Special to Wesson News If you’re traveling internationally this summer, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) wants you to bring back souvenirs, not an infection. Follow these recommendations to keep you and your family safe: Check your destination. Visit Destinations | Travelers' Health | CDC to view the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most up-to-date guidance before your trip. Give yourself plenty of time to prepare before you travel. Avoid mosquito and bug bites. In some areas, like Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia, mosquitos can spread diseases like malaria, zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.  Ticks can also transmit some diseases, depending on the destination.  Use mosquito repellents that are Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered. Don’t forget your children and babies.  Keep mosquitos out of your hotel room. Choose one that has air conditioning or window screens.  Depending on your destination, you may need to sleep under mosquito netting if you will be sleeping outside or where window screens are not available.  Avoid ticks by staying away from wooded and brushy areas. Treat your clothing and check your body for ticks when leaving a potentially tick-infested area.  If traveling to an area where malaria is routinely transmitted, ask your doctor about starting a medication to prevent infection before you leave. Get vaccinated. Certain vaccinations are recommended or required for travel to some international destinations, including ones you may have already received or additional doses where specific diseases are spreading (such as measles in Europe and the Philippines or meningococcal disease in Saudi Arabia). These are some vaccines that may be recommended or required:  Hepatitis A.  Measles, mumps, rubella.  Meningococcal disease.  Chickenpox. Typhoid fever.  Yellow Fever (required in certain countries) Talk to your Doctor. Before you travel, talk to your doTraveler Advice | Travelers' Health | CDC.ctor about when and where you are traveling to, your planned activities while traveling, how long you may be gone, and health problems you may have. Be prepared and review.

Special to Wesson News Brookhaven High School (BHS) is pleased to announce Kelsey Gibson as the new assistant principal for the 2024-2025 academic year. Gibson is entering her fourth year with the district, having previously served as an English teacher at BHS and an academic coach at Alexander Jr. High. Gibson's educational career spans several districts, including Scott County, Marshall County, and New Albany School Districts. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Communications from Oklahoma State University, a Master of Arts in Teaching Secondary from Mississippi State University, and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State University. Gibson, along with her husband Will and their two children, is an active member of First Baptist Church Brookhaven. New Start Time Starting August 6, the instructional day at Brookhaven High will begin at 7:55 a.m. and end at 3:20 p.m.

Wesson News For drivers bringing students to Wesson Attendance Center in private vehicles: Drop off students before 7:40 a.m. for classes, which start at 7:45 a.m.  Drop-off points are in front of the old gym and high school area for grades seven to twelve and the elementary school parking lot (where two attendants are on duty) for kindergarten through sixth grades. Pick up students in kindergarten through sixth grade in the elementary school parking lot.  Line up on the north side of the road east of the building, enter the parking lot on the east, load students from the inside lane, and exit parking lot on the west.  Use the outside lane when leaving the pickup line.  Children should not walk to vehicles parked along the side of the road. Pick up students in grades seven through twelve and their younger siblings in the parking lot by the old gym and high school area.  Enter on the east, park in the inside (north) lane while waiting for students to pick up, and exit on the west via the outside (south) lane. Do not pick up students at the rear of the school where buses load. Older and younger siblings will meet in the old gym and walk together to their pickup vehicle in the high school parking lot. Children who walk or bike to school will wait in the old gym until 3:15 p.m. when buses and most cars have left the campus.

