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NETTLETON – Nettleton Main Street Association invites fans of food, music and cornhole to come downtown June 4 for its First Saturday series on Young Avenue.
The first event of the series was held last month.
“We were super impressed with the attendance because it was Mother’s Day weekend. We had a full crowd, and both businesses selling food sold out. We brought more food trucks in this month to have more options,” said Nettleton Main Street Board of Directors President Kristen Eades. “We hope we can have an even more exciting turnout. We want it to grow every month.”
Saturday’s food vendors include the Pentecostal Church of God, which will provide barbecue, turkey legs, sweets and polish sausage; A6 Cajun Food; and Bussin Burgers.
There will also be a bounce house for children.
A DJ from 95.1 The Farm will provide music from 2 until 5 p.m. Jason Humphries will perform live music from 5 until 7 p.m., and East Side West Side will round out the entertainment from 7 until 10 p.m.
Because of a big turnout through May’s competition, there will be cornhole competitions for amateur and advanced divisions this month.
Last month's first-place finishers were Doug Parker and Lisa Barber. Second-place was Greg Nabors and Ruth Kitchens, and third-place winners were the team of Hollywood and Andy Chism.
The competition is limited to 20 teams, and the registration fee is $20 per team. People may register for cornhole on the Nettleton Main Street Association’s Facebook page.
Alcoholic beverages will be available from 4 until 10 p.m.
Next month’s First Saturday, July 2, coincides with Fourth of July fireworks, and there are plans for an Independence Day parade including bikes and wagons.
Nettleton Main Street Board
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NEW ALBANY • A Lee County woman died after her car ran off a state highway and hit a tree Tuesday night.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol responded to a one-car wreck on Highway 349 in Union County around 8:30 p.m. on May 31. The initial investigation showed a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE driven by Marla Harshberger, 54, of Saltillo, was driving west on Highway 349 when the vehicle left the roadway and collided with a tree.
She was transported to North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo where she later died from injuries sustained from the crash.
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Austin Butler and Tom Hanks pose for photographers upon arrival for the premiere of the film 'Elvis' in London Tuesday, May 31, 2022.
Vianney Le Caer - invision, Invision
Artwork for the "Tupelo Shuffle" single by Swae Lee and Diplo, featuring Gary Clark Jr. and Austin Butler. The song is part of the soundtrack for the upcoming Elvis movie, releasing June 24, 2022.
Diplo and Swae Lee song 'Tupelo Shuffle' to be featured on Elvis movie soundtrack
TUPELO • Tupelo natives Diplo and Swae Lee are paying homage to the All-America City's original hometown hero, Elvis Presley, with a song on the upcoming "Elvis" movie soundtrack titled "Tupelo Shuffle."
The song, which hit streaming services Friday, interpolates Elvis' "That's All Right" as performed in the film by Austin Butler, who plays Elvis Presley, and Gary Clark Jr., who plays Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup.
Diplo and Swae Lee are set to perform the song live for the first time at the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards, according to The Hollywood Reporter, representing Tupelo on a national stage.
The awards ceremony will be televised live on MTV on Sunday, June 5, at 7 p.m.
Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis" film will be released in theaters June 24. The soundtrack will be released the same day.
Northeast Mississippians will have an opportunity to be among the first to see the movie, with an early access fan screening June 21. All attendees will receive a special commemorative poster.
Early tickets can be purchased at elvis.warnerbros.com/earlyaccessfanevent.
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In this April 4, 2019, photo, a candidate for Europe’s legislature Renaud Camus, who coined the term, "the great replacement," poses for a photo at his house during an interview with The Associated Press in Plieux, southwestern France. A study obtained by the AP shows a drastic rise in recent years of the phrase "the great replacement,” the concept that European populations are being supplanted by mainly Muslim immigrants as part of a global plot.
Oleg Cetinic I AP
Frenchman coined doctrine embraced by White attackers
One wonders whether true White supremacists who espouse the “Great Replacement” theory would feel the same way if they knew it sprouted from France and the pen of a former socialist and gay-rights icon.
While ideas about a clash of cultures and difficulties of assimilation have been kicking around for decades, what’s become known as Replacement Theory in the current political debate really got its start with Renaud Camus and a couple of texts he wrote in 2010 and 2011 laying out his worries about waves of foreigners sparking a clash of cultures in Europe.
Those ideas have been chanted by White supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, and later were attributed to mass shooters in Pittsburgh, El Paso, Texas, and Buffalo, New York — and now are being attached to those who have used the word “invasion” to describe the ongoing surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“The truth is you don’t need to visit the dark corners of the internet to see these White supremacist views anymore,” Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer said in the wake of the May 14 Buffalo shooting at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood. “You can hear it at most Trump rallies, every time the Republican standard-bearer vilifies undocumented immigrants and spreads the lie that they stole the 2020 election.”
Some of those who draw the linkage acknowledged the words from mainstream conservatives aren’t the same as the hate-filled screeds of the shooters. But they say the figures on the right have coaxed their troops into the clashes.
“One thing that’s sad about this situation is that a sector of the population avails itself of this racist discourse and favors those figures, as we saw with the triumph of Trump in 2016, with their vote,” Maribel Hastings and David Torres, from America’s Voice, wrote in a piece last week. “Just like we will see in future contests, there is a receptive audience and politicians know that. But when someone interprets this rhetoric literally and it culminates in violence or death, those same politicians wash their hands of all responsibility.”
But Mark Krikorian, executive director at the Center for Immigration Studies, said what Schumer and others on the left are attempting is nothing new.
“That’s always been their MO, is to connect people who were obviously cranks or haters to anyone who disagrees with them and try to use that as a cudgel to suppress debate,” he said. “The use of this Buffalo psychopath’s screed is just the latest example of what the anti-borders authoritarian side has been doing for years.”
Camus to Trump
The 18-year-old man accused of opening fire at the Buffalo supermarket has been connected to a 180-page rant posted online that detailed plans for the attack, coupled with horrific caricatures of Black and Jewish people, myriad facts about race, birth rates, big business and beliefs in a plot to foster “White genocide.”
In his tirade, the author said he used to be “deep into communist ideology” as a young teen, then drifted rightward, and now sees himself as “mild-moderate authoritarian left,” and “would prefer to be called a populist.” He said he blames both immigrants and “the capitalists,” and while he is angriest at “the Jews,” and then immigrants, he attacked a Black neighborhood because they are “also a problem.”
“I can’t possibly attack all groups at once so might as well target one,” he wrote.
The author never mentions President Trump, nor for that matter Camus, but the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League say Camus’ theories underpin the rantings.
“Camus believes that native White Europeans are being replaced in their countries by non-White immigrants from Africa and the Middle East, and the end result will be the extinction of the White race,” the ADL says in its explainer on “The Great Replacement.” ADL said the theory kicked around European intellectual circles for decades but Camus gave it renewed vigor with his work, including a 2011 pamphlet, “Le Grand Remplacement.”
Camus, like the author of the Buffalo attack diatribe, made his own journey from left-wing activist — French media place him among the anti-government riots of 1968, and The Nation labeled him a “gay icon” for his early writings — to warning about cultural erosion.
His replacement work came several years after massive riots in heavily immigrant suburbs of Paris in 2005 drew international attention to France’s struggles with integrating newcomers, particularly Muslims.
His musings gained steam in France, and elsewhere in Europe, as the continent saw a wave of migration from Asia and Africa in the last decade, an influx that surged during Syria’s civil war.
Across the Atlantic, Trump was also paying attention.
As he pushed for stricter immigration enforcement in the U.S., he held up Europe as a worst-case alternative scenario.
“For those who want and advocate for illegal immigration, just take a good look at what has happened to Europe over the last 5 years,” the president tweeted in 2018. “A total mess! They only wish they had that decision to make over again.”
He pointed to Germany, saying crime there was “way up” and tying it to the newcomers.
“Big mistake all over Europe in allowing millions of people in who have so strongly and violently changed their culture,” he tweeted.
To his supporters, those were truths of assimilation. To his detractors, they were racist diatribes that fed and sustained White supremacists.
“Racism, an obsession with demographics, and specifically with maintaining and expanding a White majority, has been a consistent part of the anti-immigrant movement,” Lindsay Schubiner, who works on countering White nationalism for the Western States Center in Portland, Oregon, told reporters.
Immigration skeptics
The ADL says replacement theory is peddled by Fox News hosts and some Republican members of Congress, while the SPLC name-checks former Trump administration officials and Krikorian’s group, the Center for Immigration Studies.
Krikorian says he’s been facing that sort of ideological blackballing for years. He said it’s left-wing activists who fuel racist violence through attempts to silence important debates, sending people to the fringes.
“The number of cranks, small as it is, would be a whole lot smaller if mainstream debate permitted the articulation of concerns about loose borders and excessive immigration,” he said. “The SPLC and The New York Times and the whole bunch of them are actually fostering this demented discussion because they’re suppressing normal debate over a federal government program.”
That program is the immigration system, which Krikorian’s group argues needs more controls on legal immigration and a stricter approach to enforcing laws against illegal immigration.
It turns out that a large part of the public shares those views.
A major study by AP-NORC, a leading social science polling outfit, found that 36% of American adults want the overall number of immigrants to the U.S. reduced, while 39% say it should be kept the same. Just 25% said they want to see it increased.
When asked specifically about economic and cultural competition between native-born Americans and immigrants, 58% of adults in the December 2021 polling expressed some level of concern, AP-NORC found. And 32% said they believe there is an effort underway to “replace native-born Americans with immigrants who agree with their political views.”
Those are the basic tenets of replacement theory, the study said, and 17% of adults agreed with both statements.
AP-NORC went further, saying those feelings, and indeed a more general skepticism of immigration, were most prominent among White Americans who tend toward conspiratorial thinking.
Krikorian said it’s not surprising people believe there’s a shift in political power through demographic changes.
That’s also been the conclusion of Democratic strategists themselves, culminating in the “Hope and Change” coalition of young people, women and particularly voters of color who powered President Obama to two White House wins.
“The left that has been crowing triumphantly about the replacement of the existing American population with people they like better — i.e., more likely to go along with the plans of the left,” Krikorian said. “Conservatives in general, and people concerned about immigration control, have simply been responding to the promotion of this replacement idea by the left.”
The irony, Krikorian said, is that the replacement argument isn’t working out so well for Democrats, as evidenced by Trump’s ability to increase his share of Hispanic voters from 2016 to 2020.
“It might have worked politically in the sense of importing a reliable voting block for the Democrats if the Democrats had stayed a normal center-left part, but the left has gone so crazy, especially with this gender stuff and everything related to that, that the voters they thought they were importing, and their children, are voting Republican in increasing numbers,” he said.
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Bill Renick, pictured recently receiving a community leadership award, has been nominated by President Joe Biden to service of the Tennessee Valley Authority's Board of Directors.
President Biden nominates former mayor, legislator Bill Renick to TVA board
JACKSON • President Joe Biden on Friday announced he would nominate Bill Renick, a former state legislator and mayor of Ashland, to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Board of Directors.
Renick told the Daily Journal that he's humbled to receive the nomination and, if confirmed, would advocate for clean energy, education and workforce development politics that benefit Mississippians.
"With that background that I come from, I want to enhance what TVA does along the economic development and workforce development lines," Renick said.
Brandon Presley, the utility regulator for north Mississippi, said in a statement that Renick knows the struggles that working families, senior citizens and business owners often face and that Biden’s appointment was a “smart choice.”
“While we fought for two seats on the TVA board, Bill Renick’s abilities, tenacity and work ethic will mean that Mississippi’s voice will be heard loud and clear,” Presley said. “I’m proud for my friend, Bill, and even prouder that such an upstanding man will be serving on the TVA board.”
Renick is currently the chairman of the commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi. He has also served as the workforce division director at Three Rivers Planning and Development District in Pontotoc.
Renick has an extensive career in public service. He has served on the Ashland Board of Aldermen and has been the chief of staff to former Lt. Gov. Eddie Briggs and former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove.
Renick’s nomination will now go before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works for consideration. If confirmed, he would be the only Mississippian to serve on the powerful board.
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican from Tupelo, sits on the EPW committee and said in a statement it's imperative for Mississippi's interests to be represented within TVA.
"I am pleased that President Biden has recognized this and nominated Bill Renick to serve on the TVA Board of Directors," Wicker said. "Bill has a proven record of serving our state first in public office and then as a business and economic development leader."
The Tennessee Valley Authority is the largest public utility supplier in the nation, which services wholesale electricity to municipalities and electric cooperatives. The overwhelming majority of entities in Northeast Mississippi receive power from TVA.
Tva Board
CAN: RCMP in Alberta search for two men after girl escapes abduction
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FILE - In this June 4, 1942 file photo provided by the U.S. Navy the USS Astoria (CA-34) steams by USS Yorktown (CV-5), shortly after the carrier had been hit by three Japanese bombs in the battle of Midway. Researchers scouring the world's oceans for sunken World War II ships are honing in on debris fields deep in the Pacific. A research vessel called the Petrel is launching underwater robots about halfway between the U.S. and Japan in search of warships from the Battle of Midway. (William G. Roy/U.S. Navy via AP, File)
William G. Roy
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Few things are as thrilling as the gobble of a wild turkey, and few places can rival Mississippi for thundering long-bearded gobblers. Mississippians have a rich tradition of chasing wary spring toms, and over the last three decades, the state has consistently boasted one of the largest turkey populations in the country. With over a quarter of a million birds from the Delta to the Gulf, hunters should have no problem finding a gobbler in the Magnolia State.
Today, wild turkeys are abundant across the State of Mississippi, but that hasn't always been the case. During the early 1900's, due to neglect for conservation, turkeys were nearly hunted into extinction. Lack of game laws left turkey populations exposed to year-round hunting by both locals and market hunters. To make matters worse, much of the state's forests were in poor condition because of early over-harvest and misuse of timber resources. During the first 5 decades of the 20th century, the springtime woods across most of the state were void of the sound of wild turkeys. However, the tide began to turn for turkeys by the 1950's. At the request of concerned sportsmen, natural resource professionals began to trap wild turkeys from isolated pockets of habitat that still contained intact populations and move them to other regions of the state. Their efforts were successful, and over the course of the next few decades, turkey populations exploded, peaking in the late 1980's. Today, the return of the wild turkey to Mississippi and much of the rest of the Southeastern United States is considered one of wildlife conservation's greatest success stories.
Although turkeys can be found in a variety of different habitat types, proper habitat management is essential for maintaining ideal conditions for the birds. Turkey habitat management can involve a variety of practices, including prescribed burning, timber harvest, creation of wildlife openings, food plots, and much more.
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In this file photo from January 2022, Gov. Tate Reeves outlines his priorities during his State of the State address on the steps of the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson, Miss.
Reeves said in the op-ed published Thursday that Mississippi will “strengthen our social services infrastructure” and “build grant programs” for expectant mothers following the likely end to legal abortion in Mississippi.
Mississippi has the highest infant mortality rate in the country and the country’s highest rate of children living in poverty. And in 2020, the state recorded the highest teen pregnancy rate in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
During the 2022 legislative session, Sen. Kevin Blackwell, R-Southaven authored a bill to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to a year after childbirth. He pitched it as a pro-life measure, and it garnered broad bipartisan support in the Senate, but Speaker of the House Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, killed the legislation. Gunn claimed it would expand Medicaid, which he opposes.
Mississippi's current law allows parents to relinquish an infant up to seven days after birth at a hospital, fire station, adoption agency, or mobile ambulance. Parents are not required to provide any identifying information.
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Twitty, William
William "Buddy" Shelly Twitty, age 87, of Gulfport and formerly of New Albany, MS, passed away on June 1, 2022. He was born in Tishomingo County to Elmer and Connie Russell Twitty. He graduated from Mississippi State University and owned Twitty Insurance Agency in New Albany from 1965 until his retirement in 1999. He held a CIC insurance certification. Buddy was a Deacon at First Baptist Church of New Albany and was a member of the Masonic Lodge. He served as President of the MSU Alumni Association in 1986 and served as President of the Union County MSU Alumni Association. He enjoyed attending MSU sporting events and spending time with his family. He was preceded in death by his wife, Charity Ann Simmons Twitty; his parents, his sister, Pat Mooneyhan; and his brother, Charles Twitty. He is survived by his daughters, Lynn Burwell of Gulfport and Shelly Gandy (James Ray) of Ashboro, NC; grandchildren, Dr. Joseph Burwell (Jessica), Anna Burwell Mire (Huey), Jacob Burwell (Katie), Drew Buckholts, and Olivia Gandy; great grandchildren, Wells Mire, Landry Mire, Jace Burwell, and Jocelyn Burwell. Graveside services were held on Saturday, June 4, 2022, at Pontotoc Memorial Cemetery in Pontotoc County at 11:00 am Riemann Family Funeral Home, Gulfport, is serving the family and memories may be shared at www.riemannfamily.com . In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Blue Mountain College, P.O. Box 160, Blue Mountain, MS 38610 or the MS State Alumni Association. You can wrap Buddy's life in Maroon and White!
William Shelly Twitty
Msu Alumni Association
Connie Russell Twitty
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In October of last year, I wrote in The Veteran’s Corner, an article about the presumptions of service connection for respiratory conditions caused by particulate matter pollution. As I reported, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) started processing compensation disability claims on August 2nd, 2021, for asthma, rhinitis, and sinusitis based on presumed particulate matter exposure during military service in the Southwest Asia Theater of operations beginning August 2nd, 1990, to the present. This area includes Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the airspace above these locations. The policy also covers Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Syria, or Djibouti beginning September 19th, 2001, to the present.
Veterans stationed in these locations beginning in the 1990s were likely exposed to dust, sandstorms, and other environmental hazards containing particulate matter, and breathed in these toxic fumes for extended periods of time. A portion of this particulate matter pollution may have been caused by burn pits, a method of waste disposal practiced by the U.S. Military and its contractors in the post-9/11 era. Huge amounts of waste (e.g., human waste, medical waste, plastic, rubber, petroleum, and ammunition) generated by military bases were burned, emitting plumes of toxic smoke containing particulate matter and other dangerous toxins. As a result, Veterans who served in Southwest Asia and surrounding areas are now suffering from a multitude of different illnesses and disabilities.
As part of President Biden’s Unity Agenda commitment to support our nation’s Veterans, the VA added nine new conditions caused by particulate matter pollution that went in effect April 26, 2022. These rare respiratory cancers are now added to VA’s regulations through an Interim Final Rule published in the Federal Register. They are squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea, adenocarcinoma of the trachea, salivary gland-type tumors of the trachea, adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung, large cell carcinoma of the lung, salivary gland-type tumors of the lung, sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung, typical and atypical carcinoid of the lung.
VA determined through a focused review of scientific and medical evidence there is biological plausibility between airborne hazards and carcinogenesis of the respiratory tract — and the unique circumstances of these rare cancers warrant a presumption of service connection.
The rarity and severity of these illnesses and the reality these conditions present, is a situation where it may not be possible to develop additional evidence, which prompted VA to take this action. VA Secretary Denis McDonough said “Last year we made promises to fundamentally change and improve how we establish and expedite presumptions — now we’re keeping them. We are taking a new approach to presumptives that takes all available science into account, with one goal in mind — getting today’s Veterans — and Vets in the decades ahead — the benefits they deserve as fast as possible.”
Any Veteran who has or had one of these listed cancers at any time during or after separation from military service may be eligible for disability compensation benefits. If you are a Veteran applying for the first time, file a new claim at the Pontotoc Veteran Service Office. Also, Veterans who had claims previously denied for any of these respiratory cancers are encouraged to file a supplemental claim for benefits. I can assist with that also.
If you think you may be eligible or would like to discuss, please call or visit - Mack Huey, County Veteran Service Officer at 489-3907.
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Chad Spence
Lisa Browning I Courtesy Photo
OKOLONA — Okolona Superintendent Chad Spence will become the new Superintendent of North Panola School District on July 1, he said this week.
Spence, 48, has been Okolona Municipal Separate School District Superintendent since July 19, 2019.
Spence and his wife Verlena, a retired school administrator, have a grown son and 10-year-old daughter. Their son, Kyoshi Agnew, teaches 3rd grade social studies and science at Okolona Elementary School.
The Spences’ daughter will be a 5th grader in the South Panola School District, where Spence lives; “I’ll be working about five miles from our house,” Spence said.
The Okolona school board will do a search to hire a new superintendent, Spence said. It’s unclear when whoever the board chooses will begin work at Okolona.
Until a new superintendent is hired, Kenneth McGaha will handle day to day operations as Interim Superintendent.
Current North Panola Superintendent Cedric L. Richardson is retiring.
Both Okolona and North Panola are predominantly Black districts.
Okolona is a 1A district with about 530 students. In addition to Okolona, the district serves rural areas in eastern Chickasaw County and extends into a small portion of neighboring Monroe County.
North Panola is a 3A district with about 1,200 students. Based in Sardis, the district also serves the town of Como and the Panola County portion of Crenshaw as well as rural areas in northern Panola County.
Spence, who holds a bachelor’s in education from Alcorn State University and a specialist degree from Ole Miss, is working on his doctorate in education from Mississippi State University.
He previously served three years as assistant superintendent at South Panola before coming to Okolona.
He said this week he is leaving Okolona to get closer to where he calls home: Batesville and Panola County. “I’m familiar with North Panola, and I think I have the skill set and leadership to continue the growth of that school district.”
He’s overseen a great many physical improvements to the school district. They include:
—More secure entry doors to campus buildings.
—New windows in district buildings are being installed this summer.
—Newly-installed controlled access doors to the elementary school.
—Repaired stairs at the three-story building. The old stairs were almost to the point of being condemned, he said.
—The purchase of two new school buses.
—Making sure the gym, the elementary and high school buildings have functioning heating/air conditioning systems.That work is to be done this summer.
—The fact that elementary school students are once again back in the three-story building. They were housed in the library for nearly a year after a malfunctioning sprinkler system flooded several classrooms.
Among the accomplishments he’s hoping for:
—State test scores for every district in the state come out in June or July. Scores were discontinued for several years due to Covid measures. He expects the new scores to rank the Okolona school district at a “B” level.
Said Spence: I’ve hired three new principals, and they’ll all be here next year. The district administration is very strong with Kenneth McGaha, the assistant superintendent and Dr. Paul Moton, the Chief Academic Officer, providing a wealth of experience and knowledge in leadership and student achievement.
“Overall, I think I’m leaving the district in good hands. There’s a good foundation for leadership,” he concluded.
Okolona Elementary School
Paul Moton
Kenneth Mcgaha
North Panola
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David McRae
Have you started saving for retirement? If you are over 60 and reading this, the answer is probably yes (or at the very least, you’ve considered it). If you are over 40, the answer might be closer to maybe. But if you’re under 40, chances are your focus has been on buying a home, raising your family and not yet planning for retirement.
That’s what the statistics tell us anyway. But while older generations may have been able to afford delaying retirement savings until their career was on strong footing, younger generations can’t.
In recent years, as pension systems grew rarer and increases in Social Security failed to match inflation, America’s retirement system has taken a strong turn toward personal responsibility. In fact, seniors can expect to bring in just $15,600 annually from Social Security – hardly enough to cover food and housing if you don’t have a separate financial safety net.
Today, about one-quarter of Americans have no retirement savings, according to a PWC report, and even those who are saving aren’t saving enough. As a result, more than 4.5 million retirees live in poverty and one in three (about 15 million) are economically insecure. This reality is placing an incredible burden on the country’s social safety net, as well as working taxpayers.
When individuals can’t afford basic needs, their family steps in, diverting resources from their own retirement. If they can’t afford professional care for a loved one, they might have to exit the workforce, thereby decreasing their contribution to the active economy. And when families can no longer support in full, the government steps in with Medicaid, housing assistance and more – programs that are extremely costly to taxpayers.
At some point, we all need a little help – and there is nothing wrong with that. We are a compassionate nation and a hospitable state. But there is a financial crisis brewing as Baby Boomers move through retirement.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 21 percent of America’s population will be retired by 2030, up significantly from about 15 percent in 2016.
So, what’s the solution? Doing an annual financial wellness check is a good place to start. For example, do you know how much you’ll need to retire? If you don’t know where to start, many financial experts will advise putting 20 percent of one’s income toward retirement beginning in your 20s.
Fast forward a bit, and by age 60, a dual-income couple that makes $75,000 per year should have seven times their household income set aside for retirement. Hopefully these are some good guideposts to get you started.
Another question to ask during your annual financial wellness check is this: Do you have a budget? If you do, reevaluate it. If you don’t, make one – and include retirement savings in it.
You might also want to ask: Does your employer offer a 401k plan? If so, make sure you’re enrolled and, if possible, max out on matching contributions. If they don’t, consider setting up an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).
I know it can be overwhelming – and for some, discouraging. But I have posted some additional resources to help at Treasury.MS.gov/FinancialEducation.
Please take a moment to conduct a financial wellness check this week. I am hopeful even just a small check-in will pay tremendous dividends in the long run.
MISSISSIPPI TREASURER DAVID MCRAE is the 55th treasurer for the State of Mississippi. In this role, he helps manage the state’s cash flow, oversees College Savings Mississippi and has returned more than $45 million in unclaimed money to Mississippians. For more information, visit www.Treasury.MS.gov.
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GREENWOOD • William "Bud" McGee, a Mississippi civil rights activist who worked to register Black voters in the 1960s, has died. He was 81.
"It was the only church that would allow people to meet,"said Shannon Bowden, an instructor of speech and mass communications at Mississippi Valley State University. "A lot of people were scared at that time and wouldn't allow people who were fighting for civil rights to meet due to the fear."
"Ithink I love Greenwood more than I love staying in Chicago. You speak to somebody in Chicago, they look at you like you're crazy," he told TheWashington Post in 1999 as he and others shared memories of the civil rights era after Mississippi opened files from the Sovereignty Commission, a former state agency that spied on people to try to preserve segregation.
His son, LouJones, recalled his father's efforts as a tax preparer and remembered him helping one person with a legal case and an issue with her disability payments.
"He had a calm, soft-spoken demeanor,"Jones told the Greenwood Commonwealth after his father died. "I've very rarely seen him express anything other than that."
