Facing an increasingly unsteady blood supply, Mississippi Blood Services has joined the first-in-the-nation partnership to prepare Mississippi for emergency situations where blood needs are high. The Blood Emergency Readiness Corps (BERC), is composed of several blood centers from across the nation that have committed to collecting extra blood units on a rotating, “on call” schedule. The extra blood products will be held in reserve for any critical-need scenario, like a mass shooting or natural disaster. “The ugly reality that COVID brought to blood collectors is a disturbing uncertainty and scarcity in the blood supply,” said David Allen, President and CEO of Mississippi Blood Services. “When disaster strikes, BERC will give us more confidence that the immediate transfusion needs can be met. Unfortunately, we must adapt, because we are not seeing donor awareness or response following recent high-injury events like the summer shootings in Austin, Texas (14 victims) and Queens, New York (10 victims). BERC provides Mississippi and our partner states a ready-to-go supply of blood to fill the holes appearing in our disaster response fabric.” The nation’s blood centers have faced widespread blood shortages in recent months, creating a severely strained national safety net for mass traumas and other high casualty disasters. As the state’s primary blood supplier, Mississippi Blood Services joined with BERC to be proactive in its emergency planning, rather than rely on an increasingly unstable back-up supply plan. “When faced with a mass-need event,” Allen said, “blood centers across the country have relied on patchwork pleas for additional blood resources. States that had extra blood on hand might send units, but there was nothing that a blood center could count on other than undefined goodwill. With BERC, partner blood centers will know exactly how much emergency blood is available and where it will come from.” “Disasters by their very nature are chaotic. No one can be truly prepared for this chaos, but being able to check things off the list is one positive step towards order and recovery,” Dr. Damon Darsey, Medical Director for the Mississippi Department of Safety and MBS Board Member, said. “Knowing blood is going to be available is one major hurdle to check off the list. First responders are all too aware of just how vital blood can be in the time of crisis.” Mississippi Blood Services will be collecting extra blood products as part of its on-call schedule. Drive coordinators and donors will be asked to step up to a higher calling of guardianship to cover possible coast to coast needs. If no emergency situation arises, the blood products will be returned to Mississippi Blood Services’ general inventory, to be used for local blood needs. Participating centers will rotate inventory coverage, starting on a 3-week cycle. To donate blood, donors can make an appointment by calling (601) 368-2673, or visit our website at www.msblood.com.

Today, the Mississippi State Fairgrounds announced the all-new Dixie National Corral as part of the 57th annual Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo. The new outdoor venue offers a variety of foods and goods to the public and is available for breakfast lunch and dinner. “We are excited to introduce the Dixie National Corral at the annual Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo,” says Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson. “This new attraction offers livestock show families and spectators a place to eat and shop while on the Mississippi Fairgrounds between shows. I also want to invite those that work in the downtown area to come by for lunch or dinner and support our youth participating in livestock shows as they show off their animals and showmanship skills.” The Dixie National Corral includes the famous Penn’s fried food, fresh blueberry pastries from J&D Farms in Poplarville, tacos, corned beef and fresh squeezed lemonade, as well as leather and tack vendors available to shop. The Corral is open each day for breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and for lunch and dinner from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. starting today, February 2, and running through Saturday, February 19. For additional information on the Dixie National Corral from Commissioner Andy Gipson, see the linked video. Also available at the Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo is the Cattlemen’s Beef Barn and the Dixie National Steakhouse. The Beef Barn, stationed on the Midway, offers a variety of beef entrees and opens daily at 10:00 a.m. The Steakhouse will be open for lunch and dinner from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. daily the Trade Mart beginning Friday, February 4. The Steakhouse offers lunch and dinner menu options including ribeyes, filets, chopped steak, sausage stuffed pork chops, ribs, chicken salad, and more. The kid’s menu features chicken tenders, burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches. Events of the 57th Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo run through Sunday, February 20, 2022. The Dixie National Rodeo, the largest rodeo east of the Mississippi River, takes place Friday, February 11, through Sunday, February 13, and again Wednesday, February 16, through Saturday, February 19, inside the Mississippi Coliseum at the State Fairgrounds. Tickets can be purchased at the Coliseum Box Office or online at www.ticketmaster.com/dixie-national-rodeo-tickets/artist/848320. For more information on the rodeo, concerts and schedules, download the Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo mobile app, visit www.dixienational.org, “like” the Dixie National Livestock Show & Rodeo page on Facebook, or call 601-961-4000.

