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By Jessica Breazeale Swim instructor Mara Norwood and Elijah Lofton (age 2), son of Trent and Sarah Lofton of Wesson, are pictured in a recent, local swim lesson. As summer temperatures rise and families spend more time at pools, lakes and beaches, water safety instructors are reminding parents that close supervision is one of the most important ways to protect young children around water. Drowning can happen in seconds and is often silent, making distractions such as cell phones, conversations, alcohol and other substances especially dangerous while children are swimming. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1 to 4. Nationwide, an estimated 900 children and teens die from unintentional drowning annually. According to the CDC, toddlers and minority groups are disproportionately impacted, with drowning rates having surged by 28% for young children in recent years. Parents should stay within arm’s reach of children who cannot swim and avoid allowing inexperienced swimmers into deep water. Swim lessons at an early age can help children become more comfortable and confident in the water. Parents are also discouraged from throwing children into pools as a way to “teach” them to swim, as the experience can create fear and panic rather than confidence. Families are encouraged to designate one adult as a “water watcher” whose only responsibility is actively supervising children in and around the water without distractions. “As a lifeguard and swim teacher, I find it extremely important to keep an eye on your children at all times,” said Mara Norwood. “Even strong swimmers can run into unexpected and scary situations quickly. Active supervision helps keep everyone safe and allows children to feel more confident while swimming.” Norwood, a certified lifeguard and swim instructor, teaches local swimming lessons during the summer months. With children out of school and spending more time around water during the summer, instructors say a few simple precautions — and attentive adults — can make the difference between a fun day in the sun and a preventable tragedy.

Send responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com This middle-aged female had a calm about her, even though her face was lined and shadowed. Past years of unmistakable bitterness and disillusionment were still etched into her face. But yet, her green eyes shone with a love of life, and she carried herself with self-confidence. Intrigued with the difference between the harsh wrinkles on her face and the glowing peace she conveyed, I finally asked her what had obviously happened at some point in her life. This was what she told me. “I discovered something a long time ago. God just doesn’t care. And you know what? I was absolutely one-hundred percent correct. For years I knew that He didn’t care about me and my problems, He always ignored my pleas for help. I figured that God probably didn’t see me as important enough to answer. After all, I felt worthless, so the absolute God of this universe certainly couldn’t see me any different. And besides, living my life like I was, there was no way that God would concentrate on helping me. He was The God Almighty, and I was….just… me. No doubt about it, that deep gut feeling that I was totally unlovable and insignificant caused me to make a decision. A bad one. I decided that if I was just worthless trash, then I might as well live it out. And I did. I won’t bore you or shock you with the details. Trust me, you don’t want to hear ‘em.” After all that, I couldn’t resist. I had to find out why her face looked so haggard, but yet her face had a glow and her presence projected self-assurance. So, I put that very question to her. Granted, I worded it without “haggard” in my question, but I still asked. Her soft answer came quickly. “Finally, when I had gotten to the point of so much self-loathing that suicide was constantly on my mind, I went to see a counselor. A man who saw right thru the anger and hardness. To the real problem…that I despised me, ‘cause I knew that God hated me. After all, people who acted the way I did? They had to be hated by God. That man told me that I was totally wrong about so many things, and proceeded to show me the truth.” (The truth? Yep, I asked, you know I did. Here’s her answer.) “Oh yeah, God doesn’t care. That’s absolutely the truth. But not about what I always thought! The truth is, He doesn’t care if you are a bad person. He doesn’t care if no one on this earth likes you and the way you behave. That means nothing to Him. He simply wants to rescue you out of the old lies you always believed. Lies about Him, and therefore, lies about yourself. Made a world of difference in how I view myself now. And Him.” She’s absolutely right. God just doesn’t care about all that other. He only cares about you.

