Share

cover art for 10/21/20 - Federal Ruling on Rejected Ballots | State Fair Extended | Severe Weather Season

Mississippi Edition

10/21/20 - Federal Ruling on Rejected Ballots | State Fair Extended | Severe Weather Season

**This episode was produced during Fall Drive and is shorter to provide time on air for drive. Participate in our Fall Drive by visiting mpbonline.org**

A federal ruling allows Mississippi voters to correct rejected absentee ballots.

Then, at the urging of vendors, the commissioner of agriculture extends the state fair.

Plus, since 1950 more strong tornados have occurred in November than any other month except May. We examine what causes Mississippi’s severe fall weather.

Segment 1:

A federal judge's ruling is instructing the Mississippi Secretary of State's office to allow voters the chance to correct rejected absentee ballots. The provision, which is a result of a federal lawsuit brought by voting rights organizations to expand absentee voting in the state, says ballots rejected due to signature problems will be eligible for correction. Christy Wheeler is with the League of Women Voters of Mississippi, one of the plaintiffs in the suit. She tells our Desare Frazier this ruling doesn't account for the missed opportunities to expand absentee voting.

Segment 2:

The Mississippi State Fair was scheduled to end Sunday. But after conversations with fair vendors, Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson is extending the event. The fair's first weekend was significantly affected by Hurricane Delta - shortening operating hours and driving attendance down. The coronavirus pandemic also presented challenges with capacity limits and social distance monitoring. Gipson tells our Kobee Vance he hopes the combination of favorable weather and eager vendors will make for a successful extended weekend.

Segment 3:

The forecast calls for sunny skies, but residents across the state will be hearing the sounds of tornado sirens this morning. The alarm is part of a statewide tornado drill happening in observance of Fall Severe Weather Preparedness Week. Since 1950, November has experienced more strong tornadoes than any other month besides May. Meteorologist John Moore is with the National Weather Service in Jackson. He says severe weather occurs when cooler air from the north overtakes warmer air masses in the south. 

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 03/27/2024: Black Voters Rally | Water Billing Tech | Women in Civil Rights

    23:33
    Lawmakers and several advocacy groups are calling on the legislature to pass bills that can help the lives of Black Mississippians.Then, Tech companies promised Mississippi cities a solution for all their water bill problems – promises the cities were desperate to believe.Instead, a new investigation reveals how those companies exploited cities and played a large part in Jackson’s ongoing water crisis.Plus, experts are examining the many ways women contributed to the civil rights movement.
  • 03/26/2024: Supreme Court Abortion Drug | Jackson Water Billing | Wages and Healthcare for Black Women

    24:18
    The issue of abortion is back before the US Supreme Court today over a widely used drug for chemical abortions, and whether the FDA had the authority to make it more accessible.Then, Jackson’s water provider says everyone should pay what they owe. But residents say their new bills are still wrong.Plus, wages and healthcare access remain top priorities for the Mississippi Black Women's Round Table.
  • 03/25/2024: Silver City and Rolling Fork 1 year later | Medicaid | Coding Bootcamp

    24:06
    It's been 1 year since an EF4 tornado destroyed several towns in Northwest Mississippi, including Rolling Fork, Amory, and Silver City.Then, doctors continue to call on lawmakers to address the state's financial crisis in healthcare. They say Medicaid is a major part of the solution.Plus, black women in Mississippi are being encouraged to participate in a 'coding bootcamp' to prepare them for a possible future in tech.
  • 03/22/2024: Final Goon Squad Sentencing | Education Funding | Ant-Trans Legislation

    21:14
    The final two former Rankin County officers who call themselves the Goon Square are sentenced after brutalizing two black men last year.Then, lawmakers continue to disagree over how the state should fund public education.Plus, several bills moving through the legislature could re-define what rights are available to transgender Mississippians.
  • 03/21/2024: Day 2 Goon Squad Sentencing Dollar Stores PERS Hearing

    20:11
    The largest sentencing so far has been handed down to a former member of the Rankin County "Goon Squad".Then, some dollar stores are closing their doors across the nation, but Dollar General is expanding their operations.Plus, the Public Employees' Retirement System for Mississippi is strained for long-term viability, and the state legislature wants to understand why.
  • 03/20/2024: Down Syndrome | Goon Squad | History is Lunch Author

    21:19
    A coalition of advocacy groups for people with Down Syndrome met with lawmakers during their first advocacy day at the Capitol.Then, the first of the officers involved with the Rankin County Goon Squad are being sentenced in federal court this week. Plus, a new book gives a unique insight into the life of a volunteer during Freedom Summer.
  • 03/19/2024: PERS Board | Mississippi Sound | COVID-19 Anniversary

    20:37
    The Board of Mississippi's retirement system for public employees is pushing back against an attempt from lawmakers to replace them with political appointees.Then, Five years after an ecological disaster, residents of the Mississippi Coast want more say in how much floodwater is sent into the Mississippi Sound.Plus, it's been 4 years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The State Epidemiologist reflects on how far the state has come in that time.
  • 03/18/2024: Senate Ballot Initiative | Early Voting | The W Remains Independent

    21:49
    A vote this week could move the state one step closer to restoring the ballot initiative process. But votes in the Senate may be difficult to piece together.Then, some lawmakers want to create a process for early voting.Plus, many students and alumni of the Mississippi University for Women are saying thanks that a bill has died that would have merged the university with another.
  • 03/15/2024: Senate Medicaid Plans and Doctor Reactions | Re-Entry Rally

    22:46
    Senate lawmakers have killed their bill for expanding Medicaid benefits for Mississippi's working poor, but their plan isn't completely dead yet.Health leaders also weigh in on the state's lacking access for care.Plus, activists are calling on the legislature to make it easier for people leaving prison and re-entering society.