A boil advisory remains in effect in Jackson, Mississippi, as people complain of brown water coming from their faucets.

The water crisis in Jackson has stretched over weeks. Residents were left with low or no water pressure after water treatment plants failed during a flooding event in August.

Jackson's mayor says the water pressure issues have been fixed, but it will be days before the boil advisory can be lifted.

Mayor Chokwe Lumumba said on "Face the Nation" that he's been in discussions with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris about getting more funding to make sure the issue is fixed and doesn't happen again.

"It will take a coordinated effort on not only the local, state, but federal levels as well," Lumumba said.

Jackson is home to about 150,000 residents. Many of them have been forced to wait in distribution lines to access packaged water that's been given out by the city and organizations.

Days after Hurricane Ian swept across Florida as a category 4 storm, Port Charlotte residents are recounting the storm, cleaning up, and counting their blessings.

"Getting gas for generator — that had to be the scariest thing in the world," resident Herman Gardner said.

"People are going through a lot, and they just have to keep the faith," said Al Mullen, who lives in a flooded community.

They have also switched to survival mode, as most parts of the area are without the basics: power, water and — for some — shelter.

Mullen anxiously drove home to see his house after the storm hit the area.

"I seen the first house that is tore almost in half and the first half was gone, and I think I felt my chin hit my ankles and my heart, of course, was below that because I didn't expect much," Mullen said.

Unexpectedly, his house and a few of his close neighbors' homes were still standing. It gave him the boost he needed to start helping others.

"It's the people in here that matter," Mullen said. "If you're still living, you can make whatever you need, help those in need, and that's how I felt."

Nearby in another section of town, Hurricane Ian caused more damage. One family recently put a brand new roof on their home; now 20 feet of it is missing. A neighbor's missing boat was found in their backyard.

Since the power is out, many are driving hours to grab gas. One Port Charlotte couple drove to Tampa and also got gas for several neighbors.

Pulling up to the pump can be costly and time-consuming, with one man waiting four hours to reach the pump.

Hundreds of thousands are still without power. The water is out, too.

"I just wish the infrastructure could hold up a little better," said Bonnie Schade, while getting gas for her generator. "The traffic lights, the power lines — I wish we had a better water system, but it's getting fixed again."

Still, residents remain hopeful their community will push through the hardship.

"The spirits will lift and so will the hazards, and we'll be here dragging aluminum until we're back to the beautiful community we started off at," Mullen said.

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Want a little summer fun without the kids?

This giant, water-filled rock quarry is just outside Louisville and it's for adults only.

Falling Rock Park, also known as The Quarry, is a place for floating and diving.

It is alcohol- and drug-free, so leave that stuff at home. Staff members will search cars upon arrival.

The water is maintained solely by rain, so no ground runoff dumps into the quarry. That means the water is clear, clean and natural, according to the park.

Park officials deemed it too deep for swimming, so everyone is required to have a float of some sort. Those who come unprepared can buy a float or noodle at the entrance.

FRP is also a place for scuba divers. Those who aren't certified can take classes.

Reservations are required, so click here to make yours.

It's $10 for the reservation ticket, and $25 for admission per person.

The FRP LaGrange Quarry is located at 2201 Fendley Mill Road, LaGrange, KY 40031.

For rules and regulations, click here.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A certain mystique laps upon the shores. Even in the dead of winter on the Chesapeake Bay, there are still plenty of signs of life.

"This time of year, I notice how clear the water is," said Beth McGee, who has spent decades studying the nation's largest estuary.

On the surface, things may look calm here. However, this watershed, which touches six states and spans over 64,000 square miles, is sick.

"All told the bay is still struggling," said McGee, who works for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Every year, the nonprofit gives this waterway a grade based on how healthy it is. This year, it received a D+.

"Climate change is making our restoration efforts more challenging. More severe storms are bringing more pollution into the bay," McGee said.

What’s happening here has become a case study on just how hard it is to clean up and restore vital watersheds and estuaries, as well as reverse the impacts of pollution and global warming even as costly plans are being put in place nationwide to push back against climate change.

Environmentalists first started realizing how polluted the Chesapeake was back in the 1970s. By 2010, government agencies, nonprofits and environmentalists started taking action to clean it up.

