By Sarah Grace Coleman Twiner with one of the possums she rehabilitated Rosie Twiner is a long-time resident of Wesson, where she has lived since she was in fifth grade. She is married to Chase and is a mother to two boys, Reese, 7, and Chastin, 15. She says she fondly remembers Mrs. Patty’s Snack Shack and getting snow cones there. “Mrs. Patty was the kindest lady ever, and she fueled our summers with the snow cones,” said Twiner. Twiner also spent many summers at Lake Lincoln, where she still visits with her family to partake in geocaching, disc golf and fishing. Twiner says she is a big animal lover. She has two cats, Dee and Winnifred; a German shepherd, Maverick; and two bunnies, Bunnicula, named after the children’s book, and Colosso, named after the evil rabbit character on The Thundermans television show. In addition, she recently rehabilitated four baby possums. Twiner is also very passionate about snakes that are native to Mississippi and educating people on them. She frequently helps with catching and re-locating snakes in her spare time. In one particular instance, she helped relocate an eastern hognose snake. “[Eastern hognose snakes are] the coolest to me,” said Twiner. “They’re very dramatic…they pretend to be dead. If you touch them, or if you scare them, their defense mechanism is for them to flip over on their back and start writhing and moving and pretending that they’re dying; and they’ll just lay there in the dirt upside down with their tongue hanging out.” Twiner is currently not partnered with any snake-oriented organizations, but rather considers it a hobby. She also uses snake-catching as a way to start conversations and minister to others about her other passion, her relationship with Jesus Christ. “I would say because my faith in Jesus Christ is at my core, it is the one thing that I believe to be true in this world; it's the one thing that makes me who I am. I’m not just some random girl that's covered in tattoos and piercings. That's who I am, but I also have a story of where Jesus Christ has brought me from and so everybody has a story,” said Twiner. “At work, I get to talk to all of these students that have not always had an easy life,” continues Twiner. “Many of them have gone through or are going through things that are hard…and so I’m getting to talk to my students, getting to talk to people that I’m removing snakes from their garages. I’m getting to build a relationship with these people and talk about where they’re at in their life and their need for a savior and their need to feel something that's bigger than this world. I know what he did for me, so I want to tell everybody about that.” Twiner is a member of Beauregard Community Church. She gave her life to Jesus on October 31, 1999, and was baptized that same month at Hazelhurst Westside Baptist Church. Twiner attended Copiah-Lincoln Community College, where she studied art. In 2022, she returned to Co-Lin as the Workforce Secretary. Two years later, she transferred to Adult Education Academic Assistant. “That’s actually a really funny story, because, had you told me when I was eighteen years old that I would be returning to Co-Lin one day, I would have laughed in your face,” said Twiner. She says she loves getting to work with some of her previous instructors and says her favorite part of the job is getting to know students and their backgrounds. What are your hobbies? I have a huge reading collection. The walls of my living room are lined with books. Some are classics, and some are on my to-be-read list. I still love music, whether I’m at work, at home or at church, that's just kind of my thing. One of the best parts about being a mom is that I get to give my awesome musical taste to my kids, so it’s a huge accomplishment when I hear them playing a really good 90’s rock song. I feel like I’ve made it as a mom there. Every now and then, I’ll decide that I may want to pick up a paint brush, but I’m a little bit too busy for that these days. Are you a reader? I am always reading. I try to do that at least once a day. My current journey is reading through the Bible in a year, but, in addition to that, I am currently reading a book by Bill O’Reilly called Killing the Witches. My angsty teenage heart would tell you that I always have room for a good romance novel, Calling Hoover, obviously. I do love a lot of historical pieces. The older I get, I find myself reading a lot more of that, but I don’t have a specific genre; I’m kind of open to anything. How about music? I love everything, and I do mean that. Any time that my playlist is on, you’re going to hear a lot of Fleetwood Mac, but then you’re also going to hear maybe some Metallica and Pearl Jam. There’s a lot of worship music thrown in these days, so Elevation Worship and Forrest Frank is one my kids enjoy, too. I would say that my musical taste is very much like me. I am a free-spirit. I am very much kind of a wildflower when it comes to music, because I can appreciate all of it. I just love music that makes you feel some type of way, whatever that is. Do you go to the theater or movies? I try to get to the Brookhaven Little Theater as much as I can. I kind of credit my love for theater to one of my high school teachers, Mr. Rob Martin. He took us to see A Christmas Carol one time in high school, and I fell in love with the theater at that moment; so I do try to visit the Brookhaven Little Theater as much as I can and support them. If you won a lot of money in the lottery, how would you spend it? The first thing I would do would be to give some to our church, just because our church has grown exponentially over the last six months. I would love to be able to build on to our church for the people that are coming in. Then I think I probably would be pretty boring with it. I would build houses all around mine, so that all of my family members could move right there and we could just have a big commune where we’re all together, doing life together. How would you change the world? When I grew up, I was kind of a weirdo; I would venture to say that I’m still kind of a weirdo. Obviously, I don’t fit the mold of a traditional Southern girl. I am, in fact, covered with tattoos and piercings, and my hair may be really neon colors on any given day. So, as a kid growing up here, that was super hard; and I hope that, not necessarily changing the entire world, but I hope that I am changing my part of the world just by loving people the correct way, loving people the way that Jesus does. Because I needed that growing up, and I hope that whenever the alternative kids or the artsy kids or the weird kids come in contact with me that they leave me knowing that there is somebody that loves them and cares about them and accepts them the way that they are. So, I don’t know about changing the world, but I do think that I am - I pray that I am - changing the people that I come in contact with just by loving them the way Jesus loves me.

