Mississippi rundown: Senate vote set, Plantersville lockdown lifted and Jackson State ranked
Mississippi set a special election to fill a state Senate vacancy, Lee County authorities lifted a school lockdown after detaining a juvenile, and Panola County officials reported a fatal shooting near Sardis. A storm assistance deadline is approaching. In sports, Jackson State entered two FCS polls and Mississippi State and Ole Miss opened Southeastern Conference volleyball play with wins.
This Sept. 28 edition covers articles first published in the 24 hours ending at 4:45 p.m. Central on Monday. Publication follows on Sept. 29 after verification of both source archives.
Mississippi News
District 34 special election scheduled for December
A special election for Mississippi Senate District 34 is scheduled for Dec. 22, according to a gubernatorial announcement reported by MSNewsGroup. Candidates must qualify by Oct. 8. The report identifies the vacancy and dates but does not provide a reason for the vacancy or a candidate list. Those two dates are the immediate facts for residents and potential candidates to track. Read the election report.
Plantersville lockdown lifted after bus detention
Authorities lifted a lockdown at Plantersville School after school resource deputies detained a 15-year-old on a bus traveling toward Belden Center. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said deputies had received a report of a person with a weapon at a nearby convenience store. They found no weapon on the juvenile or the bus, and officials determined there was no continuing threat to the school.
The juvenile was taken into custody on behalf of Plantersville police, who are investigating the initial convenience-store report. The source account does not establish what happened there. Read the school safety report.
Sardis shooting leaves one dead, another injured
Panola County sheriff’s deputies responded to a shooting early Sunday on Highway 51 near Dewberry Street in Sardis. Gary Walls Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene, while Janiya Fonville was taken to Panola Medical Center and reported in stable condition, the Sheriff’s Office said. Sardis police are leading the continuing investigation and have asked the public for information. The published account does not establish a motive or describe how the shooting unfolded. Read the Sardis report.
Storm assistance applications due Saturday
People affected by Tropical Storm Arthur have until Saturday, Oct. 3, to apply for assistance, according to a Mississippi Emergency Management Agency reminder reported by MSNewsGroup. The agency listed in-person Disaster Service Centers, an online application, a telephone line and the FEMA app as ways to apply. Residents still seeking assistance should check the published report for those submission options and the deadline. The notice does not state that every applicant will qualify for aid. See the assistance reminder.
Biloxi revenue office announces one-day closure
The Mississippi Department of Revenue’s Gulf Coast office is scheduled to close Tuesday, Sept. 29, while it moves from a temporary site back to 1141 Bayview Ave., Suite 400, in Biloxi. The office is scheduled to reopen at 8 a.m. Wednesday. The department said people can use its TAP self-service system to file returns or make payments while the office is closed. Read the service update.
Mississippi Sports
Jackson State enters two national FCS polls
Jackson State, 4-0 overall and 1-0 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play, entered the American Football Coaches Association Top 25 at No. 23 and the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 at No. 25. Both rankings followed the Tigers’ 35-17 win over Southern, which was covered in the previous edition; the poll placements are the new development. Jackson State is scheduled to face Alabama A&M in Mobile on Saturday. Read the AFCA ranking and Stats Perform ranking.
State and Ole Miss win SEC volleyball openers
Mississippi State needed five sets to beat LSU 3-2 in Starkville. The Bulldogs won the first two sets, dropped the next two and finished with a 15-5 fifth set. Lindsey Mangelson had 23 kills and 14 digs, according to Sports Mississippi’s match report.
Ole Miss opened its conference schedule with a 3-0 sweep at Alabama. The Rebels won 25-17, 25-19 and 25-23, rallying from a third-set deficit to finish the match. Their defense held Alabama to a negative hitting percentage, according to MSNewsGroup’s coverage. These were separate match results, each summarized once.
Ole Miss rifle begins season with ranked wins
The fifth-ranked Ole Miss rifle team defeated No. 14 Ohio State and No. 18 UT Martin in its season opener at the Ole Miss Rifle Center. The Rebels posted a 4,711 aggregate score and took the top three individual aggregate spots. Audrey Gogniat led the field with 1,186 and won individual smallbore and air rifle honors. The two ranked victories provide an early result for the program before its next scheduled home match Oct. 10. Read the sister-site report.
Southern Miss soccer edges Louisiana Tech
Shaelynn Quick scored in each half as Southern Miss beat Louisiana Tech 2-1 in Hattiesburg. Quick struck in the 10th and 54th minutes; Louisiana Tech scored late, but the Golden Eagles held on. Sports Mississippi reported that Southern Miss had 20 shots, 10 on goal, and goalkeeper Logan McGruder made five saves. It was the team’s fourth win in five matches. Read the sister-site match account.
Mississippi State tennis reaches national round of 16
Bryan Hernandez Cortes reached the Round of 16 at the ITA All-American Championships after beating ranked players from Stanford and Florida. He lost to eventual champion Keegan Rice of Virginia, then defeated Ohio State’s Preston Stearns in the consolation bracket. Mississippi State teammate Raphael Vaksmann also earned a consolation win. The results give the Bulldogs two notable individual runs at a national fall tournament. Read the Sports Mississippi report.
Featured image: Lee County Sheriff’s Department emblem, credited to the department via MSNewsGroup. This is an agency emblem, not a photograph of the Plantersville incident.
