The Mississippi Manufacturers Association (MMA) and the MMA Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) are pleased to announce the launch of CONNEX™ Mississippi, which is an online software platform designed to strengthen the state’s local and domestic manufacturing supply chain. Through the platform, Mississippi manufacturers will be able to better connect with each other, find local suppliers, discover new business opportunities, and manage their supply chains. “We are thrilled to introduce the CONNEX™ Marketplace to our state’s manufacturers,” said MMA President & CEO John McKay. “Not only will this help manufacturers in our state source materials and services from one another, but it will also allow them to offer their goods and services to manufacturers across the country.” The CONNEX™ Mississippi platform will allow larger manufacturers to post a Request for Information (RFI) and Request for Quote (RFQ) in the platform’s Business to Business (B2B) Exchange Center and identify Mississippi suppliers who can meet their needs. Small to medium Mississippi manufacturers can also increase their discoverability by large primes and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) based on their capabilities, equipment, processes, materials, certifications, and more, which can lead to manufacturing opportunities in new markets. In order to join CONNEX™ Mississippi, manufacturers must be approved to join (verified as a manufacturer). Once approved, the program is free. This free access is provided through sponsorship of the platform by the MMA-MEP. “We are always looking for ways to help Mississippi manufacturers achieve their goals, and CONNEX™ Mississippi is another example of our commitment to provide them with access to resources that ensure a productive, efficient, and resilient manufacturing community,” said MMA-MEP Executive Director Sandy Crist. “CONNEX™ Mississippi will be a tremendous resource for our manufacturers.” Registration for Mississippi manufacturers and suppliers is underway and those who register by August 14th will receive a free year of national access using the promo code MSFREEYEAR. For registration and additional platform information, visit mma-web.org/connexms. “We are excited to be part of the CONNEX™ Mississippi implementation,” said President and CEO of CONNEX™ Marketplace Alan Davis. “This dynamic platform will help connect and lift Mississippi’s manufacturing ecosystem, align local, state, and national manufacturing goals, increase collaboration across all state manufacturing organizations, and better connect large and small manufacturers across the state with new business opportunities.”

In May more than 6,500 University of Iowa undergraduate, graduate, and professional students received degrees. These Hawkeyes have engaged, excelled, and stretched to reach their goals. Katherine Westbrook of Wesson, MS was among the students conferred their degrees. Westbrook was a student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences whose program of study was Speech and Hearing Science. The degree awarded was a Bachelor of Arts. Similar to Westbrook, take, for example, McKenna Warnock. She helped lead the Hawkeye women's basketball team to the national championship game and plans to continue her studies after graduation to become a dentist. Or Tyler Humphreys, who followed in his grandfather's and uncle's footsteps and enrolled at Iowa. He's earning a JD and heading back home to Texas to join the Dallas County District Attorney's Office. Or Daniel McGregor-Huyer. He completed Iowa's REACH program in 2020 but then decided to apply as a traditional student. He'll be getting a BA in cinematic arts and a certificate in disability studies and plans to travel to Ghana with the REACH program. Or Mara Frieden. She's graduating with a double major in marketing and management and a minor in communication studies and has a job waiting for her on the product launch team at John Deere. Year after year, students like these and like Westbrook have pushed to achieve more and to come together for the greater good-that's the Hawkeye Way. As this cohort of new graduates ente rs the next stage of their lives, they leave campus full of potential and promise. To learn more about the 2023 spring graduates, click HERE. To review a collection of images from commencement weekend, click HERE.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks’ Museum of Natural Science invites you to unleash your wild side at "NatureFEST!” on Saturday, April 1, 2023 from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. “We are excited to welcome the Hattiesburg’s Zoo animal stage show and Freedom Ranch’s live birds of prey to this year’s festival!” says Charles Knight, Museum Director. The event is a festival, a nature outing, and a fascinating museum trip, all wrapped into one exciting day! Food will be available for purchase from area food trucks. “NatureFEST!” offers a day of fun for the whole family, including:  Hattiesburg Zoo’s “Ed-Zoo-cation” animal stage show  Live birds of prey with Freedom Ranch Expert guided behind-the-scenes tours of aquariums, research, and museum collections Bubble –Pop FOAM party! SCUBA diver fish feeding in giant aquariums Hands-on activities with Conservation Educators and area artists Outdoor inflatable obstacle course Archery Nature games, and guided or self-directed hikes on beautiful springtime trails. For event details, visit www.mdwfp.com/museum. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/msnaturalscience or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MSScienceMuseum. View NatureFEST promo video.

