By guest columnist R. Shaw Furlow Castro Coleman Christone Kingfish Ingram Vashti Jackson If you’ve missed it so far, I want to remind you again that Mississippi’s musical heritage runs deep in the blues, country and rock. It’s the birthplace of America’s music. Dockery Farm is where Charlie Patton and others worked during the day and played blues at night on the stoops or in a local juke joint. BB King’s ambition was to be the best tractor driver in the Delta region before he became the “King of the Blues.” Tommy Johnson from Terry and his nephew Robert Johnson from Hazlehurst became “overnight” stars once they made their first recordings and made a little money. These folks invented, defined and, in a round-about way, promoted the blues. But Mississippi is still making blues history as blues capital of the world. The folks from the early 1900s are gone, but other have picked up the torch. Probably the best known of the current Bluesman is Vasti Jackson. Jackson grew up in McComb close to the railroad tracks. At the age of twelve, he hoped a train, but was caught by the train authorities and returned home. He heard the blues from his family, and soon picked up a guitar and started replicating what he heard on the records. While studying music at Jackson State, he started playing juke joints, and before long had landed staff positions at Malacho and Alligator records. From there, it was on to playing with Cassandra Wilson, The Williams Bothers and BB King. He produced Bobby Rush’s Grammy nominated album Hootchie Man. Jackson has been involved with many film projects, including working with Martin Scorsese. Jackson currently lives in Hattiesburg. I first met Castro Coleman, better known as “Mr. Sip, the Mississippi Blues child” six years ago when he and I were working on a project for the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame. His set knocked me out. He wore a suit in 90 degree weathe, but looked and sounded as cool as cool could be. Also born in McComb, Coleman picked up the guitar at six years of age and started playing gospel music, eventually attracting the attention of the Williams Brothers and became their guitarist. As most sidemen do, he wanted his own band, and started the True Believers gospel group. The group had pretty good success, but in 2012 he tried the blues and was instantly a hit, and has now won several national and international blues awards. In 2018, he opened the wildly popular Sip’s Place in Magnolia just before the pandemic shut him down. Now with his album, “Castro Coleman and the True Believers, Back to the Roots,” he has returned to gospel -- his first love. Then there is Christone Kingfish Ingram. At 23, he has turned the blues world upside down. Born in Clarksdale, Ingram became a sensation at age 14. Critics say he doesn’t play guitar, but becomes one with it. The emotion of the moment not only can be heard, but seen in his body language. Buddy Guy says Kingfish is the future of blues. At his age he hasn’t accumulated the resume of Jackson and Coleman, but he was asked to play at the prestigious Berklee Performance Center in Boston, where there are many guitarists studying all types of music. They all came out to hear the kid, and were blown away by his prowess and shocked that he was their age. That covers the blues, but I could have written much the same column on Mississippi country, rock or gospel artists. Or on the number of composers writing music for bands and choirs. Our bench is deep, and there’s no end in sight. These three new blues history-makers, along with Libby Rae Watson, Carey Hudson, Bobby Rush and many others continue to make Mississippi the place that keeps birthing American music. That’s it for another month, my friends. Do yourself a favor, and support the arts. EDITOR'S NOTE: Shaw Furlow is a local composer, musician and arts promoter. He produces an internet-based video show -- From the Shadyside -- that spotlights area musical talent and is a consultant to school bands in the region. Bob Arnold is Editor of the Wesson News.

