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July 29, 2026
**A former Vicksburg resident, more recently of Long Beach, got a comparatively light sentence in Harrison County for sexual exploitation of a child. 50-year-old Robert Stephan Wilson Jr., pled guilty to having more than 3,000 images and videos depicting children — including infants — being sexually abused. Wilson was sentenced to 10 years to serve and 30 years suspended…. The light sentence was agreed to because he helped prosecutors refine their methods of catching other offenders like himself.
**Kamaou Braxton and Jarvarous Johnson got into an argument in a home on Abraham Drive and went for their guns. Both men apparently fired their handguns but no one was hit and the sheriff’s department managed to take them both into custody. Braxton and Johnson were both charged with aggravated assault, At the time of the shooting, a woman and two juveniles were inside the house but escaped the shootout unharmed.
**A man driving a purple Ford Mustang was caught on a security camera as he stole copper wire in the Blakeley subdivision off 61 North a week ago. Two days later loud colored car was spotted again on 61 North. Deputies made a traffic stop, found wire cutters and wire in the car and arrested 45-year-old Larry Goodwin of Greenville for felony malicious mischief and possession of burglary tools. His bond was set at $50,000.
July 28, 2026
**33-year-old John Taylor showed up to work with a contractor at ERDC on Hall’s Ferry Road yesterday. An alert security guard discovered there were some warrants out for Davis – including a felony warrant–and notified Vicksburg Police. Taylor took off running, but police and deputies chased him down on Cain’s Ridge Road, tasered him and took him into custody.
**The Vicksburg Warren School District is asking parents to complete a form in order for the district to continue to offer free meals to every student. The free lunches and breakfasts currently available for all students do not require their families to complete individual applications. The Vicksburg-Warren School district participates in President Obama’s Community Eligibility Provision of 2010. However, there’s more federal reimbursement available to the school system in the next 4 years if parents fill out meal applications through their school cafe account at https://www.schoolcafe.com/
July 27, 2026
**Vicksburg’s annual Mississippi River Monsters MegaBuc$ Pro Series catfish tournament was held over the weekend… with weigh-ins at the jam-packed Vicksburg Convention Center. The $50,000 first-place prize went to a team of Texans: Jeff Sittner, Coia Sneed and J.T. Ray. Their Sunday catch weighed in at 175.9 pounds. Second place at 149.36 pounds went to Ray Ferguson, Lonnie Fountain and Donnie Fountain of Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia and coming in third at 130.17 pounds was the team of Joe Lunsford, C Ryan Casey and Vance Goff of Missouri.
**Mississippi’s Quinton Tellis has been found not guilty of murder in Monroe, Louisiana. He was tried for the 2014 stabbing death of University of Louisiana Monroe graduate student Ming-Chen Hsiao. Prosecutors argued that Hsiao was tortured with stabbings to make her reveal her debit-card PIN number. Tellis was found not guilty despite evidence that he used the victim’s debit card at an ATM in Vicksburg. Tellis has also been tried twice in Panola County, Mississippi, in the death of Jessica Chambers who was beaten, sprayed with a flammable liquid and set on fire. Both of those trials ended with hung juries.
July 24, 2026
**The Mississippi River Monsters MegaBuc$ Vicksburg Catfish Tournament is tomorrow and Sunday. Anglers check in at 3 a.m. and fish from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, with weigh-ins at 5 p.m. at the Vicksburg Convention Center both days. The top 25 boats from Saturday advance to Sunday’s finals, where the $100,000 first prize will be awarded. Doors open to the public at 10 a.m. both days, with music by Jason Ballard, refreshments, vendors from across the country, and Vicksburg-themed merchandise. There’ll be appearances by special guests Bill Dance and John Godwin. Admission is free. Last year’s biggest catch was a 104-pound blue catfish, so there’s a reason they call it Mississippi River “Monsters.”
**Second District Congressman Bennie Thompson will hold a community town hall at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 25, at the Claiborne County Civil Defense Building, 2023 Highway 18 in Port Gibson. Thompson is expected to discuss issues affecting Mississippi residents, including redistricting, voting rights, federal policy priorities, and funding opportunities for local communities.
July 23, 2026
**A former Vicksburg man, 31 year old L’Michael Detron Amos has been charged with the murder of a woman he’d been dating in Copperas Cove, Texas. 29-year-old Sholonda Dixon was reportedly shot in front of her six-year-old daughter, but lived long enough to tell police who did it. L’Michael Amos was later caught by Killeen, Texas, police after his car was spotted by a Flock camera. He’s being held on $1.25 million dollars bond.
