The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) recently announced the 2020-21 Co-Lin women’s tennis team has earned NJCAA All-Academic Team of the Year honors. The Lady Wolves posted the highest team grade point average of 3.9 and share the title with Mohawk Valley Community College (New York). “I am extremely proud of this team for achieving much success on and off the court,” said Co-Lin head coach Dana Hale. “Our tennis program focuses on a well-rounded student-athlete, and I feel that each of our players contributed to our team’s remarkable stats.” Members of the women’s tennis team are Britany Barnett, Meagan Poole, Morgyn Brister, Paige Shedd and Gracee Warren, all of Brookhaven; Susana Patino of Bogota, Colombia; Gracie Phillips from Crystal Springs; Madison Shows of Mendenhall; and Isabella Chella of Pretoria, South Africa. “It was a great job in the classroom and on the court for this group,” said Co-Lin athletic director Bryan Nobile. “To compete in the national tournament and have the nation’s highest team GPA tells you what a special group Coach Hale put together this season.” The Lady Wolves finished the 2021 season in third place in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 23 Tournament which qualified the team for a spot in the NJCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championship held in Mesa, Arizona. In addition, Co-Lin had seven teams to achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Those teams include softball (3.68 GPA), men’s tennis (3.55 GPA), women’s soccer (3.4 GPA), men’s soccer (3.31 GPA), baseball (3.21 GPA), golf (3.2 GPA) and women’s basketball (3.19 GPA).

Walmart is helping Mississippi residents stay healthy this flu season by making it easier than ever to get low-cost vaccinations in all Walmart pharmacies through walk-up and community flu shot clinics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone older than six months receive a flu shot each year. Further, the CDC recommends a COVID-19 vaccination for everyone over 12, especially as cases are on the rise. Walmart pharmacies across the country offer both vaccines, and customers can receive a low-cost flu and free COVID-19 vaccine at the same time, if they choose. “It’s important we don’t let our guard down with our health this fall. Between COVID-19 vaccines and the annual flu shot, we know people may be experiencing ‘vaccine fatigue,’ but these preventative measures have never been more vital to keeping our communities healthy,” Del Sloneker, senior vice president and chief operating officer, Health and Wellness said. “It’s on all of us to do our part and is just another way we’re making it simple to live better, healthier lives.” Walmart’s flu shots are administered by certified pharmacists and healthcare professionals who understand local health needs. In addition to walk-in availability, Walmart offers a variety of initiatives, making it easy to get vaccinated while following COVID-19 safety protocols. These events will make it quick and convenient for customers to get flu shots in stores in Mississippi. Walmart is a center of well-being in the communities it serves and has everything busy families need to live better, healthier, lives this flu season. This includes a team of pharmacists who can answer any medication related questions, COVID-19 tests, prescription and over-the-counter medication, as well as a variety of immunizations, including COVID-19, flu, measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), varicella (chicken pox), HPV, tetanus, whooping cough (TDAP) and more. Stores also offer low-cost grocery items, ranging from immunity boosting foods, to soup and comfort foods. Walmart customers with a Walmart+ membership can also get free shipping on store purchases and reduced prices on select prescriptions. Finally, Walmart continues to offer everyday low prices on household essentials like cleaning supplies, tissues, thermometers and more, to help keep everyone safe and healthy. To learn more about the flu shots and wellness resources available at your neighborhood Walmart, please visit www.walmart.com/wellnesshub.