A few years ago, we had a guest preacher in our church one Sunday morning. Several of his congregants also were there in support of their beloved pastor. In the middle of his sermon, suddenly one of the visiting ladies lunged to her feet and began applauding. The members of our church were notoriously known to be a quiet bunch - or reverent, as they like to call it - during our worship services. So when others of that pastor’s flock quickly joined her enthusiastic response to what he had said, it certainly created shock waves that reverberated throughout our small auditorium. Later, at the lunch held for the entire congregation, Andy found the lady and teasingly mentioned that, “No one ever claps when I preach!” To which she grinned and promptly responded, “Aw, Preacher, mebbe you’ve never said nuthin’ worth clappin’ for!” Thankfully Andy took the comment in good fun, just as she assured him that she meant it to be. (At a later sermon when Andy preached, she again led the crowd in an ovation.) But days afterward, it was still reverberating in his mind. ‘Do my sermons really say anything noteworthy to my listeners? Honestly, do my words make any difference in somebody’s life?’ Well, according to the Bible, words most certainly do make a difference – good or bad. In fact, it says that the power of life and death are in the tongue. Interpretation? What any person says - not just a preacher - has the power to give encouragement and love. But that same tongue can do just the opposite. It can be viciously aimed at a victim and effectively maim hopes and dreams. Wounding their spirit with discouragement, hate or mockery. Not exactly the way the Creator meant for anyone to use the tongue that He gave them. Maybe you own an irritating, horrible version of what the world calls a sibling, one who loves to make you angry, or even hurt you. The automatic reaction is to take your own revenge on their body or their feelings. But stop and think. Anything hurtful that you say is only going to make the situation worse. Because that brother or sister will definitely seek revenge and will probably stop at nothing to win the Sibling War. Or, you know something has to be said to your employee, or that unruly child, or that friend, but how do you say it constructively? Before you let fly with your tongue and hurl out whatever is lurking on the edge of your brain, stop for just a few seconds and think. “Is what I want to say kind, and meant to create a good change? Or am I just venting my anger? Better response? In Proverbs 15:1, the Bible says “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” May take a while to accomplish, but certainly worth it.

By Kara Kimbrough Mississippi is famous world-wide for Southern comfort food – fried chicken, homemade biscuits, vegetables and sky-high meringue pies and banana pudding are just a few of the delicacies tourists list as some of their favorite dishes when they visit our state. Further south on the Gulf Coast, fresh seafood beckons those who crave fresh-from-the-gulf shrimp, oysters and fish. Despite these well-known items, less commonly discussed is the plethora of ethnic restaurants representing a multitude of cuisines. Italian restaurants are at the top of my list and finding a good one is not that hard, even in the Deep South. Last week, I enjoyed Italian food in a location that conjured up memories of a bygone era. It’s worth a detour if you’re near the area. But first, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my first Italian love. I’ve written about Amerigo on more than one occasion. It’s a place at which I’ve dined since it opened over three decades on Old Canton Road in Jackson. There’s now a location in Flowood, making dining at one of my favorite restaurants even more convenient. There are also a plethora of above-average Italian restaurants in north Mississippi and even a few on the Gulf Coast. But I was Hattiesburg last week, so I decided to try the much-heralded Mario’s Italian Restaurant. Friends and even readers have gently chastised me for not getting around to dining there – in fact, as one friend put it: “How can you NOT have gone to Mario’s?” With that rebuke ringing in my ears, I pulled into the parking lot of a former Pizza Hut on U.S. 49 just north of the city. Memories of high school and college forays to Pizza Hut for a fun night out with friends came flooding back. It’s always fun to visit a place from one’s past, especially since so many buildings and restaurants of yesteryear are razed to make room for urban development. Once I entered the restaurant, I recalled features of the pizza chain, albeit ones that have been renovated, repainted and refurbished to create a soothing Italian eatery. Nostalgia was soon obliterated as I perused the lengthy menu filled with almost every form of pasta and pizzas, steak, chicken and veal dishes, appetizers plenty of soup and salad choices. The list of specialty pasta dishes was almost mesmerizing, filled as it was with dishes like tortellini alla pana, fettuccine carbonara, ziti pomodore, spaghetti with choice of sauce or meatballs and sausage arrabiata, to name a few. Chicken-based parmigiana, cacciatore, Romano and piccata all sounded appealing, as did shrimp-centric dishes like scampi alla palermo, fettuccine Alfredo and diavolo. Since I visited at lunch and had a busy afternoon ahead, I decided to forgo an appetizer, even though I’d been told Mario’s spinach dip is heavenly. And, I selected a dish from the lunch menu. Dishes ($10.99 like chicken alfredo and cacciatore, lasagna, manicotti, ravioli and chicken parmiagiana made it hard to choose just one. I settled on spaghetti and meatballs. It’s my personal belief that an Italian restaurant is only as good as its meatballs. I wasn’t disappointed in my choice. Perfectly-cooked pasta was topped with a thick layer of rich sauce highlighted with an ample supply of thick, juicy meatballs. The meal was preceded by a green salad with homemade dressing and the star of the meal, a basket of Mario’s famous homemade garlic rolls. The fact that the salad and bread are part of the lunch special instead of being sold separately made me add Mario’s to the list of restaurants to which I will return. Mario’s is located at 1410 N. 31st Ave. and 122 Carlisle Dr. in Hattiesburg. The restaurant is closed on Monday. Hours are 11 a.m. – p.m., Tuesday-Saturday and until 3 p.m. on Sunday. Check their website for more information: marioshattiesburg.com. I encourage you to try any of the Italian restaurants I’ve mentioned (email me if you’d like a more detailed list) but in the event you’re dining at home with a penchant for Italian, here are two quick and easy dishes that can be stirred up in a hurry. Better yet, they include ingredients most of us have on hand. Bon appetit! Italian-Flavored Pasta 8-ounce package dry pasta of your choice 1-ounce package Italian salad dressing mix ½ cup whipping cream ½ stick butter ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and keep warm. Cut butter into chunks so it will blend easily. Add remaining ingredients and toss together to blend. Serve hot; warm a couple of minutes in the microwave before serving if ingredients don’t mix well. Recipe doubles easily. Vegetable Pasta 8 ounces spinach linguini 2 cups whipping cream 2 cups chicken broth 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup frozen English peas, defrosted until soft and slightly warm (can substitute another favorite vegetable) Cook linguine according to package director, drain, cover and keep warm. Combine whipping cream and broth in a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes, being careful not to scorch. Remove from heat and add cheese and peas until cheese melts. Use microwave to reheat linguini if it has cooled. Toss with linguine and serve.

