We like to hear from our readers, especially if they have a “Good News” news story to share. We are interested in great stories that involve residents, students, businesses, organizations, and the government of Wesson, MS, Brookhaven, MS, and the surrounding areas in Copiah and Lincoln County. To have the best chance of getting your story published in print and/or on the web, make sure you follow our Story & Photo Submission guidelines. ​ Send your story & photos to Bob Arnold at BobArnold@WessonNews.com. ​ Story Guidelines: ​ How to Submit Articles and Photos: Article submissions and story ideas are welcome! We do our very best to get as much Wesson community news in each issue as possible. Submissions for publication are due by 5 p.m. 7 BUSINESS days prior to the next issue's publication date (deadline is always on a Friday at 5 p.m.). Story ideas can be submitted at anytime, but will take time to be fully developed by our reporting staff. Supported File Formats: ​ TEXT: Rich Text Format (.rtf) is the preferred format for text submissions. However, Microsoft Word (.docx) and wording in the body of an email message are supported. PHOTO: High resolution JPEG (.jpg) or PNG (.png) files are supported . If the image resolution is too low or look blury, images may not be publishable. ​​ Photo Guidelines: ​ Please note the following when submitting a photo. Cell phone photos may be acceptable for printing, provided they are taken with a late-model smartphone and transmitted to us in a way that keeps the image from being compressed. ​ When organizing group photos, have your subjects stand as close together as possible so their faces (really the most important part of the photo) will be prominent. Make sure subjects are lined up enough so that a cutline identifying their names is possible (i.e. front row, left to right...) For publication purposes, "posed" photographs showing faces are almost always better than "action shots." Please leave a little room at the top and on both sides of your subjects in case we have to crop the photo. ​ If your subjects are standing in shade, use your flash as fill. Otherwise, your camera may render your subjects' faces too dark. Also, use your flash if your subjects are standing against a brightly lit background for the same reason. ​ Please do not send us a copyrighted photograph unless it is accompanied by permission from the photographer for us to reproduce it. If we have doubts about a photograph potentially being copyrighted and submitted without permission, we will not publish it. ​ While it's fun to use all of the editing features and filters on your phone or computer, please refrain. Pictures submitted to us need to be high resolution, unedited and uncropped. Please do not embed your photos in a text document (i.e. Word, Notes). Attach it separately to your emailed submission to ensure the quality and resolution are preserved during transmittal. ​ Photos for the website need to be taken in a landscape format that is short and wide, instead of a portrait format, which is tall and narrow. If you are able to take multiple shots, please send us photos in both landscape and portrait formats. ​ Photos should be submitted with a cutline/description identifying each individual pictured, along with the name of the person's hometown. ​ Article Reprints: ​ Materials from the print edition, the PDF edition, or from the website may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the Publisher. For reprints of an article, please contact the Editor. Copyright ©2024. All rights reserved. ​ ​ Find the Wesson News On Facebook!

By Kara Kimbrough As much as we’d like to be able to enjoy hearty bowls of chili, gumbo, taco soup and beef stew year-round, it’s just too hot to survive the heat that fills the kitchen when we’re cooking and stirring these dishes. And who needs their body temperature to rise even more through eating one of these hot and steaming dishes when the temperature is 90-plus degrees? But it’s impossible to survive solely on cold salads and sandwiches until the weather cools down, especially when that won’t happen until around Thanksgiving. My solution for hot weather cooking is to rely on the Crockpot, often seen as a cold weather appliance. That doesn’t make sense when you consider the fact that no heat is dispersed into the kitchen while the interior thoroughly cooks just about anything you can imagine. So don’t leave it on the shelf until it’s time for the afore-mentioned chili, beef stew and soup. Here are two of my favorite summertime (and any time, really) meals that’ll allow you to fix it, forget it and come home at the end of a hot day to a delicious meal – and a cool kitchen. Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce 2 pounds ground chuck ½ pound bacon Extra-virgin olive oil 5-15-ounce cans tomato sauce 3-6-ounce cans tomato paste 1 cup water 1 onion, sliced and diced into small pieces 1 carrot, sliced and diced into small pieces 3 tablespoons each of dried oregano and dried parsley 1 tablespoon each of salt and ground black pepper Brown ground chuck in large skillet with olive oil until meat is no longer pink. Drain and set aside. Fry bacon until brown and crisp; remove from pan and set aside on paper towel-lined plate. Crumble into pieces when cool. In bacon grease in bottom of pan, cook diced onions until they're soft and brown. Place meats and cooked onions into a lined six-quart Crockpot. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and cook on high 6-8 hours. Serve over cooked pasta. Crockpot Pepper Steak 1-1/2 pounds flank steak, cut into strips Salt and ground black pepper 1 large red bell pepper, sliced 1 large green bell pepper, sliced 1 medium white onion, sliced 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 1 cup low-sodium beef stock 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup brown sugar 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 3 tablespoons sesame oil 2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional) Cooked rice, for serving Season flank steak thoroughly with salt and black pepper. In a large Crock Pot combine steak, bell pepper, onions and garlic. In a mixing bowl, combine beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper before adding into the Crock Pot. Cover and cook on high for 3-1/2 hours to 4 hours or on low for 5- 6 hours, until the steak is totally tender. Serve over rice. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

On Monday, August 19, 2024, Attorney General Lynn Fitch will host the Inaugural Mississippi Women's Summit at the Oxford Conference Center. This free event will include several panels of women leaders from all over Mississippi who will share their experiences as women running businesses and charitable organizations or as women in public service, law enforcement, and the military, and will also feature a vendor area of women-owned businesses from across Mississippi. For more information on the 2024 Inaugural Women's Summit, click HERE. This event is open to credentialed members of the media. Please RSVP to Maryasa.Lee@ago.ms.gov. For day of questions call or text MaryAsa Lee at 601-988-3731. Event Details: What: Inaugural Mississippi Women's Summit When: Monday, August 19, 2024 | Media Call Time: 8:00 am-8:30 am and 2:40 pm-3:10 pm. Where: Oxford Conference Center (102 Ed Perry Blvd, Oxford, MS 38655) Reserved parking available upon request Who: Attorney General Lynn Fitch Sarah Thomas (First Woman Referee for the National Football League) Paula Scanlan (Former Collegiate Swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania, Advocate for Female-Based Rights) Rachel Duffy (Host of America's #1 Rated Cable News Morning Show, FOX & Friends Weekend)

The BEAD Map challenge process begins today! The Challenge Process allows residents of Mississippi a chance to provide feedback to help BEAM update the Mississippi Broadband Map. This updated map will allow BEAM to make the most of upcoming broadband funding and ensure every location in the state will soon have access to high-speed internet. Find out if you need to Challenge by viewing the BEAD MAP and entering your address. If your address is represented by a gray dot and you do NOT have access to high-speed internet you should submit a challenge. For those who do need to Challenge: visit RESIDENT CHALLENGE to take you to the resident Challenge Portal. A demonstration of the resident Challenge Portal is available by accessing the CHALLENGE PROCESS WEBINAR. BEAM can be reached at 601-359-5029 or info@beam.ms.gov with any questions. More resources for the Challenge Process, are available at www.beam.ms.gov/bead.