When Erin and Ben Napier returned to her hometown of Laurel after college graduation in 2008, the community was struggling with empty storefronts and economic disinvestment. That same year, the city of Laurel became a designated Main Street program, and more than a decade later, the city of 18,000 has seen a rebirth of downtown business and an influx of tourists, many of whom have come to know and love Laurel through “Home Town,” Napier's HGTV show. Laurel’s story resonates with viewers—in large part because it showcases the power of place and the ability of a committed group of people to make a difference. Through the redevelopment efforts of the Napiers and many other community leaders, downtown Laurel has become a thriving destination. Today, the city is known for its historic Craftsman-style homes, mom-and-pop boutiques, local restaurants, enchanting murals and small-town charm. The story of Laurel also illustrates the power of the Main Street approach to economic revitalization, which creates change through small steps, small developments, and small business. That’s the strategy taken by the Mississippi Main Street Association, an economic development nonprofit that supports small towns and neighborhood commercial districts around the state. In just the last year alone—and in the midst of a global pandemic—Mississippi Main Street reported nearly 600 net new jobs and nearly 200 net new businesses in designated Main Street communities. Yet politicians love nothing better than a ribbon cutting for a big new factory or distribution center. In fact, as much as 90% of state economic development dollars in the U.S. go to large companies. Take, for example, Nissan’s Canton factory, which employs about 5,200 people. To attract the plant, the state of Mississippi provided roughly $1.3 billion in subsidies over the first decade of operation—which works out to more than $200,000 per new job. There’s no doubt projects like these have economic value. But too often, support for small businesses and small towns is overlooked in favor of elephant chasing. Contrast the amount of money the state put into the Nissan plant with the amount it allocated to Mississippi Main Street. Over the last six years, the nonprofit helped its Main Street communities create more than 8,000 net new jobs with less than $500,000 in state funding—averaging $62.50 in state investment per job created. On a dollar for dollar basis, investing in place—through small businesses and local communities—is a better use of tax dollars. When we support small businesses, their owners tend to reinvest that money back in the community, rather than funneling it to large corporate entities outside the state. Small businesses also account for the lion’s share of new U.S. jobs. In fact, small businesses have generated 65% of net new jobs since 2000, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. And finally, small businesses help create a sense of place that is essential to attracting talent—and ultimately, to attracting large employers, too. People want to live in communities with vibrant commercial districts, walkable downtowns, a variety of restaurants, and local character. Another successful Main Street example is the community of Tupelo, known as the birthplace of Elvis Presley. Between 1990 and 2020, Main Street investment helped reduce the downtown vacancy rate from 13 to 4 percent, as the city added live music venues, art galleries and farm-to-table restaurants. Today, visitors flock to Tupelo to attend the annual Elvis Festival or visit Fairpark, a vibrant mixed-use district built on the former site of the county’s fairgrounds. In a state where the biggest city, Jackson, has a population of just 160,000, it’s clear that small communities matter. Mississippi’s economy depends on towns like Tupelo and Laurel, and residents and tourists alike are drawn to their unique charm. By supporting places like these—and organizations like Mississippi Main Street—we can create lasting assets that will pay dividends for the long-term. Just as Ben and Erin Napier have demonstrated, investing in small, local development offers a proven return on investment—and is key to building thriving communities in the Hospitality State.

In July, Wesson Garden Club recognized landscaping efforts in four categories, honoring Ricky and Addie Erwin at 10923 Church Street (town residential), Danny and Julie Lowery at 4147 Highway 51 North (rural residential), David and Amanda Cliburn at 1024 Case Road (rural residential), City Hall at 1011 Spring Street (organizational), Hank and Paula Smith at 1034 Church Street (patriotic special) and Mike and Nancy King at 10041 Sylvarena Road (patriotic design). The awards, based on maintenance principles and elements of landscape design, seek to encourage ongoing beautification and cleanliness of the Wesson area and cultivate a citizenry that values and protects natural resources and assumes responsibility for enhancing the environment. The Garden Club's Yard of the Month awards honor landscapes during the spring, summer and fall.

Mississippians receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will see their benefits increase twenty-five percent (25%) over pre-pandemic benefit levels and this increase will go into effect starting October 1, 2021. This increase in SNAP benefits is separate from the additional pandemic supplementary benefits SNAP households are currently receiving. The additional benefits will have a positive impact on over 421,000 Mississippians. The newly announced increase is due to cost adjustment and is the first time the USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan’s purchasing power has changed since it was first introduced in 1975, reflecting notable shifts in the food marketplace and consumers’ circumstances over the past 45 years. This change will increase Mississippi’s overall SNAP benefits from approximately six hundred thirty million dollars ($630 million) annually to eight hundred and two million ($802 million) which is the equivalent to an increase of approximately $ 36.24 per person per month. “Just as Mississippi’s monthly TANF benefit was increased this year to keep pace with the impact of inflation, this adjustment of SNAP benefits by USDA is tied to the erosion in purchasing power for SNAP dollars over the past several decades,” stated Bob Anderson, Executive Director of MDHS. To check eligibility for SNAP benefits, the SNAP pre-screening tool is accessible here: https://www.access.ms.gov/. MDHS is working with UDSA to makes necessary changes to implement the new benefits and will provide additional information as the USDA makes it available. To apply for SNAP, Mississippians must submit an application to the Department of Human Services office in their home county. The application is available online, or individuals may request an application by phone, in person, or by mail from their local county office. For more information on the SNAP program, eligibility requirements, and how to apply, visit https://www.mdhs.ms.gov/economic-assistance/snap/.