By a proclamation from Gov. Tate Reeves, Mississippi will recognize Arbor Day on Friday, February 11. "Nationally, Arbor Day is recognized in April," said Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) state forester Russell Bozeman. "However, we celebrate Arbor Day in Mississippi on the second Friday in February each year. Late winter is the best time to plant new trees because it helps young trees focus on putting down roots.” Mississippi has been celebrating Arbor Day since 1926 as a special day to recognize the statewide contributions of trees and forests. The benefits of forestry to Mississippi include a $13.1 billion contribution to the state's economy, more than 62,000 jobs, and an average of $10 million toward education through Public School Trust (16th Section) Land timber sale revenue. Additionally, Gov. Reeves has proclaimed February 11-17 as Tree Planting Week across the state. During this week, community partners, families, and friends will join together to celebrate the benefits of trees and community forests to recognize the unique beauty and diversity of Mississippi's native trees. Leading up to Mississippi Arbor Day, many counties host events, sales, and tree giveaways. Mississippians can find a list of these events at www.mfc.ms.gov. "On behalf of the Mississippi Forestry Commission and all of our forestry partners, I want to thank Gov. Reeves for this proclamation," Bozeman said. "I also want to encourage all Mississippians to take advantage of the tree giveaways and sales in their communities to help spread the importance of trees for future generations. Healthy trees lead to healthy lives." For more information about the MFC or Mississippi Arbor Day, like and follow @MSForestryComm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

For more than 12 years, Entergy Mississippi employees have volunteered to help customers who qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit receive help claiming the money they have earned. And this year is no different. The company is also continuing its partnership with community advocates to support free IRS-certified Volunteer Income Tax Assistance tax preparation services for qualifying customers. Funding for this effort is provided through shareholder contributions and does not impact customer bills. Since 2009, Entergy’s support of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites has helped return $298 million to more than 164,000 residents throughout the company’s utility service area in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In Mississippi, nearly 35,000 residents have received more than $76 million. The federal government estimates EITC has lifted more than 5.6 million people out of poverty, including 3 million children. However, one out of five people who qualify for the EITC fail to claim it. “The Earned Income Tax Credit is one of our country’s more effective tools for lifting low-income workers and their families above the poverty line,” said Amy Davidson, Entergy Mississippi senior public affairs representative. “Our goal is to increase the amount of federal money returned to our customers by raising awareness of the credit and supporting VITA sites to help qualified customers avoid high fees.” Free tax preparation services are provided at VITA sites throughout the 2022 tax season. At local VITA sites, IRS-certified volunteers from Entergy Mississippi and community partners will be available to help residents who earn $57,000 or less determine if they qualify to receive the tax benefits. Qualifying families can receive as much as $6,700 through EITC. In some VITA locations, local community partners are offering appointments for tax preparation services, drop-off tax prep services, financial coaching, budget workshops, free legal services and more. Contact the provider in your community to confirm available services. VITA site locations are available at entergy.com/freetaxhelp or by calling 211. Residents may sign up to have their taxes prepared at getyourrefund.org. Information from getyourrefund.org will be used to match a tax filer with a nearby VITA provider. About Entergy Mississippi Entergy Mississippi, LLC provides electricity to approximately 456,000 customers in 45 counties. Entergy Mississippi is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, an integrated energy company engaged in electric power production, transmission and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 7,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,500 employees. Learn more at entergy.com and follow @Entergy on social media.

