Special to Wesson News   Jo Jones (far right) and her granddaughter Kate Norwood (second from left), who is Wesson Founders’ Day Queen, accept Wesson Garden Club prestigious Magnolia Award from WGC’s Cherry Heard (far left) and Marilyn Britt (third from left).  The Magnolia Award recognized landscaping of Steve and Jo Jones. Steve and Jo Jones are recipients of Wesson Garden Club’s annual Magnolia Award.   The Magnolia Award, the most prestigious award presented by the Club,

Special to Wesson News (Photo from DG Foods website) Poultry processing and portioning company DG Foods is expanding its operations in Hazlehurst with a $1.19 million investment that will create 32 new jobs. The project will allow the company to increase production capacity and continue growing its presence in Copiah County. DG Foods provides deboning, tender portioning and other custom poultry processing services. The expansion includes the installation of new automated chic

The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 79 in Wesson is inviting the community to take part in its upcoming “Heart of the Table,” a tablescape competition and silent auction designed to bring together creativity, community spirit, and charitable giving. The two-day event will begin Friday, May 1, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., as contestants set up their themed tablescapes at the historic Old School building in Wesson. Activities will continue Saturday, May 2, starting at 8 a.m. with the

Special to Wesson News   Sonya Cowens (center) with Librarian Marilyn Britt (left) and District 92 Mississippi House of Representative Becky Currie. Life-long Wesson resident Sonya Cowen celebrated her 80th birthday last month with friends at Wesson Baptist Church.   Friends organized Cowen’s birthday and celebrated it with her. Among the folk on hand who organized the party and celebrated with Cowen were Barbara Locke, Janice Puckett, Carolyn Frazier, June Owens, Sharon Lang

By Bob Arnold   Ashley Owens (left) and Misty Sandifer are ready to take orders at Park Place Concessions. Misty Sandifer and Ashley Owens started their third season bringing summer treats to the community across from Wesson Municipal Park at Park Place Concessions on Saturday, March 6.   This year, the opened with a new 30-foot x 20-foot porch-deck that they are making available to customers who want to have special parties and events near the park.    The menu is the same t

The USA International Ballet Competition (USA IBC) is proud to announce the launch of a special  Official Artist & Poster Contest  in honor of its  50th anniversary , to be celebrated during the next competition cycle,  June 12–26, 2027 , in Jackson, Mississippi. This milestone event marks  five decades of artistic excellence  and the  13th time  the official USA IBC will be hosted in its long-standing home city. Since the inaugural USA IBC in 1979, each competition has been

By Bob Arnold   Under new leadership, Co-Lin, through its Workforce Education division, is continuing its strong role in southwest Mississippi as the leading labor development partner among government agencies and private organizations working to shape the area’s economy.   This unique part of the college trains workers as needed for existing and new employers in non-degree programs, certifies people for jobs and careers to assure employers can draw on qualified workers and c

Special to Wesson News   Camp Rising Sun, a children’s oncology outdoors experience supported by Mississippi charities, including Wesson Lions Club as part of the statewide Lions organization, will be hosted by Camp Kamassa in Copiah County during the 2026 camping season.   Since 1988, the Columbus, Mississippi, based camp has provided a traditional camping experience for children diagnosed with cancer.   Children and youth ages 6 to 16, who have been or are currently being t

Special to Wesson News   Co-Lin Chef Chris McSweyn will teach cooking class.   Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR) members can improve their cooking skills in March and April workshops the Co-Lin-sponsored membership organization is offering in its spring semester program.   On March 20, Jennifer will lead a workshop on making sour dough bread and Co-Lin chef Chris McSweyn will conduct a cooking workshop on April 28 with a meal he prepares in the process.   In addition

By Bob Arnold   Carnegie Hall in New York City is a long way from a farm in Cordele, Georgia.  There’s the distance in miles, of course, but for Dr. Bobby G. Helms, the Director of Choral Activities and Theater at Co-Lin since 2019, Carnegie Hall is also a mark of a long journey in music and theater that started at Bay Spring Baptist Church in nearby Arabia, Georgia, has brought him to Wesson and will take him to the famed New York City venue this spring.   On May 25 at Carne

Special to Wesson News   Wesson Garden Club members (left to right) Sherri Carty, Debbie Hoaglin, Jennifer Peets, Pam Owens, Debbie Smith and Lisa Smith visited Meridian for a day of festive activities. They toured Merrehope, an antebellum home built in 1858 and decorated with over 70 Christmas trees, enjoyed lunch at Weismann's, the state's oldest restaurant and visited The MAX, a museum showcasing the significant contributions of Mississippians to American arts and culture.