The Co-Lin gridders will play a full schedule again this year. After last year's altered schedule due to COVID-19, in which the Wolves played three of six South Division opponents, Co-Lin football will return to normal with a nine-game schedule, including six division games and three non-division games. The Wolves will open the season with two away games - the first at Northwest Mississippi in Senatobia on September 2 at 7 p.m., followed by Itawamba in Fulton on September 9 at 6:30 p.m. Co-Lin will host Southwest in its home opener on Thursday, September 16, at 6:30 p.m. and hit the road again on September 23. when it faces Pearl River at Poplarville at 7 p.m. On Thursday, October 7, the Wolves return to Stone Stadium for a meeting with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. The Wolves will travel to Decatur on October 17 to take on East Central at 6:30 p.m. The last two games of the season will be at home, as the Wolves host East Mississippi on October 21 and Jones College on October 28 for homecoming. Both games will start at 6:30 p.m. The entire Wolves’ schedule can be viewed at https://bit.ly/3xFFusX. All four home games will be streamed live on the Co-Lin athletic website at www.colinathletics.com, courtesy of the Co-Lin electronics, technology and sports information departments.

Opera Mississippi opens its 76 th season on Monday, September 13, at 7:30 p.m. in Duling Hall with Lady Sings the Blues: A Tribute to Billie Holiday. The concert features one of Jackson’s most outstanding jazz singers, Rhonda Richmond. Tickets may be ordered online at operams.org for $30. If there are remaining tickets, they will be for sale at the door for $35. A Mississippi native, Richmond is an award-winning singer/songwriter, arranger, producer and instrumentalist. Her music is steeped in blues, peppered with jazz and a healthy dose of rhythms of the world, and reveals a powerful spiritual component which illuminates the strong cultural ties between the Mississippi region and the West African nation of the Yoruba. Her accomplishment as songwriter also appears on the CD, Belly of the Sun where Grammy Award-winner Cassandra Wilson sings “Road So Clear” featuring Mississippi native and jazz trumpeter, Olu Dara. Richardson has performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe. She has opened for jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson, jazz organist Jimmy Smith, The Yellowjackets, and Medeski, Martin & Wood. She has also been a guest artist on radio shows such as Michael Jonathan’s Radio Hour, Mississippi Arts Hour and Thacker Mountain Radio Show. Her CDs are Oshogbo Town and Rhythm and Strings. Her song, “Tallahatchie Waters,” appears on Paul Saltzman’s film, Prom Night in Mississippi, a Sundance Film Festival and HBO feature. Rhonda’s composition, “I Lift You Up,” is the soundtrack for a Dr. Wilma Clopton’s film, Our Forgotten Roots, the Unkept Promise and the virtual talk show, The Truth About. Billie Holiday, born April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a superstar of her day. She first rose to prominence in the 1930’s with a unique style that reinvented the conventions of modern singing and performance. More than 80 years after making her first recording, Holiday’s legacy continues to embody what is elegant and cool in contemporary music. Her complicated life and her genre-defining autobiography Lady Sings the Blues made her a cultural icon. The evocative, soulful voice which she boldly put forth as a force for good, turned any song she sang into her own. Today, Billie Holiday is remembered for her musical masterpieces, her songwriting skills, creativity and courageous views on inequality and justice. For more information on the season and tickets visit operams.org or call 601.960.2300. NOTE: Duling Hall’s Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocol: Effective August 30, 2021, for the health and safety of our patrons, staff, and artists, entry to Duling Hall will require either proof of a full course COVID-19 vaccination, with their final dose at least fourteen days prior to the event or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken in the prior 72 hours. Accommodating this temporary policy will allow artists to earn a living, our staff to be employed, and live music to have a place in society again. We will keep everyone posted on any changes moving forward.