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Elmo Simmons, Milton
Milton Elmo Simmons, age 78, of Altamonte Springs, Florida, passed away peacefully on May 31, 2022. Born on August 29, 1943, in Myrtle, Mississippi, he was the son of Olga (Fooshee) and St. Elmo Simmons. Milton was preceded in death by his parents and brothers William Dan Simmons, Samuel Allen Simmons, and Charles Lee Simmons. He is survived by his loving wife Deborah M. (Bolte) Greenberg-Simmons; his daughters Milissa Simmons and Carrie (Jeffrey) Sahagun; step children Julie Greenberg, Lawrence Greenberg, Rebecca Greenberg, Janet (Wayne) Keadle, Rita (Christopher) Moynihan; his grandchildren: Hailey Greenberg, Samuel Greenberg, Tucker Keadle, Brock Keadle, Madyson Keadle, Layla Keadle, Chase Moynihan and Curren Moynihan; great grandchildren: Kaya Israel and Eli Israel; his sister Dorothy Ann "Dottie" Simmons Wells, and other dear family members and friends. Milton graduated from Myrtle High School, Myrtle, Mississippi and Delta University. He went through basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia after joining the Army in 1966. Upon completing Army Officer Candidate School, he was stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington State. Milton was then sent to Vietnam in January 1968. Due to his distinguished service with the 1st Cavalry Division, 7th Cavalry, Milton earned the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster, the Air Medal, the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with palm, and several others for valorous action and gallantry in 1968. Upon discharge, he moved to Ketchikan, Alaska where he lived for many years. He served with the Alaska National Guard and owned the Alaska Bar and Lighthouse Grocery. Later, Milton worked full time with the National Guard and moved to Juneau and then Anchorage where he eventually retired from military service. In 1994 Milton moved to Altamonte Springs, Florida where he was a business owner. Milton was an avid hunter, fisherman, basketball player and golfer. He loved all sports and was a big supporter of his grandchildren's sporting and music events.
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Bruce's Hooper shows out in all-star win
TUPELO – Karon Hooper showed once again why college coaches should start paying attention to him.
The Bruce senior had a typical game on Saturday afternoon, scoring 21 points to lead the Red team past the Blue squad 76-57 in the NEMBCA 1A/2A All-Star Game.
Hooper has no college or junior college offers. In fact, he said no coaches are even talking with him right now. He averaged 23.1 points per game this past season and was a Daily Journal All-Area third-team pick.
“I’ve had this talent since I was a little kid,” said Hooper, who was named the game’s overall MVP. “It’s fun enjoying it with others, and I’ve loved playing the sport all my life.”
He was clearly having fun leading the Red. Hooper made 8 of 10 from the field, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range, and helped his team pull away in the second half. The Red led 31-27 at halftime and 52-44 after three quarters.
Hooper kickstarted an 11-3 run in the fourth, and the lead swelled to 63-49 after Smithville’s Chandler Woodham made a layup.
“In the time that we’re living in, there’s a lot of kids out there like that that don’t get noticed,” said Red coach Brady Ramey, of Tremont. “That’s one of the good things about all-star games – it gives them an opportunity to be seen in a different environment against kids that are as equally talented and athletic.”
The Red also got a boost from Cedric Watson (H.W. Byers), another efficient shooter. He was 5 of 8 from the field and scored 11 points. Jon Paul Yates (Tupelo Christian) added 10 points and five assists.
Offensive MVP Carson Rowland (Pine Grove) led the Blue with 14 points, with 10 of those coming in the first half.
“After halftime we talked about someone stepping up to the challenge and guarding Rowland,” Ramey said. “First half he was getting anything he wanted. We had a couple of guys that took that as a challenge and did a really good job on him in the second half.”
(G) Red 58, Blue 47: Lily Whitley (New Site) scored 16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the Red. She was named the game’s overall MVP.
Shan Culpepper (East Webster) added 11 points. The Blue was led by Millie Speed (Tupelo Christian), who had 11 points. Her TCPS teammate, Sydney Carter, notched eight points and five assists to earn offensive MVP honors.
Karon Hooper
Chandler Woodham
Brady Ramey
Cedric Watson
Jon Paul Yates
Lily Whitley
Shan Culpepper
Millie Speed
Sydney Carter
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Dave says: Do what you feel is best for you
Q. My husband and I are in our mid-20s, and we are expecting our first baby this year. We are also debt-free, except for our mortgage, and we expect to have it paid off in about four years.
It has always been our dream for me to stay home with our kids, and maybe even homeschool them when the time was right. My husband makes more than enough for us to live on, so we have always put the paychecks from my human resources job toward paying off the house.
What do you think, Dave? I kind of hate to give up the income, but I want to do what is best for my family.
A. First, congratulations on expecting a new baby! I know it’s an exciting time in your lives. It sounds like you two have been killing it financially as well. You’ve both worked hard to set yourselves up for a great future.
You’re blessed to be in a unique financial situation. So, do what you and your husband feel in your hearts is best for you and your family. Sit down together and talk about it, then make a plan and don’t worry about what the world thinks. God bless you guys!
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Mississippi’s summer heat stresses milk cows and lessens their milk production.
KEVIN HUDSON I MSU EXTENSION SERVICE
High costs and low prices stress state dairy industry
By BONNIE COBLENTZ Mississippi State Extension
STARKVILLE • High input costs and low milk prices have made it hard to be a dairy farmer anywhere in the U.S., but Mississippi producers have it harder than most.
Amanda Stone, dairy specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the number of dairy farms in the state continues to dwindle.
“Today, Mississippi has 55 dairy farms with an average herd size of 145, for a total of about 8,000 dairy cows in the state,” Stone said. “That number has declined drastically in recent years. Just six years ago, there were 87 dairies in the state.”
Aside from problems associated with the high cost of maintaining a dairy herd and low market prices for milk, another issue is the aging population of dairy farmers.
“Children of dairy farmers are not always ready or willing to take over the farm, likely in part to them seeing how hard a life it is,” she said. “Many of our dairies simply go out of business upon the retirement of the dairy farmer.”
Another significant problem in the industry is receiving a lot more attention in recent years than ever before.
“Mental health struggles and suicide are big issues in the dairy industry as a result of its tumultuous state over the last several years,” Stone said.
Mississippi does have some advantages: a long growing season for forage, excellent access to water and good grazing land for cattle. Not all parts of the country have these features.
Mississippi’s dairy industry produces a state average 6.2 gallons of milk per cow per day. That amount puts the state No. 42 nationally, a low ranking that has not changed much over the years, despite per-cow production rising.
“Milk production per cow continues to increase everywhere as genetics, nutrition and management improve,” Stone said.
“Even with stronger milk prices, higher input costs are a major headwind to dairy producers in Mississippi,” Maples said. “For example, MSU agricultural economists estimate that forage production will be approximately 50% more expensive in 2022 than 2021.
“So, while producers may earn higher milk prices than in recent years, it is much more costly to produce milk,” he said.
MSU scientists continue to support the dairy industry with research into pressing topics.
Stone and MSU graduate student Kevin Braman are working to understand how sprinkler systems affect milk production and behavior in a pasture-based herd. Past research from Stone’s lab has shown positive results with the pasture-based sprinkler system.
Another project Stone is conducting with graduate student Michelle Fenstermaker is an effort to better understand how the mental health of dairy farmers, such as their anxiety, depression and compassion fatigue, affects their ability to perceive pain in their animals.
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A. Foote
Foote, Lady Cougars not sweating losses
INGOMAR – Right now, Blue Mountain’s girls might seem less imposing than they were last season, but that’s not how they feel.
The Lady Cougars lost Teauna Foote to graduation, and now they’ve lost rising sophomore Saniyah Cook. The 6-foot-1 post player, who averaged 15 points and 11 rebounds per game last season, is transferring to reigning Class 3A state champ Booneville.
Blue Mountain went 25-5 last season and reached the 1A quarterfinals. Point guard Arare Foote, for one, sees no reason why her team can’t at least equal that success next season.
“It’s not just about one person; it’s a team effort,” Foote said. “It doesn’t matter if you lose one or two people, as long as you’ve got the team behind you, you can still do what you need to do.”
Foote definitely has the Lady Cougars behind her. During summer league play on Thursday, the junior wreaked havoc on both ends of the floor as Blue Mountain blew out Pine Grove.
Foote averaged 8 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals per game last season.
“She’s the engine on our defense,” coach Regina Chills said. “She makes us go. That’s what I tell her all the time, is that our team goes as far as she takes it, because she gets us revved up.”
Foote is taking it upon herself to keep Blue Mountain playing at a high level.
“I make sure that since other people don’t know as much, I try to help them and teach them. But also better myself, like making sure I can help on defense more,” she said.
Keyauna Foote – Arare’s cousin – will play a big role as well. The 5-10 junior is athletic and can shoot from the outside, and she’s working to improve her post game. Last season, Foote averaged 9 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals per game.
“She’s an all-around player,” Chills said.
This summer, the Lady Cougars are focused on establishing chemistry, what with the personnel losses altering everyone’s role to some degree. Cook might be gone, but Chills is only worried about who’s back.
“I feel really good because it’s that want. They want to win, and they have put in so much for the past two years,” Chills said. “They know what they’re capable of doing.”
Blue Mountain Cougars
Teauna Foote
Saniyah Cook
Arare Foote
Regina Chills
Keyauna Foote
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Hathcock
Chenault
BankPlus announced these recent promotions:
• Britni Rutherford to Vice President and Banking Center Manager.
A native of Shannon, Rutherford has been in the banking industry for 22 years, with seven of those being at BankPlus. She is the Banking Center Manager for the Tupelo Banking Center.
• Connie Rieves to First Vice President and Loan Officer.
Rieves has been in the banking industry for 26 years with seven of those being at BankPlus. Before working for BankPlus, Rieves worked at several financial institutions over the years in West Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Louisiana before finally settling in Tupelo 27 years ago. She joined BankPlus in 2015 as a Loan Officer and is a Private Banking Loan Officer.
• Paul Mize to Senior Vice President and Loan Officer.
A graduate of the University of Mississippi with a degree in Business Administration, Banking, and Finance, Mize has 16 years of experience in the banking industry as he worked for a regional bank in Tupelo for 10 years before joining BankPlus.
Currently, Mize is a commercial lender.
Mize also attended the Paul W. Barret, Jr., School of Banking and Southeastern School of Commercial Lending.
• Taylor Sanders to Senior Vice President and Loan Officer.
A Tupelo native, Sanders has been in the banking industry for 22 years. He has been with BankPlus since 2015 and is currently the Senior Vice President of Private Banking.
Sanders earned his Bachelor’s degree at the University of North Alabama and his MBA at Millsaps College. From There, he attended Florida State to become a Certified Financial Planner, as well as the Southeastern School of Commercial Lending at Vanderbilt University.
• Home furnishings and design source J. Britt Lighting & Interiors in Tupelo has been named one of Home Accents Today’s Retail Stars for 2022 by editors of the premier trade magazine for the home accents industry.
The Retail Stars list, sponsored by AmericasMart Atlanta and Las Vegas Market, publishes each year in Home Accents Today’s May issue. Members of the home furnishings industry are invited to suggest stores, and retailers are encouraged to submit information describing their businesses. This year’s list was compiled and narrowed down by Research Director Joanne Friedrick and the editors of Home Accents Today.
J. Britt Lighting & Interiors, owned by Britt Caldwell, is at 1993 McCullough Blvd.
The Retail Stars list, now in its 18th year, recognizes independent brick-and-mortar retailers of home accents – including furniture stores, home accessories boutique stores and interior design showrooms – that merchandise creatively, have a positive presence in their local communities and stand out from the competition.
• Renasant Bank recently announced that Jonathan Chenault was recently promoted to Assistant Vice President, Mobility Services Manager. He is located at the Renasant Technology Center.
Chenault graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor's degree in Information Technology Services.
• Unit coordinator and certified nursing assistant Lea Palmer has been selected as Baldwyn Nursing Facility’s most recent Star of the Month.
Palmer joined Baldwyn Nursing Facility in 2019. She graduated from Tupelo High School and attended Northeast Mississippi Community College and Itawamba Community College.
• North Mississippi Medical Center recently presented the DAISY Award to Morgan Beasley Johnson of Women’s Hospital.
Johnson was nominated by a coworker for going above and beyond for a long-term maternity patient who spent several months hospitalized during her pregnancy. “Because she was at Women’s Hospital for so long, she lost the opportunity of celebrating her pregnancy with loved ones outside the hospital,” her coworker wrote. “Morgan organized a surprise baby shower at the hospital, with staff being invited to celebrate with her.”
A 2016 graduate of Mantachie High School, Johnson earned her associate degree in nursing from Itawamba Community College in 2019 and her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Mississippi University for Women in 2020. She joined the NMMC staff on 6 South in 2019 and transferred to the Mother-Baby Unit at Women’s Hospital in March 2021. She recently transitioned to the Resource Pool at Women’s Hospital.
• North Mississippi Medical Clinics recently named registered nurse April Faulkner Hathcock of Pulmonary Consultants as Star of the Month.
Hathcock joined the North Mississippi Health Services family in 2008 as a nurse in the Critical Care Unit at North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo. She transferred to Pulmonary Consultants in Tupelo in June 2017.
Hathcock graduated from Smithville High School. She attended Itawamba Community College before earning her nursing degree from Mississippi University for Women in 2008.
Her co-workers describe her as a team player, a passionate advocate for patients and a bubbly, fun, precious soul who lightens the loads of those around her.
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Our eldest and most expensive daughter came home from Texas A&M University for the summer and began her first “real” job — other than working frantically to return her bedroom to its original appearance as a giant clothing donation drop box. At first, she seemed reluctant to apply for summer jobs — until I gave her the choice of either working outside the home or serving as my personal assistant, pedicurist, toilet sanitizer, underwear folder, minesweeper for dog bombs, and other duties as assigned. I couldn’t help but giggle inside a little at the end of her first week of work when she told us how tired she was and that we were all going to have to start going to bed at a decent hour.
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That's my blanket response to a persistent trickle of emails from readers who keep asking me to, in effect, stop using the word "conservative" when I mean "crazy." Or "fascist." Or "mean." Which is to say that these people, most of whom would consider themselves conservative, want me to stop using that word to describe the likes of Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ginni Thomas and other luminaries of the political right.
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While Newton's laws were about physics, the concept of action and reaction, of cause and effect, could be applied in other areas, such as violent people who use guns to kill others. Notice I said violent people, not gun violence.
Chisholm's office gave a deferred prosecution to a convicted drug dealer. After his release, reports the Mail, that dealer fatally injected a 26-year-old woman with heroin and then tried to hide her body. The man, Darrell Brooks, was caught but released on $1,000 bond. Within a few weeks, Brooks drove through a Christmas parade, killing five people. He previously had been convicted of a felony for running over the mother of his children.
They also promoted the necessity of religious faith as the foundation for a better life. Here's one excerpt from the 1879 edition: "Religion: the only basis of society. How powerless conscience would become without the belief of a God. Erase all thought and fear of God from a community and selfishness and sensuality would absorb the whole Man. ... Man would become what the theory of atheism declares him to be."
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To address gun violence, we must find solutions for the young
By CATHY GRACE Contributing columnist
In 1997, Luke Woodham killed three people and wounded seven others in a school shooting in Pearl, Mississippi. He killed his mother at home and two students at school while wounding seven others. This is just a reminder a school shooting can and has happened in Mississippi.
Sen. Roger Wicker recently commented on a survey from the National Public Broadcasting Service that was submitted to all U.S. senators to gain their opinions on the gun laws. The surveying of senators was due to recent tragic murders at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, and the horrific slaughter of children in a Texas elementary school.
“I’m committed to exploring bipartisan solutions that can help address gun violence without infringing upon the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners,” Wicker said.
When Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith was asked, she made no comment. None.
The Second Amendment is often misused and misstated during times like these and those from 10 years ago when the shooting at Sandy Hill Elementary School resulted in millions to repeat an outcry for “something to be done.” This same cry has been heard in response to every massacre and shooting before then and since.
Debating what the Second Amendment means is not going to be over soon, and immediate help is in order. We are at a crisis point and have been for years. I agree with Sen. Wicker in his voicing that we must come together to find some solutions.
There is plenty to be done now regardless of the amendment debate to reduce the horrific violence taking place across the country involving guns and those who have access to them, but the cost may be greater than some are willing to pay, even if losing more lives hangs in the balance.
I would like to humbly offer one major step for Sen. Wicker and others to consider: More mental health services for children and young adults.
"We need more mental health services" is an easy sound bite to issue. The reality is that we are severely underfunded for providing mental health services to children, youth and new mothers. In a report issued in 2022 by Mental Health America, Mississippi ranked 47th in the country on access to mental health services.
Brain science is clear that the mental health of the new mother is an important factor as to how children’s early development in social emotional characteristics such as empathy, developing healthy relationships, self-acceptance and compassion occur.
Current medical systems have not been designed to detect mental health problems early and to provide intervention. More programs should be funded that are devoted to encouraging pediatric health providers to become more qualified to identify and refer children to the appropriate mental health professionals.
The federal and state governments could partner to expand funding to address more services for the detection and treatment of parental mental health problems as part of pediatric primary care. Expansions could include attention to parental mental health which extends beyond concern for maternal depression in the perinatal period, as well as stating the appropriateness of including relevant parent mental health information in the child's medical record.
This is especially noteworthy in our state, where our legislators refused to bring up for a vote in the 2022 session legislation that would have extended postpartum Medicaid coverage from the federally mandated two months to one year after giving birth. Sen. Wicker could champion a bill that would extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from the federally mandated two months to one year after giving birth.
Often bullying or hatred of others from a different race than that of the shooter is given as a motive for why mass shootings occur. Bullying and racism are both learned behaviors. Whether being the bully or being bullied or told repeatedly by family members, classmates, or peer groups there are inferior races to theirs is toxic to the developing brain. There are cases of generational bullies and racists, with the behavior passed down from one generation to another.
No amount of money will be sufficient to address family acceptance of bullying or racist behavior. It may come from self-loathing, which is a hard feeling to overcome, or it may be a result of the home culture. Money cannot erase those behaviors, but there are community and faith leaders who can, if they so choose.
They can assemble to change the lack of community acceptance of all residents and create a culture of unity — just like that at a Friday night football game. We are all rooting for “our” players — Black, white, bi-racial, Hispanic, Asian, Hindu or Muslim. They are all wearing the same uniform, playing for the same team with the same goal. It is so simple, it is hard.
Sen. Hyde-Smith is barely acknowledged in this opinion piece. It is not because I am picking on Sen. Wicker. It is because he publicly voiced his views acknowledging the problem, and possibly is interested in being part of solutions. Sen. Hyde-Smith, with an A+ rating from the NRA, chose not to do so when given an opportunity through the survey. I guess she was just too busy.
CATHY GRACE, Ed.D, is co-director of the Graduate Center for the Study of Early Learning at the University of Mississippi. You can reach her at cwgrace@olemiss.edu.
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LONDON • A colorful street pageant celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's life and highlighting Britain's diversity paraded through central London on Sunday, the final day of a long holiday weekend honoring the monarch's 70 years on the throne. Royal fans were hoping to see another glimpse of the 96-year-old queen later at Buckingham Palace, where the parade ends.
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Curry, Sr., John Owen Owen
John Owen Curry, Sr., 52, of Iuka, MS died on Saturday, June 4, 2022, at North Mississippi Medical Center in Iuka. John was a very giving and loving person who cared about all of his family, extended family, friends, and his community. He was active in the Boy Scouts of America for the past 14 years, a past Scout Master, a member of The Order of The Arrow, and was a fully trained Triple Beaded Wood Badge Member. John strived to be a positive role model for the youth in his charge to follow. He worked as an HVAC technician for many years and was also the custodian for the local school. John enjoyed being outside, fishing, camping, gardening, and his chickens. His greatest joys in life were his wife, children, and grandchildren whom he loved dearly. He is survived by his wife, Trina Johnson Curry; his children, Kayla Curry Owens, Cadance Curry, and John Curry, Jr.; two grandchildren, Whitley Willis and Waylon Owens; his brother, Thomas Curry; his sisters, Becky Letchworth and Judy Melton Curry; and many nieces, nephews, family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Leroy and Annie Lou Curry; and his sisters, Sara Curry Glasgow and Donna Kay Curry. Cutshall Funeral Home of Iuka, MS is entrusted with the arrangements. Visitation is scheduled for Tuesday, June 7, 2022, from 5pm until 8pm, at Iuka Church of God. Visitation will continue on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, from 11am until the time of service. Services are scheduled for Wednesday, June 8, 2022, at 1pm, at Iuka Church of God, officiated by Bro. Rodney Windham and Bro. Ron Norvell. Burial will follow in Snowdown Cemetery. Pallbearers include Devin Smullins, Josh Johnson, Adam Tricky, Bobby Felker, Terrion Taylor, and Anthony Alred. Honorary pallbearers include Alfred Yarber, Joe Spencer, Gary Bolton, Robert Borden, Dr. Flannery, Junior Bailey, and Montlee Brumley. Donations may be made in John's honor to the Yocona-Pushmataha Council, BSA. An online guestbook may be accessed at www.cutshallfuneralhome.com.
John Owen Curry Sr.
Iuka Church Of God
Thomas Curry
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Thompson, Sr., Jimmy Lee
On the beautiful Friday evening of June 3, 2022, Jimmy Lee Thompson, Sr., 71, resident of Middleton, TN, passed away peacefully surrounded by family in the comfort of his home. Funeral Services honoring the life of Mr. Thompson will be at 2 Pm Tuesday, June 7 in The Heritage Chapel of Ripley Funeral Home with Bro. Jamie Hodoe officiating. Burial will be private. Mr. Thompson was born March 25, 1951 in Bells, TN, the son of the late Thurman "Pop" and Maggie Lou Borders Thompson. He received his education in the Wilson Public School System, was a valued employee of the Maltan Company and was married on July 13, 1974 to his beloved wife, Joyce Jordan Thompson who survives. A Christian, Mr. Thompson will be remembered for his love of the outdoors. He was an avid deer hunter, enjoyed fishing, camping and riding his motorcycle throughout the southern states. Blessed with a large family, Mr. Thompson's life revolved around his family and much adored grandchildren. His best times were had entertaining at his home and watching his grandchildren play.He was a loving and devoted father, husband, son, brother, and friend to all whose lives he touched. Visitation will be from 1 PM to 2 PM Tuesday, June 7 at The Ripley Funeral Home. In addition to his wife of 47 years, memories will continue to be shared by three sons, Brad "J.T." Thompson of Booneville, Jimmy Lee Thompson, Jr. (Sissy) of Middleton, TN and Bobby Wayne Thompson (Tricia) of Selmer, TN, three sisters,Sarah Jean Cooper (Ricky) of Joyner, AR, Bettye Huskey of Wilson, AR and Charlotte Carmichael of Hayti. MO, two borthers, David Thompson (Kathy) of Wilson, AR and Jerry Thompson of Bassett, AR, eighteen grandchildren and a god-daughter, Angie Holloway of Booneville. He was also preceded in death by a sister, Willie Louise Ashburn and a brother, Joe Frank Thompson. The family request the memorials be directed to the American Heart Association, PO Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284 The Ripley Funeral Home invites you to share memories with the Thompson family at ripleyfuneralhome.com.
Joyce Jordan Thompson
Maggie Lou Borders Thompson
Jimmy Lee Thompson Sr.
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Brody Chamblee leaps to return the serve.
Sophia Tran runs to make a play.
Ana Claire Reese serves the ball to Sophie Simmons.
HOUSTON – The rackets were out, and the tennis balls were flying last week as the Houston community tennis courts were the site of beginners tennis lessons that are being offered this summer.
Greg Simmons is teaching the lessons, which are sponsored by the Mississippi Tennis Association and endorsed by Houston Park and Rec, and are comprised of six lessons.
They are divided into age groups of 5-10 and 11-17.
They practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the summer, including May 24, 26 and 31, June 2, 14 and 16.
“This is beginners lessons for tennis,” said Simmons. “We do have a couple that want to move forward and be on the high school tennis team.”
However, there is only one goal here, establish a love for tennis.
“We are just trying to build up our young ones and develop a love for it and hopefully we’ll see it flourish.”
However, there is more at play in other aspects of the Houston tennis scene.
Members of the community, Simmons included, have banded together to form the Houston Community Tennis Association (CTA), with the goal of raising funds to build new courts in the city.
“We started the Houston Community Tennis Association to raise some funds for some tennis courts, in the future, because right now, our high school team is unable to host their own matches here at Houston, so they’re forced to travel to Pontotoc to host matches, and that’s something, that our city, if we can come together and build some courts, will be great for the community and great for the school.”
Other members of the association that he named were Frank Alford, Daniel Alford and Steve Chamblee.
He said that this is similar to something that was done, with community support, in his hometown.
“This is something very similar to where I grew up, in Shannon. We started off with two courts, and we were able to build three more.”
The organization recently, within the last few weeks, gained official status, and now they are looking to hit the ground running.
“We are about to start seeking support on building the courts. Location wise, we don’t know if it will be at Joe Brigance or other locations in the city, but that’s something that’s in discussion right now.”
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, in Orlando, Fla.
John Raoux I AP
By Joseph Clark The Washington Times
DeSantis secured 71% approval from summit attendees, with Trump closely following at 67% approval.
DeSantis won last year’s straw poll at the Colorado summit, receiving 74% approval from attendees. Trump won 71% approval last year.
Neither DeSantis nor Trump has formally entered the 2024 presidential race, though Trump has continued to drop hints that he intends to run.
Attendees also ranked issues that they feel are most important. Education and parental rights ranked among the top concerns, at 77%. Energy independence and gun rights came in second and third in order of importance, at 75% and 74%, respectively.
“We are Western conservatives, which means we don’t wait around for Washington, D.C., to solve our problems,” he said. “We solve our own proble”
Hunt said the nonpartisan summit does not endorse or oppose any candidate or political party.
On Saturday, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii became the second Democrat to speak at the summit since its inception, conveying a message of unity above party politics.
“I want to talk to you about freedom, liberty, the pursuit of happiness,” Gabbard told the crowd. “All of these words are words that are synonymous with America, what it means to be an American. These are not Democrat words or Republican words. These principles are ones that belong to all of us and they are the foundational bricks that our country was built upon.”
Gabbard said the country is at a time of crisis, decrying a divisive era in politics and culture and taking shots at the political leaders she said are intent on eroding foundational liberties enshrined in the First and Second Amendments.
Sanders, a former White House press secretary in the Trump administration and daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, secured the Republican nomination to replace term-limited GOP incumbent Gov. Asa Hutchinson in a decisive victory in late May.
In her keynote speech, Sanders echoed Gabbard’s call to action.
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Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Ct., speaks on a phone with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Wednesday morning, May 25, 2022 on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Lawmakers fear Biden's rhetoric may hurt bipartisan talks
By Haris Alic The Washington Times
Sen. Christopher Murphy, the Connecticut Democrat leading bipartisan talks to get gun laws passed, urged President Biden on Sunday to stay out of the negotiations or risk scuttling a deal.
Biden’s calls for far-reaching changes to gun laws added to the deluge of Democratic gun control proposals in Congress, making it harder to strike a bipartisan deal needed to get legislation passed, lawmakers say.
“I think the Senate needs to do this ourselves,” Murphy said on CNN. “I’ve talked to the White House every single day since these negotiations began, but right now the Senate needs to handle these negotiations.”
