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HATTIESBURG, Miss (THN News) - While some families were celebrating the 4th of July in Hattiesburg, others families were experiencing tragedy late Friday Night. Fireworks remain dangerous and can easily cause a fire. That appears to be the case in Piedmont Apartments. An apartment was destroyed as a result of a house fire. It is under investigation. There was a shooting that took place at Nostalgia Bar & Lounge late Friday Night off Hwy 49. Unconfirmed reports from witnesses claim someone was shot in the face. There were allegedly 2 victims that were shot. Forrest County Coronor Lisa Klems confirmed no one was killed as a result of the shooting despite social media posts saying otherwise. According to the coroner “everyone survived.” A hero to many and a giant in the community, local music artist known as Jay Waters died late Friday night. Jay, a talented musician who also served as an assistant band director with Hattiesburg High Tigers Marching Band, died at the hospital as a result of an ongoing health issue according to people familiar with the matter. As well wishes begin to pour in on social media, Jay is being remembered as was one of the most beloved and humble people in the community, giving back to his community by investing his time teaching the next generation of leaders how to play the art of music he so dearly loved. More details about all 3 of these stories coming soon. To stay up to date all of the latest news, subscribe to our platform, follow us on social media (Instagram & Facebook) at @TheHattiesburgNews.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (THN News) - Summer temperatures are finally here. This week, temperatures are expected in the high 90's all week. Outside of today there is no rain chance of rain this week. Let's take a look at the next few days including this afternoon. A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Sunny, with a steady temperature around 90. Heat index values as high as 99. Calm wind becoming east southeast around 5 mph. Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 73. Calm wind. Monday A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 94. Heat index values as high as 100. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 72. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Tuesday A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 95. Calm wind becoming east southeast around 5 mph in the morning. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 72. Calm wind. Wednesday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 96. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph. Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 72. Calm wind.

