From Michael Watson, MS Secretary of State As a reminder, Mississippians need to be aware of upcoming important dates and deadlines for the November 4 elections. To view the list of counties that may have an election on November 4,  click here . Visit the  My Election Day portal  to receive election information tailored to your specific address, including a sample ballot. As you type your address into the system, similar addresses should populate. Simply click on yours to get started. Mississippians are encouraged to educate themselves on all races prior to heading to the polls. In-Person Absentee Voting Circuit Clerk's Offices will be open this Saturday, October 25, from 8:00 a.m. until noon for in-person absentee voting for the November 4 elections. The last day to vote in-person absentee is Saturday, November 1. Circuit Clerk's Offices will be open from 8:00 a.m. until noon. All mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday, November 4 (Election Day). To track your mail-in absentee ballot, visit the  My Election Day portal . To learn more about absentee voting requirements, visit the Secretary of State's  Absentee Voting Information webpage . UOCAVA Voter Registration Deadline For non-registered UOCAVA voters to vote in the November 4 elections, Circuit Clerk's Offices must be in actual receipt of a completed Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) from a UOCAVA voter by Saturday, October 25. For more information regarding how to cast a UOCAVA ballot, please contact your local election officials or email  UOCAVA@sos.ms.gov . Campaign Finance Deadline All opposed candidates seeking election this year, and political committees which have accepted contributions or made expenditures in support of or in opposition to these county general or special election candidates must file the Pre-Election Report with the appropriate offices by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 28. The Secretary of State's Office is your primary and trusted source for election information. For questions, please contact the Elections Division at 1-800-829-6786, email  ElectionsAnswers@sos.ms.gov , or visit  YallVote.ms . Important Dates for the November 4 Elections October 25  - Saturday In-Person Absentee Voting Begins November 1  - In-Person Absentee Voting Deadline November 4  - Election Day Deadline for the postmark of mail-in absentee ballots

Send responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com   Depression.  A word that absolutely can send dread coursing through the veins. Whether you have witnessed its debilitating effect on a loved one or experienced it yourself, you know it physically changes things. The depressed person can be blinded to seeing beauty around them. It actually can make a clear blue sky look dingy. A riot of flowers in front of a sparkling fountain, surrounded by a sea of perfectly groomed emerald green grass can be seen, but yet, not really seen. Not the way you would see it. Those vivid colors seem to be encased in gray in a depressed person’s eyes. Their mind just doesn’t comprehend beauty, nor can they experience pleasure in life the same way as the mind of someone who is not a victim of depression. Understanding and coping with this can be difficult for their friends and loved ones. A dear friend has been watching the changes in Vikki in the last month. Normally involved and friendly to everyone, she has become quiet, moody and more home-bound that Jacey has ever known her to be. She has repeatedly questioned Vikki, but the answers she always gives are noncommittal and vague, not giving a clue why her outlook on life is so different lately. When socially required, she will actually laugh, but it’s a small sad sound that never reaches her distant eyes. One day, after realizing Vikki was simply not going to talk about her problem, Jacey resorted to the tried-and-true method of helping.  She invites Vikki on an outing to hopefully help her to snap out of it. “We’ll go for a nice long walk in our favorite park. I can show you those flowers I’ve been talking about, then go sit for a while by that little lake. We can watch the baby ducks swimming after their momma. They are so stinkin’ cute at this age!”  Only to be met with a shrug of indifference and a tiny sigh. Later, her determined friend tries again. “Hey, I know! Let’s have lunch tomorrow at Pedro’s Café, and then go for a drive through that ritzy neighborhood where you love to look at those humongous houses!” But this suggestion only garners a quick glance from Vikki, eyes filling with tears as she turns away to hide her face. “Oh Jacey, I don’t think so. I’m just pretty tired lately. Maybe some other time, okay?” Vikki is definitely hurting, no doubt. Her vision ability has narrowed down to a small pinpoint – and it includes only her pain. And any apparent rejection her good friend may be feeling? Well honestly, Vikki has a hard time recognizing or even caring by that point. There is no intention to offend her friend. She simply feels deadened and frozen. Living in a deep gray fog, where no joy or purpose can penetrate.

