McClatchy Washington Bureau

NATCHEZ — Lee Jones is fighting day and night to save a family lumber yard that has been on the Mississippi River for 100 years this month. He set aside the engraved invitations to the company’s centennial celebration three weeks ago and began hauling in dirt for the levees. They’ll have time to celebrate later, he said, if they save it.

Jones is trying to hold back the Mississippi River — a monumental, almost foolhardy effort.

But it didn’t start out that way.

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