August 1,2,3 Teacher workshop 2 (8 a.m.) Faculty & staff get id badges. 3 Meet the Teacher (6 p.m.-7 p.m.), Open House/PTO Meeting Seventh Grade orientation 4 – First school day for student TBD -- Begin K Universal Screen TBD – Beta Club Initiation Ceremonies TBD -- Meet the Cobras (7 p.m.) September 4 Labor Day holiday (school closed) 8 Progress Reports (first nine weeks) 13, 14 School day pictures 21 Make up pictures day TBD Ring presentation to juniors TBD Juniors order rings October 4, 5, 6 Nine Week Tests 9 Fall break 10 Student Holiday/Teacher Workday 13 Report cards 19 Pageant practice 21 High School Pageant TBD Who's Who pictures TBD College Fair TBD Presentation of invitations -- Seniors November 10 Progress Reports (second nine weeks) Veterans Day Program 11 Veterans Day 20-24 Thanksgiving holidays TBD Book Fair TBD Seniors order invitations TBD Elementary Beauty Pageant December 15, 18, 19 Nine Week Tests 20 Christmas holidays begin TBD Wesson Christmas Parade (2:20 p.m. dismissal) January 3 Teacher Work Day/Student Holiday 4 School resumes for second semester 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. 26 Teacher/Parent Conference Day/Student Holiday February 9 Progress Reports (third nine weeks) 19 Teacher/Student holiday TBD African American History program TBD ACT Statewide (Eleventh Grade only) March 6, 7, 8 Nine-Week Tests 11-15 Spring Break 18 School resumes 21 Spring pictures 22 Report cards sent 29 Holiday/weather day April 1 Holiday/weather day 13 Progress Reports (fourth nine weeks) May 17 Graduation 22, 23, 24 Nine Week Tests 27 Memorial Day TBD Senior Awards & Recognition Night TBD Junior High School & High School Awards TBD Kindergarten Awards program

*Be continually grouchy with your family and expect them to love, honor, and want to be around you. *Demand miracles from your staff at work and expect total loyalty from them – and to just love working for you. *Be a Christian who consistently gives God less than He has instructed in Scripture, and yet expect Him to pour extravagant blessings on your life. *Treat your body like a filthy worthless trash can, and stuff every kind of unhealthy food or product into it, then sit around and wonder why you feel lousy so much of the time. These examples are just a few illustrations of “It Just Don’t Work That Way, Dummy!” Here’s how it really works, dummy. Family. Originally designed to be our Safe Zone. A place of encouragement, forgiveness, acceptance, and patience. When you are constantly ignoring everyone, or coming through the door spewing anger and resentment - after unending rounds of this garbage your family will probably agree with the first person who quietly mentions disowning you. And your workplace? Not one of you unfair, demanding business owners pay your employees enough to get them to outright lie and say, “My boss? Absolutely the best there is! Kind, cheerful, understands that we are not perfect robots, and has reasonable expectations of us employees! Everyone just loves working there!” Christians. You really believe that You alone, without the blessings of your God, got you where you are today? That you owe Him nothing? He has promised to bless you, yes, but He also promised those blessings according to your commitment to Him. And everyone of you that inhabits a human body…surely you understand the concept of ‘garbage in, garbage out?’ A steady diet of sugary desserts, fattening foods, and processed meats – combined with your snacks of drugs and alcohol while you veg on the couch? Definitely not the recipe for feeling great and on top of the world. But, it definitely is your choice. We live in a country where you and I are free to choose our lifestyle and the way we treat people. You just need to be prepared for the inevitable consequences of your carefully selected decisions. I would suggest that you have an Emergency-Go-Bag filled with your worthless foods and beverages standing by the back door. So that when your family has had enough of your behavior, you will be ready to lurch that weak, broken body out that door. And you detested, unreasonable business owners? Remember that you were already warned, when your employees begin filtering into your office with their resignation notice in hand. Giving reasons ranging from, “Sorry, but my dog is too lonely with me working eighty-three hours a week” to “I’ve been offered a better position working for the local Hate-Miser for minimum wage, so I’m outta here!” Like the title says, life just doesn’t work well that way….Dummy.