Murphy and Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican, are leading the negotiations to get a deal that can garner the 60 votes needed for legislation to survive in the Senate. The talks center on incremental changes to background checks and federal incentives for states to adopt “red flag” laws that allow authorities to confiscate firearms from people whom a court deems dangerous.
Biden nearly upended those negotiations last week with a prime-time address to the nation in which he called for, among other things, universal background checks and a ban on military-style semi-automatic rifles or “assault weapons.” Such proposals have thwarted Congress for nearly two decades.
“Right now we’re trying to discover what can get 60 votes,” said Murphy. “We’re not going to do everything I want. We are not going to put a piece of legislation on the table that’s going to ban assault weapons, or we’re not going to pass comprehensive background checks.”
In his speech to the nation, Biden urged Congress to change liability laws to allow gun manufacturers to be sued for shootings and make gun owners liable for not keeping their firearms locked up.
“This isn’t about taking away anyone’s rights,” Biden said. “It’s about protecting children, about protecting families. … It’s about protecting our freedom to go to school, to a grocery store, to a church without being shot and killed.”
The get-tough gun laws offered by Biden and similar legislation being teed up by House Democrats have virtually no chance of passing the Senate which is split 50-50 between the parties, according to critics on both sides of the aisle.
“He gave a speech on this topic where he advocated policies that he knows for sure have no chance of passing the Senate. (They) probably couldn’t even get 50 votes, much less get the 60 we would need,” Sen. Patrick J. Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican involved in the bipartisan talks, told CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “So, once again, the president is not being very helpful.”
Both sides of the gun debate agree that the carnage must stop after a series of mass shootings, including the massacre of 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
Both sides also reject most of the other’s ideas as impractical or ineffective, including Democrats’ dismissal of Republican proposals to fortify school security.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, plans for her chamber to pass an ambitious package of gun control measures dubbed the Protecting Our Kids Act. The legislation would raise the federal age to purchase a rifle from 18 to 21, create “safe storage” laws for gun owners and ban “high-capacity” ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 bullets, though existing magazines are grandfathered.
It would codify President Trump’s ban on bump stocks that allow rifles to fire rapidly like a machine gun, and it would impose background checks for “ghost gun” kits to assemble handguns.
“Saving our children can and must be a unifying mission for our nation,” Mrs. Pelosi said.
She also announced plans to consider a ban on military-style semi-automatic rifles and legislation allowing courts to issue extreme risk protection orders that ban purchasing or possessing firearms.
Despite the bills heading to certain death in the Senate, House Democrats say the legislation will increase public pressure on Senate Republicans to back some type of change to gun laws
“As we go down this path, it is our responsibility to keep gun violence front and center in the media so that, strengthened by public opinion, we can get lifesaving legislation over the finish line,” Mrs. Pelosi said.
The volume of gun control proposals, however, risks unnerving senators involved in the bipartisan talks. The focus on get-tough bills that have no hope of passing, lawmakers say, is only stoking partisan ire.
“Look, we’re talking about background checks,” Sen. Jon Tester, Montana Democrat, said after the Uvalde shooting. “If we talk about anything more than that, it’s just silly. … (An assault weapons ban) isn’t going to pass if you can’t get background checks done.”
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PORT GIBSON • A judge on Monday dropped a capital murder charge against a Mississippi man after prosecutors said they lacked enough evidence to try him in the 2017 death of his 14-month-old daughter.
Morris Bevily IV of Claiborne County said Circuit Judge Tomika Harris-Irving's decision to drop the charge against him was a "blessing from the Lord," WLBT-TV reported.
His wife, T'Kia Bevily, the child's stepmother, was also charged with capital murder. Last month, a jury found her not guilty.
Bevily said Monday described the past few years as a "struggle," but said he tried to remain positive and confident. He said he is grieving the loss of his daughter.
"At the end of the day, when you know you've done no wrong, those things don't affect you the same way," he said. "When you know you're innocent, when you know all you did was love and give love to your children and others around you — outside opinions, they just don't matter as much."
T'kia Bevily
Morris Bevily Iv
Patrick E. Beasley
Jurayah Smith
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The U.S. aircraft carrier Yorktown, left, and the other fighting ships of a U.S. task force in the Pacific throw up an umbrella of anti-aircraft fire to beat off a squadron of Japanese torpedo planes attacking the carrier during the battle of Midway, July 14, 1942. A column of smoke, at waterline at extreme left, rises from a Japanese plane which was shot down into the sea near the carrier. (AP Photo)
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Derrick Christopher Brown, 36, of Guntown, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, false pretense, forgery
Perronski Martez Copeland, 27, Aberdeen, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, possession of a firearm by a felon.
Lonnie Hill, 51, of Verona, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a felon.
Robert Earl Lenoir, 39, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, driving under the influence – third offense, possession of marijuana, no driver’s license, no insurance, improper equipment.
Seth Aaron Stanley, 34, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, two counts of possession of methamphetamine.
Nicholas Wilhite, 27, of Nettleton, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, receiving stolen property.
A Palmetto Road store clerk said a female customer came in and accused the woman of wanting to sleep with the customer’s husband. The customer threw two oranges and her car keys at the clerk. The clerk called 911 and gave the woman her keys back. The suspect left before deputies arrived.
A County Road 751 Tupelo man said around 10:30 a.m., an unknown man in his 40s dropped off a suspicious package and drove away in a red car. The Walmart bag contained lotion and a toothbrush.
A County Road 1325 Tupelo woman said while she was away, her husband entered her house and damaged a wall mirror, a 65-inch television and the front door knob.
A County Road 1029 Tupelo man said a yellow car pulled onto his road and parked without headlights around 9 p.m. The car left, then returned. When the car left a second time, it did not return.
A County Road 1399 Tupelo man and his girlfriend got into an argument. She got in his face yelling and would not let him walk away. He asked her to leave, but she refused. His parents came over to diffuse the situation. They convinced her to stay the night at their place.
A Highway 371 Mooreville man heard an alarm going off at the church down the road at 2:45 a.m. He then heard male voices outside his house and his dog ran to the window barking.
A County Road 951 Guntown woman said someone entered her house and stole her late husband’s heavy duty pancake air compressor. She thinks a relative stole her spare house key from her late mother-in-law’s house to get inside her house.
A man said he was cutting hay on his County Road 712 Plantersville property when a male relative came onto the property. He drove around the relative, who then pulled out a revolver. When the suspect raised the revolver, the man drove away. He said there is an ongoing dispute over property lines.
A County Road 1460 Tupelo man said his neighbor has been in a nursing home for the last three months. Recently, there have been a lot of people coming and going from the neighbor’s place and he wanted deputies to check on it.
A Birmingham Ridge Road man heard what he thought was a .22-caliber gunshot around 3:30 p.m. The bullet hit tree limbs on his property. When he yelled out, the unknown shooter started firing rapidly.
A man is in the process of buying a County Road 598 Plantersville house from a Florida company. When he checked on the residence, someone had stolen the outside air conditioning unit and the electronic keypad by the door, damaged the back door handle and broke the sliding glass door.
A County Road 115 Okolona man said while he was asleep, someone left a 1999 Toyota 4Runner parked on his property. He did not know who the car might belong to.
A Mallard Court Shannon woman was getting ready for bed at 9:30 p.m. when “a lot of kids” on four-wheelers rode through her sister’s yard, screaming and hollering. She felt they were being disrespectful and dangerous.
A County Road 404 Shannon man said he woke up at 1:15 a.m. and heard a woman’s voice outside yelling for help. He said it sounded like it was behind his house and a woman lives in a mobile home behind him through the tree line.
A Drive 1135 Plantersville woman heard her dogs barking at 2:45 a.m. then heard male voices outside. She called her father and then 911. The voices were guests visiting the woman’s renter who lives behind her.
A Golden Hills Mooreville man walked out on his back porch around 6:20 a.m. and noticed a pair of boots that were not his. He saw an unidentified male walking down his drive. The suspect would stop after 10 steps, turn around, cover his face and start talking to himself. Deputies found the suspect walking down the street and arrested him for possession of drug paraphernalia.
A County Road 82 Guntown man said someone entered his open garage and stole a Kobalt miter saw.
A County Road 154 Shannon woman said a female came over and was causing problems. She got into a shoving match with another female and pulled out a Taser. When a man tried to intervene, he was shocked and he tumbled and fell between them. She then grabbed the other woman by her clothes and started Tasing her as well. When the suspect drove away, she dragged a person who had reached in the back seat to get a phone and buckle a child in the child seat.
A County Road 2254 Saltillo woman said her son, 35, has been living with her for a couple of years in a camper in the front yard. He doesn’t pay rent or utilities and won’t help around the house. She told him to leave, and he refused.
A Yon-O-Main Trail Lake Piomingo woman was riding around the neighborhood around 1 a.m. when she noticed a car following her. The other car followed her all the way home. A female got out and asked the woman if she knew where Tom Fulla Trail was. When she said she didn’t know, the suspect drove away.
A Tom Fulla Trail Lake Piomingo woman said a female acquaintance pulled up at 3:30 a.m. and started blowing her horn. When she walked outside, the suspect wanted to know where the suspect’s husband was. When she said she didn’t know, the suspect keyed her car. When the woman said she was going to turn her dogs loose, the suspect said she had a 9mm pistol.
A County Road 452 Nettleton woman said someone broke into her shop and stole a pancake air compressor, a paint sprayer and three propane bottles.
A County Road 599 Saltillo woman said her husband returned from a fishing trip drunk around 8 p.m. He began to accuse her of cheating on him and started an altercation. When he would not let her leave with the kids, she called 911. When deputies arrived, the man agreed to leave for the night.
A County Road 754 Tupelo man said he had been trying to reach a man for several days trying to pay him the $425 he owed for work on his motorcycle. He went to the mechanic’s County Road 41 Tupelo house around 9 p.m. The mechanic came out brandishing a baseball bat and hit the front fender on the 1996 Harley-Davidson and then hit the headlight. At that time, the man drove away to call 911.
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Robbins to lead BMC Men’s Cross Country and Track
BLUE MOUNTAIN • Blue Mountain College Athletics announced the hiring of Kristi Robbins as head coach of men's cross country and track today.
She replaces outgoing coach Heather Duley who spent six years leading the programs at BMC.
Robbins comes aboard via St. Agnes Academy in Houston, Texas where she led the program to back-to-back state titles and six consecutive Texas Track & Field championship appearances.
"I appreciate the opportunity to step into this position and for the administration to have faith in me," Robbins said. "I have big shoes to fill, and I'm looking forward to becoming part of this amazing family and community."
During her high school coaching career, Robbins led Cinco Ranch High School (Katy, Texas) to nine consecutive district championships in cross country and track and field with numerous state qualifiers and All-Americans.
During her stint at St. Agnes, she was named Vype Coach of the Year, Texas Track & Field Coaches Association Coach of the Year and TAPPS Coach of the Year. She also coached a multitude of student-athletes who went on to become NCAA DI signees, including the No. 1 shot-put thrower and No. 1 pole vaulter in the nation.
"I want to see our student-athletes pushed to be their best athletically, personally and spiritually," Robbins commented. "I will strive to help them reach or exceed their goals, leading through example and faith. I want them to walk away from this program better people, and confident Christian men."
BMC Athletic Director Will Lowrey said this week, "We are very fortunate to land such a qualified candidate as Coach Robbins. She has been running championship programs in Texas for years. We are very thankful for all the work Coach Duley has done to build the program up. Thanks to her, there is a solid foundation for Coach Robbins to build championship programs here at The Mountain."
During her running career, Robbins starred at Cleveland State University, and later at Ole Miss where she competed in both cross country and track and field.
"I have very high expectations for myself, as well as the men I'm coaching," Robbins said. "We will be on this journey together to improve and do great things. I expect them to step up and use the tools given to reach personal bests and reap the rewards of their efforts. I want to build a powerhouse team and men of great character."
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The 77th edition of the United States Golf Association’s U.S. Women’s Open was played last Thursday through Sunday at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in North Carolina. Among those in the field was Fulton native Ally Ewing, who finished tied for 24th place with a 4-over par total score of 288 (68-74-74-72 288). Australian Mingee Lee won the tournament by four strokes with a 13-under par.
Ewing opened her week with a 3-under par 68 on Thursday. She hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation leading to five birdies in the round. On both Friday and Saturday, Ewing shot 3-over par 74s to fall down the leaderboard before recovering somewhat on Sunday with a 1-over par 72 to tie for 24th.
On the week, Ewing averaged 265 yards off the tee and hit 50 of 56 fairways while reaching 55 of 72 greens in regulation. She earned $87,248 at the tournament. The event had a record-breaking 410-million purse. It was the largest purse for a single event in the history of women’s golf.
The LPGA Tour is in Galloway, New Jersey, this week for the three-day ShopRite LPGA Classic.
Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the morning. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 89F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..
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Jake Keiser holds up a copy of her memoir, "Daffodil Hill," at her farm in Oxford on May 23, 2022. Ten years ago, Keiser sold her successful public relations firm in Tampa and bought a farm in Mississippi. Her autobiography details the trials and tribulations of that drastic life change.
Keiser feeds chickens on her farm in Oxford.
Keiser checks on a goat on her Oxford farm.
Goats vie for Jake Keiser's affection on her farm in Oxford.
Jake Keiser hugs a turkey on her farm in Oxford.
A goat begs for attention on Jake Keiser's Oxford farm.
The cover of Jake Keiser's memoir "Daffodil Hill: Uprooting My Life, Buying a Farm, and Learning to Bloom."
Jake Keiser writes about trading successful PR firm for farm life in 'Daffodil Hill' memoir
OXFORD • Once upon a time, Jake Keiser owned a public relations firm in Tampa Bay, Florida, and spent idle moments fantasizing about a simple country life while adding chicks to her virtual cart on MyPetChicken.com.
Ten years ago, she turned the virtual into reality. She sold her business in Florida and bought a farm in Oxford, where she lives to this day. She even wrote a book about it.
The 48-year-old turned a house and plot of land into Daffodil Hill Farm, a quaint country estate that abounds with furred and feathered creatures.
Keiser's memoir, "Daffodil Hill: Uprooting My Life, Buying a Farm, and Learning to Bloom," will be released on June 7, published by The Dial Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
It’s a story of trial and error, success and failure, and by sharing it, Keiser hopes to inspire others to follow where their hearts lead.
A decision to become self-reliant
Keiser grew up a military brat, moving from place to place. She lived in Oxford as a child, along with stints in Kentucky, Georgia, Guam and the Philippines.
She'd also attended the University of Mississippi, where her father, Ed Keiser, was a biology professor, and her step-mother, Sue Keiser, served as assistant to the chancellor.
Although strong ties led her back to Oxford, they were not enough to negate the shock of moving from a bustling city to a quiet life of solitude on a farm.
The owner of Keiser & Company, a Tampa-based PR firm, Keiser lived a busy and sociable life. But she was unhappy. Trauma from her childhood, several miscarriages and a failed marriage haunted her.
Eventually, she came to two realizations: Despite her success, she felt unfulfilled. And she had no self-reliance skills.
"It was somewhat of a burnout," Keiser said. "I started fantasizing about farm life and the peace of it."
She'd already ventured into organic DIY projects in the city, making her own lip balm and almond milk, but she wanted to take it further. She wanted a garden, animals to care for and total independence.
During a two-week visit with her family, Keiser told her step-mother that she'd like to retire to a farm someday.
"Well, you don't tell her what you want to do, because she's going to make it happen lightning-fast," Keiser said.
Not long after she returned to Tampa, Keiser received a call; there was a house and 5 acres of land for sale in rural Lafayette County.
From Gucci to goats, a blog to a book deal
Nearly a decade later, Keiser is still living in the house, she thought would be a starter home, situated on a plot of land teeming with life.
The first farm animal she acquired — ahem, inherited — was a feral kitten that had been living under the house. She named her Gia. Keiser was gifted geese, ordered chicks online and bought her first chickens from First Monday Trade Days in Ripley.
She now has several chickens, geese, goats, two dogs, two cats and a turkey. She generally tries to keep the number of animals she cares for around 40 to 50, but that number has reached up to 100.
Back in Tampa, when Keiser had ventured into a more organic lifestyle, she started a blog called "Gucci to Goats" where she shared thoughts and tips with others through the process. After moving to Mississippi, she gave up the blog and had virtually no online presence. Only a handful of people knew she was leaving Florida, but she continued to run her PR firm for a time from her new home.
"I had a lot of healing to do," Keiser said. "A dark night of the soul is what I was going through."
She'd lost her sense of self-worth, which was ironic because she'd moved to Oxford to save herself.
After a couple of years of working through inner turmoil, Keiser had a dream in which her grandfather told her to restart the blog.
So, that's exactly what she did. She woke up, threw her hair in a ponytail, and started typing.
Keiser wrote a blog post every day for 30 days, musing about food, animal health and her daily life.
On the thirtieth day, after hitting "submit" on that day's blog, she was contacted by Cosmopolitan magazine. They featured her story alongside other women who gave up successful careers to start farms.
"That kick-started everything," Keiser said.
Shortly thereafter, agents began contacting her. Before she knew it, she had a book deal.
Keiser never planned on being an author. Despite her blog, she didn't think she had anything to write a book about.
She did. And after signing a book deal in mid-2018, she wrote the manuscript that became "Daffodil Hill" in six weeks.
Sharing 'Daffodil Hill' with the world
Keiser's memoir covers her first four years on the farm as she discovered both the wonders and horrors of Mother Nature.
At times humorous, others serious, she takes readers through ups and downs — from the joy of collecting the first egg laid by one of her chickens to dealing with the despair of giving up a life and career.
The book's cheerful cover features chicks, eggs and flowers alongside a designer handbag. The art was inspired by the time one of Keiser's chickens perched on one of her Prada bags.
In Oxford, she traded designer clothes for overalls, and her feathered friends have turned out to be her best accessories.
"They're all different colors and shapes," Keiser said. "But unlike my handbags, they love me back."
With the book, she hopes to encourage those looking to make major life transitions to take a leap of faith. In writing about being unable to have children, she hopes to help other women who feel they've lost their role in society to see that they do have value.
By sharing her own experiences — both good and bad — Keiser hopes to show others their lives have purpose. Maybe just not where they expect it.
"I pushed myself to be as authentic and brutally vulnerable as I could, because otherwise I can't help anybody," Keiser said. "If I don't show who I am, if I don't talk about things that I've had shame over, it will help no one."
Jake Keiser will sign copies of her memoir, "Daffodil Hill," during a publication day event at Off Square Books in Oxford on Tuesday, June 7, at 6 p.m.
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Notice to our subscribers: Journal to begin publishing Saturday weekend edition
To our Journal family,
The 40-year-high cost of inflation, combined with record-high fuel costs, have affected all of our lives. The Journal is no different.
In order to stay in business, we have to change the way we do business. Beginning July 1, the Daily Journal will begin publishing a Saturday newspaper in lieu of a Sunday edition. This change will allow our subscribers in select rural markets, many of whom rely on mail service for the delivery of their papers and have had to wait until Monday to read Sunday's edition, to receive their copies of the Daily Journal's weekend edition on the day of publication.
Additionally, the Weekend Daily Journal will allow us to deliver more timely high school football on Saturday in print. Our comprehensive coverage of high school sports includes some of our most highly read and unique stories, and we want to ensure they have the widest audience possible.
Although we will stop publishing a Sunday newspaper, we will be enhancing our popular Sunday digital newsletter to our more than 19,000 subscribers with additional news and sports content. And, of course, we'll continue to publish breaking news and in-depth features on our website, djournal.com. Print subscribers have full access to our 24/7 digital content. Please contact our circulation department at 662-842-2613 to get a login.
Community journalism is more than just a business; community newspapers like the Daily Journal represent a public trust vital to our democracy. Without community journalism, the power shifts to the government from the governed. Although change is difficult, we must continue to update how and when we deliver our content to ensure community journalism continues to thrive and grow.
To all of our readers, we want to thank you for your continued support. As always, we remain dedicated to the service of God and mankind.
Humbly,
Partly to mostly cloudy with widely scattered showers or thunderstorms possible this afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 89F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..
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People spent more money locally in March, according to the Mississippi Department of Revenue’s April sales tax diversions report. Each of Monroe County’s municipalities witnessed an increase in sales tax revenue as compared to the previous month.
Hatley and Nettleton witnessed increases in sales tax revenue compared to the previous month and same reporting period last year.
Aberdeen’s total of $74,239 for April’s report was an increase from $64,567 last month but a decrease from $77,499 for the same reporting period last year.
Amory had a total of $214,933, which was higher than $189,474 last month but lower than $231,685 last year.
Nettleton’s total of $52,084 was higher than $38,983 last month and $49,993 last year.
Smithville had a total of $6,311, which was higher than last month’s $5,296 total but lower than $6,418 last year.
Hatley’s total of $3,959 for April of this year, compared to $3,660 last year and $2,954 last month.
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FULTON – An upcoming car show will benefit Itawamba Crossroads Ranch and its residents, which currently include three men from Monroe County.
The car show will be held June 11 from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. at 716 Airport Rd. in Fulton, and it is free to the public. Donations are welcome.
“This ranch was put together for people who want to live on their own but can’t live on their own because of an accident they’ve had or they might have been born with a condition to put them to where they’re not able to live by themselves,” said Ann Johnson, a member of American Legion Auxiliary 26 in Aberdeen.
Residents of the ranch make pottery that is sold to help fund it, which is how Johnson got connected.
“Fulton did an Empty Bowls luncheon, and the ranch was making the bowls. They called us to help glaze them. We did it as an auxiliary district and not just a unit,” she said.
For more information about the car show, call Terry Cox at (662) 436-1927 or Crossroads Ranch at (662) 585-3334.
Ann Johnson
Itawamba Crossroads Ranch
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HOULKA – The Town of Houlka is now one step closer to getting the new firetruck they need to maintain their class seven fire rating.
The Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution transferring one of their rounds of the Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Assistance Program (RFTAAP) to the Town of Houlka, on Monday.
“The county, after we made sure of how many rounds that we still have available and hoping that our state legislators will pass additional rounds in the near future, we decided it was ok for the county to transfer one of our rounds that we have available, to the Town of Houlka,” said Chickasaw County Fire Coordinator Jonathan Blankenship. “They have an immediate need for a new fire truck.”
The round of RFTAAP is for $90,000, so it will not cover the entire cost of the truck, however, it is a start.
Notably, the county just finished a RFTAAP Grant for Rhodes Chapel, taking delivery of their new truck in March of this year.
That truck cost $261,999, and it is estimated that it will be around that for Houlka, however no concrete prices have been obtained yet.
That would leave the Town of Houlka to try and find about $170,000 give or take.
“There will still be additional funding that the Town of Houlka will have to come up with, but hopefully this will be a big help to them.”
The Town of Houlka will now have to pass a resolution, the same as the county, accepting the round of RFTAAP.
From there, they will have to complete part one of the application and it will have to be approved by the State Fire Coordinator’s Office and then they will need to order the truck.
However, the extended delivery times allow them to lock in the truck at the current price, and they don’t have to pay until they take delivery of the vehicle.
“At this point, they’ll have a year to a year and a half to secure funding or figure out exactly how they’re going to finish paying for it.”
Blankenship also said that the $90,000 comes after the process. They have to write a check for the full amount, and then they are reimbursed the $90,000.
He said he is just thankful that the county was in a position to help them out, and he thanked the supervisors for their generosity to the county fire service.
“I am just proud that we could get this done and I know the supervisors support Houlka just as well as they support all of our fire service. The supervisors have been really good to our county fire services and this is just another example of that. I want to thank them for that, and I know Houlka appreciates it too.”
Jonathan Blankenship
A mix of clouds and sun with a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High around 90F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..
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This image provided by the Tennessee Valley Authority shows the implosion of the idled Colbert Fossil Plant at Tuscumbia, Ala., on Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021. The federal utility is phasing out coal-fired electric generators in favor of cleaner energy alternatives. The plant operated for more than six decades beginning in 1955.
TVA via AP
TVA: No need to worry about power blackouts
The North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) recently released a report that said the nation's power grid could buckle under the strain of "energy emergencies" this summer. Roughly two-thirds of the country could be affected, with the midwest and midsouth affected the most.
But the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) said its nearly 10 million customers in seven states need not worry.
Scott Brooks, a spokesman for the utility, said, "TVA has never experienced a demand-related blackout, even through difficult winter storms in February 2021 and 2022. We have 99.999% reliability for more than 15 years in a row. That’s one of the best records in the industry."
NERC said extreme temperatures and ongoing drought could cause the power grid to buckle. The high temperatures will cause spikes in demand, but the supply isn't adequate to meet those needs. Drought conditions also will lower the amount of power available to meet that demand, as hydropower will be reduced.
TVA provides power to more than 10 million people in seven states across the Southeast via 153 local power companies. It is the nation's third-largest utility. Northeast Mississippi's electricity needs are serviced by nearly two dozen companies.
An aging infrastructure has exacerbated the weakness of the national grid, with a patchwork of regional power suppliers struggling to meet power demands. NERC warned that the retirement of old power plants and increased demand are most troublesome in the upper midwest and the mid south.
But Brooks said TVA is well positioned to meet power needs.
"Our diverse generation fleet provides TVA with the maximum flexibility to deliver energy from many different sources, and our transmission system is interconnected to a broader national energy system that allows us to purchase additional energy in times of unusually high demand."
TVA is also taking a more measured approach at retiring its older coal plants. In the midwest some of the issues there are related to the faster-than-expected retirement of coal plants. TVA is retiring its coal "fleet" by 2035 in what it calls a "controlled and deliberate pace." It will replace those coal plants with new natural gas and renewable sources.
In fiscal year 2020, the largest portion of TVA's power came from nuclear, at 42%. Gas accounted for 28%, coal for 15% with hydro generation just behind at 12%. Only 3% of TVA's power came from wind and solar.
"TVA has a majority of its natural gas fleet in the west region, including Mississippi, which is a benefit for grid stability in the region," Brooks said.
He said TVA proactively plans and prepares to meet peak demands in both the summer and winter, which is why blackouts and brownouts are unlikely.
"Our planning teams model and project the needs of our customers across the region, to ensure that there are sufficient resources to meet the energy demand on the system," he said.
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In this file photo from May 2020, Sonya Smallwood of Saltillo donates blood at the Yocona Area Council of Boy Scouts of America office in Tupelo.
City of Tupelo to host blood drive
TUPELO • The city of Tupelo will host a blood drive on Thursday, June 9, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the corner of Jefferson and Commerce streets, in the parking lot of the BancorpSouth Arena. The goal of the event is to stock up the supply of lifesaving blood for the summer.
Vitalant, a national nonprofit focused on blood-related services, will be collecting the blood.
