JACKSON, MS - Today, the Mississippi Department of Health expanded the eligibility criteria for COVID-19 vaccinations to include ALL Mississippians aged 16 or older. That means that most residents of Smith County are now eligible for vaccination.

If you are 18 or older, you can be vaccinated at any of the state's drive-thru sites at no cost. Persons younger than 18 should make a drive-through site appointment by calling 877-978-6453, or visit a private healthcare provider for COVID-19 vaccination to ensure that they receive a vaccine approved for their age.

If you have had severe reactions from previous vaccines or injectable medications, please consult with your doctor or a private medical provider about vaccination, rather than visiting an MSDH drive-through site.

You can use this interactive map to find a vaccination site near you: Find a Vaccine - Mississippi State Department of Health

RALEIGH, MS - A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for Smith County until 6:00AM on Tuesday as Winter Storm Uri is expected to bring a once-in-25-year ice storm to the area. Heavy mixed wintry precipitation is expected. Total snow and sleet accumulations of up to 6 inches and ice accumulations of one quarter to one half of an inch are possible. Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice. Travel could be nearly impossible. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning and evening commute times. Very cold wind chills as low as 5 degrees below zero could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken.

On top of the significant icing event tomorrow, a surge of dangerously cold arctic air is expected to reach the area late tonight and linger through Wednesday. This will be a long duration of very cold conditions and dangerous wind chill readings as low as several degrees below zero with the coldest temperatures expected Tuesday morning. This is prohibit any ice on roadways from melting, and what may melt will quickly refreeze.

Your county is ready to respond if accumulation of ice causes disruptions of public services. Prepare for several days without power. Make sure you are prepared as well.

- Stock up on water, food, and firewood.
- Get fuel for generators and make a plan to use them safely.
- Protect your pets, plants and pipes.
- Check on your elderly, family and neighbors.
- Have a heat source.
- Stay off roads, black ice is deadly and very dangerous.

County Road Crews in Beat 1 and Beat 4 have already begun applying slag to bridges along county roads. Slag is a loose gravel material that helps promote traction. MDOT has been working around the clock monitoring the state highway system and applying salt brine and slag where needed. 

No amount of slag or salt brine will prevent a roadway from icing. The safest way to avoid a accident during winter conditions is to stay at home. If you must travel, drive extremely slow, and allow plenty of extra time to brake.

If you lose power and need warmth, all of our county fire departments have been working alongside the Smith County Emergency Management Agency to open their stations for residents to come in and warm up. These stations will ONLY be opened if power is lost. In addition, Taylorsville Mayor Kellie Phipps has announced that if the Taylorsville Fire Station becomes overcrowded, additional space will be available at the National Guard Armory. Additional warming stations will be available and can be found below.

Smith County Multi-Purpose Building
131 Oil Field Road (County Road 77)
Raleigh, MS 39153

Raleigh Volunteer Fire Department
305A Magnolia Drive
Raleigh, MS 39153

Sylvarena Volunteer Fire Department
118 Old School Drive
Raleigh, MS 39153

Polkville Volunteer Fire Department
6386 Highway 13
Morton, MS 39117

Pineville Volunteer Fire Department
9397 Highway 501
Forest, MS 39074

Mize Volunteer Fire Department
115 Cedar Street
Mize, MS 39116

Taylorsville Volunteer Fire Department
200 Eureka Street
Taylorsville, MS 39168

Taylorsville National Guard Armory (Backup)
902 Spring Street
Taylorsville, MS 39168

We encourage everyone to stay inside and stay warm. We are ready to respond to any need you may have. 

RALEIGH, MS - This week, crews with the Beat 1 Supervisor's Office closed two seperate sections of County Road 19 for two improvement projects.

The first closure is from the junction of County Road 84 south to County Road 19-G in the Center Ridge community. This closure has no set completion date at this moment, and we expect the project to take several weeks. 

The second closure is within Taylorsville at the Fisher Creek bridge. This bridge has been structurally deficient for a period of time now, and was allocated funds to be replaced under the Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund that the Mississippi Legislature authorized during the 2018 Extraordinary Session.

This closure will be a long-duration event that involves the complete replacement of the bridge. Access to homes on County Road 19 between the northern closure and the southern closure can be made via State Route 37 and County Road 72.