By Bob Garver There were no new wide movie releases this past weekend, and I can’t say I blame the studios given that a snowstorm kept much of the East Coast indoors. Outside of the COVID era, I think this is the farthest down the weekly box office chart I’ve ever had to go to find a movie to review. “Licorice Pizza” came in 9th place in its tenth weekend, earning less than $700,000 on fewer than than 800 screens in the whole country. It should be disheartening that I have to dig so deep, but actually it’s the opposite. I’m glad I have the opportunity to shine a light on this movie, one that normally wouldn’t get this kind of attention in a column that aims to cover blockbusters. The film comes courtesy of Paul Thomas Anderson, one of the most highly-acclaimed writer/directors of his era. It stars Cooper Hoffman (son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, a frequent Anderson collaborator) and singer Alana Haim, both making their film debuts. I’d say it is extraordinary that these two are so perfect in these roles right out of the gate, but I have to factor in that they have showbusiness pedigrees, so they’ll just have to settle for me saying that they give performances more than befitting their families’ reputations. The story begins in 1973, where 15-year-old child star Gary (Hoffman) meets 25-year-old photography assistant Alana (Haim, naturally) on School Picture Day. After some frankly uncomfortable persuasion on Gary’s part, the two strike up a relationship, though a more plutonic one than Gary would probably like. Alana accompanies Gary to New York as he sabotages his acting career, and he uses his connections to help her launch her own. I thought the film might take the “A Star is Born” route where she rises as he falls, but she falls right out of acting too after a dangerous episode with a co-star (Sean Penn) convinces both her and Gary that the industry is just too crazy. The two bounce from one random life chapter to another. He’s briefly accused of a murder, the two start a waterbed business together, they have a terrifying encounter with whacked-out celebrity hairstylist Jon Peters (Bradley Cooper), she goes to work on a political campaign because she desperately needs some maturity in her life, he opens a pinball arcade, which she uses as evidence that her life is filled with too much immaturity. The romantic aspect of their relationship is on-again/off-again, and wherever it lands at the end of the movie, you get the impression that it could be the opposite in a matter of hours. This isn’t a very “exciting” film, in the traditional sense. The murder accusation, a dangerous motorcycle stunt, a stalker on the political campaign, and even the encounter with Peters all end anticlimactically (though the Peters storyline features the best car chase scene in recent memory). It’s all about the journey, and these idealistic kids are the best journey companions you could ask for. They’re so charismatic and the script is so entrancing that the best scene in the movie is them just talking about breathing. I mentioned earlier that the film is currently playing on fewer than 800 screens in the country. That number is likely to go up in the coming weeks after the Academy Award nominations are announced. The film is slated to get a Best Picture nomination, Anderson is almost certain to get nominated as a director and writer, and Hoffman and Haim could sneak into the acting categories. This movie is worth seeking out, even though it probably won’t be at the top of your local theater’s marquee. Its low-stakes nature might be frustrating at times, along with its practice of leaving storylines without satisfying conclusions, but make no mistake, “Licorice Pizza” has a subtle way of being a rewarding moviegoing experience. Grade: B “Licorice Pizza” is rated R for language, sexual material, and some drug use. Its running time is 133 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

By Kara Kimbrough I can’t begin my annual list of favorite supermarket products of the previous year without urging everyone to shop locally for food. As an employer of thousands of Mississippians and boost to local economies, schools and organizations, locally owned and national supermarket chains need our support now more than ever. Ordering groceries online (I'm not including those prohibited from getting out) from companies that have no presence in our state might be an occasional necessity. But, let’s do our part to shop locally for food whenever possible. Without further ado, my favorite new (and recently discovered) food items of 2021 include: 1. Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits – finding the frozen version of the seafood chain’s popular (and unbelievably tasty) biscuits in the freezer case got 2021 off to a great start. It’s not the healthiest item, but who among us hasn’t needed the comfort of a biscuit to ward off the after-effects of a bad day? Yes, it’s easy to make (recipes abound online) but popping a pan of the ready-made version in the oven simplifies the process. 