By: Bob Garver It’s usually at the end of the review that I talk about a film’s MPAA rating, but I’ll twist it up for “Twisters.” Or rather, for its 1996 predecessor “Twister” and its all-time terribly-worded rating justification. The film was rated PG-13 for “intense depiction of very bad weather.” Yes, the depiction was intense, and yes, the weather was very, very bad, but those twisters were so violent and destructive that “weather” seems like the wrong word to describe them. They may as well have used the term “extreme windiness.” The twisters are similarly violent and destructive in “Twisters,” which is much more sensibly rated PG-13 for “intense action and peril, some language and injury images.” The new film stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kate and Glen Powell as Tyler, two storm chasers with different reasons for traveling Oklahoma looking for tornadoes. She’s trying to set up a 3-D mapping system that will help scientists understand how tornadoes form and thus save lives. She used to think she could rig up a chemical reaction that could actually stop a fully-formed tornado, but a field test in the film’s opening moments turns deadly, so she has to settle for the mapping system endorsed by her old friend Javi (Anthony Ramos). Tyler wants to shoot fireworks into a tornado to make a cool visual that gets him subscribers on Youtube and increase his celebrity so he can sell tacky merchandise. Kate is glad to have the moral high ground, or so she thinks. As the film progresses, Tyler shows he has more layers than Kate initially thought. He’s a learned meteorologist and a big-hearted humanitarian. It also turns out that Kate may have jumped on the wrong bandwagon. She and Javi are noble, but their team’s sponsor isn’t. Kate and Tyler find that they like chasing the storms together, helping recovery efforts together, and just plain spending time together. Cute squabbling turns to cute flirting. Please tell me it’s not much of a spoiler to find out that there’s romantic chemistry between the smoldering cowboy and the beautiful scientist. Then there are the twister sequences themselves. I used to be terrified of tornadoes, but the fear mostly dropped off when I hit my teens. This movie may rekindle some of that fear, especially after the opening sequence. The rest of the sequences are fine. I was never unconvinced that there was danger afoot. One thing I knew going in was that twisters, while they can form quickly, don’t lend themselves to jump scares, so I was wondering what the film would have to do to push my buttons that way. There are two effective jump scares that made me scream for half a second and then laugh for several full ones. You can probably guess the kind of experience that “Twisters” provides. It’s a PG-13 disaster movie. The action scenes, while fraught with mortal danger, aren’t going to feature anyone getting ripped limb from limb. The comedic and romantic scenes are perfectly predictable as well, with Edger-Jones and Powell having the pleasing chemistry I knew they’d have. Of the characters that survive among Kate, Tyler, Javi, and Tyler’s colorful team, I wouldn’t mind seeing these characters in more movies. I’m sure the filmmakers can come up with more creative storm scenarios. For now, this was exactly the movie I expected it to be, but I had a reasonably good time watching very bad weather. Grade: B- “Twisters” is rated PG-13 for intense action and peril, some language and injury images. Its running time is 117 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Special to Wesson News Buses on nine different routes provide transportation for WAC elementary and high school students.  They include: School bus riders must remember the driver is the boss responsible for their safety and conduct.  The driver has the authority to assign seating and should command the respect of riders.  Riding rules include: Board and get off buses on time at assigned stops only.  Bus drivers are not required to wait unless they see a student coming to the bus.  In the afternoon, buses leave the school promptly at 3:15 p.m. Walk to the bus stop facing traffic (if there is no sidewalk) so drivers on the road can see you. Do not play on or near the road while waiting for a bus. Do not cross a road to get on a bus until it arrives.  On discharge from a bus, wait until the driver gives the signal to do so.  Students who live on roads with retraces should get on their bus at stops that do not require crossing the road. Load and unload using the handrail only after the bus comes to a complete stop. Disruptive behaviors that distract bus drivers are prohibited and acts of misconduct are subject discipline -- fighting, smoking, use of profane language, possession/use of alcohol and/or drugs, public displays of affection, sexual activity, throwing objects on the bus (i.e., shooting spitballs with rubber bands or bobby pins), etc.  Conduct of students determines whether or not they will be entitled to bus transportation

Of course you’ve been there many times before. A dead-dark night when you have no electricity for some reason, so you light a candle. And immediately that thing shines like a diamond that has a heavy spotlight six inches from it. No mistaking where it is. If you are carrying it, everyone around knows it’s you, and they know when you’re coming their way. Because burning candles don’t hide well in the dark. Just like that candle, the decision to ‘do what’s right, no matter the consequences’ can’t hide either. When you decide your honesty is worth everything, it’s as glaring as holding a burning candle in the dark.  And believe me, your employer and those around you will be able to spot that glowing candle in your hand. You will be different than before. But if the day comes when you make the decision to give in to temptation, there will be a slight change about you then, also. Those around you will sense that the lit candle that you hold is just a little dimmer and cooler. In the days and weeks following that decision, you may be a little surprised to find that the loss of your integrity hides easily in the dark. And it will grow. Much like dust in the corner of a dark room that accumulates without the homeowner realizing it. Tucked away out of the limelight, dust can grow without causing the owner much stress. After all, we humans are good at ignoring things that we choose to leave in the dark. At least for a while. Until a light exposes them and eventually, we have to deal with it all. But how does that decision to give in to temptation happen? Darkness. The thought of “I could actually get away with cheating at this,” probably doesn’t hit us as hard when we are extremely happy in our relationship, or our job, or when we have plenty of money. That’s not when we get slapped in the face with the choice to cheat or not to cheat. And for that very reason, temptation always seems to come to us in our darker times. Because those murky, uncertain days in our life make it harder to determinedly stick to our decision to do what is right – no matter what. Remember, there is a bad side effect of giving in to temptation. When you are faced with the choices of cheating or acting with integrity and you cave, the next time it will be just a little easier to let yourself slide sideways in the darkness. To persuade yourself, “It’s okay this time, you deserve this.” And unfortunately, it then gets easier and easier with each temptation that comes. You have to decide for yourself, “In the end, do I want ‘this’ more than I want to like me later?”

