By Guest Columnist Dr. Stephanie Duguid Mississippi faces many challenges when it comes to health, especially heart health. As one of over 100 Mississippi Health Ambassadors, I work hard to share vital information to help fix health problems and make life better for all Mississippians.   We are thankful for Dr. Thad Waites, who is active in the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges (MACC) and whose helpful knowledge and ideas have taught us much about heart health and how to improve care in Mississippi.   Our health is affected by many things, like how much money people have, how far they live from doctors, their education, and access to care. In Mississippi, these problems often overlap, making it harder for people to stay healthy. Many areas in our state are far from hospitals, which means people might not get the fast, good care they need during emergencies like heart attacks. Another problem is health literacy -- knowing how to recognize signs of heart trouble and how to get help. Many people don’t have this knowledge, so we must teach our communities how to stay healthier and act quickly when there’s a problem.   Mississippi has made progress by creating systems to help with major heart emergencies, such as heart attacks, strokes, and injuries.  These systems connect hospitals and doctors to ensure people get life-saving care faster.  One great example is the STEMI care plan, which helps hospitals work together in a network to save lives. Even people in remote areas can get better care by focusing on areas within 60 miles of main hospitals. We’ve also seen excellent results with new treatments for heart problems with devices like MitraClip and WATCHMAN.  These new tools make surgeries less invasive, help people recover faster, and prevent serious problems like strokes.   To improve heart health in Mississippi, we need to make advanced care easier to access and fix the causes of poor health. Telemedicine and mobile health clinics can help people in rural areas get the necessary care.   At the same time, we must focus on preventing heart disease by encouraging healthy habits like eating better and staying active. Programs that involve the community will help make these changes last.   Making heart health better in Mississippi takes teamwork. Doctors, teachers, leaders, and community members all have a role to play. Together, we can make Mississippi a healthier place where everyone has a chance to live a heart-healthy life.  Let’s work quickly and carefully to solve the problems as we move forward. The people of Mississippi deserve our best efforts to improve their health and well-being.   EDITOR'S NOTE:  Dr. Stephanie Duguid is owner of Do Good ProHealth (CPR Classes) and Do Good Leadership (motivational speaking, and leadership and success coaching).  She is also a Mississippi Health Ambassador.

Special to Wesson News Co-Lin Director of Bands Chad Austin accepted $1,500 grant for the Blue Wave Show Band from Walmart Supercenter of Brookhaven during its grand re-opening. Co-Lin is has received two grants from Walmart Supercenter of Brookhaven and Walmart Distribution Center to contributions to enhance its art and music programs, enriching student learning and growth. During its grand reopening in November, Walmart Supercenter of Brookhaven presented a $1,500 grant to the Co-Lin Blue Wave Show Band.  Director of Bands Chad Austin accepted the check during a ceremony. The funds will be used to acquire new equipment, supporting the continued effort to enhance the fine arts department at Co-Lin. Walmart Distribution Center awarded a $1,000 grant to support a unique art education initiative aimed at teaching students how to use art as a communication tool. This program will empower students to convey messages and stories through visual language. For more information on how to support college initiatives or donate, contact the Co-Lin Foundation at 601.643.8332.

