Tippah County News Today, Sept. 26: Drought, Marching Classic, Fall Sports
Saturday in Tippah County comes with a dry wind and a full schedule: the county burn ban stays in effect as drought conditions deepen, North Tippah and Ripley band students take the field in Corinth for a marching competition, area teams keep grinding through a busy fall sports stretch, and folks are already circling the calendar for deer season and the return of First Monday Trade Day. Here’s what’s shaping the day and the week ahead.
Drought Tightens Its Grip, Burn Ban Stays in Effect
The burn ban covering Tippah County remains in full force, and it isn’t close to lifting. The county’s ban took effect Sept. 18 and is currently set to run through Oct. 18, while neighboring Benton County has been under its own ban since Sept. 8. Both appear in red on the Mississippi Forestry Commission’s latest statewide map, alongside 14 other counties. For the full rundown on what’s covered, from campfires and burn barrels to field burning, see Tippah, Benton Burn Bans Stay in Place as Drought Deepens.
The numbers behind the order are stark: Tippah County has received roughly 4.11 inches less rain than normal since August, and the entire county’s population is now considered to be living in severe drought conditions. The National Weather Service in Memphis isn’t offering much relief either, calling for continued dry weather into early next week with highs in the 80s and humidity dropping as low as 25 to 30 percent. There’s a chance rain returns as early as Wednesday, but forecasters say they don’t have much confidence in that timing yet. Propane, gas and charcoal grills are still fine to use when watched closely, and certified burn managers can apply for exemptions — but an open flame that throws embers, including yard debris piles, is a misdemeanor here right now, with fines running $100 to $500.
North Tippah, Ripley Bands Head to Corinth Today
It’s a band day for two of the county’s schools. North Tippah High School is scheduled to open the Crossroads Marching Classic at 3 p.m. today at Warrior Stadium on the Corinth High School campus, with Ripley also on the performance lineup. The competition draws bands from across north Mississippi and west Tennessee and wraps with an exhibition set from the Northeast Mississippi Community College band before awards are handed out this evening. It’s put on as a fundraiser for Corinth’s band program, and families with questions can reach Corinth High School at 662-286-1000.
A Full Weekend for Tippah County Fall Sports
Volleyball keeps rolling for Walnut, which beat Hatley 3-1 Thursday to push its record to 23-4 overall and a perfect 7-0 in Class 2A Region 1 play — still unbeaten in region with the postseason approaching. It was a tougher night for Falkner, which fell to Wheeler in three sets and sits at 7-13 overall, 5-3 in district. Full detail on both matches, plus Pine Grove’s fifth straight win, is in the Tippah County sports roundup for Sept. 25.
On the cross country course, Walnut’s boys placed seventh as a team at the Topper Trails Classic, a 23-team field, with runner James McConnell finishing seventh individually in 18:06 over 5K. Blue Mountain and Pine Grove also had runners in the field. In golf, Falkner’s Preston Jackson shot 44 over nine holes at Booneville to place 11th.
At the college level, Blue Mountain Christian University volleyball dropped a Southern States Athletic Conference road match to Loyola, falling in straight sets, according to Tippah Sports‘s coverage of the match.
Looking Ahead: Deer Season and First Monday
Hunters in Tippah and Benton counties can start planning: archery deer season in the North Central management unit opens Thursday, Oct. 1, and runs through Nov. 20. Hunters are allowed up to four antlered bucks and ten antlerless deer for the season, with no antler restrictions in this unit. Squirrel season also opens Oct. 1, and rabbit season follows on Oct. 17. Full regulations, including chronic wasting disease carcass rules specific to Tippah County, are covered in Mississippi Archery Deer Season Opens Oct. 1 in Tippah, Benton.
And mark the calendar for the first weekend of October: Ripley’s First Monday Trade Day returns Oct. 3-4, with hours running 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the grounds on Highway 15 South. Billed as the largest flea market in Mississippi and running continuously since 1893, the market spans more than 50 acres of vendors selling everything from antiques and handmade crafts to fresh produce. Organizers suggest arriving early, bringing cash and wearing comfortable shoes — details are in the First Monday preview.
That’s the day and the week ahead for Tippah County. For continuing coverage, visit the Tippah County News and Ripley News category pages.
