By Bob Arnold   Under new leadership, Co-Lin, through its Workforce Education division, is continuing its strong role in southwest Mississippi as the leading labor development partner among government agencies and private organizations working to shape the area’s economy.   This unique part of the college trains workers as needed for existing and new employers in non-degree programs, certifies people for jobs and careers to assure employers can draw on qualified workers and connects job-seekers and employers.   Tuwanna Williams, the former Director of Workforce Development for the City of Natchez with 20 years of experience in building labor forces, advancing local economies and engaging communities, has just come on board as the Director of Workforce Education at Co-Lin.   Williams says her priorities are streamlining the division’s activities, building relationships with the regional economic development players in the seven counties that make up the Co-Lin district towards supporting economic development and assuring students that they are prepared for real jobs, which they can find without leaving home if they want to stay in the area where they grew up.   Her first big event is this month – Co-Lin’s 36 th  annual Job Fair.   On March 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Billy B. Thames Conference Center on the Co-Lin, the Job Fair will connect some 50 employers with 300 to 400 job seekers of all experience levels. “Co-Lin Career Coach Emily Flessner, who is coordinating the event, has recruited a record number of organizations in a wide-diversity of businesses to meet people who want to work,” says Williams.  “We’re pleased to bring job seekers and employers together for this important event. With a variety of companies attending, it’s a great opportunity to network, showcase your skills, and explore new career paths.” Williams says Flessner has been making a special effort to bring in employers beyond the banking and healthcare organizations that are mostly on hand at the event – especially companies in engineering and construction.  In addition to representatives from hospitals across the region and banks, Magnolia Electric and Dungan Engineering will be present with their people this year. To make the most of their opportunity to connect with employers, Co-Lin advises job-seekers to: • Update Your Resume: Ensure your resume is current, highlighting your most relevant skills and experiences. Print several copies to distribute to potential employers. • Dress Professionally: First impressions matter. Dress professionally, even if the job fair has a more casual atmosphere. • Practice Your Introduction: Prepare a short, clear introduction of who you are, what you do, and what you’re looking for in your next job. Keep it brief but impactful. • Attend Prep Events: Prepare for success at Job Fair Prep Consultations, where you can refine your resume, sharpen your interview skills, and enhance your networking techniques. Consultations are available at the Brookhaven WIN Job Center. The Job Fair is free to the public.  Visit the Co-Lin Job Fair website at www.colin.edu/jobfair for details on participating employers, sponsors, and event updates.  With the Job Fair the primary responsibility of Career Coach Flessner, Williams has been spending her early weeks in her new job traveling the Co-Lin service district encompassing Adams, Copiah, Franklin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln and Simpson Counties to meet players in economic development – business leaders, mayors and aldermen, county supervisors and officials whose work focuses on recruiting new employers. The immediate focus of the meetings is evaluating our programs towards making sure workers are prepared for jobs employers need to fill.   The programs Williams oversees, in general, provide training in manufacturing skills for people who are already part of the workforce and high school graduates who want to go to work right away.  In recent years, fiber classes in splicing, fusion and optics, Certified Nursing Assistant (CAN) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) classes and classes for would-be truck drivers and electrical linemen have been popular.  Always in demand are Occupation Safety and Health, CPR and forklift trainings. In the coming months, Williams believes customer service training that emphasizes soft skills, such as punctuality and conflict resolution, will be, increasingly, wanted and she is also exploring building trades classes in plumbing, masonry, electricity and heavy equipment as new offerings of Co-Lin’s Workforce Education Division. Beyond short-term training program adjustments stemming from her relationship-building with economic development stakeholders throughout the region, Williams also foresees longer term outcomes spearheaded by Co-Lin, including a district Workforce Committee and periodic roundtables where government and business leaders discuss economic development strategies. A continuing component on Williams agenda for Co-Lin’s Workforce Development Division is Career Readiness Certification.  As part of the American College Testing (ACT) Work Ready Program, it conducts assessments of existing, emerging (high school graduates seeking jobs), and transitional (those who want to change jobs) workers in Co-Lin district counties and certifies if they are “work ready” based on a Work Keys training program.   “We want to help Co-Lin district counties maintain the work readiness of their labor forces – a major factor in recruiting new employers in their economic development activities,” says Williams.   Williams also talks about “streamlining” Workforce Education.   “We do a lot of things right, and we want to make them easy for our students and partners to engage through a web site and communication that are bigger, better and brighter,” she says.    Specifically, Williams cites a user-friendly web site where information is readily accessible, documents can be uploaded or downloaded and there is easy and convenient registration for classes and other events.  Even brochures or flyers with more inviting and compelling graphics can make a difference, she says.    In addition to its Workforce Education Division, Co-Lin helps workers acquire skills they need to qualify for jobs through its Career and Technical Education Division, which awards certificates and grants Associate Degrees to students who equip themselves for specialized jobs and career paths, and, in  partnership with ed2go, offers online open enrollment programs designed to provide skills necessary to acquire professional level positions in many in-demand occupations.

