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5/15/2020

5/15/20 - Small Business Relief | Nursing Homes | Gibbs-Green Revisited | GSN Round-table: Hurricane Prep

Mississippi businesses react to the grant program passed by the legislature.

And, what nursing homes are doing to fight high transmission rates.

Then, we hear from a survivor of the 1970 Green-Gibbs murders at Jackson State.

Plus a Gulf States Newsroom round table on hurricane preparedness.

Segment 1:

A $300 million dollar relief package for Mississippi small businesses is one step away from becoming a reality. The two-part program passed through the legislature Wednesday night and is awaiting the signature of Governor Tate Reeves. After a week-long clash with lawmakers over the power to appropriate CARES Act funds, state leaders settled down to address the growing concern of small business owners. During his daily press briefing yesterday Reeves addressed the bill and the relief that comes with it.

A Mississippi business organization says the grant program just passed by the legislature is needed to help small businesses recover from the pandemic. Dawn Starns is with the National Federation of Independent Businesses. She says some small businesses don’t have large cash reserves and operate on thin profit margins. Starnes tells our Desare Frazier, as owners work to reopen, the funds available through the program will help meet expenses.

Segment 2:

Mississippi’s long term care facilities are home to nearly half of the state’s COVID-19 related deaths. MPB’s Kobee Vance reports on what nursing homes are doing to slow the spread of disease and keep family members informed during the crisis.

Segment 3:

In May of 1970, Gailya Porter was a sophomore majoring in Sociology at what was then called Jackson State College. The campus was home to mounting racial tension. At the time, Lynch Street was a main thoroughfare that went through the campus, and Porter says students were routinely harassed by white motorists passing through. Some students started fires on campus in protest, after a false rumor spread of the death of civil rights activist Charles Evers. The National Guard was placed on standby and Jackson Police closed off entrances to the campus. It was just before midnight when highway patrol officers and Jackson police marched up Lynch Street, and at some point opened fire near Alexander Hall - where Gailya Porter lived. When the gunshots ended, two African-American men were dead at least a dozen others injured - including Porter. She shares part of her experience with our Ashley Norwood.

Segment 4:

Hurricane season starts June first. That’s nothing new for those who live along the Gulf Coast. What is new this year is the fact hurricane season is happening during the coronavirus pandemic. We hear about how emergency officials are preparing from reporters in the region. MPB's Evelina Burnett and Tegan Wendland of W-W-N-O in New Orleans join the discussion. Andrew Yeager of W-B-H-M in Birmingham kicks things off.

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9/18/2020

9/18/20 - Operation Pheonecia | AT&T Subpoenas | Student Leadership During COVID

A Mississippi U.S. Attorney announces a new campaign against domestic violence.Then, the Public Service Commission subpoenas telecom giant AT&T over questions regarding broadband expansion in the state.Plus, how student leaders at two of Mississippi's public universities are serving as liaisons between administration and the student body in the effort to keep campus safe during a pandemic.Segment 1:Families are staying home more during the coronavirus pandemic, and officials say this has led to a rise in domestic violence. In 2019, more than 10,000 calls were made to Mississippi law enforcement to report cases of domestic violence. U.S. Attorney of Mississippi's Southern District, Mike Hurst says domestic violence continues to be an area of concern that has risen during the coronavirus pandemic."Operation Pheonecia", which will work towards removing guns from the hands of abusers, is named after Pheonecia Ratliff of Canton, who was killed by her ex boyfriend after reporting him for domestic violence.Her mother, Suzanne Ratliff, offers advice to people facing domestic violence with our Kobee Vance.Segment 2:Major telecommunications conglomerate AT&T has agreed to provide the state of Mississippi records detailing how it used the almost $284 million it was paid by the federal government to expand internet access in the state. Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley said AT&T initially denied requests last week for records related to work it completed in the state to provide fixed wireless service access through the Connect America Fund.Earlier this week he spoke with our Desare Frazier, saying his office is charged with ensuring the work is done.Segment 3:A close eye is being turned to college campuses this fall as students are resuming in-person learning.College students usually exhibit a level of independence and freedom often not reserved for their K-12 peers, which has led to concerns from health officials over the potential for widespread community transmission of COVID-19 on university campuses.They worry the social element of college life could lead to behaviors and practices that could cause outbreaks. To combat this, university administrators are leaning on student leadership to develop and communicate safety plans. We talk to Sarah Helen Skelton of Mississippi State and Joshua Mannery of the University of Mississippi.

