Minnesota governor signs $2.6B infrastructure plan, a bipartisan success from a partisan session
June 1, 2023 GMTMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz signed a $2.6 billion public infrastructure package Thursday, the largest in state history and the biggest bipartisan success of an often partisan legislative session.
Judge: School district can bar student from wearing Mexican and American flag sash at graduation
May 27, 2023 GMTDENVER (AP) — A federal judge ruled Friday that a rural Colorado school district can bar a high school student from wearing a Mexican and American flag sash at her graduation this weekend after the student sued the school district.
Flood concerns rise as Mississippi River crests in Iowa city
April 29, 2023 GMTDUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — The surging Mississippi River was cresting in Iowa on Saturday as melting snow from Minnesota and Wisconsin continues to push up river levels, the National Weather Service said.
Minnesota woman who left newborn to die sentenced to prison
April 29, 2023 GMTRED WING, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota woman who admitted to leaving her newborn son to die near the Mississippi River two decades ago has been sentenced to 27 years in prison.
Jennifer Matter, of Belvidere Township outside Red Wing, was sentenced Friday for second-degree murder, KARE-TV reported.
Containers secured to shore after Wisconsin train derailment
April 28, 2023 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Crews have secured two container cars that began floating away in the Mississippi River after a freight train derailed in southwestern Wisconsin, officials said Friday.
Body of Louisiana barge worker pulled from Mississippi River
March 15, 2023 GMTNATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) — The body of a Louisiana barge worker who went missing last month has been pulled from the Mississippi River near Natchez, Mississippi, authorities said.
Donny Mitchell, 50, a 20-year employee of Buzzi Unicem USA, went missing on Feb.
FBI: 50 items stolen from museums in 5 states returned
March 13, 2023 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Federal authorities say dozens of artifacts stolen in the 1970s from museums in several states and dating back as far as the French and Indian War have been returned to the institutions.
Canopy at Memphis riverside park named after Tyre Nichols
February 10, 2023 GMTMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A charitable foundation on Friday named a canopy at a Memphis park for Tyre Nichols, who died last month after he was brutally beaten by officers in a case that has intensified calls for police reform and led to emotional tributes in this Mississippi River city and around the country.
Minnesota woman pleads guilty to leaving newborn to die
January 26, 2023 GMTRED WING, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota woman admitted in a guilty plea Wednesday that she left her newborn baby boy to die on the banks of the Mississippi River in 2003.
Jennifer Matter, 50, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the baby's death.
Transgender Missouri inmate executed for fatal stabbing
January 4, 2023 GMTBONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri inmate was put to death Tuesday for a 2003 killing, in what is believed to be the first execution of a transgender woman in the U.S.
2 Louisiana teens die in crash with police car during chase
January 1, 2023 GMTBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Two teenagers were killed Saturday morning when their car was struck by a police cruiser chasing a stolen car in Louisiana, authorities said.
The victims were not involved in the chase and were hit by the Addis Police car near Baton Rouge, investigators told media outlets.
Soldier fatally shot at Georgia Army base; suspect arrested
December 12, 2022 GMTFORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) — A soldier was fatally shot Monday at an Army tank brigade's building complex at Fort Stewart in southeast Georgia, where authorities arrested a suspected gunman, officials said.
Work begins on new pump station on Bayou Lafourche
October 23, 2022 GMTDONALDSONVILLE, La. (AP) — Louisiana officials have broken ground for a critically needed $96 million pump station that could help revive the marshes and barrier islands that protect a large area of south Louisiana from hurricanes and sea level rise.
Small-town Missouri police chief charged in overdose death
October 20, 2022 GMTLOUISIANA, Mo. (AP) — The police chief in a small Missouri town has been charged with felony drug crimes after his girlfriend's brother was found dead from an apparent overdose in the police chief’s apartment.
Mississippi River’s low water level reveals shipwreck
October 18, 2022 GMTBATON ROUGE (AP) — A shipwreck has emerged along the banks of the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as water levels plummet — threatening to reach record lows in some areas.
The ship, which archaeologists believe to be a ferry that sunk in the late 1800s to early 1900s, was spotted by a Baton Rouge resident walking along the shore earlier this month.