Special to Wesson News A building in Wesson on Highway 51, still often called the “old Sunflower Grocery store” by locals and a Halloween season haunted house that brought visitors to town for several years is now the site of a business dream of two local transplants.    Ricky Breazeale, who came to town nine years ago with his Wesson native wife Jessica to help care for her mother after her late step father had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, and Brent Duguid, who came here with his wife Stephanie 16 years ago when she was hired for an executive position at Co-Lin and later himself became Dean of the college’s Career, Technical and Workforce Education (CTE) division, are partnering in building Grace Foam Solutions (GFS).   In a chance encounter at a Wesson High School basketball game, they started talking about the enormous potential in distributing spray foam insulation for commercial and residential applications that led to building a dream of a multi-million dollar employer that would create jobs in Wesson.   Breazeale started the company in September 2023 and Duguid came on board as a humble delivery driver in January 2024 to become part owner in short order.  Breazeale named the company to reflect his values and provide the basis for its motto, beliefs and vision, and Duguid concurred.   “Since we are children of God and covered by His Grace, we get the opportunity to share this message of Grace with customers, vendors and the entire community,” says Breazeale.  “This isn’t just a business, but a ministry, too,” said Breazeale.   GFS distributes products of Central Urethane based at Lagro, Indiana.  It does not install the spray foam insulation, but rather sells to contractors who provide installation services.  The company currently distributes its foam product in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Georgia and Tennessee. Over seven months, it has opened up two more locations in Boonville and Hattiesburg.   “We plan to bring jobs to Wesson,” says Breazeale.  “Our end goal is to continue to grow exponentially. There are huge things on the horizon for this company.  God has blessed us and we want to be a blessing in return.”  Adds Duguid:  “Our new venture in Wesson embodies the spirit of community, faith, and hard work. It’s a blessing to launch a faith-based company that not only produces American-made products but also actively supports our local community. This company is a living testament to the values instilled throughout my life experiences.”   As partners in the new company, Breazeale and Duguid balance each other. Breazeale brings a selling background and expertise in insulation, while Duguid is a professional with technical skills in all things mechanical.   Breazeale and his wife left North Alabama for Gulfport, Mississippi, after he discovered an opportunity in insulation sales and two years later came to Wesson, where he continued to sell while insulation while they readjusted to small-town life and help his mother-in-law.  “It was definitely different,” recalls Breazeale.  “There’s not a lot of the same amenities, things we were used to.  But we’re glad to be here. Jessica’s hometown is pretty cool, maybe cooler than Ellisville.  Copiah County is now home.”   Before he came to Wesson and followed his wife to Co-Lin, Duguid had owned two businesses in Phoenix, Arizona -- a handyman service and an auto body restoration shop. “As the CTE Dean at Co-Lin, I had the privilege of fostering the growth and innovation of technical programs,” Duguid says.  In GFS, I am bridging my life and professional experiences and creating a foundation for a brighter future.”    As their men grow their business, Jessica Breazeale and Stephanie Duguid are also growing their careers in Wesson.  Jessica teaches part-time for Co-Lin, and owns and operates Jessica Breazeale Consulting, a digital marketing firm with two employees and multiple contract laborers. Stephanie Duguid has left Co-Lin, and is a leadership expert, professional development specialist, author, consultant, and podcast host of a monthly audio show, “Empowering Women in Educational Leadership.” Recently, she joined Jumpstart Test Prep, a Brookhaven company, as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