Most people have a bad habit. Nah, I don’t want to hear about your overeating- cigarette smoking- drug taking- lying- stealing- cheating, or tantrum throwing lifestyle. Moronic as those things are, everyone has another even more idiotic talent that we indulge. Yep, most of us do stupid, and unfortunately we do it a lot. We take a perfectly fine day, whether it is sunny and bright, or raining cats and dogs, and we knowingly attempt to destroy it. Or even better, we wait until bedtime, when we need to close down our brain and get some sleep. Then we open the door in our head that’s marked “Past Mistakes.” We deliberately step backward into yesterdays, where we slog our way through a pain-filled memory. Over and over again. And for some reason, we never try to stop ourself. Just like in childhood, when a tooth was loose. Knowing it’s going to make it hurt, but invariably a kid will keep wiggling and pushing on that tooth with his tongue. Everyone of us did it. But what good is beating yourself up for something that is gone forever? It’s vanished in the thin vapor called the past. And continually visiting that garbage heap of regrets is bad for you. Trying to hurt yourself, so that you ‘learn your lesson?’ Repeated pain-bathing cannot make you behave better – in fact, it makes things worse. Revisiting a hurtful past experience only accomplishes one thing really well. It causes shame and guilt, with a large shot of self-disgust and anger mixed in. Not exactly a self-worth builder. “Oh yeah! Me, myself and I are always warring. “Me and myself” use memories and thoughts to beat up and tear down, while at the same time “I” is trying to live a life of peace and happiness.” Want to take a good guess as to who is going to win that unfair struggle? Instead, try doing this. Deliberately live in the ‘now,’ doing the best you can to do it right. And when you step in it – as you definitely will – own it. Apologize to yourself and to whoever else got hurt. Fix it the best you can. THEN LEAVE IT WHERE IT BELONGS…in the garbage heap of yesterdays. When daytime memories intrude…turn on a podcast or music, get busy, or call a friend. Nighttime memories surface…. pray to your Creator to help you change the channel. Then do it. Read, write, think about plans for tomorrow, or relive a great memory. Anything to give your brain and your emotions a break from that unproductive pain. I heard this said recently and it stuck. “Seems to me the past isn’t a great place to live, just a place to visit once, to learn from it.” Don’t waste your life in regrets of what you’ve done wrong. Visit there just once, long enough to learn differently. And then use your gray matter to live life better and happier.

FOL will announce future exhibits through local media and its Facebook site. An “Artists’ Corner” Guide will be maintained at the library with information about significant displays. The librarian will also assist Wesson Public Library has a new “Artists Corner” to honor Wesson and Copiah County artists and expose their work to the public. The first exhibit features paintings by Elene Hutson, a former Wesson librarian, with other works by Stella Williams, Margaret Furr, May Cox, Rene Curtis, James Hulett Fairchild, Dot Furr and Imogene Case; and historical pictures of Wesson during the period when Mississippi Mills operated. Wesson Friends of the Library (FOL) established the new feature at the library, and Dr. Steve Liverman, an FOL member, will coordinate ongoing exhibits. “Wesson and Copiah County have been and continue to be home to artists who create works in many different genres – watercolors, oils, sculptures, collages, quilting, among others,” says Liverman. “Wesson Friends of the Library will display works of our local artists – past, present and future – on a rotating exhibit basis to highlight this aspect of our culture and heritage, increase appreciation of their talent and stimulate and encourage our budding artists.” FOL will announce future exhibits through local media and its Facebook site. An “Artists’ Corner” Guide with information related to significant displays will be available at the library. The librarian will assist in finding answers to specific questions about exhibits. Friends of the Library is a group of volunteers and donors who support the Wesson public library with special projects, programs and fundraising. Ask the librarian for an application form.