President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House in Washington, Saturday, June 21, 2025, after the U.S. military struck three Iranian nuclear and military sites, directly joining Israel’s effort to decapitate the country’s nuclear program, as Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listen. (Carlos Barria/Pool via AP) TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The United States struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into Israel’s war aimed at destroying the country’s nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe despite fears of a wider regional conflict. Addressing the nation from the White House, President Donald Trump asserted that Iran’s key nuclear were “completely and fully obliterated.” There was no independent damage assessment. It was not clear whether the U.S. would continue attacking Iran alongside its ally Israel, which has been engaged in a nine-day war with Iran. Trump acted without congressional authorization , and he warned that there would be additional strikes if Tehran retaliated against U.S. forces. “There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran,” he said. Iran’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, warned in a post on X that the U.S. attacks “will have everlasting consequences” and that Tehran “reserves all options” to retaliate. Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations called for an emergency Security Council meeting to discuss what he described as the U.S.’s “heinous attacks and illegal use of force” against Iran. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said that the U.N.’s most powerful body must “take all necessary measures” to hold the U.S. accountable under international law and the U.N. charter. The U.N. nuclear watchdog said later that there has been “no increase in off-site radiation levels” at the locations that the U.S. hit. The International Atomic Energy Agency sent the message via the social platform X. A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, assigned to the 509th/131st Bomb Wings out of Whiteman Air Force Base, performs a flyover of Barnes-Jewish Hospital May 8, 2020, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File) Early Sunday morning Israel alerted the public of an Iranian missile launch and urged people to take shelter. Sirens sounded in Jerusalem a short while later and a series of booms were heard. Iranian has been firing missile barrages at Israel since the war began but they have decreased in size as Israel targets Tehran’s missile launchers. The Islamic Republic may also be keeping some arms in reserve. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran confirmed that attacks took place on its Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz sites, but it insisted that its work will not be stopped. Iran said there were no signs of radioactive contamination at the three locations and no danger to nearby residents. Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a bomb. However, Trump and Israeli leaders have claimed that Iran could quickly assemble a nuclear weapon, making it an imminent threat. The decision to directly involve the U.S. in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that aimed to systematically eradicate the country’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said American stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound (13,500-kilogram) bunker-buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground. This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows vehicles at the Fordo enrichment facility in Iran on Friday, June 20, 2025. (Maxar Technologies via AP) “We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Trump said in a post on social media. “All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.” Trump added in a later post: “This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s decision to attack in a video message directed at the American president. “Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities, with the awesome and righteous might of the United States, will change history,” he said. Netanyahu said the U.S. “has done what no other country on earth could do.” Israel announced Sunday that it would close the country’s airspace to both inbound and outbound flights in the wake of the U.S. attacks. The war has disrupted air travel throughout the Middle East. The White House and Pentagon did not immediately elaborate on the operation. U.S. military leaders are scheduled to provide a briefing at 8 a.m. Eastern. The attack used bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant that is built deep into a mountain, a U.S. official said. The weapons are designed to penetrate the ground before exploding. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. In addition, U.S. submarines launched about 30 Tomahawk missiles, according to another U.S. official who also spoke on condition of anonymity. The strikes are a perilous decision, as Iran has pledged to retaliate if the U.S. joined the Israeli assault, and for Trump personally. He won the White House on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts and scoffed at the value of American interventionism. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “gravely alarmed” by the “dangerous escalation” of American strikes. “There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control — with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,” he said in a statement. Trump told reporters Friday that he was not interested in sending ground forces into Iran, saying it’s “the last thing you want to do.” He had previously indicated that he would make a final choice over the course of two weeks. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the United States on Wednesday that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will “result in irreparable damage for them.” And Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei declared “any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region.” Trump has vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, and he had initially hoped that the threat of force would bring the country’s leaders to give up its nuclear program peacefully. The Israeli military said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran’s foreign minister warned before the U.S. attack that American military involvement “would be very, very dangerous for everyone.” The prospect of a wider war loomed. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they would resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joined Israel’s military campaign. The Houthis paused such attacks in May under a deal with the U.S. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Trump planned to make his decision on the strikes within two weeks. Instead, he struck just two days later. Trump appears to have made the calculation — at the prodding of Israeli officials and many Republican lawmakers — that Israel’s operation had softened the ground and presented a perhaps unparalleled opportunity to set back Iran’s nuclear program, perhaps permanently. The Israelis say their offensive has already crippled Iran’s air defenses, allowing them to significantly degrade multiple Iranian nuclear sites. But to destroy the Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant , Israel appealed to Trump for the bunker-busting American bomb known as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which uses its weight and sheer kinetic force to reach deeply buried targets and then explode. The bomb is currently delivered only by the B-2 stealth bomber, which is only found in the American arsenal. It was the first combat use of the weapon. The bomb carries a conventional warhead, and is believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet (61 meters) below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast. The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, raising the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to hit the facility. Previous Israeli strikes at another Iranian nuclear site, Natanz, on a centrifuge site have caused contamination only at the site itself, not the surrounding area, the IAEA has said. Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 865 people and wounded 3,396 others, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. The group said of those dead, it identified 363 civilians and 215 security force personnel. Trump’s decision for direct U.S. military intervention comes after his administration made an unsuccessful two-month push — including with high-level, direct negotiations with the Iranians — aimed at persuading Tehran to curb its nuclear program. For months, Trump said he was dedicated to a diplomatic push to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. And he twice — in April and again in late May — persuaded Netanyahu to hold off on military action against Iran and give diplomacy more time. All the while, Trump has gone from publicly expressing hope that the moment could be a “second chance” for Iran to make a deal to delivering explicit threats on Khamenei and making calls for Tehran’s unconditional surrender. The military showdown with Iran comes seven years after Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-administration brokered agreement in 2018, calling it the “worst deal ever.” The 2015 deal, signed by Iran, U.S. and other world powers, created a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limited Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Trump decried the Obama-era deal for giving Iran too much in return for too little, because the agreement did not cover Iran’s non-nuclear malign behavior. Trump has bristled at criticism from some of his MAGA faithful who have suggested that further U.S. involvement would be a betrayal to supporters who were drawn to his promise to end U.S. involvement in expensive and endless wars.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (THN News) - Family, friends, and supporters of Donivan Barnes will be having their first protest this Saturday, June 21 at 3:00pm. The protest, known as the 2nd Annual Mississippi March, will walk from Martin Luther King Church on Martin Luther King Avenue to Vernon Dahmer Park. People are asked to start arriving at 2:00pm who want to participate in the march. The march will stop at Rowan school and again at St. James church on the corner of JC Killingsworth & Country Club Rd. The march will end at Vernon Dahmer Park followed by a cookout at 4pm and a candle-light at 8:00pm. Questions? Tap here or call Dana Johnson 601.270.3884 or Santana Moore 601.596.2239. Why Is This Protest So Important? The Mississippi Attorney General's office will be watching. The Attorney General's office is deciding whether or not to reopen the investigation into the killing of Donivan Barnes. If enough of the community come out, the Attorney General's office will reopen the case and start a new investigation, as the protest itself will show how important not just black lives, but the lost of any life is important and that every community should receives justice. History in the Making This will be the first time in decades that the Attorney General has investigated a case in Lamar County. The Lamar County District Attorney Hal Kittrell personally wrote a letter welcoming the Attorney General to investigate any and all circumstances around the Donvian Barnes death, after meeting with Donivan's family who provided additional evidence that included local government officials helping to coverup or attempting to coverup Donivan's death. Kittrell promised in his letter to cooperate by any means necessary with the new investigation by the state which could be damning for Lamar County and The City of Hattiesburg.

