John Fitzhugh
Multimedia Journalist
Biloxi, MS
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John Fitzhugh has documented South Mississippi for over 31 years as a photojournalist at the Sun Herald newspaper. He is a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in journalism.
He is a native of Jackson, Mississippi. He is married with three daughters and two dogs. He is a big soccer fan and loves the Saints.
Updated: Feb. 14, 2022 at 8:15 AM CST
|By John Fitzhugh
Sgt. A. J. Riall was stationed in Iraq when an IED struck the vehicle he was patrolling in, leaving him with chronic back pain. It would be years before he finally was able to get the surgery needed to heal, he said.
Updated: Feb. 7, 2022 at 10:28 PM CST
|By John Fitzhugh
When Dick Wilson decided to retire from the Air Force, he began a second life serving South Mississippi.
Updated: Jan. 18, 2022 at 12:44 PM CST
|By Lindsay Knowles and John Fitzhugh
Corri Howard, 36, was found dead in a swamp after a brief police pursuit in Moss Point.
Updated: Dec. 29, 2021 at 10:24 PM CST
|By John Fitzhugh
After 10 days of uncertainty, a group of missionaries from New Manna International Ministries in Pascagoula is finally back home.
Updated: Nov. 30, 2021 at 6:27 AM CST
|By John Fitzhugh
It took Stephen Davis two years to complete the monument that captures who his son Nicholas was and the things he loved the most.
Updated: Nov. 9, 2021 at 7:42 PM CST
|By John Fitzhugh
Marvin Glen Shields was the first and only United States Navy Seabee to be awarded the Medal of Honor. A recreation of his actions on June 10, 1965 while serving with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11 is part of the Chief Petty Officer Initiation Season.
Updated: Oct. 15, 2021 at 10:31 AM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh and Gray News Staff
A family said they received a notice that their home was sold for $236 in a delinquent tax sale, but the sale was done by mistake.
Updated: Oct. 11, 2021 at 6:44 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
FEMA’s website says that for South Mississippi, the majority of homes will see a rate increase between zero and $10 a month, but for about 1,700 homes and businesses, the increase will be much higher.
Updated: Oct. 2, 2021 at 6:36 AM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
Small communities pop up all along Highway 90 for the entirety of Cruisin’ the Coast. Strangers become friends with one common bond: a love of cars.
Updated: Sep. 28, 2021 at 6:58 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
When the Mississippi Legislature passed a bill allowing for alcohol delivery, Anthony Depreo of Diamondhead got in on the ground floor. He has some experience in the food delivery business and now has launched Booze Cruise.
Updated: Sep. 20, 2021 at 7:25 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
The data released on Monday is from a study of 2,268 children ages 5 to 11. The results show that the vaccine is safe and produced strong antibodies to fight the novel coronavirus.
Updated: Sep. 8, 2021 at 6:58 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
It’s everything the Mississippi Coast economy has been aiming for, 45 new high-tech jobs, tied to existing university research, the energy industry, and defense.
Updated: Sep. 8, 2021 at 6:28 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
The state health department said Wednesday that 75% of the workers have been deployed, but at Memorial Hospital at Gulfport, none have arrived.
Updated: Sep. 1, 2021 at 10:36 AM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
An 80-year-old man killed his 65-year-old roommate before being shot by a Hancock County deputy, said authorities.
Updated: Aug. 20, 2021 at 6:46 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
The debate over COVID-19 vaccines has brought out strong emotions from people both for and against the shot.
Updated: Aug. 19, 2021 at 5:24 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
Tessa Williamson had a healthy pregnancy until she tested positive for COVID-19. Just days later, her baby would be delivered safely and she would be in ICU.
Updated: Aug. 17, 2021 at 7:41 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
According to the state department of health, there have been 109 pregnant women hospitalized with COVID-19 in Mississippi since the start of the pandemic. Six of them have died.
Updated: Jul. 26, 2021 at 4:04 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
The protestors were part of a group of a dozen people who came to the courthouse calling for the passage of the federal Voting Rights Act, a raise of the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and an end to the filibuster.
Updated: May. 16, 2021 at 5:30 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
He was more than just a coach and teacher to his students. Kevin Conard was a mentor who left a lasting impact on the Stone County community. He died unexpectedly last week.
Updated: Apr. 8, 2021 at 6:27 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
Unique steaks, a fun atmosphere and good music. That’s what Sully’s restaurant owner said they will be bringing to downtown Gulfport.