WAC Class of 2026 Wesson Class of 2026 Valedictorian Brendon Duguid Wesson Class of 2026 Salutatorian Noah Howell Wesson Class of 2026 Hall of Fame inductees Ty Turner, Mary Margaret Woods, Macy Loy, and Tate Brister : Wesson Class of 2026 STAR Student Brendon Duguid and his STAR teacher, Heather McKenzie WESSON ATTENDANCE CENTER CLASS OF 2026 Brayden David Allen Wallace Douglas Dunn IV Katherine Rae Norwood Jackson Stephen Barlow Jer'Keivsha Lasha Edwards Rylan Kesley Oswalt Jaxon Valor Barlow Jenny Joana Flores Delacruz John Patrick Parsons Allie Elizabeth Beeson Michael Lee Guess Lexi Grace Prestridge Jamera Tyonna Jenise Black Maria McKenzie Hall William Nick Raiford Blair Mitchell Boyd Tyrell Montre'z Harris Sullivan Mckenzie Roberts Trinity Rain Breland Jamirah Dameal Harvey Kylie Morgan Rorie Celeen Aleese Brice Melvin Hernandez Gustavo Ruiz-Garcia Charles Tate Brister Noah Nelson Marion Howell Dakota Rose Rushing Micah Van Britt Stephen Garet Hundhausen Samuel Cade Scopel William Gavin Greene Brock Alana Caroline Hux Karley Grace Shannon Brandon Parker Brooks John-Brayden James Warren Channell Shelton Ke'mari Jaquan Brown Jakyiah Telia Johns Joseph Thomas Shumaker Kievon Ashad Brown Gracey Victoria Lopez Baylor Lane Smith DaKiyah Kristian Butler Willow Margaret Love Connor Wyatt Smith Abigail Marina Cameron Macy Rebecca Loy Isaac Conner Stovall Walynn Richard Cline Mar'Shunti Quintayvea Martin Ty Rustyn Turner Brooke LouAnne Coleman Tripp Radford Martin Aiden Keith Wallace Kayleigh Rayne Cook Katherine Blair Mathis Akierah Denari Wallace Rowan Spencer Crapps Karter Brent Lee McLemore Sydnee Layne Westrope Conner Miles Davis Madison Victoria Morris Whitney Paige Westrope Natalya Maia Dickerson Ruston Dayne Newman Caeden Blake Williams Brianna Keshundra Dixon Ashtyn Lee Nieburg Jack Henry Wilson Brendon Robert Duguid Mary Margaret Woods

By Kara Kimbrough A replica of the Statue of Liberty, complete with a lighted torch, greets guests as they enter the lobby at the Beau Rivage, much like the original Lady Liberty greeted immigrants enroute to the U.S. in the previous centuries. (Photo by Kara Kimbrough) America’s 250th birthday is next week and for those of you who, like me, are excited about this milestone in our nation’s history, I’m happy to report that July 4, 2026 lands on a Saturday. It’s the perfect opportunity to take a weekend trip to celebrate and enjoy the festivities in one convenient location. If you live in Mississippi, Louisiana or other coastal area, there’s no better place to celebrate our nation’s monumental birthday than the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Specifically, a full lineup of festivities is planned at Beau Rivage Resort and Casino for hotel guests as well as anyone looking for a place to enjoy a holiday meal, entertainment and fireworks in a festive, patriotic setting. A prior commitment on the big day will prohibit me from celebrating down south, so last weekend, I stopped by the Beau to check out what I knew would be exemplary Fourth of July décor. The resort never disappoints with its beautiful, over-the-top flower arrangements, creative holiday-themed displays and themed meals and promotions. As expected, this year’s patriotic decor has been elevated to an entirely different level, complete with a massive, lifelike bald eagle holding court overhead in the lobby, Lady Liberty with lighted torch, fireworks simulations, U. S. flags flying in every direction and red, white & blue elements throughout the property. A majestic bald eagle hovers over the lobby and atrium at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi; just one of the many patriotic symbols on display in advance of America’s 250th birthday on July 4. (Photo by Kara Kimbrough) In short, there’s no shortage of patriotic spaces in which to shoot family photos and videos and create eye-catching content for social media. The weather on the Coast was dismal, so my plan was to spend the day indoors at the Beau. Once you’re inside the cocoon-like resort, there’s really no reason to leave. Everything from coffee and ice cream shops to fine dining; from people-watching to shopping or trying your luck in the casino, to relaxing by the pool or in the spa, can be found at The Beau. In short, there’s no need to leave once you arrive. I whiled away the hours enjoying the Beau’s festive decor, sampling The Buffet filled with over 200 items, including specialty dishes and Southern classics (the fried pork