BISSELL Pet Foundation, a national animal welfare organization dedicated to ending pet homelessness, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its signature Empty the Shelters® event with a nationwide reduced-fee adoption effort from May 1–17, 2026. The Brookhaven Animal Rescue League (BARL) is proud to participate in this nationwide event, joining more than 335 shelters across 39 states to help pets find loving homes. During the event, BISSELL Pet Foundation will sponsor reduce

Special to Wesson News Co-Lin’s men’s and women’s basketball seasons ended in the Region 23 tournaments last month. Pearl River knocked off the men in the first round in a decisive 80-56 victory, while the Lady Wolves made it to the quarterfinals before falling to Itawamba 71-44. The men finished their season with 14-14 record, 7-7 in conference play and the women were 15-12, 6-8 in the conference. Road games were the undoing of the men during the season. At home, they pos

Special to Wesson News The Wesson Chamber of Commerce honored the town’s movers and shakers—individuals and organizations that lead the community—on Thursday, April 23. The Chamber’s annual awards banquet at the Thames Center on the Co-Lin campus spotlighted the Business of the Year, Business Person of the Year, Not-for-profit Organization of the Year, Police Officer and Firefighter of the Year, Citizen of the Year, and Educators of the Year (at Co-Lin and Wesson Attendance C

Co-Lin's 2025-2026 Hall of Fame inductees included from left, Ellie Barrentine of Crystal Springs, Conner Cunningham of Brookhaven, Chrishuna Funches of Silver Creek, Dracy McNair of Meadville, Benson Schexnaydre of McCall Creek, and Olivia Vaughn of Union Church. Copiah-Lincoln Community College's Wesson Campus inducted six outstanding students to the college's Hall of Fame at their annual awards day program. The Hall of Fame is the most prestigious award given to a student

Special to Wesson News . Wesson American Legion Auxiliary (WALA) Unit #79 is hosting a unique tablescaping competition along with a fundraising silent auction as part of the town’s annual Founder’s Day celebration on May 2. The “Heart of the Table” event and auction will be at the historic Old School Community Center at 1047 Eighth Street, with the entry deadline April 22, and late entries accepted no later than April 29 if space allows. Guests can visit the exhibit of compe

Special to Wesson News Baby items for contest winners. New parents can win a basket of items, a baby quilt and toy and infant-oriented books in the Wesson Public Library (WPL) Books & Babies contest that started April 6 and runs through April 30. In total, WPL will give away prizes to four winners on Wesson Founder’s Day, May 2. On each visit to the library through April 30, a baby’s mother or father can sign in as contestants for the prizes with their library cards or

Special to Wesson News The Wesson Chamber of Commerce will host its first-ever Wesson Kids Got Talent competition in conjunction with Founder’s Day. Founders Day is May 2, and the talent competition will be on Friday evening, May 1, at the Community Fountain Garden in downtown Wesson beside Milltown Salon and Spa. Teri Bath, the Wesson Chamber President, says “Wesson is an amazing community with many hidden talents, and I wanted an opportunity to recognize this talent in a ve

By Bob Arnold A healthy part of a dream Educational Performing Arts and Athletic Center that was a vision of former Co-Lin President Dr. Jane Hulon Sims for the Wesson campus of the college she managed seems to be on track under a Federal grant. Co-Lin has been awarded $16,294,746 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant program for construction of a new, large-scale safe room facility that will accommodate more than 2,000 occupants and in

Special to Wesson News Another grant will provide funds to put the finishing touches on a town historical museum next to Wesson municipal park. The museum has been in development for more than a year at the former electric building that was later a venue for meetings and activities of local Boy Scouts. A Home Depot grant jump-started initial work, including moisture-proofing the building, installation of climate control equipment, thorough cleaning, repairs to the doors

Special to Wesson News David Lewis, Elayjah Earles, Atheena Bloodgood, Nita Hardin and Dr. Robert Luckett. Elayjah Earles, a native of Greenville, MS, and a Senior at Brookhaven-based Mississippi School of the Arts, is the 2026 Mississippi Poetry Out Loud (POL) state champion, with Atheena Bloodgood, a Senior at Pascagoula High School, placing second, and Nita Hardin, a Junior representing Union County Heritage Museum, placing third. “Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) is pr

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