By Bob Garver Poster credit IMDB Author Colleen Hoover is apparently dominant in the genre of tearjerkers. She’s best known for “It Ends With Us,” about the upsetting subject of domestic violence. Now comes “Reminders of Him,” which features both a death and a torn-apart family. It wants to inspire tears of sadness and sympathy, but the best it can manage is to bore me to tears. The story follows Kenna (Maika Monroe), fresh out of prison after serving a seven-year sentence for vehicular manslaughter. She returns to her small Wyoming hometown, where the first thing she does is rip out the cross along the side of the road that memorializes her former lover Scotty (Rudy Pankow), the passenger she killed in a car crash while intoxicated. It’s not malicious, she does it to honor Scotty, as “he hated memorials,” though she doesn’t seem to consider that memorials aren’t “for” the deceased, they’re for people in mourning. Then again, she’s not one to always use great judgement. Kenna’s life is a mess. She can’t get a job because of her criminal record, she can only stay in a lousy apartment by agreeing to take in one of the building owner’s cats, and she has no legal right to see Diem (Zoe Kosovic), the six-year-old daughter she had with Scotty, probably conceived minutes before the fatal crash. She had to give birth in prison and never even got to hold her baby before she was whisked away to live with Scotty’s parents (Lauren Graham and Bradley Whitford). She’s looking for a way to become part of Diem’s life, but all of her ideas involve acting like a crazy stalker, which isn’t going to endear her to the child’s grandparents, who already hate her for what she did to their son. Kenna’s search for a job leads her to a bar owned by failed football player Ledger (Tyriq Withers). The two flirt and he instantly develops feelings for her. Things get complicated when it is revealed that he was Scotty’s best friend growing up and is now heavily involved in raising Diem. They get even more complicated when he learns that she is Scotty’s lover/killer and Diem’s stalker/mother. He demands that she leave town, or at least not insert herself into Diem’s life, but she has no intention of obeying. Besides, he doesn’t really mean that he wants her to leave town, he’s too smitten with her. Kenna and Ledger form an uneasy business relationship that turns into a friendship that threatens to turn romantic. Can he learn to love the woman who took his best friend away from him? And how will this affect the close-as-family relationship he has with Diem and her grandparents? No doubt it will involve lying and eventually exposure, but will forgiveness be around the corner? The film feels inexplicably stuffed with dragged-out scenes and unnecessary details. Kenna’s first job as a grocery bagger doesn’t really go anywhere, nor does Ledger not making much progress on a house he’s building far outside of town. And we don’t need a lengthy flashback to the night of the accident, everything has been sufficiently described in other parts of the movie. My theory is that a tight, early draft of the script came in at only sixty minutes and the studio insisted that it be stretched out to ninety, but then someone overcorrected until it was this nearly-two-hour snoozefest. Either that or the Hoover novel itself is over-bloated, in which case the movie should have done more to tighten things up. I’m not mad at “Reminders of Him” for being incompetent, just nonplussed that it’s so unexciting. Other than being too long and dull, it’s not even bad in an interesting way. By the end of the year, I’ll probably forget the very title of “that weepy mother-that-can’t-see-her-daughter movie.” And then I’ll need a reminder of “Reminders of Him.” Grade: C- “Reminders of Him” is rated PG-13 for sexual content, strong language, drug content, some violent content, and brief partial nudity. Its running time is 114 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu .

Special to Wesson News   Camp Rising Sun, a children’s oncology outdoors experience supported by Mississippi charities, including Wesson Lions Club as part of the statewide Lions organization, will be hosted by Camp Kamassa in Copiah County during the 2026 camping season.   Since 1988, the Columbus, Mississippi, based camp has provided a traditional camping experience for children diagnosed with cancer.   Children and youth ages 6 to 16, who have been or are currently being treated for cancer, will find swimming, horseback riding, arts and crafts, canoeing, riflery, archery, fishing, an arcade, camp Olympics, laser tag, dance, a talent show, giant swing, zipline and more in a setting that also recognizes their special physical needs.   Appreciating the financial challenges facing their families, campers are not changed for the Rising Sun program.  Transportation assistance is also available.   At the camp, medical personnel and equipment are on location 24 hours a day with a clinic staffed by doctors and nurses responsible for following medical orders of each camper’s physician to ensure treatments are maintained, including oral chemotherapy and other treatments.   Carefully selected volunteers undergo background checks and are trained to assure care and love for campers.  Certified water safety personnel monitor aquatic activities, and trained Timberlake staff assure adventure activities – the zipline and giant swing – are safe as well as fund.  The volunteer to camper ratio is approximately 1:1, with a 3:7 ration in cabins.   The Camp started accepting applications from returning campers in February and new campers in March through an online link available through info@CampRisingSun.com .  Siblings of the cancer-affected campers can apply at attend free on a space available basis.