Special to Wesson News   (Photo courtesy of CoLin Athletics website) Copiah-Lincoln Community College has announced the addition of women's volleyball as a varsity sport beginning in the Fall 2026 semester. The new program will expand athletic opportunities for female student-athletes and further enhance the college's commitment to providing a well-rounded student experience. "We are excited to add women's volleyball to our athletic program at Co-Lin," said Bryan Nobile, Co-Lin Athletic Director. "This is a chance to grow women's athletics, compete at a high level, and add another exciting program for our fans and community to rally behind." The volleyball program will compete in the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). With volleyball being one of the fastest-growing sports in Mississippi and across the country, Co-Lin officials believe the addition will attract talented student-athletes from across the college district and beyond. Co-Lin President Dr. Dewayne Middleton said the decision reflects the college's mission to support students both in the classroom and through extracurricular opportunities. "This is an exciting step for our athletic program and our entire college family," said Dr. Middleton. "We look forward to welcoming our first volleyball team in Fall 2026 and can't wait to see them represent the Wolf Pack." Co-Lin joins other MACCC schools competing in volleyball including Jones, East Central, Meridian, Pearl River, MS Gulf Coast, Southwest MS, Northeast MS, Itawamba, and Northwest MS. Details on coaching staff and program structure to be announced in the coming months. For more information about Co-Lin Athletics, visit www.colinathletics.com

Special to Wesson News   Pictured (left to right) are Antonio Fini, Eydi Kitchens, Faith Alford and Tammy Stanford A four week program during the summer under the artistic direction of Antonio Fini provided intensive training, mentorship, and performance opportunities for two Mississippi School of Arts seniors from Copiah County among just ten worldwide. Faith Alford and Eydi Kitchens, both from Crystal Springs and MSA dance students, participated in the Villapiana, Italy, experience, on apprenticeships they were awarded with Fini Dance Junior Company , an elite pre-professional dance program that bridges the gap between student training and a professional career. At the Italian town, which was recently named “City of Dance,” the Copiah County dancers worked with renowned choreographers and artists from both the European and American dance worlds.  They engaged in daily ballet classes led by esteemed instructors, ensuring a strong technical foundation: Ballet.  Michael Mao, Michael Mao Dance, New York. Ballet.  Concetta Barillaro, acclaimed Italian ballet teacher with a distinguished national career. Contemporary and Modern Choreography,  Yoshito Sakuraba, Abarukas Dance, New York. Choreography.  Gianni Santucci, choreographer for ballet, opera, film, and Netflix Productions. Professional Performance Coaching.  Abby Silva, Parsons Dance. “This immersive experience provides an extraordinary opportunity for young dancers to train and perform at a pre-professional level, giving them a taste of what it means to be part of a professional company” said Tammy Stanford, Director of the Dance program at MSA. As part of the Fini Dance Junior Company, dancers also have the honor of performing at the Fini Dance Festival, an internationally recognized dance event. The apprenticeship is a rare and prestigious opportunity for dancers at this stage in their careers. Only 10 apprenticeships are awarded world-wide.  It provides direct mentorship from industry professionals, builds connections with international artists, and prepares them for the next step in their journey—from student to professional dancer. MSA is an eleventh and twelfth grade visual and performing arts residential, public high school in Brookhaven.  Students not only meet and exceed the traditional Mississippi high school curriculum, they receive special instruction in visual arts, vocal music, dance, writing/literary arts and filmmaking/media arts and theatre. MSA also has a “Collegiate Academy” program in which qualified students can earn their high school diploma and an associate degree at the same time at no cost.  In addition to MSA students winning awards for their work on the state, regional and national levels, the school consistently has one of the highest ACT averages in the state. Students interested in MSA apply their sophomore year. MSA also offers a  Summer Camp  for rising 8th-10th graders with scholarships available.  For more information, contact admissions@msabrookhaven.org , visit www.msabrookhaven.org  or call 601-823-1300.