2. Amy’s Vegan Broccoli & Cheeze Bake - A popular casserole has been reinvented by the innovative company, a transformation resulting in a vegan version that’s gluten, dairy, lactose, and tree nut free. 3. Snyder’s Twisted Pretzel Sticks - My favorite snack (ok, addiction), potato chips, are not the healthiest snack. However, I’ve found a solution to provide a similar crunchy, salty experience in a healthier way. 4. Cheez-It Snap’d Crackers - Also new in the snack aisle is this crispy, “snappable” cracker. Like #3, it's more reminiscent of a potato chip than the original Cheez-It cracker. 5. Town House Black Pepper Dipping Thins – Another winner in the crisp division is this paddle-shaped cracker that plays nicely with dips and spreads. 6. Ortega Mini Taco Slider Shells – Speaking of crispy, these smaller versions of regular taco shells are perfect for kids, scaled-down adult meals and appetizers when filled with your favorite Tex-Mex ingredients. 7. Bird’s Eye Sheet Pan Meals – In the freezer case, meals have never been simpler than grabbing a bag filled with everything needed for a complete meal, including meat and seasoned vegetables. My favorite is the Italian featuring sausage, seasoned roasted potatoes, sliced red and yellow peppers and green beans. 8. Nilla Pieces and Banana Pudding – It's almost sacrilegious to eat this Southern delicacy from a small plastic cup, but any qualms evaporate after sampling this tasty treat. Found in the dairy case, the single servings of banana pudding come with bits of Nilla wafers to spread on top. It’s a surprisingly good facsimile of your grandmother’s version. 9. Orville Redenbacher’s Made with Avocado Oil – Ending on a somewhat healthy note is easy courtesy of the popcorn guru who came up with a formula of microwave popcorn that’s least greasy without losing the buttery taste. If I’m not mistaken, it’s lower in fat, making it a delicious snack without the guilt. 10. My favorite food find of the year was one I consider to be a game-changer in the world of frozen pizza. Like most of us, grabbing one from the freezer case to pop in the oven is an occasional necessity, but the cardboard-tasting crust on many of them always left a little something to be desired. All that has changed with the launch of DiGiorno Croissant Crust Pizza. All the gooey goodness of cheeses, sauce and meat is supported by a light, flaky, buttery crust that takes frozen pizza to a new stratosphere. I'm not sure I can ever go back to any other variety after sampling this innovative creation. Last, I'm still reminiscing about a 2021 trip to New York City. If you'd like my travel trips and restaurant recommendations in the Big Apple, drop me an email and I'll be happy to share. Sharing a pasta recipe from the northern state known for its outstanding Italian cuisine seems appropriate. Here's to a wonderful 2022! New York-Inspired Pasta Bake 1 pound spaghetti ¼ cup butter 2 eggs, beaten separately 1 (16-ounce) container ricotta cheese 1 (10-ounce) package chopped spinach, thawed and drained well 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded 4 links Italian sausage, cooked and sliced 1 (28-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce or equal amounts homemade Grated cheese Cook spaghetti a little less than normal. Drain, add butter and one of the beaten eggs. Mix. Divide in two; put in 2 greased pie pans, lining the pan, coming up the sides. Mix ricotta, spinach, garlic powder, mozzarella and the other egg. Mix sausage and spaghetti sauce. Spread a layer of cheese/spinach mixture, then sausage, topping with grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. Let set 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serves 6-8 people. Recipe adapted from “What’s Cooking at Stony Brook Cookbook” in “Best of the Best from New York Cookbook.” By Quail Ridge Press. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Randolph issued an emergency order on Jan. 27 extending the time for COVID-19 safeguards in all courts for another month and giving individual judges discretion to postpone jury trials scheduled through Feb 25. Since the onset of national and state emergencies created by COVID-19 in March 2020, the Supreme Court has issued a series of orders to address changing circumstances and evolving guidance provided by health authorities. Emergency Administrative Order 27, issued on Jan. 27, says that judges who preside over drug intervention courts also are authorized to modify scheduling of drug testing and home supervision of participants through Feb. 25. The most recent order leaves in effect other safety provisions reimplemented Aug. 5, including using teleconferencing, videoconferencing and electronic filing to limit in-person contact in courts, and allowing felony plea hearings, felony sentencing hearings and probation violation hearings to be conducted remotely by way of interactive audiovisual equipment. A copy of the Jan. 27 order is at this link: https://courts.ms.gov/appellatecourts/docket/sendPDF.php? f=700_573987.pdf&c=94457&a=N&s=2.