Send responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com  Your spouse feeling extremely ill and hurting, with no rapid relief anywhere in sight? Don't expect him to act differently than exactly what he is feeling. Physical illness shows itself very plainly in our behavior – take a quick look at a hurting and fussy little baby who feels no qualms at all in expressing just how bad her body feels. Dealing constantly with real pain can make anyone of us cranky and hard to be around at times. So what is the solution when your spouse's behavior goes beyond simply being irritated? What should you do as his long-suffering partner, when the constant arguments begin to stomp on your last nerve? Walk away. Don't attempt to argue your point or reason out the issue with him. Simply realize he feels really lousy and is acting it out. And he is not going to be in the mood to listen to your side of the story, and try to work out a compromise with you. So do both of you a favor, and just walk away. Let a little time away from the situation cool the temperature in the room.   This maneuver can give both of you a chance to realize what is happening - that his ongoing pain is making him feel out of control. Feeling out of control is also known as that horrible emotion of helplessness. And helplessness very often brings on anger. And that kind of anger erupts quickly at the slightest outside provocation. And unfortunately, you can be easily that outside provocation. If you will learn to walk away from the immediate situation, hopefully there can come a point that he will start to realize why he reacted the way he did. And approach you to resume a more reasonable conversation ...usually trying to explain that his behavior is from the frustration with the illness or pain. Your second job after walking away? Listen to what he is trying to say to you, when he does begin to talk. Not just his words, but the emotions behind it all. Try to understand and sympathize. Your third job is to realize how badly you would probably be acting if you were to find yourself stuck in his situation. Remember this. There is absolutely no reason to continue an argument. No use trying. At this point, there is no winning for either of you. Because probably, neither of you is right or wrong. Just misunderstood, and not communicating very well at this stage. Pain inside a home has a way of making the people in that home seem to lose the skill of hearing each other very well. So, learn to walk away for a few minutes. For your own sake and for your spouse.

Special to Wesson News   Co-Lin Chef Chris McSweyn will teach cooking class.   Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR) members can improve their cooking skills in March and April workshops the Co-Lin-sponsored membership organization is offering in its spring semester program.   On March 20, Jennifer will lead a workshop on making sour dough bread and Co-Lin chef Chris McSweyn will conduct a cooking workshop on April 28 with a meal he prepares in the process.   In addition to the workshops, the ILR spring semester has already featured February and March luncheons with two additional ones scheduled on April 9 and May 14.  The ILR travel calendar has special day trips to New Orleans on       March 25, Meridian, Mississippi, on April 16 and Summit, May 7.  Throughout the semester, Cheryl Myers is leading weekly chair fitness exercise classes on most Wednesday that provide a safe and accessible way for seniors to stay active and improve their physical and mental well-being.   The February 18 luncheon at the Thames Center featured the Co-Lin choir and the March 5 luncheon prepared by culinary arts students at the Anderson Building featured Strings of Friendship.   A painting workshop scheduled on February 23 was cancelled due to a back injury of the instructor, Dawn Marks, and will be rescheduled for later in the semester.  Likewise, a February 24 day trip that included a train trip from Gulfport, Mississippi, to Mobile, Alabama, was cancelled to be rescheduled at a later time.   ILR provides continuing education experiences for retired and semi-retired older adults.  In ILR, participants define their own informal educational goals and pursue them at their own pace, based on their own choices and talents.  Members, who design the group's program, come from wide ranging backgrounds and bring varied experiences to the organization.  Co-Lin staff administers ILR and the college provides facilities for the organization, which is fully funded by member dues.               The ILR spring semester program:   Every Wednesday. Cheryl Myers will lead one-hour chair fitness yoga classes.  Exercises can be modified to accommodate various fitness levels and abilities, focusing on improving strength, balance and flexibility.  $10 per class.  10:30 a.m.  Thames Center.   Contact Cheryl Myers at (601)-757-2133.   March 20. Jennifer Case teaches how to make sour dough bread, including a starter.  Cost includes starter, jar and first feeding of starter.  Participants need to bring a glass bowl, wooden spoon, tea towel, small bowl with a lid for discard after pouring off and refeeding starter and ingredients – 3 ½ cups of unbleached all purpose organic flour, salt and sugar.  The instructor will provide butter that will be melted and filtered well water.  