Jackson Free Press

The NFL preseason will officially kickoff tonight with six games on the schedule. That is good news for the league after the Hall of Fame game was cancelled on Sunday.

Tonight is the first preseason game for the New Orleans Saints after a season last year that ended with a 7-9 record and the team missing the playoffs. New Orleans had to watch division rival, Carolina Panthers, reach the Super Bowl.

New Orleans will start the preseason on the road against the New England Patriots. Both teams have spent some time this week holding joint practices before tonight’s game.

While waiting for the game to kickoff tonight, here are five things to watch when both teams take the field.

The Saints backup quarterback job:

New Orleans starting quarterback Drew Brees more than likely won’t play more than four series. It wouldn’t be surprising if he is done after just one series, with this being the first preseason game.

That means the bulk of the work will go to backups Luke McCown and Garrett Grayson. McCown was the man behind Brees’ last season and wasn’t terrible in the spot work he got when the quarterback was out with an injury.

While McCown wasn’t horrible last season, he wasn’t nearly the player Brees is when he is healthy. He looks to have the backup job locked down, but it would be nice if he had a good showing this preseason.

Grayson, on the other hand, is entering his second year after the Saints drafted him in the third round of the 2015 draft with the 75th overall pick. He showed some nice things last preseason, but was nowhere near ready to be backup or looked to be the heir apparent to Brees.

Grayson’s growth will be one of the major things to watch this preseason. He should start to push McCown for the backup job before this season ends.

If he doesn’t show growth as a quarterback as the preseason progresses, then the Saints might have to use another draft pick this spring. It would work out best for New Orleans if Grayson developed to be the next quarterback after Brees’ time with the Saints is done.

The Patriots look to start Jimmy Garoppolo over Tom Brady:

Since Brady is suspended for the first four games of the season, it makes a ton of sense for the Patriots to start the third-year quarterback. Garoppolo was drafted to be the next quarterback after Brady retires.

As he enters his third season in the NFL, it is time for Garoppolo to show he can play. He also might be auditioning for a new job elsewhere.

This game loses some luster, as only one of the two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks will see the field tonight, and limited action as well.

Will the defense improve over 2015?

The New Orleans defense was terrible last season. If this year’s team …

Charles Barkley once made headlines for declaring in a Nike ad in 1993 that he wasn’t a role model. Good thing for Sir Charles that he didn’t have to play for the Dutch gymnastics association and the Dutch Olympic Committee.

The Netherlands tossed Dutch gymnast Yuri van Gelder out from Rio after he spent a night out drinking. Van Gelder left the athletes’ village on Saturday, Aug. 6, after reaching the finals of the men’s rings. He didn’t return to the village until Sunday morning.

When he did return, the gymnast admitted to drinking, which goes against the Netherlands’ team rules, and his Olympic dream was over. In a joint statement, KNGU, the Dutch gymnast association, and Dutch Olympic Committee pointed out that Van Gelder violated team rules, and they had no choice but to put him on the first plane home.

“It's terrible for Yuri, but this behavior is unacceptable,” chef de mission Maurits Hendriks said in the statement.

This isn’t the first brush with trouble for Van Gelder, known as the bad boy of gymnastics. He failed a drug test in 2009 when he tested positive for cocaine.

That failed drug test cost the gymnast a spot on the Netherlands team for the 2012 London Olympics, ended his career in the Dutch army and led to a one-year suspension. Van Gelder spent 11 weeks in a rehab clinic in Edinburgh, Scotland, but relapsed just four days before the 2010 world championships.

Van Gelder is extremely talented on the rings and has won multiple European championships and one world championship in the event. His skill at the rings earned him the nickname “Lord of the Rings.”

The 33-year-old gymnast was named Dutch Sportsman of the Year in 2005 after winning his world championship in the rings. He qualified for the final in the rings in eighth place.

Dutch media outlets are reporting that Van Gelder went out to meet his Brazilian girlfriend on his final night in Rio. Now, the gymnast won’t be able to get a chance at a medal in what was his first, and at his age, likely last, Olympic competition.

There was a good deal of support for the gymnast on social media and a belief that the Dutch Olympic Committee was being too harsh on him. Van Gelder’s wild night out earned him a new nickname as “Lord of the Drinks.”

Van Gelder isn’t the only athlete to be replaced in the event, either. France’s Samir Ait Said had to be replaced after a gruesome leg injury forced him to withdraw from the games. No Americans qualified for the finals in the rings.

