Local News

Tropical Storm Bertha is expected to make landfall in southeast Louisiana between Wednesday afternoon and evening, July 22, 2026, and could bring a 4-foot storm surge along the coast, MEMA said.

Six disaster service centers opened to help survivors of the May 6-7 storms and tornadoes in Mississippi, officials said. Centers offer help with FEMA applications, state and local resources and SBA disaster loans.

NEMCC said limited openings remain in its MI-BEST program, which helps eligible students earn a High School Equivalency while enrolling in career training and may cover tuition and supplies.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation’s Southern District said Ross Baker, assistant to Southern District Transportation Commissioner Charles Busby, acts as a key link between the agency and communities in nine counties and also volunteers with CASA of South Mississippi.

The National Weather Service in Memphis said a cold front will bring noticeably cooler air today, but heat indices could reach 105 degrees or higher in southern parts of the Mid‑South, prompting a Heat Advisory from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation said Tropical Storm Bertha could bring high winds, storm surge, flash flooding and power outages to the Gulf Coast starting Wednesday and lasting into Thursday.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation said southbound Interstate 55 at Exit 18 will be closed from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday, July 22, while crews repair a pavement buckle as part of a resurfacing project.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation said the I-55 northbound ramp to I-220 South (Exit 104) will be closed from midnight to 4 a.m. Wednesday, July 22, for permanent striping work on the bridge deck.

A review team said it has been identifying waste at several small Mississippi agencies, boards and commissions and plans more reviews.

Several supervisors from the Tupelo Police Department attended the 22nd Annual Mississippi Law Enforcement Command College at the University of Mississippi, the department said. The program was co-hosted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police.