Special to Wesson News   Children’s of Mississippi patients have a surprise waiting for them at the Kathy and Joe Sanderson Tower: the interactive Rocky’s House exhibit from the Mississippi Children’s Museum (MCM).  “This is a wonderful surprise,” said Sarah Starkey of Clinton, whose son Luke found games, books and creative outlets, including a stage with costumes and a puppet theater, at the unique traveling exhibit. “This wasn’t here at our earlier visit.” Benton Davis and his sister Avah of Meadville and Journee Bracey of Terry were also among the first visitors last month. Rocky’s House is at the Kathy and Joe Sanderson Tower at Children’s of Mississippi through Jan. 10 to encourage reading to young children as part of the partnership of the museum and Children’s of Mississippi’s Reach Out and Read program.  Inside the little red house, Rocky the Reader and his friends Kareem, Ella, Mei, Cody and Mateo guide guests through three primary methods of language and literacy development: playing, talking and reading.  Visitors can read a book, ask questions and put their own stories into motion with puppets.  The Reach Out and Read Program is a national nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness in pediatric primary care where books are incorporated into the pediatric well child visit.  It is part of all of Children’s of Mississippi’s pediatric ambulatory clinics and many other pediatric clinics across the state.     “We’re so excited that our patients and their families can visit Rocky’s house this holiday season,” said Dr. Susan Buttross, professor of pediatrics and a principal investigator for Mississippi Thrive. The partnership with the Mississippi Children’s Museum and Reach Out and Read is furthering Mississippi Thrive’s goals to create a robust early child development and behavioral system for Mississippi’s children.  “Rocky’s House fosters a love for reading in young children, which lays the foundation for curiosity, critical thinking and lifelong learning,” she said. “Encouraging parents to interact with their children by reading books to them enhances their vocabulary, nurtures their imagination and emotional growth and sets them on a path toward success in every area of life. We’re grateful to have this wonderful exhibit at Children’s of Mississippi and the partnership with MCM."  Susan Garrard, president and CEO of the Mississippi Children’s Museum, said Rocky’s House also supports the mission of Talk from the Start, a museum program  formed to build awareness that talking to and with children from birth is essential to learning and literacy.   "Our museum is committed to developing innovative programs that address the needs of Mississippi’s children and set them on the path to success,” she said. “Struggles with literacy are among the biggest challenges that our children face. This project is an unprecedented opportunity to partner with an acclaimed educational institution, The Barksdale Reading Institute, to create resources that will raise awareness and positively impact children and families in our state.”  Talk from the Start is a partnership between the Mississippi Children’s Museum and the Barksdale Reading Institute, funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.   MCM’s Talk from the Start and Reach Out and Read both champion the effects of shared reading, starting in infancy. Early childhood reading is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics to “promote social-emotional development and language and literacy skills during this critical period of early brain and child development.”  The partnership of the Mississippi Children’s Museum, Children’s of Mississippi and Reach Out and Read has been putting books into the hands of pediatricians across the state to share with their youngest patients during well visits. Parents then take those books home to read to their children, starting a home library.  Children’s of Mississippi, part of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, encompasses all the pediatric services available at UMMC and at clinical sites throughout Mississippi. At the heart of these services is the state’s only hospital devoted exclusively to the care and treatment of sick and injured children. The Children’s of Mississippi network brings specialized clinical care for children to communities across the state, making it easier for families to get the treatment they need closer to home.

Absentee ballot applications are now available in municipal clerks' offices for the Municipal Primary Election on April 1, 2025. Absentee ballots will be available starting February 18, 2025. Mississippians may utilize the Secretary of State's Y'all Vote website, which includes an Absentee Voting FAQ, or contact their municipal clerk to verify eligibility. If eligible, ballots will be provided upon request by municipal clerks. Those who cast an absentee ballot may track their ballot through the My Election Day portal. To vote in the Municipal Primary Election, all Mississippians must complete voter registration by March 3, 2025. All mail-in voter registrations must be postmarked by March 3, 2025. The Secretary of State's Office is your primary and trusted source for election information. For questions, please email ElectionsAnswers@sos.ms.gov , call the Elections Hotline at 1-800-829-6786, or visit YallVote.ms . 2025 Municipal Primary Election Dates February 18  - Absentee Ballots Available March 3  - Voter Registration Deadline for the Municipal Primary Election March 29  - In-Person Absentee Voting Deadline for the Municipal Primary Election April 1  - Municipal Primary Election Day