By Guest Columnist Dr. Stephanie Duguid This articles draw on a comprehensive overview of arthritis offered by Dr. Hanan Irahim, Assistant Professor of Rheumatology, as a Mississippi Health Ambassador Initiative member. Arthritis is a condition many people in the United States know all to well. Affecting nearly 60 million adults and hundreds of thousands of children, arthritis is a leading cause of disability. This chronic condition involves inflammation of the joints, which can lead to significant pain, redness, and swelling.  However, it’s important to understand that not all joint pain is due to arthritis.  Various other factors, such as infections, mechanical issues, crystal deposits, or autoimmune diseases, can also cause joint pain. There are different types of arthritis: 1. Osteoarthritis (OA):  Often known as mechanical arthritis, OA is the most common. It typically affects individuals over the age of 50, but younger people can also develop OA due to sports injuries or trauma.  Osteoarthritis results from the breakdown of cartilage -- the cushioning material in our joints -- leading to pain and stiffness.  Several factors contribute to developing OA -- age, joint injury, overuse, obesity, genetics, and gender, with women being more susceptible than men.  Imagine your joints as well-oiled hinges.  Over time, and with excessive use, the lubrication wears out, leading to those creaky, painful movements we associate with osteoarthritis. 2. Crystal-Induced Arthritis:  This type includes conditions like gout and pseudogout in which crystals form inside the joint. Gout is caused by uric acid crystals, which can be exacerbated by diets high in red meat and sugary beverages.  Pseudogout, in contrast, involves calcium-based crystals. Think of gout as a condition in which your joints feel like they’re being poked by sharp needles -- an unpleasant and painful experience that can severely impact daily activities. 3. Autoimmune Arthritis:  The most common form of autoimmune arthritis is Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). In this condition, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues, causing chronic inflammation. Symptoms include prolonged joint pain, stiffness, and systemic issues such as a fever and rash.  Managing autoimmune arthritis often requires a comprehensive approach involving long- term medication and regular medical consultations. It’s like your body is fighting an invisible enemy within, causing continuous discomfort and requiring constant vigilance. The symptoms of arthritis can vary widely, but they generally include joint pain that worsens with activity and improves with rest.  There is swelling, redness, and stiffness, particularly in the morning.  Diagnosing arthritis requires looking at patient history, a clinical examination, and imaging techniques, such as x rays or MRI scans. Imagine waking up each morning feeling like your joints are locked in place, slowly easing as the day goes on.  This is a common experience for those with arthritis. While there is no sure way to prevent arthritis, adopting a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce your risk and help manage symptoms if you already have the condition.  Here are some prevention tips: Stay Active:  Regular physical activity helps keep your joints flexible and muscles strong. Swimming, walking and yoga are excellent ways to maintain joint health. Maintain a Healthy Weight:  Obesity puts extra stress on your joints, particularly the knees, hips and lower back. Maintaining a healthy weight can help reduce this strain. Avoid Smoking: Smoking can contribute to the development of arthritis and other chronic diseases. Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water helps maintain joint lubrication. Adopt an Anti-Inflammatory Diet:  Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats can help reduce inflammation. Berries, fatty fish, nuts, and leafy greens are particularly beneficial. Treatment varies with the type of arthritis: With Osteoarthritis, the focus is on managing symptoms. This can include physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the joints, weight management to reduce stress on the joints, and medications such as acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). In severe cases, surgical options like joint replacement might be considered. For Crystal-Induced Arthritis, managing gout involves dietary changes to reduce purine intake, staying well hydrated, and medications like colchicine for acute attacks or allopurinol for long term management. Pseudogout treatment focuses on reducing inflammation and managing pain. Autoimmune Arthritis treatment often includes medications to suppress the immune system, such as methotrexate or biological therapies. Regular consultations with a rheumatologist are crucial to monitor and adjust treatment as needed. Arthritis is a complex condition with various forms and causes, each requiring a tailored treatment approach. Early intervention and a proactive lifestyle are essential in managing symptoms and improving quality of life. For more information or support, consider reaching out to your primary care provider, a community rheumatologist, or a physical therapist. Living with arthritis can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to dominate your life. By understanding the different types of arthritis and their causes, you can take proactive steps to manage the condition. Whether it’s through lifestyle changes, medical treatments, or a combination of both, there are many ways to alleviate the impact of arthritis on your daily activities. You don’t have to navigate this journey alone.  There are numerous resources and healthcare professionals ready to support you every step of the way. 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).