By Jessica Breazeale My take on faith, dry seasons and a strange little plant that refuses to stay dead. I heard about a plant that looks absolutely dead but can come back to life. I was greatly intrigued. So, I bought some to test this knowledge. Yes, this plant looks like it belongs in the trash. Curled up, brown, brittle…the kind of thing you'd sweep off your porch without a second thought. It's called the Rose of Jericho. Most people know it by a better name: the Resurrection Plant. Drop it in water, though, and something remarkable happens. Within a few hours it starts to uncurl. Green creeps back into its fronds. What looked dead begins to breathe again. It doesn't strain to come back to life. It simply responds to water, the way it's been designed to for thousands of years. Scientists call it a desiccation-tolerant organism, meaning it can survive for years in that curled, lifeless-looking state and pick right back up the moment moisture returns. I brought one of these plants into our church service recently, not for a biology lesson, but because I think a lot of us know exactly what it feels like to feel, even look, curled in on ourselves, brown at the edges, wondering if whatever used to be alive in us is ever coming back. We decided to have an honest conversation about the real cry of a dry season. King David wrote in Psalm 63, "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you... as in a dry and weary land where there is no water." He wasn't writing from a palace. He was in the wilderness, on the run, surrounded by trouble. What stands out is what David doesn't do. He doesn't fake it. He doesn't open with "I'm blessed and highly favored" when what he actually feels is parched and far from home. He just says: I am thirsty. This is dry ground. Faking it will only get you so far. To real…is to heal. David was real in his honest cry. A lot of us have been performing "fine" for a long time. The dry season crept in so quietly we barely noticed — a prayer life that went silent, a Bible that stopped landing the way it used to, a church service where we sat and felt nothing at all. Know this: Dry is not dead. Thirsty is not forsaken. But you have to be honest about where you are before anything can change. Try speaking to what looks finished. In Ezekiel 37, God sets the prophet down in a valley full of bones — "very dry" bones, the text says. Not recently dead. Long gone. The kind of dry that means people had written the whole thing off and moved on. God asks Ezekiel, "Can these bones live?" And Ezekiel doesn't say yes. He says, essentially, You know. I sure don't. He didn’t pretend he knew the answer. He submitted to the One who KNEW. God tells him to prophesy anyway — to speak to what looks finished. That resurrection plant doesn't know it's "supposed" to be dead. It doesn't read the room. Its whole design is built for coming back. Death was never its final state; dormancy was. So what have you already declared dead that might not actually be finished? A relationship gone cold? A dream shelved because the door never opened? The version of yourself that used to be hopeful, before life wore you down? Resurrection rarely shows up all at once, either. In Ezekiel's vision, it comes in stages: first, a rattle, then bones connecting, then sinew, then flesh, then lastly…breath. By the time we get to John 11, Martha has lost her brother, Lazarus, and she tells Jesus plainly: if you'd been here, he wouldn't have died. She believes in resurrection — just as a someday, far-off, last-day kind of event. Jesus stops her right there. "I am the resurrection and the life," He says. Present tense. Not someday. Now. Four days after Lazarus died, Jesus called him out of the tomb by name, well past the point most people had given up hope. And He did it anyway. What a dry season isn't A dry season isn't abandonment. The capacity for life is still there, just waiting on water. It isn't punishment. Sometimes the wilderness is simply the road between two places you're being led. And it isn't permanent. It has a duration, even when you can't see the end of it from inside it. The resurrection plant doesn't have to talk itself into living again. It just has to be placed in water. That's it. No coaching required. If you're in a dry season right now…curled in, brown at the edges, wondering if there's any life left in you — here's the word for today: you are not dead. You are dormant. And the water is closer than you think. Only takes a little water to get that party started. And real living is definitely what you really want! Left, resurrection plant in its dormant state. Right, back to life within hours. This reflection is drawn from a recent sermon. My personal photos of an actual Rose of Jericho — shown both in its dried, dormant state and after being revived with water — accompany this blog post. Downloadable Version

By Misty Strieff Prine “If you don’t see the greatness of God, then all things that money can buy become very exciting. If you can’t see the sun, you will be impressed with a streetlight. If you’ve never felt thunder and lightning, you’ll be impressed with fireworks. And if you turn your back on the greatness and majesty of God, you’ll fall in love with a world of shadows and short-lived pleasures.” – John Piper Take the time to truly appreciate the greatness and majesty of God and all of the magnificent things He blesses us with each and every day. We are surrounded by so many things that we take for granted that ONLY our God can make and provide for us. Life is beautiful and God’s creation from something as big as the sun to something as tiny as an ant and all things beyond and in between should truly leave us awe struck of the wonders of God. Take the time to notice. Be still and behold the goodness of God. Go outside on a beautiful, clear, starry night and look up. That’s when it truly hits me on how mighty our God is and how small I am in the grand scheme of things and yet He died for a sinner like me and loves me unconditionally in spite of how incredibly flawed and imperfect I am. Try it and you’ll see what I’m talking about. It’s truly humbling to look at it from that perspective and know that the SAME God who holds the stars in place, knows you by NAME and how many hairs are on your head. You are that special to Him. Don’t ever forget that or your worth to your Heavenly Father.