**The Vicksburg Warren School District is banning the use of phones, smartwatches, earbuds, tablets and other electronic items. The new rule says students may have these items on school property but must store them out of sight in a backpack, locker, or bag for the entire instructional day.
**The Mississippi High School Activities Association has announced new safety guidelines for football practices to protect student-athletes from heat-related dangers. Under the new rules, outdoor football practices must be canceled when the temperature reaches 92 degrees. Also, coaches are prohibited from requiring linemen to perform extra strenuous drills during practice. The National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research reported 16 football-related deaths in all of last year, nine of them in middle and high school programs.
July 22, 2026
**Anglers from across America are in Vicksburg this week for the Mississippi River Monsters MegaBuc$ Catfish Tournament. They’re competing this weekend for up to $250,000 in prize money, including a $100,000 first prize to be awarded Sunday afternoon at the Vicksburg Convention Center. The public events begin Thursday evening with a meet-and-greet from 6-6:30 at the Levee Street Warehouse, followed by a benefit auction for 8-year-old MARLEY WILBANKS a 6:30. Read more about the benefit HERE .
**A driver tried to outrun Vicksburg Police and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics officers yesterday as they tried to pull him over at Mission 66 and Alcorn Drive. He led them on a car chase down Alcorn Drive, then ran into the woods, carrying a gun. The state narcotics officers took him into custody. His name has not been released.
**After a traffic stop Monday night, Warren County Deputies arrested 28-year-old Rocky Marvin Howard Jr. for possessing a misdemeanor amount of marijuana and two grams of meth. His bond was set at $2,500.
July 21, 2026
**A SINGLE VEHICLE CRASH into a Clay Street parking lot Sunday night was apparently caused by the driver having a medical emergency. The 62 year old driver was taken to the hospital where she later died. Her family is still being notified.
**Vicksburg’s city charter requires that every city corporate officer—police chief, fire chief, city clerk, city attorney, and city judge—must live within the city limits. The Flaggs administration expanded that in 2017 by making almost every department head a corporate officer. Yesterday the Board voted to start the process to change the charter back to the original wording—only the police chief, fire chief, city clerk, city attorney, and city judge would be recognized as corporate officers. If the charter change is successful, all other department heads will once again be allowed to live outside the city limits. Mayor Willis Thompson said the change would help recruiting.
**The Warren County Sheriff’s Office wants to buy a 28-foot patrol boat for $429,158, with $107,289.50 paid for by the county the remainder coming from a grant. The Board of Supervisors green-lighted the deal yesterday, so now it depends on whether they get the outside grant.
July 20, 2026
**DEMONSTRATORS SHOWED UP SATURDAY TO PROTEST THE $3 billion Amazon Web Services (AWS) data center BEING BUILT IN Vicksburg. It’s too close they say, to Dana Road Elementary School. They complained it’ll make local electricity bills increase; that it’ll adversely affect the local water supply; and that negotiations for the massive project were handled secretly by local government with no input from the public. There are currently over 4,000 massive data centers in the U.S. with up to 1,800 more being built right now. Mississippi has 12 data centers operational and more than 20 planned or under construction.
**Heat Advisories and Extreme Heat Warnings are active across Central Mississippi, including Warren County and the Vicksburg area. Dangerously high humidity will push the heat index well above the 100° mark. The “feels like” temperatures will be between 105° and 114°. Prolonged exposure to these temperatures puts residents at a high risk for heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Local authorities urge residents to Stay Hydrated, Limit Outdoor Activity, and wear light weight loose fitting clothing.
**A new state-mandated digital platform for purchasing classroom supplies is drawing widespread frustration from Mississippi public school teachers. They report the system makes accessing funds significantly more difficult.
