Lamar County bridge closure and Jackson detours loom as Mississippi teams post wins

Mississippians face two significant travel changes this week: a weekend closure of U.S. 98 over I-59 in Lamar County and street restrictions for Jackson’s National Folk Festival. Police in Vicksburg also announced another arrest in a homicide investigation. In sports, Ole Miss and Jones College won basketball games, while Northwest Mississippi Community College learned its position in the national women’s soccer tournament.

This rundown covers original reports published after 4:45 p.m. Central on November 10 through 4:45 p.m. Central on November 11. The links below lead to MS News Group coverage or original reports on sister site Sports Mississippi.

Mississippi News

U.S. 98 bridge closure set for the weekend

Both directions of U.S. 98, also called Hardy Street, over I-59 in Lamar County are scheduled to close from 7 p.m. Friday, November 13, to 4 a.m. Monday, November 16. The Mississippi Department of Transportation says the closure is for bridge and structural maintenance. Detour signs will be posted, and drivers should plan another route and watch for crews. The announcement provides a specific overnight start and Monday reopening, making it especially relevant to weekend trips through the Hattiesburg area. Read the MS News Group report.

Jackson festival brings downtown street restrictions

Crews began placing downtown Jackson closures Monday ahead of the National Folk Festival, November 13–15. The affected streets include East Capitol, State, South President, South Congress, South West, South Lamar and East Amite. Access to downtown from I-55’s Pearl Street exit is expected to be restricted from 9 p.m. Thursday, November 12, through Monday, November 16; street reopenings are set to begin that Monday. Visitors and commuters should account for both the downtown street changes and the highway exit restriction. See the MS News Group closure details.

Another arrest announced in Vicksburg homicide case

Vicksburg police say they have arrested Jamarrious Hamilton, 22, in the investigation into the February 11 death of Jaylon Walker, 18, of Hermanville. Hamilton was charged with murder and conspiracy to commit a crime, according to the department. Walker was found dead in his vehicle on Highway 61 South near Demby Drive. Police say Hamilton appeared before a judge November 10 and received a total bond of $1.05 million; the investigation remains active. These are allegations, and Hamilton is presumed innocent unless proved guilty in court. Read the MS News Group account.

Statewide acorn survey offers a view of deer habitat

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks has released results from its first Hard Mast Survey, reporting a good acorn year overall. Red oaks produced more acorns than white oaks, although conditions differed by region; some of the strongest crops were in southeastern and southwestern Mississippi. The department says the findings can help hunters understand deer feeding and movement as acorns fall, and it plans to repeat the survey annually. The report describes statewide conditions, not a guarantee about any individual hunting location. Read the MS News Group survey report.

Waterfowl hunters reminded to check documents

Ahead of the season, the state wildlife department is urging hunters to verify their licenses, Mississippi HIP registration and any required state and federal stamps. It notes that Federal Duck Stamps expire June 30 each year, regardless of purchase date. An electronic stamp can be bought online for immediate use, but waterfowl hunters must carry its unique proof of purchase, either printed or downloaded to a device. Physical stamps are available through the U.S. Postal Service; electronic-stamp buyers will receive theirs by mail after March 10. See the MS News Group reminder.

Mississippi Sports

Ole Miss pulls away for a 91–51 basketball win

Ole Miss moved to 3–0 with a 91–51 home win over Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday. The Rebels led 49–20 at halftime. Budd Clark scored 23 points, and Santiago Trouet and Corey Stephenson added 12 apiece, according to MS News Group’s game report. The 40-point margin and early lead made this one of the clearest Mississippi college results in the window. Ole Miss is scheduled to host Nicholls on November 17. Read the MS News Group game report.

No. 8 Jones rallies to stay unbeaten

Jones College overcame an 11-point first-half deficit to beat South Arkansas 79–67 in Ellisville on Tuesday. The No. 8 Bobcats improved to 4–0, with all four wins by double digits. After trailing 25–14, Jones answered with an 18–2 run and went into halftime ahead 35–33. South Arkansas got within five late in the second half, but Jones finished in control. Traevon Koch scored 22 points and David Washington added 19; Bob Dickson had 12 rebounds and four blocks. Read Sports Mississippi’s full game report.

Northwest receives No. 3 national soccer seed

Northwest Mississippi Community College earned the No. 3 seed in the NJCAA Division II women’s soccer championship after winning the Region 23 and Gulf South District titles. The 16–3 Rangers are the top seed in Pool C and will seek a third straight national championship. They are scheduled to open against No. 6 Schoolcraft on Sunday, November 15, then face No. 10 Rock Valley on November 17. Northwest beat Rock Valley 6–0 earlier this season, but the national tournament presents a fresh test. Holmes is seeded second and Pearl River fifth, giving Mississippi three teams near the top of the field. See Sports Mississippi’s tournament preview.

Chambliss reaches two player-of-the-year semifinal lists

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was named a semifinalist for both the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award in reports published during this window. The Maxwell list contains 18 players. Chambliss has 2,359 passing yards and 18 passing touchdowns, both second in the SEC, plus seven rushing scores. The reports also place him seventh on Ole Miss’ career passing-yards list. The honors are semifinal selections; no winner has been named. Read the MS News Group Maxwell report and Sports Mississippi’s Walter Camp report.

Featured image: Mississippi Department of Transportation traffic-advisory graphic, used to illustrate the announced U.S. 98 closure; it is not a photograph of that bridge. Source: Mississippi Department of Transportation.