Unless you live without Internet, by now, you probably know that the first NFL Preseason game between the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers was cancelled due to poor field conditions. While it does hurt the NFL to have its first game of the year cancelled, it isn’t the end of the world.

This is not the first preseason game to be cancelled, but it is the first Hall of Fame game to be called off.

In 1995, a preseason game between the Houston Texans and the San Diego Chargers was cancelled due to turf problems with the Astrodome. This is the first game in NFL history to be cancelled due to field conditions.

The Colts and Packers weren’t even the second preseason game to be cancelled. That honor goes to the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens in 2001. This game was also cancelled due to field conditions because the same field was used for both baseball and football.

The Hall of Fame game is played on essentially a high school and Division II football field. Ideally, that is not the type of field you want to play a professional football game.

It didn’t help that the field was used for events all during the Hall of Fame weekend. When using an overworked field, it’s just a matter of time before problems start happening.

If the field couldn’t be safe for play during the one weekend the NFL needs it, maybe the game should have been moved to Cleveland, Ohio, which is an hour away from Canton, Ohio, where the Hall of Fame game is played each year.

The field is adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is named Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium after New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson. In 2014, Benson donated $11 million to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with $10 million going to a new field.

Speaking of the Saints, Drew Brees is having one of the roughest camps of his career. The future Hall of Fame quarterback has thrown seven interceptions during team drills through the first nine days of camp.

Last year, the Saints and Brees were deep into training camp before he threw his first pick. Hopefully, he is getting all his interceptions out of the way now, so he throws just a few during the season.

The only reason this story about Brees throwing picks in practice is a story because it is a future Hall of Famer throwing interceptions. The Saints have a young receiving unit, so all the interceptions are not Brees’ fault.

This story doesn’t mean much unless he keeps throwing interceptions during preseason games. It will really gain legs if he begins throwing picks in bunches during the regular season.

Speaking of the Saints receivers, youth won out over experience when New Orleans cut wide receiver Hakeem Nicks on Aug. 8. The former New York Giants receiver hoped that New Orleans …

The most recognizable Brazilian athletic star, Pelé, won’t be on hand during the opening ceremony tonight at the Rio Olympics. It would be an understatement to say that he is Brazil's biggest and best-known athlete.

Even though he hasn’t competed in nearly 40 years, he is the standard all soccer players are judged against.

The 75-year-old soccer star’s health has been in decline over the last few years. Pelé recently had hip surgery and walks with the help of a cane. Due to his poor health, he said he wouldn’t be at tonight’s ceremony.

The soccer star was rumored to be the person organizers had asked to light the cauldron, but that hasn’t been confirmed.

Now, the honor falls to someone else. Who will light the cauldron is a mystery. That will add a bit drama tonight as the opening ceremony is broadcast around the world.

The broadcast in the U.S. begins on NBC at 6:30 p.m. central time. The opening ceremony will be at Maracana Stadium, and coverage goes until 11 p.m., so you can pace yourself as you watch.

It might be best to stay off Twitter and other social media because NBC is tape-delaying the opening ceremony by an hour. People could give things away, as the company wants to have time to “curate” coverage to provide proper context to what viewers are seeing.

Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira and Hoda Kotb will serve as the hosts during the broadcast. NBC’s primetime Olympics host, Bob Costas, will open the telecast.

Michele Tafoya and Ros Gold-Onwude will also provide reports from the stadium. NBC correspondent David Feherty will discuss the return of golf to the Olympic games after a 112-year absence.

Part of Feherty’s interview with Pres. Barack Obama will be broadcasted during the opening ceremony. Viewers can see the rest of the interview on the Golf Channel's “Morning Drive” on Saturday or stream it on NBCOlympics.com or GolfChannel.com.

During the open ceremony, nearly all the athletes from every nation will enter the stadium carrying their nation’s flag; however, some athletes such as soccer players might not be in attendance. The most decorated Olympic athlete in history, Michael Phelps, who has 22 medals, will enter the stadium as flag bearer for the U.S.

Phelps’ teammates voted for him to carry the flag. Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad was reportedly second in the vote to be the flag bearer. Muhammad is the first American to wear a hijab in Olympic competition.

If you are not near your TV, you can stream the opening ceremony on the NBC Sports app or on NBCOlympics.com.

The biggest complaint against NBC will be when everyone finds out the opening ceremony was taped-delayed. At some point, things will get ruined on social media for those who don’t know about the delay.

Everything changed for the Dallas Cowboys at the position of quarterback on a single play. Kellen Moore was scheduled to become the No. 2 quarterback behind Tony Romo.