By Bob Garver Poster credit IMDB “Minions & Monsters” is the seventh cinematic outing for the Minions, and the third where they take center stage, as opposed to playing backup for former supervillain Gru. The jellybean-like animated gibberish-spewers all voiced by Pierre Coffin are once again taking the prequel route, as their story is told by a modern-day movie studio tour guide (Allison Janney), though a further framing device modifies even that context. At the beginning of the story, the Minions are once again searching the world for a new home in their inexplicable quest to serve the most despicable master possible despite not having an evil bone (or possibly any bones) in their bodies. A hulking cyclops seems like a good candidate (let’s see if this movie and “The Odyssey” in two weeks lead to a rise of cyclopes in pop culture), but a creative, ambitious Minion named James screws everything up for everyone. He also screws things up with a mummy, a pirate, and a wizard with a book of spells. Most of the Minions despise James’s antics, but friends Henry and Ed think he’s funny and stick by him. Washing up on American shores sometime in the 1920’s, the Minions see an outlaw train robber and think he’ll make a great master. They destroy half a town just to track him down to offer their services, then they find out that he’s no outlaw at all. He’s an actor, the town is Hollywood, the train robbery was part of a movie from short-tempered director Max (Christoph Waltz), and the Minions ruined the take. Having used the last of his film, Max is forced to present the picture, Minions and all, to a pair of finicky studio executives (both voiced by Jeff Bridges). Surprisingly, the execs love the Minions and order them to be put into more films. The whole tribe becomes movie stars overnight. To be clear, I love this portion of the film. The obvious love of – and constant references to – the golden age of Hollywood should earn admiration from any red-blooded cinema lover. I’m just not crazy about the parts that come before the Hollywood invasion and after the Minions fall from grace because they have a hard time transitioning to talkies (an appearance in “Citizen Kane” had me cracking up). Eventually, the Minions again need to find a new master. Most of them settle on metallic space alien Dort (Jesse Eisenberg), who is either planning to invade Earth along with his home planet, or is just another actor in a clunky suit. The Minions help Dort in a cute romance with suffragette Debbie (Zoey Deutch), who is willing to spend time with him as long as he doesn’t kick children (it’s sweeter than it sounds) Meanwhile, James and his cohorts, trying to stay in the movie business by turning to directing, crack open their old wizard master’s spellbook to summon a monster for their sci-fi movie. They can only manage the puny Goomi (Trey Parker), but he can summon other monsters, including insatiable blob Irene, who tries to consume Hollywood. Can the Minions clean up the mess they created? Can James complete his movie and win an Oscar? Can this franchise finally give us an installment where the Minions and/or Gru’s family go up against Will Arnett’s evil banker from the first “Despicable Me”? It’s been 16 years and it really bugs me that they’ve never seriously revisited that character. The movie, as always, depends on your tolerance for the Minions’ lowbrow schtick. Here they’re most effective when the movie is actively celebrating the art of schtick. But that’s just part of the movie, and the rest of the time I feel that they miss more gags than they hit. Plus the last act drags as it tries to work in too many sci-fi elements. “Minions & Monsters” comes close to getting my recommendation, but it falls short by a margin thinner than a 1920’s mustache. Grade: C “Minions & Monsters” is rated PG for violence/action, language and rude/macabre humor. Its running time is 90 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Send responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com Six-year-old Darren was on a first-time visit to the farm. His Pappa had arranged for him to get to see a part of this world that Darren never even knew existed. A real live working farm with all the corrals, fields, outbuildings and animals that a farm needs. Including horses. Darren spent an hour or so tentatively getting to know the horses that looked like giants to the tiny boy on the ground beside them. But every offer from the owners of the farm to let him ride one of the older gentler horses was meant with a shy smile and a quick negative shake of his blond head. But yet, he couldn’t be persuaded to leave the horse corrals, and ignored all their suggestions to go see the pigs, cows, and the rest of the animal clan. Intimidated as he was, Darren still was fascinated with the size and height of those huge animals. Finally, the lady of the farm had an idea. Murmuring to her husband, she then turned and smiled down at Darren and said she would be right back. That she had to go to the barn for something. Darren watched her retreating back as she headed directly to one of the