By Guest Cooking Columnist Charles Fortson, Jr. As the fall season nears, potato soup is an awesome appetizer, side dish or meal in itself for the cooler months, but it freezes well and is easy to bring back to the table for a light summer lunch or dinner. Ingredients: 1-lb. Tennessee Pride sausage. ½-lb. butter 1 tablespoon of table salt. 1 teaspoon of red cyan pepper. 1 tablespoon of salt and pepper. 1 quart whole milk. 2 cups mild smoked cheddar cheese. 5-lbs. red potatoes (it does make a difference). Directions: 1. Peel and cube potatoes. 2. Brown sausage. 3. In large pot, place cut potatoes, cover with water, bring to boil, cover with a lid and cook on medium heat for one hour. Drain into another pot and keep. 4. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper to pureed potatoes (the cooked potatoes should be pretty smooth). 5. Add sausage and cheese to mix and stir. 6. Add potato water according the consistence you desire. Serves 20. So you will have a lot to freeze. EDITOR’S NOTE: Charles Fortson, Jr., is proprietor-chef at Uncle Ray’s across from Lake Lincoln State Park. He makes lunches and dinners to take out or for table service, while also operating a convenience store and bait shop at his Sunset Road location. Follow his cooking tips on Uncle Ray’s Facebook page or call 601-643-0174 to check on his daily specials.

By Kara Kimbrough "Don't go, summer!" The headline from a food magazine at the checkout line couldn’t have been more direct: Big, bold red letters practically leapt off the page as I unloaded my cart. Despite a silent acknowledgement that the author of the article probably doesn’t live in the south, I bought in anyway. Inside, the food article brought home the message that the days in which grilled burgers can be enjoyed are coming to a close. I was surprised to read that many Americans feel Labor Day weekend is the last blast for burgers. They obviously don't realize it stays hot in the Deep South until Thanksgiving. In short, our weather accommodates year-round grilling. More about grilled burgers in a minute, but first, here’s a tip for freezing and defrosting ground beef, chuck or turkey, which many supermarkets will have on sale as Labor Day approaches. Buying in bulk, using what is needed and freezing the remainder just makes sense. However, defrosting a large chunk of frozen meat when a last-minute cookout or burger crazing emerges is a tedious task. To counteract this problem, section meat into one-pound portions, place inside a large freezer bag and roll out with a rolling pin to remove air and flatten to a manageable size. Seal, stack and place in the freezer. The next time a burger crazing hits, meat is ready to use within a few minutes. But back to burgers. A reoccurring question from readers during summer months revolves around new ways to change up “the same old burger.” Ground meat lends itself well to a number of additions, including onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. But one of the most inventive ways to add interest to the burger buffet is by hiding the ketchup and instead, serving a variety of burger sauces. One of my favorites actually came from the back of the Heinz ketchup bottle. To make it, combine a cup each of ketchup and mayonnaise, quarter cup of sweet relish, tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, two teaspoons sugar, tablespoon and a half of jarred minced garlic and a dash of salt and pepper. It’s delicious spooned over burgers and hot dogs and in a pinch, serves as a backup dip for chips and crackers. And of course, nothing’s more impressive than making your own barbecue sauce. An easy recipe calls for a cup of chopped yellow onions to be sautéed in a little oil, then combined with a cup of ketchup, quarter cup of water, two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, tablespoon each of brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and chili powder and half teaspoon of garlic powder. Boil gently for about 20 minutes and serve over burgers or grilled chicken. Despite northern friends’ warnings about burgers’ last hurrah, the arrival of Labor Day doesn’t mean it’s time to place burgers on the back burner. So, enjoy a juicy burger during the long weekend while making plans for many, many more. Labor Day Burgers with Caramelized Onions and Secret Weapon Sauce For burgers: 1-1/2 pounds ground chuck Approx. 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules, dissolved in hot water to make at least ½ cup of beef broth 4 hamburger buns 4 lettuce leaves For onions: 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced 1 teaspoon cider vinegar 1 teaspoon brown sugar For sauce: ¼ cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons each: Dijon mustard and prepared horseradish 1 tablespoon snipped chives Dash each of salt and freshly ground pepper In large skillet over medium high heat, heat oil, then add onions and dash of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to soften, about 8-10 minutes. Add vinegar and brown sugar and continue to cook until onions are soft and golden, about same amount of time. To make sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. To make burgers, mix ground chuck, 3-4 tablespoons of beef broth mixture (more to taste), Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Form into four patties, about 3/4” inch thick. Make a small indentation on top of each one to prevent a dome from forming during cooking. Grill patties over direct heat with lid closed until cooked to 160 degrees, about 10 minutes. Turn only once. During last minute of cooking, place buns, cut side down, on grill to toast. Build each burger by lightly coating each side of the bun with sauce, then adding lettuce leaf, burger patty and caramelized onions. Makes 4 servings, recipes double and triple easily. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer and travel agent from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

