Today in Tippah County comes down to four things: a stretch of near-record heat that runs through Thursday, a burn ban that is still in force while the ground stays dry, a rough Friday night for Walnut and Ripley football, and nine local 4-H members showing livestock at the Mississippi State Fair.
Heat Builds Through Thursday
With the remnants of Isaias gone, the sun is back, and it is going to feel more like August than mid-October. Our Tippah County heat forecast, built on the National Weather Service in Memphis, has Ripley near 85 today, about 89 on Monday, 91 on Tuesday, 92 on Wednesday and 91 on Thursday. That is 10 to 15 degrees above normal. Memphis forecasters said potential record-breaking heat has returned to the Mid-South, and a weak disturbance on Wednesday is not expected to bring meaningful rain to most of the area.
Relief looks likely by Friday, when Ripley’s forecast high drops to about 83 with a low near 50 that night. A stronger system could bring a bigger cooldown into next weekend, though forecasters say the timing is uncertain. Until then, drink plenty of water at outdoor work, fall festivals and afternoon ball games, check on older neighbors and anyone without reliable air conditioning, and never leave children or pets in a parked vehicle.
Burn Ban Still in Effect
Tippah County supervisors have extended the burn ban through Oct. 18, and they are expected to decide on any further extension at their Oct. 15 meeting. The National Weather Service says winds should stay light, but humidity could dip below 40 percent on Monday. Please skip outdoor burning and be careful with anything that throws sparks. Our earlier coverage, Tippah County News Today for October 10, has more on how the weekend’s weather unfolded.
The drought is just as bad next door. Alcorn News reports that Corinth’s airport collected only 0.42 inch from Isaias, far short of the 1 to 2.5 inches forecast, and that wind gusts knocked out power to hundreds of customers in Glen, Corinth and parts of Tishomingo County. The paper also notes that all of Alcorn and Tishomingo counties were in severe drought as of the Oct. 6 U.S. Drought Monitor map, and that Alcorn County’s own burn ban is set to expire Monday, Oct. 12, with no word yet on an extension.
Friday Football: Walnut and Ripley Both Fall
It was a hard night on the gridiron. According to our Tippah County sports roundup, Biggersville beat Walnut 16-6 at Walnut. Sawyer Cardwell scored a late touchdown to make it 8-6 with 2:40 left, but the Wildcats missed the two-point try. Walnut is 3-4.
Ripley lost 32-15 at New Albany. The Tigers trailed 18-0 after three quarters before scoring all 15 of their points in the fourth, including a 20-yard touchdown pass from Kyran McDonald to Cohen Wright and McDonald’s two-point run. Ripley is 1-6 and 0-1 in district play, with its next three games against Byhalia, Rosa Fort and Senatobia. Tippah Sports also has its own write-up of the night.
Walnut gets a chance to reset Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. at home against Hamilton. It opens the Wildcats’ district schedule, the team will honor its seniors, and both teams are 3-4.
4-H Exhibitors Show in Jackson
Nine Tippah County 4-H members showed at the Mississippi State Fair on Saturday, according to the Tippah County 4-H Facebook page, which said they represented the county very well. Details are in our story on the Tippah County 4-H heifer and lamb exhibitors. Hailey Ivey, Lola Jones and Sarah Kate Childs showed commercial heifers, while Bella Alberson, Jenna Graves, Emily Mauney, Lorenzo Lopez, Laken Vick and Macie Wommack showed lambs. Jenna Graves also showed in the goat competition on Friday. No placings have been reported yet. The fair runs through Oct. 18, and families curious about 4-H can contact the Tippah County Extension Office in Ripley.
Around Northeast Mississippi
Corinth voters pick a mayor Tuesday, Oct. 13, according to Alcorn News. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the fire department bay at Corinth City Hall, 300 Childs Street, and only city residents with an acceptable photo ID can vote. Four candidates are on the ballot: incumbent Ralph Dance, Nestly Gates, Tommy Irwin and Taylor Coombs Moak.
Farther west, DeSoto County News has the Monday playoff schedule, with Center Hill and Lewisburg on the road and Northpoint awaiting a home quarterfinal.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