That all changed on Tuesday, Aug. 2, when an offensive lineman rolled up Moore, breaking the quarterback’s fibula or ankle depending on the report. Currently, there is no timetable for Moore’s return, but recovery time after surgery is three to four months.

The injury moved former Mississippi State University quarterback Dak Prescott from the No. 3 to the No.2 quarterback on the depth chart. That means if Romo is injured, Prescott would be the starting quarterback for the Cowboys.

Going into training camp, that wasn’t the plan for Prescott. The rookie fourth-round pick was supposed to sit behind and learn from Romo and Moore. Playing time for Prescott looked like it would come in the preseason, with no chance of seeing the field in the regular season.

Now, Romo is the starter, and Prescott moves up from taking snaps with the third-string offense. Prescott was splitting time with Jameill Showers, who spent last season on the practice squad playing other positions besides quarterback.

Romo, now 36 years old, missed most of last season with a broken collarbone. That left Dallas with Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel and Moore playing quarterback, and the Cowboys went 4-12.

The Cowboys have to moved up the timetable on the development of Prescott. Coming from a spread offense at MSU, Prescott has to learn a pro-style offense and learn how to take snaps from under center.

Prescott, who turned 23-years old last Friday, July 29, has embraced the No. 2 role and is ready to step up to the challenge, he told DallasCowboys.com.

“I’ve just got to come in each and every day and get better—that’s all I’m worried about,” he said. “My main focus is just to come in and make sure these guys hold me accountable. I’ll hold them accountable, and I’ll just be my best each and every practice.”

The Cowboys are going to look for an experienced backup quarterback, as well. The early thought was that former Los Angeles Rams quarterback Nick Foles would be the target for Dallas.

Then, Foles signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Cowboys turned their attention to Cleveland Browns’ quarterback Josh McCown. The Browns have asked for more than Dallas is willing to part with at this point in terms of trade value. Cleveland wants a high draft pick, and the Cowboys don’t want to give up their future for a backup quarterback.

With training camps just opening, Dallas will keep looking for another quarterback and can still wait until the team finds one at a price that it likes. In fact, the Cowboys could wait until rosters are cut down to 53 players before having to make a move if all their quarterbacks stay healthy during the preseason.

The Cowboys had …

In July, the JFP held a town hall meeting at Millsaps College with featured guest Kai Smith.

Sombra Mexican Kitchen is following in the footsteps of Amerigo Italian Restaurant. In November, a new location of the restaurant will open in Flowood in the former space of Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen.

The new space is 8,400 square feet and will be able to seat 225 guests. It will also have an outdoor patio.

“With the overwhelming embrace of Amerigo opening in Flowood earlier this year, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to open Sombra next door,” David Conn, who is a co-owner in 4-Tops Hospitality, the company that owns and operates Amerigo, Char Restaurant and Anjou, said in a press release. “The people of Flowood and Rankin county have been great to us, and we look forward to bringing our unique take on Mexican cuisine and house-made specialties to the neighborhood.”

Look out for our business round-up next Tuesday for more information.

Former Indianapolis Colts running back Zurlon Tipton and current wide receiver Donte Moncrief were more than just teammates. The two players were good friends who spent time off the field bowling and playing pool together.

Both players joined the Colts before the 2014 season. Moncrief was drafted in the third round with the 90th overall pick, and Tipton was an undrafted rookie free agent.

Moncrief was born in Raleigh, Miss. and was a star at Raleigh High School in football and track. He went on to play college football for the University of Mississippi and left after his junior season to play in the NFL.

Tipton played football at Central Michigan University and was a Detroit native. His best college-football season came in 2012 when he rushed for nearly 1,500 yards and 19 touchdown as junior. Injuries limited his ability to play during his senior season in 2013.

The two players dressed close to each other in the Colts locker room, which led to their friendship. Tipton also sat in front of Moncrief during team meetings.

Moncrief has appeared in 32 games for the Colts with 12 starts. He doubled production in his second year over his rookie performance. In two seasons, he has posted 96 catches for 1,177 yards and nine touchdowns.

Tipton played in 16 games for the Colts over two seasons and gained 38 career yards on 15 carries. He was released by Indianapolis on Dec. 21, 2015.

In a recent interview with ESPN, Moncrief discussed the death of his friend and his plans to take care of his daughter.

Moncrief was shocked to find out that his friend had died at the end of June from an accidental gun shot. Tipton was removing a duffle bag from his car at a dealership when one of the two guns in the bag discharged, hitting him in the stomach.

