As customers of the Holly Springs Utility District remain frustrated by chronic power outages, a man has been arrested for allegedly threatening to “blow up” the utility that serves parts of North Mississippi.
According to the Holly Springs Police Department, William Robert Pruitt was taken into custody Tuesday and charged with false reporting of a bomb. He was released Wednesday on a $2,500 bond.
Pruitt allegedly called HSUD on Sunday concerning the restoration of his power after a storm left thousands of customers without electricity. During the conversation, police say Pruitt threatened to “blow up” the utility.
While HSUD is owned by the city of Holly Springs and serves most residents there, its service area also includes parts of Marshall and Benton counties, as well as Hardeman and Fayette counties across the state line in Tennessee.
The troubled utility has faced harsh criticism from both its customers and the Mississippi Public Service Commission. At the commission’s urging, the Mississippi Legislature passed a bill in 2024 that expanded the PSC’s oversight, allowing it to investigate whether municipal utilities serving customers outside their city boundaries are providing adequate service.
After the PSC determined that HSUD was not providing adequate service, citing power outages that occur regardless of weather conditions, the commission began levying fines against the utility and petitioned for receivership.
A chancery court judge appointed a receiver earlier this month, although the PSC has expressed dissatisfaction with the choice. The commission has filed a motion asking the judge to reconsider and also plans to request a comprehensive forensic audit of HSUD.