By Bob Garver Bad news, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” fans, new installment “Mutant Mayhem” gets the Ninja Turtles all wrong. You know how the characters are usually voiced by adults that make you forget that the characters are even supposed to be teenagers? This movie settles for real teenagers that can play off each other with age-appropriate chemistry. You know how the jokes are usually so lame that the joke itself is how lame they are? This movie can’t go a straight sixty seconds without getting a genuine laugh from me. You know how every big-screen version of the Ninja Turtles has been critically lambasted until this point? This movie has a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and a glowing recommendation from me. This movie may not follow in the tradition of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but only because it’s something else, something better, entirely. Don’t get me wrong, the setup is still the same: four baby turtles and an adult rat are exposed to radioactive ooze and become anthropomorphic mutants. The rat, Splinter (Jackie Chan), raises them in the sewers of New York City to become ninjas, but only so they can sneak around undetected and defend themselves if necessary, which they won’t have to do if they’re good enough at staying undetected by the humans that surely want to kill them. But now that the turtles have come of age, they yearn for adventure outside of the sewer, including taking in human culture and even making human friends. The turtles consist of self-appointed leader Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), brainiac Donatello (Micah Abbey), muscle Raphael (Brady Noon), and goofball Michelangelo (Shaman Brown Jr.). They team up with teenage reporter April O’Neil (Ayo Edebiri) to track down a gang of dangerous thieves that have been terrorizing the city. What they find are more mutants, including insect Superfly (Ice Cube), rhino Rocksteady (John Cena), pig Bebop (Seth Rogen), alligator Leatherhead (Rose Byrne), and gecko Mondo (Paul Rudd, possibly this movie’s biggest scene-stealer), among others. These characters are all so funny and likeable that the film briefly runs into a problem where it looks like there’s no one to root against. We get a forgettable villain in evil corporate executive Cynthia Ultrom (Maya Rudolph), but we know this series is just biding its time until another, more popular villain shows up. I could go on and on about how much “fun” this movie is, but I don’t want to spoil any of the many great jokes, and the actors’ cadences might not translate well to the page anyway. Okay, since this is a movie about teenagers, I think I can give away that my favorite line includes the word “hormones.” Aside from the jokes, another area where this movie is fun is in its animation. I’ve never seen quite this style before, but I love it. Many frames look like the animators just threw paint at a canvas and added in some squiggles with a magic marker, but at the same time it’s completely effective and gorgeous. Like the movie itself, it’s sloppy and reckless, yet the artists’ competence and dedication to creating an immersive world is never in question. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” isn’t performing as well at the box office as I thought it would. Not only did it lose in its opening weekend to the third weekends of both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” it technically lost to the first weekend of “The Meg 2” (but it did finish with a higher total thanks to a two-day head start). So now I find myself feeling compelled to advocate for a franchise that I had previously written off as violent toy-commercial garbage. I still feel that maybe the turtles are a little too quick to violence, but otherwise this is a terrific family film, right on par with the “Spider-verse” movies. Kids will love it, and for the first time ever, they’ll be right to love it. Grade: B “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is rated PG for sequences of violence and action, language and impolite material. Its running time is 99 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Dorothy Riley Kemp of Hazlehurst painted her hometown, leaving a colorful legacy that remind locals of days gone by.. She started painting at an early age, but painted more when was older. She used varied mediums, but favored watercolor, and displayed her works in exhibits in Crystal Springs, Hazlehurst and McComb where she won ribbons. Born on Halloween in 19ll to John and Zoula Riley, owners of the Hazlehurst Machine Shop, she was crowned Miss Hazlehurst and earned a Master of Arts Degree at