Wesson High School (WHS) senior golf standout Harlan Brewer has inked a scholarship with the Co-Lin Wolfpack Golf Team. Harlan is a member of both the golf and soccer teams at Wesson, and is an honor student, a dual-enrollment college student at Co-Lin, and a member of the Gold ACT club on campus. Harlan was a member of the district championship golf team in eighth grade, a member of the second place state championship runners-up team in the tenth grade, and voted Wesson Golf Team Most Valuable Player in the eleventh grade. He made four consecutive state championship appearances as part of the Cobra Golf Team. Harlan also served as Team Captain on the Cobras Soccer Team in the eleventh and twelfth grades, and was Midfielder Most Valuable Player in the tenth grade.

By Bob Garver There’s something about a fourth movie in a series that tends to be dangerous for a franchise’s legacy. “Batman and Robin” led to the Caped Crusader being taken off the big screen for eight years. “Terminator: Salvation” is better remembered for its miserable production than anything in the finished film. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” was widely seen as a severe disservice to the iconic character. Even the Oscar-winning “Toy Story 4” was criticized for not leaving a perfectly good trilogy alone. Yes, “Mad Max: Fury Road” was a rousing success, though fans seemed to care very little about the “continuation” aspects of the movie. “John Wick: Chapter 4” didn’t have a 30-year gap to make sure things were just right. It only had, fittingly, four years, and they were affected by the pandemic. What I’m saying is that it’s no surprise that the new movie is the worst of the series. Now that’s only a relative “worst,” I still recommend the movie overall. But I can’t help but see this movie as a misstep in a franchise that hadn’t made many mistakes up to this point. The film sees the revered title assassin (Keanu Reeves) at war with the mysterious overlords known as the High Table. He killed an off-limits enemy way back in Chapter 2, and the High Table wants him killed as a consequence, but he’s not having it, and tensions and body counts have only escalated since. A high-ranking Table member known as the Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) is tasked with handling the situation, and he starts by handing down consequences to Wick’s allies Winston (Ian McShane) and Charon (the late Lance Reddick). I would have been unhappy with Charon’s fate even if Reddick hadn’t recently died, and now it frankly seems downright disrespectful. Wick knows that the High Table will kill anyone that helps him, so naturally he goes to Osaka and endangers old friend Koji (Hiroyuki Sanada). A shootout ensues, in which Wick finds out that another old friend, a blind assassin named Caine (Donnie Yen) is working for the High Table, but only because they’ll kill his daughter if he doesn’t. He also meets an anonymous “tracker” (Shamier Anderson) who is so greedy that he’s willing to help keep Wick alive until the Marquis raises the bounty on his head to a more lucrative amount, then he’ll kill him. The Marquis is right to be nervous. High Table rules state that Wick can win his freedom if he can kill the Marquis in a one-on-one duel. There’s a whole side-trip where Wick has to be accepted into a family of assassins and get revenge on sleazy crime boss Killa Harkan (Scott Adkins) in order to qualify, but the duel in Paris is destined to happen. There’s just the matter of Wick needing to live until the appointed dueling time of sunrise. To make it, he’ll have to survive a citywide shootout against anyone that wants to collect the bounty. Cue a seemingly hour-long sequence of Wick in shootouts in the middle of traffic at the Arc de Triomphe, at an abandoned building with wondrous overhead camerawork, and on a steep staircase outside Sacré-Cœur. And all John has is a bulletproof suit and a gun provided by his friend The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) that also serves as a flamethrower. The third act saves “John Wick: Chapter 4” by the skin of its teeth. Until then, the film is plagued by baffling character decisions, insufficient exposition (like, why does the High Table use extortion on Caine when they’re otherwise happy to pay people for their services?), and poor pacing. But once those gun-kata action scenes start up, I just can’t stay mad at this movie. If this marks the end of the “John Wick” series, then I can say the franchise never had a “bad” installment. I just have to put a nervous emphasis on “bad” so as not to give “Chapter 4” undue praise. Grade: B- “John Wick: Chapter 4” is rated R for pervasive strong language and some violence. Its running time is 169 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