By: Bob Garver If nothing else, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is Disney taking a victory lap for acquiring 20th Century Fox and the Marvel properties it controlled. We got a taste of this last year in “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness” when the advertising bragged about bringing in Patrick Stewart’s Professor X from the X-Men and then the movie threw in John Krasinski as Reed “Mr. Fantastic” Richards from the Fantastic Four just because it could. This time, two former Fox characters are front and center for a Disney release, and they’re bringing some very un-Disneylike mannerisms with them. Wade “Deadpool” Wilson has fallen into a funk since we last saw him. He was turned down for a job with The Avengers, broke up with his girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), and now does a lousy job selling cars. It’s hard to believe that a highly-skilled assassin with regenerative superpowers wouldn’t be able to get a better job even without The Avengers, but whatever, he’s in need of a comeback. He’s sought out by Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen), who runs a clandestine organization dedicated to preserving timelines. Wade’s timeline is about to end because of the death of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in 2017’s “Logan.” In fact, Paradox is just a few days away from deleting the timeline himself with a device that will erase the world painlessly. Wade isn’t giving up on preserving his universe, so he kidnaps a Wolverine from another timeline to replace the one that his world is missing. Paradox finds the replacement insufficient and banishes both Deadpool and the new Wolverine to The Void, a desert world reserved for entities that Paradox and his organization want to sweep under the rug. The Void is ruled by Nova (Emma Corrin), the heretofore unknown twin sister of Professor X.  She wants to kill the heroes, and they ironically need her help to return to Wade’s timeline to stop Paradox. The bad news is that neither Deadpool nor Wolverine can hope to succeed on their own, or even together for that matter. It doesn’t help that the two don’t like each other, with this version of Wolverine wanting nothing more than to wallow in self-pity and Deadpool insisting that he put aside his failures and help save a timeline that isn’t his own. The good news is that there’s help out there in The Void. Remember, multiple-timeline and multiverse rules are in effect here. I will say that there are other versions of Deadpool played by Reynolds and other versions of Wolverine played by Jackman. Are there versions of these characters not played by Reynolds and Jackman? Will anyone else from the “X-Men” universe show up? Maybe some even stranger bedfellows? The appeal of “Deadpool & Wolverine” lies in its ability to elicit laughter and gasps. The kind of gasps I can talk about here relate to crude humor and creative violence, which tie into the laughter anyway, so really the appeal of this film is its humor. Obviously this movie isn’t going to appeal to audiences that want their Marvel movies at the PG-13 level or tamer. But it also isn’t going to appeal to people that don’t like Deadpool or are sick of Deadpool. It’s hard to imagine anybody not falling for the charm that Reynolds and Jackman bring to their characters. It’s easier to imagine that people are tired of this schtick after eight years, with all the “shock” and meta-humor and excitement over silly things like ill-fitting pop songs. For me, there was just enough juice left in the tank for me to give this movie a recommendation, but I suggest seeing this movie early while the screenings are still a party, because I don’t think this movie is going to age well once the novelty wears off. Grade: B- “Deadpool & Wolverine” is rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, gore and sexual references. Its running time is 128 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Wesson News All students enrolling for the first time at WAC must comply with Mississippi immunization requirements against communicable diseases, and entering seventh graders must show proof of an adolescent whooping cough (pertussis) booster vaccination. Current state entry immunization requirements encompass vaccinations that provide protection against: Diptheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DTaP) Polio (IPV) Hepatitis B Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Varicella (chickenpox) COVID-19 vaccinations are not required. Mississippi instituted the whooping cough booster (Tdap) vaccination requirement in 2012-13 due to increasing concern about pertussis -- a highly contagious and life-threatening disease that adolescents can contract and easily transmit to younger children.  Immunity to pertussis from early childhood vaccinations weakens over time. The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) also suggests consideration of vaccinations against meningococcal disease and human papillomavirus (HPV), and a varicella (chickenpox) booster as well for teenagers.  Doctors, other health care providers, and county health departments provide vaccinations and complete  the Form #121 Certificate of Immunization Compliance to present to schools. MSDH will consider exemptions from one or more required vaccinations for medical or religions reasons explained on completed and signed applications -- Form 139-M Medical Exemption Request and Form 139 R Religious Exemption Request.  A child’s pediatrician, family physician or internist licensed in Mississippi or a tertiary care physician outside the state must complete and sign Form 139-M.  A parent or guardian must complete and sign Form 139-R and must schedule an appointment with MSDH officials to discuss the application. Children with either a Certificate of Medical or Religious Exemption who are not adequately immunized will be excluded from school if a vaccine-preventable infectious disease is present in their communities or there is a threat of one occurring, and will continue to be excluded from school until the disease is no longer present or they no longer are a safety threat to other children in the school. For more information about vaccine exemptions, visit www.msdh.ms.gov.