The wide receiver learned about the death Tipton’s former girlfriend. Moncrief, in his ESPN interview credited is Mississippi upbringing made him think about Tipton’s daughter Zoe, even while still grieving the loss of his friend from the fatal accident.

Moncrief has pledged to support Zoe as if she was his own daughter. The former Rebel doesn’t matter if it is clothes, money or anything else—he will be there for his friend’s daughter.

The 22-year-old wide receiver had talked with Tipton just two days before the accident. Moncrief and Tipton had plans to get together at his place in Indianapolis when he returned from Mississippi.

Moncrief was with his own daughter when he learned of the death of his friend. Tipton was one of the jokesters in the locker room helping keep everyone relaxed.

Zoe will be with the Colts when they open their season against the Detroit Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium. Moncrief told ESPN he still sees his friend every time he looks at Zoe or up at the sky.

Monday, Aug. 1, was the first day that public schools could hold practice for the upcoming season, though private schools were able to begin practice last week.

That means the top players in the state are preparing for this season after a summer of visits with schools or showing off their skills at camps. It also means that the class of 2017 is just six months away from making their college choice official by signing their National Letter of Intent.

In Clinton, it means that its the last few months to woo the No. 4 player in the country. Running back Cam Akers is the No. 2 back in the country and is uncommitted.

If you are at a Clinton Arrows game this season, there is a good chance you might catch a glimpse of some of the top coaches in the nation. Every big name football program and every other program in between is seeking Akers.

The five-foot, 11-inch, 212-pound back has limited his options down to 10 universities. He once committed to the University of Alabama but decommitted, although the Crimson Tide are still in the mix.

The other nine schools are the University of Mississippi, the University of Tennessee, Ohio State University, Auburn University, University of Georgia, Louisiana State University, Florida State University, University of Michigan and University of California, Berkeley.

This summer he took unofficial trips to Tennessee, Georgia, Auburn, FSU and Mississippi. He chatted with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh when the Wolverines coach held a camp in Pearl, Miss.

It is easy to see what attracts these college programs to Akers. He has good size, and he ran 4.41 seconds in the 40-yard dash at this year’s Nike’s The Opening.

Over the next couple of months, Akers is expected to cut his list down to six or seven schools. He also plans to enroll early in his new school once he makes his decision this December.

The University of Mississippi is thought to be an early favorite with all the frequent visits he has taken to the school. The Rebels would love to land the running back, since he could step on the field and play right away.

Akers is also a complete back in the eyes of scouts. He not only can carry the load in the ground game, but he also has a great pair of hands.

During The Opening, he lined up in the slot and at wide out and caught passes at each position. His pass-catching ability will help him get on the field as a freshman running back by giving teams away to scheme the ball into his hands.

He also has the size and speed to run the ball inside or outside the tackles. While he doesn’t have elite speed, Akers is fast and explosive enough to outrun defenders and get into the end zone.

Akers could be the crown jewel in some school’s 2017 signing …

No country in the history of the Olympics has been more successful than the United States of America. The U.S. has won 2,404 total medals since the modern games began in 1896.

In second place is the dissolved Soviet Union, which only had 1,123 total medals. No other country has broken the 1,000-medal mark.

While the U.S. dominates several sports in the summer games, there are sports in which we struggle. There are six sports in which America has never won a gold medal.

The U.S. has a bronze medal in men’s and women’s field hockey. The men earned their medal in 1932 when they finished third out of three teams, and the women took home the bronze in 1984.

In the triathlon, the U.S. women earned a bronze medal in 2004. Men’s soccer won a silver medal in 1904 but hasn’t been as successful as the women. The U.S. has no gold medals in the modern pentathlon but does have a handful of silver and bronze medals.

Strangely, the U.S. has never won a gold medal in BMX, either. The country’s best finishes were the men’s silver in 2008 and the women’s bronze in 2012.

Mountain biking is another sport in which the U.S. has failed to strike gold. The women scored a bronze medal in 2012, but the men have never landed on the medal podium.

While the U.S. has earned medals in the events above, there are also five events in which America has never even won a bronze medal. These events are among the weakest showings from Team USA.

Handball might be the weakest event for the U.S. This year will mark the fifth Olympics that the USA won’t send a men’s or women’s handball team to the Olympics. The last time the U.S. had a handball team in the Olympics, it was the host country and didn’t have to qualify.

Forest Gump might have been able to take on China in ping-pong, but the real-life American teams have been no match. China dominates table tennis so soundly that the rules had to be changed so that countries could only send two players rather than three, just to keep China from sweeping the medals.