To schedule and appointment, visit https://donors.vitalant.org and use sponsor code "tupelocommunity" or call 877-258-4825.
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OXFORD • An emergency room physician from Golden was sentenced to almost three years in federal prison Tuesday for failing to pay taxes.
“It is fundamentally unfair to the millions of Americans who pay their taxes each year for others to purposely and flagrantly evade their tax responsibilities and obligations,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “Today’s sentence provides a measure of accountability for one individual who deliberately defrauded the IRS and hopefully sends a message to those who would seek to evade their legitimate tax obligations.”
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Junior second baseman Peyton Chatagnier made news earlier in the season when he stole three bases on the same play against Alcorn State. He's become a hot postseason bat for the Rebels.
The first 50 or so games of the 2022 season were simply Ole Miss junior second baseman Peyton Chatagnier’s warmup.
Chatagnier — a preseason second-team All-SEC selection — struggled through much of the Rebels (35-22) regular season. Through the team’s loss in the SEC Tournament to Vanderbilt, Chatagnier hit just .234 with 51 strikeouts.
But the Texas native came alive in Miami at the Coral Gables regional of the NCAA Tournament, as Chatagnier was 7 of 13 at the plate with two home runs and five extra-base hits overall. His clutch bases-clearing double propelled Ole Miss to a win in its opener against Arizona, and his six RBIs over those same Wildcats Monday helped the Rebels clinch the region title. In a matter of just three days, the slick-fielding Chatagnier’s batting average has gone up 20 points. His four hits Monday were his most in a game this season and tied his career-high.
“It hasn’t been an easy road for us, not just this weekend, but for the last month,” head coach Mike Bianco said. “And because of two guys like the guys sitting next to me, Peyton and Tim (Elko) and others in that dugout, they’ve held it together and just played really, really well.”
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Shireman
A Monday pursuit across northeast Mississippi ended with four adults facing felony drug charges.
The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics with assistance from Mississippi Department of Transportation, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Itawamba County Sheriff’s Department, and Prentiss County Sheriff’s Department were involved in a pursuit on Monday, June 6, with four individuals traveling across northeast Mississippi allegedly presenting fraudulent prescriptions written by a physician in Bartlett, Tennessee.
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In this file photo, a group kids at the Salvation Army load up on the bus to go gift shopping with volunteer Jennie Lynn Johnson, on Monday Dec. 20, 2021.
Salvation Army still has spots open for summer camp
TUPELO - The local Salvation Army is looking for 30 additional campers for its annual regional camp.
Camp Hidden Lake is the annual camp of the Salvation Army Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi (ALM) Division. The 300-acre camp in Lexington, MS provides a traditional summer camp experience for thousands of children from ages six to 17. Five camps take place from June 13 to July 23, focusing on adventure, music, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math).
Despite camp registration opening in mid-May, 30 of the Salvation Army of Tupelo’s camper slots are still open, said Salvation Army of Tupelo Captain Heather Dolby.
The goal of the camps is to provide “a summer camp experience where they come to know God better, they can make good friends, and they can have fun just being a kid,” Dolby said.
“For a lot of our children, they are oftentimes in situations that require them to grow up fast, and certainly across the board over the last two years in the pandemic,” Dolby said. “Being able to come to camp gives them an opportunity to socialize and build that social experience that a lot of kids have been missing.”
Campers participate in activities such as swimming lessons, adventure and scouting camps, arts and crafts, sporting events, music development, canoeing, and campfires. There is also a Christian emphasis, such as morning devotions. By the graduation ceremony, campers walk away with new experiences and skills, Dolby said.
Staff are thoroughly background checked and trained with strict protocols around child safety and child vulnerability, Dolby said.
For a lot of campers, Camp Hidden Lake is a lifetime experience. Some decide to come back as staff once they are old enough as a way to provide the younger generation the camp experience.
Chickita Perkins of the Women's Auxiliary remembers starting her camping experience at five years old, joining her older cousins. She enjoyed the activities and memories, such as receiving an Army-like wake up call in the mornings. She remained a camper until she was 16; then, she decided to work as staff for two summers, as well as special weekends throughout the year.
“You got to continue that journey with people that you were campers with,” Perkins said.
It was also an opportunity to meet and be a role model for children. Friendship is important to Perkins because of Camp Hidden Lake. Even at 45 years old, Perkins still keeps in touch with some of her former campers. She encourages today’s campers to not close themselves to the opportunity to meet new people.
“When you’re able to experience something, take that chance,” Perkins said.
Registration is still open for the adventure and STEAM camps, which are scheduled to take place three separate weeks from June 20 to July 23. Campers can attend multiple camps.
For those seeking to register, it is imperative to sign up as soon as possible, Dolby said. Registration is usually $300/week per camper, but scholarships are available that reduce the fee to $20 to reserve the spot. The Women Auxiliary can supply necessary supplies. Transportation is provided.
For more information on how to register for Camp Hidden Lake, reach out to The Salvation Army of Tupelo on Facebook, call the Salvation Army at 662-842-9222 or contact Captain Heather at heather.dolby@uss.salvationarmy.org.
Three camps are still open for registration:
Adventure Camp 1: June 20 - 25 (Boys: 13-17 & Girls: 6-12)
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math) Camp: July 5-9 (Ages 8-17)
Adventure Camp 2: July 18 - 23 (Boys: 6-12 & Girls 13-17)
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Republicans say they’re open to gun buyer check of youth felonies
House and Senate Republicans say they are open to including youth felony records in the federal background checks for purchasing firearms.
It is an unexpected crack in Republicans’ long-standing opposition to expanding background checks and possibly an area for bipartisan agreement. But as in all Capitol Hill dealmaking, the devil is in the details.
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the Republican leading the gun legislation negotiations with Democrats, said he is looking at closing the juvenile records loophole in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which is used to approve firearms purchases.
The senators hammering out a deal and considering opening juvenile records for background checks are Democrats Christopher Murphy of Connecticut and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Republicans Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Cornyn.
“If we reach an agreement, law-abiding gun owners will not be impacted at all,” Cornyn said Monday on the Senate floor.
The exclusion of juvenile criminal records from background checks came to the forefront with the mass shooting at Robb Port Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
The 18-year-old gunman, who may or may not have had juvenile court records, slaughtered 19 children and two of their teachers in a hail of bullets from a recently purchased AR-15-style rifle.
Cornyn has stressed that an expansion of the background check would not infringe on Second Amendment rights, which is a pivotal argument for gaining Republican support.
“My firm belief is that the Second Amendment protects the rights of all law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. And we start from that premise. But when young men who obviously are mentally ill [have] their records basically protected because they were just turning of age … this is a sign to us that we need to do a lot more than we have done in the past,” he recently told reporters in San Antonio.
After the Uvalde school shooting, authorities said the gunman, Salvador Ramos, had no known criminal history. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said officials weren’t certain whether he had a juvenile record because such information is usually sealed.
“He may have had a juvenile record, but that is yet to be determined,” Abbott said at the time.
The uncertainty helped put juvenile records in the mix on Capitol Hill.
Juvenile records already are part of the background check to buy firearms in 27 states, according to the Giffords Law Center, a gun control advocacy organization that tracks state gun laws.
These states temporarily prohibit the purchase or possession of a firearm by adults convicted of certain crimes as juveniles. Pennsylvania, Utah and Wisconsin mandate that a search of juvenile court records be part of a firearm purchaser’s background check.
Cornyn has sought to shore up NICS in the past.
He spearheaded the Fix NICS Act in 2018, which mandated federal agencies and states to produce NICS implementation plans focused on uploading all information to the background check system showing that a person is prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms under current law — including measures to verify the accuracy of records.
That bill was passed by Congress and signed by President Trump after the First Baptist Church shooting in November 2017. The shooter, Devin Patrick Kelley, had been convicted of domestic violence while serving in the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force should have uploaded the record to the NICS.
Had the record been uploaded, Kelley, who took his own life as well, would have been prohibited by law from purchasing or possessing a firearm.
Rep. Dan Bishop, North Carolina Republican, said including juvenile records in the background check system should be explored further.
“I don’t know all the ins and outs or what’s appropriate to do, but I do think that is something that I think we ought to look at very carefully,” he said.
Rep. Thomas Massie, Kentucky Republican, said a “demented” and “evil” individual bent on committing a crime will find a way to access a firearm with or without a background check like the Columbine High School shooters did in 1999 when they enlisted the help of an older girl to help them get a gun.
“So you could open up those records, particularly in violent cases, but I don’t think it’s going to stop school shootings,” he said.
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Brown Jr., , James Ticer
James Ticer Brown Jr., died June 5th, at his home. A graveside service will be held for the family with Reverend Jody Hill officiating. Ticer was born in Ripley, Mississippi, the son of James Ticer Brown, Sr. and Ileda Hobson Brown. He graduated from Ripley High School and from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. While at Ole Miss, he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. A lifelong member of the Ripley Presbyterian Church, Ticer was an active churchgoer and held the offices of Deacon and Elder. He was President of Brown Wholesale Company, Inc, a member of the Ripley Rotary Club and the Jaycees organization in which he served as President. He was a member of the Mississippi National Guard. Relatives include Mary Ann, his wife of fifty-seven years, his daughter Allison Crawford, and her husband Jon, of Oxford, Mississippi, granddaughter Frances Crawford of Oxford, son Steven and wife Mallory, granddaughter Alie Brown and grandson, James Brown of Ripley. Memorials may be given to the Ripley Presbyterian Church. Arrangements by: McBride Funeral Home, Inc., Ripley, MS www.mcbridefuneralhome.com
Allison Crawford
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Survivors include her daughter, Heather Stephens, granddaughter, Skylar Stephens, sister, Jenny Warriner Bryant (John) of Tallahassee, FL., brother, Richard Warriner, III, DDS (Dale) of Tupelo, MS, and several nieces and nephews.
A Memorial Service for Hayes and Bob is planned for June 18, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. at Henry Cemetery in Corinth, MS. All family and friends are invited to attend the graveside service. In lieu of flowers, contributions to First United Methodist Church, 110 East 7th St., Port Angeles, WA, 98362 or the charity of your choice for Hayes and Bob are appreciated.
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U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss., shown in this Nov. 4, 2019, file photograph taken in Tupelo, faces only one opponent in Mississippi's 2022 First Congressional District Republican Primary, on June 7.
TUPELO • Incumbent U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly and political newcomer Dianne Black have captured their respective party’s nominations in their bids to represent Northeast Mississippi in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to projections from the Associated Press.
Kelly, who is running for a fifth term, won the Republican nomination by defeating DeSoto County resident Mark Strauss. Black, who is seeking her first term, won the Democratic nomination by defeating Tishomingo County resident Hunter Avery.
The two will now face one another in the general election on November 8.
Kelly, a resident of Saltillo, in a statement to the Daily Journal thanked the voters of Northeast Mississippi for nominating him in his bid for re-election.
“I will continue to work hard for the people of Mississippi and prepare for the November election,” Kelly said.
Black, a resident of Marshall County, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to her campaign website, Black is the first Black woman to be nominated by a major political party for the 1st Congressional seat.
Northeast Mississippi is a reliably conservative region in the Magnolia State, making a Democratic challenge an uphill battle.
Kelly has traditionally followed mainstream Republican policies during his tenure on Capitol Hill.
Black, according to her campaign website, supports President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda, prison reform, voting rights expansion and legislation that would tackle climate change.
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Marchelle Gates
Dear Mr. Helms,
With all the negativity and malice toward those who bravely serve and protect our families, it is important to support those who wear the badge as local police department and sheriff's department peace officers. Every day, thousands of law enforcement officers across the country leave their families at home while they faithfully protect the communities they serve. They say goodbye to their families, not knowing if, when, or in what condition they will arrive home. Yet every day, these heroes continue to uphold and defend the oath they took to protect the community.
There are many ways you can show your support to those who serve. For example, invite the police chief, local sheriff, and their law enforcement officers to your church so that the entire congregation can pray for and thank them in person. Prepare a few personal hand-written notes of encouragement for an officer. When you see them in public, simply hand them the note and let them know you are thankful for their service to the community.
The American Family Association has designated this Sunday, June 12, 2022, as a Day of Prayer and Appreciation for Law Enforcement. I am participating and invite our community to join me and millions of Americans in showing these law enforcement officers our respect and appreciation, as well as offering prayers for their safety.
Thank you for your support for the law officers and thank you for printing this letter.
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Miles Johnson proudly shows off his silver and bronze medals in bowling from the Mississippi Senior Olympics and his badge from the National Senior Olympics.
Miles Johnson show off the jacket he wore to Nationals as he represented New Albany and Mississippi in seniors bowling.
Miles Johnson of New Albany recently competed in the Mississippi Senior Olympics, medaling in two events in men's bowling. Johnson then took his game to the National Senior Olympics a few days later which was held at Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Johnson competed in the Mississippi events during May 4-6 and those were held in Biloxi. The Nationals were also in May and took place from the 12th thru the 15th.
Johnson received at silver medal in doubles for his team's second place finish and he also took third for a bronze medal in men's singles for bowling in the 70-74 age group.
"My partner in doubles was my brother, Willie Johnson, and he's from Pontotoc and we got silver in the doubles," Johnson said.
Johnson competed in the men's singles bowling competition in the Nationals in the age category of 70-74. He bowled against 40 other entrants in the competition and placed 29th overall.
"The Nationals were my first time to compete and I met a lot of other participants from different states," Johnson said. "We bowled six to a lane and they mixed us up so that you can have a little camaraderie with all the people that are there.
"You meet several people from the different states and get to see how everyone else is doing. It was great, it was my first time to compete at Nationals and I was nervous. They were a lot better than I was and a lot more primed in the game, but I enjoyed it and thought I did pretty well for my first time, but I know what to expect the next time.
Based on Johnson's performance at the Mississippi State Senior Olympics of this year, he has qualified to compete in the men's singles bowling at Nationals next year which will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
"I know what I've got to work on for next year and how I need to develop my skills," Johnson said of competing on the Senior Olympic national bowling stage again in 2023.
"I'm looking forward to competing next year, hope that my health can stay up and that I can compete a little better in the coming season."
Miles Johnson
Senior Olympics
Mississippi Senior Olympics
National Senior Olympics
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Stephanie Paige House, 29, no address listed, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, burglary of a building, burglary of an auto.
Joshua David Nichols, 37, of Fulton, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, child abuse.
Daquarian Montret Stinson, 28, no address listed, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, aggravated domestic violence.
Kevin D. Visentin, 51, of Saltillo, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, felony possession of marijuana.
The following reports were filed Tuesday by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
A property manager said two men were living at a Cove Lane Auburn apartment, despite being told to leave several times.
A woman was driving down County Road 931 when her boyfriend came into her lane and hit the left front of her 2015 Honda Accord. She said he drove away after the collision.
A County Road 1900 Saltillo man said his late son was given a quilt that was handmade by his aunt. The family wants the quilt back, so it stays in the family. The son’s widow has the quilt. She said she would return it but has not.
A man was driving down County Road 811 when he saw a man swinging a closed fist at a woman. She was backing up, trying to get away from him. He said she then took off running toward a camper on the property.
A Carolina Road Nettleton woman said she noticed her debit card was missing, May 27. After searching her house and car and not finding it, she went to her bank, where she was informed that there had been four Cash App transactions totaling $175 on the account in the name of a female acquaintance. She said she was at the friend’s house the day before he noticed the card missing.
A Tom Fulla Trail Lake Piomingo woman heard a car pull up outside her house around 1 p.m. She looked out the window and saw someone in a gray Toyota 4Runner trying to turn around. When they could not turn around on the dead end road, they started backing up and ran over a wooden post supporting three mailboxes.
An Okolona woman pulled over on Highway 245 south of Shannon to answer a phone call. She said a brown truck with tinted windows made her feel uncomfortable. She did not know who was in the other vehicle.
A woman said she left her truck at a friend’s County Road 1650 Mooreville residence with permission. When she returned a week later, the truck was gone and the friend would not give her back her belongings. She said the friend sold the truck, but was able to get it back.
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He and my grandmama Sanders had some things in common. They both loved to travel.
Back when my granddaddy trucked goods all over the lower 48 my grandmama would sometimes climb in the truck with him and go see parts of the country that she wouldn’t get to see otherwise.
She loved to go and look at the mountains and valleys of the western states and travel through the beautiful Smokey Mountains in the east with granddad. He drove and she looked. Sometimes when they stopped at a truck stop for a bite to eat along the way she would snitch a rock from that state to have a memento to remember the trip and the state by.
Back at home those rocks would line her flower bed and she could tell you which place she picked them up.
Recently I pulled a calendar from the back of my little work space here at the Progress. It was a heavy cardboard 2016 calendar from Washington State. It was given to me by the late Earl Cruse. He bought it for me to see all the pretty places that could be seen in that state; and brought it back to me after his return trip out west.
He also brought in his own picture album so I could peruse all the things he saw between here and there. My grandmother would have loved it.
Mr. Earl was special to my heart because he was a relative to a man called Lonzo Cruse. My daddy’s mama, Dortha Butler took care of Lonzo for most of his life, so I had a connection to this dear man from my family because we all loved Lonzo.
Mr. Earl often came into the office to chat with me. He would bring a wood carving for me to sit around. He also carved my name out for me. He did it for many people in this town because he loved working with his hands.
And every time he came home from a trip, you guessed it, he came to the office and talked to me about the wonderful sights he saw from here to there and back. He didn’t come home the same way he went so that he could see different states.
Our last office manager, Joyce Jolly told me that when he would leave my office, he’d stop by her desk and say “Isn’t she just the sweetest thing?” The feeling was mutual. He reminded me a lot of his great uncle Alonzo.
Mr. Earl always had a smile and a sweet demeanor every time he walked in the door. He was one of those fellas that you could count on to make your day when he appeared. And as his obituary said, he never met a stranger and let everyone he met know how much he appreciated them. He would help anyone he could. That’s another way he was like my grandmother Sanders.
He died this past March 8; grandmama died on June 8, 15 years ago today. Two of my favorite people went to glory on the eighth day of the month. And life has never been the same without them.
Joyce Jolly
Lonzo Cruse
Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High around 85F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..
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NEMCC's football schedule boasts five home dates, all weeknight games
BOONEVILLE • The Northeast Mississippi Community College football program hopes to benefit from a light travel load during the fall of 2022.
The Tigers will host five games for the second consecutive season as part of their 63rd all-time campaign on the gridiron.
"We're excited about it," said Northeast head coach Greg Davis. "We have a phenomenal fan base and the crowd really helps us out. Hearing the community support behind us is a huge thing for our kids."
The Tigers' away contests are about as good as it gets in terms of distance from the City of Hospitality. Northeast visits the Jackson metro area twice during the first month of the season to tangle with Hinds Community College and Holmes Community College.
Short treks to archrival Itawamba Community College on September 15 and Coahoma Community College for the annual "Battle of the Tigers" on October 20 round out the road slate.
The 1,200 combined miles to-and-from the Booneville campus over those four dates is the fewest for Northeast in nine years with the exception of the pandemic affected 2020 season.
The Tigers' week one matchup with defending co-Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) South Division champion Hinds is their first trip to Raymond since 2015.
Pearl River Community College serves as Northeast's home opener on September 8. East Central Community College also rotates onto the schedule as the Tigers' final non-division opponent on October 6.
Northeast's homecoming game versus Mississippi Delta Community College on September 22 is one of its earliest in school history. It is the second straight year that the Tigers have welcomed the Trojans for this special evening.
Three of the final four contests for Northeast take place inside Tiger Stadium. That includes matchups with MACCC playoff participants East Mississippi Community College and Northwest Mississippi Community College on October 13 and 27, respectively.
The Tigers will play each of their games on a Thursday night for just the third time ever. Northeast has participated in at least one weekend contest each season except for the 2016 and 2018 campaigns.
"The anticipation this year is we're going to be very competitive," Davis said. "The travel is not as bad as what it has been in the past, but there are no gimmes. We've just got to go out there and put all the puzzle pieces together."
All but one game this season features a 6:30 p.m. kick off. The Tigers' homecoming matchup will begin at 7 p.m. due to the extra activities planned for that day such as the sports and alumni hall of fame induction ceremony.
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Story's time: Ripley junior looking to grow on court
PONTOTOC – Alorian Story is trying to grow as a basketball player, and in more ways than one.
She was a huge part of Ripley’s success last season, averaging 22 points and 12 rebounds per game. The Lady Tigers went 21-10 and reached the third round of the Class 4A playoffs.
As a strong 6-foot-1 post player, Story draws a lot of defensive attention, and she’s only going to draw more. During summer league play on Tuesday, the rising junior was consistently bracketed by multiple Senatobia defenders.
That’s why Story is trying to expand her game outside the paint.
“In this and AAU, I’m focusing on bringing my game out to the 3-point line and being able to shoot and drive to the basket,” Story said. “Because when I’m in the post, it’s four or five people in there, so I’ve got to be able to come out and get shots and be able to shoot.”
The formula is simple, in theory: Make outside shots and be willing to make passes to the perimeter.
“She attacks the basket really well, but she’s going to have to learn to kick it out, re-post and get the ball back,” Ripley coach Chad Brown said.
With four seniors gone from last season’s team, Story is also going to need to grow in maturity. It’s a work in progress; during a frustrating first half against Senatobia, she drew a technical foul.
“I’m just trying to work on myself and my attitude, because that’s what kind of got into me last year,” she said.
Ripley’s other returning starter is senior point guard Paris Morgan. Brown compared her to Amelya Hatch, who led Ripley to the state championship in 2020.
Morgan can drive the lane, and her outside shot has improved. Plus she’s a stout defender, evidenced by the three charges she took on Tuesday.
“She’s going to really make us go this year,” Brown said. “Defensively she makes a world of difference, and she turns a lot of defense into offense.”
Brown has several pieces to fill in around Story and Morgan, but the Lady Tigers will ultimately go as far as those two can take them. And that’s another area where Story needs to grow – as a leader.
She showed flashes of that on Tuesday. After scoring just two points in the first half, she scored eight in the second and became a more commanding presence.
“She’s going to have to take a bigger role this year as far as leadership and doing some of the other little things that she hasn’t had to do the last couple of years,” Brown said. “She can be as good as she wants to be.”
Ripley Tigers
Alorian Story
Amelya Hatch
Paris Morgan
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Chickasaw County high schools, along with Vardaman High School and Hebron Christian School in Pheba, held graduation exercises last month.
Graduates took their degrees with a smile and a handshake and marched off into an uncertain future. It's 2022 A.G. --- After Graduation.
And Mississippi itself is part of the cause of that uncertain future.
It’s as obvious as a snake on pool table that high school graduates -- and college graduates for that matter -- are abandoning Mississippi by the thousands. They’re part of a “brain drain” seeking higher quality education, higher paying jobs or more fulfilling lifestyles, among other things.
They’re seeking a better world, and they’re voting with their feet to find it.
How bad is the problem? The U. S. Census Bureau recently released preliminary data showing Mississippi was just one of three U. S. states to lose population over the last 10 years. The last time the state lost population in a 10-year span was 1920, and 1960, according to published reports.
The figures make the problem clear. You’d think the figures would trigger an “all hands on deck” general quarters alarm from state official to solve the problem.
Many of the state’s most powerful officials -- the “movers and shakers” who could get some action -- haven’t moved or shook anything.
Asked by Mississippi Today to respond, two of the state’s three top executives -- Gov. Tate Reeves, and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn, declined comment.
Only Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann dared an opinion: “The issues that matter most to Mississippians are apparent: Good schools, affordable healthcare, secure infrastructure and jobs and opportunities for our children and grandchildren.”
These are some of the issues top policymakers ought to be focusing on to keep our young people in state and attract new ones to the state.
It’s understandable, if not forgivable, why they’re not. The median age of the state’s lawmakers is 56. That’s light years and a deep generational chasm away from understanding problems experience by 18-22 year-olds holding a fresh diploma and looking for a bright future.
Bob Seger sang it right: “Sweet 16 turned 31, you get to feeling weary when the work day’s done.” Translated to the brain drain problem, top policymakers are telling the younger generation, in effect: “I’m 56, you’re 18. I got mine, and your sniveling problems don’t concern me a whit.”
We don’t need bright shiny new ideas. This ain’t rocket surgery, folks. Enjoy the laugh from the previous line, then let’s get serious and dust off some of the old standbys as follows:
--Keep teachers in the state by paying them a competitive salary.
--Keep doctors and nurses here by expanding Medicaid.
--Keep roads and water systems functional by keeping engineers and contractors busy maintaining them.
--Use American Rescue Plan Act funds to repair roads and repair or replace bridges in Chickasaw. The federal plan calls for sending each state money to help it upgrade. Mississippi is expected to receive $1.8 billion, according to published reports. The state could spend $12 million or so to each of the state’s 82 counties for road and bridge improvement, and still have some money left over.
--Create a grant program to help preserve rural hospitals, along with private and not for profit hospitals in the state, and assisted living and nursing home facilities in state. Perhaps some of the seed money for the grant could come from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Mississippi’s state leadership and political landscape has created an ideological chasm between older and younger Mississippians.
Ignoring that problem only makes things worse.
There’s a saying dentists use about the need for regular dental care: “Ignore your teeth, and they’ll go away.”
Translate that saying to the brain drain: “Ignore young Mississippians…” and you can figure out the rest of that saying.
And when they do, where will this state be then?
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OKOLONA —Okolona now has a new head football coach, and a new family in town as well.
Anthony Watt was hired for the position May 20, and will be in charge of the high school and junior high school football programs, he said this week.
He and his wife Julissa have six children, ages 3 to 16. Julissa, a Kosciusko native, works as a counselor at Mississippi Behavioral Health Services in Columbus. Behavioral Health Rehabilitation is a program created to serve qualified children and adults suffering from serious mental illness, emotional and/or behavioral disturbances.
The family attends Greater Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Starkville.
He’s a 2005 graduate of East Oktibbeha High School, attended East Mississippi Community College from 2005-2007 and graduated from Mississippi State in 2011. He’s now working toward his master’s in educational leadership.
“I was an average hard working student who played some ball in high school, mostly defensive back and wide receiver,” he recalled this week.
He joked that his playing career quickly ended
at EMCC: “I played there a little bit before I got cut.”
He didn’t go immediately into education upon graduation from State. “I worked at South Wire in Starkville for about four years. We made wire for different companies, including some for the Dallas Cowboys stadium,” he recalled.
Okolona will be Watt’s first stop as head coach, and he’s looking forward to the challenge, he said this week.
Watt most recently served as a wide receivers assistant coach at West Point under Cris Chambless for four years. While there, he was part of the school’s championship football teams in 2018 and 2019.
He coached for a year at Kosciusko for a year —mostly working with 9th graders and the receiver corps —before coming to West Point.
His coaching resume before that also includes short stops at Ethel and Louisville. During his six year career, he’s helped coach teams into state playoffs every year but one.
