Mississippi News Report — Monday, Sep 28: SEC Nation, JSU Ranked
Good evening, Mississippi. All eyes turn to Starkville: SEC Nation is coming back to town this weekend for No. 16 Mississippi State’s top-20 showdown with No. 7 Alabama. Also tonight: Jackson State cracked the national Top 25 in two polls after its 4-0 start, Jackson police Chief RaShall Brackney gave an update on the Tasia Fortune homicide case, traffic was rerouted through Batesville after an I-55 wreck at Sardis, and the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office reported two arrests in Oxford. Here is your Monday evening roundup.
Top Stories
SEC Nation Returns to Starkville for No. 16 Mississippi State vs. No. 7 Alabama
STARKVILLE, Miss. — SEC Network’s traveling pregame show, SEC Nation, returns to Starkville on Saturday, Oct. 3, for the top-20 SEC showdown between No. 16 Mississippi State and No. 7 Alabama. The show airs live from the Junction from 8–11 a.m. Central Time in its 13th season, with hosts and analysts Matt Barrie, Chase Daniel, Paul Finebaum, Roman Harper, Tim Tebow and Marion Crowder. The weekend also brings Marty & McGee (11–11:45 a.m.), a live #FinebaumFriday broadcast (2–6 p.m.), a HARDY concert at Humphrey Coliseum on Friday night, and MSU soccer hosting No. 17 South Carolina. Read the full story at Mississippi Sports Group.
Jackson State Cracks Two National Top 25 Polls After 4-0 Start
WACO, Texas — Jackson State cracked the AFCA Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 23 and debuted at No. 25 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 after Saturday’s 35-17 win over Southern in the SWAC opener. The Tigers, 4-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play, received votes last week before moving into both polls. They travel to Mobile, Alabama, on Saturday to face Alabama A&M in the Gulf Coast Challenge at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Read the AFCA story and the FCS story at Mississippi Sports Group.
Chief Brackney Gives Update on Tasia Fortune Homicide Case
Chief RaShall Brackney gave an update on the Tasia Fortune homicide case, Mississippi News Group reported Monday. Details of the chief’s update are in the full report. Read the full update at Mississippi News Group.
Corinth Mayoral Race: Absentee Voting Steady Before Oct. 13 Election
The Corinth mayoral race is about two weeks from election day, and absentee voting at Corinth City Hall has moved at a steady pace — 107 absentee ballots had been cast by early Friday afternoon, Sept. 25, according to the Daily Corinthian. Four candidates are running: incumbent mayor Ralph Dance (Republican), Nestly Gates (Democrat), former mayor Tommy Irwin (independent) and Taylor Coombs Moak (independent). Polls for the Tuesday, Oct. 13 municipal general election will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and voters must bring an acceptable photo ID. Read the full story at Alcorn News MS.
Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office Reports Two Arrests
The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office reported two arrests in a Facebook post: one person was arrested for possession of child pornography and another for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The reported charges are allegations; defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Read the full story at Oxford MS News.
Regional
Traffic Rerouted Through Batesville After I-55 Wreck at Sardis
Traffic was rerouted through Batesville on Monday after a wreck on I-55 at Sardis, DeSoto County News reported. Northbound traffic took Exit 234 to Hwy. 51 while the scene was cleared. Read the full story at DeSoto County News.
Corinth High Senior Named National Merit Semifinalist
Corinth High School senior Thomas Senf has been named a semifinalist in the 72nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program, placing him among roughly 16,000 seniors nationwide still in the running for about 6,700 scholarships worth nearly $24 million. Senf scored a 35 on the ACT, holds a 4.35 GPA and is ranked No. 1 in his class. He is also an Eagle Scout, FBLA national qualifier and clarinet section leader in the CHS Band, and plans to major in biology on a pre-medicine track. Read the full story at Alcorn News MS.
Sports
No. 16 Mississippi State Previews No. 7 Alabama Ahead of Saturday Showdown
The No. 16 Mississippi State Bulldogs are gearing up for Saturday’s top-20 SEC showdown against No. 7 Alabama. Head coach Jeff Lebby and players including wide receiver Anthony Evans III, tight end Sam West, safety Jardin Gilbert and cornerback Jett Jefferson spoke Monday about their preparation and mindset for the matchup, which SEC Nation will return to Starkville to cover. Read the full story at Mississippi Sports Group.
That’s your Mississippi News Report for Monday, September 28. Catch the morning edition tomorrow at 7 a.m.