While making their sourdough starters, participants will eat good food and have fun in a social atmosphere in which all can learn and enjoy the craft.  Limited to 10 participants.  Four can still sign up.  Cost is $45 (including starter, jar and first feeding for starter).  Class starts at 8 a.m. and will take about three hours.  Thames Center on the Co-Lin campus.  March 24.  Day trip to New Orleans includes matinee dinner show with buffet style luncheon and Victory Belles performance of toe-tapping favorite popular patriotic World War II era tunes, entrance to WW II museum and the film Beyond All Boundaries .  $150 cost covers travel on professional motor coach.   March 31.                                                                                                                            Co-Lin Spring Spectrum Band Concert.  7 p.m.  Rea Auditorium on Co-Lin Wesson campus.   April 9. Luncheon at the Anderson Building on Co-Lin campus with meal prepared by Co-Lin culinary arts students and entertainment provided by Co-Lin Jazz Band.  10:30 a.m.  $10.   April 15. Day trip to Meridian, Mississippi, includes tour of Dann’s Falls at Enterprise, Mississippi.  Wear tennis shoes to ascend and descend the high steps.  Enjoy lunch on your own at the famous Wiedmann’s Restaurant in Meridian and then visit the Meridian Museum of Art.  Travel on Professional Motorcoach.  Cost is $65   April 28. Cooking demo led by Co-Lin Chef Chris McSweyn.  Participants will learn cooking secrets as McSweyn prepares a meal for them.  $25.  2 p.m.  Co-Lin Thames Center. May 7.    Day trip to Summit, Mississippi, includes private painting class at The Happy Easel Art Studio from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., a light lunch of sandwiches, cookies and drinks during the class, shopping in downtown Summit if time permits and travel.  Cost is $45.   May 14. Luncheon prepared by Co-Lin Chef Chris McSweyn.  Entertainment to be determined.  $14.  10:30 a.m.  Co-Lin Thames Center   April 3.                                                                                                                                                               Fentanyl and Narcan:  Saving Lives Through Awareness and Action.  Workshop conducted by Ashley Washington, Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist.  10:30 a.m.  Co-Lin Thames Center.   For information, contact Co-Lin Program Coordinator and Events Coordinator Erin Johnson at (601)-643-8702 and erin.johnson@colin.edu .   The Institute for Learning in Retirement is a member-driven organization.  Its 2025-2026 officers are George Huffman, president; Sarah Lloyd, vice president; Joy Wesbrooks, secretary; Lanell Strait, associate secretary; Ketti Breaux, treasurer; Bettie Bulliard, immediate past president; members-at-large Jackie Abrams, Mary Jane James and Mary Lou Barlow.

By Jessica Breazeale (My personal list of amazement) 1.      Ants I know what you’re thinking, “Yeah, yeah…we’ve heard this a million times. Ants are incredible but I tend to disagree because they bite, they make you itch, they are a nuisance…” and I totally get it. I hear ya. I really do! But, ants are some seriously brilliant architects and engineers and do not concern themselves with the red tape. They work together to accomplish the task and complete the job. Prepare to be amazed… 2.      Superb Birds of Paradise  These birds are so theatrical. If you need to be entertained, check out these dancers online. Superb Birds of Paradise do a quick “costume change” to perform for a potential mate to attempt to woo them with their sweet dance moves. The better the dancer, the better the chances of a hot date. Prepare to be amazed…    3.      Parrot Fish The first time I saw parrot fish, I was snorkeling in St. Thomas, and the parrot fish were everywhere. I have never felt more delighted or welcomed in someone else’s home. They were all smiles, which comforted me. I felt like I was in a comedy and they were about to pull a prank. Imagine hundreds of these guys all around you. You’re sure to feel like you’re back in the hospitality state we all used to know and love. It looks like they’re saying, “How’s ya mama & them?” or “Howdy, ma’am!” They look so polite and joyful. Prepare to be amazed…   4.      Immortal Jellyfish Who in their right mind would like a jellyfish? I didn’t say I liked it. I said it was an amazing creature as in extremely interesting. This jellyfish looks something right out of science fiction. But it’s NOT. It’s real, and I’d really be scared if I could upon one. The most fascinating thing about the immortal jellyfish is that it  is biologically immortal, meaning that the creature cannot be killed. When it feels threatened, it retracts its tentacles inside its body, falling to the floor, starting the life cycle all over again. This process, called transdifferentiation, sounds otherworldly to me that a living creature doesn’t die . Prepare to be amazed…     5.       Kungfu Mantis  – when threatened, it will stand up in a karate kid stance to appear larger to the prey as a defense. The iconic finishing move from the 1984 film  The Karate Kid  is called the  Crane Kick  taught by Mr. Miyagi, to Daniel LaRusso. The move obviously spilled out into the lives of the Kungfu Mantis. Prepare to be amazed…   6.       We are.  Seeing a fetus in the womb via ultrasound is a remarkable, emotional experience that allows parents to witness early development, such as a heartbeat at 6.5 weeks, limb movement by 8-9 weeks, and detailed, lifelike 3D/4D images later in pregnancy. According to Google AI, a baby is regarded as alive from a biological perspective at fertilization (conception) when a distinctive, living organism with its very own DNA is formed. Prepare to be amazed… Downloadable Version