Watt, who teaches U. S. Government and economics, replaces coach Lamar Harvey, who left to be an assistant at East Union.
The Okolona Chieftains compiled a 30-30 record in five years under Harvey. That record includes an 11-3 record in 2017, and a 5-7 record last year.
Coaching’s a demanding profession. What made Watt choose it instead of some easier calling?
“I want to help young men while they play football, and especially after they’re done playing football. I want to help them meet their dreams, and be able to realize those dreams by going on to better their education at some four-year schools,” he said this week.
So why did he come to Okolona?
“I’m excited to be in Okolona for several reasons. I’m looking forward to working with students and people in the community, and bringing back the winning football tradition Okolona once had. I hope to lead young men willing to go to battle on the football field.
“The program here has a rich history. It includes the 1993 state championship team, as well as former running back Robert Elliott, who graduated from Okolona in 2007 and went on to play ball at Mississippi State.
“There’s that kind of talent in this town. I want to find it and develop it. The kids on this year’s team will be tough and intelligent. Two of the team members have scored well on their ACTs, and they have 3.3 overall GPAs. I want to help other kids on the team accomplish the same thing,” he said.
What changes are coming as your first year as Chieftains’ head coach? “We want to get more kids onto the field, and get more student involvement. We’re going to open it up more offensively, and play pretty solid defense.
His coaching philosophy? “Play tough, play hard, block well. Be a hard-nosed player who hustles to the ball and makes big plays when his number’s called.”
What he most enjoys about coaching? “Creating great memories for the young men I’m coaching, and create an opportunity for them to succeed in the classroom and go on to the next level in college.”
“I haven’t found a downside to coaching. It’s been a natural calling for me.”
What’s he do in his off-duty time?
The Phi Beta Sigma fraternity member joked that he gets away from the pressures of teaching and coaching “by watching and studying football.”
He also admitted he enjoys Mississippi woods and fields: “I might hunt a few deer now and then.”
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Ole Miss senior Tim Elko
Southern Miss sophomore Tanner Hall
What a time to be a college baseball fan in Mississippi.
On Monday night, both Ole Miss and Southern Miss took the next step toward Omaha with victories in their respective NCAA regional tournaments. What's more, the in-state rivals will face each other in a super regional for the first time in the schools' histories, beginning Friday, June 10, in Hattiesburg.
No. 15 overall seed Southern Miss (47-17) will host after winning the Hattiesburg Regional. Following a heartbreaking extra-inning loss to LSU on Saturday, the Golden Eagles came out of the loser's bracket to beat the Tigers twice, 8-4 on Sunday and 8-7 on Monday. The championship games were instant classics, with Justin Storm pitching five scoreless innings of relief to protect USM's lead in the first game. The second game came down to the wire, with a tie-breaking run in the top of the ninth making all the difference for the Golden Eagles.
Meanwhile, Ole Miss (35-22) managed an impressive sweep as the No. 2 seed in the Coral Gables Regional. The Rebels came from behind to win their first game over Arizona State 7-4, then followed that up with an upset of No. 6 overall seed Miami (Florida). Ole Miss put a bow on the tournament with a 22-6 romp against Arizona State in Monday night's championship game, setting the stage for the Rebels' clash with Southern Miss this weekend.
Although this is the first time Ole Miss and Southern Miss have met in a super regional, it's not their first encounter in the NCAA postseason. In fact, the Golden Eagles will be out for revenge after the Rebels eliminated Southern Miss from the 2021 Oxford Regional championship a year ago. The teams faced off twice in the 2022 regular season, splitting the pair of games with Southern Miss winning a neutral game at Trustmark Park in Pearl while Ole Miss defeated the Golden Eagles in Hattiesburg.
Both squads have a recent history of postseason success prior to 2022. Since the current four-team regional format was introduced in 1999, Ole Miss has made 19 regional appearances and hosted 10 times, including a streak of four consecutive years hosting a regional from 2004-07. The Rebels have advanced to a super regional seven times, hosting three, and made their lone College World Series appearance under the current format in 2014. The Rebels also reached the College World Series four times between 1956 and 1972 under previous playoff formats.
Southern Miss, meanwhile, has reached 16 NCAA regionals since 1999, hosting three. Brian Dozier's alma mater has made just one previous super regional appearance in 2009, but they made it count by advancing to the College World Series.
On paper, Southern Miss has a distinct advantage over Ole Miss in this weekend's super regional. The Golden Eagles will host the best-of-three series in Hattiesburg, and they rank among the best squads in the NCAA in multiple pitching categories – most notably team ERA, second only to top overall seed Tennessee.
But flat numbers can be deceiving. Ole Miss hit a hot streak late in the season, winning eight of their last 10 regular season games before being eliminated in the first round of the SEC Tournament. After that loss, however, the Rebels went to the Coral Gables Regional and won three straight, outscoring opponents 31-11 on their way to the clean sweep. In postseason baseball, getting hot at the right time can make all the difference, and right now, few teams have hotter bats than the Rebels.
Regardless of the outcome, the Hattiesburg Super Regional will certainly be a spectacle as two teams from the Magnolia State battle it out with a trip to Omaha on the line. Southern Miss has consistently held some of the best college baseball attendance numbers in the country, and with an in-state rival coming to town, you can be sure fans for both teams will turn out in force. If you're a fan of either the Rebels or the Golden Eagles, or if you just want to see some great college baseball, making the three-plus hour drive down to Hattiesburg might just be worth the drive.
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Siblings B.J. Canup and April Canup Pittman continue the legacy of their parents, Bobby and Nancy, in running Tremont Floral Supplies, Inc.
There are plenty of small family businesses that have grown to become something much bigger. But a small family business growing to become large and internationally known while still maintaining a strong family dynamic? That might be a bit less common.
Tremont Floral Supplies, Inc. first opened in 1965, and since then has grown into one of the foremost names in wholesale artificial floral arrangements. The company is still family-owned, and its employees include old hands well into their third decade with the company as well as second- and even third-generation members of the extended Tremont Floral family.
At the center of it all is the literal, blood-related family that started it all: the Canups. Bobby Canup founded Tremont Floral with his wife Nancy, and now his children B.J. Canup, Dow Canup and April Canup Pittman run their parents' creation and carry on their legacy as an iconic business of Itawamba County.
"We’re experiencing tremendous growth as a company," B.J. said. "It’s made the finances more challenging, finding ways to finance that growth, but we’ve always found a way."
For its impact and ongoing contributions to the community, Tremont Floral was named Itawamba County's 2021 Large Business of the Year by the Itawamba County Development Council and the Board of Supervisors.
"We have lots of people with lots of history," B.J. Canup said. "Our parents were blessed with good teammates around them, and we have been blessed with good teammates."
Tremont Floral began in 1965 in a converted chicken house, with Bobby Canup taking to the road to sell to retailers while Nancy Canup ran the financial side of the business. Bobby and Nancy complemented each other well, with Bobby dreaming big and Nancy keeping him grounded.
"Mom always said Dad was a visionary and that he could dream big," April said, "but she was the one who helped execute it."
In those tough early years, Bobby quickly recognized the need for his business to circumvent the supplier-wholesaler relationship and bring both those roles under one roof – namely, his. The next several years served to build toward that goal, with Bobby making his first business trip to Bangkok, Thailand, in 1971 to meet with suppliers there.
April said business trips overseas were less commonplace decades ago than they are today with a more interconnected world, with her father being ahead of the curve.
"It was a big world back then," she said.
Fast forward to today, and Tremont Floral's offices and assembly facilities in Southeast Asia now feed an expanded business supplying floral arrangements, home décor, candles, lawn and garden supplies, housewares and more to retailers around the country.
Bobby and Nancy ran the company as CEO and CFO through 2003, when Nancy died in a car accident. With her gone and Bobby taking a less active role in Tremont Floral's day-to-day business, their children took on the daunting task of filling the void left by their mother's passing.
"2003 to 2005 was probably the hardest years of my life," B.J. said. "Those were tough years. I had lost a good buyer in the background, had lost my dad, had lost my mom out of the process for a while, so a lot of changes happened during that time period.”
Fortunately for the three siblings, they inherited their parents' business savvy and had learned much over their decades growing up in the family business. And while their father had reduced his role in the company, he continued to provide a solid foundation upon which his children could continue running and improving Tremont Floral.
"Some things I’d wanted to do, Dad said, 'Go ahead.' He gave me his support," B.J. said. "A lot of parents, when they’re in control like that, they don’t want to give their kids that control. But he was always supportive of us.
"He liked the fact that I could give him that respect of going and asking his thought, but he would always let me run point."
Bobby Canup died in 2018, leaving the company in his children's capable hands. Today, Dow oversees the retail side of the business, while B.J. handlsd the majority of the day-to-day and April brought her experience in accounting to overseeing the company's finances. In much the same way that Bobby and Nancy naturally complemented one another in running the business, B.J. and April play to their strengths in running Tremont Floral and the family's other business ventures.
"Even though my sister and I are owners of this company, we both have our roles in our company," B.J. said. There are areas when it comes to finance that I defer to my sister, and there are areas of the management and maybe the buying side that she defers to me.
"We compare a lot of notes to makes sure we’re on the same page, and we may not always agree, but we’ll do that behind closed doors and come to a consolidated decision."
Two years after their father's death, however, the Canups faced yet another daunting crisis.
Like virtually every business, Tremont Floral endured its fair share of challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. B.J. and Dow's regular trips to Southeast Asia were put on hold as borders closed and travel became much more restricted to slow the virus' spread. The death toll during the height of the pandemic also created higher demand for floral arrangements for funerals.
“We were fortunate during COVID that the government declared our business an essential business," April said, "so we were able to continue operating on a lower staff.”
But where other businesses saw only a crisis to be managed, the Canups saw opportunity. While many businesses struggled to keep up with the changing economic landscape, Tremont Floral adapted and expanded.
"During COVID times, it was our teammates, our fellow workers, who stepped up and decided what our path was going to be during that time," B.J. said. "We met as a family, we talked about it as a group, we decided how we were going to do it, decided what the rules were going to be, and it didn’t matter what the government said, this is what we were going to do within our work family."
In the wake of the pandemic, Tremont Floral remains a mainstay of Itawamba County. The company's future, B.J. says, is in diversification – of product, material sources and of the variety of customers Tremont Floral serves. While the company remains focused on wholesale rather than direct-to-consumer sales, recent efforts have expanded the wholesale business into regional accounts rather than just individual stores.
"We see a bright future for our company," B.J. said. "The cup’s more than half full."
Through all the changes, at its core, Tremont Floral remains a family business, both in terms of its leadership and its generations of employees from the Tremont community.
"At the end of the day," April said, "we’re always family."
“We go directly to the factory. We think volume equals discount, and we think we’re big enough that we can go and do that.”
Tremont Floral
Bj Canup
State Of The County
Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 86F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..
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Marlowe's fleet of Elvis-inspired pink limousines will shuttle customers from one of the following hotels right to the restaurant and drive them back when finished, all in the style Elvis himself would be proud of. Pink Limo & hotel delivery is available daily from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Located only one mile from Elvis’s home, Marlowe's does not only offer a great family atmosphere and great food, but they’ll even bring you to the restaurant.
Bella and FGG in front of Marlowe's pink pig Airstream. Enough with the pictures: let's eat!
You can't miss Marlowe's: it's the restaurant with the big pink pig Airstream out front.
Marlowe's Marlowe’s Ribs and Restaurant menu has a wide variety of BBQ favorites for the entire family at affordable prices.
My pulled pork plate. 11/10!
FGG's brisket plate.
FGG, Bella, and I enjoyed The Elvis Room-- and the BBQ-- at Marlowe's.
Bella's Memphis BBQ craving was satisfied by Marlowe's BBQ sandwich and sides.
Pig out in Memphis at Marlowe's Ribs and Restaurant
We travel not to escape life, but for life to not escape us. If you’re short on vacation time (or cash) and yearn to get away, scratch the travel itch with a day trip. In early May, our daughter, Bella, just returned home after completing her junior year at Stetson University in Florida. I asked Bella what were some things that she really wanted to experience while she was home this Summer. She has really been craving some good Memphis BBQ, so FGG and I surprised her with a day trip to Memphis, where we dined at Marlowe’s Ribs and Restaurant. None of us had never been to Marlowe’s. FGG is a BBQ aficionado, so he was pumped to try their highly acclaimed food. It did not disappoint! The prices were VERY reasonable, the service was speedy and friendly, and we all enjoyed the “Elvis kitsch” vibe and learning about the restaurant’s history. Marlowe’s is a family restaurant that has tastes that will satisfy anyone’s palate, including award-winning BBQ pork ribs, beef brisket, BBQ shrimp, or their famous Italian-style BBQ spaghetti.
My family has enjoyed many Memphis BBQ joints since moving to this area in spring, 2020. Taste-testing and rating BBQ restaurants is kind of a family hobby. Marlowe’s was on our list of “must try” restaurants, so we were excited to finally check it out one Friday in early May. Since 1974, Marlowe’s has been providing the best in Memphis hospitality to locals and visitors from around the globe. Along with visiting Graceland, visiting Marlowe’s for a meal while you are in town is a must. Located only one mile from Elvis’s home, Marlowe’s not only provides a great family atmosphere and great food, but they’ll even bring you to the restaurant in one of their pink limousines. We happened to catch one out in front of the restaurant when we arrived.
FGG, Bella, and I dined in The Elvis Room, listened to Elvis music while an Elvis movie was playing on the TV as we enjoyed our meals, admired the Elvis memorabilia, and took lots of pictures. It’s a bit of a tourist trap, but it’s fun to play tourist. I scarfed down the pulled pork dinner, FGG enjoyed the brisket, and Bella relished her BBQ sandwich. We all decided to skip the BBQ ribs, even though they looked delicious, because we had plans after dinner and didn’t want to make a mess!
Marlowe’s is not just famous for its food, but also for its history. One might think that Marlowe’s barbeque smoker runs on just fruit wood, but Melissa Gigliotti Coleman, owner, thinks it operates on family tradition. The history of Marlowe’s is featured on the restaurant’s website, where Coleman explains, “Unlike most kids, I grew up in a restaurant. When I was nine years old, my father, Tony Gigliotti, fulfilled his dream and opened The Whitehaven Ranch House. He uprooted our family from Pennsylvania to settle down into the neighborhood of the King of Rock and Roll.
Coleman continues, “My father quickly fell in love with the city and began making lifelong friends, like George Klein, Richard Davis, Gene Mason, Dr. George Nichopoulos (and his son Dean Nichopoulos), and many more. Just one mile from Graceland, we began noticing that we had the best of both worlds: a local joint with a base of loyal regular customers, and tourists from every corner of the globe here to pay homage to the King.
“One of my first memories is watching my grandmother make lasagna. I can still hear the sounds of the pans clanging together, the smell of chopped garlic, and the feel of the ripe tomatoes in my hands while I perched on the counter of her restaurant in Pennsylvania. Every day we prepare this dish at Marlowe’s, making it impossible to forget that our restaurant has a history that runs deeper than most. As a child, I watched my father effortlessly welcome every guest into our restaurant like family. When you step into Marlowe’s, you are entering our home.”
Ms. Coleman is not wrong. We felt welcome at Marlowe’s. Our server was very attentive and friendly, and the food was on the table in no time flat. The memorabilia and kitschy vibe added to our overall enjoyment of our dining experience. After Marlowe’s, FGG, Bella, and I waddled over to Graceland Live to enjoy the Drive-By Truckers concert with full bellies. It was a great show and a nice venue. Overall, this day trip to Memphis was a huge success. It was exactly what Bella needed to soothe her soul after an intense school year and final exams. I encourage readers to take a day trip somewhere outside of the county now that COVID restrictions have eased, and Memphis is a great choice for a day trip. My family has been to Memphis many times, and we never seem to get tired of visiting. Between the food, the culture, and the music scene, there is always something new to do or see in Memphis, with new memories just waiting to be made. Check out Marlowe’s on your next day trip to Memphis. Let me know what you think of it! Lauren.gay@journalinc.com
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Parents looking for fun, summer learning for their children can register for the Boys & Girls Club summer program at Clubs located in Ripley, Tupelo, Oxford or New Albany. The 6-week summer program will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 6 through July 15 for youth 6-18 years of age.
There are many activities planned that focus on the key program areas of Boys & Girls Clubs - Education, Health & Wellness, Career Development, The Arts, Character & Leadership and Sports & Recreation.
Registration is on a first come, first served basis. . The summer fee for both Tupelo locations is $75. The summer fee for the Ripley and New Albany site is $50. The summer fee for the Oxford site is $125. Fees are pro-rated for siblings within the same household.
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Pine Grove's Ellie Fryar and Walnut's Madison Weeks pose for a picture after a 5-2 win for the 1A/2A/3A North Juniors in the MAC All-Star Games in Ellisville on Friday, June 3.
Fryar, Weeks lead 1A/2A/3A North juniors to pair of MAC All-Star wins
ELLISVILLE • The 20th Annual Cornerstone Rehabilitation MAC All-Star Fast Pitch Softball Games was held on Friday, June 3 and Saturday, June 4 at the Community Bank Park on the Jones College campus in Ellisville with two Tippah County juniors selected to play in the prestigious games.
Pine Grove’s Ellie Fryar, the three-time All-County MVP, and Walnut’s Madison Weeks joined 10 other local stars in the two-day event.
The duo are just the second and third softball players from Tippah County to be selected to the games. Former Pine Grove Lady Panther Catelyn Eller made the cut in the event’s first year back in 2016.
The format for the 2022 Fast Pitch All-Star softball games featured North/South Junior games divided by classifications and a Rising Stars North/South series for the first time.
The Class 1A/2A/3A Junior North squad was led by head coach Rodney Moore of New Site with his assistant coach Molly Brown of Wheeler.
Over the two-day span, Fryar held the North to a pair of wins with a 5 for 7 (.714) effort at the plate, with four doubles, including three on Friday.
The new Rising Stars North team was coached by Kristi Montgomery of Mantachie and Andy Finch of Caledonia. The Rising Stars series was slated to begin in 2021 but was postponed to 2022.
The All-Star fast pitch softball games feature a North versus South format in two-game series per classifications since a format change in 2006. In 2021, a seniors’ game was added to make up for the 2020 cancellations. In the overall series for 1A/2A/3A, the North leads 9-7-4.
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Results of last Tuesday’s special election left the City of Fulton officials delaying improvements to the city’s parks. The majority of Fulton voters were not in favor of a three percent tourism tax on restaurant sales.
According to Fulton City Clerk Ceburn Gray, a total of 228 votes were cast. With 130 residents voting in favor of the proposed tax and 93 voting against the tax. Five affidavit votes were being held until Monday when election commissioners would officially open. Results were not available at press time.
The vote will likely stand at 58% in favor. State law requires 60% of Fulton voters to cast ballots in favor of the new tax for it to pass.
Fulton Mayor Emily Quinn that she is not giving up on the tax as a means of improvements to the city’s recreational areas.
“I have already spoken to Representative Donnie Bell about re-presenting it to the House and Senate. I think the earliest we could have another election is next year in late winter or early spring,” Quinn said. “We plan on having one or two town hall meetings before the election to address any concerns or questions the citizens may have.”
If as few as seven more voters had voted “yes” in last week’s election, the city would have won its bid to improve parks.
“The majority of voters voted in favor of the tax, and it missed the 60% mark by a very slim margin,” Quinn elaborated. “I feel fairly certain that most people realize how close we came to benefiting from the perks (around $700,000/yearly) of this tax and it will be a shoo-in next election.”
One concern, and likely the most paramount, is informing the public that there is an election and the importance of actually showing up to vote. During the 2021 city-wide election, Fulton had a total of 2,448 registered voters...for the “Pennies for Parks” election, less than 10 percent of voters showed up at the polls.
“Many people said that they were not even aware of the election, so we need to reconvene and institute better ways of notifying the public. I’ve already had several people contact me to say that they would like to serve on a committee to promote the cause,” Quinn added.
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(Mantachie, MS) – “When torn, it may be mended, and when dirty, it can be cleaned; but when in such a condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display, it must be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”
Such are the guidelines set forth by the National Flag Foundation on the proper disposal of old, worn, tattered, frayed, or faded U.S. flags. WoodmenLife Chapter 1190 Fulton complied with those guidelines when it retired worn flags on May 12, 2022, at the Chapter Hall in Peppertown.
“The flag stands for all that we hold dear – freedom, democracy, and a government of the people, by the people, and for the people,” said Doug Wilson, president of Chapter 1190. “A ceremony of this nature holds great meaning for us.”
According to Wilson, the retirement was in keeping with the patriotic duty the flag has served. During the ceremony, participants had an opportunity to remember and reflect on members of the military and others who have served our country under the flag.
WoodmenLife values patriotism and gives members many opportunities to celebrate their American pride. The organization provides flags to nonprofit civic and youth groups, schools, churches, and community centers. Since 1947, the organization has presented more than 3.5 million flags.
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AMORY – Amory Main Street is again collaborating with the Amory Parks and Recreation Department to provide free entertainment this week for the public to accompany other events planned by Main Street merchants.
“Our next showing will be ‘The Goonies’ at Frisco Park on the evening of June 9. The movie will start at 8:30 p.m.,” said Amory Main Street Director Rebecca Riddle.
“The Goonies” is a 1985 Steven Spielberg classic about a group of young people who embark on an adventure in hunt of a pirate’s treasure.
The movie in the park is the second of three such events in Frisco Park this summer, which coincide with sidewalk sales along Main Street by participating merchants from 2 until 7 p.m.
As always, guests are reminded to bring seating and blankets.
Frisco Park
Rebecca Riddle
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ABERDEEN – Between action and comedy on the screen and fun and games on the grounds, people are invited to join in the festivities of June 9’s Movie at the Magnolias featuring the 2017 reboot of “Jumanji.”
The free outdoor movie series, hosted by the Aberdeen Visitors Bureau, is a summertime staple. This week’s event follows a free screening of “Luca” in late May at Newberger Park.
“We started the outdoor movies in 2011 at Blue Bluff. We try to have family favorites and chose an animated movie for the first movie of the year and will have a non-animated movie for the second. It’s all part of our summer full of fun in Aberdeen,” said Aberdeen Visitors Bureau Director Tina Robbins.
People are invited to gather at The Magnolias, located at 732 W. Commerce St., at 7:30 p.m. for backyard games and surprises. The movie will begin at dark, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets.
The Magnolias
Aberdeen Visitors Bureau
Tina Robbins
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Mayor Corey Glenn stands in front of a recently installed electrical structure at the Amory Port North Site, which was part of an approximate $8 million investment through the city and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The 161-kilovolt upgrade coincides with an option on the site by a potential industry.
AMORY – Since late January, a collaborative effort by the City of Amory and Tennessee Valley Authority has provided for a major electrical upgrade for the Amory Port North Site. It not only makes the site more marketable but also helps in negotiations with potential industries currently interested in locating there.
“This industrial property is an approximate 174-acre site. It’s a keystone property that anchors a larger plan for industrial development at our port – the functionality and complexion of our site has been evolving for several years. We have recently, in conjunction with TVA, invested slightly north of $8 million in upgrading power and other infrastructure,” said Mayor Corey Glenn.
The port site is currently under an option with a potential suitor that might be named in the future.
“It is what we qualify as a rights of first refusal purchase option with no exclusivity. We will continue to market the site until a purchase agreement is executed with whomever. In addition to the current optionee, we have additional clients showing sincere interest – such clients' scope could include manufacturing facilities and equipment installs that exceed $250 million in CAPEX (capital expenditures). Greater than 150 jobs could be created, of which we’re extremely excited about,” Glenn added.
The option with the potential client is written to include the entire 174 acres of the site.
The recently installed 161-kilovolt line has the capacity to serve as many as 28 megawatts of electricity to an industrial client.
“There’s approximately 2.8 miles of slack span that comes from the transmission line just south of town to Mary Haughton Substation. The new install not only delivers industrial service to the port but also provides a much improved and necessary upgrade to the Mary Haughton Substation,” he said.
Glenn said the project was spearheaded by Amory Utilities Manager Mike King and operating superintendent Brad Hale.
“Their unwavering commitment to Amory, their attention to detail and persistent oversight made this install successful. Additional thanks go out to The LE Myers Co for their commitment to quality and safety,” he said.
In addition to the new synthetic poles and heavy gauge, high voltage wire installed alongside Waterway Drive, a pull-off structure was erected on a pad at the port. The adjacent area it will serve as a substation once load and connected horsepower has been identified.
“Until a final suitor has been selected and commercial terms and a purchase agreement are executed, we don’t foresee much more industrial activity at the site. With the aforesaid, it is our goal to have something in place within 14 months,” Glenn said.
Additionally, the city applied for a port infrastructure development program grant totaling $11.2 million to create a fleeting and berth area, which would provide better access to the waterway.
Glenn added the port site has a high pressure natural gas line, water and sewer availability and high-speed internet access through M-Pulse or AT&T. It is also served by a city-owned short line rail connecting to BNSF, and the waterway connects with the Port of Mobile and the Gulf of Mexico.
He said its location near the four-lane Highway 45 is vital, promoting favorable trucking logistics and access to regional and intercontinental markets.
“Our industrial port site is going to be an important job creator that supports our community for many years to come and for that, we are very excited,” Glenn said. “The site is absolutely the best and most shovel-ready industrial property on the entire Tenn-Tom Waterway. For now, we’re in a holding pattern until these or other industrial clients make the easy choice of Amory,” Glenn said.
He thanked Monroe County Chamber of Commerce Director Chelsea Baulch and her team of Kelly Martin and Misty Hutcheson in marketing the site and continued efforts.
“The site would not be what it is today without their collective commitment and drive,” Glenn said.
He requested that people remain off the site relative to the danger and hazards associated with the industrial activity.
Amory Port North Site
Chelsea Baulch
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Eiland Middle School Principal Dr. Andrea Pastchal-Smith was announced last week as the incoming superintendent of the Aberdeen School District. She begins her new role July 1.
ABERDEEN – Last week, the Aberdeen School Board and Mississippi School Boards Association announced the district’s next superintendent – Andrea Pastchal-Smith, Ph.D. She has served in numerous roles in her education career, from classroom instructor and coach to administrator and chief academic officer.
Dr. Smith, who begins her position as superintendent July 1. has most recently served as principal of Eiland Middle School in Louisville.
“It’s an honor and privilege to be the new superintendent of the Aberdeen School District. I look forward to working collaboratively with an enthusiastic team and community committed to meeting and exceeding the academic goals and social-emotional needs of all students,” she said in a press release from the Mississippi School Boards Association. “I am joining a team that not only wants to continue the excellence of the Aberdeen School District but also desires to provide enriching educational experiences that will grow and improve the lives of students and families we serve daily. It is a great day to be a Bulldog, and I am looking forward to a phenomenal school year.”