Mississippi College after graduating from Hazlehurst High School and attending Co-Lin. She married city and local practicing attorney Carroll Abram Kemp, had one son, Carroll Kemp, Jr, was a long-time member of Hazlehurst First Baptist Church, where she taught Bible classes, played the organ and sang in the choir; and was a member and regent of the Hazlehurst chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Her favorite painting subjects were local establishments and historic buildings, such as Hazlehurst High School. The overhead bridge in Hazlehurst next to Pete’s Dairy Bar is a local favorite painting. Some of her paintings feature people, with one depicting the children in her Bible class eating a watermelon under a tree. Beside buildings, other things served as her subject matters, including beautiful yellow daffodils that her friend Kathy Hildago asked her to paint. Many homes, offices and churches display her works and several are in the collection of George Covington Memorial Library. Kemp died on July 4, 1992, and is buried in Hazlehurst Cemetery with her husband, son, parents and siblings. EDITOR’S NOTE: Throughout the 2023 Copiah County Bicentennial year, Wesson News will feature sketches of past and present visual artists, musicians, authors and photographers who are natives of the county. They will be excerpted from Tricia Nelson’s reporting in A Shared History: Copiah County, Mississippi 1823-2023 edited and compiled by Paul C. Cartwright and available through Cartwright for $25 plus $5 for shipping at 3 Waverly Circle, Hattiesburg, MS 39402. Nelson is a Crystal Springs writer who contributes to the Copiah County Monitor.

By Guest Columnist Eddie Smith In the landscape, begonias are versatile plants often thought of as annuals grown in shade areas, but most of today’s varieties grow well in full sun. A benefit of begonias grown in the sun is that they tend to develop more flowers than those in the shade. All begonias tend to bloom continuously throughout the summer and early fall. One thing I love about begonias is that the plants are self-cleaning. That means the spent flowers tend to fall off by themselves, and no deadheading is required. Wax begonias are very popular bedding plants used as annuals or planted in containers as perennials and brought inside during the winter. They can be used in patio containers, window boxes or shady locations, and they can be planted along walkways or woodland edges. These plants are good additions to pollinator and drought-resistant gardens. The Cocktail Vodka wax begonias are certainly top shelf. The color combination of coppery-green, amazingly shiny foliage with strikingly rich, reddish-orange blossoms will have everybody talking. Regardless of where you plant it, your Cocktail Vodka wax begonia will be noticed. Cocktail Vodka begonias are fine choices for the garden, but they are also good selections for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. They are often used as filler plants in the “spiller-thriller-filler” container combination. In a container, their mass of flowers and foliage fills gaps against which the thriller plants stand out. Dragon Wing red begonia, a hybrid cross between angelwing begonia and wax begonia, is considered to be one of the most beautiful begonias on the market. It was selected as a Mississippi Medallion winner for 2002.In full sun, the plant is more compact, and the foliage develops a reddish cast. In partial shade, the look is lush, tropical and exotic. They bloom almost constantly from spring until frost, boasting huge scarlet panicles that hang down and contrast with the dark-green, glossy leaves. They are ideal for hanging baskets on the front porch or in containers, and can put on some astonishing growth all season long. The Dragon Wing begonia makes a strong accent as a thriller centerpiece for a container, as a one-plant show for a hanging basket or a great choice for mass plantings. With a mounded shape that reaches 18 inches tall and wide and tropical-looking foliage, this plant shines as a focal point in any location. You will surely find begonias you like at your local garden center or nursery. EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Eddie Smith is a gardening specialist and Pearl River County coordinator with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. He is also host of the popular Southern Gardening television programs. Locate Southern Gardening products online at http://extension.msstate.edu/shows/southern-gardening.]Please join us in the Wesson Volunteer Fire Department's 2023 Fire Academy for Kids. Fire Academy for Kids is a fun, educational, action-oriented program with two goals: to give children more life safety skills In fire safety, first aid, and injury prevention; and to introduce them up close and persona I to firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians. the equipment they use, and the jobs they perform. The prior will lead to increased life safety behaviors, by preparing the children to be able to prevent a fire or injury, and by preparing them to be able to react correctly should a fire or medical emergency occur. The latter will give them a better appreciation of firefighters and their often dangerous job, and will provide information to those who may be thinking about a