traffic.
The 18.4-cent per gallon gasoline tax is the nation’s third lowest.
Before the pandemic hit, Transportation Department officials said the tax was generating essentially the same amount of money as it did when it was enacted in 1987.
In the meantime, not counting the current COVID-19 exception, the amount of travel has doubled on state-maintained roadways and the cost of construction has tripled. The cost of materials for highway maintenance and construction has increased 463 percent since the gasoline tax was enacted in 1987, according to Department of Transportation statistics.
The state’s political leadership, opposed to increasing the gasoline tax, approved other sources of revenue for the Department of Transportation during a 2018 special session – by enacting a lottery with the first $80 million of revenue going to state infrastructure needs. In addition, revenue from sports betting – most likely less than $10 million annually – was diverted to transportation.
During the economic slowdown, lottery revenue has dropped significantly. Sports betting is non-existent since there are not sports to bet on and, besides, the casinos where those bets legally could be made also are closed.
Fix MS Roads, a statewide group led by road builders, asphalt companies and others, argue that legislators should reconsider raising the gasoline tax while the price per gallon is currently the lowest it has been in decades.
“The lower cost of gas would make an increase to the gas tax less of a burden on Mississippi drivers, but would go a long way to ensure that our state is prepared to respond to the needs of our residents,” Fix MS Roads said in a news release.
Despite those low gas prices, it is unlikely that legislators and Gov. Tate Reeves would consider raising taxes during the ongoing recession.
Many Republicans oppose any effort to raise taxes. Many Democrats argue they would not favor raising taxes on gasoline, an increase that would have a greater impact on low income Mississippians, after more than $700 million in tax cuts passed in recent years are being phased in with the bulk going to large corporations.
They argue those corporate tax cuts should be reversed.
The post Like everything else, state’s transportation system likely to suffer due to COVID-19 appeared first on Mississippi Today.
Good Sunday morning everyone! Temperatures are in the lower to mid 50s at 4am with rain across much of the area. Showers and thunderstorms will stick around for most of today and tonight with a high near 70. The severe weather should stay to the south. The level 1 out of 5 risk is generally from Monroe County westward to Grenada County. Areas in central and south Mississippi could see some significant severe weather, including tornadoes today. Showers and thunderstorms will continue tonight with a low around 54. Be sure to grab the umbrella if you will be heading out the door this morning and have a pleasant day ahead!
Easter 2020 was unlike any Easter I have ever experienced. It was the first time in 60 years I was not seated in a church pew. It was the first time in many years I have not bought and worn new spring attire. It was the first time in 13 years our grandchildren were not sitting in church with us. It was the first time I was not seated at a table brimming with a feast and my family members. Weeks before this most Holy of holidays, it was not really well with my soul. I had always relished this time of being surrounded by family, and going to church. And truthfully? I did not know if I could bear the absence of it all.
Though this year was not a lot of what I had always experienced, it became something I needed. In years past, the bulk of my Easter festivities transpired mostly on Easter Sunday, but not this year. This year, I spent seven full days in steady prayer and preparation, celebrating the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord; not just one single day.
My Monday began by watching our church’s daily devotionals; they were all so wonderful and inspiring. Then, one devotional led to another, and another, and another; I suppose I must have watched six or seven different services on this day!
We Zoomed our Wednesday night Bible Study and it was so refreshing to see our church family face to face.
Thursday brought with it continued devotionals, and Friday, many of our local pastors teamed up and supplied us with studies on last seven words of Jesus. These lasted, on and off, most of the day.
On Silent Saturday, our church held an online, candlelight vigil which was both beautiful and meaningful.
Then, on Super Sunday, the day our Lord rose from the grave, our church had three services, all of which I watched with much anticipation and joy.
Later in the day, Andrea Bocelli gave a concert, Music for Hope, Live from Duomo di Milano on YouTube. The scenery and song were absolutely breath-taking.
What a gift to have a church that cares and watches for their flock as closely as ours does. How glad I am we have technology that makes it possible to continue our worship outside of our beloved church house. How delighted I am that not just our church, but so many hundreds of others, have mastered the art of online worship. How grateful I am that I am able to spend so many hours hearing the scriptures and watching services from other denominations.
I phoned my sweet mama early Sunday morning to wish her a Happy Easter. When I asked what she was doing, she answered, “I’m just sitting in my room all by myself.”
She quickly followed that statement with, “No, that’s not true. The Lord is sitting here beside me.”
That’s just one of the many, many reasons I love her so much. No matter what the situation is, I know she has such a closeness with the Lord, she is never alone, nor is she afraid. She, at 96 years of age, continues to inspire me and strengthen my own walk.
Throughout the day I was blessed to speak with each of my siblings, and I received multiple texts, family Easter pictures and projects, and glorious photos and videos of both my sister’s beautiful yards, which were blooming wildly with a fresh array of seasonal flowers.