Low water disrupts industry along lower Mississippi River
October 15, 2022 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Plummeting water levels in the lower Mississippi River are projected to drop even further in the weeks ahead, a projection shows, dampening the region's economic activity and potentially threatening jobs in one of the country's poorest states.
Avondale Shipyard rebranded, reopened after several setbacks
October 8, 2022 GMTAVONDALE, La. (AP) — The former Avondale Shipyards, where thousands of people once worked to build warships for the U.S. Navy, has now been relaunched as a new manufacturing and trans-shipment hub called Avondale Global Gateway.
Barges grounded by low water halt Mississippi River traffic
October 6, 2022 GMTThe unusually low water level in the lower Mississippi River is causing barges to get stuck in mud and sand, disrupting river travel for shippers, recreational boaters and even passengers on a cruise line.
Low water on the Mississippi River impacting barge traffic
September 29, 2022 GMTO'FALLON, Mo. (AP) — Parts of the Mississippi River are so low from weeks of drought that barge traffic is being limited at the worst possible time — as crop harvests begin.
Salt water creeps toward New Orleans up Mississippi River
September 29, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drought upriver has left the Mississippi River so low and slow that salt water is creeping farther than usual along the bottom toward New Orleans and threatening drinking water, the Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday.
Ferry closed due to low water levels on Mississippi River
September 16, 2022 GMTHICKMAN, Ky. (AP) — A ferry that carries vehicles across the Mississippi River between Kentucky and Missouri has closed temporarily due to low water levels, officials said.
When the river gets too low, it becomes difficult for vehicles to load and off-load from the Dorena-Hickman Ferry at both landings, the Kentucky Transportation Department said in a statement.
Tennessee man indicted in deaths of girlfriend, newborn
September 15, 2022 GMTMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A grand jury indicted a Tennessee man on charges of killing his girlfriend and their 2-day-old daughter, officials said Thursday.
Brandon Isabelle, 25, of Memphis, is accused of fatally shooting Danielle Hoyle, 27, and throwing the newborn into the Mississippi River, said Steve Mulroy, Shelby County district attorney.
Cruise ships makes first voyage down Mississippi River
September 7, 2022 GMTDUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A large cruise ship is making its way down the Mississippi River with stops in several Iowa cities.
The Viking Mississippi stopped Tuesday in Dubuque and pulled ashore Wednesday in Davenport with another stop planned in Burlington.
2 killed in crash of experimental plane in Wisconsin
September 7, 2022 GMTBAY CITY, Wis. (AP) — Two people have died in the crash of an experimental airplane in western Wisconsin, according to federal and local officials.
The Pierce County Sheriff's Office says the plane went down about 1:30 p.m.
Ferry between Missouri, Kentucky closed due to low water
August 29, 2022 GMTHICKMAN, Ky. (AP) — A ferry that carries vehicles across the Mississippi River between Kentucky and Missouri is closed temporarily due to low water, officials said.
The Kentucky Transportation Department said it has no timetable on when the Dorena-Hickman Ferry will resume operations.
Army Corps in Memphis names vessel in honor of engineer
August 23, 2022 GMTMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers river vessel has been named in honor of a civil engineer who worked in the Memphis division before he died of cancer last year, officials said.
Drought, sluggish Mississippi River make small dead zone
August 3, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drought made the Mississippi River sluggish and led to a smaller than average dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico — an area where there’s too little oxygen to support marine life, the scientist who's been measuring it for decades said Wednesday.
Big Louisiana coastal restoration projects continue
July 30, 2022 GMTBELLE CHASSE, La. (AP) — Louisiana has completed one of its biggest coastal restoration projects yet, and is at work on even bigger ones.
Corps’ Memphis district gets 2nd new commander in a month
July 26, 2022 GMTMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a new commander for the second time in about a month.
Col. Brian D. Sawser assumed command of the expansive district at a ceremony Friday in Memphis, the Corps said in a news release.