Special to Wesson News The “God Over All Things” (GOAT) Kids Camp hosted by Ricky and Jessica Breazeale moved to Wesson Park on the evenings of September 30 and October 1 for the first time after spending the past five years in Brookhaven. Some 250 campers were on hand for the free event made possible by individual and group volunteers who make it a great experience for the kids. At the most recent camp, Copiah Nutrition hosted volleyball and science experiments that taught God’s love and Christ’s redemption. The American Legion Auxiliary hosted Storytime with Linda Mehri, who read Bible stories. Ladarra Newsome of Brookhaven did free face painting for the kids. KNOW Ministries of Jackson hosted kickball, and Bishop Barlow, its founder, talked to the kids about “loving the Matthews” of the world – the “tax collectors” not respected in biblical times in the modern world. As happens at each camp, there weren’t enough Bibles, but Barlow brought some free for kids who who wanted one. Dinner on the first night was Shop and Wash pizza provided by Salmon Point Development and Teri Bath. The guest speaker during dinner was Lexi Prestridge of Wesson. On the second and final night of camp, Strong Hope Baptist Church youth group hosted flag football and salvation bracelet-making. Copiah Nutrition led volleyball fun again and brought a new science experiment to teach putting on the helmet of salvation. Dinner was provided by the Wesson Chamber of Commerce, with McKinsey Blackwell of Brookhaven and a member of Co-Lin Baptist Student Union, who is very passionate about outreach, as speaker. She gave every camper a bracelet that she used to share the gospel and charged each camper to share what they learned with their friends. The final guest speakers at camp were Heather Laird and Mary Margaret Woods, both of Wesson. Organizers say Wesson High School BETA Club, Nena Smith, Grace Foam Solutions, Ginny Hart and many others contributed time and space to make it all happen. The next camp is April 6 and 7 at Wesson Park. For information, contact Ricky Breazeale (admin@gracefoamsolutions.com).

Special to Wesson News The Wesson Cobras continued their impressive season Friday night, extending their undefeated record with a commanding 49-26 victory over the Amite County Trojans. The win showcased Wesson’s consistency and control, marking their fifth game this season decided by more than 22 points. Leading the charge was standout player Damarion Smith, who made his presence felt on both sides of the ball. Smith rushed for 55 yards and one touchdown, while also contributing defensively with four tackles, a forced fumble, and a pass defended. His versatility set the tone for a team effort that left little doubt about Wesson’s depth and determination. The Cobras’ ground game proved unstoppable once again, amassing 251 rushing yards by the end of the night. This marks the fourth straight game in which Wesson has surpassed 160 yards rushing, a testament to their powerful offensive line and disciplined execution. For Amite County, the loss wasn’t without strong individual performances. Quarterback Marquavius McGhee delivered a solid showing, throwing for 235 yards and three touchdowns while adding 48 yards on the ground. Running back Kemauri Thompson also provided a spark, rushing for 62 yards and one score on just eight carries. Despite their efforts, the Trojans couldn’t keep pace with Wesson’s relentless offensive rhythm. With the victory, Wesson improves to 8-0 and remains one of the top teams to watch this season. The Cobras will look to keep their momentum alive when they face district rival Wilkinson County this Friday at 7:00 p.m. Meanwhile, Amite County, now 5-2, will aim to rebound as they prepare to meet Enterprise in their next matchup.