Without the mature trees that surround it today, at first I did not recognize this landmark "Old Towne" home. The witch's hat is long gone, and some of the second floor fretwork is missing, but, by and large, this house at 328 South Jackson Street, Brookhaven,* is still easily recognizable as the same house in the above linen post card from 100+ years ago. Although most Brookhavenites today have always known this house to be the McGrath home**, the picture postcard shows that it originally was the home of J.B. Nalty, the son of Irish immigrants who settled in Copiah County before the Civil War, and where he was born May 23, 1857. The Nalty family moved to Brookhaven after the war. J.B. Nalty was educated in a private school, attended college in New Orleans and returned home to open a mercantile business that catered to the lumber industry. It was through that 10-year association that Nalty gained valuable knowledge about the inner workings of King Lumber. He soon tired of the restrictions of his store, sold it, formed a partnership and bought a small lumber mill four miles east of Brookhaven. Nalty assumed the role of secretary and general manager of the East Union Lumber and Manufacturing Company. Incorporated in 1890, East Union grew to be one of two of the largest sawmills in the state -- the other one being the Pearl River Lumber Company, also located in Brookhaven. By now an entrepreneur, Nalty expanded his lumber business to Hammond, Louisiana, and also served as president of the Crystal Ice Company and Dixie Creamery, established in 1907. He married Mamie Halpin, a native of St. Louis, in 1885, and they reared five sons, Louis D., Willie H., Eugene, Ray, John Bernard Jr., and daughter, Naoma. For those who wish to read more, this link contains a detailed biography of J.B and a small thumbnail photo portrait of him. Written in 1906, it notes his hobbies, his disinterest in political ambitions, that he was a member of the Catholic Church in Brookhaven AND, among other fraternal organizations, was an officer in the Concatenated Order of Hoo Hoo, a lumberman's association that counted Teddy Roosevelt and Warren G. Harding among its members and whose motto was "Health, Happiness and Long Life," J.B. Nalty lived to 78, dying on March 16, 1936. His remains are in the family plot at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Cemetery in Brookhaven. To see a photograph of his memorial, please see this Findagrave link. ** Update: Mystery solved! The John W. McGrath IV family lived in the house in the 1950s and early 1960s, which is how it came to be known as the McGrath house. Prior to that, the Naltys owned the properties from corner to corner, and the house that overlooks the elementary school evidently belonged to one of the Nalty sons -- this, according to Bettie Hatcher Cox, who conferred with Caroline Cohen Passmore who was friends with a McGrath daughter. Additionally, Bettie noted that most of the McGrath homes were clustered together near the Teen Tavern at the end of Cherokee Street and most of them were demolished to make way for Brookway Boulevard.

This January listeners began hearing a new but familiar voice on Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s weekday news programs Morning Edition and Mississippi Edition as Desare Frazier assumed hosting duties after the retirement of longtime host Karen Brown. Mississippi Edition features the latest news of the day and interviews with the people who are making the headlines themselves. The award-winning program not only provides Mississippi news but also addresses the ways that national and world news affects our state. Prior to her promotion, Frazier was the Senior Legislative and Health News Reporter for MPB News where she produced stories for radio newscasts, in-depth radio features and special reports. Her work garnered notable awards, including a Salute to Excellence awards from the National Association of Black Journalists, Regional Edward R. Murrow awards, and Mississippi Associated Press Broadcasters awards. Frazier is also a past Kaiser-NPR fellow. “We are thrilled to have Desare become the new host of Morning Edition and Mississippi Edition,” said Teresa Collier, MPB Interim Executive Director and Director of News. “She brings a wealth of experience and range as a journalist that will help enhance the work we do as Mississippi storytellers. Our morning shows are a significant part of the MPB News brand. Having someone with Desare’s impressive journalism background is critical to the credibility and integrity of what we do. I also want to thank Karen Brown for her more than 14 years as host.” Frazier brings a tenured broadcasting background to her work as a news reporter, anchor, and producer. Her career spans from WTEN-TV and WKTV in New York to WYFF in Greenville, SC. From 2001 to 2008, Frazier anchored morning, evening and weekend newscasts at WAPT in Jackson, Mississippi. Her coverage of Hurricane Katrina received several awards, including a Southeast Regional Emmy Award and Best Hard News Story and Best Katrina News Feature by the Jackson Association of Black Journalists. She was also nominated for a second Emmy Award in 2006 based on Outstanding Achievement in News Excellence. Frazier’s career also includes building the next generation of journalists as a former adjunct speech and communications professor at the University of North Alabama and Belhaven University. “I am excited to take on this new role with Mississippi Public Broadcasting and consider it an honor to be selected,” said Frazier. “I am enjoying helping listeners start their day and look forward to engaging further with Mississippians in this role.” Frazier has a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in political communication from the University of Albany at SUNY. For more information on MPB visit, www.mpbonline.org. Find all MPB press releases here.