By Mika Hartman As humans, we often offer pats on the back, kiss away booboos, donate to causes to make us feel good, and grab tissues for heartwarming and heart wrenching infomercials. While these gestures may seem noble, we should ask ourselves if they truly make a difference. Kissing away a hurt is meaningful for the individual in pain. However, it’s important to reassess our actions. The year 2025 offers a chance to focus on tangible support rather than just discussions. The world's needs are vast, and we should aim for actions that genuinely matter. Time: Hudson deserves your time. Spending time with a nonverbal child helps you learn their cues and communication styles. Hudson needs to feel comfortable and trust you, which takes time. Those who establish this bond with him enjoy the rewards of friendship. Engaging regularly and planning activities with him is crucial; your time means everything to our family. Connection: Children learn through play, and engaging them in fun activities helps build meaningful connections. This bond can develop through both verbal and nonverbal communication, like singing and imitating sounds. We all crave love and connection. It’s a misconception that nonverbal children lack common ground for connection. Hudson loves Disney movies like Toy Story  and Cars , riding bikes, and warm hugs. Taking the time to engage with him makes connecting effortless. The Bible tells us to be neighborly, to love thy neighbor. This applies to all of His children. We are not created to be alone and Covid should be the only reminder we ever need. Communication: If you see us out, please talk directly to Hudson; avoid discussing him with me. He may not be verbal, but he communicates, hears, and can be vocal. I once made the mistake of addressing a parent instead of her child, which made me feel small when the parent had to relay my question to her child. I learned from that, and it’s an important part of personal growth. Communication and speaking are not the same. Hudson understands and responds well to simple commands like “Eat ,” “Go to ,” and “Help.” He uses visual cards and an AAC device to express himself, and he communicates through actions. For example, he will go find his shoes if he wants to go outside, or he’ll lead his therapist to the door when he’s ready for her to leave and even grab her purse. Ha! Match, share, take and pair are all words he knows well and he proudly will do the work asked. Like all children, sometimes he will test you or know what you are going to ask before you can ask it. His being ornery is fantastic and expected.  Hudson is capable, fun, and smart. He shows his affection through touch, hugs, and kisses, all expressing that he loves you. My struggle isn’t with Hudson or his needs but with people. I often hear supportive comments like “You’re so blessed,” but they can feel like side remarks rather than genuine invitations for connection.  Hudson deserves more than words; he needs friendships, acceptance, and inclusion. I advocate for changes that support families like ours, yet we sometimes miss invites to playdates or gatherings.  Although Hudson can be intimidating due to his medical needs, he needs your love and willingness to engage. Understanding a nonverbal child takes time and effort, but that investment can create meaningful relationships.  The Lucky Few Club always welcomes new members, and I’m here to support you on this journey. Feel free to ask questions; there are no silly inquiries. The only mistake is doing nothing. Be the change you want to see in the world by taking meaningful action, not just EXTRA talk.

By: Bob Garver Poster Credit IMDB             I notice that I’ve given a “C” rating to every movie I’ve reviewed in 2025. That’s four straight times I’ve basically said that the movie, while not worth writing off entirely, isn’t worth recommending. I even split the review last weekend and gave out two “C” ratings. Director Mel Gibson’s “Flight Risk” ends the “C” streak. It doesn’t end the streak by earning my recommendation, but by being a movie that I feel is indeed worth writing off.             The film follows U.S. Marshal Madolyn Harris (Michelle Dockery) as she captures mob accountant Winston (Topher Grace) in rural Alaska. Winston agrees to testify against a dangerous crime boss, which means that he and Madolyn will be targets for assassination until she can deliver him to ironclad protective custody in Anchorage. The handoff will be easy, as long as nothing goes wrong with the transfer flight. Things go wrong with the transfer flight.             The pilot, ostensibly named Booth (Mark Wahlberg), seems like a nice guy, if a little bumpkin-y and eager to share his romantic history. But there’s nothing to indicate that he isn’t a competent pilot, so Madolyn and a bound Winston board his rickety plane. It’s only when the three are in the air and miles away from anywhere safe to land that things start to go awry. The plane goes through more turbulence than it should. The communication system goes on the fritz. Booth says things that don’t add up. And Winston finds an ID for the plane’s pilot, who looks nothing like Mark Wahlberg.             It turns out that Wahlberg’s never-properly-named character is an assassin that took out the real Booth and stole his plane in an effort to kill Madolyn and Winston. The reason he didn’t kill them as soon as they boarded was that he wants to fly them deep into the wilderness and have unspecified “fun” with them. It’s weak reasoning, but without it the film can’t set up its central conflict: that of Madolyn and Winston trying to stay alive despite the threat from both the assassin inside the plane and the elements outside. Because neither Madolyn nor Winston know how to fly the plane and the assassin doesn’t have much interest in getting them to safety.             The bulk of the film is the three characters playing off each other as they try to make it out in one piece. Occasionally a call is placed to someone on the ground, like Madolyn’s superior at the Marshal’s office (Leah Remini) or the office’s director (Paul Ben-Victor) or a flirty piloting expert (Maaz Ali), but if the plane is going to land safely, it’s going to have to be by somebody on the plane. Arguments and negotiations inevitably ensue, but it’s easy to tell that the whole thing is going to come down to violence.             “Flight Risk” is trying to be the kind of “bottle movie” where the isolation itself makes for an intense atmosphere and what the cast lacks in quantity, the actors make up for in quality and chemistry. The problem is that these actors can’t come close to saving this material. Grace brings a sitcom-level energy to a character with sub-sitcom-level jokes. Wahlberg’s assassin, once exposed, is so sadistic and crazy that it’s unbelievable that he was ever smart enough to keep up the ruse for so long. At least Dockery gets out relatively unscathed with her perfectly rootable heroine that keeps this movie above the “D” level. Everything else about this movie wishes it could pass for average. The dialogue is below average. The action (especially at the end) is below average. And once his character loses his cap, we see that Wahlberg’s hairline is way, way below average. Grade: C- “Flight Risk” is rated R for violence and language. Its running time is 91 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at  rrg251@nyu.edu .