She was selected from a list of 12 applicants, which was narrowed down to four finalists who were interviewed by the school board.
Dr. Smith’s career accomplishments include being named as Lousville’s Administrator of the Year for School Year ’20-’21 and administrator of the year for the Oktibbeha County School District in 2014.
According to the press release, Dr. Smith was credited for leading an elementary school from an F rating to an A rating in 2017, ranking first in the state for third-grade math proficiency scores through the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program in 2017, her school being listed among the top 10 elementary schools in the state for kindergarten-readiness assessment results in 2016, a 100 percent proficiency rate for the fifth-grade Mississippi science test in 2014 and the America Reads Administrator of the Year in the Mississippi State University region for 2012-2013.
“On behalf of the school board, please join us as we welcome Dr. Andrea Pastchal-Smith as our new superintendent at the beginning of the new school year. We are very excited for her and the district. Please give Dr. Smith your full support as she transitions to her new role,” said Aberdeen School Board President Jim Edwards in the press release.
Dr. Smith earned a bachelor’s of science degree in microbiology from the Mississippi University for Women. She went on to earn her master of science degree in secondary science, an educational specialist degree in educational leadership and a doctor of philosophy degree and secondary education administration degree from Mississippi State University.
Additionally, she graduated from the Mississippi School Boards Association Prospective Superintendent Leadership Academy.
Her career in education began in 2000 as a seventh- and eighth-grade science teacher and girls’ basketball coach at B.F. Liddell Middle School in Macon. Her time at the school sparked her enthusiasm to drive students’ desire to strive for success.
Her administrative career began as East Oktibbeha County High School’s assistant principal, and she went on to serve as principal at West Elementary School in Sturgis for eight years.
During her career, Dr. Smith has also served as a federal programs director, director of student assessment and intervention, English language coordinator and chief academic officer.
According to the press release, she has expertise in strategic planning; curriculum and program development; data-driven instruction; effective faculty interaction and communication; and teacher capacity building.
Dr. Smith also has a background in advocating legislators in supporting education; implementing policies; managing annual budgets; overseeing dual credit for area high schools; hiring teachers and support staff; securing partnerships with community organizations; maintaining a safe environment for students; and staying updated with current practices, trends and curriculum, according to the press release.
Dr. Smith is married to Clinton Smith, and the couple has two sons – Justin, who is an attorney, and Jordan, who is an officer in the U.S. Air Force.
Clinton Smith
Mississippi School
Boards Association
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Best laid plans can go astray
I like many others had made plans for the Memorial Day holiday.
Well, you know how plans go and mine didn’t go exactly as planned.
My plans were to go to my son’s house where he was going to grill chicken and hamburgers, I was making the baked beans and my son’s mother-in-law was making slaw and homemade ice cream. He also grilled us some pineapple jalapeño smoked sausage for an appetizer.
Out of all the food planned, the homemade ice cream was the one item I was looking forward to the most.
The plan was to get to Jason’s house about 2:00 to 2:30.
I got a call about 11:00 telling me that they had put the swimming pool up for the kids and it had a small hole in it and asked if I could go by and pick up from flex tape and come over earlier.
I left the house about 11:30 headed to Walmart to get the flex tape and as I was getting in my vehicle a very nice young man stopped and asked if I realized I had a low tire on one of the back tires. After some inspection he found the head of a big bolt in my tire. He asked if I was going very far and when I said I was headed to Mooreville, he recommended that I reconsider driving that far on that tire even after getting air.
I went across the street to air up the tire to get me back home and was surprised that it cost $2.00 for air.
I didn’t want to miss out on the cookout with family and especially the homemade ice cream, so I called my sister to borrow her car so I could make it to Mooreville and back.
Being the good sister, she is she was happy to loan me her car and being the good sister, I am I planned on putting gas back in her car. Of course, I borrow a car with very little gas in it.
I filled up her car after some struggle with finding the button to open the gas door and finally made it to the cookout at the original time of 2:00 pm.
I could tell the tire in question was probably toast, as it turned out, I didn’t have any good tires on my vehicle.
I am now the proud new owner of four new tires.
Even though there were obstacles along the way, it was a wonderful afternoon, watching the kids play in the pool, slide down the slip and slide and riding the zip line in the back yard.
Of course, the homemade ice cream was wonderful.
Mostly cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 87F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%..
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City and county youth will be able to attend a traffic stop course at an upcoming class hosted by the Fulton Police Department. The event will take place from 2-4 p.m. on the afternoon of June 25 at the Fulton Police Station.
The class will teach young drivers how to safely conduct themselves at traffic stops.
"It's important to teach young drivers the safe and proper way to conduct themselves during a traffic stop, not only for them, but for law enforcement as well," Chief Brad Rogers told The Times.
Attendance is limited to the first 20 people who sign up, and it is open to those from Fulton and Itawamba county. Those wishing to sign up need to send their name to the Fulton Police Department’s Facebook page or call Rogers at 662-862-3441, to have their name added to the list.
"We still have some open spots," Rogers said. "If we have an overflow we will schedule a second course at another time."
Youth Traffic Stop Class
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Itawamba County Emergency Management Director Patrick Homan said this was a time when the Emergency Service Function Coordinators could meet, ask questions, and share their points of view in their perspective field when it comes to a disaster.
Patrick Homan, Itawamba County Emergency Management Director, talks with community and government officials about their roles when it comes to a disaster.
Community and government leaders from across Itawamba County recently met to discuss their roles and responsibilities when it comes to disaster preparedness.
Patrick Homan, Itawamba County Emergency Management Director, organized and led the event. Homan said the purpose of the meeting was two-fold, establishing the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and giving the county’s Emergency Service Function (ESF) Coordinators an opportunity to share and learn about the roles of their fellow representatives.
“The main purpose of the meeting was the “EOC mock activation,” or emergency operations center is similar to a central command. Our Itawamba County Development Center office will serve in that capacity,” he said. “If there is a disaster of any sort, this is where all the ESFs will meet, share information, develop plans, and ensure that proper documentation and policies are followed.”
The ESFs attending the meeting included people from a wide range of leadership roles outside of those typically involved in emergency settings.
“The ESF Coordinators range from the commonly known ones such as law enforcement, fire, and search and rescue, all the way to external public information and logistics. There is even representation for agriculture and animal needs,” Homan said.
The purpose of the ESF meeting Homan said was to allow each person serving in the various coordinator roles to have a seat at the table and learn more about the roles of their fellow other ESFs and how they are to work together.
“The people seated at the table were some of the best we have in their respected functions,” he said. “There is no way that I can manage everything that the EOC is responsible for by myself and by no means could I even be considered an expert in some of their fields.”
Homan said this was a time when the ESF coordinators could meet, ask questions, and share their points of view in their perspective field when it comes to a disaster.
There are three primary responsibilities Homan said his office follows when facing an emergency or disaster, the initial planning, and mitigation, followed by the response, and lastly the recovery efforts.
“In planning and mitigation, I identify our threats and create a template plan to deal with those. I also try to put barriers in place to mitigate those events to lessen the blow,” Homan said. “Response is actually putting the plans into action in an effective way to minimize the loss of life and property. The recovery is a long drawn out process after an event when we try and get communities and local governments back on their feet.”
Next year Homan said the meeting and planning session will go one step further. His office will hold a functional exercise on one specific part of “response” that deals with opening and operating shelters for displaced people from a disaster.
“I’ll be working throughout the next several months, along with getting directions from the stat on what we will need to cover,” he added.
Homan said it’s all a part of Itawamba County being prepared to the best of its ability under the worst of circumstances.
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Felder Rushing, host of MPB's The Gestalt Gardner speaks at the Itawamba County-Pratt Memorial Library last Tuesday evening. It was the first of two events featuring Rushing at the library last week.
A fan of Felder Rushing's holds up a sign at the beginning of the program noting Rusher's appearance in Itawamba county. Before the evening's program, Itawamba was the only county in the state he had not had an event. Rusher has now spoken in all 82 counties in Mississippi.
JEFFREY MARTIN I COURTESY PHOTO
Fans of Mississippi Public Broadcasting Think Radio’s The Gestalt Gardener traveled from as far away as Oxford and Columbus to hear its host, popular horticulturalist Felder Rushing, speak last week at the Itawamba County-Pratt Memorial Library in Fulton. Before Tuesday, Itawamba county was the only county in Mississippi that Rushing had not spoken. That day finally came last Tuesday evening when he spoke at the first of two events at the library. Rushing spoke to a different audience on Wednesday morning.
Also a popular speaker and author, Rushing entertained those in attendance while also teaching them about gardening, horticulture and the differences between the two.
“If you don't feel like you're a special place, you're not in a garden,” Rushing said after explaining the origin of the word garden. It being an old-English word meaning guarded area early in his presentation. He also spoke about his development\ as a gardener from skills taught to him by his great-grandmother, herself a horticulturalist, to the lessons, many lessons he said, learned through trial and error.
“If you can kill a plant, I've killed it,” Rushing said, “If there's anything that can go wrong in the garden its gone wrong.” As the evening progressed, Rushing shared stories of his travels around the world as well as tips for those in attendance.
Over 100 people attended the two events, and organizers deemed the events a success.
"We were tremendously pleased with the two Felder Rushing programs we hosted this past week,” Itawamba library manager and event organizer Jeffrey Martin said.”The programs were both informative and entertaining.“
The event was sponsored in part by the Mississippi Humanities Council and part of their Speaker’s Bureau Program. Given the success of the event, the library wants to offer similar programs and experiences to the people of Itawamba county and the surrounding area in the future according to Martin.
“We are going to attempt to host programs of this scale from time to time in the future."
Itawamba County Pratt Memorial Library
Mississippi Humanities Council
The Gestalt Gardener
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Amory's Charleston Wallace puts up a layup over South Pontotoc's Joe Haze Austin in Friday's NEMBCA all-star game.
Nettleton's Madison Miller shoots a three-pointer.
Smithville's Chandler Woodham goes up for a layup. Woodham finished with four points and eight rebounds in Saturday's NEMBCA all-star game.
Amory's Charleston Wallace brings the ball up the court. Wallace scored a pair of buckets in the first for the Red team.
Nettleton's Madison Miller paces the ball, while the offense sets up a play.
Smithville's Chandler Woodham dishes out a pass after coming off of a screen from Tremont's Tyler Whitaker.
Amory's Charleston Wallace is focused in during the timeout, while Amory coach Brian Pearson talks to his group.
Nettleton's Madison Miller hustles and dives for the loose ball.
Smithville's Chandler Woodham leaps for the jumpball to start the game.
TUPELO – Amory’s Charleston Wallace, Nettleton’s Madison Miller and Smithville’s Chandler Woodham hit the hardwood on Friday and Saturday to compete in this year’s Northeast Mississippi Association of Basketball Coaches All-star game.
Wallace represented the Class 3A/4A/5A/6A boys’ Red team, while Miller represented the girls’ Red team. In Class 1A/2A, Woodham represented the boys’ Blue team.
“We were all just having fun, and it’s good to play with people that you normally play against,” Wallace said. “We were all talking in practice and built a good connection with each other, and that showed on the court.”
Class 3A/4A/5A/6A boys: Red 96, Blue 82
At the five-minute mark of the first quarter, Wallace cashed in on a layup to give his team a 10-5 lead. New Albany’s Kamron Carter knocked down a pair of buckets to extend the Red team’s lead to 15-5.
Wallace drilled a three-pointer to give his team an 18-7 lead midway through the first. The Blue team closed the quarter out on an 8-3 run, putting the score at 21-17.
Both teams traded baskets in the second, but the Red team managed to hold on to their lead and head into halftime with a 40-33 lead. The Red team pulled away in the third, taking a 20-point lead after Itawamba’s Arvesta Troupe knocked down a three-pointer.
The Red team kept their foot on the gas in the fourth as New Albany’s Michael Smith closed the game out with a dunk.
Wallace finished the game with five points, four rebounds and three assists.
“I haven’t even thought about this being my last high school game, but I don’t have any regrets,” Wallace said. “I just thank God for everything that he gifted me during my high school career.”
Class 3A/4A/5A/6A girls: Red 51, Blue 39
Miller got her first bucket of the game at the free-throw line to give her team a 3-2 lead. After trading baskets midway through the quarter, the Blue team took a 12-11 lead New Albany’s Madison McDonald and Booneville’s Taitiana Beene cashed in on buckets.
Three straight three-pointers by South Pontotoc’s Rebekah Pilcher and Lafayette’s Sha’Brya Pettis gave the Red team a 20-12 lead. Miller knocked down a basket with 2:05 left in the second, which led the Red team to go on a 7-0 run and close the half out with a 32-20 lead.
The Red team outscored the Blue 9-7 in the third quarter to maintain a 41-27 lead, and they closed out the 51-39 win with a layup from South Pontotoc’s Sydney Brazil.
Miller finished the game with three points and a block.
“This was a great opportunity to see where I’m at,” Miller said. “I still kind of got it, but I still need to work on some stuff to get ready for college. It was a good competition against people I’ve played against in the past. I knew what everyone could do, so I wasn’t really nervous, and I was just doing me.”
Saturday, Class 1A/2A boys: Red 76, Blue 57
After taking a 12-9 lead at the end of the first, the Red team extended their lead to 30-19 after a pair of buckets from H.W. Byers’ Cedric Watson and Biggersville’s Brooks Brand. The Blue team closed the half out on an 8-2 run to cut the score to 31-27.
Woodham got his first points on the stat sheet on a putback layup at the start of the third quarter. The Red team outscored the Blue 21-17 in the third to hold on to a 52-44 lead.
Woodham cashed in on his second basket of the game in the fourth quarter to add to his team’s lead, and the Red team outscored the Blue 24-13 in the quarter to seal the win.
Woodham finished with four points and eight rebounds for the Red team.
“It was fun getting a new experience with a new team full of guys that I’ve played against before,” Woodham said. “There was some chemistry that had to be worked out during the game, but I think we jelled pretty well. For this to be my last high school game, I think I did pretty well, and I’m ready to move on to the collegiate level.”
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Smithville's Chandler Brunetti will take on the responsibility of quarterback for the Noles.
Melissa Meador/Monroe Journal File
Smithville's Barker O'Brian plans to see some time at running back and receiver in the upcoming season for the Noles.
Smithville's Conner Dabbs (right) will take on a different role on defense for the Noles, shifting from safety to linebacker.
Things may have been a little different for the Smithville Seminoles over the spring, but the one thing that has not changed over the offseason is their work ethic in the weight room.
“We’ve had a really good year in the weight room this offseason, but as far as spring practices, things have been a little different,” Smithville coach Chad Collums said. “Due to some circumstances, we weren’t able to practice during school, and we’ve been working on installing a new offense during that time. We’re trying to change things around to fit our players better.”
Collums believes that his team’s offense starts with the offensive line, and he said that he is already impressed with a few players at that position.
“On the offensive line, Jeremiah Brooks has had a really good offseason, and he’s looked really good out in those spring practices,” Collums said. “We’ve got some younger guys that we’re really excited about on the O-line like Chase Tipton and Wes Wiggins. Another guy that will be moving to the offensive line is Jonathan Estes because he provides something different, and he’s really good.”
Skill players Chandler Brunetti, Barker O’Brian and Ben Frederick are three guys that Collums believes have made a big jump over the spring.
“Of course, Chandler (Brunetti) is going to be our quarterback, and he’s looked pretty good in practice so far,” Collums said. “Barker O’Brian has been good in the weight room all spring, and he’s gotten stronger, bigger and faster, so I’m excited to see what he can do at running back and slot receiver for us. Ben (Frederick) wasn’t able to play last year, but he’s ready to go now, and I’m excited to see him in 7-on-7.”
Collums said that he plans to maintain the same defensive culture that they have built over the years, and he sees Conner Dabbs, Braden Sanders, Brody Tucker and Carson Spann as vital pieces of that culture.
“We’re not looking to change anything defensively,” he said. “We’re going to do what we’ve always been doing here for a while, but we’ve got a few guys that have changed positions. Conner Dabbs is one of those guys because he’s put on some good weight this offseason, so we’ll move him down to linebacker. We’re trying to replace our entire linebacker crew, and Braden Sanders, Brody Tucker and Carson Spann are three guys that I think will fill that position well.”
Heading into the summer, Collums said that his main focus is figuring out who will step up as leaders for the team.
“We lost a big senior class, so my biggest thing is replacing all the leaders on the team,” he said. “We’re going to work on seeing who’s going to step up, be a leader and do what it takes to make sure the team is going in the right direction.”
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Farren Young has been coaching multiple sports at Nettleton five years, and now she is taking on the position of soccer coach.
Farren Young has been working at Nettleton School District for nearly six years, and she has been coaching other multiple other programs since 2017.
NETTLETON – Long-time Nettleton native and coach Farren Young plans to bring a familiar face and winning mentality to the Tigers’ soccer program as she is set to take over the head coaching duties.
Young, a 2004 Nettleton graduate, has been working for Nettleton School District since 2016, and in her five years with the school, she has had an abundance of head coaching experience for Nettleton.
“I started here in November of 2016 as the PE teacher at the primary and elementary school, then the next year, they moved me over to junior high. So, majority of the kids that I’ll be coaching, I’ve had them in class before,” Young said. “I’ve had head coaching experience since 2017 with tennis, junior high basketball, high school slow-pitch softball for a year and girls’ track.”
After graduating from Nettleton, Young attended Itawamba Community College where she got her first experience with soccer, playing for coach Mary Robin Coggin.
“I attended ICC on basketball and softball scholarships, and I picked up soccer in my second year after Coach Coggin recommended that I should play,” Young said. “I played soccer for her for two years at ICC after the tennis coach talked me into staying a third year to play tennis for him, and I ended up liking soccer. When I finally left ICC, I went to Mississippi State where I worked for the women’s basketball team for three years under Sharon Fanning-Otis.”
Young said that Nettleton principal Megan Garner suggested the coaching position to her, and after thinking it over, she decided to take on the responsibility.
“In February, Mrs. (Megan) Garner asked me if I was interested in the position because she’d heard that I used to play soccer, and I was hesitant because I coached basketball too,” she said. “A few months down the line, Coach (John) Keith and Mrs. Garner came back around and told me that these kids really needed a coach, and they thought I’d be the perfect person for it. I took some time to think about it and after talking with my folks, I decided to give it a try.”
Young plans to bring along some help with her on the sideline as Mooreville native Madison Sweatt will be her assistant coach this season.
“I’m pretty familiar with everything soccer wise, but I did ask my cousin Coach (Madison) Sweatt to come back this year,” Young said. “She played soccer in high school at Mooreville, so where I lack in soccer knowledge, she’ll compliment me, and I’ll compliment her in the coaching aspect.”
To prepare for the season, Young said that her and Sweatt planned out a 10-day practice and game schedule.
“Coach Sweatt and I have already come up with a 10-day schedule for the month of June, and that’s the only time we plan to practice so the kids have some time off for the summer,” she said. “We plan to start June 7, and both teams are going to go down to Kosciusko to play on the 16th, then we plan to have just the girls play at North Pontotoc on the 28th. As far as a plan for the first day of practice, Coach Sweatt and I haven’t discussed that, but we’ll get together and come up with some drills for them. It’s going to be hot, so I don’t want to come out and overwhelm them.”
There is a lot of excitement surrounding both teams, and Young said that the players have been very accepting of her.
“I’ve talked with a few of the kids, and they seem to be excited that I’m out here,” she said. “I’m excited to have some that didn’t play last year decide to come back and play. We’re really excited about the season, and I can’t wait to see how things will go. I plan to take the program and make it mine so we can get some wins this year.”
Despite being in a new environment now, Young said that she is excited to be coaching alongside her cousin, and they have high expectations for their team.
“It’ll be a different environment from what I’m used to, and I’m just excited to be coaching with my cousin Madison,” Young said. “So far, we’ve came up with a list of expectations that we expect from our players, and we plan to have a parent/player meeting also. We expect them to excel in the classroom, come to practice every day and be respectful on and off the field. As far as goal, with this being my first year, I’m just hoping to win a few games and make the playoffs.”
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Parents looking for fun, summer learning for their children can register for the Boys & Girls Club summer program at Clubs located in Ripley, Tupelo, Oxford or New Albany. The six-week summer program will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 6 - July 15 for youths 6-18 years of age.
There are many activities planned that focus on the key program areas of Boys & Girls Clubs - Education, Health & Wellness, Career Development, The Arts, Character and Leadership and Sports and Recreation.
Registration is on a first come, first served basis. The summer fee for both Tupelo locations is $75. The summer fee for the Ripley and New Albany site is $50. The summer fee for the Oxford site is $125. Fees are pro-rated for siblings within the same household.
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As a delegate to the American Legion Boys State in 2014, Milton Robinson had a life-changing experience. As director of the weeklong leadership training, his goal is to see that this year's delegates have the same transformative encounter.
"Eight years ago, I bought into this program and it turned me around," said Robinson, who oversees the annual event at the University of Mississippi, which began Sunday (May 29) and ends Friday (June 3). The week brought together 263 rising high school seniors from across Mississippi for the goal of "developing tomorrow's informed, responsible citizens."
"The university's commitment to the success of Mississippi high school students remains strong through our partnership with the American Legion Boys State program," said Bradley Baker, director of the Ole Miss Student Union.
"While the students are fully immersed in the leadership opportunities afforded by participating in Boys State, they are able to take full advantage of living on the most beautiful campus in the country and spending time in first-class facilities throughout the week. The University of Mississippi is committed to continuing to host American Legion Boys State for years to come."
George Flaggs
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Legendary performer and philanthropist Dolly Parton captured the hearts of two University of Mississippi audiences during her recent visit to accept the Legacy Award from the Ole Miss Women's Council for Philanthropy.
"Storytime with Dolly" featured the special guest reading "The Little Engine That Could" by Watty Piper and talking about literacy to a packed Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Sponsored by Regions Bank, the event was part of the OMWC Rose Garden Literacy Project.
"Regions Bank has served Oxford and communities across north Mississippi for decades, and community engagement is part of Regions' mission to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve," said Brett Shaffer, community relations manager for Regions Bank. "Education is a key part of our work, so we were honored to sponsor 'Storytime with Dolly.'
"We salute the Ole Miss Women's Council for Philanthropy and the University of Mississippi for their work to support education and opportunities for all."
Then, Parton was honored at the Legacy Award dinner at The Jefferson event venue, where she surprised the audience by performing two songs and playing guitar. The C Spire Foundation was the presenting sponsor.
"The C Spire Foundation is very pleased to support the Ole Miss Women's Council and the Legacy Award since its very beginning," said Beth Pickering, the foundation's executive director. "Our values align similarly in a belief in education and mentorship that will inspire and develop students' leadership skills and future success.
"The 2020 Legacy Award has been like no other. Although it was delayed because of the pandemic, it's just one example of the kind of work the OMWC members pull off when they set their minds to something. It was such a privilege to finally honor Dolly Parton, a living legend and such an amazing example of philanthropy for all of us."
The Legacy Award recognizes individuals who epitomize the council's goals of philanthropy, leadership and mentorship. Although Parton is known as a successful country music singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, record producer, actress and author, her commitment to elevating other people is a major part of her life.
The 2020 award presentation was postponed twice because of COVID-19.
"Having Dolly here will be remembered as one of those magical Ole Miss moments, which makes the Ole Miss Women's Council family unique and illustrates the widespread appeal of the mission to create a more caring and ethical society one scholar at a time," said Liz Randall, the council's chair.
"Dolly Parton could have truly been anywhere in the world, and she choose to spend a full weekend with us. That speaks to the relationship and respect she has for Mary and Sam Haskell and her support of the Ole Miss Women's Council."
Parton and the Haskells are longtime friends and business associates. Mary Haskell is a member and former OMWC chair. Sam Haskell, of Magnolia Hills Productions, is the executive producer of Parton's movies and specials and recently won an Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie for the 2021 "Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square."
Haskell and Parton met 42 years ago, and he became her agent with the William Morris Agency in 1995. After he retired from the agency business in 2005, the two segued into a production partnership with Warner Brothers Studio and have successfully executed movies together for the past decade.
One focus of the popular entertainer's philanthropy is her Imagination Library, a program that sends free, high-quality books to children from birth to age 5, regardless of their family's income. The organization sends books monthly to children around the world.
"I see the unparalleled and universal appeal of Dolly Parton due in large part to her consistency in being respectful and kind to all people, and her lifelong commitment to philanthropic efforts," Randall said. "Dolly has been honest about why literacy, for example, is so meaningful to her family by citing candidly that her father could not read.
"Her vulnerability and honestly are endearing. She took that hardship in her life and turned it into an organization, the Imagination Library, which has distributed close to 200 million books around the world – the perfect example of a philanthropist doing it for all the right reasons. She is elevating the lives of children, who are the most important part of society."
Parton was hosted for the weekend by the Haskells, who took her to several local spots.
"Dolly loved the beauty of Oxford and the Ole Miss campus, but she especially responded to the hearts of all the people involved that she met," Mary Haskell said. "She was overwhelmed by the generosity she experienced here during her Legacy Award weekend."
Philanthropy was on display by the Ole Miss family throughout the OMWC Legacy Award weekend.
At "Storytime with Dolly," the council surprised Sarah McLellan, executive director of the Lafayette County Literacy Council, with a $25,000 contribution for the Imagination Library program. Haskell shared the inspiration behind the gift.
"When the OMWC held our 20th anniversary in 2020, Dolly allowed us to auction a dinner for 10 people to dine with her at our home the evening before the Legacy Award dinner," Haskell said. "It seemed only right that we share the proceeds of that successful fundraising opportunity she provided us, so the $25,000 donation to her Imagination Library, supporting the local chapter here in Lafayette County, was determined.
"Dolly said, 'This is the first time I've ever seen one charity donate to another charity; now that's something.'"
Besides the OMWC gift, title sponsor C Spire Foundation announced it would make a $25,000 donation to the North Panola County Imagination Library program in honor of Parton.
"Philanthropy is contagious and works the best when it serves in all directions – this creates a compounding effect in the impact," Randall said.
Besides the C Spire Foundation, event sponsors for Parton's visit included platinum sponsors Sanderson Farms, Cooper Communities Inc. and Regions Bank. Gold sponsors were FedEx Corp. and mTrade.
Silver sponsors were Bank Plus, Stephanie Barrett, Data Line Technologies, Gertrude C. Ford Foundation, The Jefferson, Diane and Dick Scruggs, UM Foundation, Jane Claire and Nason Williams, and Yates Construction. Bronze sponsors can be seen online at https://omwc.olemiss.edu/awards/legacy-award/.
Founded 22 years ago, the OMWC has secured $20 million to endow scholarships awarded to deserving students. The council's program also provides guidance and training in leadership skills, life and career development, personal growth through cultural and travel opportunities, and alumni networking throughout the students' tenure at the university.