chops rivaled any I’d ever tasted), being entertained at Shrek the Musical in the Beau Rivage Theatre and the highlight of the day – experiencing a memorable dinner in the elegantly-appointed BR Prime Steakhouse. My first meal of the day was, as mentioned, a bounteous lunch at The Buffet. Sitting in the breezy open-air atrium adjacent to the main dining room, I was able to decompress and relax after a busy week. I enjoyed a multi-course lunch accompanied by lively music and plenty of people watching. There’s just something about the Beau’s atmosphere highlighted by beautiful decorations, music and an ever-present scent of fresh flowers that lifts one’s spirits. Besides the pork chops and accompanying Southern sides at The Buffet, finding Caribbean delicacies like Jamaican jerk chicken, Caribbean chicken salad and roasted banana pineapple upside down cake with coconut cream was a special treat. The dishes are part of The Buffet’s Global Cuisine celebration that presents “tastes from around the world” from a different country. Each month, nine dishes, including a dessert, are added at lunch and dinner to the more than 200 items normally found on The Buffet. Beginning July 1, American favorites like loaded potato salad, pulled pork, bourbon glazed grilled pork chops, grilled chicken wings, beer brats and onions and chocolate peanut butter pie will be offered in honor of the country’s 250th birthday. After lunch, I ventured over to the Beau Rivage Theatre to spend the afternoon enjoying Shrek the Musical. I didn’t see the popular Disney movie, but within the first few minutes, the professionally-produced stage version quickly illustrated the reason for the hype surrounding the green ogre, Princess Fiona, a talking donkey and a cast of nursery rhyme characters I remembered from childhood storybooks. The delightful musical is a fun, family-friendly production for theatre-goers of all ages. It didn’t seem possible after my two-hour lunch, but by dinner time, I was eager to visit one of my favorite restaurants. BR Prime is, in my opinion, the crown jewel of the Beau. The elegant eatery never disappoints in the areas of unparalleled ambiance, attentive service and innovative cuisine. Despite having been awarded numerous national awards for its food and overall dining experience, BR Prime is constantly changing and evolving, enhancing classic dishes and adding new, innovative items to the already-extensive menu. An overview of recent additions includes a delicious Baby Gem salad filled with bacon, pickled onion, cheddar cheese and peppercorn, Hen of the Woods mushroom with a truffle yogurt sauce that is smoked tableside, caviar service with traditional garnishes and poached lobster carpaccio, to name a few. My favorite new starter was a fresh, innovative take on shrimp salad courtesy of crème fraiche, dill, baby rock shrimp and baby gem lettuce stacked on a crispy pastry base. Steaks are undoubtedly the star at BR Prime and while the classics are still on the menu, new additions are quickly gaining in popularity. The Mishima Reserve Wagyu Hanger Steak with a black truffle bearnaise proved to be an excellent choice. The flavorful steak delivered intense flavor combined with a rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Other new additions include a double-cut Iberico pork chop and Mayura Station Wagyu brisket. A decadent dessert of crème brulee topped by berries was the perfect ending to an amazing dinner at BR Prime Steakhouse. (Photo by Kara Kimbrough) A decadent but light crème brûlée decorated in patriotic colors courtesy of chopped a strawberry and blackberry topping was the perfect ending to a meal that rivaled any that I have sampled in New York City, Dallas and other large cities. To label BR Prime one of the best restaurants in the nation is not an exaggeration. Back to next week’s celebration…it wouldn’t be the Fourth of July without fireworks and the Beau has this important tradition covered. Beginning at 9 p.m. guests are invited to watch a special fireworks display from the observation deck facing the Mississippi Sound. The fireworks, which will be set off from a barge near Deer Island, will pay homage to America’s 250th birthday in a dazzling display choreographed to patriotic music. Next week I’ll share my picks for celebrating the 4th of July at home, including décor and menu ideas. In the meantime, if a trip to the Gulf Coast to celebrate at the Beau sounds appealing, check out additional information about accommodations, meals, tickets to Shrek the Musical, drawings for red, white and blue Corvettes and more Fourth of July activities on the Beau’s website: beaurivage.mgmresorts.com. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