Badminton is another event that Asian countries have dominated over the years. China, Indonesia and South Korea are the top three medal winners, but the U.S. has never gotten on the podium.

While the U.S. nearly always sends a strong gymnastics team, it struggles in two of the disciplines that the International Olympic Committee lumps together.

Russia owns the first, rhythmic gymnastics, with 13 medals, and Belarus and Ukraine come in second and third, respectively. European countries dominate the sport, with Canada and China winning just one medal.

Trampoline is the other event in gymnastics in which the U.S. struggles to catch the top countries. China has won the most medals with eight, and Canada comes in a close second …

U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves has denied Gov. Phil Bryant and executive director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services John Davis' motion to stay the preliminary injunction Reeves initially issued, which blocked House Bill 1523 from becoming law.

In his 6-page order, Reeves says that the state did not prove irreparable injury in their motion.

"A Mississippian – or a religious entity for that matter – holding any of the beliefs set out for special protection in § 2 [of HB 1523] may invoke existing protections for religious liberty, including Mississippi’s Constitution, Mississippi’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the First Amendment to the United State Constitution," Reeves wrote. "HB 1523’s absence does not impair the free exercise of religion."

Reeves' order means he has officially passed HB 1523's fate into the hands of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

"The motions are denied," Reeves concludes. "The baton is now passed."

Gov. Bryant and Davis have also appealed to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals separately, asking them to lift Reeves' preliminary injunction. For more stories on HB 1523, visit jacksonfreepress.com/lgbt.

VERBATIM:Attorney General Jim Hood announced today that a Jackson man was arrested Friday for bribery of a public official and conspiracy following a joint investigation by the Attorney General’s Office and the FBI.

Robert Henderson, 44, is accused of offering a former Hinds County assistant district attorney $500 in exchange for dismissal of charges against three criminal defendants. Henderson is charged with one count of bribery of a public official and one count of conspiracy to bribe a public official. Henderson was booked into the Hinds County Jail. Hinds County Justice Court Judge Frank Sutton set Henderson's bond at $5,000 for bribery of a public official and $5,000 for conspiracy for a total of $10,000.

Henderson is alleged to have offered the bribe to then-Hinds County Assistant DA Ivon Johnson on or about June 15 of this year. Henderson is accused of seeking Johnson’s assistance in having cases dismissed involving three criminal defendants.

As with all cases, a charge is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

While college football is just around the corner, let’s not forget that women’s soccer will begin this fall. The SWAC head coaches and sports information directors made their preseason predictions for the upcoming soccer season.

The team to beat and big winner of the awards is affiliate member Howard University, which was picked to win the conference with 170 points. Howard also swept all three preseason awards for Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year. The Bison also had eight players placed on either the first-team or second-team All-SWAC.

Mississippi Valley State University was picked to finish second in the conference with 146 points, closely followed by third-place pick Alabama State University with 145 points.

Jackson State University was picked to finish fourth with 126 points, with Prairie View A&M University in fifth place at 112 points. Arkansas-Pine Bluff University was picked to end up sixth with 102 points, and another close vote had Texas Southern University in seventh with 101 points.

Alabama A&M University ended up in eighth place with 74 points, and Southern University was picked to finish ninth with 58 points. Rounding out the bottom of the conference is Grambling State University, picked to finish 10th with 46 points and Alcorn State University picked to finish last with 42 points.

Jackson State placed three players on first-team All-SWAC in midfielder Jalana Ellis, defender Kyleigh Lo and goalie Faith Toennies. The Tigers placed two players on the second-team All-SWAC in midfielders Kalen Roberts and Sie’Yara Wells. The five players JSU placed on the preseason teams were second in the conference.

Mississippi Valley State finished 2015 as regular season champions and placed one player on the first-team All-SWAC in midfielder Laadi Issaka. The Delta Devils placed two players on the second-team: All-SWAC forward Heather Craddock and midfielder Marina Balboa.

Alcorn State didn’t place any players on either first or second teams. Alabama State was third in players selected to the preseason teams, with four players. Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern each placed one player on the preseason teams.

Last season, MVSU finished 8-1-1 in SWAC play and 13-7-2 overall. JSU finished with the same 8-1-1 record as the Delta Devils in conference play and the Tigers finished 11-7-2 overall. Alcorn State finished 0-10 in SWAC play and 0-13 overall.

