Since Dr. Steven Liverman retired from his long-time Wesson practice at the end of 2021, Copiah Medical Associates (CMA) has rapidly become the focal point of local healthcare. “We are now seeing 20 to 30 patients daily and have a total patient load of 4,000 to 5,000,” says Karen Boone, the Family Nurse Practitioner who currently heads the staff at the Beech Street location where Dr. Liverman had served Wesson since 1984, first in partnership with Dr. Barton Friedman, his father-in-law, who retired in 2008 and left the practice to him. “It was a group effort involving Dr. Liverman and our people that led CMA to locate its third Copiah County clinic in Wesson, assure ongoing service to existing patients coming there and establish another base for our own growth,” Boone says. “With Dr. Liverman’s consent, we can access his patients records as necessary.” CMA, which recently merged with Copiah County Medical Center, established its first offices in Hazlehurst and expanded to Crystal Springs before opening in Wesson. Actually, it moved into the Beech Street building in fall 2021, taking over half of the space and operating part time. CMA is now serving the town full-time hours and renovated the space. The updated facility with modern furnishings and equipment includes a comfortable waiting area, laboratory, eight examination rooms and four treatment rooms for procedures, offices and storage space. CMA is renting out the second floor apartment, where Dr. Liverman and his wife once lived temporarily after he decided to settle in Wesson. CMA services at the Wesson facility include laboratory work, wellness and chronic care management, acute care, emergency treatment. There is no x-ray equipment on site. Through Copiah County Medical Center, CMA can access cardio, orthopedic and GI care for its patients. In addition to Boone, Shaquille Claiborne is a medical assistant and Trish Coleman and Teresa Davis handle data processing and billing at the Wesson location. “Sooner than later, we also expect to add a full-time physician to the staff,” says Boone. At Wesson, CMA welcomes walk-ins as well as take appointments, and accepts all insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid.Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; and 8 a.m. to 12 noon Thursday. Exam Room at CMA Wesson CMA features four Data processing at Wesson treatment rooms CMA tracks 4,000 to 5,000 patients

By Kara Kimbrough The mental preparation has already begun. I'm steeling myself for the inevitable email that appears in my email inbox every time I write about one of our state's most beautiful areas. A column about Vicksburg is sure to incite anger or at the very least, disbelief from a transplanted Northerner who can't believe I'd mention an area known for an infamous Civil War battle. My answer is always the same. "The War" happened...we lost.. and yet, lessons learned in that horrific five-year battle shaped who we are as a nation and changed Mississippi and specifically, Vicksburg, forever. War debates aside, Vicksburg is an amazing, intriguing place; after all, it's still drawing tourists over 150 years after the last cannon (many of which are located in Vicksburg) was shot. And since spring has officially arrived, there's no better time to visit an area filled with architectural wonders, natural beauty courtesy of blooming plants and foliage and a world-famous river view. One of Mississippi's oldest cities, Vicksburg dates back to 1719 when, after fending off native Natchez Indians, French colonists put down roots. Today, the city is filled with historic sites. A chance to stand on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi River highlighted by the scenic Old Vicksburg Bridge and the new modern one that carries I-20 over the rushing waters is almost reason enough to visit. However, nothing is as awe-inspiring as the 1,800-acre Vicksburg National Military Park. America’s most monumented national military park contains more than 1,400 memorials to soldiers who served on both sides of the War Between the States. There’s also a Civil War gunboat, museum, visitor’s center, the largest National Military Cemetery of Union dead and a separate cemetery where 5,000 Confederates were laid to rest. Even if "The War" doesn't hold any interest for you, simply bypass the museum altogether and walk, hike or bike through the park filled with, to borrow a phrase from the National Park Service, "lushly forested landscape emanating with birdsong." At last count, over 60 varieties of flowering trees, shrubs and flowers are found in the park. Expect to see dogwood and Japanese magnolia trees intermingled with a multitude of bloom and lush green foliage. But don't get the impression that the landscape is devoid of anything but greenery. History and architectural buffs will be interested to view impressive monuments, markers and tablets memorializing soldiers from both the Grey and the Blue. After the park opened in 1899, architects and sculptors from 32 states set to work to create fitting monuments to honor its soldiers and sailors involved in the Vicksburg Campaign. The first monument was dedicated in 1903, with the remainder erected