Mississippi

Mississippi tornado and storms kill at least 23 - state officials

Reuters reports four people were missing following the twister, which left a trail of damage for more than 161km (100 miles).

The tornado struck Silver City, a town of 200 people in western Mississippi, as well as Rolling Fork, with a population of 1700, which was hardest hit. Parts of the state remain under tornado warning.

"At least twenty three Mississippians were killed by last night's violent tornados," Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves wrote on Twitter.

Deadly tornadoes batter southern US states

Tornadoes touched down in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi.

On Sunday, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agenda confirmed deaths across three counties.

In Louisiana, a number of homes were destroyed in the city of Monroe, with the city's official social media account initially reporting only minor injuries.

The National Weather Service said severe thunderstorms were likely through late Sunday into Monday, in particular across parts of Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.

Funeral home 'refused' to cremate gay man

John "Jack" Zawadski, 82, and his nephew filed a lawsuit against the Picayune Funeral Home's owners seeking damages for breach of contract and emotional distress.

The lawsuit accuses them of backing out of a verbal agreement to provide final services for Zawadski's husband, Robert Huskey, in May 2016 after discovering he was gay. The reversal compounded the family's grief and left them scrambling for alternatives. The only provider they could find was 90 miles away, the lawsuit alleges, leading the family to cancel Huskey's memorial.

Police: College shooting suspect left note of apology

Shannon Lamb called 911 on Monday, telling a dispatcher he had killed 41-year-old Amy Prentiss at the home they shared in Gautier. In the call, Lamb refuses to give his name but says that family contact information can be found on Prentiss' phone. 

He says that their dog is still in the house, and "he's a sweet dog and he's not going to bother anybody but I'm sure he's upset."

Former President Bush arrives in Mississippi

Bush spoke Friday, saluting then-Gov. Haley Barbour, as well as U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker and former Sen. Trent Lott.

Sheriff: Man fatally shoots defendant waiting at courthouse

The suspect has been arrested and is in jail, Madison County Sheriff Randy Tucker said, but he declined to identify him or the victim.

Tucker and Madison County District Attorney Michael Guest said they don't know why the suspect would have shot the other man. The victim was expected to appear in court on drug charges, but he was not a witness or a suspect in other current criminal cases, Guest said.