August  1,2  Teacher work days  1  Meet the Teacher (6 p.m.-7 p.m.), Open House/PTO meeting        Seventh Grade orientation  5  First school day for students  15  Meet the Cobras (7 p.m.)  TBD  (8 a.m.) Faculty & staff get id badges  TBD -- Begin K Universal Screener  TBD – Beta Club Initiation Ceremonies  TBD -- Meet the Cobras (7 p.m.)   September  2  Labor Day holiday (school closed)  5  Progress reports (first nine weeks)  17, 18  School day pictures  24  Make up pictures day  TBD  Ring presentation to juniors  TBD  Juniors order rings   October  9, 10, 11  Nine Week tests  10  Who’s Who pictures  14-18  Fall break  24  Report cards go out  TBD  Pageant practice  TBD High School Pageant  TBD  College Fair  TBA  Presentation of invitations -- Seniors   November  14  Progress reports (second nine weeks)       Veterans Day Program                          11  Veterans Day                          25-29  Thanksgiving holidays   TBD  Book Fair  TBD  Seniors order invitations  TBD  Veterans Day program  TBD  Elementary Beauty Pageant   December  18, 19, 20  Nine Week tests  23  Christmas holidays begin  TBD  Wesson Christmas Parade (2:20 p.m. dismissal)   January  6  School resumes for second semester  17  Teacher/arent conference day/student holiday  20  Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday.   February  6  Progress reports (third nine weeks)  TBD  African American History program  TBD  ACT statewide (eleventh grade only)   March  5, 6, 7  Nine-Week tests  10-14  Spring break  17  School resumes  TBD  Spring pictures   April  3  Report cards go out   18  Holiday/weather day  21  Teacher work day/student holiday  24  Progress reports (fourth nine weeks)   May  23  Graduation  23, 27, 28  Nine Week tests  26  Memorial Day  TBD Elementary awards program  TBD  Senior awards & Recognition Night  TBD  Junior High School & High School awards  TBD  Kindergarten awards program

By: Kara Kimbrough Overheard in the supermarket: “ I don’t cook anything with more than five ingredients!” I waited for the inevitable reply of, “I won’t spend more than a few minutes cooking ANYTHING!” … words I’ve also heard while shopping for groceries. I didn’t hear it this time, but I’ve talked to enough people to know that short, easy recipes are the only way most (not all) cooks will cook dinner if they’re not already placing a plastic bag of frozen “something” in the microwave. Remarkably, there are thousands of recipes that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes (give or take 10 minutes or so for browning/cooking meat), resulting in a satisfying dinner in no time.  Here are three of my favorites, including the first one that I tried this week. A friend, knowing my love of crispy egg rolls, sent me a healthier, reduced carb and easier version of the fried ones. Easy Egg Rolls in a Bowl 1 pound of ground sausage, turkey chicken or beef (I prefer beef, but use your favorite) 7 cups of coleslaw mix (or make your own using grated fresh cabbage and carrots) 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce 1 teaspoon of garlic powder ½ cup of green onions, minced, for topping Sweet and sour sauce for topping (optional)    In a large non-stick skillet, cook meat of choice over medium-high heat until well done. Drain grease; to same skillet, add coleslaw, garlic powder and soy sauce; stir well to mix together. Top with green onions and more soy sauce or with sweet and sour sauce. Easiest Spanish Rice and Chicken Dish 2 tablespoons butter 2 cans (14.5 oz. each) diced tomatoes, drained, or 4 cups diced fresh tomatoes 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1 cup dry long-grain rice (yellow rice is preferred, but can use white) 2 cups chicken broth 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (I prefer thin, cooked tenderloins) 1 tablespoon chopped olives    In a non-stick skillet, melt butter, then add tomatoes, onion, pepper, salt and garlic powder.  Cook for about 5 minutes. Add rice and broth.  Cover and cook on low heat until rice is done and broth absorbed. After rice is done, stir in cooked chicken and olives and heat through. Favorite Shrimp-Tomato Pasta Dish 1-pound dry fettuccine pasta 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic or 3 garlic cloves ½ sweet onion, cut into wedges 4 tablespoons olive oil 4 medium tomatoes, chopped or 1 14.5-ounce can of chopped tomatoes 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup spinach leaves 1-pound cooked shrimp - peeled and deveined (can substitute two cups of cooked, shredded chicken) 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded   Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain. If shrimp is uncooked, boil for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp is bright pink and opaque white throughout.     Meanwhile, combine garlic, onion, and oregano in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion mixture; cook and stir until fragrant and almost golden. Mix in tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes while pasta is cooking, stirring occasionally. Mix in spinach until wilted.      Just before pasta is done, stir in shrimp to skillet ingredients and cook until heated through. Toss together shrimp mixture and pasta in a large serving bowl. Mix in mozzarella cheese. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com .