TAYLORSVILLE, Miss. (THN News) - More details are surfacing about the killing in Taylorsville where another black man has ended up dead. According to previous news reports, a white man pulled over to attempt to help Austin Jones who was allegedly stranded on the road. That's when Austin allegedly tried to rob a white man, whom the Taylorsville Police Chief Gabe Horn called a "Good Samaritan" for one of 3 guns in his car. However, new details have surfaced. The Good Samaritan allegedly is a convicted felon and has a history of violence including trying to run over a minor. In Mississippi, it is illegal for a convicted felon to be in a possession of a firearm. According to sources, he admitted to police that he had 3 guns in the car which is not only a crime but an enhanced penalty if that weapon is used in the commission of a crime. The "Good Samaritan" has not been arrested for possession of a firearm. We reached out to Taylorsville Police Department for questions, a comment of the story, or to a least give the name of the "Good Samaritan" but the police department disconnected our call 3 times and said they couldn't give the name of the "Good Samaritan" in order to protect him and his family. They instead told Hattiesburg News to call the victim's family if we wanted to know the name of The "Good Samaritan." This is a developing story.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. ( THN News )- People celebrating Juneteenth this weekend in Hattiesburg is encouraged to go to Vernon Dahmer Park for the 2nd Annual Juneteenth Cookout. People are encourage to bring out their tents, grills, coolers, music, and lawn chairs to enjoy the community. The cookout will feature a baseball tournament, swimming, music, and instead of a fireworks show, there will be a candle light at 8:00pm in honor of anyone who's lost someone. Juneteenth Weekend begins with the 2nd Annual Mississippi March led by the Justice for Donivan Barnes supporters, including his family and friends. Vendors are welcome but there is no charge to be a vendor at this year's event. For more information tap here or call Dana Johnson 601.270.3884 or Erica Moore 596.2239.

Hattiesburg, MS - The Hattiesburg City Council held a public hearing at its regular scheduled council meeting in which the city wants to destroy Mt. Carmel Baptist Church as the city claims the building itself is potentially dangerous to the community. The pastor of Mt. Carmel Ministries, Civil Rights Leader, The Reverend Kenneth Fairly and supporters pushed back strong with support from other African American leaders and community stake holders. Also at stake, Councilman Elect Eric Boney may be forced to resign before taking office if the city council don't approve an agreement that extends a contract for the city's employee clinic that his wife manages as a nurse practitioner, stripping away the votes of 100's of voters who elected him to serve their community. The City Council will meet again Tuesday to make its final decisions.