9/17/2020

9/17/20 - Flu Fighters | MADD 40th | Book Club: Ted Jackson

A coalition of health professionals are sending a united message to Mississippians to fight the flu.Then, Mothers Against Drunk Driving turns 40.We look back with their national President and discuss new initiatives the group is pursuing.Plus, in today’s book club … A remarkable story that began thirty years ago in Ted Jackson’s new book, “You Ought to Do A Story About Me.”Segment 1:A coalition of doctors and associations called 'Flu Fighters' is uniting to urge Mississippians to get their flu shot.Flu season begins in October, but doctors say now is the time to get a flu shot. Dr. Mark Horne, President of the Mississippi State Medical Association, tells our Kobee Vance viruses like the flu or coronavirus lower immunity to other illnesses, which could lead to severe outcomes for patients.Experts say that wearing masks and social distancing will help reduce transmission of the flu, but the virus still poses a serious risk because of the coronavirus.Dr. John Gaudet is President of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.He says young children and older adults are the most at risk for severe outcomes from the flu, and measures should be taken to avoid a "twindemic".Segment 2:Mothers Against Drunk Driving - more commonly known as MADD - is celebrating the 40th Anniversary of its founding.The organization has long-served to humanize the tragedies associated with impaired driving, and is releasing a new survey that measures the American public’s attitudes and knowledge about the impact of marijuana on traffic safety. According to the survey, one in eight U.S. adults admits to having driven under the influence of marijuana.President Helen Witty joins us to reflect on MADD's origins and how the group is facing the evolving issue of impaired driving.Segment 3:Ted Jackson has been a photojournalist with the New Orleans Times Picayune for the last 36 years.The Pulitzer Prize winner is a McComb native and alum of The University of Southern Mississippi.Thirty years ago he took a picture of a homeless man that led to a revelation, redemption and his new book, “You Ought to Do A Story About Me.”

9/16/2020

9/16/20 - Sally Comes Ashore | Jackson County EMA | Southern Remedy Health Minute | Mask Effectiveness

Sally comes ashore east of the Mississippi-Alabama state line. We examine the threats the storm still presents the coastal counties as it moves out.Then, Jackson county has been hammered with rain from Sally over the last 24 hours. We check in with their locale emergency manager.Plus, after a Southern Remedy Health Minute, state health officials weigh in on the effectiveness of masks.Segment 1:For days, Hurricane Sally has been threatening the Mississippi Coast as it churned in the waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico.Now, it appears that threat is over.Sally officially made landfall this morning near Gulf Shores, Alabama after strengthening overnight to a Category 2 storm with winds topping 100 miles per hour.But the slow pace of the storm could still require residents along the coast and in eastern Mississippi to be weather-aware.Segment 2:For the Mississippi Gulf Coast, hurricane season is a time of hyper-awareness and preparation.Jackson County in the southeastern corner of the state, was forecast to be hit by some of the most severe elements of Hurricane Sally when the state began preparing for the storm last weekend.But as the storm ticked east, the county was spared some from the worst.Still, as Emergency Services Director Earl Etheridge tells our Michael Guidry, the county was hit with winds strong enough to down trees and cause power outages.Segment 3:Southern Remedy Health MinuteSegment 4:Mississippians will be required to wear masks through the end of September following Governor Tate Reeves' decision to extended his pandemic-related executive order.The state has seen a downward trend in coronavirus cases since mandate was issued in August.State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers says mask-wearing could still be in integral part of fighting transmission even as vaccines are developed.State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs has long supported the wearing of masks.He says new studies are being conducted that examine micro-exposure - which could further prove the effectiveness of masks.