"People across the country were saying, 'We need to watch this,' because they are setting themselves up for success. They have plans. They have accountability that no other watershed has had," McGee added.

Thirteen years later, though, progress has been slow.

Across the lower 48 states, there are 78 major watersheds, essentially basins catching water from rivers as they hit the sea. But of the more than 700,000 miles of waterways in the US, nearly 51% are impaired by pollution.

"One hundred years ago, people didn’t give rivers and streams much thought," explained Matt Ehrhart with the Stroud Water Research Center. "Clean fresh water is one of the most vital resources we have."

Ehrhart says that these days, most pollutants in our nation's watersheds come from agriculture. Fertilizers and pesticides used on crops often run off into nearby rivers and streams. There are other causes, like runoff from the road salt we use in the winter.

"It’s critical the way we live on the landscape doesn’t unduly impact those resources," he added.

In a room of blue serenity, Amelia Moutin prepares for 90 minutes of what she describes as a completely unique sensation.

“I think if you let yourself go, it takes about 30 minutes, and then once you kind of settle in and let your mind and body meld together, it’s such a euphoric-relaxation experience that is like none other,” Moutin described.

The practice is called floating.

“Technically, you lay in 10 inches of water, and 1,100 pounds of Epsom salt. And so, with the buoyancy of the salt, you float right on top of the water,” Samana Float Center owner Heather Clift said.

Another term for it is sensory deprivation. The 94-degree water makes it challenging to know where your skin and the water meet creating a feeling of weightlessness. Clift says it was created by a gentleman named John C. Lilly in the early 1950s.

“Sensory deprivation is where we void you of all of your senses, so with no light and no sound, there’s no smells in the float tank and there’s no real feeling,” Clift said.

Moutin has been floating for a year now, and she tries to go once a month.

“It’s kind of like floating in your own little ocean, but you have no fear at all. There’s no sharks, there’s no tide, there’s no possibility of drowning, so there’s literally nothing that can take away from the experience,” Moutin said.

With no distractions, Moutin says she’s able to completely let go, relieving herself from the stressors of life. According to Clift, floating can help people who live with anxiety, PTSD, high blood pressure and insomnia among many other things.

“It takes you from your sympathetic nervous system, which is your fight or flight, that’s what keeps you alive, and it puts you into the parasympathetic nervous system. And that is called rest and digest,” Clift said.

Clift says shutting down your nervous system causes your body to drop its cortisol levels and replace it with dopamine. Dopamine is the hormone that makes our body feel happy and satisfied. It also boosts your immune system.

Before the pandemic even started, Clift says the self-cleaning process of the tanks was already very effective at killing germs.

“So, if there was anything that could live in 1,100 pounds of Epsom salt, the hydrogen peroxide would cling to it, it would go through the filter, and the UV light would blow it up, so it is impeccably clean," Clift said.

However, in case that’s not enough, they’ve also started using ozone to clean all surfaces.

“It kills SARS, coronaviruses…up to 99 percent,” Clift said.

Clift says many people have made floating a priority this year because they need it now more than ever. Moutin agrees.

“Ultimately as a world, we’re experiencing a traumatic event together, and trauma creates stress and issues in our tissues as we like to say,” Moutin said.

Even if you don’t notice any physical health benefits, Clift says floating is a great way to relax.

“I tell you to take a nap on some water for 90 minutes. How often can you do that? It’s really a special thing. Everybody should float at least once in their life,” Clift said.

LAFAYETTE, Colo. (KMGH) -- A Colorado entrepreneur created a smart water sensor and app with the intention of making sure loved ones are OK.

"Adult children who have an elderly parent that they're worried about who lives alone — that's typically who our customer is," Marlo Vernon said.

Marlo and her father Todd Vernon, a software developer, came together to launch CarePenguin, to detect water usage in the home.

"It's a way to see if someone is up and active, going about their daily routine without being creepy and watching them with like motion sensors or cameras," Vernon said.

The sensor connects to the hot water pipe on the water heater.

"We can detect things like rinsing a mug, washing your hands, washing your face, shower, laundry," Vernon said.

It then connects to an app on a smartphone, so the user can monitor their loved one's activity.

"If there's ever a lack of activity, they'll receive an alert encouraging them to check in and make sure everything's OK," Vernon said.