The grandchildren and I Facetimed, and though it was not the same as having them in our home, it was surely a welcomed and beloved time. Later in the morning, the weather became quite dicey. Hail, tornadoes, and heavy rains were running rampant throughout the entire state. In the midst of all of this, my granddaughter sent me a text and a blurry photo of her wearing a bicycle helmet. I could tell it had been taken from inside her closet.
Her text read, “The tornado sirens are going off. Pray for us.”
I quickly texted her the reply, “Do not worry. I have been praying over both you and the weather since yesterday. You are covered by Him. All will be well.”
And praise be to God, all was well for my entire family. I love so much that my grandchildren never hesitate to ask me to pray for them. I love that they know and have a closeness with God, that they know prayer works, and that know without any doubt, God answers them. I am also thankful they are aware that this grandmother prays over them without fail, over every detail of their lives, each and every day and night. That, my friends, has made a bond between us that can never be broken. How blessed I am, indeed!
No, Easter 2020 did not turn out as I planned many months ago, but for me, it actually turned out better.
It was a time of solitude, yes, but it was also a time of much needed worship; deep worship. I shed tears of sadness, of gratitude, and of joy. I sang hymns along with those I listened to and watched on the television and Internet, and as I sat alone strumming my ukulele, and more importantly, while on the telephone with my sweet mama. I focused more on Christ and his sacrifice during this week of stillness. I talked to Him more often. I listened for His voice, and in many, many ways, I heard it more clearly than I ever have.
It was a week of learning and of love. It was the Easter I needed. It was the time I needed.
And I pray that it was the time you needed as well.
In retrospect, Easter 2020 ended up being…VERY well with my soul. I hope it was with yours too.
Love y’all.
Be safe and social distance.
Wash your hands and wear your masks.
Keep the faith.
Be joyous.
TUPELO- Ever since Mississippi’s governor issued a shelter-in-place order earlier this month, most of the state’s residents have made themselves scarce, staying home in quarantine and only leaving when absolutely necessary. That’s why when no one saw Deidra “De De” Moorhead for over a week, nothing seemed out of place.
”We just thought she’d hunkered down like the rest of us,” says friend Paula Briggs. “But when she missed her second straight Zoom happy hour with the girlfriends, we knew something wasn’t kosher. De De don’t miss happy hour.”
Police were sent to Moorehead’s home for a wellness check, where they heard a muffled cry for help. Upon entering the house they found Moorhead alive, albeit weak, penned under a mountain of stale homemade bread.
“Everyone on Facebook was posting pictures of their quarantine bread they made, so I thought I’d try it to stave off the boredom of social isolation, says Moorhead, “but I kept on getting bored so I just kept on baking more bread. I don’t eat carbs, and I couldn’t give it to anyone cause we’re supposed to stay away from people, so it just piled up. I guess I let it get out of hand.”
Police say she’s lucky to be alive.
”I didn’t eat for three days, but the longer I laid there beneath the crushing weight of my own sourdough, the weaker I got. I eventually had to break my no-eating-carbs rule since that was all I had access to. When I got thirsty I managed to throw a roll and knock over a bottle of wine I had sitting on the counter that I had been saving for Zoom happy hour. I may not eat carbs, but I sure will drink them. The police came at the right time because Mama is out of wine!.”
Moorhead did say that one positive thing came out of the incident.
”I couldn’t call for help because my phone was too far away. I was filming a Tik Tok dance on it when I accidentally knocked the bread mountain off onto me. So I got the whole thing on Tik Tok. I’m going to go viral! Follow me @FineWine79!”
Hey hey! Thank y’all for tuning in tonight!🖤 And a HUGE thank you to City of Tupelo – Mayor’s Office for supporting local musicians! Share this live & make sure to put in those requests😊 WE MISS YOU and are ready to give y’all a giant hug. Until then, enjoy the show🤘🏼 Tipping info:
Venmo – @Hannah-Roye-1
PayPal – https://www.paypal.me/hannahgraceroye
Ellen Wright Clayton, Vanderbilt University
Will SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, fade away on its own this summer?
After all, other viruses – including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes bronchiolitis in little children – are mostly seen in the winter.
The National Academies’ Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats recently addressed the question of whether SARS-CoV-2 will follow the same pattern. The group of experts corralled the research that’s been done so far – much of it not yet peer-reviewed – to assess the evidence.
While there is some reason to hope that things may get better as the weather warms up, there is plenty of reason for the U.S. to keep its guard up.
Although the U.S. is early in the course of the pandemic, there is evidence from other countries that SARS-CoV-2 spreads more rapidly in cold, dry weather.
One preprint study of 30 Chinese provinces showed that the number of COVID-19 cases went down by between 36% and 57% for every 1.8 degree Fahrenheit increase in temperature. When temperatures held steady in the low 40s F, the number of cases went down between 11% and 22% with each 1% increase in relative humidity (how much water is in the air).