By Misty Strieff Prine “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30 Jesus reminds us that life is going to be hard but with Him it’s going to be so much easier, manageable, and bearable. He knows that we all will struggle with guilt, insecurities, anxiety, inadequacy, fear, depression, and perfectionism and we carry so much baggage around each day. We never feel good enough. We mess up and compare ourselves to the world’s standards instead of His. Guess what though? He defeated death, Hell and the grave, friends. Rest assured He can take each one of those “bags” off our backs that weigh us down and replace them with such amazing things. We cannot do it on our own. I repeat...” we cannot do it on our own!” We often carry so much unnecessary baggage around on our shoulders that’s not ours to carry alone. He, on the other hand, can carry the entire WORLD. Now look here. Why in the world do we insist on trying to be super men and women? What are we trying to prove? Absolutely nothing is what. We beat ourselves down to the point of being completely overwhelmed and wonder how we’ve ended up where we are. We must give it to Him...all of it. You see, we so often reach out to give it to Him and snatch it back, carrying it around just a little longer. We need to give it completely to Him in faith and walk away with a lighter burden, thinking about it no more. I know, I know. Easier said than done. I struggle with it daily. But I can tell you this. When you do it, I mean truly do it, it’s amazing. Words cannot describe what fills that void of that burden...the feeling of abundant joy, hope and peace doesn’t even scratch the surface. Trust me. I’ve experienced it repeatedly. You just have to start turning it over to Him. That’s the hardest part…beginning! So, what are you waiting for? Start today. I know it’s going to be hard but start with one thing that is weighing heavy on your heart and talk to God about it. I mean talk to Him like you are talking to your best friend…because guess what? He is! Trust me when I say, your perspective on life will begin to change when you make a conscious effort each day to talk to God about it instead of trying to handle it yourself. The enemy is going to do its best to remind you of what you “gave away” or turned over to God, ignore him. That’s when you know you’re doing something right! Remember, he was defeated over 2,000 years ago! He doesn’t stand a chance. If you have Jesus, YOUR victory has already been won! **For daily devotionals, you can follow me on Facebook at The Upward Way or on Instagram at the_upward_way.

Send responses to:  andybowman839@gmail.com Have you ever walked down the sidewalk, determined to be friendly and cheerful that particular day, and looked up to see someone coming toward you, but you couldn’t figure out whether to say “Good morning, sir” or Good morning, miss?” Bluntly put, you couldn’t tell if you were speaking to a male or a female. Well, first of all, greetings on the sidewalks to strangers are rare anymore, anyway. No one bothers to be that cordial and polite in today’s society. Most of us employ the fine art of ignoring each other as we pass. But beyond those problems, our country now deals with a much more complex issue. Some among us seem to have decided to not be male or female anymore. And if they do acknowledge they are a specific sex, they prefer to act as if there are no differences in the two genres at all. It seems that we  now have masculine, feminine, and unilunine. Making it worse, some of our country’s esteemed leaders have taken upon themselves to enforce this ‘one size fits all’ outlook upon our impressionable young children. In some states, they want it to be forbidden to  teach a child to see themselves only with the gender identity of their birth. Kids are being told they can transition to whatever sex they think they want to become. And even medically aided in becoming that gender. All  this without the express knowledge and permission of their legal guardians and parents. They are simply kids, folks! And non-adults are definitely not emotionally and mentally equipped to make huge life-impacting decisions. The real results of this experiment tell us this is not only morally wrong, but it is ruining the lives of young people who have believed and acted on this garbage. Read the actual stories of some young people who  transitioned and later feel trapped in a different life that never should have been. Wishing that responsible adults would have counseled them to wait out the tumultuous teen years and let emotions heal and hormones  settle. And added to that initial trauma, some are now walking the terribly difficult road of de-transitioning. At the same time realizing their lives will never be the same, ever again. Folks, we were all created by the Creator, who is identified by whatever name you choose to use. I use the biblical identity, my God. And God chose what sex your body would be, and which race or mixture of races of  which you would be a part. He did not make a mistake when you were created. From the beginning He knew the ‘you’ that He wanted on this earth. Warts, glitches and all. Give yourself time to work through those problems. Accept you, and know that you will change as time goes by. Because no one on this earth stays the same their entire life. Our emotions, our thoughts, our outlook,  and our beliefs change as we mature. Give maturing a chance.