within 14 years. Mississippi's monument to our state's soldiers is impressive, but nothing compares to the one from Illinois. Modeled after the Roman Pantheon, the impressive structure is composed of marble and granite, contains 60 bronze tablets listing the name of over 36,000 Illinois soldiers involved in the Vicksburg campaign and is topped with a bronze bald eagle. It's definitely a site to behold. If you're into selfies, this is a can't-miss stop. Speaking of history, no trip to Vicksburg is complete without a stop by downtown's Biedenharn Coca-Cola® Museum. It was there that the first bottle of Coca-Cola® was bottled in 1894. Before heading out of town, drop by the Mississippi River Overlook for an up-close and personal view of the Mighty Mississippi and plenty of photo opportunities. A plethora of wonderful restaurants, ranging from Southern-style buffets to fine dining options, can be found in Vicksburg. When you begin planning a trip, drop me an email and I'll send you a list of my favorite places. In the meantime, experience and enjoy all that Mississippi has to offer during this beautiful season of the year. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

The Nature Conservancy in Mississippi is launching a pilot oyster shell recycling program called SAVE OUR SHELLS. TNC will be on hand Saturday March 25th at the 7th Annual Gulf Coast Oyster Cook-off Festival to kick off the SOS program. The SAVE OUR SHELLS program gives the community an opportunity to give back to the environment while protecting a valuable natural resource. It is estimated that the SOS program could collect hundreds of thousands of recycled oysters in the first two years that could be put back into the Mississippi Sound. Recycling used oyster shells is an effective use of natural material that can be placed in the water for oyster larvae to grow on and produce new oysters. This effort will also support the local fishing community, and local restaurants. Shells collected by local coastal restaurants will be set aside and later collected for the SAVE OUR SHELLS recycling program. The key to the success of the SOS program is getting many local coastal restaurants to participate. “The main reason that we're interested in participating in SAVE OUR SHELLS recycling program is sustainability. It's important to us, especially in the Gulf, we want to support the ecosystem that supports us. So, if there's some small way that we can put something back that we're taking out, then we know we're going to have a little more longevity in our seafood,” said Austin Sumrall, Owner-Executive Chef of White Pillars Restaurant in Biloxi. The White Pillars restaurant the Beau Rivage, Keg and Barrell in Ocean Springs along with the MS coast Shrimp Basket locations are on board to recycle oysters in support of this program. “Back in the day it was the oyster industry that put Biloxi on the map and so for the longevity of our city, and our region, it's imperative that we continue to promote our oyster legacy.” said Kristian Wade, Beau Rivage Executive Chef. “It’s very straightforward - take the actual oyster shell and reuse it to help restore the very resource it’s providing. We are learning from the other successful programs like this in other states, to make this a viable long-term program for Mississippi," said Alex Littlejohn, State Director of TNC-Mississippi. “Oyster shells are one of the best places for new oysters to grow. That is how they do it naturally, and with this program eating and enjoying oysters can be an act of conservation,” said Tom Mohrman, TNC’s director of marine programs. The Nature Conservancy and project partners aim to begin collection of oyster shells from coast restaurants starting in the spring of 2023. Collected shells are planned to be delivered to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources where they will be processed, cured, and integrated into restoration activities. We anticipate this initial pilot phase to continue collection for up to 2 years. The SAVE OUR SHELLS pilot program has two phases. The first part of the project completed an analysis of the oyster shell recycling program’s economic and operational sustainability to determine how an oyster recycling program can be sustainably implemented in Mississippi. Based on consideration of various factors including supply, long term collection, storage, and deployment of oyster shell used to maintain the State’s oyster resources, this phase resulted in an economic sustainability plan to guide the second phase of this program. The second phase of the project is to begin implementation of shell collection. This includes working with restaurants to collect oyster shells, calculating how many shells are collected over time, and beginning the process of curing that material and preparation for restoration. Please email us at saveourshells@tnc.org if you know of a restaurant owner who would like to participate in SAVE OUR SHELLS. The SAVE OUR SHELLS project is paid for with federal funding from the RESTORE Council and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality under the Resource and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act).