Once an OMWC Scholar, a student can receive financial resources from the council's Global Leadership Circle to pursue study abroad or internships on the national and international levels.
For more information, contact Suzanne Helveston, OMWC director of development, at shelveston@olemiss.edu or 662-915-2956 or visit online at https://omwc.olemiss.edu.
Spire Foundation
Mary Haskell
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A large tooth found at the Blue Springs Fossil site.
Paleontologist George Phillips and Geologist Charles Swann look at the K-Pg boundary in New Albany.
A large relic collection from a Union County man will be exhibited at this event. Shown are a portion of the stone axes, celts and other objects of this collection.
Fossil Road Show focuses on extinction event, large relic collection, virtual reality
The annual Fossil Road Show is set Saturday, June 11, 10 – 2 at the Union County Heritage Museum in New Albany. Union County is one of the areas in the state that is rich with fossils, and this is an open invitation to have fossils identified by the experts.
This year’s event brings Paleontologist George Phillips to identify objects and to speak at 11 a.m. about the K/ Pg (Cretaceous- Paleogene Boundary, a portion of which has been located in Union County. This boundary is part of the explosive event that caused the sudden mass extinction of some three-quarters of the plant and animal species on Earth, including the dinosaurs, approximately 66 million years ago.
Many rare and fascinating objects have been found from the fossil deposits of New Albany and Union County. Dinosaur teeth and bones as well as mastodon teeth and tusks, sea creatures millions of years old are just a few. Attendees are invited to bring their own found objects for identification by the experts who will be attending.
“We had had to miss two years of the Fossil Road Show, and we are excited to bring it back this year. This is a fun family event, so bring the kids and come. It’s free, thanks to our Community Partners,” said Jill Smith, Museum Director.
A large Union County relic collection will be exhibited for the first time.
Another feature of the event will feature the Family Science aspect. Lobaki will bring Virtual Reality Headsets that give a very realistic view into the past.
The Memphis Gem and Mineral Society will return this year along with the North Mississippi Gem and Mineral Society.
The public is invited to bring their collections and exhibit for a day. Call in advance to make sure that tables are ready if bringing a relic or fossil collection, 662-538-0014.
Mineral Society
Fossil Road Show
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Kent to represent New Albany in Mississippi Miss Hospitality competition July 15-16
Lexie Kent will represent New Albany in the 73rd Mississippi Miss Hospitality Competition at the Historic Hattiesburg Saenger Theater in Downtown Hattiesburg July 15 - 16 at 8 p.m. each evening.
Kent is a graduate of New Albany High School and Itawamba Community College. She plans to pursue a degree in radiologic technology with additional certifications in sonography. At ICC, she was elected as sophomore homecoming maid, inducted into Phi Theta Kappa and Sigma Kappa Delta Honor Societies, and was a member of the Lady Indians Tennis Team. Kent enjoys staying active and regularly attending pilates in New Albany.
In its 25th year as host city, Hattiesburg will showcase this year’s best and brightest young women as they compete for the title of Mississippi Miss Hospitality. Forty women, who represent all regions of the state, will participate in this year’s program, with the winner serving for a full year as Mississippi’s official ambassador for economic development and tourism.
Arriving on Sunday, July 10, the contestants will be welcomed to The University of Southern Mississippi before beginning their week-long journey to the crowning ceremony on July 16. Throughout competition week in Hattiesburg, contestants will attend social events, participate in community service projects, and attend rehearsals and competitions.
Representing New Albany as a Little Miss Hospitality is Lucie Ozbirn.
A program of VisitHATTIESBURG, the Mississippi Miss Hospitality Competition is presented by the Mississippi Development Authority, The University of Southern Mississippi, the City of Hattiesburg,
Hattiesburg Saenger Theater, and Forrest General Hospital. Sponsorships and patrons allow the program to award more than $100,000 in scholarships and prizes to contestants each year.
Tickets go on sale on Monday, June 6, and may be purchased online at HattiesburgSaenger.com or by calling the Saenger Theater Box Office at 601.584.4888. Tickets are expected to sell out, so pre-purchases are encouraged.
The public is invited to meet the contestants and their Little Misses at the Miss Hospitality autograph party at Turtle Creek Mall in Hattiesburg on Friday, July 15, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Admission to the autograph party is free.
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The Boys & Girls Clubs of North Mississippi invited local media to join them as they officially announced their 2022 Dance Like The Stars participants on Tuesday, June 7, at 5:30 p.m. at Park Heights Restaurant, 335 East Main Street, Tupelo – 2nd Floor Breezeway.
The 17th Dance Like The Stars Event is scheduled for July 30 at the BancorpSouth arena. The event was first started in 2006 and nearly 160 community volunteers from Lee, Lafayette, Tippah, Chickasaw and Union counties have participated. Volunteers agree to learn a professional ballroom dance routine with a professional partner from Tupelo’s The Dance Studio, but more importantly, they agree to raise funding for BGCNMS. The dancer raising the most money is named the event Grand Champion.
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NEMCC stays busy with a bevy of summer activities
While many of Northeast Mississippi Community College's students have departed the City of Hospitality for the summer term that does not mean that the college sits idly by, waiting on the fall semester to begin on Monday, August 15.
Editor's Note: Many of these events will have their own releases that will follow throughout the summer. This is to give you a heads up on what Northeast offers throughout the summer and to provide you with an all-encompassing release that you may use at your convenience or as a space filler.
During the summer months, the student population at Northeast may drop but the college's commitment to the community and its five-county district (Alcorn, Prentiss, Tippah, Tishomingo and Union counties) does not. Northeast focuses its efforts on summer school and the college's commitment to the community with various camps, seminars and conferences to help bolster the working knowledge of the surrounding community and allow school-aged children who are out for the summer to have a little fun.
Summer began for students following final exams during the first week of May. Many health science students returned to campus on Monday, May 9, to start their summer term of studying.
Northeast's Burgess Fitness Center kicked off its 2022 Summer Class Schedule on Monday, May 9. The class schedule will run until Friday, August 12, before the Fall 2022 schedule takes over. Northeast will offer four classes a day on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and just one class on Tuesdays. Monday sees classes start at 5 a.m. with Fort Fit and then an action-packed afternoon with an Abs class at 12:15 p.m., Spin at 4:15 p.m. and Yoga in the college's Health and Nutrition Center at 4:30 p.m. On Tuesday, Brandon Blair leads a Beginner Workout program at 4:10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday follow the 5 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 4:10 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. class schedules as Monday with Fort Fit kicking off Wednesday workouts at 5 a.m. with Spin at 12:15 p.m. Tiger HIIT class runs at 4:10 p.m. on Wednesday while Yoga returns to the Health and Nutrition Center at 4:30 p.m. On Thursdays, Tiger HIIT class opens the day at 5 a.m.; Yoga happens at 12:15 p.m. and Beginning Workout classes and Yoga occupy the 4:10 and 4:30 p.m. timeslots, respectively.
Membership is free to current Northeast employees and students, retirees from the college and college employee spouses and employee dependent children enrolled in school and under 23. Discounted gym memberships are available to Booneville/Prentiss County School District Employees, Booneville Fire Department employees, City of Booneville Police Officers, Mississippi Highway Patrol officers, and Booneville EMT/Paramedics. Community memberships to the state-of-the-art gymnasium, which includes all classes offered, are just $20 a month with a three-month membership, $120 for six months and $240 for a yearly membership. Fitness center hours are 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Friday for students and 4 a.m. through 9 p.m. for community or Northeast employees.
Beginning just one day after the college's Adult Education/GED/HiSET graduation ceremony for over 100 individuals earning their GEDs, the college hosted the Northeast Mississippi Football Coaches Association High School All-Star game at Tiger Stadium on Tuesday, May 17 and then celebrated Booneville High School's graduation just two days later on Thursday, May 19.
Northeast kicked its community involvement into high gear for an authentic summer feel on Tuesday, May 31, when Northeast's Tiger baseball and Tiger softball teams held the first athletic camps up the summer. After finishing as the third-place team in the National Junior College Athletic Association's Region XXIII and the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference, the Tigers welcomed area youngsters to The Plex on May 31, June 2-3. After becoming the first team to host a playoff round at The Plex, Northeast's Tiger baseball team also played a host role to area youth on May 31, June 2 and June 3.
While Northeast baseball and softball were handling the beginning of youth camps on campus, Northeast's Adult Education did not take any time off between graduation and welcoming a new batch of prospective degree seekers as a new day class began on Tuesday, May 31.
Northeast MiBEST program is currently enrolling students in its highly-popular welding classes for the summer and fall 2022 term. Students do not have to have a High School Equivalency before enrolling in the welding program and can dual enroll to receive their High School Equivalency while participating in the welding program.
Northeast's MIBEST welding and cutting course prepares students for entry-level employment in the field of welding and cutting and includes instruction on safety, shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), flux-cored arc welding (FCAW), oxy-fuel cutting and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). For more information on Northeast's MIBEST welding and cutting course, contact Northeast MIBEST College and Career Navigator Amanda Janes at 662-696-2325 or email adjanes@nemcc.edu.
Northeast's Career Development Academy returns to in-person activities with five different camp offerings throughout the summer starting on Monday, June 6. In addition to the first camp on June 6-9, the CDA will also offer camps on June 20-22, June 27-29, July 11-13 and July 18-20. Each of the three-day camps aims to promote science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematical (STEAM) activities, healthy living, lifestyle and fitness classes, reading enrichment and prevention classes. Classes are limited to the first 50 participants to register for each camp on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition to promoting STEAM activities, the camps will provide meals and snacks to the participants and will run from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily for children in grades 4-12.
As the Career Development Academy looks after participants in the fourth through twelfth grades, those wanting to get ahead on their academics will head back to the City of Hospitality on Monday, June 6, for the first day of seated classes for the first summer term. Second summer term classes are slated to begin on Monday, July 11, with virtual courses for each term starting one week before seated classes. Virtual first summer term and full summer courses kicked off on Tuesday, May 31 and second summer term classes begin on June 27 so that instructors have time to get their grades in before the fall term starts in August.
College officials have already said the enrollment for summer courses is up by 200-300 more students than before the global COVID pandemic caused a slowdown in summer enrollment.
Under the direction of first-year women's basketball coach Chelsey Rhoades, Northeast's Lady Tiger basketball team will take to the courts of the Bonner Arnold Coliseum on Monday, June 6 and Tuesday, June 7, for a team camp. The Lady Tigers will make it a full week of activities in on the legendary Ricky G. Ford court as their second camp of the summer kicks off on Wednesday, June 8, through Friday, June 10, for a skills camp for those in the fifth through ninth grades.
Northeast's Office of Continuing Education will offer a pair of ServSafe seminars for those looking to get certified in ServSafe policies and procedures during the summer term. The first ServSafe seminar will happen in Waller Hall on Tuesday, June 7, while the second will come a month later on Tuesday, July 12.
Orientation for first-year students will run on three consecutive Thursdays in June -- June 9, June 16 and June 23 -- before the college opens up an additional date in July (Tuesday, July 12) if there is enough interest. Northeast will have four sessions on each June orientation day, with students beginning the college onboarding processes at 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
In addition to hosting the Northeast Mississippi Football Coaches Association High School All-Star Game, the college also welcomes the Northeast Mississippi Softball Coaches Association to campus on Thursday, June 9, at The Plex for a trio of softball games. Three games will originate from the college's state-of-the-art softball complex that day, with an underclassman contest kicking things off. Classes 1-2-3A will take the spotlight in the middle game and Classes 4-5-6A will battle in the nightcap.
Northeast cheerleaders get in on the act with a cheer camp at the Corinth/Alcorn County Park just off South Parkway Street in Corinth on Thursday, June 9 and Friday, June 10. Incoming kindergarteners through those entering the sixth grade are welcome to attend the two-day camp for $40. Camp will be held at Pavilion 1 at the Corinth/Alcorn County Park from 9 a.m. until noon (12 p.m.) each day. Visit the Crossroads Regional Park office at 30 South Parkway Street during business hours to register.
Action doesn't stop in June as Northeast's Showband from Tigerland gets in on the act during the second whole week of June when Bryan Mitchell and his marchers host over 350 band members and approximately 50 band directors from across the South for the Northeast Band Camp. Campers start to report on Sunday, June 12 and will conclude with a bevy of concerts on Thursday, June 16.
In the midst of band camp, the 14th annual version of the Mobile Learning Conference will break the boundaries virtually again this year and offer up to two Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to those that attend on Monday, June 13 and Tuesday, June 14. Cost for the two-day conference is only $25 and CEUs are offered at a minimal fee.
After a busy first part of June, Northeast's Tiger basketball team takes the court of the Bonner Arnold Coliseum on Friday, June 17, for a team camp. The Northeast Tiger football team will hit the ground running with football campers in kindergarten through the eighth grade on Friday, June 24. While football athletes are sweating outside, things will be heating up in the Bonner Arnold Coliseum when the Tiger basketball team hosts a junior high team camp on Friday, June 24.
Men's basketball rounds out the month of June with a Skills Day camp for those in kindergarten through the ninth grade from 8 a.m. until noon (12 p.m.) on Monday, June 27 through Thursday, June 30.
Northeast will play a vital role in informing the public about the United States, Mississippi voting rights and history in the latter portion of June through August while serving as one of six sites for Voices and Votes: Democracy in American exhibit in the Anderson Hall Art Gallery from June 28 through August 16. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. By hosting the traveling event, Northeast becomes the only stop in north Mississippi for the exhibit that focuses on American democracy, as the other five stops are located in south Mississippi.
While helping to deliver Continuing Education Units during the Mobile Learning Conference, Northeast's Office of Continuing Education gets rolling in July with its highly-popular Commercial Truck Driving program as it welcomes a new class of students on Tuesday, July 5.
To help area students better comprehend what will be on the ACT in the fall, the Northeast Office of Continuing Education is offering an ACT Prep Workshop on Saturday, July 9, in Waller Hall on the Booneville campus. Participants will learn standard test-taking procedures and time management techniques during the day-long class.
After celebrating the Fourth of July holiday with very few events on campus, it's back to the grind for the Northeast basketball teams on Monday, July 11. Chelsey Rhoades returns with her Lady Tigers for a skills camp on Monday, July 11 through Thursday, July 14 for those in grades 7-12 and caps off the week with a mini day camp for kindergarten through fourth-grade campers Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16.
Men's basketball has the honor of finishing off the summer with an overnight camp for those in the third through twelfth grades on Monday, July 18 through Thursday, July 21 and has plans to host a prospect camp on Monday, July 25, from 9 a.m. until noon.
Northeast's Office of Continuing Education will help wrap up the summer months when it offers a Radiology Workshop for dental assistants starting on Saturday, July 23. This workshop trains and certifies individuals to take radiographs in a dental office and is under the guidance of the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners. The workshop is limited to just 10 students due to space constraints. Participants are accepted on a first-come, first-pay basis.
In addition to all those camps and activities, Northeast also provides space for the Booneville/Prentiss County Boys & Girls Club in the college's Health and Nutrition Center throughout the summer.
Northeast will also host a private martial arts camp from June 3-June 5, a teacher conservation workshop starting on Sunday, June 19 through Friday, June 24, and the Tiger basketball team will open the Bonner Arnold Coliseum on Saturdays in June for the SB Fitness Foundations' 4th Annual Men's Summer League on Saturday, June 11; Saturday, June 18 and Saturday, June 25 with teams guaranteed two games each of the first two weeks and a double-elimination tournament on Saturday, June 25. Participants must be 16 years or older, and the cost is $100 per athlete. A jersey, shorts, warm-up shirt, media attention and highlight tapes will be available from the SB Fitness Foundation.
Summer vacation ends on Tuesday, August 2, as Northeast welcomes teachers to campus, but it will not be Northeast instructors. The college opens its doors for the Prentiss County School District's annual fall InService on Tuesday, August 2, and Northeast instructors and personnel will have their InService just a week later on Wednesday, August 10, in the Claude Wright Room of the Haney Union.
For more information about any Northeast athletic camps, visit http://www.nemccathletics.com.
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Dorothy Faye Cosper Alexander, 86, passed away Saturday, May 28, 2022 after a long battle with cancer. She was born December 9, 1935 to Willie Albert and Ruby Jewel Bounds Cosper. Dorothy "Dot" as everyone called her, was a feisty spirit and full of character. She retired from AT&T and then worked for the Justice Court of New Albany for nine years. She loved to work and stay busy, but her love above all else was her children and grandchildren. She was a member of First Baptist Church.
Services for Mrs. Dot will be Thursday, June 2, 2022 at 11:00am at United Funeral Service with Bro. Andrew Chesteen officiating. Visitation will be Wednesday, June 1 from 6pm till 8pm also at United. United is honored to be entrusted with these arrangements.
She is survived by one daughter, RayAnn Harrison (Walt), one son, Alan Alexander, one sister-in-law, who is more like a sister, Linda Cosper, and three grandchildren, Sonny Harrison, Alex Harrison, and Kylie Harrison.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Raymond Alexander, and one brother Billy Cosper.
For online condolences please visit www.unitedfuneralservice.com In lieu of flowers the family request memorial donations be sent to First Baptist Church of New Albany, MS or Beds for Kids c\o First Baptist Church.
Janice Marie Robinson, 71, went to her heavenly home Friday, May 27, 2022. She was born October 14, 1950, to Roy and Vara Bond. Prior to retirement, Mrs. Robinson was employed as a surgical technician with Baptist Memorial Hospital. She was a member of Ingomar Baptist Church whose Christian faith aided her in a near decade-long battle with cancer. Energetic and jovial, Janice was never one to stay in one place for long. She enjoyed taking trips with her sisters and friends, entertaining her grandchildren, and making a welcoming home at every holiday. Visitation and funeral services for Mrs. Robinson will be held at United Funeral Service in New Albany on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, with visitation from 10:00 to 1 p.m., and the funeral service immediately following. She is survived by her two sons, Brian and Brad Raines, and their wives, Jessica and Mandy, three grandchildren, Dakota Raines, Savannah Raines, and John Michael Raines, and two sisters, Joan Little and Martha Moody. She is preceded in death by her husband, Benny Robinson, her parents, her brothers, Sam and Roy Lynn Bond and her sister, Flossie Ann Bond. For online condolences please visit www.unitedfuneralservice.com.
Robert Eugene "Bob" Clement, 82, died on Saturday, May 28, 2022 at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo. He was born April 21, 1940 in Gulfport, MS to the late Carl and Anna Green Clement. He graduated from Moss Point High School in 1958. He was a retired retail manager, having worked for Wal-Mart and for other retail stores.
He was a member of Bethlehem Church in New Albany, where he loved attending the Jim Jennings Sunday School Class. He loved golf, both playing and watching it. He was a big Ole Miss fan and enjoyed watching any sport, especially anything his grandchildren or great grandchildren played.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Audrey Nell Jennings Clement; two daughters, Rhonda Clement and Beth Basil (Mickey); a brother Jerry Clement (Charlotte); two grandchildren, Katie Dorrough (Jeremy) and Will Basil (Lindsey); and three great grandchildren, Rylan Basil, Paisley Basil and Hatcher Dorrough.
Visitation will be at Bethlehem Church in New Albany on Tuesday, May 31, 2022 from 1:00p.m. until 3:00p.m. with funeral services at 3:00p.m. Dr. Jeff Lawrence and Bro. Brownie Tohill will officiate. Burial will be at Enterprise Cemetery. United Funeral Service is honored to be entrusted with these arrangements.
Pallbearers will be Will Basil, Jeremy Dorrough, Ashley Russell, Ryan Russell, John Garrett, Bo Garrett and Drew Garrett. Honorary pallbearers will be Mark Jennings, Jim Jennings, Larry McQuary, Danny Jarvis and Eddie Smith.
For online condolences and guest registry, please visit www.untiedfuneralservice.com
Marla Wilson Harshberger passed away suddenly May 31, 2022 as a result of an automobile accident at the age of 54. She was born September 9, 1967 in Memphis TN. Marla graduated from West Union High School and Attended the University of Mississippi for two years where she played varsity basketball. She continued her education at the Baptist School of Nursing and received a BSN from Union University. She completed her MBA from Western Governors University in 2017. Marla was employed as an account executive at Spring Valley Hospice in Tupelo.
Marla is survived by her husband of 23 years Martin Harshberger also of Tupelo. She is also survived by her parents Clyde and Julia Wilson of Potts Camp MS, a brother Malcolm Wilson of Memphis TN and sister Sherry Tyer of New Albany MS as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Marla loved and was close to her three stepdaughters, Stacy Boehm of Doylestown PA, Stephanie Pino of Ligonier PA, and Marci Harshberger of Waterford CT.
She as a unique person that took great pleasure working with the elderly and saw hospice as a true calling. She loved her work, she loved her job, and she loved life. She had a constant positive attitude and was the center of attention any time she entered a room. She was bright, funny, caring, loving, and lived life to the fullest. As evidenced by the outpouring of support and comfort she will be missed by many. Marla was a great example of a life well lived. She was a Christian in the truest sense and believed than giving was better than receiving. She never met a stranger and made everyone that knew her feel special. She lived her life by I Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
A celebration of life will be held at the United Funeral Service in New Albany MS on Saturday June 4, 2022 at 2:00p.m. with Dr. Jeff Lawrence and Bro. Larry Harrison officiating. Visitation will be from 11:00am till the start of the service at 2:00, also at United. Pallbearers will be Jacob Wilson, Henry Fair, Randy Beckworth, Will Ford, Keith Cooper, Steven Farr, Carl Bartin, and Ruben Doty.
In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Tupelo Humane Society in her memory. Marla was a lifelong supporter of animal causes.
Milton Elmo Simmons, age 78, of Altamonte Springs, Florida, passed away peacefully on May 31, 2022. Born on August 29, 1943, in Myrtle, Mississippi, he was the son of Olga (Fooshee) and St. Elmo Simmons.
Milton was preceded in death by his parents and brothers William Dan Simmons, Samuel Allen Simmons, and Charles Lee Simmons. He is survived by his loving wife Deborah M. (Bolte) Greenberg-Simmons; his daughters Milissa Simmons and Carrie (Jeffrey) Sahagun; step children Julie Greenberg, Lawrence Greenberg, Rebecca Greenberg, Janet (Wayne) Keadle, Rita (Christopher) Moynihan; his grandchildren: Hailey Greenberg, Samuel Greenberg, Tucker Keadle, Brock Keadle, Madyson Keadle, Layla Keadle, Chase Moynihan and Curren Moynihan; great grandchildren: Kaya Israel and Eli Israel; his sister Dorothy Ann "Dottie" Simmons Wells, and other dear family members and friends.
Milton graduated from Myrtle High School, Myrtle, Mississippi and Delta University. He went through basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia after joining the Army in 1966. Upon completing Army Officer Candidate School, he was stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington State. Milton was then sent to Vietnam in January 1968. Due to his distinguished service with the 1st Cavalry Division, 7th Cavalry, Milton earned the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster, the Air Medal, the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with palm, and several others for valorous action and gallantry in 1968.
Upon discharge, he moved to Ketchikan, Alaska where he lived for many years. He served with the Alaska National Guard and owned the Alaska Bar and Lighthouse Grocery. Later, Milton worked full time with the National Guard and moved to Juneau and then Anchorage where he eventually retired from military service. In 1994 Milton moved to Altamonte Springs, Florida where he was a business owner.
Milton was an avid hunter, fisherman, basketball player and golfer. He loved all sports and was a big supporter of his grandchildren's sporting and music events.
Janice Marie Robinson
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Progress doesn't come free
New Albany aldermen are looking for prices on a new spray park for the city, to replace the old one deemed too damaged to be worth repairing or upgrading this past year.
A new spray park would be an asset to the city, even a scaled-down version, which is what they are considering due to cost.
But we don’t need a spray park nearly as much as we need an aquatic center, or at least a city pool.
We haven’t had one in close to 40 years, but it was popular when we did have it.
A pool would obviously serve recreational needs.
It also would help in public safety. That’s because far too many residents still don’t know how to swim (The Red Cross says 54 percent of Mississippians either don’t have adequate swimming skills or can’t swim at all). People don’t have access to a public pool. The old country club has a pool but that costs money and apparently the club isn’t taking new members anyway.
A few people have private pools, but one has to be a family member, friend or neighbor to possibly have access to one.
A public pool would help with sports activities and could provide therapeutic assistance for those with some health issues.
Finally, having one or more public pools or aquatic centers is important to the city’s becoming a thriving retirement community. Not only would the retirees use the pool, but it would be something for their children and grandchildren to use when they visit.
The main stumbling block is, of course, money.
Even a million-dollar pool would cost more than that in maintenance in just a few years.
Apparently, people can use the Tupelo aquatic center for a price, but we already send far too many dollars to Lee County. We need to keep our money here.
A public water facility is certainly not the only thing we need.
There has been interest for some time in having one or more public shelters to protect people during storms.
Again, we’re talking millions of dollars for something that would see only occasional use.
Officials talk about having one shelter at the sportsplex as a fairly central location and making it a multi-purpose building. That would help justify the cost as well as adding to the flexibility of the sports facility.
Would one shelter be enough? Would two be better with one on each side of town? Those are questions we are a long way from asking.
But if you are a weather watcher you know that Tornado Alley has been shifting from the Midwest and now, we are pretty much in the middle of it.
We’ve been lucky, but who knows how long that luck will last. And it’s probably a bad idea to refrain from purchasing insurance just because one has been lucky.
There’s one other elephant in the room, or should I say camel, because so many bumps are involved.
That’s the continuing state of disrepair for many city streets.
Visitor may not use a city pool, one hopes they don’t need a public shelter, but everyone uses the roads. And, unlike us residents, they haven’t grown as numb to the bumps and shakes driving around town.
Sporadic efforts have been made to patch streets here and there, but we are losing ground every day as far as road maintenance is concerned.
The answer to all these is “where’s the money coming from?”
One answer is to issue bonds or simply borrow money.
The light, gas and water department has done this extensively, but with funding help and with a fairly well-assured revenue stream to pay the loans back.
Still, the city could borrow. Also, aldermen could do something they don’t want to talk about: raise taxes.
Our city taxes are low (especially compared to school taxes) and most people would never realize a tax increase had occurred unless it was widely touted.
New Albany is being held up as an example of a thriving, progressive city, but if we continue to fail to deal with issues, especially quality of life issues, we may begin to fall behind.
We want to progress even more, not fall back.
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Rep. Kelly appoints Rossetti to Merchant Marine Academy
A New Albany High School graduate will be attending the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Samuel Rossetti to the United States Merchant Marine Academy,” U. S. Rep. Trent Kelly said. Samuel is a recent honors graduate of New Albany High School.
