Mississippi Edition

The continuing trend of high cases and hospitalizations keeps Mississippi’s health care system under stress.

Then, how the state’s second largest school system is preparing for the new school year.

Plus, in today’s Book Club, a real ghost town in Mississippi is the setting for “Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe.”

Segment 1:

Governor Tate Reeves is calling on hospitals to implement surge plans, to make room for coronavirus patients in their facilities. For the second consecutive day, the Mississippi Department of Health reported over 1,500 new cases of the coronavirus. High hospitalizations rates associated with the virus also continue to press the health care system. Governor Tate Reeves says the central region of the state only has two ICU beds available, which creates a real danger for anyone in need of critical medical care.

As the state inches closer to crisis state, Health Officer Dr. Dobbs is transparent about what will happen to the level of care if hospitals are pushed to that extent.

Segment 2:

Reaching every corner of the capital city, Jackson Public Schools is the state's second-largest school district. With over fifty school sites and nearly 24,000 scholars, the district has many factors to consider when preparing for the new school year. Superintendent Dr. Errick Greene says his team's plan is based on feedback from the community, and the health safety guidelines of public officials. 

Segment 3:

About 40 miles north of Meridian is a ghost town called Electric Mills. There’s not much left except some overgrown sidewalks and pillars. In today’s Book Club, author, Jo Watson Hackl, takes readers to a fictionalized version of Electric Mills in her adventure, “Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe.”