Don Godbold January 17, 1948 - April 16, 2026 78 Years of age A celebration of life will be held for Don Godbold at 1 p.m., Monday, April 20, 2026, at Friendship Baptist Church with burial in the church cemetery. Visitation will start at 10 a.m. until time of service at the church. Don Godbold, 78, of Brookhaven, MS, passed away on April 16, 2026, at his residence. He was born on January 17, 1948, at Kings Daughters Medical Center in Brookhaven to the late S. M. Godbold, Sr.

Special to Wesson News   Wesson Public Library (WPL) will lead the local celebration of National Library Week April 19-25.   The American Library Association (ALA) sponsors the annual week-long event to celebrate the essential role of libraries and library staff in transforming lives and strengthening communities.  Daily celebrations during the week include Right to Read Day, National Library Workers Day, and National Library Outreach Day.    The three-fold purpose of the nat

Copiah-Lincoln Community College students in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) earned top honors across multiple categories at the FBLA Collegiate State Leadership Conference, recently held at the University of Southern Mississippi. Winners included: Olivia Vaughn of Union Church- First place, Project Management; First place, Business Presentation Team Gracie Smith of Bogue Chitto- First place, Business Ethics; Second Place, Accounting Conner Cunningham of Brookhaven-

A small business is bringing energy, economic impact, and community connection to the Pearl community. Vintage Market Days® of Mississippi , owned and operated by past Rankin County residents Chris and Jana Fuss , returns to Pearl April 17 - 19, 2026, at the Clyde Muse Center with a three-day, vintage-inspired community market that supports small businesses and tourism. While Vintage Market Days® is nationally recognized, this event is independently owned.  “This event goes b

Copiah-Lincoln Community College is proud to announce that two members of its Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) program were recognized with top honors at the annual American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science–Mississippi (ASCLS-MS) and Louisiana Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (LSCLS) Bi-State Meeting held recently in Biloxi. Co-Lin MLT student Whitney Bishop of Florence was named Student of the Year, a statewide honor that highlights her strong academic perfo

Special to Wesson News Canaan and Sarah Eschete  recently opened Wesson's newest business, Wesson Nutrition. It's located in the old police station, renovated for healthy tea drinks, shakes, and more.   The address is 2063 US-51. "It has been a dream, and we’re so grateful to serve our hometown and the surrounding communities. We will be the faces you see behind the bar!" said Sarah. "We’re so excited to bring our dream to our hometown."   Fun fact, they’re also the owners of

Contact: Jessica Breazeale, 601-757-7811 G.O.A.T. CAMP, which stands for God Over All Things, is a free kids camp that was started by Ricky and Jessica Breazeale of Wesson nearly five years ago. The camp will return April 7 and 8 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Wesson Park for children and teens.   This fun two-night experience is filled with sports, activities, dinner, and guest speakers. Camp is absolutely free thanks to community supporters. Camp is twice a year, every April and Oc

Special to Wesson News Devin Shane Merrill (Courtesy: Lincoln County Jail) A Wesson man has been sentenced in connection with a 2025 crash that claimed the life of a four-year-old child, bringing a difficult chapter to a close for the victim’s family and the community. Devin Shane Merrill, 28, pleaded guilty on March 31, 2026, in 14th District Circuit Court to charges of aggravated DUI causing death and DUI child endangerment. The charges stem from a crash that occurred on Fe

Kenneth Wayne Marler August 17, 1958 - March 31, 2026 67 Years of age Kenneth Wayne Marler, son of Fred Everett Marler and Harvine Catherine Marler, passed away on March 31, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family. Kenny was preceded in death by his parents, Fred Everett Marler and Harvine Catherine Marler; his brother, Freddie Marler; his brother, Mitchell Marler; and his sister, Linda Marler, with whom he is now reunited. Kenny was a father, stepfather, and a proud Army

Special to Wesson News Literary Arts, Visual Arts and Media Arts students at Brookhaven-based Mississippi School of the Arts (MSA) captured 171 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards – 92 Honorable Mentions, 51 Silver Keys, 27 Gold Keys and a prestigious American Visions Award – during the 2025-2026 school year. Gold Key and American Visions art advanced to national competition and the winners are on display through May 10 The Mississippi Museum of Art at Jackson.  Writing award win

Special to Wesson News   Mississippi Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson is running for Governor of the state, but that isn’t why he spoke on March 25 at Sylvarena Baptist Church.   Sylvarena invited senior citizens who are part of churches in the Copiah County Baptist Association to a special luncheon from 11:30 to 1 p.m. then, and the event planners zeroed in on Gipson to speak not so much for his political credentials, but because he is a pastor.   The 49-yea

Special to Wesson News   Wesson Public Library (WPL) has added two books series to collection for young readers.   At the Library, readers can now find the the Lane Walker sports and “Who Was. . .?” books.   Walker is a professional speaker and a distinguished figure in the realm of education, recognized as a best-selling author and award-winning administrator. With a rich background spanning over 25 years in the wild, Walker's journey began as a dedicated fifth grade teacher

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