August marks the time that school at every level is getting back into full swing. There can be several challenges and opportunities that arise during the first few weeks, especially on the heels of a pandemic. We will look at a few common challenges that most individuals involved in the schools (either as a parent, student or teacher) will experience which can create exhaustion. We will also discuss how a few changes in your daily routine can help you get more energy to be successful. As the school year begins, remembering everything from school supplies, to back to school events, arranging drop off and pick up, and remembering lunches or lunch money can be a challenge, all while considering school safety and security. In fact, getting back into routine yourself takes a while, especially when you must learn a new schedule. We must get used to the early alarms, packing school bags, finishing homework, and getting to school on time with the right supplies, devices, and safety precautions. Once the first day and week of excitement is over, kids realize they are back in the groove of school and find it even harder to get up and get ready each day, particularly as things adjust. There may be complaints that good friends are now separated in different classes, or that homework is a challenge. Finally, once school is over for the day, there are still difficulties with scheduling and managing after school events and family responsibilities. All of this together can get extremely exhausting. The limitation is time and energy. So, what can we do to recharge ourselves? According to Consumer Reports on health, there are several things we can do throughout the day to help get all-day energy, not only today, but every day. Small changes throughout the day can boost your energy levels even after just a few weeks. Stay hydrated. Dehydration, even in its mildest forms can zap energy, memory, and attention, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In addition, dehydration can be confused for hunger. To compensate, make a point to drink water at regular intervals throughout the day beginning in the morning. Water is essential in most of our body functions! Focus on water rather than sugary drinks, energy drinks, and other quick fixes. In the afternoon, get moving! Physical activity is a powerful antidote for fatigue and can get the endorphins flowing. Even twenty minutes of low intensity aerobic exercise three times a week can reduce fatigue by sixty-five percent over a period of six weeks. Take the stairs rather than the elevator, park farther away from the building, and take a walk around campus at lunch for starters. In the morning, let the sunshine in. The brain makes melatonin, the hormone that causes sleepiness, when it is dark. Morning light helps stop the production of melatonin. Exposing yourself to light during the day can keep your sleep-wake cycle synchronized and helps combat daytime sleepiness. This will help everyone wake up each morning. In addition, exposure to sunlight helps make Vitamin D, which is essential for boosting your immune system. However, be sure to protect yourself from excessive skin exposure by using sun screen or sun protected clothing. Avoid sipping caffeinated coffee and tea in the afternoon and focus on decaffeinated versions. Most people feel they need a pick-me-up later in the afternoons. However, consuming a stimulant late in the afternoon can disrupt sleep when consumed even six hours before bedtime. Please also avoid quick boosts of caffeine from other sources, including “energy shots” and energy drinks. These can be very dangerous over time, leading to high blood pressure, heart issues, dehydration, kidney challenges, and anxiety. Eat more mini-meals. Eating smaller meals throughout the day will keep your energy up. Focus on natural, unprocessed foods and drinks rather than processed and packaged food, sodas and sugary beverages. Snack on fresh fruits and vegetables, Greek yogurt with berries, and drink plenty of water. Finally, take a tech break. During the day, walk away from technology for a few minutes at a time. Even a small break will recharge your mind. In the evening, try to power down. This means dim the lights, turn off the TV, and put away the smartphones, computers, and other electronic devices at least one hour before bedtime to help your brain trigger the production of melatonin. Your brain will not shut down unless you prepare it to do so. Ideally, you should avoid having televisions in bedrooms or places of rest. You will find the quality of your sleep will improve over time with this practice. Simple steps and a few changes to our daily routine can help combat exhaustion not only for you, but for those around you. I encourage you to review your daily habits to see what positive changes you can make. Here’s to a great year!

After a year of isolation and "butterbeaning" only in their imaginations, Wesson's Youth Garden Club (The Butterbeans) kicked off summer with an exciting, action-packed day of learning and garden goodness. The Wesson Garden Club (WGC) hosted the butterbeans on June 17 at the Old Wesson School. WGC Vice President Denise Jackson kicked off the morning with all things Bromeliads, specifically air plants. The leaves are spiky, no need for soil, and can be grown in a variety of locations. The Butterbeans planted their Bromeliads, a hardy plant requiring little attention, in their choice of a cow bone, cedar round or sea shell. The Garden Club of Mississippi's Youth Coordinator, Allison Ashmore, led the Butterbean's next activity, creating nature banners by gluing, painting and drawing silhouettes of the beauty found in nature. The activity allowed the Butterbeans to be expressive within their own creative minds. During lunch, WGC member Robin Furr led the group's story time. Nowhere Hair by Sue Gladner and Backyard Birding for Kids by Fran Lee were then presented to the Wesson Public Library on behalf of the Wesson Garden Club. Mississippi State University Extension Service 4H Coordinator Melissa Morgan supplied each Butterbean with a clay pot, paint of all colors, and the liberty to get crafty. Instead of watching paint dry, Morgan engaged the Butterbeans with healthy snacking. She brought strawberry plants to demonstrate how strawberries grow and then made strawberry smoothies for the Butterbeans to enjoy. To wrap up the afternoon, each junior gardener planted flowers in their pots to take home. Planting seeds within the children of the community is one mission of the Wesson Garden Club. Wesson Garden Club is a member of The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc. and The National Garden Clubs, Inc.