David and Cindy Higgs are recipients of Wesson Garden Club’s annual Magnolia Award. The Magnolia Award, the most prestigious award presented by the Club, recognizes and honors home gardeners for the most outstanding landscaped yard of the year and their love of gardening. The Higgs are known for their outstanding hard work in constantly maintaining a well-groomed landscape year round that includes seasonal flowers, native trees and plants, accents, and shrubs. The primary basis for receiving the Magnolia Award is consistently maintaining a manicured yard, curb appeal, originality, use of native and seasonal plant material and creativity. Recipients of the award must have received the Club’s Yard of the Month award within the same calendar year. Wesson Garden Club is a member of The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc., National Garden Clubs, Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc. and Natchez Trace District-Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act prevented state Medicaid agencies from disenrolling people during the pandemic. However, that provision ends on March 31, 2023, and those who no longer qualify for Medicaid based on their income will begin to be removed from the plan by their State governments and will lose coverage. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates 8.2 million people will no longer be covered by Medicaid’s continuous enrollment requirement. However, those who do not qualify for Medicaid can get insurance coverage through marketplace plans. A Special Enrollment Period will run from March 31 through July 31. Five health insurance companies offer plans in Mississippi. They are: Ambetter from Magnolia Health, Molina Healthcare, Vantage Health Plan of Mississippi, UnitedHealthcare, and Cigna. “Individual insurance that you buy on the marketplace is different from the Medicaid coverage you are used to,” Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney said. “Make sure that the plan you are considering provides the coverage that you need. While low monthly costs are attractive, you also need to consider copays and deductibles that you may have to pay later. Check with the provider to see which facilities are in-network.” Mississippians can see plan options, monthly premiums and more by visiting www.healthcare.gov.

By Kara Kimbrough I’ve been dreaming about strawberries lately. It all started when I saw a display table pilled high with “Louisiana strawberries” in the market section of Shady Acres. Located just south of Seminary of U.S. 49 Highway 49, Shady Acres is a sprawling food, restaurant, baked goods, produce and yard and garden compound. It's an interesting place to stop as you’re traveling through the area. I was there to have lunch with friends in the restaurant, but couldn’t resist exiting through the store on my way out. That’s where I spotted the tempting strawberry display. I resisted the urge to purchase the strawberries, but it caused me to search for the date of the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival. Held annually in Ponchatoula, La., the self-proclaimed strawberry capital of the world, attendees can sample and purchase locally grown strawberries just as they reach their peak. This year’s event is scheduled for April 14-16 and while I’ve never been, it’s definitely on my bucket list of places to visit. Closer to home, Mississippi is no stranger to festivals of all shapes and sizes. Food, music and cultural festivals are set to take place in every region of the state from now until the end of the year. This fun, mostly-weekend festivals provide the opportunity to taste flavors from around the state, experience local cultures and traditions, and enjoy being outdoors with family and friends. If you’re looking for ways to fill your spring weekends with food and fun, here’s a short list of upcoming festivals: * If driving down tree-lined streets surrounded by stately antebellum homes is right up your alley, you’ll want to visit the city of Columbus March 31-April 23 during the annual Spring Pilgrimage: Jubilee of Homes. Speaking of alleys, you don’t want to miss Columbus’ Catfish in the Alley festival set for April 5-7. The story behind the name is an interesting one. During the 1800’s, African American fisherman caught and then fried fish to sell on Fourth Street, creating a delicious aroma that drew residents and visitors to the area. It became known as a hub for thriving African American business, blues music and fried catfish. The modem-day festival features lots of fried catfish, music and artisans. * Vicksburg’s Arts and Music Festival on April 14-15 will feature live music, art demonstrations and plenty of food. That same weekend, Clarksdale’s Juke Joint Festival kicks off one day earlier to allow attendees additional time to enjoy blues music and food at the self-billed “small town fair.” * Crawfish will be the main attraction at Laurel’s April 15 Downtown Crawfish Festival as well as on April 21 at Starkville’s King Cotton Crawfish Boil. Both festivals will allow cooking teams to compete for top boiling honors. * The following weekend, Cleveland’s Crosstie Arts and Jazz Festival will offer a juried arts s, jazz and food on April 21. * Rounding out the month on April 28-29 are two of the state’s most popular festivals. Greenwood’s Que on the Yazoo features a highly-competitive barbecue cooking competition, along with plenty of “que” and music for attendees. And, Oxford’s Double Decker Arts Festival boasts over 200 arts and food vendors, along with live music of all genres. This is just a sample of the festivals to come during the warm spring months. I’ll add a few more as summer brings even more around the state. But back to those strawberries. After passing up the chance to purchase Shady Acres’ berries, I picked up a carton at the supermarket. They weren’t from Louisiana but combined with vanilla bean ice cream and Peabody Hotel’s vanilla muffins, they were almost as good. And yes, I said "muffins." A television chef provided a good tip on making strawberry shortcake. Instead of using slices of pound cake, shortbread or biscuits, vertically slice vanilla muffins as the base for toppings. You can use cake mix, but making these delicious muffins is almost as quick and easy as the ones from the box. And like Louisiana strawberries, they never disappoint. Peabody Hotel’s Famous Vanilla Muffins 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 4 cups all-purpose flour 4 eggs 1 stick of butter, room temperature 2 cups whole milk In an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar until well blended. Add flour, baking powder, butter and vanilla. Mix all ingredients together thoroughly, but don’t over beat. Pour into well-greased muffin tins and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Tip: To easily remove muffins from pan, let cool slightly and place a sheet pan over the top. Invert pan and tap gently on countertop until muffins are released from tin. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

