Mississippi Chemical Plant Explosion

Emergency crews responded to an explosion at a chemical plant in Mississippi that sent a large plume of black smoke into the air. The explosion was reported just after 7 a.m. local time at the Loveland Products plant in Greenville. City officials say that plant management said preliminary information indicates the explosion involves a fire associated with a herbicide chemical. Greenville's mayor said in a news release that residents are asked to avoid the immediate area. Officials are monitoring the situation. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has dispatched personnel to the area. Greenville is a city of about 26,000 people in the Mississippi Delta region.