It's an idea that started from her days at the University of Colorado at Boulder. When she graduated in May 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, many older adults were isolated from their families. So, she saw it as a perfect way to give everyone peace of mind.

"I learned what a huge problem this is," Vernon said. "Like, how worried people are, how they call their loved one every day purely to make sure they're still alive. And that's not a conversation that anyone wants to have."

This story was originally reported by Brian Sanders on TheDenverChannel.com.

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. — Nancy Caywood knows the value of holding on to what’s important to you. Her family’s farm is on its fifth generation.

“This is my grandad. He’s out working our family farm in the 1940s right here. He purchased the farm in 1930,” she said.

For 91 years, Nancy’s family has been farming land in Casa Grande, Arizona, about an hour south of Phoenix. So she’s seen some dry weather in her day.

“All of the west is in a serious drought,” said Caywood, “The lakes are decreasing in level, and they’ve all got the bathtub ring, and they’re very, very low right now, and so we just entered what we call tier one of water usage which means that agriculture is going to be cut back.”

The Bureau of Reclamation declared a water shortage in the Lower Colorado River Basin and announced level one restrictions, the first-ever.

"The basin is experiencing its 22nd year of drought, and earlier this summer, the reservoirs hit their lowest levels since they were originally filled," said Tonya Trujillo, the Asst. Secretary for Water and Science.

That means Arizona will face the largest cuts at an 18% reduction. Nevada will see a 7% reduction and Mexico 5%. Those numbers may not sound like a lot to the average person, but to farmers, every drop counts.

“In all honesty, we probably had about, trying to think, probably about 25 acres on this farm this year just because we didn’t have the water," said Paco Ollerton.

His farm is just down the road from Nancy’s. Uncertainty is starting to sink in for Paco for his farm and others.

“My guys are going to have less, my equipment dealer is going to have, you know people are being conservative about buying equipment, it’s going to affect all the suppliers and the inputs,” said Ollerton.

Caywood worries about her son Travis, who runs the farm now.

“Now I’ve just watched this just wear him down, and it’s sad as a parent to see this because I don’t think my grandfather ever experienced this level of drought. But this has been a year, after year, after year, it’s been going on, and to watch this just wear Travis down hurts, it just hurts. And you just want to say it’s going to be ok, but we don’t know,” said Caywood.

Telling the people we love that everything will be OK, you don’t have to be a farmer to know that feeling.

But it might take a farmer to find that glass half full optimism in the middle of a drought. Nancy’s got that too.

“I look out here, and I know that the alfalfa is here, and we can grow it. We just need water, right? And so you just have to look with optimism that we’re going to get water,” she said.

STOCKTON, Calif. — Mannequins floating in water near a California highway were mistaken for bodies and prompted people to call 911.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) – Stockton posted photos of the plastic models and reassured the Stockton community that nobody was harmed.

CHP told KOVR that officers received a 911 call around 8 a.m. Monday from a trucker who spotted the mannequin carnage.

CHP Officer Ruben Jones told KOVR that the incident was taken very seriously, since homicides have surged in the area over the last year.

But once officers realized real humans weren’t involved, they got the green light to have a little fun with the situation online.

CHP jokingly posted on Facebook about “the Stockton Kraken” getting revenge on Valentine’s Day. Officers hoped the community would find humor in the situation, as they did.

"Sometimes we see the worst scenarios in different situations, but this one we got a good laugh out of it and a good chuckle,” Jones told KOVR.

The mannequins were quickly removed from the water, so others wouldn’t mistake them for bodies.

As for where they came from, that remains a mystery. Though, authorities say litter is often found in the area.

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio —

A 14-year-old girl has died after being pulled from the water at Land of Illusion Adventure Park in Middletown, Ohio, according to the Butler County Sheriff's Office.

It happened around 5 p.m. Tuesday at the lake and self-proclaimed "adventure park," located in the 8700 block of Thomas Road.

The sheriff's office said the teenager, later identified as Mykiara Jones, 14, was not wearing a life vest and she fell into the water after being on some kind of jumping apparatus.

Miami Township fire officials administered CPR for about a half hour. Jones was then taken by Careflight to a nearby hospital where she later died.