future career in the fire/rescue service including Jr. Firefighter! Children will participate In classroom learning activities and will perform hands- on training in fire safety, first aid, and firefighter skills...such as search and rescuing a "victim" while wearing a "'Blacked Out" Face mask, using fire hoses and donning turnout gear! Home study sheets will be sent home and are Intended to Involve the whole family. (After all, life-safety knowledge and skills are Important for everyone).Parents will need to assist on each assignment for their child. Then the family should practice their escape routes. These will be sent home after the academy. All activities will be carefully monitored for s.1fety by fire department personnel. No one will be made to per­ form an activity with which he or she may feel uncomfortable. "Learning Safety, Being Safe, and Having Fun" Is our motto. Fire Academy for Kids will be held August 26th, 8:00 AM - 4:00PM, Drop off time ls 7:30AM at the Wesson Volunteer Fire Department 1038 Spring Street In Wesson children ages 7-13. The camp is open to the first 45 children that pick up and return applications. Applications may be picked up at the Wesson Fire Department on Monday nights or downloaded from the Wesson Volunteer Fire Department Facebook page. Send email to wessonfd@gmail.com to have an application e-mailed to you. A $10.00 registration fee must be paid at the time the application is turned in and a consent form must be completed. Scholarships are available If needed. Fire Academy for Kids is a fun-filled educational program In which the children will learn and apply several aspects of life safety including fire prevention, fire safety, first aid as well as a small experience of what It Is like to be a firefighter and EMS, and much more! The day will end with a graduation ceremony for family and friends to attend. held at the Wesson Volunteer Fire Department at 3:45 p.m. Parents and guardians are invited to share in your child's accomplishment. Come at 3:00 PM and let your child show you some of things they have learned. For more information, please contact Fire Chief Ken Carraway at 601-265-1694.They can also be contacted through Facebook on their Wesson Volunteer Fire Department page or email.

Please join us in the Wesson Volunteer Fire Department's 2023 Fire Academy for Kids. Fire Academy for Kids is a fun, educational, action-oriented program with two goals: to give children more life safety skills In fire safety, first aid, and injury prevention; and to introduce them up close and persona I to firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians. the equipment they use, and the jobs they perform. The prior will lead to increased life safety behaviors, by preparing the children to be able to prevent a fire or injury, and by preparing them to be able to react correctly should a fire or medical emergency occur. The latter will give them a better appreciation of firefighters and their often dangerous job, and will provide information to those who may be thinking about a future career in the fire/rescue service including Jr. Firefighter! Children will participate In classroom learning activities and will perform hands- on training in fire safety, first aid, and firefighter skills...such as search and rescuing a "victim" while wearing a "'Blacked Out" Face mask, using fire hoses and donning turnout gear! Home study sheets will be sent home and are Intended to Involve the whole family. (After all, life-safety knowledge and skills are Important for everyone).Parents will need to assist on each assignment for their child. Then the family should practice their escape routes. These will be sent home after the academy. All activities will be carefully monitored for s.1fety by fire department personnel. No one will be made to per­ form an activity with which he or she may feel uncomfortable. "Learning Safety, Being Safe, and Having Fun" Is our motto. Fire Academy for Kids will be held August 26th, 8:00 AM - 4:00PM, Drop off time ls 7:30AM at the Wesson Volunteer Fire Department 1038 Spring Street In Wesson children ages 7-13. The camp is open to the first 45 children that pick up and return applications. Applications may be picked up at the Wesson Fire Department on Monday nights or downloaded from the Wesson Volunteer Fire Department Facebook page. Send email to wessonfd@gmail.com to have an application e-mailed to you. A $10.00 registration fee must be paid at the time the application is turned in and a consent form must be completed. Scholarships are available If needed. Fire Academy for Kids is a fun-filled educational program In which the children will learn and apply several aspects of life safety including fire prevention, fire safety, first aid as well as a small experience of what It Is like to be a firefighter and EMS, and much more! The day will end with a graduation ceremony for family and friends to attend. held at the Wesson Volunteer Fire Department at 3:45 p.m. Parents and guardians are invited to share in your child's accomplishment. Come at 3:00 PM and let your child show you some of things they have learned. For more information, please contact Fire Chief Ken Carraway at 601-265-1694.They can also be contacted through Facebook on their Wesson Volunteer Fire Department page or email.