By Bob Arnold Erin Johnson, who joined Co-Lin as Events Coordinator and director of its Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR) program back in February, isn’t job-hunting any more and can’t foresee doing so in the future. When the interviewer for the Co-Lin job asked her where she saw herself working in five years, she answered simply: “I hope I will be right here in the job that I want now.” After a flurry of people had left the Co-Lin position in recent years to enjoy their retirement years, it was exactly what Co-Lin officials wanted to here from the young woman who had graduated from the school 15 years earlier and was ready to settle in to a career at her alma mater. ILR members, other beneficiaries of the college’s special events and co-workers who are involved in producing them as well couldn’t be happier about the new stability in the critical position she has taken over. Johnson’s career journey started at a tender age nurturing a bottle calf, and included helping a corporate CEO grow a major business and managing her own clothing and jewelry store. Born at Natchitoches, Louisiana, Johnson came to the area around Topisaw Creek at Ruth, Mississippi, when she was four years old with her parents, two older brothers, and one older and one younger sister. Her father worked as a forester at Georgia Pacific and her mother was a school nurse. She recalls a “wholesome” childhood growing up on 40 acres in the small rural community, where she played with her sisters, enjoyed 4-H activities and participated in the life of Topisaw Baptist Church. In the second grade, Johnson started her first job on her family’s mini-farm when she persuaded her father to get her a bottle calf that required care a mother cow couldn’t provide. She nurtured the calf, which generated a modest income for her as a cow when it had its own calves that could be sold. “When I reached driving age at 16 years old, I had saved enough money to buy my own vehicle,” she says. At Enterprise High School, Johnson served on the yearbook staff, played basketball and her fellow students chose her to reign as Miss Enterprise. She graduated as valedictorian. Then it was off to Co-Lin. “I cut down on my involvement in extracurricular activities at Co-Lin, where I studied business,” Johnson says. “I was a Co-Lin Trail Blazer who helped introduce the college to new and prospective students, but also worked outside the school to earn money for my education by making shakes and pouring energy drinks at the juice bar at the therapy and performance center that is now run by King’s Daughters Medical Center in Brookhaven.” After Co-Lin, she headed for Mississippi State, spending all of one day there before deciding the life and atmosphere at Starkville wasn’t for her. She quit, took a semester off from studies, and then enrolled at Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi, which had been her first choice for ongoing college education all along. Over two years there, she completed a BS in Business Administration with a focus on marketing. In 2009, Johnson joined Brookhaven-based Reed’s Metals as executive assistant to Bernie Reed, the company’s President and CEO, who was focused on growing a company with $12 million in annual sales into major international player in the metal fabricating industry. “That’s where I really learned business,” says Johnson. “I was involved in every aspect of the company – assisting in purchasing materials and machines for manufacturing and product sales. I traveled on small planes visiting suppliers and customers, attended trade shows and hosted foreign visitors, including Taiwanese delegations.” By 2015, Johnson says she had pretty much “burned myself out” in helping her boss engineer the growth of a major business and started looking for an opportunity to go into business for herself on a smaller scale in retail. She found store-front space in the rear of a building across the street from Reed’s Metals which her brothers owned and where they operated Johnson’s Fencing. With the help of her brothers, she created the boutique environment she wanted, and opened Erin & Co. to sell clothing and jewelry. When she lost her retail space in 2020, Johnson kept Erin & Co. alive as an online business selling graphic t-shirts for women, and rejoined Bernie Reed as his assistant at Reed Capital Investors, which he started after selling Reed’s Metals. Johnson learned about the Co-Lin job from her sister, who also works at the college. “I had become good at events works and it was what I really wanted to do.” Today, at Co-Lin, Johnson arranges space, staffing and services and assures a proper setup for college and non-college events, helps sell college facilities to outside users and manages finances and overall operations of the events function at the college. For ILR, she also helps its member committees plan programs