By Bob Garver Whether because of the pandemic, the constant comings-and-goings of the DC Extended Universe, or the first movie from 2019 simply not being that memorable, “Shazam!” seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle. I’m going to be pointing out a number of similarities between this character and Ant-Man from the rival Marvel Cinematic Universe, but a key difference is that fans noticed that Ant-Man was absent from “Avengers: Infinity War” in 2018. They wanted to know where he was and how he was going to tie into the larger story. Has any DCEU fan seen any of the franchise’s output since 2019 and thought, “I wonder where Shazam is in all this”? Sure, the new movie won the weekend box office because of its genre, affiliations, and advertising, but did people go to see it because they actually care about it? Or did they feel that it’s their job to see new tentpole releases, no matter how little they care? I went because I had a “job” of sorts to see it for this column – and sitting through this by-the-numbers superhero dreck turned out to be a “job” unto itself. A quick recap: teenager Billy Batson (Asher Angel) has been imbued with superpowers by the wizard also named Shazam (Djimon Hounsou). All he has to do is say magic word “Shazam!” and he turns into an adult (Zachary Levi) with powers including super speed and strength. Following the first movie, all the other kids in his foster family are similarly-powered: Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer/Adam Brody), Eugene (Ross Butler/Ian Chen), Pedro (Jovan Armond/D.J. Cotrona), Darla (Faithe Herman/Meagan Good), and Mary (Grace Caroline Currey in both forms, as the character is now an adult). All the character development the others get is that Mary passed up an opportunity to go to college, Pedro is… pretending to like baseball (handled very clumsily), and smart-aleck Freddy has a girlfriend (Rachel Zegler, making me think that the promise she showed in the “West Side Story” remake was a fluke). The family is up against the Daughters of Atlas: Hespera (Helen Mirren), Kalypso (Lucy Liu), and a third member whose identity is secret, but I thought was fairly easy to guess. The Daughters want the staff that gives Shazam and company their powers, though they’re divided on what to do with the staff once they get it. Hespera wants to fix their own world and leave Earth alone, while Kalypso wants to devastate Earth like their own world has been devastated. Seems like an issue they should have hammered out in the past few centuries, but they choose to squabble in the moment. Much of the film’s appeal lies in its humor. All the main characters are essentially children, so there’s supposedly a playful childishness to the proceedings. Zachary Levi has all the effortless charm of a Paul Rudd, so the idea is that the movie has a fun, bouncy tone with a few moments of serious coolness. Instead what we get is an overload of unfunny jokes about the characters’ awkwardness, a style of humor that has sunk the last several MCU movies. I laughed at Mirren reading an un-proofread letter, but that was about it. And the action and serious scenes certainly can’t carry the movie, not even with the deus ex machina (with “deus” taken literally) at the end. “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” is yet another blah superhero movie in an era where it seems like all we get is blah superhero movies. I don’t see it bringing in many new fans to the DCEU, nor do I even see fans of the original liking it very much. Like “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” its destiny is to do well for a weekend or two and then be discarded, because people aren’t going to look back on it with fond memories. Too bad the filmmakers can’t “Shazam!” themselves into funnier people. Grade: C- “Shazam: Fury of the Gods” is rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and language. Its running time is 130 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Three Wesson High School (WHS) seniors are 2023 Wesson Attendance Center (WAC) Hall of Fame inductees – the most prestigious honor WAC students can receive – for their academic performance, leadership, character and school participation/involvement. Will Loy, Taylor Papizan and Orrin Ainsworth join the five percent of WHS seniors each year who are Hall of Fame inductees based on the vote of WAC secondary secondar school faculty and staff. Family members and closest friends of the inductees celebrated their honor with them at a recent reception. Will Loy is the son of Jeremy and Sarah Loy. He was chosen Star Student at WHS, is an honor roll student and a member of Beta Club. The student body and staff chose Loy as Mr. Wesson High School and he was also selected as Most Athletic in the Senior Who's Who. Loy played on the football, baseball, and golf teams at WHS. Taylor Papizan is the daughter of Ken and Terri Papizan. She is an honor roll student and member of Beta Club, part of the cheer and soccer teams and a member of the Cobra Band. Papizan is Senior Class Vice President and a senior class representative to the student council. She is also a senior editor on the yearbook staff. Her classmates chose her as Wesson's 2022-2023 Homecoming Queen and as Most Likely to Succeed in the Senior Who's Who. She has received many academic, athletic and band awards throughout her high school career. Orrin Ainsworth is the son of Chad and Keli Ainsworth. He is a member of the football team, the Cobra Band and robotics team. Ainsworth serves as President of the Student Council Organization and President of the Senior Class. He received the DAR Good Citizenship Award and his classmates chose him as Most Dependable in the Senior Who's Who. He has also received a variety of academic, athletic and band awards throughout his high school career.