Special to Wesson News New laws are starting to take effect in Mississippi this month:  Under the “presumptive eligibility” law, Medicaid will begin paying for a pregnant woman’s outpatient medical care up to 60 days while her application for the government-funded insurance program is being considered, with the goal of reducing infant mortality rates. The new Mississippi Student Funding Formula assures school districts extra money for students who live in poverty and those with special needs, in gifted programs, with dyslexia or learning English as a second language. A child born from a pregnancy that begins after a parent's death will have inheritance rights, even if the embryo is not yet implanted when the parent dies if there is a clear indication that a parent intended to the genetic material for “assisted reproductive technology,” in vitro fetilization occurs no more than three years after the parent's death, and the child lives at least five days after birth. Any town or city, regardless of its size, can hold an election on whether to allow the sale of alcohol, even if that municipality is in a dry county. Ranked-choice voting in which candidates are ranked in order of preference are mostly banned in statewide, county, city and school district elections, except for military members and U.S. citizens overseas who use absentee ballots to vote in Mississippi elections. Aiding, abetting or encouraging people to steal at least $1,000 worth of goods is now a felony with punishments for grand larceny.

What: In the Joy of Others: Walk-Run Who: BAPS Charities, Jackson MS When: Saturday August 3, 2024, 3pm onward Where: Liberty Park, Madison MS Details: On August 3,2024, BAPS Charities, Jackson MS, in collaboration with American Cancer Society and Community Foundation for Mississippi, will host its annual "In the Joy of Others: Walk-Run" to support BAPS Charities, American Cancer Society and Community Foundation for Mississippi. This event demonstrates the powerful role residents play in fostering healthy communities, supporting local entities such as fire, police, community organizations, etc. Walkers and runners of all ages will unite to back BAPS Charities, American Cancer Society and Community Foundation for Mississippi in their mission to express a spirit of selfless service, improve the lives of people with cancer and to achieve enduring change in our communities through inclusive philanthropic leadership. An estimated 350 local participants are expected, including State Representative Grace Butler-Washington, State Representative Clay Mansell, Jackson City Councilman Brian Grizzell and other community leaders. The Walk-Run is a reflection of BAPS Charities' commitment to health and wellness, as well as community empowerment. Beyond the annual event, BAPS Charities continually promotes health and well-being through Health Fairs, Health Awareness Lectures, and Children's Health and Safety Days. It also spearheads various social responsibility and humanitarian initiatives, including Blood Donation Drives, Food Drives, and Earth Day activities. Everyone is encouraged to join the event, with registration available at https://www.bapscharities.org/usa/jackson/walkrun2024jacksonms/ . For a glimpse into the experience, view an example of a previous Walk-Runhttps://youtu.be/e-4s5QWHKpw?feature=shared More details about BAPS Charities can be found at www.bapscharities.org

Wesson News In a variety of settings during August, Wesson Attendance Center (WAC) will offer advice, information and support to help teachers, students and parents alike successfully navigate the events and challenges they will face in the ten months of the 2024-25 school year. Teachers return to WAC  before students for a staff development program August 2 that will orient them to their working environment, review the their job landscape and expectations and give them direction to perform well. From 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 1, parents and students can learn more about WAC:  At an open house and students, parents and teachers will socialize informally and  a Parent Teachers Organization (PTO) meeting will show parents how they can sustain their relationship with WAC throughout the school year. Kindergarten and elementary school children and their parents will have an opportunity to meet teachers, make sure they have acquired the proper school supplies required for the classroom experience and talk about the nature of school work over the coming year. Incoming seventh graders and their parents, too, will be able to learn about moving to junior high and high school.  They will have the opportunity to meet teachers, see classrooms, ask questions and, overall, make the transition from elementary school a smoother process.  “Moving to the seventh grade is a big step for our students, and our administration and staff want to do everything we can to make the process easier," says WAC Principal Tommy Clopton. Meet the Cobras on Thursday, August 15, will introduce students to WAC's athletic program.  Players and coaches will make presentations in a rally-like atmosphere. WAC also publishes an annual 82-section handbook for students that informs and guides parents and teachers on elementary school and high school procedures and policies.  Topics range from response to emergencies to counseling services and dress code to the grading system and truancy.   The entire handbook is accessible on the WAC website (http://wac.ccsd.schoolfusion.us).