in addition to coordinating its events. Johnson continues to live on Topisaw Creek and goes to the nearby church, which has been a part of her life since childhood. Erin & Co. also continues on the internet. She lives in a small house across the street from her parents, and her brothers and sisters are neighbors. Together, they all live on about 150 contiguous acres of which they are all partial owners. Before coming to work in the mornings and on returning home from work, she tends to her cows, dogs and cats. “I can’t think of any other place where I would like to live,” she says. What are your hobbies? I enjoy family, particularly being around my nieces and nephews. I exercise to keep in shape, enjoy movie and am active in the church in which grew up. When I vacation, I prefer mission trips associated with my church – often to Indian reservations where we help build homes, feed people and teach vacation Bible schools. I also serve on the board of Hands & Feet Ministries based in Guatemala. Are you a reader? I read the Bible, enjoy Jane Austin novels and delve into business books to hone my professional skills. More than reading what others write, I enjoy writing – and want to do more of it. Short stories, essays, whatever. Do you enjoy movies or theater? My favorite movie is Gone with the Wind, but I also enjoy Marvel films and westerns. I like Kevin Kostner, Robert Downey, Jr. and Maureen O’Hara. On television, I am an avid NCIS fan, and enjoy the old JAG and Magnum PI series. I am a Tom Selleck fan, too. Do you enjoy any music beyond your own? I listen to 90s Country and Christian music, particularly that of Third Day and Casting Crowns. I sing in my church choir, and will even do a solo when asked, but it makes me very nervous. What would you do with lottery winnings if you were so lucky? I don’t buy lotter tickets, but if I did and won big, I would buy land, build a bigger house, purchase more cows and travel, How would you change the world? I would tell people about Jesus and practice the Golden Rule – being kind and treating people well.

At its initial hearing recently, members of the Senate Study Group on Women, Children and Families announced by Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade were told Mississippi ranks worst or near-worst in infant and maternal mortality, poverty, hunger, access to health care and child care. Heather Hanna, assistant research professor at the Mississippi State University Social Science Research, says 39 percent of children in Mississippi belong to households with no full-time working parent, 43 percent of Black children in Mississippi live in poverty and women in Mississippi, although they have higher rates of educational attainment than men, earn less. The various experts also point out that 46% of Mississippi children are in single-parent homes, one in five children experienced hunger in the last year, nine out of 1,000 babies in Mississippi die. In the rural Delta, there are 4,000 children for every one pediatrician, and statewide that number is only slightly better at 2,000 for every pediatrician. Mississippi has alarming rates of premature, low-weight babies being born because many counties have no OB/GYN, and many mothers do not receive proper prenatal or postpartum care. Since young women have problems obtaining or affording long-acting, reversible contraception, the state Health Department is estimating Mississippi will see an additional 5,000 unplanned births a year now that abortions are banned. Hosemann said it’s now incumbent on lawmakers to come up with policies to help mothers and children, and House Speaker Philip Gunn has created a commission with a similar charge. “As a state we are in the wrong place on a lot of lists,” Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, told the nine-member, bipartisan committee. Dr. Daniel Edney, director of the state Department of Health, showed lawmakers a chart with a national report card that ranks states on numerous health issues. “We’re not just 50th,” Edney said. “We’re 50th by a mile. I think if we had 60 states we’d be 60th. The Department of Health is absolutely committed to work with you and do whatever it takes to get us off the bottom.” “What we’re asking for here is just a right to life,” said Angela Grayson, lead organizer for Black Women Vote Coalition and advocacy and outreach coordinator for The Lighthouse. In Mississippi, about 60% of births are to women on Medicaid, but state lawmakers have resisted extending standard postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months in their ongoing fight against Medicaid expansion under “Obamacare.” Mississippi remains one of only 12 states that has not expanded Medicaid coverage. Woodward, Edney and other presenters voiced support for extending postpartum Medicaid coverage. EDITOR’S NOTE. Excerpted from a Mississippi Today report.