By Misty Strieff Prine                 “God didn’t call you to be LIKED, He called you to be LIGHT. And LIGHT, by its very nature, makes darkness uncomfortable.” – Unknown                 I wrote this as one of my devotionals the other night on my Facebook Page, The Upward Way and the Lord REALLY laid it upon my heart to share this message through this platform as well as it reaches many who do not do social media. It moved me so much and I felt like it was meant to be shared to as many as it could be.                 Let’s read that first part of that line again because, GRACIOUS, what a profound statement! “God didn’t call you to be “LIKED”, He called you to be “LIGHT.” I think the world got that confused a long time ago and hasn’t quite figured that part out completely yet. Some have but a lot haven’t. The Savior of the WORLD was not LIKED by many, but He loved them anyway. Same goes for today. Being liked is not a necessity in this world. You will never please everyone so you’re simply spinning your wheels if you are trying. And everyone is human, so they are going to find something to not like you for at some point, even if but briefly. So, take it from me, there are much more important things to focus on. What you need to focus all your energy on instead of impressing others is being the LIGHT in this world that is so encompassed in darkness. We are called to be the hands and feet of Christ. We are called to show action and RE-actions to life’s circumstances that reflect Christ in our life. People are looking to us as examples. As it says below that light you put out, that humbleness and Christ-like love, is naturally going to make the darkness uncomfortable. The enemy is going to start targeting you. Get ready. But remember, God is always on your side, and He will help you fight your battles until they are won. He never said life was going to be easy, but He promised He would be with you! Be the light. Be the reason someone knows Jesus! That is SO much more rewarding to see them in Heaven than to be “liked” by a group of people for other worldly reasons on earth. God bless all of you. And as always, thank you for all the kind words that many of you go above and beyond to encourage me to keep writing these each week. Means more than you know!                 **For daily devotionals, you can follow me on Facebook at The Upward Way or on Instagram at the_upward_way.

By Bob Arnold For the fifty-fourth time, the streets of downtown Wesson will be filled with vendors for the annual Wesson Flea Market, sponsored by the Wesson Volunteer Fire Department.   On Saturday, October 18, crafters, artisans and more from around the Southeast will converge on Wesson to offer arts and crafts items, fleas, clothing, food, snacks and refreshments, among other things, to thousands of browsers and shoppers.   A day organized each year by the Wesson Volunteer Fire Department, the event typically has more than one hundred fifty vendor booths for shoppers to peruse. Individuals, church groups, clubs, civic organizations and businesses set up their tents and welcome market-goers from far and wide.   The Flea Market starts at 8 a.m. on Highway 51, and Factory, Spring and Beech Streets. It will be open until 4 p.m. Food offerings will be on Factory and Spring Streets.   For information about booth space and registration, visit the “WessonFleaMarket” Facebook page.   Vendors are encouraged to set up the day before the event, and streets will be open for setup after 6 p.m. on Friday, October 18. Vendors should check in at the Information Booth under the “Wesson Fire Department” banner prior to setting up. Vendors must furnish their own tables, chairs and display needs.   Only vehicles with merchandise, tents, etc. will be allowed in the flea market area for setup.   Vendors must be set up and ready for customers by 8 a.m. on Saturday, October 18.   Typically, vendors for the flea market come from throughout Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Texas and Tennessee. While parents shop, children can enjoy a special fun zone that will be set up near Dollar General.   Started by a local merchants’ association, WVFD turned the event, known today as the "Wesson Flea Market," into a major fundraiser held annually on the third Saturday in October.  The volunteer fire fighters say the booth rentals from the event helps to generate approximately $5,000 each year to purchase equipment for the fire department.     For more information, contact the fire department at 601-265-1694 or WessonFD@gmail.com .

