Miss. sets up water centers
Mississippi officials set up emergency distribution centers for handouts of water and hand sanitizer Thursday in the capital city of Jackson, as efforts to restore a flood-impaired, long-troubled water system continued.
Jackson’s residents were already under a boilwater order before flooding from the Pearl River exacerbated long-standing problems at one of the city’s two water treatment plants.
Officials said they made progress overnight in refilling tanks, treating water and increasing pressure at the O.B. Curtis Water Plant, the facility at the root of the latest water woes. Residents closer to the facility had pressure approaching normal levels, the city said in a news release, but added that many in the city still had little or no water pressure.
At a midday news conference with Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and other officials, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced the opening of seven sites for distributing drinking water, non-potable water and hand sanitizer. He said 600 National Guard members were aiding the response. The seven new “megasites” follow smaller scale distribution efforts at city fire stations, churches, nonprofits and businesses.
Ohio police officer shoots, kills Black man
An Ohio police officer fatally shot a Black man who was in bed as officers attempted to serve an arrest warrant just before 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to body-camera footage released by authorities.
The footage shows Columbus police Officer Ricky Anderson pushing open a bedroom door and firing at Donovan Lewis, 20, as he sat up in bed. Mr. Lewis was unarmed and found next to what appeared to be a vape pen. Officers had entered the apartment with a police dog to serve arrest warrants for allegations of domestic violence, assault and improper handling of a firearm, said Sgt. Joe Albert of the Columbus police.
Mr. Lewis was pronounced dead at a hospital less than an hour after being shot inside the apartment in Columbus, the state capital. The incident drew national attention to the city’s police department, which had been under scrutiny after other shootings in recent years.
City officials, while expressing sympathy for Mr. Lewis, said they were awaiting the results of a probe being conducted by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations.
Calif. extends alert for taxed power grid
Faced with a record-setting heat wave sweltering California and fueling two major fires, officials extended a flex alert calling for voluntary energy conservation through Friday, hoping to prevent rolling blackouts.
During a flex alert, consumers are urged to reduce their electricity use from 4 to 9 p.m., when the grid is most stressed because of high demand and less available energy from solar panels.
Flex alerts were also issued Wednesday and Thursday. The heat wave is expected to extend well into next week.
The move comes as firefighters began to make progress on a large fire burning in northern L.A. County.