Only 12% of school districts in the state received D or F grades according to data released by the Department of Education (DOE), though officials warn the pandemic played a role in schools’ improved letter ratings. DOE’s Office of District and School Performance provides state, district, and school level accountability or performance measures on an annual basis to help stakeholders make decisions regarding areas of improvement and need within the state education system. The Statewide Accountability System assigns a performance rating of A, B, C, D, and F for each school and district based on student achievement, student academic growth, graduation rate and participation rate. Statewide assessments measure proficiency and growth in proficiency for students on five levels -- minimal, basic, passing, proficient and advanced -- in grades 3-8 and high school students taking end-of-course subject area assessments in Algebra I, English II, Biology, and U.S. History. Schools and districts are expected to have an assessment participation rate of 95% or greater. Due to pandemic disruptions, schools have not received new grades since 2019. Assessments did not occur in the spring of 2020, and while tests were administered in 2021, no accountability grades were given for student performance. Many schools and districts saw significant improvement in their accountability score from 2019, but the education officials cautioned against year-to-year comparisons because of the impact of the pandemic on the data. Wesson Attendance Center (WAC), which received a B grade, in Copiah County School District paced the performance of area schools along with Lincoln County School District’s West Lincoln School and Bogue Chitto School, which received A and B grades; Enterprise School District’s Enterprise High School and Enterprise Elementary, both rated A, and Enterprise Middle School rated B; and Lipsey School, which received a B in Brookhaven School District. Enterprise School District, graded A, ranked among the top 10 rated school districts in the state. Among other area districts, Lincoln County School District and North Pike School Districts received B grades, and Cs were awarded to Brookhaven School District, Copiah County School District, Franklin County School District, Hazlehurst City School District, Lawrence County School District, McComb School District and South Pike School District. Among other area schools, Alexander Junior High School, Brookhaven High School, Hazlehurst Elementary School, Hazlehurst High School, Hazlehurst Middle School and Mamie Martin Elementary School received C grades. State test performance decreased significantly in 2021, so when test scores returned to more normal levels this year, schools saw significant year-over-year growth. Since growth is a key metric used to assign schools grades, it is possible that many districts and schools saw increased overall grades because of that growth. “Because the accountability system relies heavily on growth, it may be challenging for some schools and districts to maintain grades (in the future) that improved considerably in 2021-22 ,” said Interim State Superintendent of Education Kim Benton. Bottom of Form Benton also pointed out that the graduation requirements were waived for students to pass some state tests in 2020 and 2021 and graduation rates were positively impacted. This trend will continue until all students who took those courses during the pandemic have graduated. “We will likely see some variability in A-F grades over the next few years as the pandemic disruptions work their way out of our accountability system,” she said. District superintendents expected this outcome, and says that accountability results should be taken “with a grain of salt” because of the pandemic disruptions. They said they hoped community members would be understanding as grades fluctuated and these disruptions worked their way out of the system. While pandemic-related growth and waivers affected school grades, a quarter of all districts have increased reading and math proficiency since 2019. With the exception of reading proficiency (45.2%), WAC students demonstrated proficiencies above fifty percent in math (53.1%), history (88.1%) and science (67.1%), with a growth rate of 56.8 percent and 73.3 percent in reading and math. WAC had an 89.9 percent graduation rate. The ten highest rated districts for the 2021-22 school year are: Long Beach School District Clinton School District Ocean Springs School District Union County School District Petal School District Madison County School District New Albany Public School District Enterprise School District Pass Christian Public School District Rankin County School District

By Bob Garver After several weeks of increasingly ineffective horror movies, “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” was a nice change of pace. Actually, it was nice to have anything at all for the kids, who haven’t had a movie since “DC League of Super-Pets” all the way back in July. In many ways, this harmless piece about a singing crocodile is exactly what the movie landscape – maybe the American landscape – needs right now. Unfortunately I’m much more grateful for this movie’s mere existence than for what it actually brings to the table. We follow Lyle (Shawn Mendes) as he bounces between two families. First up is magician Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem, putting in much more effort than you’d expect for a movie with this title). Valenti can’t catch a break in showbusiness, and his old-fashioned act isn’t exactly a hit on reality TV. He decides what he needs is an animal, and in a rare bit of good luck, he happens upon the singing croc. Lyle is shy and only communicates through song, but singing alone