By Jessica Breazeale So picture this: it's about seventeen years ago, and I'm making the rounds as a Life Skills teacher in the public schools of north Alabama. I check in at a middle school that wasn't on my regular schedule, and the sweet office worker does what office workers do — she announces over the intercom: "If you'd like to meet with Mrs. Breazeale, please report to room 101." A student shows up at my door. But she's not excited. She's not even neutral. She is perplexed. She looked at me like I was a math problem she didn't sign up for and said — "Yooooou're Mrs. Brazil?" "That's me! So glad you came!" She was not glad. She squinted a little and said, "I just would have thought you'd be much taller... with dark hair... more dark-complexioned." Now…I'm five-foot-four from Mississippi. I was not giving what she was looking for. I asked her why on earth she'd have that picture in her head, and that's when it all made sense. Apparently, there was a Mrs. Brazil — a beauty queen type, basically a walking, talking Miss America — who had made quite the impression on this particular student. And this girl showed up to room 101 expecting HER. Instead, she got me. I laughed and said, "Oh, honey, I think I see the problem. I'm not Mrs. Brazil, the pageant person. I'm Mrs. Breazeale — totally different spelling, totally different human. But I'm happy to meet you, and I promise I'm still fun." She left unconvinced. Possibly still grieving. I respect it. That moment has never left me. Whether we're talking about a middle school mix-up or a boardroom first impression, this happens all the time to me. How about you? We walk into situations with a picture already in our heads, and when reality shows up differently, we don't always know what to do with it. So, let's talk about it. Honest mistakes are just... honest. That girl did nothing wrong. She heard a name, built a mental image, and showed up with full confidence. We all do this. We Google someone before a meeting. We make assumptions based on a logo, a bio, a voicemail tone. It's human. It just means we must stay a little flexible. Not being what someone expected isn't the same as being the wrong person. I was never going to be a statuesque pageant queen, and that's fine with me. I had something else to offer that student entirely. The same goes in business or in ministry. You might not be the flashiest option, the biggest agency, or the one with the fanciest office – or the minister someone pictured. But you might be exactly what someone needs. Don't shrink because you're not their original mental image. Your reputation is already in the room before you are. That other Mrs. Brazil had clearly left a mark. This student expected her. That's the power of image — people start to anticipate you. What are people anticipating when your name comes up? And sometimes — let's be honest — WE'RE the ones with the wrong expectations. We've all been that disappointed student at the door. We've passed on a great opportunity because it didn't arrive in the package we imagined. We've underestimated someone because they didn't look the part. Worth checking ourselves on that one! The bottom line is this: stay open. Let people surprise you. And when you're the one who walks in and isn't quite what they pictured — own it. Stand in that room like you belong there (because you do), crack a joke if you need to, and let your actual self do the work. The right people will quickly figure out that you were exactly who they needed all along. Even if you're not a beauty queen. (Not that there's anything wrong with beauty queens. I'm sure Mrs. Brazil was lovely.) Downloadable version