Former Itawamba Community College and Mississippi State University cornerback Darius Slay believed he was a top-seven corner in the NFL. The Detroit Lions brass must have agreed with him after signing him to a new four-year extension.

Detroit needed to lock up Slay, who is just 25 years old, to an extension after losing high-profile players the last two seasons. The Lions lost defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in free agency after the 2014 season, and wide receiver Calvin Johnson suddenly retired after last season

The new deal is worth $48 million with $23.1 million in guaranteed money, and he will make a total of $50.2 million over the next five years. The former Bulldog was entering the final year of his rookie deal. The guaranteed money is good for seventh amongst cornerbacks.

Slay is one of the few cornerbacks to be overshadowed most of this career. At MSU, Johnthan Banks grabbed more headlines than Slay did.

Slay ended up drafted ahead of the 2012 Thorpe Award, winner Banks in the 2013 NFL Draft. The Lions selected Slay with the 36th overall pick in the second round, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Banks with the 43rd overall pick in the same round.

In the NFL, Slay has quietly become one of the best cornerbacks in the league. He slowly began his pro career with four starts and played in just 13 games as a rookie in 2013. He finished his first year with 34 total tackles and 27 solo tackles with five passes defended.

Slay started all 16 games for the Lions in his second year and made 61 total tackles and 48 solo tackles. He had 17 passes defended and two interceptions.

Last season, Slay again started all 16 games for Detroit. He had 59 total tackles and 48 solo tackles. The cornerback added two more interceptions and 13 passes defended in 2015.

Pro Football Focus rated Slay as the No. 2 overall cornerback and had him ranked No. 8 in pass coverage. He has a passer rating of 90.1 when targeted in coverage, and he only allows a completion percentage of 63.2. NFL Media research says he was targeted 68 times last season.

Slay is counted on to cover the opponent's top receiver on most plays. He will also have to be a leader in the second for Detroit, with 2014 fourth-round pick cornerback Nevin Lawson slated to start opposite of him.

The six-foot, 190-pound corner might not be under the radar much longer after signing his new extension. If Detroit could win more games after finishing 7-9 last season, Slay might become a household name with NFL fans.

Verbatim release:

City of Jackson Launches Self-Service Portal for Water Customers

The City of Jackson will launch the new customer self-service portal on Monday, Aug. 1, providing convenience and useful information to the City’s water customers. The portal allows water customers to pay bills online, view account balances and copies of previous months’ bills, and monitor and track water usage.

Customers can visit https://waterwebcss.jacksonms.gov/OUCSSPortal to set up an account.

Users of the self-service portal will see the same data that is available to the Water Department as they generate monthly bills. Data is available in near real-time and is supplied from the automatic water meter on your property. If customers need more information than what is available on the portal, they can contact the Water Sewer Business Administration at 601-960-2000.

Customers can take simple steps to reduce water consumption and water bills:

Five-minute showers use about 10 gallons of water, or about 75% less water than baths.

Turning off the water while you brush teeth can reduce your water usage to less than 1 gallon, whereas letting the water run for 2 minutes will waste as much as 4 gallons of water.

Watering your lawn uses about 2 gallons per minute; consider how much time you need to water your lawn—and whether the lawn really needs it.

If you wash dishes by hand, you can use as much as 27 gallons of water. Consider scraping dishes first, letting them soak in soapy water before rinsing, and not letting the water run the entire time you’re washing.

The idea of building a new tradition on New Year’s Eve happened just one year before college football playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock changed course. Now, the schedule has been changed in the four years that the semifinals were to be played on Dec. 31.

Hancock believed that the semifinals on New Year's Eve would create a new tradition of college football fans staying home to watch playoff football. Instead, the rating for the first game was 45 percent lower than 2015, and the second game’s rating was 34.4 percent lower than the previous year.

The ratings might have been lost due to the fact that the games in the 2016 playoffs weren’t very competitive. Clemson University bounced the University of Oklahoma 37-17 in a game that saw the Tigers pull away in the second half.

In the second game, the University of Alabama destroyed Michigan State University 38-0. Either way, both games gave football fans reason to leave the TV and ring in the New Year elsewhere.

In the 2015 playoffs, the University of Oregon pulled away from Florida State University in the second half, and Ohio State slipped past Alabama 42-35. The first year of the playoffs saw games with a little more sizzle.

Oregon featured 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, and FSU was the defending champion and featured 2013 Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston. College football blue bloods Alabama and OSU were going to draw eyes from nearly all college-football fans.

While Oklahoma and Alabama are traditional college-football powers, Michigan State and Clemson have just recently become year-in and year-out conference-title contenders, meaning, to the average fan, the matchups weren’t as sexy as the year before.