We understand that these closures will be a inconvenience for several months, but we ask for the patience of the traveling public as we work to improve Smith County's transportation network.

RALEIGH, MS - The 2020 election cycle is well underway and voters need to make plans to vote safely, and securely. The goal of the Smith County Election Commission and Circuit Clerk Anthony Grayson is to conduct a safe and fair election.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted several changes to state election laws. Please review the following information to ensure you are well aware of current procedures and guidelines regarding the 2020 General Election.

• The absentee voting exception for those with a temporary or permanent physical disability, which is an eligible excuse for mail-in absentee voting, now includes, but is not limited to, those who are under a physician-imposed quarantine, or those who are caring for a dependent who is under a physician-imposed quarantine, due to COVID-19. 
• Mail-in absentee ballots may be received up to five (5) business days after the election IF the envelope is postmarked on or before the date of the election. 
• Absentee ballots will now be the final vote, which means those who vote absentee may not appear on Election Day and cast a regular ballot.
• Smith County is working closely with the Mississippi Secretary of State's office to ensure in-person voting on Election Day is as safe as possible. Each poll manager will be equipped with masks, gloves, and face shields, while hand sanitizer and single-use pens and/or styluses will be available for all voters. Additionally, a limited number of masks will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis for voters who do not have their own.

Absentee ballots are available by request, and should be requested as early as possible to ensure your vote is returned in time for counting. Due to COVID-19, the state expects to see a uptick in mailed ballots, and the Postal Service advises everyone to allow ample time for your ballot to reach the Circuit Clerk's office.

If you need an absentee ballot, you may contact the Circuit Clerk's office at 601-782-4751. 

• For a list of FAQ regarding the election and COVID-19, click here.
• For information about safety at the polls, click here.
• For a complete step-by-step guide to voting by mail in Mississippi, click here.

This year brings several ballot initiatives, and we encourage all voters to read over the sample ballot, understand the initiatives, and familiarize yourself with the language BEFORE Election Day. You can view a sample ballot below.

We want every voter to have ample opportunity to participate in the democratic process that makes our nation so special. If you have any questions or concerns about voting this year, please reach out to the Circuit Clerk's office so we can assist you. You can contact the Circuit Clerk's office at 601-782-4751 or by email at acraft@co.smith.ms.us

RALEIGH, MS - Over the weekend, Tropical Depression Nineteen moved off the coast of Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico, becoming Tropical Storm Sally. Sally is expected to continue strengthening and make landfall south of New Orleans, Louisiana sometime next week. Currently, a Hurricane Warning is in effect for all of the Mississippi coastal counties with a hurricane watch and tropical storm watch extending further inland.

At 11:00 AM EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Sally was located near latitude 27.5N, longitude 84.9W, or about 280 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Sally is moving toward the west-northwest near 12 mph, and a west-northwestward or northwestward motion is expected through Monday. A decrease in forward speed and a turn toward the north-northwest is forecast on Monday night, and slow north-northwestward motion is expected Tuesday. On the forecast track, the center of Sally will move over the eastern Gulf of Mexico today, move over the north-central Gulf of Mexico tonight and Monday, and approach the north-central Gulf Coast within the hurricane warning area late Monday and Monday night. Sally is expected to move farther inland over southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday and Tuesday night. Data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that the maximum sustained winds have increased to near 60 mph with higher gusts. Strengthening is expected over the next day or so, and Sally is forecast to become a hurricane on Monday, with some additional strengthening possible before landfall Monday night. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles primarily to the east of the center. The latest minimum central pressure estimated from reconnaissance aircraft data is 998 mb.

It is imperative that you plan now for potential hurricane conditions next week. Once again, we find ourselves on the upper right side of a landfalling tropical system, which contains the greatest hazards. You can find information on how to plan for a tropical system by downloading the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency's 2020 Hurricane Preparedness Guide here.

Should an evacuation be ordered for the Gulf Coast, please make yourself aware of the evacuation routes.

Evacuation routes in coastal Mississippi are:
- Interstate 10
- Interstate 110
- Interstate 59
- US Highway 90
- US Highway 49
- US Highway 98
- State Route 43
- State Route 603
- State Route 53
- State Route 605
- State Route 67
- State Route 15
- State Route 609
- State Route 57
- State Route 63

While an evacuation would not be expected for Smith County, evacuation routes in Smith County include:
- State Route 35
- State Route 28
- State Route 13

For around the clock updates, follow Smith County Emergency Management on Facebook.