By Bob Arnold   Carnegie Hall in New York City is a long way from a farm in Cordele, Georgia.  There’s the distance in miles, of course, but for Dr. Bobby G. Helms, the Director of Choral Activities and Theater at Co-Lin since 2019, Carnegie Hall is also a mark of a long journey in music and theater that started at Bay Spring Baptist Church in nearby Arabia, Georgia, has brought him to Wesson and will take him to the famed New York City venue this spring.   On May 25 at Carnegie Hall, Helms will direct the world premiere of To Truly Love , a 25-minute work for choir, soloists and orchestra that will be performed by his Co-Lin choir, the Jackson-based Mississippi Boys Choir, for which he is also the artistic director, and other choirs from Presbyterian Christian School at Hattiesburg, Mississippi, First Baptist Church of Tyler, Texas, and New York City.   Born in 1972, Helms was fated to live a musical life in a farm family that quite literally was their small church’s music program.  His father directed the church choir.  His mother played the piano there and his aunt played the organ for the congregation.   Tennis, golf and 4-H activities competed for Helms’ attention growing up, but the church choir and high school band won out in his life after the farm chores and activities, which focused on raising cows and pigs and showing steers in livestock shows during his years in the fourth through twelfth grades.   “Actually, music has been critical to my life, even helping me overcome personal problems,” Helms explains.  “I stuttered as a child, and music trained me to think ahead before speaking words because you always need to look a measure beyond where you are on the music sheet as you play an instrument or sing.”   After graduating from Crisp County (Georgia) High School in 1990, Helms earned a BS in Music Education at Valdosta (Georgia) State University in 1995 and started his career teaching choir, band, general music and theater at Middle Schools for eight years at Donaldson, Georgia, and Cordele, Georgia.   From 2005 to 2006 after completing Master’s Degree programs in Music Education and Choral Conducting at Valdosta State and Georgia Southern, he taught choral conducting and vocal music and served as the opera chorus master at Valdosta State.  From 2006 to 2007, he did course work at the University of South Carolina and then taught music at Warner Robins (Georgia) Elementary School for six years, and earned an Education Specialist Degree in Vocal Music at Auburn.   In 2013, Helms started a new life in Mississippi to study for a Doctor of Musical Arts and Choral Conducting Degree at Southern Mississippi University in Hattiesburg, returning after his course work to Austell, Georgia, where he taught Middle School while caring for his ailing father.   In 2017, he taught at Warner Robins High School, but returned to Mississippi permanently the following year to direct the choir and work on his Doctoral dissertation at Southern Mississippi and finally land at Co-Lin for the last half decade.   Since coming to Wesson to direct the Co-Lin choir, Helms has expanded the scope of his teaching to encompass theater – a program that includes classes in drama production, theater appreciation, acting, directing, stage craft, diction and stage makeup.  Helms is also working on another MA – in theater education – at Mississippi University for Women (the “W”) to equip him for the task.    “I try to teach two theater courses each semester,” says Helms.  “We have a summer theater program for children and, and our productions have included Chicago-teens , Lion King-junior , Grease-high school , Beetle Juice-junior  and Anastasia-youth edition .  Since 2022, our productions for the community have also included Steel Magnolias , Hunchback of Notre Dame , Little Shop of Horrors , Hairspray  and Clue the Musical .  For suicide prevention and awareness, we will be producing Dear Evan Hansen .”   Helms is a National Collegiate Choral Organization board member and was a quarter finalist for the Music Educator Grammy Award.   While Helms’ work life is now in Wesson, he resides in Brookhaven.   What are your hobbies? I am a soccer fan.  I like fishing and playing golf.  I am the pianist at Spring Ridge United Methodist Church at Terry.   Are you a reader? I read Shakespeare.  I also read motivational books so I can help my students achieve success.   You are a musician professionally, of course.  But how about spare time music? It surprises my students when they visit in my office and meet me wearing my ear phones.  I’m an eclectic music listener, but I am particularly into artists from the 1980s and 1990s – Metallica, Nervana, Journey.   If you were so lucky, how would you spend your lottery winnings? I wouldn’t retire.  That’s for sure.  I’d probably establish music scholarships.   How would you change the world? Learning and practicing music can make you better at anything.  So I would make sure everyone had a basic elementary education in music.