**THERE WERE TWO MINOR KIDS AND A PASSED-OUT DRIVER in a locked car with the motor running at 4:45 A.M. Sunday at the Waffle House in the 2400 block of North Frontage Road. And to complicate the situation, there was a gun in the passed-out driver’s waistband. Vicksburg police and Warren County deputies were called, and they managed to open the car door, get the gun, and arrest the driver. The driver finally woke up, was unaware of his location, and became combative with officers. He was identified as LaTrell Ward, 26, of Vicksburg. There was an active warrant for him with the Sheriff’s Office, and he was taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies, who booked him for the outstanding warrant and then turned him over to Vicksburg police. He reportedly blew a 0.18 blood alcohol level. LaTrell Ward was charged with DUI-first offense, child endangerment, and convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
July 17, 2026
**THE BODY OF DAVID ARTHUR FOX was found by a passerby early Wednesday morning in the 900 block of Washington Street. We don’t know yet whether there’s a killer at large or whether the 57-year-old died of natural causes. The body has been sent for an autopsy at the Mississippi State Crime Lab, which often takes 60-90 days for complete results. However, they usually have a preliminary theory in just a few days as to whether a death was violent or not.
**THE VICKSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT is hoping at-risk youngsters make a u-turn. The police U-Turn program consists of officers interacting in a variety of ways with Vicksburg juveniles who’ve already had a run-in with the legal system as well as some who volunteer to participate. Police officers serve as mentors and coaches. Activities include ballgames, study sessions, and life lessons including glimpses of police work. Some 30 kids have participated in the U-Turn program so far.
July 16, 2026
**THE DEAD MAN FOUND in a walkway in the 900 block of Washington Street near Jackson Street early yesterday could have died of natural causes, an accident or something more sinister. Vicksburg Police are awaiting an autopsy.
**The airfield where Dan Fordice lost his life in May is going to be renamed in his honor. The Madison Parish Police Jury voted to rename the airfield at Vicksburg-Tallulah Regional Airport as the Dan Fordice Airfield.
**Vicksburg’s Street Department can’t keep up with all the city’s street projects, so the Board of Mayor and Aldermen has authorized some help. They voted last week to seek some commercial help for some of the city’s asphalt and paving jobs. Their deadline for accepting bids on the projects will be 9 a.m. August 9th.
**The Warren County Sheriff’s Office and Hinds Community College are hosting a job fair. It’ll be Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Loviza Building on the Hinds Community College Vicksburg campus. The sheriff’s office will be recruiting applicants for deputy and correctional officer positions.
July 15, 2026
**THREE MONTHS AGO, the Warren County Board of Supervisors won the bid to lease 644 acres of land on King’s Point Island for 5 years at $100,000 a year. The Supervisors’ plan for this public land was to let Joe Q. Public have access to it for hunting, fishing and other recreational purposes. The Secretary of State’s office is required to approve any transactions involving the so-called 16th Section land, the profits of which go to the school system. But the Secretary of State’s office rejected the Warren County deal without stating a reason. Therefore, bidding will be reopened to give someone else a chance to lease the 644 acres of public land at some other price and/or for some other use that may or may not make it a recreation area for Joe Q. Public.
**THE VICKSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS RELEASED THE CITY’S CRIME STATISTICS for the month of June. They took 1,015 reports and made 314 arrests. Among those reports were 1 murder, 1 car theft, 2 robberies, 8 aggravated assaults, 9 burglaries, and 23 cases of domestic violence.
July 14, 2026
**So many people attended yesterday’s Warren County Board of Supervisors work session that the meeting had to be moved to the larger second-floor Circuit Courtroom. Some property owners came to ask questions; most wanted to express their unhappiness with recently announced increases. One taxpayer suggested taking those complaints to the next Vicksburg-Warren County School District meeting to ask why the district needs so much money.
**Morgan Nelson of Vicksburg was first runner-up in last month’s Miss Mississippi Pageant, earning an $11,500 scholarship. Including her awards as Miss Vicksburg, Miss Starkville and Miss Mississippi State University, Nelson has won more than $25,000 in scholarship money. Her brother, Ryan Nelson, is also in the spotlight. Ryan, who played baseball at Warren Central and East Central Community College, was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds this past weekend. His draft position is expected to bring a six-figure bonus. Their parents are Omar and Melanie Nelson.
July 13, 2026
**THE VICKSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT has struggled with a chronic personnel shortage since at least 2005, when staffing fell from 108 to 75 patrol officers. In recent years, former Mayor and Police Commissioner George Flaggs repeatedly said people took the job as a “calling” , not for the money. Even with modest raises, pay remained low during those 12 years and the department stayed short-staffed, including a 20-officer shortage in 2018. The Willis Thompson administration, in office for a year now, has raised starting pay for police officers to more than $50,000 a year plus benefits and is working to restore the department to full strength. Its latest success was hiring four women officers last week: Jimika Dixon, Ashley Barnes, Jyla Williams, and Andreya McGee.