By Kara Kimbrough Struggling through an unseasonably warm Mississippi Christmas with sunny skies and near-80 temperatures was made bearable through incorporating elements of a chilly December 2019 trip to New York City. Reminiscing about the trip filled with magical sights like the Rockefeller Christmas tree, ice skaters at Bryant Park and the famed Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular got me through a hot, albeit enjoyable day. Another anti-dote to a summer-like holiday was the addition of favorite dishes from the culinary capital of the world. First, recreating outstanding Italian food enjoyed at Carmine’s in 2019 and most recently, memorable meals at Tony di Napoli and Becco was a welcome respite from baking and gift-wrapping on Christmas Eve. These popular family-style restaurants near Times Square are sometimes looked down upon by die-hard foodies who consider Little Italy the only place in which to enjoy Italian cuisine in NYC. Today, many “true” Italian restaurants are located throughout Manhattan, in nearby Brooklyn (my niece’s favorite area) and the Bronx. Visiting some of the recommended Italian restaurants in these and other areas is on my list for a 2022 return trip. For Christmas Eve, I used memories from the three Italian-centric restaurants I’ve visited to create meat sauce paired with bucatini, focaccia and a semi-close version of Becco’s rosemary-lemon white bean dip. If you’d like the recipe for these and any other dishes I enjoyed in NYC, drop me an email at kkprco@yahoo.com. Speaking of NYC, I’ve received many emails from readers asking for, in addition to restaurant recommendations, advice on ways to travel to the Big Apple on a budget. I’m also happy to share transportation tips, favorite hotels and must-see attractions. If you’d like to receive my travel tips, feel free to reach out via email and I’ll send them your way. I’m a writer, so expect a long list. A fall ‘22 trip to NYC was on my horizon, but there are travel costs to consider. However, after yearning for cold weather and learning of a special promotion offering major discounts in the coming weeks, I may return a lot quicker than anticipated and here's why. With the exception of CityPass, a lifesaver on attraction entry fees during both of my visits, it’s rare to find discounts on a trip to NYC, much less on hotels, dining, Broadway, museums, cultural institutions, performing arts and tours. After doing a little research (my go-to is NYC & Company, the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors for the five boroughs of NYC), here’s what I learned in preparation for my winter ’22 trip. Discounts are being offered as part of NYC Winter Outing, a promotion offered by NYC & Company Jan. 18 –Feb. 13. The program combines three signature programs: NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week and NYC Must-See Week, and a new program, NYC Hotel Week. I’ve already located savings at my favorite NYC hotel, The Sheraton at Times Square at nycgo.com/hotelweek – and 114 additional hotels are offering discounts. Further details on NYC Winter Outing and CityPass are available at nycgo.com/winterouting. Even if a trip to the Big Apple is not possible this year, it's fun to browse the organization’s website (nycgo.com) to view hundreds of articles and informational recaps of the “best of the best” taking place in the city and adjacent boroughs. I promise you’ll quickly realize NYC is a magical place everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime. Happy New Year – here’s to a healthy, blessed 2022! Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

Mississippi Boychoir is hosting its first Male Honor Choir - UNA VOCE. The finale concert will include music from the Festival Choir, Tougaloo College Men’s Singers, and Copiah-Lincoln Community College Men’s Singers. Festival clinician is Ken Berg of the Birmingham Boys Choir. The concert will be held Saturday, February 5th at 4:00 p.m. at Woodworth Chapel on the Campus of Tougaloo College, 6500 Tougaloo Blvd, Tougaloo, 39174. Tickets are available online at www.msboychoir.org or at the door. $10 Adults / $5 Students. Mississippi Boychoir is funded in part by the Mississippi Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.