Hattiesburg, MS - The Juneteenth Weekend is almost here and it's coming in with a bang. As a large crowd is expected to gather at the park in celebration of Juneteenth, vendors are also welcomed for free. Anyone who wants to be a vendor however, must sign up to be a vendor. You can sign up to be a vendor during Juneteenth Weekend by tapping here . For more information about Juneteenth Weekend, including the events, times, locations, and signup, tap here. Once vendors complete the vendors application, vendors are asked to give a donation of any size to help power not only the event which highlights the injustice towards African Americans, specifically in the case of Donvian Barnes. Juneteenth Weekend is a 3 in 1 event, hoping to bring the community together to not only continue to fight for justice but also to honor those who've help pave the way and those who continue to uplift the African American Culture. Yes, anyone can be a vendor and sell anything at the park! Questions, contact Dana Johnson 601.270.3884 or Erica Moore 601.596.2239.

Hattiesburg, MS - The Lamar County District Attorney Hal Kittrell has officially invited the Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch to take over the Donvian Barnes case. The DA asked the Attorney General for a new investigation into the death of Donvian Barnes after completing a "post-presentment of the review of the file" according to a multiple sources who've seen a multi-page letter the District Attorney personally sent to both Donivan's family and the Attorney General. The letter itself is significant for 2 reasons. Most importantly, by law, the District Attorney must give the Attorney General permission to investigate or take over the case that is within their district. The District Attorney did grant the attorney general permission in the letter to conduct "any investigation or review any of the circumstances surrounding the death" of Donivan Barnes. Secondly, this is only the 2nd time in over 40+ years that District Attorney Hal Kittrell has ever asked for the Attorney General's office to investigate a case. That alone is not only significant, but historical. This is a developing story.

SILVIS, Ill . – No. 16 William Carey posted rounds of 301, 287, and 299 to finish in 11th place at the 2025 NAIA Men's Golf National Championship. The 11th place finish marks the highest finish for the Crusaders in the Championship.  After rain on day one shortened the event to three rounds, Carey got the tournament underway on Wednesday with  Chase Guillot  leading the way with a one over 72 to sit in 28th place while  Alessio Graziani  posted a 75. The second round saw WCU post their best score of the tournament to end the day in 13th place. Guillot improved on his round one score with a two under 69 to climb 16 spots on the leaderboard. Graziani also moved up the leaderboard with a one over 72 while  Diego Leslie  made the biggest move of the day after carding a one under 70 to climb 54 spots.  In the final round, the Crusaders continued their climb, moving up two spots to 11th. Guillot stumbled a bit, dropping to 21st with a six over 77. Leslie carried the momentum from round two into the final day, posting a one over 72 to finish in 31st place. 21. 21.  Chase Guillot                      72, 69, 77 31.  Diego Leslie                        78, 70, 72 43.  Alessio Graziani                  75, 72, 76 60.  Hunter Bell                          77, 76, 75 67. Ongsa Booncharn              77, 78, 76

Columbia, MS- The head of the Forrest County Democrat Party has been arrested and jailed at the Marion County Detention Center for "kidnapping." Martaze Hammond, the chairman of the Forrest County Democrat Executive Committee was arrested on Friday, May 23, 2025 by the Marion County Sheriff's Department. He was booked and immediatley bonded out. Less than a year ago, another Forrest County Democrat, David Breland, who was the Forrest County Circuit Clerk Democratic Nominee, was also arrested and sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of a hit and run in Hattiesburg, MS. Tuesday, May 27, The Forrest County Democrats will host a Town Hall at Jackie Dole Community Center featuring United States Congressman Bennie Thompson. This is a developing story.

Pictured: Suspect Andrew David Cook accused of killing Donvian Barnes, a 26 year old black man on Friday, October 6, 2023 in Hattiesburg, MS. Photo Credit: Lamar County Sheriff Department Hattiesburg, MS - Sources say the government is very unsettled and troubled by the demands and accusations made by Donivan Barnes family and the 24 hour timeline given by the family to re-open Donivan Barnes case. According to people familiar with the case, Donvian Barnes case was deem closed as of Friday, March 6, 2025 when the DA's office dropped all charges against suspect Andrew David Cook after the grand jury did not indict suspect Andrew David Cook citing not enough evidence. The Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel told the family he would review the case to see if other charges could apply after the grand jury did not indict Andrew David Cook but ultimately told the family 2 weeks later he would not re-investigate the case and the case would remain closed. Sources say officials will more than likely respond to the the family's demand within the next 72 hours. What they will say is not known.