outbuildings that housed the horse tack. When she disappeared inside, he turned to the farmer with a disappointed look on his little sunburned face. So naturally, the farmer asked him what was the problem. There was definite disbelief and a faint tinge of disgust in his voice when he answered, "Oh man, she can't be going to no barn! Barns are always red and white. That building ain’t red, an there ain’t no white trim. " It took the farmer a little while to make the little boy understand that barns are barns, no matter the color. It is only the contents that matter. My point: Are we going to be like that six-year-old all our lives – believing that truth can only be from our point of view? Understandable coming from a six-year-old, but not from you or me. There is one truth that I believe we can stand upon, and that is this; I am not always going to be one-hundred per cent correct. And most likely, neither are you. None of us have cornered the market on knowing what is right in every situation. And most of our quarrels and disputes are centered on that very fact. Be it countries, siblings, friends, denominations, or neighbors. Somehow, we let ourself believe that what we have learned in life has to be the only reality. Like a favorite friend of mine has been known to say, “My way, or the highway.” Seems logical, until you run into someone just as mule-headed. Unfortunately, it can be the highway way too often, if that’s how we live. A lot of good relationships can get tossed to the garbage heap with that philosophy. Just remember. I’m not God, and neither are you.

Pictured: Andrew Miller of Wesson as Beetlejuice , Rachel Dunn as Lydia Deets, and cast Copiah-Lincoln Community College's 2026 Summer Theatre Camp will bring "Beetlejuice Jr." to the stage this weekend, capping off seven days of rehearsal with two public performances. Showtimes are set for 6 p.m. Saturday, July 11, and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 12, in the Ewing Fine Arts Building auditorium on the Wesson campus, directly across from the nursing school. The production is the culmination of Co-Lin's summer theatre camp, which gives area students hands-on experience in acting, singing and stage production. "Beetlejuice Jr." is a stage adaptation of the popular film and Broadway musical, following the mischievous ghost Beetlejuice as he tries to scare a family out of the house he haunts. "Students learn about more than just performing," said Bobby G. Helms, D.M.A., director of choral activities and theatre at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. "They help with costumes, moving sets, organizing props, and many other aspects of theatre education." Helms said audiences can expect "amazing singers, phenomenal actors, and a lot of laughter." For many of the young performers, the camp is as much about growth as it is about the spotlight. Reese Robinson, 8, is going into third grade at Wesson Attendance Center. This is his second year in Co-Lin's theatre camp — last year he played a hyena in "The Lion King." This year he takes on the role of Maxie Dean. "We are most excited for him to have a speaking part this year and continue to learn, have fun, and shine bright," said his parents, Morgan and Shelby Robinson. Sami Curole, 10, of Wesson, is the daughter of Jon-Curtis "JC" and Semone Curole. She plays Sky and is returning to Co-Lin's theatre camp for a second year. Sami has an extensive theatre résumé that includes "101 Dalmatians Kids," "Finding Nemo Kids," "Annie," "Seussical Kids," "The Lion King Kids," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Aladdin Kids." She also takes singing lessons from Sarah Hamman at the Mississippi School of the Arts. Sami said she wants to gain as much experience as she can on her path toward a dream of becoming a Broadway star, and she is especially excited to play Sky this year because the role includes multiple singing solos. Cast List - Priest — Marley Christa - Charles Deetz — Sebastian Brown - Lydia Deetz — Rachel Dunn - Beetlejuice — Andrew Miller - Adam Maitland — Jon Lance Gibson - Barbara Maitland — Emma Dunaway - Mover 1 — Anniston Walker - Mover 2 — Khloe Carter - Delia Schlimmer — Tinsley McMillian - Maxie Dean — Reese Robinson - Maxine Dean — Kaylinn Smith - Sky — Sami Curole - Beetlejuice Clone 1 — Hayesleigh Pecot - Beetlejuice Clone 2 — Anderson Snowden - Otho — Cora Fuselier - Miss Argentina — Claire Pecot - Parachute Jumper — Helen Miller - Death by Toaster — Sophie Pecot - Dead Cheerleader — Charlotte Walker - Death by Fireworks — Kaylinn Smith - Cigar Mobster — Marley Christa - Dead Jockey — Anderson Snowden - Machete Groom — Hylan Denton - Juno — Fiona Brown - Cheerleader — Rivers Gibson - Girl Scout — Harper King - Sandworm — Renee Hirsch, Maggie Miller, Hadleigh Denton, Hylan Denton Dance choreography for the production is by Jessica Breazeale of Wesson. Admission is $10, and children 5 and under will be admitted free. For more information, contact Bobby G. Helms, D.M.A., director of choral activities and theatre at Copiah-Lincoln Community College, at bobby.helms@colin.edu or 601-643-8434.

