Mississippi rundown: Road closures, Greenville plans and standout weekend wins
September 26 edition: Coverage through 4:45 p.m. CDT Saturday, published Sunday, September 27.
Road work in Jones County and Jackson, a proposal for Greenville's Historic Nelson Street and new crisis-response training for police lead this Mississippi news and sports rundown. On the sports side, Brandon needed two overtimes to beat Starkville, Poplarville ended a decades-long road drought against Picayune, and college teams delivered wins in soccer, volleyball and cross country.
Mississippi News
Road work affects U.S. 11 and Jackson-area I-20
A railroad crossing repair was scheduled to close both directions of U.S. 11 between Warehouse Drive and Sanderson Drive in Jones County from 7 a.m. Saturday, September 26, until 6 p.m. Sunday, September 27. Mississippi News Group's closure notice advises motorists to consider alternate routes and watch for workers.
In Jackson, a separate I-20 work notice describes overnight striping ahead of bridge repairs in the I-20/I-55 Freight Corridors Improvement Project. The announced work hours were 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., with rolling lane closures at Gallatin Street and on I-20 over Lynch Street and Wiggins Road. MDOT urged drivers to slow down and follow signs around the crews.
Greenville considers improvements along Historic Nelson Street
Greenville Mayor Errick D. Simmons and Mississippi Department of Transportation Central Commissioner Willie Simmons walked Historic Nelson Street to discuss a Transportation Alternatives Program grant and possible infrastructure improvements. The city's account, reported by Mississippi News Group, identifies sidewalks, pedestrian access, safety, connectivity and streetscape work as potential investments.
The mayor connected those improvements to the corridor's history of music, entrepreneurship and community life, as well as opportunities for businesses and tourism. The report provides no construction start date, completion schedule or project cost. The walk and grant discussion are the reported developments.
Officers complete training for mental health crisis calls
Twelve officers completed a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Team course in Meridian, including five from the Meridian Police Department. Mississippi News Group's report says the training covered clinical conditions, psychotic episodes, pharmacology and legal issues, alongside ways to recognize people in crisis and connect them with resources.
Lauderdale County Sheriff Ward Calhoun emphasized communication, trust and cooperation with mental health professionals and community organizations. Separately, four Horn Lake officers completed a 40-hour course hosted in Southaven. That course focused on communication and de-escalation during mental or behavioral health emergencies. The two reports describe separate training efforts serving different parts of the state.
Mississippi Sports
Brandon wins in double overtime; Poplarville makes road history
Brandon defeated Starkville 38-31 in double overtime, according to Mississippi News Group's result, which attributes the score to Blake Levine Sports Reporter.
Poplarville's 42-15 victory at Picayune carried a historical distinction: the report, also attributed to Levine, says it was Poplarville's first road win over Picayune since 1975. Elsewhere, Pontotoc stayed undefeated with a 35-7 win over New Albany, according to coverage attributed to Pontotoc Athletics.
Blue Mountain Christian wins both home cross-country titles
Blue Mountain Christian's women took the top five individual places at the Topper Trails College Classic for a perfect team score of 15. Sports Mississippi's women's report lists Ella Shepherd as the winner in 20:26.6, followed by Kaedyn Wilson, Lauren Paul, Ruth Hutchinson and Jorja Kate Mooneyhan. Delta State finished second with 40 points.
The men's team also won, led by Lukas Dykes in 28:10.1. The Toppers placed four runners in the top four and scored 17 points, ahead of Tougaloo and LeMoyne-Owen. Both races were part of Blue Mountain Christian's Senior Day meet.
Jones women remain unbeaten in soccer
No. 2 Jones College defeated Southwest Mississippi 4-0 Friday, extending its unbeaten run to nine games. Maryanne Ward scored twice, and Dillyn Biancamano and Karla Ovalle added first-half goals, according to Sports Mississippi's match account.
Jones built a 3-0 halftime lead before Ward scored again in the 53rd minute. The result left the Bobcats 8-0-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play. Their next reported test is No. 4 Holmes on October 2, making the shutout another strong result ahead of a meeting between highly ranked teams.
Mississippi College volleyball takes a straight-set win
Mississippi College swept Auburn Montgomery 25-9, 25-9, 25-20 Saturday at A.E. Wood Coliseum. Sports Mississippi reported that the Choctaws produced 44 kills and 10 aces while hitting .280.
Cydney Mitchell and Meg Paparella each recorded 10 kills; Mitchell also had three aces. Reese Regner contributed 18 assists and 14 digs. Mississippi College controlled the opening two sets and finished the Gulf South Conference victory in a closer third set. The report lists Union in Jackson, Tennessee, as the Choctaws' next opponent Tuesday at 6 p.m.
William Carey women beat a ranked conference opponent
William Carey won 3-1 at No. 10 Life University on Friday in a Southern States Athletic Conference soccer match. Sports Mississippi's report says Alba Aguado and Paola Alvarez scored within the first eight minutes to put Carey ahead 2-0.
Life reduced the margin with a penalty before halftime. Susan De Souza Santos restored the two-goal advantage in the 65th minute, heading in a Boo Mills corner. Carey then limited Life to one shot over the final 25 minutes to protect the road victory.
Featured photograph: From Mississippi News Group's September 26 Historic Nelson Street coverage. Source: City of Greenville, Mississippi – Government.