"This is a tragedy no parent should have to endure," said Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones. "These are the calls first responders dread and have difficulty dealing with. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family."

Mykiara Jones was a student within Middletown City Schools.

This was described as a heart-wrenching situation by fire officials and witnesses.

Madison Township Fire, Middletown Fire and the Butler County Sheriff's Office were all at the scene Tuesday.

Originally, the haunted scream park only opened in the fall, but Land of Illusion has expanded in recent years, adding a summertime Aqua Park which features large water inflatables and trampolines.

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio —

The Middletown community is mourning the loss of an incoming freshman who died Monday at a local water park.

Mykiara Jones, 14, was about to enter her freshman year at Middletown High School. Teachers from the middle school described her as a "rare gem."

"She radiated joy every single day of her life," said Lori Barker, a science teacher at Middletown Middle School. "She kind of lived by the motto to always be your best self, and I think she inspired others around her to do the same."

Teachers said Mykiara was a leader and a role model inside the classroom and out.

"Her bubbly personality was infectious. She wanted to encourage everyone to be the best person they can be," said Mykiara's math teacher Jennifer King.

King said Mykiara excelled in math.

"We do MAP testing, and she actually had the highest score in the winter that I have ever had of a student, and when we took it in the spring, she just wanted to do better. She just pushed herself so hard and did an amazing job," King said.

Staff members at Middletown schools are wrapping their arms around Mykiara's family members, especially her mother, as she works in the district.

On Monday, Mykiara was at Land of Illusion Adventure Park in Madison Township. The Butler County Sheriff's Office said Mykiara was not wearing a life vest when she fell into the water. She was pulled out about 30 minutes later and was flown to Dayton Children's Hospital where she died.

While authorities suspect Mykiara drowned, the Montgomery County coroner has not yet ruled on a cause of death.

The park was closed Tuesday.

Land of Illusion said in a statement posted to its Facebook page that it's fully supporting state and local officials as they investigate the incident.

In the meantime, those who taught Mykiara wanted everyone to know how special she was.

"She didn't know a stranger. She was just very special," King said.

"She was the definition of Middie pride," Barker said.

Superintendent Marlon Styles sent a letter to parents Tuesday and informed them of Mykiara's death. Styles said the district's Student Services Department is working with Access Counseling to make grief counselors available to support students, staff and parents.

A Maryland baker is doing what she can to give back to the community one cookie at a time.

Julie Rewers' latest project involves making sure kids have water to drink in school.

"We have raspberry lemonade, which is a raspberry lemon sugar cookie; we have chocolate chip; Oriole dreamsicle, which is an orange cream sugar cookie; and then oatmeal raisin," Rewers said.

Those are just a few of the cookie flavors Rewers sells at farmers markets and food truck events. For the Baltimore baker and entrepreneur, each sale is important. She calls her business "Cookies for a Cause Maryland" because a portion of the proceeds go to help people in need.

"I usually donate 20% of my proceeds to the food bank, but I will also be donating to other specific local causes," Rewers said.

Her latest mission is to provide bottled water to students in Baltimore City and Baltimore County public schools. It's a project she started March 1 after seeing on social media that water fountains wouldn't be in operation because of the pandemic.

"So far, we've donated 4,600 water bottles and about 300 to 400 cases of water to about eight different schools," Rewers said.

She lives by the motto: "Cookies will save the world."

"So, cookies will save the world. It's definitely a motto that I go by. It's something that seems so small and, like, doesn't seem it will get you very far," Rewers said.

But it does go far to help others, one cookie at a time.

EDEN, N.C. —

The body of a fourth tuber has been found in a North Carolina river following a deadly accident in which a family on a recreational float went over a dam, local officials said Sunday.

The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a news release that Isiah Crawford, 7, was the person who was found in the Dan River.

Another tuber, Teresa Villano, 35, is still missing. The search for her continued on Sunday, including near the Virginia state line, officials said.

Emergency Services Director Rodney Cates said officials knew it was likely the victims could surface overnight Sunday as a result of increased river flow with the release of water from Belews Lake.

Emergency services officials said they continue to "stand firmly behind the decision made [Saturday] to suspend search efforts until we had new leads upon which to search."

Two watercraft searched for Villano again Sunday morning with no results. Another search was conducted near the Virginia state line, which was also unsuccessful.

