By Angie Delaughter The Aspen, an assisted living facility, will be holding its third annual Vintage Car Show on October 19. Set to begin at 8 a.m. and continue until 2 p.m., organizers say the event is expected to be a spectacular display of vintage cars, each with its own story and history.   "This will be a day of family and fun for the entire community,” said Mechelle Burnette, Aspen’s director of sales. “The car show has grown from eighteen cars the first year to twenty-one the second year.” The event will also include a silent auction, live entertainment, vendors and food.  Linton Glass of Brookhaven will be cooking the meat for food plates available for purchase. All officers who show their badge will eat free. Everyone is encouraged to “bring a chair and enjoy,” Burnette said. Brookhaven Country Club has donated the use of its golf carts for anyone needing complimentary transportation from the vehicle parking to the event area. “We are encouraging vendors to come out to this community gathering,” said Burnette. All vendors are welcome to set up at no charge. The cost to enter a car is $20 car, and all proceeds will go to the family of fallen Summit officer Troy Floyd, who lost his life on August 8 in the line of duty. Floyd leaves behind a wife, Sage, and three children, Raiden (wife Shelby) Floyd, Carlyanna (husband Braydon) Nicholson and Jacob Floyd, as well as two grandchildren, Morgan and Brancin Floyd, along with many friends and family.  Donations for the silent auction can be made by calling Burnette at 601-455-4619. The Aspen is located at 500 Silver Cross Drive in Brookhaven.

Wesson News   For the fifty-third 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 19, 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.   The Wesson Friends of the Library, who have raised the stakes for this year’s Library Card Sign Up Month, will hold a drawing for a $50 gift card to Firehouse BBQ for a lucky adult who signed up for a new library card before October 19, and a drawing for a $50 gift card to Park Place Ice Cream will be held for a new youth library card signee.   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 19.   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 .

With the November 5, 2024, General Election quickly approaching, Mississippians need to be aware of upcoming important dates and deadlines. VOTER REGISTRATION The 2024 General Election voter registration deadlines are: In-person at the Circuit Clerk's office by 5:00 pm on Monday, October 7. Note: Circuit Clerk's offices will be open for in-person voter registration on Saturday, October 5, from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Mail-in registration applications  must be postmarked no later than Monday, October 7. ABSENTEE VOTING In-person and mail-in absentee ballots are now available through your county Circuit Clerk's office for the 2024 General Election. Mississippians may utilize the Secretary of State's  Y'all Vote website , which includes an  Absentee Voting FAQ  and  Step-by-Step Guide to Absentee Voting , or contact their county circuit clerk to verify eligibility. If eligible, ballots will be provided upon request by your circuit clerk. For those who cannot visit their Circuit Clerk's Office during the work week, Saturday in-person absentee voting dates are Saturday, October 26, and Saturday, November 2, from 8:00 a.m. until noon. The last day to vote in-person absentee is November 2 while mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before November 5 (Election Day). CAMPAIGN FINANCE Campaign finance reports for all judicial candidates and political action committees which have received contributions or made expenditures in support or opposition of judicial candidates are due by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 10, 2024. Reports may be submitted via: Email :  CampaignFinance@sos.ms.gov  or  Shelby.Scoggins@sos.ms.gov In person:  401 Mississippi Street, Jackson, MS 39201 or 1141 Bayview Avenue, Suite 120, Biloxi, MS 39530 Mail : P.O. Box 136, Jackson, MS 39205-0136 (Please note that mailed-in reports must actually be received by the required date and the postmarked date will not be considered). Fax:  (601) 576-2545 The Secretary of State's Office is your primary and  #TrustedInfo2024  source for election information. For questions, please call our Elections Division at (800) 829-6786, email  ElectionAnswers@sos.ms.gov , or visit  YallVote.ms .