By Bob Arnold   Wesson Lions Club receives sweet potatoes for local fundraising sales from Landreth Farms in the “Sweet Potato Capital of the World.”   For the eleventh consecutive year, the Wesson Lions Club is importing product from the "Sweet Potato Capital of the World" and selling it at unbeatable prices to generate funds for the international and local charities the club supports.   The world’s best sweet potatoes, grown at Landreth Farms in the Vardaman area in north Central Mississippi, have arrived again and will be available at bargain basement rates for folk who savor them in Lincoln and Copiah Counties, thanks to the Wesson-based organization.   Members of the club started selling them late this month and expect to be sold out by the Wesson Flea Market on October 19 - 720 forty-pound boxes of sweet potatoes sold for $20 per box, or fifty cents per pound.  Individuals and area restaurants stocking up on the quality sweet potatoes are supporting the Lions Club's annual fundraising effort.             Landreth Farms officials say it's the loamy soil – along with timely rains – in the Vardaman area that make their potato crops sweet and special.  Landreth plants sweet potatoes on 600 acres, among Mississippi farmers, who raise sweet potatoes on more than 18,400 acres across the state.  The farm sells commercially to national food stores, such as Kroger and Wal-Mart, and canners, like Gerber, and produces a line of pre-wrapped sweet potatoes for microwave cooking.             The annual sweet potato sale is the main fundraising activity of the Wesson Lions Club.  It disburses some $10,000 every year to assist deaf and blind persons through the International Lions Club and to support local organizations and causes related to community improvement, children and youth, veterans, hospice care and other issues and concerns.   To order sweet potatoes or for information about where to get them, call Wesson Lions’ Alton Ricks at 601-643-2466 or Hubert Greer at 601-643-2002.

Special to Wesson News The Wesson Cobras will hit the road this Friday night to face the Amite County Trojans in what promises to be an exciting matchup under the lights. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., with Wesson putting its undefeated record on the line. The Cobras enter the game fresh off their most explosive performance of the season, a 49-41 victory over Loyd Star. After going into halftime tied at 19, Wesson found another gear in the second half to pull ahead and secure the win. Their offensive rhythm was on full display, and the Cobras showed resilience when it mattered most. Leading the charge was wide receiver Damarion Smith, who turned in a standout performance with 111 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Wesley Loy also made his presence known with 100 yards through the air, keeping the defense on its heels all night. On the other side of the ball, the Cobras’ defense tightened up, holding Loyd Star to just a 42.1% completion rate. Brandon Hutt anchored that effort, continuing the team’s recent defensive improvement — a positive trend that’s been building over the past few games. Amite County, meanwhile, will take the field with momentum of its own following a 20-8 win over Wilkinson County. The Trojans have now defeated the Wildcats three straight times and will be looking to keep that energy alive against Wesson. Key players for the Trojans include Kemauri Thompson, who ran for 74 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries, and Marquavius McGhee, who added 81 yards and another score. Amite County’s defense also made a statement, intercepting four passes — one of which Shemar Anderson returned for a touchdown. Wesson now sits at a perfect 7-0, while Amite County enters at 5-1. With both teams showing strength on the ground — Wesson averaging 174.6 rushing yards per game and Amite County an impressive 281.5 — this matchup may be won in the trenches. Expect a physical contest where running lanes and defensive discipline could make all the difference. The last time these two programs met in October 2020, Wesson came away with a dominant 39-0 victory. Whether history repeats itself or the Trojans flip the script remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Friday night’s game will test both teams’ grit and determination as they fight to keep their winning seasons alive.