is good enough for the act. Valenti raises Lyle until he’s fully-grown, at which point he books them in a theater, offering up his family’s NYC brownstone as collateral. The act bombs when Lyle proves too scared to sing, and Valenti is ruined. If you’ve ever seen the cartoon “One Froggy Evening” with Michigan J. Frog, it’s basically that. If you’ve never seen “One Froggy Evening,” I apologize for your childhood. Valenti is forced to go on the road and leave Lyle behind in the brownstone, which is sold off. In come the Primm family: dad Mr. Primm (Scott McNairy), stepmom Mrs. Primm (Constance Wu), and son Josh (Winslow Fegley). Josh doesn’t fit in at school or in New York, but he makes fast friends with Lyle once the latter is discovered. The parents are freaked out at first, but they too come around on Lyle once they discover that he can cook, wrestle, sing, and rock a scarf. The singing infuriates downstairs neighbor Mr. Grumps (Brett Gelman), who wants Lyle taken away by animal control. Valenti returns and wants Lyle for himself. Will Lyle be imprisoned, forced into showbusiness, or get to stay with his new family. This is a kids’ movie, so it’s a pretty safe bet it won’t be prison. The best thing about the movie is its overarching sweetness. Lyle is the nicest crocodile in the world, even if he is accident-prone. The Primms want nothing more than to spend time with Josh, and it’s because the youngster likes the carnivore that they welcome him into the family. And the musical numbers are all pleasant as well, with some covers and some originals courtesy of the team from “The Greatest Showman,” and all featuring Mendes’ heavenly voice. I like that crowd-pleasing style, so those were highlights of the movie for me. As for covers, don’t worry, a certain Elton John song gets some inevitable love. Sadly, the movie is a mess in other parts, which prevents me from giving it an overall recommendation. The “well-meaning animated/CGI animal getting into trouble in New York City” troupe was overdone last year in both “Tom and Jerry” and “Clifford, the Big Red Dog,” though I’d say this is a notch above both of those movies. The Primm family may be nicer than Valenti, but they’re not nearly as interesting, and it drags the movie out when Lyle has to win over one parent and then the other, when both at once would have been sufficient. Perhaps worst of all is the ending, with a rushed courtroom scene that relies on Valenti’s family history, which has never been discussed before. “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” is a movie that the family needs to see only if you’re low on other options, but there aren’t too many other options, so sure, go see it. Grade: C “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” is rated PG for mild peril and thematic elements. Its running time is 106 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Copiah County Tax Assessor Todd Mooney says he doesn’t like taxes or politics, but still likes the job he has been doing since he was in his 20s. Despite a lot of changes over the years, Mooney told the Wesson Lions Club he likes dealing with people, which remains the core of his work. The Tax Assessor’s office, he explains, appraises all land and buildings and other permanent improvements that contribute value to the land. It is also responsible for appraising all furniture, fixtures, machinery, equipment, and inventory used in business operations. Mobile homes are also registered in the office and it accepts applications for homestead exemptions beginning on the first working day of January through April 1. Mooney spends most of his time visiting properties and talking to their owners about them to calculate their values. For owner-occupied residential properties in Mississippi, the assessed value is equal to 10% of market value. The rate for all other real estate is 15%. Based on its use value, agricultural land in Mississippi was priced at $3,100 per acre in 2019. Veterans, seniors 65 years of age and older and disabled persons are eligible for a homestead exemption from all ad valorem taxes up to $7,500 of assessed value of residential property for a tax credit of up to $300.00. “Sometimes, people don’t want to talk to me, and I have to sit in my truck and sketch pictures of the property and the buildings on it,” he says. “But most of time, I am talking to people either on the road or at my office Among changes over the years that have help tax assessors, Mooney highlights: Fly-over photography every-three years to provide the initial basis for assessments. Computerization of property records. Online services that access property records, including deeds, facilitate payment of taxes and fees. A new Mississippi law that requires property owners in rural areas to obtain building permits for construction. “It also seems that there are a lot more weird people with whom you have to deal,” Mooney adds. “And one thing that hasn’t changed is people want to pay less taxes, which keep going up nevertheless. That will never change because even as people want to pay less, they want more services from government. You can quit asking for police and fire protection, and you won’t have to pay taxes. It won’t happen.” SIDEBAR Tax Assessor Todd Mooney advises Copiah County property owners to keep these dates in minds: First working day in January – Homestead exemption filings begin and continue until April 1. February 1 – Last day to pay real estate, personal property, and mobile home taxes without a late fee. April 1 – Last day for businesses to file personal property renditions. Last Monday in August – Property tax sale of all delinquent accounts. October 1 – New millage rates go into effect. Middle of December – Begin collecting real and personal property taxes.