“He has demonstrated excellent leadership skills in and out of the classroom. Samuel has maintained outstanding grades while serving as the New Albany High School AFJROTC unit's second in command and receiving the national AMVETS award. Additionally, he has participated in numerous extracurricular activities and clubs while serving as a volunteer for community service and school projects,” Kelly said. “We are thankful for Samuel's commitment to serve our Country.”
"I'm just glad my hard work and determination allowed me to be able to choose between so many great paths in life," Samuel said. "I'm blessed to have my appointment to USMMA as one of those choices, and I am even happier to say that I will be attending USMMA for the next four years."
Congressman Trent Kelly represents Mississippi's First Congressional District. He is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, serving as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations. Congressman Kelly also serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the House Agriculture Committee, and the House Budget Committee. This is his fourth term.
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Three of our four Brentwood grands were here this week. We filled the days with lots of activities, trusting bedtime would be free of homesickness and come before 11:00 p.m. On their last night with us, their bedtime turned into an appointment that they weren’t ready to keep. Their laughter grew louder, so I turned to my calming solution – a story. Stories are always a great go-to.
I had recently read from one of my books on God’s miracles – some of the ones that have taken place since the Bible stories. One was a story about a little red hen. I began reading, and all three turned their attention from their infectious laughter to a listening mode.
“Once there was a husband and wife in the winter of 1940 going through some difficult times. The wintry weather had halted the husband’s occupation as a painter, and the wife’s job at a textile mill was terminated after the plant closed. They literally had no money. To make matters worse, their eighteen-month-old daughter, Rachel, was recovering from pneumonia. Her doctor insisted that a boiled egg a day be added to her diet to help with her recovery. Yet, even that was beyond their means.
Then a friend, hearing of their dilemma, suggested that they pray about it. “Ask God for the egg,” the friend said. The faith of their young friend challenged the couple, so they got on their knees and asked God to supply the needed daily egg.
About ten o’clock the next morning, they heard some cackling coming from the hedge fence in front of their house. There among the bare branches sat a fat red hen. They watched in amazement as the hen laid an egg and then proceeded down the road and out of sight.
That first day with the red hen was a surprise, but imagine how startled they felt the next morning when that same red hen laid another egg near the hedge fence. The hen continued appearing in their yard for over a week, always leaving a fresh egg for Rachel.
The child grew better and better, and the wintry weather passed so the husband could go back to work. The next morning the mother waited by the window and watched, but their prayers had been answered. The little red hen never came back. Ever.”
I closed the book to a very quiet room and some wide-eyed grands. We talked quietly about miracles and how God still answers prayers and is able to meet all of our needs. Miracles will always fascinate us – people of all ages.
Hopefully the story will be stamped in our grandchildren’s minds and memories. Who’s to say what the future holds for our nation? Our children and grandchildren must be confident that the God of Bible miracles still answers the prayers of desperation. He's the undeniable owner of the cattle on a thousand hills as well as little red hens.
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Truemper awarded Taylor Moore Scholarship at NAHS
Catherine Truemper was awarded the Taylor Moore Memorial Scholarship at the New Albany High School graduation ceremony on May 20. The $6,500 competitive scholarship is given each year to a deserving NAHS student who plans to attend college in Mississippi. The scholarship selection process includes criteria relating to character, GPA, extracurricular activities, written essay, and an interview by a selection committee.
Catherine is the daughter of Elizabeth and Michael Truemper. She plans to attend Blue Mountain College this fall and major in mathematics and minor in physics.
An honors graduate, Truemper was elected to the 2022 New Albany High School Hall of Fame. She was a member of the National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Anchor Club, Future Business Leaders of America and the varsity soccer, cross country, and track teams. Truemper was a member of the Pride of New Albany Marching Band and was selected to the Lions All State Band. She was also involved with the School Musical for four years. She was an IMPACTO intern and a Vision Mentor. She is the recipient of the L.G. Balfour Award and the Varsity Soccer Scholar-Athlete Award.
The Taylor Moore Scholarship was established by Bobby and Minerva Moore in memory of their son who died in 2000. Taylor Moore was a 1988 honor graduate of W.P. Daniel High School. He was Mr. DHS, Most Popular, Most Dignified, and Class Favorite and was active in student government. Moore played first base for the DHS baseball team, and received numerous academic honors. He went on to receive his bachelors and master’s degrees in business administration from Mississippi State University.
The scholarship established in his memory has been awarded for seventeen years to outstanding graduates of New Albany High School. Past recipients of the Taylor Moore Scholarship are Stacy Stepp, Darden Holmes, Kyle Kimbrough, Ivy Lauren Williams, Kyle Hickey, Callie Creekmore, Taylor Goode, Josh Creekmore, Olivia Dunnam, Lauren Cavender, Jack Hickey, Meghan Van, Sam Cagle, Joseph Rutherford, RJ Rutherford, Maggie Jo Everett, and Emma Laney.
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Local graduates included Grace Elizabeth Buchanan, Sherman, Master of Science, Biomedical Sciences; Jessica Baldwin Hutchison, Hickory Flat, Master of Science in Nursing; Haley Heavener Johnson, Ripley, Master of Science in Nursing; Katianne Christine McMillen, New Albany, Bachelor of Science; Lindsay Brooke Sappington, New Albany, Bachelor of Science in Nursing; and Alexandria Orman Verrell, New Albany, Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Among those receiving accolades was Dr. David Brown, a professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology. He is the winner of the 2022 Regions TEACH Prize, given to the person who most represents the highest qualities of the Medical Center's academic faculty.
Ezekiel Gonzalez-fernandez
Louann Woodward
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Union County Circuit Court now under way
The June 2022 two-week term of Union County Circuit Court began Monday, June 6 at 9 a.m. at the courthouse in New Albany.
The first week of court was to be held June 6-10; the second week is set June 13-17.
Docket call for cases pending before the court took place June 6-8. Each defendant was required to appear before the court for docket call based on their last name as follows: A-H, June 6, 9 a.m. ; I-P, June 7, 9 a.m.; Q-Z, June 8, 9 a.m.
The following cases were set for trial beginning Thursday, June 9, at 9 a.m. Those cases not resolved that week were to be continued to the second week of the term.
—State of Mississippi vs. Lisa Smith.
—State of Mississippi vs. Cory Gullett.
—State of Mississippi vs. Decoda Mosley.
—State of Mississippi vs. Antonius Brown.
The following cases are set for trial beginning Tuesday, June 14, at 9 a.m.
—State of Mississippi vs.Anthony Bullard.
—State of Mississippi vs. Scott Herring.
—State of Mississippi vs. David Nichols.
—State of Mississippi vs. Chadz Fitzpatrick.
—State of Mississippi vs. Billy Wheather.
—State of Mississippi vs. Torie Sanders.
—State of Mississippi vs. Randy Black.
—State of Mississippi vs. Dereck Raimey.
—State of Mississippi vs. Xavier Cole.
—State of Mississippi vs.Christoper Gardner.
Pretrial motions were to be heard June 6, at 1 p.m. in the courthouse, or such time as could be agreed on by the parties.
Plea day for the term was to be June 3 at 9 a.m. at the courthouse. Any defendant in one of the above-styled cases wishing to plead guilty pursuant to a recommendation by the state must do so by June 3; any plea entered after June 3 will be an open plea, unless agreed upon by the state and the defendant, court officials said.
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There are a few city laws that residents tend to open flout.
Illegally setting off fireworks in the city limits and parking are two but one that comes up more in warmer weather concerns yard sales.
New Albany code enforcement officer Eric Thomas is reminding people that the city does have yard sale regulations and asks everyone to abide by them.
Tickets can be issued to those who have abused the privilege.
Basically, city ordinances allow residents to have one yard sale every 90 days and the sale can be in any type of municipal zoning. The time limit is to keep people from turning one-day sales into continuing pirate outdoor businesses.
A residential permit is $5 and is good for three consecutive days, but not Sundays. If the sale is on commercial property, the permit costs $15 and the seller must be able to provide written permission by the property owner or tenant.
If weather forces cancellation of a sale on a day, the person can call the code enforcement office to have the permit extended.
One of the biggest problems with yard sales is the proliferation of illegal signs, which the city has to later deal with.
Yard sale signs are permitted on the private property where the sale is occurring only, and no signs of any sort are permitted on city property and utility poles particularly.
Businesses or other groups may hold sales as well as individuals.
Violation of the yard sale ordinance is a misdemeanor, which can bring a fine of several hundred dollars, some jail time, or both, although that is usually rare.
Thomas also wants to make people aware of a law concerning private sale of motor vehicles, campers, recreational vehicles, boats and trailers.
It is illegal to park various items such as these on public or private property if the item is clearly marked as being for sale. In fact, the city can tow any such vehicle or equipment.
This only applies to those who are not properly licensed to sell such items but there is an exemption.
The seller may get a permit from the code enforcement office good for 30 days. The cost is $5 for a residence and $15 for a business. The person getting the permit has to prove he or she owns the vehicle or item and have proof of residency on the private property or authorization from the business owner.
Violation can bring a fine of up to $1,000.
This ordinance is in conjunction with efforts by aldermen to keep junked vehicles from sitting on the street or in yards for extended periods, and other measures to improve the appearance and safety of the community.
In that vein, the city requires that yards and vacant lots be mown on a reasonably regular basis and otherwise kept from being unkempt and overgrown.
If the city cites property as needing mowing and the property owner does not comply, the city will mow the lot, generally at a cost of $75 to the property owner.
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James Ticer Brown Jr., Ripley
Carol Marcelline Leslie, Corinth
Willie D. Williams, Pontotoc
Carol Marcelline Leslie
CORINTH - Carol Marcelline Leslie, 59, passed away Sunday, June 5, 2022, at Magnolia Regional Health Center in Corinth. Graveside services will be on Saturday, June 11, 2022 at 11:00 am at Oak Hill Cemetery, Booneville. Visitation will be on Friday, June 10, 2022 from 4:00 until 6:00 pm at Patterson Memorial Chapel.
PONTOTOC - Willie D. Williams, 73, passed away on June 7, 2022, at Tupelo Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Tupelo, MS. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by Serenity-Autry Funeral Home Pontotoc.
MEMO, BORDER, MCBRIDE LOGO
RIPLEY - James Ticer Brown Jr., died June 5th, at his home. A graveside service will be held for the family with Reverend Jody Hill officiating.
Ticer was born in Ripley, Mississippi, the son of James Ticer Brown, Sr. and Ileda Hobson Brown. He graduated from Ripley High School and from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. While at Ole Miss, he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
A lifelong member of the Ripley Presbyterian Church, Ticer was an active churchgoer and held the offices of Deacon and Elder. He was President of Brown Wholesale Company, Inc, a member of the Ripley Rotary Club and the Jaycees organization in which he served as President. He was a member of the Mississippi National Guard.
Relatives include Mary Ann, his wife of fifty-seven years, his daughter Allison Crawford, and her husband Jon, of Oxford, Mississippi, granddaughter Frances Crawford of Oxford, son Steven and wife Mallory, granddaughter Alie Brown and grandson, James Brown of Ripley.
Memorials may be given to the Ripley Presbyterian Church.
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On the cover of the Galloway and Company CD are Galloways wife, Andrea Galloway, his daughter Kara Galloway-Russell, Murray Galloway, daughter Kori Galloway and his sister, Beth Wray.
On the just and unjust rain will fall
My hopes sometimes crushed 'neath it all
But when the rains they come down
And the floods they come up
I can say, "I know my God is enough"
For more than 40 years words that God sent into his heart and he scribbled down have sat in the drawer in Murray Galloways home. And then one day God told him it was time. Time to get them out and do something with them. Galloway listened to that still small voice and within months he released his first CD.
“On the spur of the moment we went to a gospel singing in Jackson, TN last July (2021),” related Galloway. “That night God supernaturally connected us to John Darin Rowsey, who is a Dove award winner. He is the lead singer of The Guardian Quartet. I didn't even know who he was before that night, but he asked to hear my songs, and ended up producing our albums.”
Since then Galloway and his family have recorded two albums. The first, "Before and After", was released the first of May.
“This features eight songs which I have written over the years. On our second album, ‘Through the Years’, we were honored when John Darin Rowsey sang with us. That will be released in July and features songs that we have sung for 35 years or more. Things are happening so quickly that it's been like a whirlwind!”
Galloway said his greatest challenge was “Putting music to the words of my songs, some of which had sat in my desk drawer for 40 years that my wife was not even aware of, getting them copyrighted, then allowing our producer, who is a Dove award-winning songwriter and writes for Daywind, to listen to them. I wasn't sure they were good enough to let anyone hear them, much less him!”
In reflecting on all that has happened in one short year Galloway said God gave him a marvelous verse. “Deuteronomy 28:2 ‘And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God.’”
A couple of the songs on the CD have a very special meaning for the man who has been preaching the word of God for more than 40 years. The song “Bruises” is one of them.
“I had been through a very difficult period of my life when some people wounded me with very harsh and hurtful words. After carrying the pain hidden inside of me for quite some time, I realized that I was imprisoned by the bruises caused by those words.
“Jesus said in Luke 4:18 that part of his purpose was to ‘set at liberty them that are bruised.’ So one day I asked God to free me from the captivity of that, and heal me of the hurt; and He did! This song is about hidden hurts. Everyone has them, but are afraid to talk about them. God will heal them, if we will allow Him.”
I can't control the rain
Into each life there comes pain
So until I see the sun
I know my help comes from
The One who controls the rain
The song “I Can’t Control the Rain” was written because of much sadness in his heart.
“In January, 2021 I lost one of my closest friends, Bishop Gregory Holley, to cancer. I walked around for nine or ten months in a fog, battling depression. One Saturday morning, even though there was zero percent chance of rain, I opened the front door of our house, and it was raining heavily.
“For just a moment it made me unreasonably angry, and then I said out loud to no one but our little dog, ‘Well, Philip (our lawn guy) can't control the rain.’
“Immediately God spoke to me and said, ‘Neither can you.’ I immediately began to cry, and God began to download this song into my spirit. In less than 10 minutes, I had written the whole thing. The second verse are the steps God showed me to get out of my depression. My prayer is that it will help others do the same.”
And music is the balm that soothes his soul as he strives to minister to others with his melody.
“I do not have any hobbies; I don't hunt, fish, golf, etc. Ministry is what I do, and ministry is what I enjoy. Music is where I have the most fun. The most fulfilling thing is when someone says,’that message, or that song, ministered to me.’ It makes me happy to know that we have had a positive impact on behalf of the kingdom of God.”
There is nothing more precious than making that music and harmonizing with those that God has given him to be his family.
“I have been singing in church all my life. When my wife, Andrea, and I were married, we started singing together. Beth Wray, my sister, and I have been singing together her whole life, and she also joined us. Our daughter, Kara, joined us when she finished her music degree at ORU. Our daughter, Kori, does our multimedia work. There's just something special about singing with family.
“There's a connection there that you don't have with anyone else. Singing unto the Lord as a family is uplifting. There is nothing more enjoyable than doing that with my wife, my daughters, and my sister. We were doing this before an album ever became a possibility.”
But there is more to making music than getting up on the stage and spouting words to the guitar and keyboard. It is what goes on behind the scenes that makes it work.
“I want to be clear about something here,” Galloway emphasized. “I may be the face and voice that you see and hear the most, but my wife, Andrea, is the engine of our ministry. God is our source, and Andrea does the work behind the scenes that makes our ministry happen.”
I come into His gates with thanks
And give Him my offering of praise
Then in His presence there's joy
And at His right hand pleasures forevermore.
And the blessings just keep coming. “We will be singing at The Ark Encounter in Williamstown, KY, on Tuesday, August 9 during their ’40 Days and Nights of Gospel Music’ event. We will be taping for a Christian TV network in Dallas, TX on August 19.
Here at home we will be singing at the Bodock Festival from 3-4 p.m. on Saturday, September 10, and then the Southern Gospel Music Promoters Association on September 29. And then we will be singing at the annual National Quartet Convention in Pigeon Forge, TN on Saturday, October 1.”
And in the middle of all these concerts the family has many churches scheduled for concerts and ministry in several states.
So how do you get your name in the line up or get ahold of the CD? “Go to our website, GallowayandCo.com for our contact information, to find scheduled events, and to order our music. You will be able to download our album on Spotify, Amazon, or ITunes very soon. Follow us on Facebook at Galloway & Company to stay updated on our ministry schedule, or look us up on Bandsintown.com to see a list of our scheduled appearances,” Galloway concluded.
Words in italics are the lyrics to Galloway’s “I Can’t Control the Rain.”
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Pontotoc County’s Juneteenth festival will kick off on Saturday, June 18 with a parade at 10 a.m. and registration of guests at 11 a.m. The re-opening ceremony will be at 11:30 with the festival officially beginning at 12 noon.
So mark your calendar and make plans to attend the Juneteenth festival.
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Pontotoc County supervisors will soon take bids on new voting machines that will be operational for the general election this November.
“We are going back to a paper ballot,” explained Pontotoc County Circuit Clerk Melinda Nowicki. “But it will scan the votes as they are put into the box and count them at the same time.”
New regulations for voting in Mississippi will also require the county to have at least one ADA approved voting machine at each precinct.
The ADA machine allows anyone who has eye impairments to vote on a screen that enlarges the letters of the ballot so they can see it.
The paper balloting system will allow poll workers to have more places set up for people to mark their ballot thus making the voting time faster.
And the ballot reader on these ballots will see the mark that is made whether it is a check mark, and ‘x’ or if the circle is blacked in.
When residents go to vote this fall they will receive a long paper ballot and an ink pin. They will go into the poll booth and mark their ballot then take it to the machine and it will be scanned in.
If there is a mistake on the ballot anywhere, for instance if you forgot to vote for someone in a race, the machine will kick it back out again so that the individual can peruse it and make adjustments.
Nowicki said the votes will be counted as soon as the paper ballot is accepted by the machine. The votes are recorded on a thumb drive which will be taken to the courthouse and put into the main computer for computation of all votes.
Nowicki said she will be required by law to keep the ballots for two years in the case of a vote audit.
“This system should speed up the counting of the votes process,” she said.
The plan is to begin using the new machine November and get accustomed to the set up and break down of it, so that the election commissioners will be ready for the big election next year when all county offices will be on the ballot.
Pontotoc County has 29 precincts and at present at least two of the touch screens have to be put out at every precinct and some of them has to have four because of the heavy volume of voters. This will enable each precinct to only have to have two machines, one for those with disabilities and one to scan votes.
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Essay Winners
Box Winners
Special to the Progress
South Pontotoc Elementary students recently celebrated their successful completion of the D.A.R.E. program with a graduation ceremony. Students were taught by D.A.R.E. Officer Gary Cowsert, with the program being sponsored by the Pontotoc County Sheriff's Department. The fifth grade students learned the objectives of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program over ten sessions, after which they submitted essays to review what they learned throughout the course. Several students were recognized for their essays as well as the decorated boxes. (Courtesy photos)
Gary Cowsert
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Pontotoc's Caryl Vogel is new soccer coach at ICC. He has been coaching at New Albany High School.
Adam Gore LetsGoICC.com
Itawamba Community College Athletic Director Carrie Ball-Williamson announced the hiring of Caryl Vogel of New Albany as head men’s soccer coach on Monday.
“We are excited to welcome Caryl back to ICC,” said Ball-Williamson. “He is someone who is very familiar with the expectations that have been established both on- and off-the-field for our men’s soccer program.”
Vogel takes over in Fulton after helping initiate the soccer program and spending last season as the first-ever head coach of the men’s soccer program at Blue Mountain College. He is the fifth coach in the history of ICC’s program.
“It’s an exciting time for me and my family,” Vogel said. “It’s been a dream of mine to work at ICC for quite some time. I’ve kept close tabs with Coach Sullivan and the success he has had here. It has always had a special place in my heart. I’m excited to have the chance to lead this men’s program.”
The Pontotoc native started his coaching career at New Albany High School in 2012, where he finished with a career record of 137-81-12. The Bulldogs finished North Half runner-up during 2019, and he was selected as 2017 Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC) Boys North All-Star Coach.
Vogel and his team will kick off the season with their annual Meet the Indians on Saturday, August 13, on the Fulton Campus.
For more information on ICC soccer and the nine other intercollegiate athletic programs, follow ICC Athletics on social media (@LetsGoICC) and visit LetsGoICC.com.
Carrie Ball-williamson
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Hayden Sowers
Tupelo native following a legend in first head coach opportunity
Hayden Sowers, a Tupelo High School graduate in 2010, has been named head men’s basketball coach at South Plains College.
It’s a school that might ring a bell with Ole Miss fans as the junior college that produced Rebels star Marshall Henderson.
Sowers was an assistant coach at SPC, in Levelland, Texas west of Lubbock, last season.
The head coach position opened when Steve Green, who had led the Texans for 22 seasons, pursued a Division I opportunity at Texas Tech.
“Every young coach has a dream to one day be a head coach, and I’ve been preparing for this moment since I was a graduate assistant at Ole Miss,” Sowers told the audience at his introductory press conference.
Sowers is replacing a Texas junior college coaching legend. Green compiled a 552-152 record at South Plains. He won three national championships and was national coach of the year three times.
The Texans reached the Sweet 16 in 2022.
Sowers got his undergraduate degree at Ole Miss and was a graduate assistant on the staff of Andy Kennedy when Henderson was the flamboyant face of a veteran team that won the SEC Tournament and upset 5 seed Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament.
“South Plains College is an elite place with elite people, and we’re going to try to be an extension of that with the men’s basketball program,” Sowers said. “We’re going to pour constant amounts of time, energy and effort into these young men who choose to be a part of our program.”
He believes following a coach with Green’s level of success is an advantage.
“Coach Steve Green is the greatest men’s junior college basketball coach of all time. The success this program has had in the past allows for current and future players to realize what is possible when you buy into something bigger than yourself,” Sowers said.
Marshall Henderson
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Hunter Hines had 16 home runs for Mississippi State this season.
Kevin Snyder / MSU Athletics
Mississippi State slugger Hunter Hines named freshman All-American
Mississippi State’s Hunter Hines has been named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball.
Hines is one of 11 SEC freshmen to earn All-America honors by Collegiate Baseball and it marks the seventh straight season a Mississippi State freshman has been named All-America.
In his first season in Starkville, Hines totaled the sixth-most home runs in the country by a freshman with 16 on the season, second-most on the team.
Overall, Hines, who played hgh school ball at Madison Central, posted a .300 average with 13 doubles and 52 RBIs while starting and playing in all 56 games for State primarily as the designated hitter.
He was also named to the SEC's all-freshman team.
Hunter Hines
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JACKSON • In a surprising race that shocked political observers and momentarily upended conservative politics, incumbent U.S. Rep. Michael Guest appears to be headed to a runoff election fight for his political life.
Guest, a Republican who represents central Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional District, came in second place in a three-person GOP primary on Tuesday night, allowing Michael Cassidy, a far-right Republican who has played up his allegiance to former President Donald Trump, to take the lead.
According to a tally by the Daily Journal, Cassidy holds less than a 200-vote lead over Guest.
»RELATED: Incumbent U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly cruises in primary
The latest results from the Associated Press show that Cassidy, a former Navy pilot living in Meridian, received 21,831 votes, around 47.7%. Guest, a former district attorney for Madison and Rankin counties, received 21,430 votes, or 46.8%. The third place candidate, Thomas Griffin, received about 5.5% of the vote.
The AP numbers do not include full numbers from Smith and Lincoln counties. Complete, but unofficial results from Lincoln County, according to its website, show that out of the 2,271 votes cast, Guest received 1,083 and Cassidy received 1,006.
An employee with the Smith County Circuit Clerk’s Office told the Daily Journal that Guest received 646 votes and Cassidy received 519 votes. Around 15 absentee ballots and one affidavit vote have not been processed in the county.
Since neither candidate captured a majority of the Republican electorate, Guest and Cassidy will head to a runoff election on June 28.
Guest’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cassidy, in a statement on social media, thanked the voters of central Mississippi for supporting him and challenged Guest to a debate.
“The is the first step in replacing our current congressman with someone who better represents our current consercative values,” Cassidy said.
Cassidy, a political newcomer, hammered Guest over the incumbent congressman’s vote in favor of establishing the January 6 Commission to investigate the events leading up to a pro-Trump mob storming the U.S. Capitol.
“Micheal Guest has been a good conservative vote for the 3rd District, but he got Trumped,” state Rep. Becky Currie, R-Brookhaven said. “I don’t think people realize how popular Donald Trump is, especially during times like these.”
But both candidates spent a surprising amount of campaign cash on the race.
Since Jan. 1, 2021, Guest’s campaign has raised around $453,097 and spent $453,883, according to reports with the Federal Elections Commission.
During that same time period, Cassidy’s campaign raised $32,070 and spent $261,470 — including more than $200,000 from the candidate. It was a sizable amount for a challenger in a Mississippi congressional race.
Now that an establishment incumbent is at risk of losing his seat, incumbent-support dollars from outside the state will likely flood central Mississippi media markets with negative campaign ads as the Guest campaign switches to a more aggressive strategy.
A person familiar with the situation surmised that Guest’s campaign would now try to identify conservative voters that didn’t cast a ballot during the first primary election and motivate them to participate in the next election.
Throughout the initial primary, Cassidy repeatedly took shots at Guest’s past. Guest’s campaign is expected to do the same leading up to the runoff.
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Jenkins hired to lead New Albany softball
Katie Jenkins is a head coach again.
New Albany announced on Wednesday that it has hired Jenkins to lead its softball program. She takes over for Josh Curbow, who left to become head football coach at Myrtle.
Jenkins was last a head coach at Lafayette. She spent eight years there but was relieved of her duties in October of 2019 for unspecified reasons. That exit did not bother New Albany athletics director Cody Stubblefield, who had coached football at Lafayette during Jenkins’ time there.
“He was very supportive. He didn’t ask me,” Jenkins said. “We just want the focus to be on softball, not on whatever that was.”
Jenkins was 123-92 at Lafayette and led the Lady Commodores to the playoffs six times, including two trips to the North finals. She’s also been a head coach at Hernando, and she was an assistant at Tupelo this past year.
New Albany went 9-19 last season, including a 1-9 mark in Division 2-4A play. It’s not a historically strong program, but Jenkins said she sees “a whole lot of potential” there.
“They explained to me that past coaches had coached other sports as well, so the main focus couldn’t just be on softball. That’s where I can make a bigger difference, because that is my only focus.”
Stubblefield said he believes Jenkins “has the knowledge and experience to take our softball program to the next level.”
Jenkins had moved back to her hometown of Booneville before landing the Tupelo job and said she was happy with how everything was going. She wasn’t even seeking out a head coaching position.
“We really see now that was what God’s plan was for us,” Jenkins said. “Sometimes it isn’t what you always want, but it’s turned out for the best as a whole for the family.”
Josh Curbow
Cody Stubblefield
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