Special to Wesson News   In the 2024-25 season under Coach Tripp Case, both the Co-Lin men’s and women’s tennis  team earned a national tournament appearances, but fell in the Region 23 Tournament Quarterfinals.  Although the strength of the top doubles pairing in the Mississippi Association Community of Colleges Conference (MACCC) got the men there, they dropped a close match against Northeast and the women lost to Meridian to end their seasons. In the men, Case has returnin

Special to Wesson News Mary Murphy Brady An eleventh grade homeschool student is urging Mississippi lawmakers to heed the recent “State of Tobacco Control” report of the American Lung Association on the impact of federal cuts to tobacco prevention efforts. The report graded each state and Washington, D.C., on five areas proven to prevent and reduce tobacco use, including efforts to end the sale of flavored tobacco products. Mississippi received an F for a lack of progress in

Special to Wesson News A frame of surveillance video shows the Toyota SUV that was involved in the hit-and-run that killed Sam Easterling. Photo courtesy Hazlehurst Police Dept. Authorities with the Hazlehurst Police Department are asking for the public’s help as they continue investigating a deadly hit-and-run crash that claimed the life of a local man earlier this month. According to investigators, 69-year-old Sam Easterling was struck by a vehicle while walking along Caldw

Locals are starting an American Legion Baseball Team for 14-17-year-olds. The tryout date is scheduled for May 2 at 10 a.m. at Copiah Academy. The games will be a true high school feel and atmosphere. Players will be exposed to junior and senior collegiate coaches. Interested players must reside in the state, but must still attend all practices and games. Players may be come from homeschools or high schools. American Legion Baseball is a national institution that had a modes

Special to Wesson News Copiah-Lincoln Community College has been awarded a major FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant to construct a new, large-scale safe room facility. The $16,294,746 grant will be used for Phase II of construction on a nearly 35,000-square-foot standalone, multipurpose safe room on the Wesson Campus of Co-Lin. An additional $175,000 administrative grant was awarded for the project, bringing the total FEMA investment in the project to just over $18 million, which i

Special to Wesson News A new sweet spot has officially opened its doors in downtown Wesson. Destiny’s Delights  celebrated its grand opening and ribbon cutting today with a festive event that drew community leaders, local business owners, friends, family, and customers to mark the special occasion. The celebration took place at the bakery’s new location in the recently built shopping center—the white buildings at the four-way stop in downtown Wesson, located at 2037 Highway 5

Horace E. "Sonny" Smith May 15, 1946 - October 1, 2025 79 years of age Horace “Sonny” E. Smith, Jr., passed away on October 1, 2025, at Brookdale Assisted Living in Columbia, Tennessee. He was born on May 15, 1946, in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, to the late Horace E. Smith, Sr. and Mildred McCardle Turnbo. Sonny graduated from Copiah Lincoln High School where he played Basketball, Football and was on the Track Team. He was voted Mr. Copiah Lincoln High School his senior year and

By Bob Arnold               Ask Copiah County Economic Development District (CCEDD) Executive Director Arthur Lee (Pokey) Evans about his work in the past year and what he foresees in the coming year, and he points to one simple measure of his work:  jobs .               “For me, economic development is not about recruiting a big or small business or a particular type of business, but the job opportunities in Copiah County,” Evans says.  “My mission is jobs.  On that basis, I

Donald Hilburn "Tripp" Jones, III February 7, 2008 - February 28, 2026 18 years of age A graveside service will be held for Donald Hilburn “Tripp” Jones, III at 12 p.m., Thursday, March 5, 2026, in Riverwood Memorial Park. Visitation will take place starting at 10 a.m. until time of graveside service at Riverwood Family. Donald Hilburn “Tripp” Jones, III, 18, of Brookhaven, MS, passed away February 27, 2026. He was born in Jackson, MS, on February 7, 2008, to Donald Hilburn