By Misty Prine “We witness other people’s storms from the shelter of our own perspectives. Let us be mindful that we don’t add the cold rain of judgment to their already soaked spirits.” – Liz Newman Each of us wander around each day with our own storm clouds hovering over our heads. The thing is this. Our storm clouds are not visible to others. We often deal with our own struggles in silence. Some of the stronger ones among us hold it together very well around others and wear smiles on our faces and can function like all is well in the world. Those are the ones that often struggle the most to be completely honest. Those are the ones that must hold it together because they have to be strong for others around them. Usually it’s their family, friends and even co-workers. Some of us, not so much. We wear our struggles for others to see. The main thing to remember is this. Everyone is struggling in some way, whether they wear it well or not. What we need to keep in mind is that we don’t need to judge anyone based on what we perceive of them while they are walking through a valley of their own. It’s not our place to judge after all. We also don’t need to be a stumbling block for them by adding to their situation in any way. We wouldn’t want that judgement in return if the tables were turned, would we? We must be mindful that we never want to add any “cold rain of judgement” to their already soaked spirits as the quote above says. We never want to be the one that is their “if one more thing happens, I don’t’ know if I can handle it” person, in other words. Everyone is fighting a battle we know nothing about. We just always need to be kind and show that Christ-like love to everyone we meet. We would want that in return.

By Misty Prine   “We witness other people’s storms from the shelter of our own perspectives. Let us be mindful that we don’t add the cold rain of judgment to their already soaked spirits.” – Liz Newman                 Each of us wander around each day with our own storm clouds hovering over our heads. The thing is this. Our storm clouds are not visible to others. We often deal with our own struggles in silence. Some of the stronger ones among us hold it together very well around others and wear smiles on our faces and can function like all is well in the world. Those are the ones that often struggle the most to be completely honest. Those are the ones that must hold it together because they have to be strong for others around them. Usually it’s their family, friends and even co-workers. Some of us, not so much. We wear our struggles for others to see. The main thing to remember is this. Everyone is struggling in some way, whether they wear it well or not. What we need to keep in mind is that we don’t need to judge anyone based on what we perceive of them while they are walking through a valley of their own. It’s not our place to judge after all. We also don’t need to be a stumbling block for them by adding to their situation in any way. We wouldn’t want that judgement in return if the tables were turned, would we?                 We must be mindful that we never want to add any “cold rain of judgement” to their already soaked spirits as the quote above says. We never want to be the one that is their “if one more thing happens, I don’t’ know if I can handle it” person, in other words. Everyone is fighting a battle we know nothing about. We just always need to be kind and show that Christ-like love to everyone we meet. We would want that in return.

By Bob Garver             For better or worse, late September this year is certainly the time for animated robot movies. Fortunately, we got the “worse” out of the way last week with “Transformers One.” Now we can sit back and enjoy the “better” with “The Wild Robot.” Many people did indeed sit back and enjoy this movie, as the theater at my screening was more crowded than usual. The added cheering and laughter made the experience all the more endearing, and it was heartwarming to think of all the families bonding over their shared love of this movie.             Lupita Nyong’o stars as Roz, a robot programmed to help with tasks on a distant space colony. Something goes wrong with the delivery, and she winds up stranded on an island on Earth. Eager to help, but unable to find any humans to give her orders, she instead looks to the local animal population. She even takes the time to learn how animals communicate, to the point where she can filter their various squeaks, squawks, and other utterances into English in real time. And that’s how this becomes a talking animal movie.             Roz is eager to help, but the animals don’t necessarily want her help. Okay, they “decidedly” don’t want her help. At first, they’re all afraid of her, given that she’s gigantic, made of metal, dangerously confused, and relatively clumsy (she moves nimbly for a robot of her size, but isn’t built for the unpredictability of nature). Then they fight against her, knocking her down and stripping her of gears and features. She’s even attacked by her closest physical match, a bear named Thorn (Mark Hamill), who knocks down a cliff, causing her to crush a bird’s nest.             Roz sees that a single egg has survived, and the lifeform inside must be protected. She saves it from getting eaten by a fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal) by launching the predator into a porcupine, though she instinctively helps him remove quills afterward. The egg hatches, and the gosling, named Brightbill, doesn’t see why Roz can’t be mother material. Roz is prepared to be a helper, but not a primary caregiver. In other words, she doesn’t have any programming that makes her fit to be a mother. “No one does,” says opossum Pinktail (Catherine O’Hara), who becomes her mentor.             The rest of the movie is Roz trying to raise Brightbill (Kit Connor) as best as she can, knowing that she’ll have to teach him to swim, then fly, then leave for months on migration. The other geese tease him for coming from an unnatural family, but leader Longneck (Bill Nighy) sees that he only lives to help others, just like his adoptive mother. The migration makes for an adventure unto itself, as does Roz and the rest of the forest trying to make it through an unexpectedly harsh winter. On top of all that, Roz still recognizes an obligation to try to get to the human colony, and tracking robot Vontra (Stephanie Hsu) could arrive at any time. That the last matter probably should have been saved for a sequel is my only real gripe with the movie.             “The Wild Robot” came to theaters riding the single biggest wave of critical praise I’ve seen all year. The quantity of praise is well-deserved, as I can’t imagine anybody disliking this movie, but it might make it a tad vulnerable to expectations. I consider it “among” the best movies of the year, but I was never quite ready to hand it the top spot (still “Dune: Part Two,” by the way). Still, my heart melted at several points, whether it was from cuteness (the opossum family), sadness (the straining of the Roz/Brightbill relationship), or the sheer amount of love on display. By all means take the family to see this movie, turn it into a success, and encourage Hollywood to make more movies with this much heart.   Grade: B   “The Wild Robot” is rated PG for action/peril and thematic elements. Its running time is 101 minutes.   Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu .

Walmart, Sam's Club and the Walmart Foundation announced an initial $6M commitment to support Hurricane Helene relief efforts, including donations of food, water, essential supplies and grants to organizations providing relief.   As part of the commitment, Mississippi Walmart and Sam's Clubs customers can help support the relief efforts. From Sept. 30 to Oct. 13, Walmart will help magnify their impact by matching their donations to the American Red Cross 1:1, up to $2.5 million, when they donate to support hurricane relief at the registers in stores and clubs and on Walmart.com .   Walmart also is working with nonprofits and suppliers to bring much-needed resources into communities without access to power, such as free meals, WiFi hotspots, charging stations and laundry and shower services.   Throughout the recovery, Walmart will continue looking for ways to support associates, customers, members and their families.   For more information about specific relief efforts in the various states impacted by Hurricane Helene, visit Walmart's corporate announcement here  https://corporate.walmart.com/purpose/community/disaster-response/hurricane-helene .

Send any responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com Nope, don’t get your dander up (or your hopes up, depending on what you were hoping to read). I am not going to write about naked bodies and the image that phrase seems to conjure up to people. The focus of this column, the nakedness I am writing about? Your future. The naked, unvarnished truth straight out of the Bible, about your eternity. Sound totally boring? Okay, then simply go read something else that does appeal to you. You definitely have that right. But for those who realize down deep in their gut that they need to prepare for death and what will come next, this is written for you. Yes, I realize this is a far departure from what I normally write in this column. And I also realize many will resent it, and maybe even lodge complaints with their local newspaper editor. Maybe I will even lose a few papers who will refuse to carry my column any longer. But although that will hurt, it will not kill me. And those jabs at me will be worth it, knowing that maybe, just maybe, someone who has never read the Real Truth about their death and the eternity that follows, will read this and believe. They will have a chance to see how their present life can be different. And that their eternity can be safe, happy, secure, alive, and filled with purpose. So, here is the Naked Truth: There really is one God and He created it ALL. Jesus Christ, God’s sinless perfect Son, really alive.     No person has ever lived an absolutely sinless life… except for Jesus. There really is a huge penalty to be paid for sin. But that penalty is paid. Real. Final. Done. Because Jesus really did let Himself be crucified on a cross to pay the penalty for all our sin. Our sin condemns us to Hell when we die. Because heaven is perfect, no sinner can enter its gates. To escape hell and enter heaven at your death, realize are a sinner, admit it to yourself, confess it to Jesus, and take Him up on His offer to pay your debt to God. When you do, you really will be totally forgiven in your Creator’s eyes, because Jesus will have paid your entire debt. Then you live the rest of your life for God, trying to live who you really now are…sin-free. But if you refuse His offer and decide there is no eternity, no Hell or Heaven, then you will have to pay for your sins yourself when you die. The Bible says that will mean an eternity filled with regret and pain, knowing that it could have been so much different for you.   Eternity is like multiplying trillions and trillions of years by billions and billions of years –plus trying to empty one ocean into the other…one drop at a time. And that is only the beginning. Sermon done. Naked bare truth.