A larger preprint study looking at 310 regions in 116 countries found that 11% more cases were reported when the temperature went down 9 degrees, the relative humidity went down 10% and when the wind speed went up.
Laboratory research also suggest that the virus survives longer in cold conditions. One study showed that SARS-CoV-2 lasts for 14 days at 40 F in lab media but is gone after one day at 98.6 F.
These and other studies suggest that warm, humid weather may slow the spread of this virus, although not all commentators agree.
New research on this topic appears almost daily, and scientists are watching to see what happens as summer comes to the Northern Hemisphere.
COVID-19 is already spreading in many parts of the world where it’s hot, including Australia and South America, demonstrating that high temperatures are not enough to stop the disease.
The most important reason to be concerned about ongoing spread is the fact that this is a brand new virus for humans, so almost everyone is susceptible to being infected.
In fact, weather actually appears to play a minor role in the rate at which this virus spreads.
Other influences on infection rates include individual behaviors, cultural practices, geography, income and living conditions. Public health practices such as social distancing, the intensity of testing for infection, contact tracing, quarantine of people who are exposed and isolation of people who are actually infected also play a big role in how the coronavirus spreads.
The news from other viral diseases is not encouraging either. The two most serious coronavirus diseases that are closely related to COVID-19, the first SARS outbreak and MERS, did not vary with the seasons after they emerged. In fact, MERS is still found year-round in the Middle East, where it is hot and dry. Pandemic influenza infections have emerged at different times of the year as well.
The long-term solution to SARS-CoV-2 will be to develop a safe and effective vaccine. This work is proceeding at unprecedented speed, but it will still take anywhere from months to a few years and will require trials involving thousands of people and massive international leadership and collaboration.
Until there’s a vaccine, prevention will require avoiding exposure to people who can spread the virus. Communities need to test people to find out who is contagious and engage in serious contact tracing, quarantine and isolation. Scientists need to learn more about how to determine if someone is immune and how long immunity lasts, a big open question at the moment. As individuals, each of us will need to follow expert scientific advice about good hygiene practices and distancing.
SARS-CoV-2 is likely to keep circulating until the human population has widespread immunity, which hopefully will come not from an unchecked pandemic but from developing and deploying a safe and effective vaccine.
[You’re too busy to read everything. We get it. That’s why we’ve got a weekly newsletter. Sign up for good Sunday reading. ]Ellen Wright Clayton, Professor of Pediatrics and Law and Health Policy, Vanderbilt University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Forklift @ 1103 West Jackson street, Tupelo, MS.
I’ve been following the evolution of David Leathers’ vision since it was first mentioned a while back. During its progression, it’s original name and architectural design has changed, but not the vision. To offer award winning food at great prices, while paying homage to his local roots in Itawamba County.
Among their offerings are Southern inspired dishes using in house cured & smoked meats, homemade goods and other locally sourced products.
When I first arrived, I began noticing details among the interior design that projected innovation and a sense of local community. Unique lighting, homemade goods lining the walls, a clear view of the kitchen, a community table for large groups, and outdoor patio seating.
They have a simple lunch menu with a special twist on some old favorites. My first picks were Bruschetta, Flat Biscuit & Meatloaf, and Ice Cream Sandwich.
The Bruschetta as an appetizer was a great introduction. It is listed as a daily special so toppings may vary. Today’s selection consisted of smoked beef, homemade jam, and crumbled cheese. The tartness of the cheese, sweet jam, and slight smoky flavor and texture of the beef made a tasty combination.
My main course, or biggie as its called, was the Flat Biscuit & Meatloaf. I was told this was their most popular selection, and I discovered why. They have took a classic comfort food and added their own Southern inspired twist! A firm hunk of meatloaf placed on a flatbread biscuit, smothered in a rich tomato gravy, then covered in grilled onions. The combination is unmistakably unique and takes comfort food to new extremes!
Last but not least was a sweet treat for desert. A double chocolate cookie ice cream sandwich. Today’s ice cream was a mix of cream cheese, chocolate, and pistachio. Let me say, if I just had a bucket of this ice cream, I’d be one happy camper! The sandwich comes with a spoon, so you have options. You can go old school, grab it with both hands, and eat like no one’s watching. Or go cookie in one hand and spoon in the other. Just do what makes you happy.
Folks, As I was driving back home, I thought what great cultural experiences our community has had through the years and still does. From the birth place of Elvis to crosstown alone is jam packed with art, entertainment, and some of the best local eats around!
Forklift was brought to fruition by the labor of local artisans, and community involvement. From raising the walls to stocking their shelves.
And as I keep looking for new experiences to write about, my wonderful community of friends and unique eateries continues to expand thanks to David Leathers and Forklift Restaurant.