By Jessica Breazeale Kids enjoying cornhole I stood in Wesson Park and watched something beautiful happen on Saturday. The sky didn't cooperate. The weather had every reason to keep folks home. But instead, our community showed up anyway, and that, right there, told me everything I need to know about the kind of town I get to call home. We gathered to celebrate America's 250th birthday, and there was just something absolutely fitting about doing it in the rain. Nothing worth celebrating ever comes easy, and nothing worth building ever comes without a little storm to test it. Wesson passed that test on the 4th of July, hands down. Unity You Can Feel Parker proud of himself for dunking his dad, Mayor Alton Shaw, in the dunking booth. Mom, Christy Shaw, impressed and gad! There's a difference between people simply being in the same place and people being together. Yesterday was the second kind. I watched neighbors help neighbors set up tents and move tables. I watched people laugh through soggy shoes and windblown decorations like it was all part of the fun… because for them, it was. That's not something you can manufacture. That's community that's been built brick by brick, year after year, long before yesterday ever came. That’s true unity in community. That’s something that makes my heart skip a beat. It made me proud. Genuinely, deeply proud to see my community be a real community. Proud of the Dreamers Stephen Ashley sprear-headed the day's events with a team of volunteers making it all happen. Someone had to imagine this event before it ever existed. Someone had to love this town enough to say, "We should do something for America's 250th, and we should do it right here, in our park, with our people." That takes vision. That takes a heart that's rooted in this place. I'm proud of the residents who cared enough about Wesson to dream this up in the first place. Proud of the Hands That Built It American Legion volunteers and cake walk fun! And then there are the volunteers — the ones who turned that dream into folding tables, contest signs, and a working plan despite the weather doing its best to rain on it (literally). Nothing about a community event just happens. It happens because people give up their time, their sweat, and sometimes their patience to make sure everyone else has a good day. Yesterday, Wesson's volunteers did exactly that, and the whole town is better for it. Freedoms Worth Standing in the Rain For Kids Ice Cream Eating Contest was FUM & MESSY! Standing in that rain, I couldn't help but think about exactly what we were celebrating. Two hundred fifty years of a nation built on freedoms that so many of us take for granted every single day. Free enterprise — the freedom for a person to work hard, build something of their own, and provide for their family without someone else deciding their worth for them. Free speech — the freedom to say what we believe, write what we believe, and speak truth without fear of a bang on the door. Free religion — the freedom to worship, to pray, to gather in His name without permission from anyone but Him. Those aren't small things. Those are the kinds of things men and women have bled for, and they're the kinds of things a whole lot of the world still doesn't have. Standing in Wesson Park yesterday, in the rain, celebrating those freedoms with people I love, that wasn't just a nice afternoon. That was sacred ground. The Bigger Picture? Watermelon Eating Contest Here's what I keep coming back to. Unity in community is a miraculous, beautiful thing to behold. Think about it…in a world that feels more divided by the day, where people can barely agree on the weather, a small Mississippi town gathered together anyway. Rain and all. Differences and all. And for a few hours, none of that mattered. What mattered was that we were neighbors, celebrating something bigger than any one of us. Co-Lin's head baseball coach, Kyle Flessner, in the dunking booth That's not just a nice moment. That's a glimpse of what we were made for. Scripture tells us how good and pleasant it is when people dwell together in unity. Scripture, over and over, highlights the importance and necessity of unity, and I am thankful that I got to see that truth walk right out into Wesson Park and put on boots in the mud. When a community chooses togetherness over division, freedom over fear, and love of neighbor over everything else pulling at us…that's not luck. That's a small miracle, and I got to witness it firsthand. I keep coming back to this: 250 years is a long time for a nation to hold together, and it doesn't happen at the national level first. It happens in places like Wesson Park. It happens when a small town decides that unity, love of place, and showing up for each other still matter — even in the rain. Legion Auxiliary President, Kim Whittington, giving out free cupcakes And can we just talk about the contests for a second? That rocked. Watching kids, teens, and adults all jump in and compete side by side — hot dogs, watermelon, pecan pie, ice cream brain freeze, all of it — was pure joy to witness. There's something special about a day where a grandmother and a grandkid can both be lined up at the same table, laughing at the same challenge. That's community in its purest, silliest, most wonderful form. Yesterday reminded me why I love where I live. And it reminded me that the true measure of a celebration isn't the weather forecast — it's the hearts that show up anyway. Proud to be from Wesson. Proud of my neighbors. Proud of my country. Downloadable version

