Mississippi rundown: Rankin rail scare, Jackson I-55 closure and Friday football
A stopped freight train, a coming interstate shutdown and consequential Friday night football results lead this Mississippi news and sports rundown for Saturday, Oct. 3. Rankin County authorities say a driver left an SUV on railroad tracks before an alleged carjacking attempt. In Jackson, a planned demolition will briefly interrupt I-55 traffic Sunday morning. On the field, Petal stayed unbeaten in a dramatic comeback while Jackson Prep changed its district race.
Mississippi News
SUV blocks tracks in Rankin County; suspect detained
The Rankin County Sheriff's Office account says 911 callers first reported a red Chevrolet SUV traveling the wrong way on U.S. 49 on Saturday morning. Witnesses then reported the vehicle on railroad tracks near an Airgas facility. Dispatchers contacted the railroad, and an approaching freight train stopped about 200 yards from the SUV. The report describes no train collision.
Deputies detained Ronnie Percy Holmes, 22, of Florida, after he allegedly tried to enter another motorist's vehicle on Dixie Road, the sheriff's office said. He was evaluated at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and booked into the Rankin County Jail. The office said he is expected to face attempted carjacking and railway obstruction charges. Those allegations have not been adjudicated.
Sunday demolition to interrupt I-55 in Jackson
Drivers in Jackson should plan around a brief I-55 closure tied to demolition of the former state Department of Public Safety Administration Tower. The department said the Sunday event begins at 7:45 a.m. and the interstate will close for up to 30 minutes, from 7:45 to 8:15 a.m. Officials urged spectators to watch through an MDOT traffic camera instead of attending in person. A second site report covered the same demolition, so this rundown treats it as one event.
I-55 crash injures passenger-vehicle driver
A separate Saturday crash involving an 18-wheeler and a passenger vehicle affected I-55 North near mile marker 85 in Hinds County. According to the report, the passenger-vehicle driver was taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center with injuries whose extent was not known. The truck driver was not injured. One northbound lane was closed while crews cleared the scene; the source did not provide a later reopening update, so that closure should not be assumed to remain in effect.
Mississippi Sports
Petal survives, Jackson Prep changes district picture
Sports Mississippi's Friday high school results put two games at the center of the night. Acely Brown scored six touchdowns and totaled 297 all-purpose yards as Petal rallied past West Jones 49-45, outscoring the Mustangs 14-0 in the fourth quarter and moving to 6-0. Jackson Prep beat previously unbeaten Jackson Academy 35-24; both teams ended the night 6-1 overall and 1-1 in district play.
Tupelo also stayed unbeaten, beating Hartfield Academy 49-7 after building a 35-7 halftime lead. Lake Cormorant protected its perfect start with a 27-23 win over South Panola. Oxford edged Madison Central 31-28 in a district opener. These selected results show both commanding performances and early league separation; the source says its scoreboard is not a complete statewide accounting.
Crook reaches 1,000 kills as Ole Miss beats Missouri
Ole Miss opened a home SEC weekend with a four-set volleyball win over Missouri, 25-20, 25-22, 20-25, 25-20. Jorda Crook led the Rebels with 23 kills and reached 1,000 for her career during the match. Melia Johnson added 13 kills and Shayla Meyer had 10. The victory left Ole Miss 8-5 overall and 2-0 in conference play, with Vanderbilt scheduled to visit Sunday.
Northwest volleyball remains unbeaten
No. 23 Northwest Mississippi Community College moved to 26-0 with straight-set victories over Bishop State and Snead State at the Gulf Shores Invitational on Friday. The Rangers won 25-12, 25-7, 25-15 in the first match, then 25-11, 25-21, 25-19 in the second. Sofia Gonzalez had 11 kills against Bishop State; Ariana Woods recorded 13 against Snead State. The second match's closer middle set showed Northwest had to withstand a rally even while extending its unbeaten run.
Mississippi State soccer holds ranked opponent scoreless
Mississippi State drew 0-0 with No. 11 South Carolina on Friday for its third consecutive scoreless tie. The Bulldogs' unbeaten streak reached five matches, and the result tied the program record for draws in a season, according to Sports Mississippi. State outshot South Carolina 12-8, while Kati Anne Shepherd made a goal-line defensive save in the 68th minute. The Bulldogs stood at 7-1-4 overall and 1-0-4 in SEC play after the match.
Two Mississippi programs make cross-country marks
Mississippi State placed second at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival, where Naomi Jepleting delivered a school-record performance, according to the team's report carried by Sports Mississippi. Separately, Jackson State's men won the Nicholls XC Invitational in Thibodaux, Louisiana, for their first team victory of the season. The available articles do not give Jepleting's time or Jackson State's team score, so the result is reported without those details.
Featured image: The SUV on Rankin County railroad tracks. Source: Rankin County Sheriff's Office – MS. This is an image of the reported incident, not a file photo.