**The Vicksburg Police Department is on the lookout for Dvonte King. King is wanted for aggravated assault – that is, allegedly shooting someone. It happened on Athens Avenue back on April 8. If you know the whereabouts of Dvonte King please call the Vcicksburg Police Department or Crimestoppers.
**Three people were arrested after drive-by shootings at two different homes in Yazoo City Friday. According to Yazoo County Sheriff’s officials, 34-year-old Tiffany Robertson drove 3 teenagers around Yazoo City so they could shoot into the houses. She and the teenagers have all been arrested on a variety of charges.
July 10, 2026
**IN THE 4 O’CLOCK HOUR YESTERDAY MORNING, in a home in the 400 block of Farmer Street, for some reason a 14-year-old grabbed a gun. The gun went off, and the teenager was hit. The young man died later as AirCare was transporting him to a Jackson hospital. Vicksburg police say a group was gathered in the home at the time of the incident, and one person had to be hospitalized afterward for a medical condition. Police took several people in for questioning.
**Two elderly people were injured yesterday when their pickup went off Fisher Ferry Road and down a steep embankment near Amanda Drive.
**Mississippi’s annual Sales Tax Holiday began this morning and will continue through Sunday. This allows you to buy clothes, footwear and school supplies without paying sales tax. It’s only for items under $100 each. The website of the Mississippi Department of Revenue has an enormous list of items that qualify or you can find out wherever you do your shopping.
July 9, 2026
**JUSTICE COURT JUDGE WALTER ARMSTRONG set bond for Justin Knight at $150,000. Knight was arrested Tuesday after a knife attack on his parents at their Windy Lake Drive home. The mother’s throat was cut but the wound was shallow. The father was stabbed trying to rescue her and was hospitalized in Jackson. Judge Armstrong granted a no-contact order after hearing testimony that Knight allegedly stated, “This was a test,” following the incident. Knight and his parents all lived together at the home.
**It was another tough day on local roadways yesterday despite perfect weather conditions for driving. An 18-wheeler and a car collided at the 15-mile marker of I-20 Eastbound and traffic backed up all the way into Louisiana. Just one more wreck on that stretch of I-20 that has had more than 300 wrecks in a little over a year. There were injuries.
**A 16-year-old ran his car into a fire hydrant at Belmont and Ryan Street and was injured.
**There was a wreck with no injuries when a tire came off a car at the corner of Halls Ferry Road and John Allen Street.
**And there was an accident with injuries at Indiana Avenue and North Frontage Road.
**A Mississippi Lottery player from Clinton won a million dollars this week when they entered their losing ticket in the second chance lottery.
July 8, 2026
**VICKSBURG POLICE HAVE MADE THREE ARRESTS BASED ON THEIR INVESTIGATION of the shooting at Hayes Street Apartments last week. They are Demetrius Lee Cormier, Omarion Nelson, and Phillip Lewis Moore, Jr. All three were charged with two counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling, and nine counts of aggravated assault with a weapon. Demetrius Cormier and Phillip Moore had previously been convicted of felonies so they were also charged with possession of a weapon by a felon.
**A 38-year-old Warren County man was arrested yesterday after allegedly attacking two older family members with a pocket-knife at a home in the 1100 block of Windy Lake Drive. The suspect Eric Knight was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He lives in the same house with a 66-year-old man who was stabbed in his side and a hand and had to be airlifted to UMMC. Another resident of the home, a 74-year-old woman, had her throat slashed but the wound was superficial.
July 7, 2026
**Three Warren County firefighters suffered heat-related issues yesterday at the scene of a house fire on Highway 61 South near Dogwood Road. Two firefighters were treated on the scene and one was transferred to the hospital as a precaution. The two-story house was completely destroyed and several dogs and cats reportedly perished .
**The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is leading a homicide investigation at Raymond detention center. Last Friday, an 18-year-old murder suspect was beaten to death by other inmates in front of cameras. The Southern Poverty Law Center has filed a complaint to find out how many deaths are occurring there and a Hinds County judge has ruled that the sheriff’s department must release the records.
**There are now three candidates in the race for Warren County Justice Court Judge, the post vacated by the death of Judge James Jefferson. Interim Judge (and former Police Chief) Walter Armstrong is running. John Minor, who served 30 years with the Highway Patrol, is running. So is Linda Stevens who worked in law enforcement for the Department of Transportation for 34 years.