We all know how it feels to have done it. We wanted to be brave, but at the last minute we pulled up stakes and ran for the hills. Our self-preservation the only thing on our chicken-liver minds. Then we spend the rest of our life beating ourself up for not saying or doing what was right. And also trying to outrun that self-defeating feeling inside that somehow, we are ‘less-than.’ Ahhhh, bliss – the life of secret self-humiliation and shame. All because of that never to be forgotten time you didn’t act the way you should. There is a humongous problem with this – for everyone. And I am not referring to the fact that you may have caused hurt for anyone else involved. Oh yes, you really did make that gigantic mistake, that tragic error in judgement. And it has cost you, and others, way too dearly. Like I said, hurting people was wrong, but that is really not the humongous problem. The probable repeating of your behavior is the real problem now. Bringing on pain again. Here is why. There is likely a recording in your head that seems to be on auto-run, the one about shame and guilt, and it is causing you to think endlessly of the past. Therefore being controlled by that past. The Bible says in Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinketh in his heart, that is how he will behave.” If you keep beating yourself up in your thoughts, never asking God to forgive you and not forgiving yourself, then you are destined to fail again. And again and again. I didn’t say it. God did. There is another truth you need to realize: The world will keep on turning, regardless of what you did, or did not do. The survival of this world does not rest totally upon your shoulders, you are definitely not that important. So, give yourself a needed break. How do you do this? If you truly hate what happened, and you despise yourself for your part in it, then ask your God to help you, and start to forgive yourself. Be willing to apologize to those you hurt. Then you can start over with a clean slate with healthier thoughts about you. Which, according to Proverbs 23:7, will free your heart and mind …and therefore change your behavior in the future. A new chance at a new tomorrow. One with self-acceptance and peace in it. All you have to do is swallow your pride. Own up to your God that you’ve blown it badly, and that you need His help. And then accept the forgiveness that comes. You gotta admit, that is truly something to think about doing. A lot better than spending so many nights repeatedly reliving the shame and guilt of that ‘something’ that you did or said. Or chickened out and didn’t do. Been there. Done that. Much better life.

Apelah, a Mississippi-based non-profit provider of specialized foster care and in-home care services, is seeking individuals and families throughout Mississippi who will open their homes to help care for the growing number of children in need of foster care. More than 4,000 Mississippi children are living in foster care or are currently in need of placement with foster-care families that are willing to offer safe and compassionate living environments for children, many with special needs, who do not have a home of their own. “At Apelah, we specialize in developing amazing hero homes for children who need individualized medical and emotional care while providing a safe and loving environment,” said Tammy Pierce, associate vice president of development and corporate outreach. “Apelah’s dedicated staff recruits, trains, and supports our exceptional foster parents, who provide homes of healing and refuge while nurturing and caring for these children.” Apelah provides its foster families with: ● Access to 24-hour case management support. ● Coordinated care focused on effective communication and planning related to the child’s health and well-being. ● Foster parents who are well-matched to the needs of each child. ● Ongoing training for all foster parents. ● Board payments to the foster parents, including personal and clothing allowances for each child in care. According to Pierce, Apelah is always available to answer questions and respond to any concerns of foster parents. ‘We provide guidance so that all of our foster parents feel supported and ready to provide excellent care to the children,” she said. To become a foster parent, Apelah first conducts a home-study and background check of each foster parent/family. All future foster parents then receive the essential training necessary to be successful. Foster parents may be married or single living with or without children. Apelah is looking for foster parents who are willing to: ● Give of themselves without expectations. ● Have sufficient room to house a foster child comfortably. ● Have enough time day/night to care for a foster child. ● Learn and use proven behavior management skills. ● Love and care for children regardless of their challenges. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent, please contact Apelah in Ridgeland, MS., at 601.991.2224, or by email at MSRecruiting@apelah.org. To learn more, please visit our website at Apelah.org. Please stop by our Open House, September 7, 2023 from 5 pm to 7 pm at Apelah, Inc., 304 Highland Park Cove, Ridgeland, MS 39157.