You grew up together. Fought over who got to ride the newer bicycle and who would have the bigger bedroom. Laughed at the same old TV cartoons while inhaling your morning ration of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes with sweetened milk. Made fun of each other unmercifully. Griped to one another about all of Mom and Dad’s stupid rules. Told lies to help each other escape punishment for breaking those same rules. Or, with unbridled glee, deliberately tattled on the rule breaker in order see them suffer the penalty from Mom or even worse, (gulp) Dad. Sound familiar? But then. Everybody grew older, graduated high school and went their own way. And, as is true way too often, going their own way involved walking away from each other. Too busy with work, family, or higher education to find the time to stay connected. Or, unfortunately, it could have been a totally different reason. A reason that could be titled, I HAVE NEVER LIKED YOU, AND I SEE NO REASON TO TRY NOW. Subtitle? “Jealousy, Hurt Feelings, and Long-Buried Anger.” There are a lot of angry memories in many adult siblings. We can own the memories of elephants when recalling our childhood battles. And also be stubborn as mules when it comes to acting like adults and working out those things that happened thirty+ years ago. We hold on to our “I know I was right!” with self-righteous coldness. As if that is going to punish our sibling to the point that one of these years she is going to come to her senses and fall down on her knees to beg forgiveness. Probably not gonna happen, folks. And it won’t matter how long you stay in your corner of the world and wait. Because most likely, your unlovable mule/sibling is holding on to her version of the same fight, and feeling the very same, “I know I was right!” that you are. Waiting on you to fall down on your knees and beg her forgiveness. And meanwhile, the years roll by. While both of you play the same waiting game. While both of you get more cynical and bitter with each passing day. But when one of you bites the dust before the other, I doubt that the one remaining will triumphantly stand in your living room and be glad that you held to your principles and made yourself wait it out. That’s when you probably will realize the harsh reality that it’s forever too late to pick up the phone and say, “Hey, it’s me. Can we talk?” Too late to try and see each other’s point of view. Make the first step. Even if your sibling refuses to take your calls, refuses to be even try to discuss the past, at least you tried.  And who knows? Maybe one of those phone calls will jostle the stubborn mule into actually talking it out with you. One of these days...or years. Or decades. Give it a shot anyway.

By: Mika Hartman If given the opportunity to take away my sons extra chromosome, I would not. If given the opportunity to remove some of his ailments due to his extra chromosome, I absolutely would. To make his life easier and healthier, that’s our daily goal, our “everyday” mission. I keep Hudson in a bubble, outside of therapy and doctors appointments, for the most part. If the bubble is popped, it is to give him the opportunity to enjoy the life we pray for him. I, more often than not, can look at my own Life360 and see that I haven’t left the house in 7 days or more. This is a protection measure that we happily take to keep Hudson away from unnecessary germs, all of our own doing; a simple cold could hospitalize my son. He already has fear of doctors and needles, so we try our best to keep any additional trips to the ER to a minimum. Our ER visits can rapidly move to hospital stays. So, when we burst the proverbial bubble, it is super-duper fun we seek. Hudson is a thrill junkie that LOVES rollercoasters and rides that spin fast. Life has to be more than therapy and medical appointments. His smile in a theme park is priceless. And I can tell you that the theme parks do an amazing service for Hudson and others who face challenges while in the parks. What are his challenges in a theme park? Well, our favorite theme parks are hot, crowded and can get wait times that are hours long. Yes, these are hard for anyone; but, a person with a disability, like Hudson, make these challenges impossible to partake in the fun. Not to mention, its expensive to be there, so being best prepared to make it worth it is important; this makes it  a full long day. The parks are huge and spread out. The lines are not only long, but many lines are in really dark spaces. Hudson uses a wheelchair for his safety and for long distance. He can walk, but at 54 pounds, we can’t carry him as far as we used to. Hudson eats by a g-tube and needs special