The Wesson Garden Club February meeting at American Legion Post 79 featured guest speaker Carla Stringer, Garden Clubs of Mississippi Natchez Trace District Director. Stringer demonstrated how to prepare an Arbor Day Tablescape and other seasonal tablescapes. A tablescape describes the pairing of dinnerware with table décor, either placed on it or incorporated into its own design. It is about organizing a table in a way that expresses the creativity the person doing the table setting and reflects a particular theme, ambiance or feeling for those who see it. Stringer shared various and unique ideas to created a beautifully-decorated table. Attending the meeting were Marilyn Britt, Rebecca Norma Carroll, Sherri Carty, Sonya Cowen, Robin Furr, Cherry Head, Debbie Hoaglin, Rhonda Ishee, Denise Jackson, Meghan Jackson, Pam McLemore, June Owens, Pam Owens, Jennifer Peets, Joy Phillips, Jean Ricks, Debbie Smith, Lisa Smith, Dixie Thornton, Cathy Warren, and Joy Wesbrooks. Providing refreshments at the meeting were hostesses Sherri Carty, Meghan Jackson, Nancy Sullivan, Cathy Warren, and Joy Wesbrooks. The Wesson Garden Club is a member of The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc., National Garden Clubs, Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc., Natchez Trace District-Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc.

Felisha Hampton is the 2023 NISOD Excellence Award recipient at Co-Lin The Excellence Awards Celebration held during the annual NISOD (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development) Conference in May at Austin, Texas, will honor her. Hampton has served as the Early Childhood Education Technology Program Coordinator and Instructor at Co-Lin since 2017. Prior to Co-Lin, she taught Pre-K for 20 years at Galloway Children Center in Jackson. She was also an early childhood coach for Mississippi State University for three years. Hampton holds an associate degree in child development from Hinds Community College, a bachelor’s degree in child and family education from Jackson State University, and a master’s degree in early childhood education from East Tennessee State University. She is currently pursuing a specialist degree in early childhood education from Walden University. Additionally, she completed the Mississippi Career-Technical Education Leadership Academy in 2022. The NISOD Excellence Awards recognize men and women each year who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues. “Recognizing those individuals who have contributed to student success and their colleges’ mission is something we look forward to doing each year,” said Dr. Edward J. Leach, NISOD’s Executive Director. “We’re honored to be able to play a part in celebrating their achievements.”