THE UNITES STATES – DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: Rob Buchert: Dunlap Broadside Reproduction, 2026 By Rob Buchert The Document On the night of July 4, 1776, Philadelphia printer John Dunlap set the Declaration of Independence in type and printed an estimated 200 copies. These broadsides, large single-page printed sheets, were the document that spread the news of independence across the colonies. Twenty-six copies are known to survive. The auction record was set in 2000 at Sotheby’s: $8.14 million. Why This Reproduction Is Different In February 2026, Rob Buchert received an unlikely phone call: the history interpreter then portraying George Washington at Mount Vernon was having trouble sourcing paper made in the 18th-century style. The inquiry that followed led Buchert to the Dunlap Broadside, and to the question of whether anyone had ever reproduced it not as a facsimile of the artifact’s current appearance, but as a complete recapitulation of the original creation process. The answer was no. Most Americans picture the Declaration of Independence as the calligraphed parchment with the famous signatures, the document preserved today in the National Archives, familiar from countless reproductions. That document was produced weeks after independence was declared, and the image most of us know descends from an 1823 engraving. The Dunlap Broadside, what Buchert has reproduced, is the actual first publication: the document printed the night of July 4, 1776, before the parchment existed, and read aloud to General Washington’s troops in New York on July 9. The parchment reproductions everywhere this anniversary year are of a different document entirely. As the effective Birth Certificate of the nation, the Dunlap Broadside has attracted the attention of publishers and printing offices over the years. None combines handmade period paper with a matched watermark and letter-by-letter type composition drawn from period specimens. The National Park Service’s Franklin Court Printing Office (Philadelphia) and the Printing Office of Edes & Gill (Boston) both produce respected hand-press Dunlap reproductions on machine-made cotton paper at prices around $25–30. The only previous reproduction made to a comparable standard of material fidelity, the 1970 R.R. Donnelley/Lakeside Press facsimile, is available only on the secondary market at $500–$2,000+, and is no longer in production. Unlike the Donnelley facsimile, which sought to replicate the artifact as it existed in 1970, including its aged edges, staining, and toning, Buchert’s reproduction recapitulates the original creation process, producing something far closer to what those first readers across the colonies actually held: a freshly printed broadside on new paper, ink still sharp, carrying the news of independence. It is also a tribute to what is easy to forget about Dunlap’s overnight work: that it was not merely functional but genuinely beautiful: stately letterspaced caps, a commanding six-line initial, presswork that bears the excitement of the moment in every line. Buchert has sought to honor that beauty, not improve upon it. This project drew on approximately 1,300 hours of work between February and June 2026. What Rob Buchert Made A hand-printed recreation of the Dunlap Broadside that follows the Library of Congress’s copy of the first printing: the paper made by hand, the type set letter by letter against the original, the ink blended to match 18th-century presswork. Paper: Handmade from period-appropriate flax and hemp fibers, bearing the J. Honig & Zoonen crown-and-post-horn watermark, the same Dutch papermaker whose stock Dunlap used in 1776. The watermark is visible in the Library of Congress’s high-resolution scan of its surviving copy. Type: Re-set from Caslon’s 1766 type specimen book, letter by letter and space by space against the LOC copy, replicating the letterspaced caps in the title and the stately six-line initial of the text, including the typographic irregularities and evidence of haste characteristic of Dunlap’s original composition. Ink: Hand-blended to match the deep black characteristic of 18th-century letterpress printing. Press: Printed by hand, one copy at a time, on a letterpress. Dimensions: Approximately 19.5” × 15.5” (each sheet unique; handmade paper varies slightly). Expert Validation “I have examined surviving copies of the Dunlap Broadside firsthand, and the attention to detail here is remarkable. Although other credible efforts have been undertaken to produce faithful replicas of this document, I believe this to be the most accurate reprinting that has ever been produced. For the person who wishes to experience the sensation of holding a newly-printed copy of the first printing of the Declaration of Independence, there is simply no better option.” — Gove N. Allen, Ph.D., Member, American Antiquarian Society (speaking in a personal capacity) About Rob Buchert Rob Buchert is an artist, letterpress printer, type designer, and papermaker with more than thirty years of practice across crafts that