Special to Wesson News   Wesson Garden Club members (left to right) Sherri Carty, Debbie Hoaglin, Jennifer Peets, Pam Owens, Debbie Smith and Lisa Smith visited Meridian for a day of festive activities. They toured Merrehope, an antebellum home built in 1858 and decorated with over 70 Christmas trees, enjoyed lunch at Weismann's, the state's oldest restaurant and visited The MAX, a museum showcasing the significant contributions of Mississippians to American arts and culture. With cold weather giving to way warmer temperatures, Wesson Garden Club (WGC) turned its attention again to nurturing plants last month.   Following the club’s short winter break, it reconvened on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, with Ron Bath as the guest speaker focusing on designing a site-specific landscape.   Attending the meeting were Terri Bath, Marilyn Britt, Sherri Carty, Sonya Cowen, Sherry Davis, Robin Furr, Cherry Head, Debbie Hoaglin, Rhonda Ishee, Carrie Northam, June Owens, Pam Owens, Jennifer Peets, Joy Phillips, Jean Ricks, Debbie Smith, Lisa Smith, Pollyanna Smith, Stanley Stewart, and Dixie Thornton with special guests Jo Jones, Kate Norwood, and Lauren Westrope in addition to Ron Bath.   President Sherri Carty convened the meeting, opening with an inspirational quote.  Jean Ricks led the group in a Collect followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.    Marilyn Britt and Cherry Head of the Yard of the Month Committee presented The Magnolia Award to Jo Jones.    Debbe Hoaglin presented the gardening tip of the month – a reminder that it is time to prune trees and shrubs, with roses pruned at least 2/3 of a shrub.   Delicious refreshments were prepared by Sherry Davis, Carrie Northam, Jean Ricks, and Beverly Tarver.    After a time of socializing, club members created pine cone bird feeders, spreading peanut butter on them with a bird seed covering.  On Tuesday, February 17, Garden Club members Sherri Carty, Debbie Hoaglin and Pam Owens, along with Joe Carty and Anna Bell, a canine companion, met at the Boswell Regional Center in Wesson on to hang the pine cone bird feeders in the trees around the building.  When Boswell residents sit on their porches, they enjoy watching the birds enjoy their treats. On February 23, the Wesson Garden Club brought together its third and fourth grade youth gardeners -- the Butterbeans -- at the Wesson Public Library for a captivating educational experience centered on bee education and honey production. J.C. Curole discussed apiculture and participants sampled honey crafted by Curole.    WGC members Sherri Carty, Pam Owens, Jennifer Peets, Debbie Smith and Lisa Smith were assisted at the event by Wesson Attendance Center Beta Club members. Wesson Garden Club is a member of The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc., National Garden Clubs, Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc. and Natchez Trace District-Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc.

By Misty Strieff Prine “If only we freely forgave with as much strength as we grip grudges.” – Rachel Wojo Grudges, they are nasty little things. What is a grudge anyway? A grudge is a persistent feeling of ill will or resentment resulting from a past insult or injury. Ahhhh. Yep, that would be pretty accurate. I want you to think about a grudge for a moment you may be carrying around. We all have at least one that we carry around or have carried around at some point in time. You may not think you have one but it may resurface when you see someone that hurt you and that rush of hurt comes sweeping over you all over again. First of all, we are human. We are weak and vulnerable and when someone hurts us so deeply, that hurt lingers. We may not intend on doing so, but it’s easy to hold a grudge because we hold on to hurt and it is so very hard to overcome. It sometimes takes years to even remotely get to a point of forgiveness. Each time you come close to being a peace with forgiveness, something happens, and you may be pushed further and further away from forgiving that person. The enemy knows when God is moving in your heart. I struggled and still do with this in my life at different times. I’m human after all. But I realized something over the years. As a Christian, I felt like I failed so badly at forgiveness for the longest time. I had forgiven so many yet in some situations I was constantly surrounded by those who hurt me the most. It seemed like an impossible situation to be in. Was I going to completely fail this test? God taught me something. Each person required a different level and approach of forgiveness. Some people knew how much pain they inflicted, at least to some level, and others had no idea just how bad they did hurt me. Both will never understand how they changed my life for the better though. I like to think instead that through difficult situations and through the power of forgiveness, God empowers us to become better people and in that lies a powerful testimony to everyone that sees that healing begin. In doing so, we begin to see that behind every individual that harbors ill will towards us and treats us poorly is a person who is facing difficult situations in their own lives and we often become the target of that difficulty. Understanding that concept and seeing others, even those who hurt us, through the Lord's eyes and knowing that because He is willing to forgive them just as He is us, enables us to understand and appreciate forgiving our enemies a lot more. Difficult people and situations in our lives can either do one of two things. It can weaken us or it can make us stronger. We choose the outcome. Let our choice be one that glorifies God!