Emergency Services Director, Rodney Cates said the agency's thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and families of the tragic incident.

Cates thanked the first responders from multiple agencies who assisted with the search operation. He also thanked the community for their support during the operation.

Authorities said nine people were floating on the water on the Dan River Wednesday evening when they went over the dam near the Duke Energy facility.

But emergency officials said it wasn’t until around 3 p.m. Thursday that they received a 911 phone call from a Duke Energy employee. Emergency crews rescued four people out of the water Thursday who were taken to the hospital. Page said they had a floatation device with them when they were rescued from the water.

"I can't imagine going over the dam and I can't imagine being down there from dark on Wednesday, 8:30, nine at night, to yesterday at 3:30 or four o’clock in the afternoon. That's got to be tough. I can't imagine that," Page said.

Emergency crews rescued 35-year-old Rueben Villano, 14-year-old Eric Villano, 18-year-old Irene Villano, and 14-year-old Karlos Villano who were clinging to the dam in the river authorities said. Later that night, the bodies of 27-year-old Bridish Crawford, 30-year-old Antonio Ramon and 14-year-old Sophie Wilson were recovered.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CINCINNATI — One of the city's oldest African-American Baptist churches in Cincinnati is taking on a major corporation.

Union Baptist Church filed a lawsuit against Fifth-Third Bank Thursday, accusing it of destroying a historic cemetery located in Madisonville.

Standing water covers the main roadway through the cemetery and toppled headstones are visible among graves on sloping hillsides.

“You can see how it's deteriorating clearly. Every time it rains, a little bit more of it washes away," attorney for Union Baptist Church John Stillpass said. "It’s just appalling is the only word. It’s just an outrageous, it's just an outrageous thing the community has to suffer the loss of this site."

Stillpass said Fifth-Third Bank built an office above the United American Cemetery in 2003 and the draining system it chose pushes water into the cemetery -- displacing headstones and washing away graves. He said he's been trying to get the bank to do something about it for more than two years.

He filed a lawsuit Thursday writing it is “...causing unforgivable dishonor and insult to the departed.”

The lawsuit states the United American Cemetery is the oldest African-American burial site in the state. The document also said that the site is the resting place of many prominent African Americans who were important to the historical development of the city of Cincinnati including leaders of the Underground Railroad, writers, politicians, business people, artists, civil rights leaders and Civil War veterans. The earliest legible tombstone was placed in 1832.

Prominent persons buried there include:

• William H. Beckley
• John Isom Gaine
• Priscilla Jane Thompson
• Frank A.B. Hall
• Horace Suddeth
• Jennie Jackson DeHart
• Isaac Nelson Ross
• Irvine Penn
• Phoebe Boots Allen
• Hentry Ellis
• Charles H. Thompson

The lawsuit accuses the bank of trespassing, causing a nuisance, desecration and abuse of a corpse. The church wants the bank to fix the problem and pay for restoration of the cemetery.
Complaint Union Baptist vs Fifth Third Bank by WCPO 9 News on Scribd

The bank sent WCPO 9 renderings of a project it plans to carry out to fix the issue.
Renderings of 5/3 Drainage Plan for Madisonville Facility by WCPO 9 News on Scribd

5/3 officials also sent this letter it sent to the cemetery owners Friday, stating it made an offer to help restoration:

WCPO Staff

WCPO Staff

The church’s attorney said due to a confidentiality agreement, he cannot reveal how much the bank offered the church but said it was less than half the estimated repair cost.

“We certainly have plans of what this cemetery can be if we can have the water redirected and we can get the funding to restore it to what it should be,” Stillpass said.

The once picturesque blue waters of a lagoon in the United Kingdom now look murky.

On Wednesday, the Buxton Police Department in England took the measure to dye the 'Blue Lagoon' to deter visitors during the coronavirus pandemic.

The police department posted to their Facebook page that they had received reports of people going up to the lagoon in Harpur Hill, Buxton, England, which is against policies set in place by the government.

Police officials said they used water dye to make the water "less appealing."

"This is a regular tactic that we use to reduce ASB, and we work in partnership with HPBC and Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service," officials said via Facebook. "However, as things stand, it has never been so important to discourage these types of gatherings."