Members of the Co-Lin Board of Trustees, administration and athletic department and representatives from Wier Boerner & Allin Architecture and Paul Jackson and Son Construction cut the ribbon to officially open the newly renovated Walter R. Sullivan baseball field. Phase one of the renovation reflects the college's vision of excellence in all areas of campus and student-life at Co-Lin, college officials at the ceremony. “We are thrilled to wrap up Phase One of the renovations at Sullivan baseball field,” said Co-Lin President Dr. Jane Hulon Sims. “Thank you to our Board of Trustees, our chairman Mr. Melton King, all our corporate sponsors, and our private donors. It’s a great day for Co-Lin and our baseball program.” Phase one of the project included a Shaw turf infield with a Bermuda grass outfield, new dugouts, new black fencing, a new sidewalk entrance to the stadium and a state-of-the-art Musco lighting LED system that allows custom scheduling and the ability to instantly power on or off with no delay. The dimensions of the field stayed the same down left (330 feet) and right field (335 feet), but center field is now 400 feet. “We are excited to have these upgrades to Sullivan Field,” said Co-Lin Athletic Director Bryan Nobile. “To give Coach (Adam) Chamblee, his staff, current and future student-athletes an opportunity to play at a great venue was the goal. Hopefully, we can now say we have a homefield advantage.” The Wolves open their spring season in the stadium. They will also use it for their fall season and summer camps. High school and junior high games will also be played on the field.

We all have done it. Whether we deliberately intend to speak those words, or they just kind of slide out when our mouth opens. But things that we should’na said are suddenly floating there in the air for someone else to digest. Then we live with the consequences. Usually not a good thing. There are reasons this happens to otherwise well-meaning calm, even-keeled people. Those folks who usually are known for saying things that are easily stomached by those around them. But every once in a while…people just simply slip up. No, I’m not referring to telling raunchy jokes, or swearing until the old seasoned sailor would blush. I’m referring to normal people, who for one reason or another, say something hurtful and totally out of character for them. Why do they do that? Enormous stress coming from fear of personal loss is usually a bomb threat. Somehow that emotion can loosen the tongue like little else can in life. For example, if a person - always known in the community for being a quiet sweetheart - is put under enormous stress from fear of loss, it can cause the mouth to open and spikes of fire will come out. Leaving the unfortunate one who said the wrong thing incinerated and feeling like crumpling into a pile of hot ashes. (Or, more likely, Mrs. Unfortunate will strike back with her own claws out.) Ouch. Many good relationships have been damaged when fear of loss enters the picture. Want to hear another threat-producing scenario? The centuries-old emotion of pure anger. “You did so-n-so to me or my loved one, and I am so furious that I’m not responsible for my behavior or my next words!” Again, said target of that anger probably won’t just knuckle under and apologize. Most likely, narrowed eyes will begin to center with laser-like precision on their target, the mouth opens, and war begins. Another relationship goes down the drain. One more reason. Deeply hidden shame that has been triggered by something someone else said or did. Nuthin’ like feeling that your hated secret is exposed to the world to make a person want to burn the hide off their exposer. Sometimes a vindictive exposer knows exactly what they are saying and means to say it. Other times, their innocent comments accidentally hit a long-buried hurtful issue. Then the surprised speaker can suddenly have their eyebrows singed. All because of someone’s hidden shame. No matter the reason, the result can be the same. A usually mild-mannered person can become an activated verbal time-bomb with the right provocation. And then, when the crisis is over and gone, that usually normal person is left wondering, “Why in the world did I….ME!!... say all those things? I don’t treat people that way!” I’ve said it before, and I say it again. Cut each other some slack. We all have our issues and sometimes we need forgiveness and understanding.