Special to Wesson News   In the 2024-25 season under Coach Tripp Case, both the Co-Lin men’s and women’s tennis  team earned a national tournament appearances, but fell in the Region 23 Tournament Quarterfinals.  Although the strength of the top doubles pairing in the Mississippi Association Community of Colleges Conference (MACCC) got the men there, they dropped a close match against Northeast and the women lost to Meridian to end their seasons. In the men, Case has returning group of sophomores and the women will be depending on freshmen. The men, he says, “are super competitive, and they have worked hard to close the gap, chase each other, and up the level of our play this season" and the women will gain experience “especially in the beginning of the season with some tough matches” that “will pay off big for us in the later part of our season." The men’s roster features eight players split evenly between sophomores and freshmen. The four sophomores are  Jake Bucek  (Geelong, Australia),  Nikoloz Gurgenidze  (Tbilisi, Georgia),  Mason Brand  (Mantee), and  Jax Leggett  (Bogue Chitto). " Jake Bucek  was a player that at one point was Top 10 in the nation at doubles and is close to breaking the Top 30 in singles and he has made a lot of improvement to his already impressive game. I'm excited to see how much he will grow this season," says Case. " Jax Leggett  is a player that came in clutch for us last season and stepped up to the plate when we lost  Nikoloz Gurgenidze  to an injury and he did not disappoint. I'm excited to see how those two along with Niko and  Mason Brand  continue to grow and take things to the next level for us." The four freshmen for the Wolves are  Lane Breland  (Perkinston),  Warren Lucio  (Tupelo),  James Rooks  (Jackson), and  Nick Tozer  (Belrose, Australia). " James Rooks  is a player that I think will have a high spot in our lineup this season. He's done a great job of getting used to the pace of college tennis and his experience in tournaments has been invaluable for his success. He plays with great technique, and I have high hopes for him," says Case. " Lane Breland  is a player that developed a lot of chemistry with  Jax Leggett  in doubles over the fall and we saw them have success in the ITA Regional Tournament. I like what I'm seeing from him in the doubles games.  Nick Tozer  and  Warren Lucio  have also been showing a lot of growth, and we like what we have seen from them especially Nick who just came here at the start of the spring semester." The Lady Wolves roster features nine players with two returning sophomores and seven incoming freshmen. The two returners are  Georgina Labusch  (Verl, Germany) and Allie Grace McNeil (Brookhaven) and Case said their experience will be valuable for this season. The seven freshmen include  Clara Barton Calcote  (Wesson),  Domenica Gruezo  (Quito, Ecuador),  Ruri Takeuchi  (Chiba, Japan),  Allie Neal  (Mathiston), and  Ady Locke ,  Macy McDaniel , and  Ella Thompson  all of Brookhaven. "I think that this group makes our team stronger as a whole especially in key spots," says Case. "Ruri had a great fall, and I think she has a chance to be one of the best players in our conference. I look forward to seeing how good she can be for us. Domenica is gritty and laser focused on the court and I think that will benefit her in some of the hard matches throughout the season." " Ady Locke  is another player that is very gritty and had a great fall that I think has helped her build her confidence," adds Case. " Clara Barton Calcote ,  Ella Thompson ,  Allie Neal , and  Macy McDaniel  all showed some impressive growth throughout the fall too and I'm excited to see how that helps them in this season." Case is excited about the potential of both men’s and women’s doubles pairings "Jake and Niko have been playing really well together since the fall, and they had a lot of success especially at ITA while Nick figures to be in one of those pairings too.” he points out.  “Nick has one of the cleanest one-handed backhands I've ever seen, and he reminds me a lot of Arne Sohmer when he was here. There's still a battle for a lot of those spots because  Warren Lucio  is a player that's in his first year competing, but he has really upped his level throughout the fall and training for the spring."             The good news for the women is that they have a lot of pairings that are working, but the bad news is that they have to make some tough decisions on those pairings soon,  Case says: "Ruri and Georgina both played well together this fall and made it to the semifinals of the ITA Regional Tournament, but Domenica has played well with both of them since she got here after the winter break while  Ady Locke  has placed herself in at one of the doubles pairings too. The decision will really come down to chemistry in the end and what pairings give us the best chance to win." Case says the men “have a very good chance” at competing for top spots in the conference and national tournament.  He says success for the women comes down to a few simple things:  "I think it will take a solid group effort because we believe that we have the talent to finish in the top three of the conference and being able to perform when we have to.  I believe that this group will step up and be ready for the pressure and get us back to the national tournament this season."