Copiah County Industrial Park: 133,000 sf inside, 20.5 acres, 15 acres of land beside it, office space, access to rail behind! Copiah County leaders are continuing to market available land and industrial property as they work to bring new jobs, new investment and long-term growth to the area. Through the Copiah County Economic Development District, several sites are being promoted to companies and developers looking for a place to locate or expand. The available properties include undeveloped land, industrial park acreage, warehouse space and sites with access to major transportation routes. One of the featured properties is located across from Premier Transportation on U.S. 51 in Hazlehurst. The site is listed as undeveloped property and sits along one of the county’s main corridors. Another major opportunity is inside the Copiah County Industrial Park, where a 133,000-square-foot building is available on 20.5 acres. The site also includes 15 additional acres beside it, office space and rail access behind the property. The district is also promoting an approximately 55-acre parcel with access to Highway 51. According to Copiah County Economic Development, the site is inside the industrial park and would be a good fit for warehousing. A separate tract of available land is also listed, with the note that while the property is narrow, road access could be negotiated for interested industry. Local economic development efforts often begin with having property ready to show. When companies are considering a new location, access to land, utilities, highways, rail and existing buildings can help determine whether a community stays in the running. For Copiah County, those available sites represent more than just open land. They represent the potential for new payrolls, expanded tax base, construction activity and more opportunities for residents to work closer to home. As communities across Mississippi compete for industrial and commercial growth, Copiah County’s available properties give local leaders something concrete to market. From Hazlehurst to Wesson, Crystal Springs and Georgetown, the county’s location and available land remain important pieces of its economic development story. More information about available property in Copiah County is available through the Copiah County Economic Development District.

By Bob Garver Poster credit IMDB Krypto the Superdog isn’t very cute in “Supergirl.” I understand that the way the pup was rendered for this film involved taking a real dog (who probably was very cute) and slathering CGI all over his likeness. The result is a dog whose face looks unnatural and with whom I couldn’t connect during emotional scenes. You know your Super-whatever movie is in trouble when you can’t make a character like Krypto loveable. Krypto’s owner is more bearable, but just barely. Milly Alcock stars as Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl, a cousin of Superman’s who was raised on a sort of Kryptonian bunker after the planet’s destruction. Eventually the bunker couldn’t sustain life and Kara had to be sent alone to Earth as well, but unlike Superman, she knew a home and a family on Krypton only to have it all taken away. As a result, she doesn’t take to Earth like Superman did and now mostly spends her days moping around with no friends, save for Krypto. For this film, Supergirl finds herself teaming up with Ruthye (Eve Ridley), a teenager looking to avenge her family’s death at the hands of space pirate Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts). Krem needs to be defeated (for the murders, for child trafficking, and for poisoning Krypto and tauntingly carrying around an antidote), but Supergirl also wants to teach Ruthye that revenge through murder will not bring her the closure she seeks. On the other hand, Krem and his crew are perfectly willing to kill Supergirl, Ruthye, and anyone else they see fit. Killing him may save the lives of others, does that make it right to kill him? The Supergirl/Ruthye dynamic is based on “True Grit,” and grit-ting is what I had to do with my teeth every time the stiff, overly-formal-yet-too-immature Ruthye had a line in this movie. On their quest, Supergirl and Ruthye cross paths with what the film thinks is a colorful gallery of otherworldly background characters. But this isn’t Mos Eisley where the alien designs are so interesting that viewers will instantly wanf to know the backstory of every character in the room. They’re all basically indistinguishable rubbery space-takers. The exception is space biker/bounty hunter Lobo (Jason Momoa), who gets to steal some scenes. One of the few downsides of the DCEU folding a few years ago was losing Momoa’s Aquaman, but now fans can rest easy knowing that he’s landed on his feet in a more fitting role. Speaking of the larger DC Universe, it’s worth mentioning that yes, Superman (David Corenswet) is in this movie. He gets one of the few gags that actually works when he tries to welcome Kara to Earth, even though he only speaks English and she only speaks Kryptonian. It’s good to see that Superman is still reliable, because while I don’t dislike this version of Supergirl, this movie is clearly going to bomb and she isn’t going to be allowed another standalone movie anytime soon. If she, Krypto, and Lobo want to have any future in film, it’ll have to be as part of a Superman or Justice League movie. Choppy action, a disjointed story, a muddied moral, a bland villain, an annoying second banana in Ruthye, and an overall