August 11, 2021 – The Mississippi Book Festival announced today it has cancelled the in-person event scheduled for Saturday, August 21. According to Holly Lange, the Festival’s Executive Director, “We are disappointed to have come so close to the finish line, but growing concern and cancellations from many of the authors and panelists scheduled to attend has led our Board of Directors to make the hard decision and forgo the in-person event. While we could have continued to wait, the trend lines were moving against us, so we all thought it best to give everyone enough notice so that schedules and travel plans could be changed.” Lange went on to say that even though the in-person event was cancelled, the Festival plans to move as many of the author panels and conversations as they can to virtual presentations in the coming months. “We had more than 180 authors signed up for 49 very exciting panels,” Lange said, “So our hope is to bring those authors and moderators together online in a variety of formats. We are moving forward with a renewed commitment to engage our book-loving community and continue the spirit of the festival. We encourage everyone to stay tuned for updates on our virtual package coming soon.” Hundreds of people work year-round to make the Mississippi Book Festival a success, and it wouldn’t be possible without the help of generous sponsors and donors from across the state. The Community Foundation for Mississippi is this year’s presenting funder. Other top funders include the Mississippi Legislature, Visit Mississippi, The James and Madeleine McMullen Family Foundation, The Selby and Richard McRae Foundation, The Phil Hardin Foundation, Donna and Jim Barksdale, The Crooks Foundation, The Mississippi Department of Archives and History, The Mississippi Humanities Council, Trustmark National Bank, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, The University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi State University, The University of Mississippi, The National Book Foundation Literary Fund, Mike McRee, and Carol Puckett and John Palmer. For more information, visit msbookfestival.com. You can also connect with the Mississippi Book Festival on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Kevin Kyzar has been named Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s sports information coordinator. Kyzar will assist with the overall operation of the sports information department, promoting all ten sponsored sports that compete in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). In addition, he will assist in production of media guides, planning annual press and media relations goals, writing and distribution of press/media releases, writing feature stories, handling all media requests to the department, collaborating with coaches on all information requests, and compiling records and statistics for all sports. “I am excited to have someone with Kevin’s knowledge and experience join my staff,” said Director of Public Relations and sports Information Natalie Davis. “He will be an asset to myself and our coaches.” An Ellisville native, Kyzar is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and journalism with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. He also holds a master’s degree in Sports Administration from Belhaven University and an associate’s degree from Jones College. Prior to coming to Co-Lin, Kyzar worked as a graduate assistant at Belhaven University in the athletics communication office where he was responsible for assisting with the day-to-day operations. During his time at Jones, Kyzar was the statistician for the Bobcats baseball team. He was a member of the student government association, Baptist Student Union, and a member of the Maroon Typhoon Marching Band. He also served in a leadership position within the Baptist Student Union at the University of Southern Mississippi. Kyzar received sports writing awards in during his time with the Laurel-Leader Call and has worked in various sport media outlets including newspaper, radio, and websites throughout the Pine Belt area.

We're starting the second gardening season! It’s not about a change in temperatures, because we have to wait until September or October to enjoy cooler weather. I introduced the idea of second summer because a lot of our flowering annuals transplanted in April start to run out of gas around this time. The heat not only wears gardeners out, but it also wears out the flowering plants. Second summer gives us the opportunity to refresh or replace our summer color. I started on my landscape refresher a couple of weeks ago. My beloved Vista Bubblegum Supertunias (I call them VBG) start to look ragged by early July. I can totally understand this because they’ve been growing in my home landscape since last October. That is one of the benefits of living on the Gulf Coast in USDA hardiness zone 9A. You’d look tired, too, if you’d been blooming for nine months straight. So, I started to replace my VBG with a pink, spreading, flowering vinca. This allows me to keep my pink flowering theme alive, and it will show off for the remainder of the summer. Another flowering plant that I love for the second summer season is the cutting zinnia, Zinnia elegans. These plants require very little in terms of maintenance except for consistent fertilization and moisture to maintain the production of gorgeous flowers all season. Zinnias are easy to grow from seed. I’ve promoted the idea of succession planting through the spring and summer by sowing seed every three weeks in different parts of the garden and landscape. This keeps your favorite varieties looking good all summer. I do this with my favorite zinnias, Magellan and Benary Giant. Another idea for second summer has been a Southern staple, and that is planting marigolds for the fall. Due to their nonstop display of earthy and warm colors, they are perfect for any autumnal decoration or display. Fall-planted marigolds also have a special name -- mari-mums. I like them because their color lasts longer than garden mums. There are a couple of types of marigolds that are perfect for the fall landscape. My favorites are the French marigolds, with autumnal colors on single and double flowers. Even though it’s really hot now, believe it or not, it’s time to start planting the cool-season greens. If you wait until September to plant kale, collards, Swiss chard and the like, you won’t be harvesting until January. So, for those October/November greens harvests, you have to plant in the second summer season. Don’t let the hot weather stop your garden activities. EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Gary Bachman is an Extension and research professor of horticulture at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi. He is also the host of the popular Southern Gardening television and radio programs.