Trial for Iowa teen charged with killing teacher moved
July 20, 2022 GMTFAIRFIELD, Iowa (AP) — A trial for a 17-year-old teen charged with murder in the death of a southeast Iowa high school Spanish teacher will be moved to Davenport, a judge ordered Tuesday.
Mississippi teen recounts rescuing 4 people from drowning
July 9, 2022 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — When Corion Evans saw three people at a party, the 16-year-old never imagined he would save their lives a few hours later. But that's what happened in the early hours of Sunday when a car drove off a boat launch into a south Mississippi river.
River, park searched for missing 6-year-old Northfield girl
July 6, 2022 GMTNORTHFIELD, Minn. (AP) — Authorities are searching a portion of the Mississippi River and a surrounding park in Stearns County for a missing 6-year-old girl whose mother was found dead of an apparent suicide.
From ‘carp’ to ‘copi’: unpopular fish getting a makeover
June 22, 2022 GMTTRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — You're in the mood for fish and your server suggests a dish of invasive carp. Ugh, you might say. But how about broiled copi, fresh from the Mississippi River?
Kentucky motorists advised of lane closures; ferry reopens
June 20, 2022 GMTPADUCAH, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky transportation officials are advising motorists of lane closures on Interstate 75 and state highways during this coming week.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet also says the Dorena-Hickman Ferry connecting the state with Missouri across the Mississippi River has resumed operating.
Work starts on long-term I-55 project near key Memphis span
June 17, 2022 GMTMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Work has started in Tennessee on a $141 million project to build travel lanes and a roundabout intersection on the Interstate 55 interchange near a heavily traveled bridge connecting Memphis to Arkansas.
Army Corps of Engineers in Memphis changing commanders
June 14, 2022 GMTMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is getting a new commander.
Col. Zachary L. Miller will relinquish command to Lt. Col. Robert W. Green in a ceremony scheduled for Thursday, the Corps' Memphis district said in a news release.
Body of missing boater recovered from Mississippi River
June 13, 2022 GMTBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The body of a boater who was missing since last week has been recovered from the Mississippi River, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said Monday.
Howard Brown, 54, was reported missing near Baton Rouge after his boat sank Wednesday, The Advocate reported.
EPA to give $60M to 12 states to help curb water pollution
June 10, 2022 GMTDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The federal government said Friday that it will distribute $60 million among 12 states that have waterways that flow into the Mississippi River to help them control farm runoff and other pollution that contribute to a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
Missing Minnesota student found dead in Mississippi River
June 8, 2022 GMTST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A missing University of Minnesota student has been found dead in the Mississippi River in St. Paul.
The Pioneer Press reported Tuesday that 21-year-old Abdirihman Abdifatah Ali of Prior Lake was last seen June 1 on the U of M’s West Bank.
Southern U gets $7.6M to reduce erosion in ravine on campus
June 1, 2022 GMTBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Southern University is getting $7.6 million to reduce erosion in a 45-foot-deep (13.7-meter-deep) ravine through the Baton Rouge campus that threatens to drop university buildings into the Mississippi River, officials announced Wednesday.
Volunteer group suspends Mississippi River search for girl
May 19, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — After nearly a month, a search-and-rescue boaters’ group has suspended its search for an 8-year-old girl who fell into the Mississippi River last month, the group said Thursday.
$39 billion state budget quickly passed by state Senate
May 18, 2022 GMTBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A $39 billion state operating budget that includes teacher pay raises and a down payment on a proposed bridge across the Mississippi River at Baton Rouge was approved with little discussion Wednesday afternoon by the state Senate.
$1.5M bail for Minnesota woman accused in deaths of 2 babies
May 10, 2022 GMTRED WING, Minn. (AP) — Unconditional bail was set at $1.5 million Tuesday for the Minnesota woman charged with leaving her newborn son to die beside a lake nearly 20 years ago and who authorities say abandoned another infant in the Mississippi River years earlier.
Murder complaint: Minnesota woman abandoned 2 newborns
May 9, 2022 GMTRED WING, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota woman has been arrested and charged in the death of her newborn who was abandoned at a lake nearly 20 years ago, and in a criminal complaint acknowledged abandoning another newborn whose body was found in the Mississippi River years earlier, state and local officials said Monday.