Special to Wesson News December tornadoes left thousands without power. (Photo: Special to Wesson News) The  National Weather Service   confirmed that 22 tornadoes swept through Mississippi as part of a storm system that spanned multiple states on the weekend after Christmas and before New Years day. At the same time, a report from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency showed damage in at least 18 counties. So far, two deaths and at least 10 injures related to the twisters were confirmed,  according to Gov. Tate Reeves . A tree reportedly fell on a home in Natchez and another death was reported in Lowndes County. By New Years day, power had been restored to thousands had lost it during the storm. In Copiah County, EF-1 tornado touched down just west of Interstate 55 near Martinsburg, causing mostly minor tree damage over its 2.74 mile track except along Cline Road, where it intensified and uprooted trees.  Another EF-1 tornado touched down at Crystal Springs and uprooted and snapped numerous trees along a 13.06 mile path, with one falling onto and damaging a home.  An EF-3 tornado with peak winds of 135 mph caused heavy damage in Franklin County along 28.29 mile path that took it into Lincoln County where it also wrecked havoc.  In Franklin County, it left 14 homes, two businesses and one farm damaged and in Lincoln County, it collapsed an electrical transmission line tower and continued to damage trees, power lines and homes before dissipating just north of Pleasant Ridge Road. EF-1 tornadoes also touched down at East Lincoln and Loyd Star in Lincoln County and in Simpson County.  They mostly uprooted and snapped trees, and an East Lincoln home and shed sustained minor roof damage. Across the state, Wayne County was hardest hit by the tornadoes with 33 homes, one business and one farm damaged.  Other counties with significant tornado damage were Clay (28 homes), Adams (20 homes, one death), Rankin (17 homes, three apartments and one business) and Clarke (15 homes, one business).

If the old saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words” is true, then the Luther Hamilton Photograph Collection is worth a million words. The collection includes nearly 1,000 photographs of mainly Copiah County documents, its people and activities from the late 1900s to the mid-1940s. The images are varied, some are rare and each one tells a story. Photographs of vegetable picking, packing and shipping, for example, preserve a time in which few of those living can say they have experienced. Some of the family names will sound familiar - Augustus Lotterhos and Bryant Wesley Mathis (known as “The Cabbage King”) - are a few. Building no longer extant serve as re- minders of what once was. Luther Myles Hamilton, Sr. (“LM”) was born in Wesson on March 5, 1869, to Benjamin and Amanda C. Terry. He married Lizzie Davidson, and they had four children – Hazel Hamilton Odom, Merle H. Ramsey, Edythey Hamilton Todd and L.M. Hamilton, Jr. L.M. was a photographer for many years before his death in 1944. He owned and operated a portrait studio out of a tent in Crystal Springs equipped with a portable darkroom. His house was where ABB’s (formerly Kuhlman Electric) entrance is at the intersection of Lee Avenue and East Railroad. Luther, Jr. (1912-1994) collected the studio’s and family’s photographs, intending to publish a photographic history of Crystal Springs. They were not published, but, instead, a lot of them were donated to the Mississippi Department of Archives and history, where they have been digitalized as the Luther Hamilton Collection. Due to the selfless efforts of the Hamilton family, the world now has access to almost a thousand photo- graphs that take us to a time when there were no televisions, no computers and no cellphones - days when Flag Day (1901) and the first tomato day celebrations were events for everyone to attend. Farming was a way of life, and downtowns and depots were the centers of attraction. EDITOR’S NOTE: Reprinted from A Shared History: Copiah County, Mississippi 1823-1823, including articles written by Paul C. Cartwright, Tricia Nelson and Gene Horton compiled and edited by Paul C. Cartwright.

