JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<label for="s_choice" class="select"><b>Please select an option:</b></label>
<select name="s_choice" class="s_choice1" id="s_choice" style="text-align: left;"></select>

<label for="s_choice" class="select"><b>Please select an option:</b></label>
<select name="s_choice" class="s_choice1" id="s_choice" style="text-align: left;"></select>

JavaScript

$('#s_choice').change(function() {
		alert(this.value);
	});
//
s_list = ["item - 1", "item - 2", "item - 3", "item - 4", "item - 5"];
//
	$('#s_choice').empty();
//$('<option>').val('999').text('999').appendTo('#s_choice');
//$('#s_choice').append(new Option('optionName', 'optionValue'));
	for(var i=0; i<s_list.length; i++)
	{		$('#s_choice').append('<option>'+s_list[i]+'</option>');	
	}

//$("s_choice").attr('selectedIndex', 1);
//$('#s_choice')[0].selectedIndex = 1;
$('#s_choice').children(':eq(1)').attr('selected','selected').change();