feeding equipment and food; therefore, we don’t travel light. My son is also daily and lactose intolerant, we have to carry milks or pay crazy prices for cups of almond milk inside the parks. And Hudson is six and we are still working on potty training, but still carry a full diaper bag. My point in sharing all of this is to tell you that going places is harder than staying home. We do it so Hudson can have a life he enjoys and one we can enjoy as a family, together. When we find ourselves seeking disability passes for Hudson, it is for a great reason. When we are in a line for 3 hours to justify why he can’t wait in this lines is ridiculous. The parks do an amazing service for families like mine; to be able to experience a fun like this with our loved ones in a way that helps us and removes stress. When a system is abused to the point that a 3 hour wait to even talk to guest services, it is broken. I have heard of the reasons people seek a disability pass over many years. What a frustrating thing this is for those who are abusing the system, When everyone is disabled, no one is. If you had to pack and plan for the worst case scenario before entering the park, you’d have a better idea of what families like mine go through to be there. If you could hear Hudson’s heavy breathing of panic in the dark, you’d understand why we seek this. Listen, the program is good and needed. When a door is open to making the experience better, of course some will try to meet the requirements to receive it, That does not make it right. Be thankful you don’t go through the hurdles to be there. It’s no different than pulling in a parking lot and all the disabled spots are filled with cars. My least favorite ones are the corvettes or the ones where you can actually see them entering or exiting the car and no one appearing to need that spot. Come on. Do better. Be thankful you can walk or that you won’t need to rush to your car for extra medical equipment that is stored in all the cubbies. Or that you don’t have to load and unload a wheelchair. Or that you don’t have to change your six year olds diaper on the back gate because he is terrified of bathroom changing tables and too big anyways. Things have been designed to make the world more accessible, to give the freedoms to live life to the best of each individuals abilities. If you have to lie or over exaggerate your ailments to get the same pass as Hudson, then shame on you. I am tired of sugarcoating all we go through. Hudson is perfect, but life has challenges. The journey is ours and we should be able to easily provide what Hudson needs to feel included. Services like Universal or Disney offer are to encourage us to be there. It’s not a bonus, it’s a need. The whole “see something, say something” applies here. I have lost friendships over knowing the truth about the abuses to a good system. It is not okay to pretend you deserve what Hudson is offered. I am the first to understand that not all disabilities are visible; yes, many need the same service Hudson does and this was created for them, too. This is not a blanket assessment, I understand temporary disabilities, also. Yes, this system is good and needed. Just think about Hudson and the lengths we go and the hoops we jump to be there… if you don’t need this service, don’t ask for it. Be happy it is there for those who do. If it goes away, we can’t take Hudson anymore. It is EXTRA obvious why a service like this is exists and it is EXTRA obvious who they meant it for. Period.

Special to Wesson News Wesson Attendance Center (WAC) has joined some 25,000 school districts and K-12 learning institutions across the nation as a user of a unique one-stop computer-based communications, data storage and retrieval, analytic and graphics capabilities employed in a variety of suites to meet the needs of educational community constituencies, including teachers and staff, superintendents and administrators, district and school leaders, students and their families, among others. Mississippi-based SchoolStatus offers four platforms:  Connect, a communications portal; Attend focused on attendance, Boost for teacher development and Forms and Flow to manage digitalize paperwork. WAC is looking to SchoolStatus communication and attendance solutions and promoting student success through enhanced educator-to-family connectedness.  Classroom teachers can use data-informed, multi-touch communications, including calling, texting, video and printer materials in proactive intervention that improves student outcomes and family engagement. Lincoln County, Brookhaven and Crystal Springs schools are also using SchoolStatus.  For more information, visit schoolstatus.com.