Fans of the teams playing in the semifinals might want to stay home and watch, but fans of other teams more than likely wanted to celebrate the coming New Year. College football fans had been trained to watch the biggest games on New Year’s Day, not New Year’s Eve.

It was a tradition the college football playoff tried to break, but it failed. Fans still wanted their New Year’s Day games but didn’t want to stay at home or at least watch football at home on New Year’s Eve.

The schedule has been shifted in the four years (2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026) playoff games were scheduled to fall on New Year’s Eve. The games were moved to the preceding Saturday.

The 2016-2017 semifinals, which will be played after this season, were not changed. The 2021-2022 semifinals will still be played on New Year’s Eve, which is on a Friday, but it will be the federal New Year’s Day holiday.

ESPN is paying $7.3 billion over 12 years to broadcast the playoffs and wanted the semifinals moved off New Year’s Eve after the ratings drop. Hancock stood firm earlier this year before beginning to soften his stance.

Now, with a little over …

In the history of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, only once before now has a wife presented a husband entering the shrine. Kim Singletary presented her husband, Chicago Bear great linebacker Mike Singletary, in 1998.

That will change on Saturday, Aug. 6, when Deanna Favre becomes the second woman to present her husband, former Green Bay Packer and living legend Brett Favre, at the Hall of Fame. The pair met and began dating in high school before being married in 1996.

Brett said his first choice would have been his father Irvin Favre, who passed away from a heart attack on Dec. 21, 2003, at the age of 58. The Packers star went on to have one of the greatest games in his career the next night on Monday Night Football.

In that Monday night contest, Brett threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns, as the Packers blew out the Oakland Raiders 41-7. The quarterback returned to Kiln, Miss. after the game to lay his father to rest.

It only makes sense for Brett to pass the honor to his wife, Deanna. She was the one who called him and told him his father had passed.

She stood by Brett through his retirements and un-retirements, his admitting that he had an addiction to painkillers, his scandal of allegedly sending racy text messages to a New York Jets game day host and two massage therapists and other bumps in his stellar career.

“Deanna is the best teammate I’ve ever had,” Brett said in a statement. “She has been by my side throughout this journey and I’m so excited that she gets to play such an important role for me.”

“Serving as Brett’s presenter is a great honor. I am thrilled to be able share this special moment in time with him,” Deanna said in the statement.

The other members of the 2016 Hall of Fame Class are Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., who will be inducted by daughter Lisa DeBartolo; Tony Dungy, who will be inducted by former teammate Donnie Shell; Kevin Green, who will be inducted by former Carolina Panthers head coach and current Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers; Marvin Harrison, who will be inducted by Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay; Orlando Pace, who will be inducted by son Justin Pace; Ken Stabler, who will be inducted by Hall of Fame coach John Madden; and Dick Stanfel, who will be inducted by Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy.

The newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame will be inducted in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday, Aug. 6. On Sunday, Aug. 7, the Colts and Packers will face each other in the Hall of Fame Game, and the newest members of the hall will be honored on the field.

The game will be seen on ESPN and will kickoff at 6 p.m.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are adding former star wide receiver Jimmy Smith as the sixth member of its ring of honor, Pride of the Jaguars.

The five other honorees in Pride of the Jaguars are former owners Wayne and Delores Weaver, the franchise's first-draft-pick offensive tackle Tony Boselli, running back Fred Jackson and quarterback Mark Brunell.

Smith retired suddenly in May 2006, but the former wide out’s legal troubles, which include drug and weapons charges, made it hard for the team to recognize him.

Early in his career, Smith was the perfect example of a player who overachieved and overcame adversity nearly every step of the way.

At Callaway High School in Jackson, Miss., he was a standout receiver who didn’t get any looks from Division I schools. He did get offered a scholarship to Jackson State University and made the most of that opportunity. He finished his time with the Tigers with 110 catches, 2,073 yards and 16 touchdowns. The smooth wide receiver graduated with a degree in business management.

The Dallas Cowboys drafted Smith in the second round with the 36th overall pick in the 1992 NFL Draft. Injuries hindered his play for most of his time in Dallas. In his rookie year, Smith broke his leg and missed all but seven games, and he didn’t record a catch in the entire season.

In his second season with the Cowboys, Smith was expected to become the third wide receiver before he was forced to have an emergency appendectomy in August 1993. He missed the entire season after developing a post-surgery infection that nearly cost him his life.