ugly aesthetic all conspire to make “Supergirl” one of the worst big-budget movies of the summer. Even Superman can’t save it and saving things is his whole reason for being. But what do you expect from a movie that can’t even get the beloved, iconic, usually-adorable Krypto right? Grade: C- “Supergirl” is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, action, language, and smoking. Its running time is 107 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Send responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com Fireworks at home on the fourth of July? Almost a given in a large percentage of American homes on that day. If you think that getting fireworks from your local roadside seller is just too expensive? Well, they are nothing compared to the real home-made variety - explosive family arguments. The actual cost of the fireworks we create and ignite at home is astronomical, and most of us don’t even realize it. Here is a version of a typical American household on the 4th of July; Him: “Uh, honey, I need to start up the grill. Where is the charcoal that I told you to pick up while you were out yesterday?” Her: (facing the kitchen sink) “Huh? Sorry, I wasn’t listening, I guess. What’d ya’ say? Him: “The charcoal, where did you put it?” Her: “I haven’t moved your charcoal. I never use the grill, you always do that. So why ask me?” Him: (sighing dramatically) “Okay, dear. Let me start over ve-ry slow-ly, so you can follow. Where. Did. You. Put. The. Bag. Of. Charcoal. When. You. Brought. It. Home?” Her: (offended and glaring over her shoulder) And I repeat….I haven’t had your stupid charcoal! Wherever you put it last time, go look there.” Him: (now angry) “Are you telling me in your usual scatterbrained way that you forgot to buy charcoal, even after I reminded you yesterday??! Great, just absolutely great!” Her: (Furious) “Me scatterbrained! Look who’s talking! You’re the one who didn’t remember to write charcoal on the BUY LIST I keep on the fridge! If you would have just stopped and thought for two seconds, you could have used those three brain cells God gave you and remembered to write it down! This isn’t my fault, and don’t think for a minute you can blame me! Oh, yeah, I forgot. You don’t bother thinking most of the time.” Him: “My ‘three brain cells’ are working just fine, thank you! Working well enough to tell me that I don’t have to put up with your @$!#&*!!! I’m outta here. You can do whatever ya’ want. But I’m goin’ where some sane people are having fun together.” Her: (Hurls a carton of eggs at his disappearing back) “Fine! Do what you always do! Run like a chicken when things don’t go your way and it gets hard around here!” _____________________________ I really do hope this doesn’t sound like I have been watching a camera discreetly placed in your kitchen. But unfortunately, I believe there are some of you who could have used past memories to write your own version of this made-up scenario. Earlier, I referred to the cost of “homemade holiday fireworks.” The emotional cost to your family is enormous, so do your family a big favor this year. Vow to listen. And listen patiently, not jumping to conclusions. Or you could very easily find yourself providing free fireworks for the entire neighborhood that day. And believe me, nobody enjoys hearing those.

By Kara Kimbrough America’s 250th birthday is finally here! This momentous milestone that only rolls around every two and one-half centuries deserves special recognition. Whether you’re entertaining a crowd at a backyard barbecue or plan to watch fireworks shows on TV, this once-in-a-lifetime occasion deserves more attention than a regular 4th of July holiday. A festive, patriotic tablescape…red, white and blue snacks…a special holiday meal of grilled classics…and of course, a flag cake made of strawberries and blueberries…these are just a few ways to pay homage to our country’s founding 250 years ago. Each of the suggestions listed above are ones I added to my trial run leading up to the 4th. I don’t mind sharing that I’ve been thinking about this special holiday for months. I’ve purchased items for my table, gathered ideas and dreamed of ways to make the holiday extra special without spending all my time in the kitchen. Here are a few of the tips and photos from my trial run; hopefully, they’ll serve as inspiration to you as you prepare for the most memorable Fourth of July many of us will experience in our lifetime. Set a table that’s patriotic, colorful and fun for guests Nothing sets the mood for a holiday meal like a festive table courtesy of colorful linens, dishes, centerpieces, candles and decorations geared to the occasion. As mentioned, I’ve been planning for this Fourth of July for quite a while; as a result, I’ve also been shopping for months. Several weeks ago, I purchased a patriotic tablecloth from TJ Maxx, a store that always stocks some of the best holiday decorations. Browsing through my local thrift store, I found four red dinner plates and patriotic salad plates that paired well with water goblets with navy stems I already had on hand. I had dreamed for a while about making a Betsy Ross cake (similar to princess and Barbie cakes at young girls’ birthday parties) and using it as my centerpiece. While I successfully made the cake and was happy with how it turned out, it lacked the height and “wow factor” I wanted for the main centerpiece. Instead, I filled an old wooden crate purchased years ago at a vintage store with red and white plants. Empty spaces were filled