Mississippi Edition

Rankin County School District is seeking to end a 1967 court ruling that mandated desegregation in the area. District attorneys say the school system has made efforts for that cause, but others say more needs to be done.Then, mental health experts are seeking solutions to cut down on suicide rates in Mississippi.Plus, a new documentary airing this week on MPB Television recounts the life of Medgar Wylie-Evers, and how he helped advance the Civil Rights movement in the state.

Delta State University officials say the body of a student was found yesterday morning. Students are reportedly safe, but are being offered counseling services.Then, a city council member in Hernando plans to introduce a motion today to rename a city street after the conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk following his assassination in Utah last week.Plus, Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell is visiting with police and sheriffs' offices in all of the state's 82 counties.

Healthcare professionals from across Mississippi gather to discuss possible solutions to fighting the state's soaring infant mortality.Then, an award-winning educator is helping students think critically about how to draw more tourism to the state.Plus, a Delta Festival focused on developing a 10-year plan to bring economic prosperity to the region and the rest of the South.

Federal dollars were supposed to go to Jackson to assist with the city's water crisis. Civil Rights Attorneys are now arguing that those funds were wrongfully withheld by the state.Then, state lawmakers are considering policy changes that restore the right to vote for some convicted felons and fix the ballot initiative process.Plus, a former Mississippi mayor who was charged with conspiracy shares his new book about working in municipal government and finding redemption.

Alumni and supporters of Jackson State University are calling for a fair and transparent national search for the university's next leader.  Then, 24 years later, how has security in the homeland changed since 9/11?Plus, Books, books and more books!  The 11th annual Mississippi Book Festival is coming to town, and we'll tell you what you need to know.

On today's show:Mississippi legislators are hearing testimony about failing water systems across the state.What can be done to provide safe drinking water and proper oversight? Then, one of Mississippi’s top row crops continues to experience challenges. Heavy rains in the spring have resulted in lower yields of Cotton.Plus, how a book club in prisons can help inmates turn their lives around.

Educators say too many students are chronically absent from school. They're meeting to talk about methods to combat the problem.We return to North Gulfport, where some residents say they're still dealing with flooding 20 years after Hurricane Katrina, despite ongoing development.Plus, September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. A doctor is urging men not to wait for screenings because being proactive saves lives.

State regulators move to end local control of the Holly Springs Utility Department due to years of neglect, causing frequent, lengthy outages.Then, in one year job growth is down 75 percent across the nation. But an economist says Mississippi remains relatively flat.Plus, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina required a fast response to rebuild. But some minority communities say they were left out of important safety and environmental protections.

On today's show:Federal regulators are changing their stance on vaccines. Other states are removing their requirements on vaccines for children.Then, infant and matrnal mortality rates are extremely high, ranking Mississippi at the top of the list, especially for black birthing people and their families.Plus, emergency managers on the Gulf Coast reflect on facing the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina.