Things To Know Tuesday, January 31

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - If you missed a few of the most important headlines and need to play catch up, no worries. WLBT has gathered some of the top stories from our website to get you up to speed.

1. Gov. Tate Reeves says state of our state is ‘stronger than ever’

Gov. Tate Reeves delivered his State of the State address Monday evening. “The state of our state is stronger than ever,” said Reeves. As is customary, Governor Tate Reeves used part of his time to brag on the state. And these metrics set the stage for his calls to action for lawmakers. “The way we measure our successes is in the wages of our workers, success of our students and winning the war on our values,” noted Reeves. By our count, he gave a total of four direct asks to the legislature. But first, a personal commitment to keep fighting for full elimination of the state income tax. As for the direct asks... “Calling on the legislature to pass a Parents’ Bill of Rights this session,” he said. Reeves referenced schools not requiring pronouns be used that “fail to correspond with reality.” As part of that discussion, he railed against some ideas surrounding transgender young people.

2. 2 EMTs, lieutenant involved in Tyre Nichols’ assault fired

Both EMTs and a lieutenant who made the scene of Tyre Nichols’ assault have been fired according to a statement released from Fire Chief Gina Sweat. On Jan. 7 at 8:31 p.m., Memphis Fire Dispatch (MFD) received a call from the Memphis Police Department (MPD) to respond to a person being pepper sprayed at the intersection of East Raines Road and Ross Road. Per MFD protocol, First Responder company Engine 55 was dispatched at 8:32 p.m. and arrived on the scene at East Raines Road at 8:36 p.m. After an initial conversation with a police officer at that location, Engine 55 was directed to the second location on Ross Road and Castlegate Lane. EMT-Basic Robert Long and EMT-Advance JaMicheal Sandridge made the scene where Tyre Nichols was located handcuffed on the ground and leaning against a police vehicle approximately at 8:41 p.m. The driver of Engine 55, Lieutenant Michelle Whitaker, remained inside the fire engine.

3. Mississippi State Trooper charged after allegedly shooting, killing neighbor’s dog

The Mississippi Highway Patrol trooper under investigation for allegedly killing his neighbor’s dog now faces animal cruelty charges. Trooper Raphael McClain is on administrative leave without pay pending the outcome of the investigation. Investigators say McClain is charged with aggravated cruelty to a dog or cat and simple cruelty. Joey and Natalie Knight are accusing McClain of shooting and killing their 9-year-old dog, Sipsey. Due to it being a personnel matter, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety isn’t making any comments.

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