By Kara Kimbrough Not since I learned that spaghetti and meatballs are an urban myth - the two food items are never served together in Italy - have I been as disillusioned as I was recently upon learning Americans' typical St. Patrick’s Day fare didn’t originate in Ireland. Oh sure, the Irish knew about corned beef and cabbage. The problem was, most of them couldn’t afford it, dining instead on pork and potatoes when March 17 rolled around. Despite these misconceptions, it’s still fun to celebrate St. Paddy’s with a hearty meal of corned beef, cabbage or a Reuben sandwich, my favorite way to combine the two. As much as I love a Reuben, I’ve never been a fan of sauerkraut. Something about the fermenting process turns my stomach. So, I found a delicious substitution that is similar in texture, but lacks the sour taste of sauerkraut. Cook a few slices of bacon until brown, remove from the pan and set aside. In the bacon grease, add a package of Asian chopped salad. Sauté the vegetables until wilted, then add ½ cup of hot water into which a chicken bouillon cube has been dissolved. Chop bacon and add to the mixture, stirring well until everything is thoroughly mixed and heated through. Use the end result as a topping for a Reuben or as a side dish with corned beef. Even though I’ve debunked the myth about corned beef and cabbage being an authentic St. Paddy’s Day dish, that’s no reason not to enjoy them – or a succulent Reuben – this Friday. I even found a delicious appetizer recipe – crispy baked Reuben pinwheels – that I can’t publish since it’s not mine. But if you’d like the recipe, email me and I’ll send it your way. In the meantime, enjoy St. Patrick's Day Friday with these delicious recipes that’ll create a meal any Irishman would be lucky to claim. Luck O’ the Irish Crockpot Corned Beef & Cabbage 5 potatoes, peeled and quartered 4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks 1 onion, peeled and cut into chunks 4 cups water 2 cups beef broth 4 pounds corned beef brisket 1 head cabbage, coarsely sliced and chopped Place carrots, and onion into the bottom of a Crockpot; add water and lay brisket on top of vegetables. Pour broth over brisket. If brisket contains a spice packet, sprinkle that over the meat. If not, add your favorite seasonings. Cook on high for 7 hours; stir in the cabbage and cook for 1 more hour. It’s Easy Being Green Key Lime Pie For crust: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, broken into pieces 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled 3 tablespoons sugar For filling: 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk 4 large egg yolks ½ cup lime juice 1 tablespoon lime jest Green food coloring To make crust: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together graham-cracker crumbs, butter and sugar in a medium bowl; mix well. Press into a 9-inch pie plate and bake until lightly browned, 11-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. To make filling: Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, lime juice and zest and a drop of green food coloring. Pour into the prepared crust. Return pie to oven and bake until the center is set, 15-17 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator before serving. Top each slice of pie with a scoop of whipped cream or Cool Whip; sprinkle with green sugar or more lime zest.

Special to Wesson News Chronic pain may not seem like a condition of childhood and adolescence, but studies say up to a third of children suffer from pain lasting three months or longer. Treating pain in children is the focus of the transdisciplinary pediatric pain clinic opened at the Kathy and Joe Sanderson Tower at Children’s of Mississippi. The clinic is the first of its kind in Mississippi and the fifty-sixty in the country, anesthesiologist and pediatric pain specialist Dr. Veronica Carullo reports. Children’s of Mississippi physicians say the pediatric pain clinic is helping children with chronic pain enjoy fuller lives. In addition to caring for patients at the Sanderson Tower, Carullo’s team also sees patients who experience pain resulting from underlying medical conditions such as sickle cell disease or cancer at the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s of Mississippi and at the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Center for Integrative Health in Ridgeland. Children’s pain can be the result of an injury or conditions ranging from arthritis to headaches. Some patients experience discomfort from primary pain disorders such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). CRPS results in pain and sensitivity in a particular spot of the body. For 16-year-old Kaeden of Hattiesburg, that spot is the top of his right foot. With hopes of going to Xavier University after high school graduation next year, Kaeden wants to ease his pain. The clinic's team includes Carullo, psychologists Dr. Cindy Karlson and Dr. Hannah Ford, physical therapists Tara Husband, Annie Reiher, and Rachel Dear, and RN-care coordinator Shannon Armstrong. The multidisciplinary approach to children’s pain treatment reflects the different factors relating to pain, Carullo said. “Pain treatment is not only pharmaceutical. Physical therapy can reduce pain and increase function, and cognitive behavioral therapy can treat pain and the stress, anxiety and depression that can come with it.” Psychological intervention is essential in the treatment of chronic pain, said Ford, associate professor and director of the psychology residency program at UMMC. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) -- a discussion-based therapy that helps patients identify and change negative thinking – is an example. CBT “involves making changes to the way we think about our pain, learning strategies to turn off this physiological alarm system, and also making behavioral changes to support a healthy lifestyle,” Ford said. “We practice lots of relaxation skills that are aimed at regulating our autonomic nervous system response, turning off that fight-or-flight response. Patients also learn cognitive strategies to change how they think about pain. We also work together to gradually build up activity to improve functioning and promote healthy behaviors. Our goal is not only to reduce pain, but more importantly, to improve functioning.”