Walmart invites communities to get healthy ahead of peak flu season at Walmart Wellness Day on Saturday, Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., where customers can receive affordable immunizations like flu, pneumonia, shingles, HPV and more at pharmacies nationwide. COVID-19 bivalent boosters will also be available with no out-of-pocket costs to patients. As children return to school this fall and adults resume normal activities, immune systems may be exposed to germs and viruses they haven’t battled since the pandemic. Walmart Wellness Day encourages families to stay updated on immunizations, connect with local pharmacists and take advantage of free wellness resources. It’s also a great time for customers to learn about our overall health and wellness offerings and solutions. More than 4,600 Walmart pharmacies across the country will host Walmart Wellness Day events, featuring the following health resources, administered by qualified pharmacy teams: Affordable immunizations, including flu, pneumonia, shingles, HPV, measles, mumps, whooping cough (TDAP), Hep A & B and more No out-of-pocket cost to patient COVID-19 bivalent boosters Wellness resources and the opportunity to talk with pharmacists Demos, giveaways and product sampling (in select stores) “As we move into the fall and winter seasons, we want to do our part in helping families remain protected through immunizations,” said Kevin Host, Walmart’s senior vice president of pharmacy. “Wellness Day is such an impactful event because it allows customers an opportunity to check in on health priorities, meet our incredible pharmacists and engage in conversations around wellness. Along with our pharmacies, we also deliver care through Walmart Health Virtual Care and Walmart Health Centers, which highlights our commitment to improving access to quality, affordable healthcare.” Since 2014, Walmart pharmacies have hosted Walmart Wellness Days, administering more than 5 million health screenings for customers. More than 4,000 Walmart stores are in medically underserved areas, which means Walmart is often the first stop for health care in these rural and underserved communities. To find a Wellness Day event in your neighborhood, visit Walmart.com/wellnesshub.

By Kara Kimbrough You’ve undoubtedly seen the bright yellow container in the supermarket dairy case with the name, “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!” After seeing countless online videos and posts on the latest charcuterie board trend, let me just say…“I can’t believe it IS butter!” Turns out, some charcuterie board aficionados have tired of creatively arranging boards with slices of cheese, crackers and smoked meats formed into cutesy roses and other shapes. Now, they’ve begun slathering boards with butter. I shudder to think what cardiologists and nutritionists think of this risky trend. And trust me when I say, a butter board is not something I’ll ever serve to anyone, even the most trendy guest. I don’t mean to imply butter boarders are not leaving the high-fat spread unadorned. They’re adding slightly-healthier toppings like roasted garlic and chopped vegetables and seasonings that include the also-trendy “Everything But The Bagel” seasoning, which can be found in most supermarkets. But underneath all the good stuff still remains a hefty layer of plain ‘ol butter. I still don’t understand it, especially when much tastier choices are available. All this talk about butter reminded me of a lesson on the merits of butter versus margarine by a hospital executive chef. He despised margarine and loved real butter, but unfortunately, overseeing meals for patients and directly preparing food for physicians who were present in the hospital for one purpose – to heal the sick –required him to cut back on an otherwise-liberal use of butter. Choices were limited, but he did approve the use of Healthy Choice Buttery Spread. The product includes Omega-3 and claims to support the “healthy” cholesterol. I’ve never forgotten his advice and use the product to this day. (Please check with your own physician). Even though Healthy Choice is my spread of choice, I don’t feel it’s appropriate to spread it liberally over a board and serve it to guests. Instead, why not make a cream cheese board? I’ll admit, cream cheese is probably not a substantially healthier choice, but in my opinion, it’s a much more aesthetically-pleasing and tastier option than butter. Topped with chopped tomatoes, green olives, seasonings, grated cheese, sliced meats and sliced bagels or crackers for dipping, it’s the perfect charcuterie board. But back to butter boards. I found there’s quite a long list of dishes with butter in the name. Examples are butter chicken, buttermilk pie, gooey butter cake, butter cookies, butter pecan frosting and butterscotch pudding…to name just a few. This almost never happens, but I actually had a container of buttermilk in my refrigerator, leftover from baking buttermilk cornbread - another butter dish. I toyed with the idea of making butter chicken, but decided the