By Bob Garver Poster credit IMDB The legacy of the “Tron” franchise is complicated. On a consistently positive note, the series has always been a feast for the eyes and ears, with pleasing, if not groundbreaking special effects and musical scores that heart-pumpingly convey that technological developments are happening every minute. But the films have never quite stuck the landing critically or commercially. The 1982 original is a “cult” movie that defenders see as ahead of the curve and not appreciated in its time. The 2010 follow-up “Tron: Legacy” was given every chance to succeed, yet only performed middlingly on all fronts. And new installment “Tron: Ares” is going to go down as an even bigger disappointment than the second film. Disney keeps insisting that they have a major franchise here, but the original wasn’t the hit that they pretend it was, and the weirdly-spaced-out sequels keep playing as ambitious money pits. The new film opens by filling viewers in on the feud between tech giants ENCOM and Dillinger Systems. Since “Tron: Legacy,” ENCOM has passed from longtime protagonists the Flynn family to Eve Kim (Greta Lee), who wants to use the company’s resources to do good things like cure world hunger and protect the environment. Dillinger Systems is now run by Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), grandson of original antagonist Ed Dillinger, who wants to do things like build weapons and turn humanity’s problems over to artificial intelligence. His big new breakthrough is Ares (Jared Leto), a program that manifests itself as a superpowered humanoid to do its owner’s bidding. For now, that owner is Julian, but he’s happy to make that owner the military – for the right price, of course. The problem with the tech is that Julian can’t build live beings that can survive more than 29 minutes without disintegrating (though their essences go right back to living in cyberspace afterward). His mother (Gillian Anderson) admonishes him for defrauding investors, but his claims won’t be fraudulent once he obtains an object permanence code. As it turns out, Eve has already discovered the code while toiling away in Alaska. This is both good news and bad news for Julian, good because the code exists, bad because the competition has it. But Julian has Ares on his side, and he can use the crude supersoldier to kill Eve and take the code. Julian instructs Ares to study up on Eve and humanity for the mission, which turns out to be a mistake because Ares decides he likes Eve and humanity. Most movies would have this shift in loyalty occur gradually, this one has it happen in an instant. The rest of the film sees Ares and Eve trying to outwit and evade Julian and backup soldier Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith). Ares’ adventures will take him from a cyberworld attack on ENCOM to the real world to a different cyberworld in the ENCOM mainframe, where a certain former company leader now resides. “Tron: Ares” does just fine when it lets its visuals and Nine Inch Nails score do the talking. I’m sure the designers had fun developing geometry-based aesthetics that probably contain Eater eggs that appeal to math nerds but go way over my head. And everyone knows that NIN is indeed the band you call when technological happenings are afoot. But then the film stumbles when characters do the talking. Leto is yet another artificial being that wants to be human (a comparison to Disney classic “Pinocchio” is made at the first opportunity). Lee is yet another generically-smart do-gooder. Peters is yet another tech-bro villain. Turner-Smith is yet another supposedly-competent assassin that wastes time being dramatic. Despite Peters trying to have some fun chewing scenery, none of these characters bring anything new to the table. This unsolicited sequel manages to do a disservice to a franchise that wasn’t much of a franchise anyway. Grade: C “Tron: Ares” is rated PG-13 for violence/action. Its running time is 119 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at  rrg251@nyu.edu .

Most cyber attacks don’t start with firewalls or servers — they start with people . Nearly every successful scam, fraud, or data breach begins when a human is manipulated into clicking something, downloading something, or believing something false. Scammers don’t attack computers — they attack human psychology. The Most Dangerous Threat Vector Isn’t Code — It’s Trust Cyber criminals have learned that tricking a person is easier than hacking a system. Common modern scam formats: • fake package delivery messages • false “account suspension” notices • fraudulent invoices that look legitimate • fake job offers requesting personal data • fake password reset requests • “urgent” vendor payment diversions • fraudulent DocuSign / SharePoint / Google login pages These scams are not random. They are engineered to look like everyday communication. Training Employees is More Valuable Than Buying Tools You can have the best firewall in the world — and a single employee can bypass it by clicking the wrong link. Human security training should include: • how to verify sender identity • how to detect domain spoofing • how to recognize URL manipulation • how to slow down and validate urgency claims • how to report suspicious messages internally • how to validate vendor payment changes by voice Security culture is far more valuable than security software. Cyber Hygiene is Learned Behavior Companies must teach employees that: • unexpected urgency = scam • unknown attachments = danger • password requests by email = fraud • unsolicited code or apps = red flag A trained employee becomes a filter. An untrained employee becomes a doorway. The Most Important Skill: STOPPING Before Responding The single most effective human defense practice is simply: pause and verify . If every employee questioned unexpected requests for money, password resets, or file downloads — scams would collapse. Training is not optional. Training is the greatest security ROI available.