By Bob Garver I’m willing to argue that “Scream” is the greatest slasher movie franchise of all time. Not only is the 1996 original a meta-horror classic, but prior to “Scream VI,” three of the five movies in the series were halfway decent. Can any other slasher property with at least five installments boast that kind of ratio of good to bad? “A Nightmare on Elm Street” got too silly with jokes that didn’t land, “Friday the 13th” was overrated in the first place, and fans got sick of “Halloween” constantly reinventing itself. “Scream” has thus far needed only one clear reboot, and last year’s fifth installment was a rousing success. A mere fourteen months later, we’ve got a sixth chapter, and it… keeps the property out of trouble. After a prologue where we follow a film professor (Samara Weaving) and a student (Tony Revolori) and their encounters with the latest incarnation of the terrifyingly-masked killer known as Ghostface, it’s time to catch up with some familiar faces. Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) has moved to New York City to be with her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega). Yes, I can finally reveal a twist I was keeping under wraps in my review of the last movie: after an impressive performance by Ortega in the opening scene, Tara survived the Ghostface attack, and in fact the whole movie, a rarity for this series. Will Weaving or Revolori be so lucky? Also returning are twins Chad (Mason Gooding) and Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) from the fifth movie, Kirby (Hayden Panettiere) from the fourth, and reporter Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), from every single one of these. New characters include Tara’s roommate Quinn (Liana Liberato), Quinn’s cop father Wayne (Dermot Mulroney), Sam’s boyfriend Danny (Josh Segarra), Mindy’s girlfriend Anika (Devyn Nakoda), and Chad’s roommate Ethan (Jack Champion). I wasn’t really digging the new characters, but I said that about Chad and Mindy in the last movie, and they’ve since grown on me. Sam and Tara remain compelling as the new faces of the franchise. It was the right decision for the series to shift to them as leads when it did. I was looking forward to the heavily-promoted change of setting from small-town California to New York City, where I live. Sadly, the city’s atmosphere only comes into play in two scenes, one in a bodega and one on a subway. I didn’t like the bodega sequence because Ghostface uses a gun, which goes against the rules of the slasher genre. And I didn’t like the subway sequence because it invokes a station and line that I use at least five days a week, but it doesn’t look familiar, so it just draws attention to the fact that the movie wasn’t filmed in New York (it was actually Montreal). But the characters mostly have all the space they need to hide, stalk, and chase, especially in the case of an Easter Egg-filled abandoned movie theater that this Ghostface uses as a home base. “Scream VI” is just okay. It isn’t groundbreaking like the original or reinvigorating like last year’s reboot. My jury is still out on whether it has the charm of the second movie. But it isn’t making me wish the franchise would just die like the third or fourth. It was probably a good idea to rush this movie out, so fans wouldn’t have time to get their hopes up for a better movie and then be disappointed. I’m sure there will be a seventh “Scream,” and I will be eagerly anticipating another installment in the greatest slasher movie franchise of all time. But hopefully that one will be a better reminder of why this franchise is so great. Grade: B- “Scream VI” is rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, and brief drug use. Its running time is 122 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Wesson Lions Club is seeking to revive Scouting among young people in and around town. “Our first task is recruiting new leaders, with the hope that membership of young persons 11 to 17 years old will follow when the roles of Scoutmasters and assistants are filled,” says Alton Ricks, currently an active Lions Club member who chairs its scouting oversight committee and one of the early leaders of Wesson Scouting. Scouts BSA, as Boy Scouts of America has been known since 2019 to reflect its policy change allowing girls to join separate, gender-specific troops, is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. Founded in 1910, about 110 million Americans have participated in its program as part of the international Scout Movement. It was a founding member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1922. In Wesson, a Presbyterian pastor founded BSA Troop 125 in 1933, and along with subsequent leaders, including Ricks and, most recently Ken Carraway and Wayne McKenzie, built an active organization with some 57 members