the printing industry largely abandoned. He is co-founder of Tryst Press, an award-winning letterpress, papermaking, and fine arts studio established in 1993 in Utah, whose work has entered public and private collections throughout North America and around the world, with pieces exhibited at venues including The Grolier Club. He is a recipient of the Carl Hertzog Award for Excellence in Book Design. Buchert’s practice runs from raw fiber to finished page: he designs type, casts type (having trained at Monotype University), builds the wood-and-wire moulds and watermarks used in Western-style hand papermaking, and designs and illustrates books. He has been teaching letterpress printing and typography as adjunct faculty at BYU Provo for over twenty years, and collaborated for years with the Crandall Historical Printing Museum. Rob Buchert is available for interview. Process video and high-resolution photography available for download at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GWo6ACVxlvr7TH4tm2JYjQexkSsbdAQi?usp=sharing Key Facts at a Glance Document reproduced: Dunlap Broadside (first printing of the Declaration of Independence, July 4–5, 1776) Source copy followed: Library of Congress copy (LCCN 2003576546) Paper: Handmade from flax and hemp; J. Honig & Zoonen crown-and-post-horn watermark Type: Re-set from Caslon’s 1766 specimen book, letter by letter against LOC reference Printing: Hand-printed letterpress, one at a time Dimensions: ~19.5” × 15.5” Press contact: Rob Buchert / trystpress@gmail.com / +18013562579 (cell) Edition: Open Price: $76 through July 4, 2026; $150 from July 5 onward; free US shipping Available at: www.declaration250.shop

Spotted doing good, hosting a community clean up day for Keep Copiah County Beautiful. Volunteers (l to r) are Isaac Heggins (age 15); Cathy Stroud, director of Keep Copiah Beautiful; and Sharon Langley. (Photo credit: Jessica Breazeale) Kinsley’s Dazzle Co. is all set up at C&L Treasures in Wesson, and she is so excited to her very own business and sell some glitter! She makes her products herself and comes up with color combos she thinks buyers will love. (Photo credit: Jessica Breazeale) Sweet treats, sweeter people! "Pops" and AJ Jackson of Destiny's Delights and Power Insulation, the heart behind Destiny's Delights — a new family-owned and operated bakery in the heart of downtown Wesson (Photo credit: Jessica Breazeale) A CEO who sweeps his own floor - Ricky Breazeale, CEO at Grace Foam Solutions (Photo credit: Jessica Breazeale) Sawyer Chambers enjoying lunch from Firehouse BBQ and the Wesson Park (Photo credit: Jessica Breazeale) Spotted downtown - Parker and Christy Shaw enjoying a recent beautiful day shopping and hanging out. (Photo credit: Jessica Breazeale)

By Misty Strieff Prine “Nobody every talks about this part…You know, the part where you’re no longer a caterpillar and not yet a butterfly. You don’t know who you are, and you don’t know where you’re going. All you know is that every fiber of your being is calling for transformation. For disruption. For a revolution of the spirit. So, surrender. Breakdown. This is not the death of you. This is the dying of who you once were. This is your rebirth, darling. And these are called, “growing pains.” – Unknown. This is SO beautiful to me. The middle stage, that in between, is often the most difficult part...the part where the change takes place. It’s so hard and you must learn some really tough life lessons there. We’ll call them “growing pains”. I think we’ve all been in a season of “growing pains” at some point in our lives. In those seasons, we’ve learned a lot of difficult lessons and ones that we should be able to apply to upcoming situations in our lives. You know that God uses those times to prepare us for what He knows we will have to face so we need to really look for the lesson we stand to learn while we walk in those valleys. It’s sure can be hard in those valleys but it’s beautiful after God gets you through them (because HE WILL) and I promise you, when you look back, you will rise and you will be amazed at how God truly worked it all out for your good! If you are going through the growing pains stage in your life, hang in there. You’ll be a butterfly as soon as God is through molding and making you into what He would have you be. He’s got to make sure your wings are ready to spread and make a mark on this world on the journey He has planned for you. Remember that on your most difficult day!