By Toni Miles   There’s a law that’s “been on the books” for nearly two decades that some Mississippi drivers aren’t yet aware of but could make a court appearance for and get ticketed over – the Move Over Law.   Mississippi’s Move Over law went into effect in 2007. It requires anyone driving in Mississippi to move at least one lane away when approaching emergency vehicles that are parked on the roadside with lights flashing. This could include vehicles manned by police officers, highway patrolmen, Mississippi Department of Transportation workers or others who work as first responders. The law requires a lane change, or, if there are vehicles in the next lane over and it is unsafe to change lanes, motorists are required to slow down.   Under the Move Over Law, motorists who are passing an emergency vehicle on the side of the road must slow down and yield the right of way by changing lanes, keeping at least one lane between them and the emergency vehicle and first responders, if possible.   The law is intended to protect ambulance crews, state troopers and other law enforcement, medical personnel and first responders. It also covers tow trucks and highway maintenance vehicles. This often-ignored law also requires motorists to get out of the way of approaching emergency vehicles, as well, usually by pulling over to the right-hand edge of a road or street.   Drivers who don’t make room and fail to change lanes when possible under the Move Over Law risk getting ticketed, as some Mississippians have already found out.   Failure to obey the Move Over Law is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine. If the violation results in property damage to an emergency vehicle, highway maintenance or recovery vehicle or bodily injury, the fine can be up to $1,000.

By Kara Kimbrough     I’ve shared my love of pound cake before. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I recently spent a few hours following the comments of members of an online food and recipe group as they helped someone search for a long-lost pound cake recipe.  One of the members was trying to recreate a specific cake made famous at Memphis-area parties decades ago. The fervency with which group members discussed their favorite pound cake recipe and the associated memories made me stop and search for a specific pound cake from my own childhood.     I remember my grandmother making an old-fashioned pound cake with a crunchy top in an angel food pan many years ago. However, during the latter part of her life, the type of pound cake underneath the silver domed cake cover in her kitchen changed. I searched the family cookbook, but the recipe for this specific, shortcut-type pound cake was not listed. All I could recall from the recipe is that the cake was not the “old-fashioned” kind and the subtle taste of Wesson Oil (not in an overpowering way, but just part of the equation) was present.    After searching, I located a recipe for Wesson Oil Pound Cake. I quickly gathered the ingredients and made the cake. It was moist and delicious, but like many things recreated from the past, it didn’t taste quite as good as I remembered enjoying in my grandmother’s kitchen. Maybe it was due to the fact that the silver cake dome was missing, along with the smell of coffee brewing in the silver percolator.    Speaking of those two kitchen items…as I get older, the things I value most in life are items attached to pleasant memories of the past. I hope to someday recover the cake dome and percolator and display them in my kitchen. The monetary value and functionality of both items may be low, but the memories associated with them are priceless.    As far as the group member’s quest for the Memphis pound cake, the exact one was never found. With Memphis on my mind, I located the recipe for Elvis’ favorite pound cake. It happens to be my favorite way to make pound cake due to the inclusion of heavy cream.     I’ve read that Elvis would eat an entire pound cake in one sitting. I’m not one to judge because as we all know, there’s nothing on earth quite as good as a slice of hot-from-the-oven pound cake. Wesson Oil Pound Cake 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 3 cups sugar 1/2 cup Wesson oil 5 eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon lemon extract Cream butter and sugar. Add Wesson oil, eggs (one at a time, beating after each one), flour, milk and flavorings. Pour into a greased Bundt pan and bake at 325° degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes. Elvis’ Favorite Whipping Cream Pound Cake 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan 3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) plus additional for dusting ¾ teaspoon kosher salt 3 cup sugar 7 large eggs, at room temperature for 30 minutes 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup heavy cream     Put oven rack in middle position, but do not preheat oven. Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour. Sift 3 cups sifted cake flour and ¾ teaspoon salt into a medium bowl. Repeat sifting into another medium bowl.     Beat together 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and 3 cups sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (If using a stand mixer, use paddle attachment. If using hand mixer, beat 6 to 8 minutes).     Add 7 large eggs, 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Reduce to low speed and add half of flour mixture, then 1 cup heavy cream, then remaining flour mixture, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down sides of the bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes      Spoon batter into prepared pan. Place pan in cold oven and turn oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 60–75 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com .