Searchers find body of girl, 14, in Mississippi River
May 6, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Law enforcement crews have found the body of a 14-year-old girl who fell into the Mississippi River late last month, but her 8-year-old sister is still missing.
Alton Brown told WWL-TV that a body found Thursday is that of his daughter Brandy Wilson.
Grain elevator: Ruling lets slave descendants suit go ahead
April 29, 2022 GMTEDGARD, La. (AP) — Descendants of slaves who lived and toiled in southeastern Louisiana won a key ruling Thursday allowing their legal challenge to go forward against a $400 million grain elevator planned along the Mississippi River, although the company behind the project said it would likely appeal.
Fireball spotted over southern Mississippi, NASA confirms
April 28, 2022 GMTPORT GIBSON, Miss. (AP) — A loud boom prefaced a streaking fireball spotted in three Southern states, scientists confirmed Thursday.
More than 30 people in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi reported seeing the exceptionally bright meteor in the sky around 8 a.m.
Louisiana House panel advances budget; debate set Thursday
April 18, 2022 GMTBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A Louisiana House panel advanced a proposed state operating budget Monday that includes $148 million for pay raises for teachers and school support staff and $104 million for increases for higher education, but strips a proposed $100-per-month increase in state supplemental pay for local police and firefighters.
Gulf Coast, Mississippi River cities eager for flood funding
April 18, 2022 GMTST. LOUIS (AP) — When Hurricane Ida hit last summer, a storm surge overwhelmed a levee and gushed into Ted Falgout’s coastal Louisiana home, destroying his furniture and the beloved framed photos of his twin sons kissing him on their first day of school, then again when they graduated high school.
Mississippi man catches 131-pound catfish, sets state record
April 15, 2022 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Talk about a fish tale: A Mississippi man reeled in a massive blue catfish that set a state record.
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks said Eugene Cronley of Brandon caught the 131-pound (59.4-kilogram) fish April 7 in the Mississippi River near Natchez.
Utilities appeal ruling blocking line’s refuge crossing
March 23, 2022 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Developers of $492 million transmission line are appealing a federal judge's ruling that blocks the project's crossing through the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge.
Wreck of only sunken Gulf whaler discovered 190 years later
March 23, 2022 GMTRoughly 15 years before Herman Melville introduced the world to Moby Dick, a whaling ship from Massachusetts sank near the mouth of the Mississippi River.
Nearly 190 years later, experts say, it’s still the only whaler known to have gone down in the Gulf of Mexico, where the threat of enslavement at Southern ports posed a risk for Black and mixed-race men who often were part of whaling crews.
Mississippi River tow kicks off start of navigation season
March 21, 2022 GMTST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The first Mississippi River towboat has marked the unofficial start of the 2022 navigation season.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials say the Motor Vessel W. Red Harris was due to pass through Lock and Dam 3 near Welch on Monday afternoon.
‘Duck Dynasty’ star hunts Civil War artifacts in Mississippi
March 20, 2022 GMTVICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) — One of the stars of the A&E show “Duck Dynasty” is filming a new show about the hidden treasures of metal detecting.
Jase Robertson was recently in Vicksburg on a hunt to look for Civil War artifacts, The Vicksburg Post reported.
Body of university student recovered from river in La Crosse
March 18, 2022 GMTLA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) — The body of a university student who had been missing for nearly a month has been recovered from the Mississippi River in La Crosse.
Officials had been searching for 25-year-old Hamud Faal since Feb.
Viking Mississippi cruise ship touches water for first time
March 9, 2022 GMTHOUMA, La. (AP) — A Swiss company’s plan to offer tourists cruises along the length of the Mississippi River drew a step closer to reality this week as its new 386-passenger ship was floated out of a south Louisiana shipyard.
Mississippi River hits mark barring most nearby construction
March 4, 2022 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Mississippi River hit a mark on Friday that bars most construction work near levees and triggers frequent inspections of those levees.
The river edged two-hundredths of an inch (half a millimeter) above the trigger — a depth of 11 feet (3.3 meters) at the gauge near the Corps’ New Orleans building.