By Kara Kimbrough I have no shame about sharing this: I often peruse social media sites when looking for recipes that: A. I haven’t yet tried and B. Don’t bore me with the same ‘ol ingredients. Last week, while scrolling through that platform that originated in another country and that some politicians have tried to ban, I somehow weeded through the thousands of cooking videos on the site and found two that intrigued me. Yes, I realize the owners of “that site” probably know everything about me at this point, but I figure they do already since I use an iPhone, so why worry…right? As a friend asked me a while back when I told her I didn’t utilize the site, “How could you NOT when it’s worth it for the recipes alone?” After a quick perusal, I quickly realized she was right. Admittedly, I have a relatively short attention span, so it’s fun to watch short 2-3 minutes videos of entire recipes being created. A complete version of the recipe is usually provided as a bonus. In case you’re still skeptical about using “that site,” I’ll periodically share a few recipes here and there that I feel are just too good not to pass on. This week, I’m sharing a recipe I call “Chicken That Doesn’t Bore Me” simply because the combination of flavors in the marinade and dipping sauce combine to make a delightfully-different chicken taste that takes chicken – which can often be pretty boring – to a new level. And last, I’ve never really cared for baked spaghetti. I just didn’t get it. Why cover up perfectly good pasta and sauce with all that cheese and bake it when it is SO much better served au natural on a plate out in the open? I like a glistening pile of pasta covered with hot, steamy, rich sauce right where I can see it. I’ll never give up my favorite way to enjoy spaghetti, but against my better judgement (hence, the name), I did try and can recommend this baked spaghetti as the perfect quick meal on a busy night when placing a dish in the oven is simpler than standing over a stove stirring sauce. Chicken That Doesn’t Bore Me 4-5 pieces of skin-on chicken breasts and legs (or your favorite parts) Marinade: 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons tomato paste 4 minced garlic cloves Zest and juice of 1 large lemon ½ teaspoon each: salt and pepper 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 1 tablespoon oregano or thyme 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper Pat chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and place in a bowl. To make marinade, whisk all ingredients together well in a bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken and mix really well, covering all sides. Cover the chicken and place in refrigerator 2 to 6 hours or ideally, overnight. Preheat oven to 410 degrees. Remove chicken from refrigerator and let all pieces come up to room temperature before putting in the oven. Place chicken on a metal pan with a wire rack and place it in the oven and bake at 410 degrees for 35-40 minutes, turning once during baking process. While chicken is baking, make a tangy dipping sauce: Dipping sauce 3 tablespoons of thick Greek yogurt 2 green onions (green and white part) Pinch of cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil Juice of half a lemon Pinch of salt and pepper Place in a food processor or blender and mix well, then taste and adjust to preference. Remove the chicken from the oven, let rest and enjoy with a side of dipping sauce. Baked Spaghetti Against My Better Judgement 1 jar spaghetti sauce 1 jar Alfredo sauce 1 pound of spaghetti, boiled according to package directions 1 pound ground chuck 1/2 onion, diced 4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped fine 1 tablespoon garlic salt 1 tablespoon onion powder 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning Ground black Pepper to taste 2 cups mozzarella cheese Parmesan cheese as desired Boil pasta according to package directions while making sauce. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown one pound of ground chuck in skillet with onion and garlic. Once meat is cooked through, drain the excess grease and add seasoning. Add pasta sauce to skillet; stir until combined. Drain noodles and pour into a separate bowl, then stir in Alfredo sauce, mixing well. Grease a 9x13 baking pan and add Alfredo-coated noodles, covering the bottom of the dish. Pour the red sauce/ground meat mixture on top of the noodles and spread out evenly with a spatula. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

Nearly 4,600 pharmacies nationwide are hosting Walmart Wellness Day on Saturday, Aug. 3 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. to help families prioritize their health this back-to-school season. Customers can receive free glucose, cholesterol, BMI and blood pressure screenings as well as affordable immunizations like flu, HPV, tetanus, hepatitis and more. Select stores will also feature vision screenings making it even easier for customers to access the resources they need. "As a back-to-school destination, Walmart's Wellness Day provides a unique opportunity for families to streamline health needs and school supply shopping," said Kevin Host, Walmart's Senior Vice President of Pharmacy. "It's one of our favorite times of the year and we are thrilled we can provide affordable health options for communities across the country on Wellness Day to help start the school year off strong." Wellness Day also offers families a chance to chat with pharmacists and learn more about ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Customers can even learn about our Health & Wellness offerings and solutions. Wellness Day events will feature the following health resources, administered by qualified pharmacy and Vision Center teams: Free health screenings, including glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, BMI and vision screenings (select locations) Affordable immunizations, including COVID-19, flu, HPV, pneumonia, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), varicella (chicken pox/shingles), whooping cough (TDAP), Hep A & B and more Wellness resources + opportunity to talk with pharmacists Walmart pharmacies have hosted Walmart Wellness Days since 2014 and have contributed more than 5 million free health screenings for customers. More than 4,000 Walmart stores are in medical professional shortage areas, which means Walmart is often the first stop for health care in these communities. To find a free event in your neighborhood, visit Walmart.com/wellnesshub.