RALEIGH, MS - Tropical Storm Laura has formed in the Caribbean and Tropical Depression Thirteen has formed in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Both systems are slated to move into the Gulf of Mexico and will pose a threat to the Mississippi Gulf Coast next week. As such, we will begin issuing daily alerts on this rare situation as it moves closer to the Gulf Coast. 

At 10AM CDT, the center of Tropical Storm Laura was located near latitude 17.0N, longitude 60.2W. Laura is moving toward the west near 18 mph and a generally west-northwestward motion at a faster forward speed is expected over the next couple of days. On the forecast track, the center of Laura will move near or over the northern Leeward Islands later today, near or over Puerto Rico Saturday morning, and near the northern coast of Hispaniola late Saturday and early Sunday. Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph with higher gusts. Some slow strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150 miles from the center. The minimum central pressure estimated from NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft observations is 1007 mb (29.74 inches).

At 10AM CDT, the center of Tropical Depression Fourteen was located near latitude 16.6N, longitude 84.1W. The depression is moving toward the northwest near 14 mph. A slower northwestward motion is expected over the next couple of days, followed by an increase in speed by Sunday and Monday. On the forecast track, the center of the depression will move away from the coast of Honduras today and will approach the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico on Saturday. The center will then cross the northeastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula Saturday night and move over the central Gulf of Mexico toward the northwestern Gulf on Sunday and Monday. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days, and the depression is expected to become a tropical storm later today. The system is forecast to be near or at hurricane strength when it reaches the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico late Saturday. Some weakening is expected as it moves over the Yucatan Peninsula Saturday night. Afterward, strengthening is forecast on Sunday as it moves offshore and enters the southern Gulf of Mexico. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1008 mb (29.77 inches).

It is imperative that you plan now for potential hurricane conditions. This is a rare situation and Mississippi will feel the impacts from two tropical cyclones only 24-48 hours apart from each other. You can find information on how to plan for a tropical system by downloading the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency's 2020 Hurricane Preparedness Guide here.

Should an evacuation be ordered for the Gulf Coast, please make yourself aware of the evacuation routes.

Evacuation routes in coastal Mississippi are:
- Interstate 10
- Interstate 110
- Interstate 59
- US Highway 90
- US Highway 49
- US Highway 98
- State Route 43
- State Route 603
- State Route 53
- State Route 605
- State Route 67
- State Route 15
- State Route 609
- State Route 57
- State Route 63

While an evacuation would not be expected for Smith County, evacuation routes in Smith County include:
- State Route 35
- State Route 28
- State Route 13

We will issue the next update at 10AM tomorrow.

RALEIGH, MS - As Mississippi experiences a surge in COVID-19 cases that are overwhelming hospitals, we wanted to take a few moments and update you on where the county stands, and what the data says about spread within the county.

As of 6:00PM CDT, on August 3rd, the Mississippi Department of Health is reporting 385 cases of COVID-19 within Smith County, 13 deaths due to COVID-19, 54 of those 385 cases are within long-term care facilities, and 8 of those 13 deaths are from LTCFs. This represents a 220% increase in cases since our last COVID-19 update that we gave on May 19th. 

What this tells us is that community transmission is ongoing, COVID-19 is still being spread, and largely social distancing protocols and mask-wearing measures are being ignored.

Many Mississippians are confused by the orders currently in place, and what has been rescinded. The Office of the Governor has released a cheat sheet that outlines these details, and we encourage every Smith Countian to look it over and familiarize yourself with the current measures.

​Ultimately, the facts and the science has not changed. COVID-19 has not disappeared, it will not simply vanish, and it is not a hoax. We remain steadfast in our goal to curb community spread, prevent long-term hospital overload, and stand united to help protect ourselves, our neighbors, and our communities.

Social distancing, proper hygiene, and mask-wearing are our best tools against COVID-19 at this time, and will remain that way until a vaccine is developed and widely available. We encourage every Smith Countian to mask up, and practice social distancing. It is the absolute best thing you can do on a personal level for your community, your county, state, and your country.

You can view detailed data on the current state of COVID-19 spread within Smith County, including data relating to cases by race, sex, etc. below. Data was aggregated by the Mississippi Department of Health and is accurate as of August 1st, 2020.