The Cowboys released Smith in July 1994 when he refused to take a pay cut. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles but didn’t make their roster.

After being out of football for the entire 1994 season, Smith’s mother sent a folder of his newspaper clippings to then Jacksonville head coach Tom Coughlin. This earned Smith a tryout, and the team signed him in February 1995.

In his first season in Jacksonville, Smith caught 22 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns. In 1996, he scored 1,244 yards on 83 receptions and seven touchdowns, beginning a streak of seven straight seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards.

Smith played in all every Jacksonville game from 1995 to 2002 and became one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. In 2003, he only played in 12 games, as he received a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

The 2003 season saw Smith fail to reach 1,000 receiving yards. He only caught 54 passes for 805 yards and four touchdowns. He then bounced back in the 2004 season to catch 74 passes for 1,172 yards and six touchdowns.

In his last season in the NFL, Smith garnered 1,073 receiving yards on 70 catches with six touchdowns. His retirement in May 2006 shocked many fans. He denied rumors of facing a …

An unrelenting rain beat down on the city of Vicksburg on Friday night, July 22. That rain didn’t seem to keep anyone away from the action at the River City Summer Basketball League, or River City League for short.

The stands were mostly filled with friends, family and people from the neighborhood at the Jackson Street Community Center (923 Walnut St., Vicksburg). Local strength and conditioning coach Ehaab Bayoumi worked the players through stretches and how to workout lingering injuries before they start play for the night.

Bayoumi worked for Jackson State University for a short time but is now the strength and conditioning coach for some of the best high-school and college kids in the state. He was quick to run down the list of players he has helped if it looked like a player wasn’t paying total attention to his words.

Several players on the floor are using the River City League to stay or get into shape before the next basketball season starts, including Chris Hyche.

Hyche is a former Provine High School and JSU star and is getting ready to resign with the World All-Stars, the team that now travels the world to get beaten by the Harlem Globetrotters. He hopes to be able to work his way onto the Globetrotters’ roster.

Jackson Showboats guard and ABA All-Star Will Werner is also using the league to get ready for the upcoming season. Werner burst on the scene at last year’s River City League to earn a spot on the Showboats roster.

Former Wingfield and Belhaven star Krayleon Winston has been a long time Showboat. But he has flirtations from the D-League and a contract offer from the Jacksonville Giants, a more established ABA team.

For some players, such as former Mississippi Valley State University star Jurmelle Hall, the RCL is a chance to get noticed again. Hall is working to get his basketball career going but had a rough night, as a lingering injury kept him off the court.

But for others, the RCL might be their only chance to continue their basketball career. Darrie Ollie spent some time at East Mississippi Community College and had a tryout at Coahoma Community College, but his grades have kept him off the court in college. He was highly coveted by MSVU until his grades derailed his chances of going.

Ollie was one of stars of the night, with a dunk that shook the rim and brought everyone in the house to their feet. He had other rim-rattling dunks and shots that were highlight worthy.

Hyche stole the night with his play. He grabbed alley-oop after alley-oop and slammed it down on just about any defender who tried to hold him. If he wasn’t catching alley-oops, he was throwing them to teammates.

The former Provine star knew he could take over the game at anytime and did when it suited him. He went on a highlight barrage in the …

The Department of Justice charged two more people involved in the former Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Christopher B. Epps' case today. Both press releases from the DOJ are reproduced verbatim below:

Texas Man Charged with Conspiracy to Bribe Former Corrections Commissioner

Mark Longoria, 53, of Houston, Texas has been charged in a Criminal Information with conspiracy to pay bribes to former Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) Commissioner Christopher B. Epps, announced Acting United States Attorney Harold Brittain and FBI Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Donald Alway. Longoria will appear for arraignment on Tuesday, July 26, 2016, at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Ball. The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Darren LaMarca, Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Lemon, and financial analyst Kim Mitchell.

The public is reminded that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Teresa Malone Charged with Conspiracy to Bribe Former Corrections Commissioner

Teresa Malone, 54, of Carthage, Mississippi has been charged with paying kickbacks to former Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner (MDOC) Christopher B. Epps in exchange for receiving a consulting agreement involving the MDOC and its operations, announced Acting United States Attorney Harold Brittain and FBI Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Donald Alway.

Malone will appear for arraignment on Wednesday, August 3, 2016, at 2:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Ball. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine for the conspiracy count, and a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine for the bribery count.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Darren LaMarca, Assistant United States Attorney Patrick A. Lemon, and financial analyst Kim Mitchell. The public is reminded that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.