3 months 2 weeks ago
OXFORD — The Ole Miss Rebels make their NCAA College Football Playoff debut on Saturday (Dec. 20) at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, hosting Tulane University and transforming Oxford into the most sought-after spot in the entire state.
The postseason milestone follows a regular season that delivered a record $411 million in visitor spending across the city and the highest single-game and regular season attendance numbers on record. City and University of Mississippi officials anticipate the playoff game will bring a holiday gift unlike any the area has experienced.
By Special to The Sun-Sentinel on
3 months 2 weeks ago
Lola, a Charleston dog found with two gunshot wounds, awaits the result of tests. She would be euthanized due to the extent of the injuries. (Photo by Doll Stanley)
A $500 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for shooting a neighborhood brindle pit bull in Charleston.
Doll Stanley, of Winona, who is with In Defense of Animals’ Justice for Animals Campaign, said the female dog, Lola, was shot once in each hip during the local weekend incident and her injuries were so severe she had to be euthanized.
By Clay McFerrin - Editor and Publisher, Charleston Sun-Sentinel on
3 months 2 weeks ago
Tameshia Shelton listens to proceedings in Clay County Circuit Court on her quest for anew trial with one of her attorneys, Tucker Carrington of the Mississippi Innocence Project Credit: Jerry Mitchell/Mississippi Today
The Mississippi Court of Appeals has ordered a new murder trial for Tameshia Shelton, a 47-year-old mother of four who has long insisted on her innocence.
Judges vacated her conviction and ordered the new trial. The state attorney general’s office has not said whether it plans to appeal the ruling to the Mississippi Supreme Court.
By Jerry Mitchell - Mississippi Today on
3 months 2 weeks ago
Photo by Clay McFerrin, © 2025 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
Students perform during the Dec. 16 Charleston Elementary School Christmas musical held in the Morgan Freeman Auditorium at Charleston High School.
The pre-K through fourth-grade classes of Charleston Elementary School presented their annual Christmas musical Tuesday night (Dec. 16) in the Morgan Freeman Auditorium on the campus of Charleston High School.
Students from each grade had their own featured time on the program, presenting unique musical routines centered around familiar Christmas songs, including “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Like It’s Christmas,” “Feliz Navidad” and “It’s Christmas Time.”
By Clay McFerrin - Editor and Publisher, Charleston Sun-Sentinel on
3 months 2 weeks ago
As health insurance premiums for next year rise and threaten to push hundreds of thousands of Mississippians off plans, a “perfect storm” is brewing that could steer people towards riskier coverage options, experts warn.
By Gwen Dilworth - Mississippi Today on
3 months 2 weeks ago
One of the boxes of food that is distributed at the Tutwiler Community Center. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today
Below is an opinion column by Cathy Grace:
Editor’s note: This essay is part of Mississippi Today Ideas, a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share fact-based ideas about our state’s past, present and future. You can read more about the section here.
By Cathy Grace - Mississippi Today on
3 months 2 weeks ago
Calls for Thompson to resign have come from within Mississippi and across the nation.
Congressman Bennie Thompson (D) was in damage control mode Friday after referring to the ambush-style attack in Washington, D.C. in November on two West Virginia National Guardsmen as an “unfortunate accident” during a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee on Thursday.
The attack left Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom dead and Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe in critical condition.
By Frank Corder - Magnolia Tribune on
3 months 2 weeks ago
The total request by the Mississippi Community College Board is anticipated to be $213.5 million this coming session which starts in January.
Kell Smith, Executive Director of the Mississippi Community College Board, gave the Senate Universities and Colleges Committee an update on the state system last week, requesting $28 million for a 6 percent salary increase.
By Jeremy Pittari - Magnolia Tribune on
3 months 2 weeks ago
Below is an opinion column by Kimberly Ross:
The normalization of violence against those one simply does not like continues apace. It is high-profile and deeply political. The solution is not easy because the disease has metastasized.
By Kimberly Ross - Magnolia Tribune on
3 months 2 weeks ago
Below is an opinion column by Dr. Patrick Miller:
A well-crafted school reputation is the most effective tool a community has for attracting and keeping people. If education drives community growth, legislation must reflect this core belief.
Forget industrial parks. The driver for economic growth in rural Mississippi is education freedom, which is the most powerful yet often overlooked tool in our economic development chest.
By Dr. Patrick Miller - Magnolia Tribune on
3 months 2 weeks ago
Mississippi Valley State University has the highest maintenance backlog totaling $108.2 million, with the University of Southern Mississippi close behind with $107.3 million.