By Kara Kimbrough Blue cheese dip works perfectly as a dipping sauce for wings as well as an accompaniment to sliced vegetables and chips.       14 billion hamburgers...12 million pizzas...3.8 million pounds of wings and the snack food without which no Super Bowl party is complete - 28 million pounds of chips - are expected to be sold, prepared and consumed by Americans during the biggest game of the year in a couple of weeks.     I love chips, so eating them solo doesn’t bother me in the least. But Super Bowl Sunday is a special food day. A lineup of dips on the table is required to dress up my favorite chips.      My #1 Super Bowl tip, especially if you're hosting a gathering of friends: serve a variety of simple, but delicious dips that will work well with several dipping items, including chips, crackers, chopped vegetables and toasted French bread slices. And, you get bonus points if your creations work well as dipping sauces for wings and chicken strips.     Most of the recipes below can be adapted for any dipping purpose. So, get ready, set, dip! Blue Cheese Dip or Wing Sauce  1 cup sour cream ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese 1 tablespoon vinegar (use white or your favorite flavor) ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper Dash of hot sauce (optional)      Whisk sour cream, blue cheese, vinegar and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. If you like it hot, add hot sauce and stir. Chill and serve as a wing sauce or with chips.  Shrimp Dip or Spread 8-ounce cream cheese 8-ounce container French onion dip 1 cup Velveeta cheese, shredded 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 small can shrimp, drained Dash of hot sauce, optional      Mix everything together; serve with chips, crackers or toasted sliced banquettes. What’s the Dill?” Dip 1 cup sour cream ½ cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon dill weed 1 teaspoon green onion, chopped fine 1 teaspoon seasoned salt      Mix all ingredients and chill before serving. Serve with sliced vegetables or chips. SUPER Easy BLT Dip 1 cup sour cream ½ cup bottled ranch dressing ½ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon seasoned salt 1/2 cup chopped tomato ¼ cup bacon bits 2-3 tablespoons green onion, diced      Mix together first five ingredients in a bowl, then top with remaining three ingredients.   Crunchy Corn Cheese Dip 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 cups frozen sweet kernel corn, defrosted 1 teaspoon garlic salt Dash of ground black pepper 2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded  8-ounce cream cheese, cut into chunks 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, divided      Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a skillet with olive oil, heat over medium-high heat. Add corn, sprinkle with garlic salt and ground black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and slightly crispy, around 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into oven-safe dip bowl. Stir in Cheddar and cream cheese, followed by half of chili powder. Bake until golden and bubbling, 18 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle baked dip with remainder of chili powder (if you like it spicy!) and serve with large corn chips. (This is better after it sits for awhile, so I make it the night before, chill and then microwave before serving.) Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at   kkprco@yahoo.com .

By Guest Food Columnist Charles Raymond Fortson               With the cold winter months ahead, soups will be an important of our meals.  Uncle Rays has an array of soups on its menu.  Our broccoli/bacon cheese soup is a favorite for snacks, light meals and an appetizer with your favorite meat dishes.   Ingredients   1 finely chopped medium size onion 1 cup of cooked chopped drained bacon 2/3 cup of butter 2/3 cup of all-purpose flour 3 cups of chicken broth 3 cups of Half & Half heavy whipping cream 2 cups of chopped carrots 1 ¼ lbs. of fresh chopped fresh broccoli florets 3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese ½ block of cream cheese (room temperature) ½ tsp. of dry mustard ½ tsp. of garlic powder ½ tsp. of smoked paprika 1 tbsp. of kosher salt ½ tsp. of black pepper   Directions   1. Use a medium size stock pot. 2. Start cooking on medium heat. 3. Melt butter 4. Add onions. 5. Cook 2-4 minutes. 6. Add flour and whisk mixture. 7. Pour in chicken broth & whisk thoroughly. 8. Add whipping cream and continue to whisk thoroughly. 9. Cook for 2 minutes while continuing to whisk mixture. 10. Add paprika, garlic powder, dried mustard, salt & pepper. 11. Reduce heat to low, whisking seasoning into mixture throroughly.     12. Add broccoli and carrots. 13. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes or wait until carrots are fork-tender. 14. Blend in cheddar cheese and cream cheese, whisking thoroughly until cheese has melted. 15. Add bacon. 16. Adjust texture of soup as desired.  More cheese to thicken or more chicken broth & cream to thin it. 17. For desired taste, add more salt & pepper.   Serves eight to 10 people as an appetizer.   EDITOR’S NOTE:  Charles Raymond Fortson is owner/chef at Uncle Ray’s across from Lake Lincoln State Park.