Magnolia Tribune
Magnolia Mornings: May 21, 2026
Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
By: Magnolia Tribune - May 21, 2026
In Mississippi
1. Additional funding sought for Yazoo Backwater Area Pumps, Arkabutla Dam repairs
U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith received confirmation on Wednesday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could use additional funding in FY 2027 to make more progress on two major projects in Mississippi – Yazoo Backwater Area Pumps and Arkabutla Dam repairs.
Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, was part of a hearing to review the latest budget requests for the Army Corps and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The Army Corps budget recommends $30 million for the Yazoo Backwater Area and more than $20 million to complete pre-construction engineering and design requirements to repair the Arkabutla Dam.
Adam Telle, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and Lt. Gen. William H. “Butch” Graham, Jr., USACE Chief of Engineers and Commanding General both agreed that funding above the budget request could be used to advance mitigation and initial design work on the Yazoo Backwater project.
Regarding the Arkabutla Dam repairs, Telle told the subcommittee that the Northwest Mississippi facility is a major safety concern for the Army Corps and that the budget has identified it as being capable of using additional funding in FY 2027.
2. State congressional delegation backs Governor’s disaster declaration request
Mississippi’s full congressional delegation shared its strong support for Governor Tate Reeves’ request for a major disaster declaration after devastating tornadoes and severe weather struck the state on May 6-7, 2026.
U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and U.S. Representatives Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., Trent Kelly, R-Miss., Michael Guest, R-Miss., and Mike Ezell, R-Miss., sent President Trump a letter endorsing the governor’s request for an expedited major disaster declaration for Lamar, Lincoln, Franklin, Lawrence, and Wilkinson counties for individual assistance and public assistance. If approved, the major disaster declaration would unlock additional federal resources to supplement state recovery efforts.
“Several of the tornadoes caused catastrophic damage, including an EF3 tornado that, at times, exceeded a mile in width and remained on the ground for nearly 70 miles. The storms destroyed and severely damaged many homes and businesses, uprooted trees, crippled critical infrastructure, and caused widespread power outages affecting thousands of Mississippians,” the lawmakers wrote. “Communities across the impacted region continue to face significant recovery challenges in the aftermath of these storms.