Updated: Mar. 15, 2021 at 6:53 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
Preston Jones is ready for Cruisin’ The Coast, or at least cruisin’ the beach. That is thanks to an all-terrain motorized chair donated to the five-year-old through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Updated: Mar. 12, 2021 at 6:58 AM CST
|By John Fitzhugh
A 62-year-old Gulfport man knew COVID-19 would kill him. He was right. However, before he died, he was able to marry his sweetheart of 17 years.
Updated: Jan. 18, 2021 at 6:50 PM CST
|By John Fitzhugh
The 48-year-old homeless man was three days away from getting an apartment through Back Bay Mission’s Home At Last program.
Updated: Nov. 17, 2020 at 7:28 PM CST
|By Lindsay Knowles and John Fitzhugh
A Picayune teenager is in critical condition after he was hit by a vehicle Tuesday morning, said officials.
Updated: Oct. 1, 2020 at 6:24 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety’s new program called “Skip The Line” allows people to make an appointment online to get their drivers license, eliminating the wait that has been the norm for years.
Updated: Aug. 24, 2020 at 8:25 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
A trio of Gulfport men found themselves helping out local shrimpers as members of the Cajun Navy, a loose organization of boaters who help in times of need.
Updated: Aug. 11, 2020 at 7:54 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
The legislature left Jackson Tuesday without funding the state agency, leaving the employees with an uncertain future.
Updated: Jul. 10, 2020 at 2:10 PM CDT
|By Lindsay Knowles, John Fitzhugh and Yolanda Cruz
Moss Point Mayor Mario King, 33, and his wife, Natasha R. King, 32, appeared Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert H. Walker on over a dozen wire fraud charges.
Updated: Jul. 8, 2020 at 7:49 AM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
The state department of health numbers show the same trend with more people in the 18-29 age range having tested positive than any other.
Updated: May. 31, 2020 at 2:22 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh and Hugh Keeton
A small band of protesters gathered Saturday at the foot of the Biloxi Lighthouse to protest the death of George Floyd while being arrested by Minneapolis police.
Updated: May. 12, 2020 at 6:40 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
About a third of all the COVID-19 deaths in the United States have occurred in nursing homes.To fight that trend, the White House has called for testing of every long-term care facility in the country in the next two weeks.
Updated: May. 5, 2020 at 6:17 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
Highland Community Hospital in Picayune became an unexpected hot spot for COVID-19 in March and April. Now, they are looking at a downward trend.
Updated: Apr. 16, 2020 at 6:11 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
If your stimulus payment has been processed but rejected because of inaccurate banking information, you will have to wait for your check to be mailed.
Updated: Mar. 27, 2020 at 6:31 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
She was born while the Spanish Flu was still wreaking havoc across the world. Now, 100 years later, her birthday celebration was interrupted by COVID-19.
Updated: Feb. 25, 2020 at 5:37 PM CST
|By John Fitzhugh
The 16-year-old who was shot and killed on Monday afternoon is being remembered by her family as a loving girl, who never meant any harm.
Updated: Dec. 30, 2019 at 8:06 PM CST
|By John Fitzhugh
Three drug overdoses happening in two days in just before Christmas has shocked the Pearl River County community. Preliminary investigation linked the overdoses to heroin that likely contained fentanyl.
Updated: Nov. 20, 2019 at 3:45 PM CST
|By John Fitzhugh
Former school bus driver Sergio Sandoval was found guilty of sexual battery and two counts of molesting an 8-year-old girl.
Updated: Oct. 23, 2019 at 6:23 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, owner of Houston’s Gallery Furniture, bet another $1 million on the Houston Astros at Scarlet Pearl casino’s DraftKings sportsbook.
Updated: Aug. 27, 2019 at 7:29 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
Sandi Ann Seymour-Necaise became something of a local celebrity in Diamondhead during the primary when she inserted herself into the House District 95 race with a unique campaign sign.
Updated: Aug. 6, 2019 at 6:45 PM CDT
|By John Fitzhugh
Hurricane Katrina left lasting scars on the Hurricane Camille Memorial in Biloxi at the site of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. Now the Biloxi Fire Department, with the help of a local businessman, is working to get the memorial in shape for the upcoming 50th anniversary of the storm.
Updated: May. 17, 2019 at 7:36 AM CDT
|By Lindsay Knowles and John Fitzhugh
Authorities confirmed Friday morning that the body of a young man was found late Thursday after rescue teams spent hours searching the Wolf River.
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