influx of curry and other spices in the India-inspired dish may not be to my liking. Soaking chicken pieces in a buttermilk marinade with other spices before coating in bread crumbs and baking in the oven was another option. Butter milk makes chicken moist and tender, but I wasn’t in the mood for a chicken dinner. Instead, I used the leftover buttermilk to make a simple pie, similar to the one my grandmother used to make. It comes together very quickly and bakes into a crunchy, delicious pie. And most importantly, I feel much better about using a butter-based product than I did after learning of the newest charcuterie craze. Not a Butter Board, But Buttermilk Pie 9-inch unbaked pie crust 3 large eggs ½ cup butter, softened 1 ½ cups white sugar 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup buttermilk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 tablespoon lemon juice Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a pie plate with unbaked pie crust. Beat eggs in a bowl until foamy, then beat in butter, sugar and flour until fluffy. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix together until smooth. Pour into crust and bake for 45-50 minutes until inserted knife comes out clean. Let cool before cutting. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

The young husband meant it when he told her, “We will, I promise. We’ll go. But honey, right now is a really bad time. The farm is needing so much money put into it, we just can’t go right now. But I promise, ONE DAY WE’RE GONNA DO IT.” She sighed softly, but she meant it when she answered, “I understand, I really do.” Years passed and she kept mentioning it, again and again. She knew he desperately needed a break from all the work. But she understood when he would have to tell her things like, “Darlin’, I know we haven’t ever gone. And yes, I remember I promised that we would. And we will. But, th’ thing is, my hired hand broke his arm, I can’t leave now.” Or, “Sweetheart, ya’ know this is calving season, no way I can leave now!” Another fifteen years flew by. The kids grew into teenagers, and left for college. The farm kept flourishing and expanding under their hard work and care. So much so, that whenever she mentioned getting away, his painful answer was much the same, “Oh, love, I can’t seem to find the time to even sit down and watch a full TV show! There just always seems to be something else waitin’ for me to do. There’s no possible way this year. Maybe next summer.” Eventually gray hair appeared, joints got stiffer, and the no-longer-young wife took to standing at the window of the dining room, staring longingly down the road that led to Some Where…anywhere. The still faithful, hardworking husband knew she spent time gazing out that window, dreaming of all the places they had never gone. But his job was still his job, and he took it very seriously. There just didn’t seem to be any time to pack a bag and walk away for a while. But the day finally came. He sold the farm, too tired and worn out for the upkeep any longer. With no chores, no animals and no farming, he was finally free to go. The money was tucked in their banking account, and they could go anywhere they wanted. So, one evening as they sat in their rocking chairs in the gentle evening breeze that cooled the front porch, he brought it up. The long-delayed vacation. “Where do ya’ want to go, sweetpea? Anywhere is fine with me, I promise. Just say the word, and we’ll pack and be gone.” With a choked voice, and tears spilling from her eyes, his beloved had to tell him the truth. “Oh, babe, I just don’t think I have the energy to go anywhere, anymore. Seems I just stay so bloomin’ tired all the time. I sure hope the doc can give me some vitamins when I go to see him next week. At least, I hope that’s all it is.” Nine months later, her faithful hard-working husband stood by her graveside. Those standing nearby heard him whisper, “Oh, hon, I sure wish we could’ve found that ‘one day soon,’ before it was too late.”

The Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR)) is a member-driven organization. Its 2022-23 officers are Tommy Sasser, president; Sarah Lloyd, vice president; Joy Wesbrooks, secretary; Nora Berch, associate secretary; Martha Lightsey, treasurer; Bettie Bullard, immediate past president; members-at-large Kim Whittington, George Huffman and Dian Summers. Five committees manage the organization, develop its program and handle meeting arrangements: Luncheon/Lecture. Bob Arnold (chair), Allen Cupit and Sylvia Buie. Scholarship. Mary Ann Smith (chair), Diane Clopton and Sonya Cowen. Decorating. Jennifer Templeton (chair), Sarah Lloyd, Melanie Dufrene and Colleen Bomesbach. Travel. Suzanne Vaughn (chair), Cherie Langston, Brenna Smith, Lanell Strait and Martha Lightsey. Finance. Martha Lightsey (chair), Marilyn Brown, Mary James and Lanell Strait. Governance. Jean Ricks (chair) and Zoula Huffman. Hospitality. Diane Clopton (chair), Sarah Lloyd and Linda Wall. ILR program coordinator is Erin Johnson (erin.johnson@colin.edu, 601-643-8702).