July 6, 2026
**Vicksburg Police are making it easier for the public to get reliable information during emergencies. The department’s new open communication policy means residents can check the Vicksburg Police Facebook page for quick updates after reports of gunfire, traffic incidents, or other police responses. Their goal is to replace rumors and delays with facts, let the public know whether there is any ongoing danger, and help officers locate suspects when needed. So, if you hear something or fear something, check the Vicksburg Police Facebook page for confirmed information within minutes.
**Vicksburg Police let the public know within minutes Saturday that a shooting on Locust Street appeared to be a targeted incident and there was no further risk to the public. Nineteen-year-old Jayden Elmore told responding officers he was standing on the front porch when someone across the street wearing a ski mask opened fire on him. A bullet struck Elmore in the back, and the perpetrator fled the scene.
**Vicksburg Police say no charges will be filed in last Monday’s fatal collision on First North and Clay Street between a car and an e-bike that resulted in the death of Marlon Robinson. Police concluded it was an unavoidable accident.
July 3, 2026
**Willis Thompson has marked one year as mayor of Vicksburg and used the occasion to report on the state of the city. In an open letter to the public, Thompson said that when he took office on July 1, 2025, he found deferred maintenance, mounting financial obligations, and untapped economic potential. Thompson wrote that too many problems had been allowed to linger instead of being addressed. The mayor says his administration is rebuilding the foundation of city government by correcting those problems, developing long-term plans, and promising greater openness with the public.
**White residents of Vicksburg did not celebrate July 4 for more than 80 years after the city surrendered to Union forces on July 4, 1863. That changed gradually in the 1940s and 1950s. Now, Vicksburg marks the nation’s birthday while also commemorating the surrender with a packed schedule of reenactments, demonstrations, and what may be the state’s longest fireworks show. The best place to watch is from Washington Street between Jackson and Grove. There’ll be music by the Tip Tops starting at 7 Saturday night and fireworks starting at 9.
July 2, 2026
**Over 2700 of Warren County’s Entergy customers lost power in yesterday’s thunderstorm, mainly in the 5 o’clock hour and mainly because of Warren County’s nemesis, falling trees. Some trees fell on power lines and some just fell across roads blocking traffic on Halls Ferry Road, Dana Road, Gibson Road, Oak Ridge Road, Jefferson Lane, Warrenton Road, Adams Street, and Porter’s Chapel Road. Elsewhere power lines were on fire, some power poles fell, and a house caught fire on Cain’s Ridge Road. The storm moved on through, and today’s weather will be clear with a high of 95.
**The young men Vicksburg Police arrested at Motel 6 Tuesday were wanted for some serious crimes which is why warrants were being served on them. Nineteen-year-old Demetrius Cormier, who jumped from a second-story balcony and injured himself, had jumped bail while awaiting trial for the January 2023 murder of 13-year-old Carleone Woodward. Also arrested was Phillip Moore Jr., who faces charges in the Woodward murder and is wanted for domestic violence. Omarion Nelson was arrested, too. He was wanted for a shooting this March on Hayes Street. Neaveah Davis was taken into custody, too, for violating a protective order.
July 1, 2026
**Marlon Robinson of Vicksburg was killed when his motorcycle collided with a car at the intersection of First North Street and Clay Street Monday night. The driver of the car Laquita Smith was taken in for questioning.
**Bernard Brown was convicted of murder this week by a Warren County jury. The victim was Shandrick Montgomery whose bullet-riddled body was found in the middle of Locust Street in May of 2024.
**We reported yesterday on the shooting at Hayes Street Apartments Monday night. Vicksburg police now say there were two shootings there at 9 and 10:35 pm. Four apartments were hit.
**Montavious Miller stopped at Circle K on 61 North at the I-20 exit. Another car pulled in behind him and two men got out with guns blazing as Miller sped off. His car was hit several times, and he was hit once but it was a non-life-threatening injury.
**A Vicksburg man was seriously injured when he jumped from a second-floor balcony at Motel 6 yesterday when officers were serving a warrant. Two people in that room were arrested for auto theft and other offenses. The jumper was sent to UMMC with a head injury.
**A bullet came through the wall of a home on Pineywoods Drive off Oak Ridge Monday. It struck a woman and fell harmlessly to the floor. Deputies determined it was a stray bullet from some target shooting.