For two years now, health care workers at the University of Mississippi Medical Center have given their all to help heal patients sickened by COVID-19, and at the same time, those with traumatic injuries and serious diseases. Many are stressed and burned out. Some have left the profession. A $3 million federal award, however, will allow the Medical Center to offer them new tools for support as they cope with challenges wrought by the pandemic and strive to regain their well-being. “This is very intentionally designed to reach every category of health care staff. It’s not just about doctors and nurses,” said Dr. Joshua Mann, professor and chair of UMMC’s Department of Preventive Medicine and the grant’s principal investigator. Mann also directs the Office of Well-being, which secured the grant and will implement it. The Office of Well-being is a service area of UMMC, working independently from other departments to focus on improving the well-being of all faculty, staff and students. The three-year funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration and is part of an overall $103 million in awards. Ten institutions, including UMMC, were funded through the grant category “Promoting Resilience and Mental Health Among Health Professionals Workforce Program.” HHS’ goal: Retain health care workers by addressing their mental health needs and by responding to the nation’s critical staffing needs. UMMC will create new programs through the Office of Well-being to alleviate stress and mental health challenges and to keep those entrusted with patient care on the job. Money also will be used to enhance and expand some current programs, including the RISE (Resilience in Stressful Events) team. RISE offers a workplace support system for caregivers whose stress can become or has become traumatic, hindering their ability to deliver safe and compassionate care. “This is exciting, because it provides a whole layer of assistance beyond RISE,” Mann said. The new programs include: The Office of Well-Being will offer an interactive program that allows employees to anonymously complete an online form to be screened for stress, depressions and other mental health conditions, and to receive a personal response from a mental health counselor. Employees can also choose to anonymously communicate back with the counselor to receive recommendations, feedback and support for connecting to available services. The grant will allow the Office of Well-being to hire mental health professionals to perform the screening. Dr. Julie Schumacher, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, will work with screeners to identify employees who would benefit from being referred to the department for counseling, and “to identify people who might need an expedited referral for treatment,” Mann said. “This is the biggest allocation of the funds. To have the staffing to implement an in-depth screening program is a significant step beyond what we can do now,” Mann said. The Office of Well-Being will offer online modules, developed by staff across the Medical Center, that are about five minutes long. They’ll help walk employees through how to improve their sleep, reduce anxiety and cope with other mental and physical health challenges exacerbated by past and current stress in their workplace. “This is also a great way to expand engagement of people throughout the Medical Center on the topic of well-being,” Mann said Grant money will be used to provide mini-grants to groups within UMMC who have ideas for process improvement activities related to well-being. The Medical Center will take part in national collaborative networks that focus on the needs of clinical employees.  “This will include quality improvement projects that revolve around well-being,” Mann said. The grant can make a significant difference in preserving the well-being of the Medical Center’s 3,000 nurses, said Dr. Kris Cherry, chief nursing executive. “The well-being of our staff has to be a priority,” Cherry said. “What we’re seeing is a great exodus from health care, and part of that is because of the stress caused by the pandemic. Having the Office of Well-being available to help with building resiliency is key so that we can stabilize our workforce so that employees can provide the best care possible to our patients.” The UMMC initiatives are in keeping with the grant’s purpose, which is “evidence-informed programs, practices and training, with a specific focus on providers in underserved and rural communities,” Health and Human Services said in a news release. A total 45 health care hospitals and facilities will share in the grant funds. “ ... The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified issues that have long been a source of stress for front-line health care workers, from increased patient volumes to long working hours,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in the release. “While the challenge is complex, these multi-year awards will support proven strategies for health care providers, academic institutions and other recipients to reduce burnout and build resiliency,” the release said. The American Hospital Association, in its 2022 Environmental Scan report, says that 62 percent of all health care workers say worry or stress related to the pandemic is having a negative effect on their mental health. Thirteen percent report they’ve received mental health services or medication; 20 percent say they need those services but aren’t getting them. The report also says 22 percent of nurses say they might leave their position providing front-line patient care within the next year because of insufficient staffing, the demands and intensity of the workload and their job’s emotional toll. And, the report says that 50 percent of health care workers queried by the AHA in July 2020 said the emotional health and well-being of staff was their top pandemic challenge – and that jumped to 75 percent for those queried in August 2021. Support for front-line caregivers and all involved in patient care – potentially, about 6,000 Medical Center employees – “was recognized as being needed before the pandemic,” Mann said. “The issues around burnout led to the creation of the Office of Well-being. “It’s obvious that the stress of the past two years has made it worse,” Mann said. “We have health care staff who are mentally exhausted, and they’ve accumulated stress from the pandemic. We will be dealing with that fallout for some time.” New programs can meet employees where they are – for example, online modules preferred by some younger employees, or face-to-face counseling for those who want that personal interaction, Cherry said. “A grant like this can help us not only identify and pick up on symptoms such as feeling hopeless or burned out, but also have different options to access services. It will offer us tools to be able to reach out to staff so that they feel comfortable.”