Postseason awards continue to roll in for the Co-Lin Softball team, with the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) announcing All-American lists. The Lady Wolves had one of their own honored among the list of 39 student-athletes -- freshman catcher Abby Grace Richardson as a Third-Team All-American. The Brookhaven native had a freshman season that saw her break two single season records as she led the team with 24 home runs and had 80 RBIs. Richardson also led the Lady Wolves in doubles and runs scored with 18 and 61 respectively and was also second in triples and hits with two and 70 respectively. Play in 59 games, she also drew 23 walks, stole 17 bases, posted the third-highest batting average at .395 while leading the team with a .927 slugging percentage and had the second highest on-base percentage at .473. Richardson posted a fielding percentage of .981 this season while splitting time at catcher and shortstop with 169 putouts, 33 assists, and four errors. Her latest honor comes in addition to being named First Team All-MACCC, All-Region 23, and the Most Outstanding Offensive Player and the Most Valuable Player in the NJCAA Division II World Series. At the World Series, Richardson broke the single season home run record with her first of four home runs in three games including three in two games against Jones for the championship. The Lady Wolves set a program record for wins this season, finishing 49-10, and winning their first Region 23 championship since 2008 and the first ever national championship in school history against Jones 7-0 on May 27, at the NJCAA Division II World Series in Spartanburg, S.C.

By Bob Garver The other half of this summer’s “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, “Oppenheimer” did so well in its second weekend that it gets a full review all its own. Sure, it came in a distant second to “Barbie” both weekends, but with an estimated $174 million at the domestic box office thus far, it’s more than on pace to become the biggest movie of all time to never win a weekend. The unofficial, counterintuitive, and highly-unusual “Barbenheimer” marketing campaign (“contrast the glittery comedy with a drama about the atomic bomb”) certainly helped this film’s box office, but it’s a strong enough movie that I’d like to think that it could have been a hit even without its unlikely pink ally. Cillian Murphy (who I could tell from the first publicity photo was perfect, Oscar-ready casting) stars as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man credited as the “father of the atomic bomb.” Much like “The Social Network,” the film intercuts its usually-linear historical portion with the framing device of two hearings, one involving Oppenheimer himself, the other involving nemesis Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.), chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. As Strauss is not a scientist himself, he and Oppenheimer never get along well professionally, but after a perceived derogatory comment made toward Albert Einstein (Tom Conti), he has it in for Oppenheimer personally. Much of the movie is standard biopic territory: we follow Oppenheimer from his days at Cambridge getting advice from Niels Bohr (Kenneth Branaugh) to his role as director of The Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where the bomb was designed and built. In his personal life, Robert takes up a relationship with the married Kitty (Emily Blunt) while having an affair with Communist sympathizer Jean (Florence Pugh). Oppenheimer and his colleagues go through the expected setbacks and successes, culminating in a high-stakes demonstration and one of the most massive explosions ever put on film. Soon the bomb is taken away from the scientists and used in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, and Oppenheimer has to forever live with the knowledge that he played an integral role in arguably the most devastating event in human history. There’s surprisingly little violence in the film, outside of an offscreen suicide and a sequence where Oppenheimer imagines the effects of the bomb. There isn’t even that much “action,” really, unless you count carefully-orchestrated test explosions. But make no mistake, this is one of the most intense films of the year. Sure, some of it has to do with the urgency of the arms race and the stakes involved, but it’s more than that. Director Christopher Nolan knows how to expertly craft a thriller, and his tight pacing and editing will make your heart pound whether it’s bombs or tempers that are flaring. I’ll be honest, a lot about “Oppenheimer” went over my head, from science to politics to legalese to history. And even if I did know more about all these subjects, I still might get overwhelmed by the film’s crowded cast and all the time-jumping. Yet there was never any doubt that what was happening was of great importance, whether to world powers or the world of one. And it’s all done with Nolan’s trademark crispness. The bomb-building and hearings may not be pretty or “sleek” necessarily, but you’ll get the impression that these things cannot be done by anyone other than the people doing them. If you’re looking for a “party” movie where everyone will find something to enjoy while they socialize and pay minimal attention, then “Barbie” is the way to go there. But if you’re ready to be transfixed by a film that will occasionally blow you to the back of your seat (seriously, this is the time to spring for a premium theater experience like IMAX), then “Oppenheimer” is the movie of the summer, maybe the year. Grade: B “Oppenheimer” is rated R for some sexuality, nudity, and language. Its running time is an even 180 minutes, in a precision that seems only fitting. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.