in with U.S. flags and an old red lantern. I painted white taper candles red and red to add to a candelabra, placed Betsy Ross in a place of prominence and just like that, I had the Fourth of July table of my dreams. Note: One final touch I’m adding to my table this week are inexpensive photo frames filled with old-fashioned patriotic scenes, a copy of the Star-Spangled banner and other assorted scenes and phrases I’ve collected over the past year. The Fourth of July tablescape of my dreams, Courtesy of red, white and blue linens and dishes; festive centerpiece of flowers, flags and a red lantern and holding court on the left, foreground, homemade Betsy Ross cake. (Photo by Kara Kimbrough) Shortcuts for a special 4th of July meal While nothing’s better than grilled burgers, ribs and steaks hot off the backyard grill, the temperature will likely be in the 90’s on the big day. To keep everyone cool, why not do what I did and purchase most of the items already cooked and assembled? At Sam’s Club, I found a box of fully-cooked cheeseburger sliders that received favorable reviews online. When I stopped by Kroger, I picked up a box of Nathan’s Famous Coney Island Pretzel Dogs. A few minutes in the oven and microwave and just like that, dinner was ready. To add my own special touch, I placed U.S. flag picks on each one and served them with dipping sauces. They’re colorful, easy to walk around with and best of all, really tasty. No grilling required! Sliders and pretzel dogs that can be prepared easily indoors and decorated with patriotic touches are the perfect Fourth of July meal. (Photo by Kara Kimbrough) Red, White and Blue Snacks Scrolling through Pinterest and other online sources, I became overwhelmed with the hundreds of creative ideas for red, white and blue cookies, candies, snack mixes and more. To keep things simple, I settled on white chocolate-dipped strawberries decorated with blue sugar and patriotic sprinkles. I’ve dipped hundreds of strawberries in my lifetime and never had an issue with baking chocolate. This time, the baking chocolate decided not to melt, despite repeated attempts. The closest store only stocked marshmallow crème so I took what I could get. After microwaving for a minute or two, the crème was the perfect consistency for dipping. The end result wasn’t as firm (or perfect-looking) as baking chocolate, but the taste was surprisingly good. White chocolate (or in this case, marshmallow crème) dipped strawberries decorated with sprinkles and blue sugar makes the perfect patriotic snack. (Photo by Kara Kimbrough The grand finale…a flag cake, of course The Fourth of July wouldn’t be the same without a festive flag cake made of rows of icing and strawberries and a top left pocket of blueberries for stars. While I made the original version, I also discovered a way to make a quick and surprisingly eye-catching flag cake using inexpensive dessert cups, whipped cream in a can, chopped strawberries and blueberries. Creating this shortcut version is the perfect way to allow children to help with the holiday dessert and have fun in the process. An easy way to make a Fourth of July flag cake is to fill dessert shells with chopped strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream in a can to create the stars and stripes.( Photo by Kara Kimbrough)[/caption] A traditional flag cake of a 13x9-inch yellow cake topped with frosting, then decorated with strawberries and blueberries, is the perfect ending to a special 4th of July dinner. (Photo by Kara Kimbrough) I hope you’ve been inspired by my Fourth of July trial run and most importantly, are excited about our nation’s once-in-a-lifetime milestone birthday. If all of the photos of the above-mentioned ideas aren’t published in your publication, drop me an email and I’ll send them to you, along with additional recipes and way to create a memorable meal. I hope everyone has the best Fourth of July and food, fun and fireworks aside, remembers the many sacrifices made by the Founding Fathers to ensure America would become what we are today…the best country in the world. Happy Fourth of July!

Wesson Attendance Center recently recognized its girls volleyball and basketball student-athletes during its annual athletic awards program, celebrating accomplishments from the 2025-26 school year. Awards were presented to the players in a variety of categories, recognizing both individual performances and contributions to their teams. The award winners were recognized before family members, teammates and friends as the school concluded another successful year of Cobra athletics. Volleyball Award Winners Pictured (l to r) are, front row: Brianna Dixon, Senior Award; Bella Sills, Most Improved; Preslee Newman, Best Digger and All-Region; Caroline Smith, Rookie of the Year; Sydnee Westrope, Senior Award, Best Server, Hustle Award, All-Region, and Senior Awards; and Jerkeivsha Edwards, Senior and Coaches Award; and back row: Da’Kiyah Butler, Senior Award Jamirah Harvey, Senior Award, All-Region, and Best Attacker. Girls Basketball Award Winners Pictured (l to r) are, front row: Natalya Dickerson, Senior Award; Akierah Wallace, Senior Award; Jamirah Harvey, Senior Award and Best Offensive Player; Brianna Dixon, Senior Award and Best Rebounder; Aleyia Kees, Coaches Award; and Sarah-Grace Glasper, Best Defensive Player; and back row: Caroline Smith, 6th Man Award; Kennedi Johnson, Hustle Award; Da’Kiyah Butler, Senior Award; Jer’keivsha Edwards, Senior Award and Most Valuable Player; and Celeen Brice, Senior Award.