Catching up with Thursday’s biggest news on the MS Coast from the Sun Herald
From an arrest in a road-rage crash to the grand reopening of a historic hotel, here are the top stories from the Sun Herald. These are the stories South Mississippi was reading on Thursday.
Here are key takeaways:
• Teen crash arrest: Jakiyah Monyei Brooks, 19, was taken into custody in connection with a March 6 crash that forced three Bay High teens into a canal on Interstate 10. Brooks faces four misdemeanor charges including reckless driving and leaving the scene.
• Markham Hotel reopens: The Markham Hotel in downtown Gulfport held its grand opening Thursday, 20 years after Hurricane Katrina damaged the landmark that first opened in 1927. The renovation by Lodging & Leisure Investments transformed the building into 115 hotel rooms and suites with a restaurant, coffee shop and rooftop bar.
• Councilman resigns: Gulfport Councilman Ron Roland resigned from his Ward 2 seat to focus on recovering from a brain bleed he suffered in July 2025 after a fall. The City Council is expected to accept his departure Monday and set a date for a special election.
• Felony child abuse charges: A Harrison County grand jury indicted Jerry Ray Foy, 36, of Saucier on six counts including sexual battery and felony child abuse involving two minor girls. Foy is already serving a 22-year sentence for burglaries and a drug conviction.
• Chick-fil-A opens in Ocean Springs: Dozens of people lined up before dawn Thursday for the new Chick-fil-A in Ocean Springs, with 30 people at the door and 15 cars in the drive-thru by the 6:30 a.m. opening.
• NFL scandal’s Coast connection: TMZ reported that Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and reporter Dianna Russini were photographed together at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi on Jan. 31, 2024. Both were married at the time; Russini has since resigned from The Athletic.
• Beach water advisories: The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality issued water-contact advisories for five more Harrison County beaches Thursday due to high bacteria levels, bringing the total to seven.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.