🌱 Possible Food Assistance + White Creek Emergency Declaration

Welcome back, Jackson. I'm here in your inbox this morning to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on in town.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and hot. High: 101 Low: 75.

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Here are the top three stories in Jackson today:

1. Jackson residents who lost food in their refrigerators or freezers due to spoilage as a result of last week's power outages may be able to receive assistance. Councilman Kenneth Stokes is working to coordinate with local nonprofit organizations to provide gift cards to local grocery stores to affected residents, with a priority to get assistance to elderly residents. In order to assess the scope of the situation, residents in need of food assistance are asked to call Councilman Stokes at his office between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at (601) 960-1090. (WLBT)
2. Earlier this week, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors voted to declare a state of emergency for White Oak Creek. This decision is in line with the advice given by the board's attorney following an engineering assessment of the area. Residents along White Oak Creek have seen significant erosion threaten their properties, and an emergency declaration will reduce the amount of time it takes for the county to hire contractors. (WLBT)
3. If you're looking for activities for this weekend, Jackson has a full event calendar! Smith Park will be the site of the annual Food Truck Friday in the Park on Jun. 30 from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. On Saturday, Jul. 1, Duling Hall will be holding an "immersive sound experience and holistic bazaar" from 6:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. To lead up to the Fourth of July, the Mississippi Children's Museum will host a Patriotic Day on Saturday, Jul. 1 from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

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Today in Jackson:

Thursday, June 29

• Fun Fridays: Pangea At Mississippi Museum Of Natural History (10:00 AM)
• Friday Films In Jackson - Summer Of Soul At Balagoon Center (6:30 PM)
• Edith Pike At Hal & Mal's, The Brew Pub (9:00 PM)

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From my notebook:

• The 2023 Jackson Fireworks Extravaganza will be held on Saturday, Jul. 1 at Hank Aaron Stadium. The event will kick off at 6:00 p.m. and will include a kid's zone, food vendors, and a fireworks show. (City of Jackson - Government via Facebook)
• The Mississippi Museum of Natural History is getting a new sign at the LaFleur Bluff Complex entrance. Click the link to see pictures of the progress. (Mississippi Museum of Natural History via Facebook)
• The Jackson Police Department recently welcomed Lieutenant Sequerna Banks back into the department. Interim Police Chief Joseph Wade swore Banks in and noted that the department is glad to bring back her institutional knowledge. (Jackson Police Department via Facebook)

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday. I'll see you soon!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.