By Bob Garver Poster credit IMDB The 2020’s haven’t been kind to once-great animation giant Pixar, at least with its original titles. “Onward” had its box office cut down by the pandemic. Three straight movies had to forgo theatrical releases and go straight to Disney+. “Lightyear” was the first movie from the studio that I couldn’t bring myself to recommend. That movie, along with passable-but-middling efforts “Elemental” and “Elio” were all unable to win a single weekend at the domestic box office. Yes, “Inside Out 2” made more money domestically than any movie in the last three years, but that was an established property. Pixar needs an original hit to pull itself out of its rut, and I’m happy to report that “Hoppers” is just the movie to do it. The story follows outspoken college student and animal-lover Mabel (Piper Curda) as she tries to save the glade near her home from getting bulldozed at the behest of Mayor Jerry (Jon Hamm) to make room for a new highway. She’d have a better case if there were any animals making their home in the glade, but she’s sure that if the land can be protected, the animals will come. What she really needs is to move a beaver into the area that can dam up a stream and create a water supply for an ecosystem’s worth of animals. But finding a beaver turns out to be harder than she thought. The only one she can find is one that willingly gets into a car, rides to the university, and goes into the office of Dr. Sam (Kathy Najimy). It turns out that the beaver “is” Dr. Sam. The professor has created a machine that allows a human mind to enter a robotic animal body. This allows them to observe and study animals without their human-sized bodies causing a distraction. Think of it as the technology from “Avatar,” Mabel certainly does. Of course, Dr. Sam created the “hopping” technology for observational purposes only, and of course, Mabel disobeys all instructions and goes hopping as a beaver herself on a mission to save the glade. Mabel struggles to adapt to animal culture at first, especially the animals-have-to-eat-other-animals aspect. But she soon makes the acquaintance of King George (Bobby Moynihan), the beaver leader of a system of animals at a nearby pond and the character that I imagine will best lend himself to merchandising going forward. King George teaches her about “Pond Rules,” where everybody is friends, everybody helps out, and eating for sustenance isn’t personal. He sees the good in everybody, from the smallest creatures to dangerous predators to humans like Mayor Jerry. Mabel fulfills her mission and helps King George take back the glade for the animals. But then Mayor Jerry retaliates, and she hadn’t counted on escalation. King George summons a whole council of animal monarchs to decide whether to fight more ferociously, and the Insect Queen (Meryl Streep) wants to take it a step further and squish Mayor Jerry for good. Mabel didn’t want to take things “that” far, but soon things are out of control. Can she, in her fake beaver guise, diffuse an entire war between animals and humans? In some respects, mostly storytelling, “Hoppers” isn’t a huge step forward. Disney/Pixar characters get themselves in too deep over lies all the time, so this is par for the course in this era. And I did cringe at some of the jokes, especially ones that lean too heavily on modern slang. But this is what Disney and Pixar do best: adorable animals, clever gags, fun performances, and heartfelt emotional beats. I imagine that kids will love it and adults will like it. I liked it enough to say that I hope Pixar makes a well-deserved comeback with it, but I also hope that they have even bigger hits with more ambitious projects going forward. Grade: B “Hoppers” is rated PG for action/peril, some scary images, and mild language. Its running time is 104 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu .

Special to Wesson News Mary Murphy Brady An eleventh grade homeschool student is urging Mississippi lawmakers to heed the recent “State of Tobacco Control” report of the American Lung Association on the impact of federal cuts to tobacco prevention efforts. The report graded each state and Washington, D.C., on five areas proven to prevent and reduce tobacco use, including efforts to end the sale of flavored tobacco products. Mississippi received an F for a lack of progress in this area. “I know all too well what tobacco use can do to a family,” says Wesson’s Mary Murphy Brady. “My grandmother was the 2025 American Lung Association Lung Force Hero and shared my grandfather’s story of tobacco and lung cancer. After his passing, I became an advocate working to prevent tobacco use and vaping, especially among teens.” Brady says more than 2.25 million middle and high school students use tobacco products, and 90% of them use flavored products. According to the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey, e-cigarettes are the most common tobacco product among kids, with nicotine pouches ranking second. Both products are available in many flavors that appeal to youth. In Mississippi, 18.5% of high school students use at least one tobacco product, according to the “State of Tobacco Control” report. “As a youth advocate for stronger tobacco control policies, I urge Mississippi lawmakers to end the sale of all flavored tobacco products to protect the health and safety of our youngest residents,” says Brady. Brady encourages the community to learn more and take action at Lung.org/sotc .