Brad Rowland, Associate Commissioner for Real Estate and Facilities for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, provided the Senate Universities and Colleges Committee with the results from the most recent Gordian report last week.
By Jeremy Pittari - Magnolia Tribune on
3 months 2 weeks ago
Below is a political opinion column by Sid Salter:
Columnist Sid Salter asks, “How serious is the Legislature about public pension reforms?”
Across the U.S., public pension unfunded liabilities generally decreased, falling about 9 percent from $1.62 trillion in 2024 to $1.48 trillion in 2025. That’s the good news. The unwelcome news is that a recession or other severe economic downturn could raise state and local public pension debt to as much as $2.74 trillion by 2026.
By Sid Salter - Contributing Columnist on
3 months 2 weeks ago
Evan Turnage enters the race, saying he has access in Washington D.C. Bennie Thompson doesn’t have. The MS-02 race is shaping up to be one of Thompson’s most contested cycles in his 32 years in office. He now has a Democrat challenger along with an Independent and two Republicans in the race.
Evan Turnage was born in Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District in 1992.
“This was the poorest district and the poorest state in the country,” Turnage said of the Mississippi Delta region.
By Frank Corder - Magnolia Tribune on
3 months 2 weeks ago
See what’s in the National Defense Authorization Act and how the defense spending will impact the Magnolia State.
Mississippi’s U.S. Senators voted in favor of the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Wednesday, sending the $901 billion in defense spending bill to President Donald Trump’s desk.
By Frank Corder - Magnolia Tribune on
3 months 2 weeks ago
Sylvia Hickey
Northwest Mississippi Community College Board of Trustees member Sylvia Hickey of Charleston poses with National Junior College Athletic Association awards won by the NWCC Lady Rangers soccer team. The team captured its first-ever NJCAA Division II national championship in the sport in November 2024, finishing with a perfect record of 22-0, and repeated with a second national title in 2025. The awards were on display at the Dec. 11 board meeting. (Photo by Jamie Anderson of Charleston, also a NWCC board member for Tallahatchie County)
Published on
3 months 2 weeks ago
Wilson is Mississippi’s largest independent oil and natural gas producer.
Oilman Kevin Wilson announced Friday that he has officially qualified to run for Congress in Mississippi’s 2nd District. His goal is to unseat incumbent Democrat Bennie Thompson “to bring a practical voice to Washington that puts people first.”
Wilson, the President of the Adams County Board of Supervisors, enters the Republican Primary race against Ron Eller. Eller was the GOP nominee who lost to Thompson two years ago by a vote of 62% to 38%.
By Frank Corder - Magnolia Tribune on
3 months 2 weeks ago
Sumner Town Clerk Toni T. Clark, left, receives a plaque from Mayor Jackson Webb IV and the Sumner Board of Aldermen. (Photo special to The Sun-Sentinel)
SUMNER — Retiring Town Clerk Toni T. Clark was honored recently with a plaque and resolution from elected town officials.
The plaque, dated Dec. 2, praises her “24 years of outstanding service and commitment as town clerk” and her “wisdom, integrity and professionalism.”
The resolution reads:
“Whereas, Toni T. Clark will retire on December 31, 2025, after twenty-four years of outstanding and dedicated service to the Town of Sumner and its citizens.
Published on
3 months 2 weeks ago
School will be out in a few days for the Christmas holidays. I pray all school and college students and faculty members will have a safe and fun vacation from school for a couple of weeks.
Ginger Harrison and her husband, Phil, along with their Aunt Linda Harrison, had a great lunch at Diane Nail Hill’s Sunday. They were celebrating Phil’s birthday (the 16th) early. Belated happy birthday, Phil!
By PATCIE DECK on
3 months 2 weeks ago
The Yalobusha 4-H Club prepares to show their float in the Oakland parade.
First and foremost, as I type this, it’s my “little” brother’s birthday! Happy birthday to Rich Ross! He’s pretty amazing in my book. Thanks, Rich, for all you do for our family, for our community, and for whoever needs a helping hand.
By Linda Ross Aldy on
3 months 2 weeks ago
JACKSON — Winter begins Sunday, Dec. 21, and can bring extreme weather conditions. These conditions often create a high risk of damage to your roof, interior and plumbing.
“The weather in Mississippi can be unpredictable,” said state Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney.
The Mississippi Insurance Department (MID) recommends these tips for the winter season.
• Look at the trees around your property and cut back branches or stems that are dead, dying, diseased or broken.
By Beth Reiss - Communications Director, Mississippi Insurance Department on
Checked
22 minutes 16 seconds ago
Subscribe to Weekly Best Of tal feed