who received the Eagle Scout Award – the highest presented by the organization. There were ups and downs in its membership over the years, but the local Troop remained an attraction, particularly for boys, with summer camping at the Hood Scout Reservation near Hazlehurst, until McKenzie left the post as Scoutmaster and the COVID pandemic curbed social interaction. Rated number eight among the top ten Boy Scout camps, Hood’s facilities include a challenge course with climbing walls, pole swings and dual zip lines that is also equipped for outdoor personal experience games and events. Also at the camp are ranges, targets, guns and ammo for shooting sports; areas and equipment for ATV trail riding, mountain boarding and mountain biking; and lakes and waterways for swimming, boating and other aquatic program. In Wesson, the Scouts also have their building on Beech Street – venue for meetings and gathering to work on projects. BSA’s stated mission is to "prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law." Youth are trained in responsible citizenship, character development, and self-reliance through participation in a wide range of outdoor activities, educational programs, and, at older age levels, career-oriented programs in partnership with community organizations. For younger members, the Scout method is part of the program to instill typical Scouting values such as trustworthiness, good citizenship, and outdoors skills, through a variety of activities such as camping, aquatics, and hiking. The main Scouting divisions are Cub Scouting for ages 5 to 11 years, Scouts BSA for ages 10 to 18, Venturing for ages 14 through 21, and Sea Scouts for ages 14 through 21. The BSA charters local organizations, such as churches, clubs, civic associations, or educational organizations, to implement the Scouting program for youth within their communities. Units are led entirely by volunteers appointed by the chartering organization and supported by local councils using with paid professional Scouters and volunteers. Learning for Life is an affiliate that provides in-school and career education. At its peak, BSA had an active membership of more than four million youth in 1973, with the drop since then reflecting decreasing populating of outdoor events nationally. Contact Alton Ricks at 601-643-2466 for more information to discuss volunteer leadership in the organization.

Painter Meliora “Ora” Newton Gibson from Crystal Springs, born November 23, 1873, the daughter of George and Mary Purdom Newton, painted wildlife backdrops, portraits and magnolias that are well known throughout Mississippi. W.A. Purdom, her grandfather, served as Mayor of Jackson in 1859, and her Uncle Oscar Newton founded the Newton Female Institute, a school for young ladies where she received her education that was incorporated into Crystal Springs Consolidated School in the 1920s. Her mother attended the Metropolitan Art School in Philadelphia and influenced her daughter’s pursuit of painting. At age 17, Gibson first exhibited her works, gathering everything she had drawn and painted and selling it all -- a harbinger of success that continued throughout her life. She taught music and art for several years, teaching two other prominent Crystal Spring artists – Robert Cook and Edith Lotterhos. In 1915, she married Stuart Gibson from Crystal Springs and settled with him in Port Gibson. After her husband died in 1935, she started painting backdrops for museums with the Works Progress Administration (WPA), including the one for the bird display at Jones County Community College in 1940, and later many others for the Mississippi Wildlife Museum during the 1950s, when she worked closely with its Director, Fannye Cook, to assure the scenes captured typical poses and the natural habitat of species. She returned to Crystal Spring to paint for many years in the Methodist parsonage on Georgetown Street after living in Jackson for some time. She was well known for her portraits, which people commissioned, and magnolias, and won many blue ribbons and prizes. She painted the portrait of Crystal Spring Senator Pat Harrison now in the collection at the Chautauqua Visitor’s Center and drew the magnolia engraved on the tray for the silver service for the Battleship Mississippi. Her best-known magnolia graced Mississippi’s Official Statistical Register (the “Blue Book”) published annually by the Secretary of State’s office. The J.T. Biggs Memorial Library at Crystal Springs and the private collection of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Carney also display her majestic magnolia paintings with vibrant hues of teal green, red and brown. Most of her paintings are in private collections. Gibson painted into her late 80s, and died in 1954 at 90 years old. 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.