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) is partnering with Count the Kicks to accelerate progress on stillbirth prevention.  Data shows an average of 300 families a year are affected by stillbirth/fetal deaths in Mississippi.  The goal is to promote the sharing and download of the free Count the Kicks mobile app with every expectant parent you know. The CDC lists a change in a baby's movements as one of its 15 urgent maternal warning signs. The "Count the Kicks" program helps prevent stillbirths by teaching expectant parents a simple method for monitoring their baby's movements in the third trimester of pregnancy. The free Count the Kicks app makes it easy for expectant parents to get to know their baby's normal movement patterns and empowers them to speak up to their provider if their baby's movements change. Research shows a change in a baby's movement patterns in the third trimester is often an early red flag in pregnancy that something might be going wrong. "The MSDH is committed to improving maternal health and birth outcomes for families in our state," said Dr. Dan Edney, MSDH Executive Director and State Health Officer. "We believe Count the Kicks is an excellent tool to help save babies now." The free Count the Kicks app is available in 20+ languages in the Google Play and iOS app stores, and has been downloaded 600,000 times and counting in all 50 U.S. states, and more than 140 other countries "Count the Kicks gives expectant parents and providers the tools and resources they need to have an ongoing conversation about fetal movement in the third trimester," said Emily Price, CEO for Healthy Birth Day, Inc., the nonprofit organization that created the Count the Kicks program. "Count the Kicks is proven to improve birth outcomes for moms and babies, and we are grateful to be partnering with MSDH to make this life-saving education available to Mississippi families." For more information about maternal and infant health initiatives at MSDH, contact the Maternal and Infant Health Bureau at 601-576-7429.

Special to Wesson News Copiah-Lincoln (Co-Lin) Community College has been awarded a $482,025 Workforce Inclusion grant from the Center for Workforce Inclusion, Inc. (Center). Almost ninety percent of this grant – originally from the U.S. Department of Labor – will provide temporary employment to no less than eighty low-income older Mississippians living in Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Copiah, Franklin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln, Pike, Simpson, Smith, Walthall and Wilkinson counties. These older adults will participate in the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), a cornerstone program of the Older Americans Act and the only federal job training program targeted exclusively to low-income, older job seekers.   In its 59th year, SCSEP promotes personal dignity and self-sufficiency through work. The training attained through SCSEP provides in-demand skills for older, unemployed, low-income Americans. The Center, a top-tier U.S. Department of Labor National Grantee of SCSEP, works through a network of local partners delivering career training programs for eligible fifty-plus-year-old workers across the United States. To date, the Center has helped more than 500,000 gain unsubsidized employment from the SCSEP program. “Our long-term, local partners are a key to the strength of the Center and provide the systems to train older Americans into strategic advantage for employers across the country.” said Gary A. Officer, president and CEO of the Center for Workforce Inclusion. “We are very pleased to continue our support of Copiah-Lincoln Community College for the 52nd consecutive year.”    “SCSEP helps our community’s eligible 55+ job seekers learn new skills and refresh old ones when they are coming back into the workforce,” said Dr. Dewayne Middleton, president of Copiah-Lincoln Community College. “At their training sites, SCSEP job seekers help local community, faith-based and public agencies carry out their mission, such as St. Andrews Mission, Copiah-Jefferson Regional Library Systems, Boys and Girls Club, Copiah County Human Resource Agency, Jefferson County Board of Supervisors, WIN Job Centers, Aging Gracefully Community Center and a variety of other non-profit and government agencies. This grant from the Center is essential to our being able to deliver these vital workforce training services to our community.”   For more information about Co-Lin’s program, visit www.CenterForWorkforceInclusion.org .