By Bob Garver Poster Credit IMDB All-time-great director Steven Spielberg is back with a film built around one of his most popular subjects: aliens. From the man that brought us “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” comes “Disclosure Day,” a film about a small group of people deciding that it is time to let the rest of humanity know that they are not alone in the universe. After deeply personal project “The Fabelmans,” this is Spielberg’s return to blockbuster filmmaking. And I do see this movie as a blockbuster, just not much of one. The film essentially follows six characters: hacker Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) and his girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson), TV newswoman Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) and her boyfriend Jackson (Wyatt Russell), organizer of key players Hugo (Colman Domingo), and shady coverup leader Scanlon (Colin Firth). Kellner has flash drives with evidence of alien activity on Earth dating back decades. Margaret suddenly has powers that are not of this world. Hugo has a full-sized replica of Margaret’s childhood home for some reason. Scanlon has alien tech that he’s ironically using against the aliens and their allies. Let the race to expose or bury the truth begin. Following a botched drop to get back a kidnapped Jane from Scanlon, Kellner goes on the run with sketchy help from Hugo in a storyline reminiscent of recent Oscar winner “One Battle After Another.” Jane is shocked to learn that her boyfriend knows the truth about aliens, and he’s shocked to learn that she once aspired to be a nun. At first, she’s a liability to Kellner because she’s blissfully ignorant, then she’s a liability because she doesn’t agree with his cause, then she’s a liability because Scanlon gets to her. Kellner knows the score with the aliens, but Margaret doesn’t. She doesn’t know why she suddenly speaks every language or knows the personal life of everyone she sees or can’t help but speak an alien tongue on air. All she knows is that some bad people are after her because of it, and the skeptical Jackson is reluctantly along for the ride. Could it have something to do with repressed childhood memories about unconvincing CGI forest animals? Kellner and Margaret meet up to have an action scene with a speeding train. We know from “The Fabelmans” that Spielberg loves speeding trains almost as much as he loves crashing them. For a movie called “Disclosure Day,” there’s a lot of suspense around whether or not the truth will be disclosed. Spoiler Alert: it will be, so don’t worry about it. If you want to worry about something, worry about the individual characters making it to the end alive, which isn’t a lock. Though these characters are so dull that I couldn’t get too invested in their survival. Spielberg usually makes good decisions about the way this film looks and sounds (Yes, frequent collaborator John Williams is doing the score), but I don’t agree with how he has the story unfold. Instead of exploring the rich potential for how humanity will respond to this mindblowing news about aliens, he focuses on the buildup to the news, which isn’t that interesting. There’s a brief mention of how people will react if their deeply-held religious beliefs are shaken, but it’s brushed aside in favor of chase antics. I would have put the disclosure at the beginning of this film and given the bulk of the runtime to the fallout. Grade: C “Disclosure Day” is rated PG-13 for action/violence, some bloody images and strong language. Its running time is 145 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Send responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com The longer I live, talking and being with people, the more I realize that there is no one-way-only-lifestyle that is completely normal. For instance, my present lifestyle seems absolutely normal to me. But President Trump probably feels the same way about his lifestyle. So does the grandmother who is living in the poverty-stricken Brick Kiln District in Pakistan. Each person feels that their accustomed style of living is pretty close to normal. Anything else has a tendency to make us feel overwhelmed, awkward, anxious, or out of place. Notice I didn’t say typical, just…normal. But let yourself become exposed to a different style of living and other surroundings, where you can observe happy, contented people living their daily lives, and you can become acutely aware of something. You will see that differences in lifestyle and location, wealthier or poorer, is not the creator of happiness or discontentment. Those feelings are a choice and have to come from within. For example, I recently spent an evening on a horse farm, with a family that was so contented and happy with their lives. Lives that include sixteen hours of hard outdoor work, every day. But believe me, they loved their lifestyle. Earlier this past week I listened to a pastor and his wife speaking compassionately of the hardships several people in their church were undergoing. In spite of the emotional pain and stress as they walked through it all with these friends, they love their life and they love that they are involved and needed. You could not blast that couple out of their ministry with a cannonball. My point is this: find your own normal. Find the desire and passion that is inborn in you, and go for it. Anything different from that purpose driven lifestyle could likely be the dream of someone else...but not yours. Dream long and hard. Take the time to find that spark within you. Fan it in to a flame. Then set out to do what is necessary to put it into action. Remember folks, life here on earth is short. The average age of dying is now 73.8 years, give or take a few years in terms of male or female. And also know this, even that span of life is broken into several groups. Babyhood, elementary, teen, adult, and finally, senior citizen years. You don’t have an unbroken 73.8 years to accomplish what you are dreaming. What you could do in your teens is very likely not a viable possibility when you are a silver-haired senior. So take advantage of being the age you are right now. Because as of tonight, the age you are today is never going to roll around again. Take your courage in hand, step out and begin living your God-given dream, (just do it within the confines of your current age group.) Go live your own individual true normal.

. Wesson Attendance Center recently recognized its outstanding student-athletes during the school's 2025-26 Athletic Awards Program. Among those honored were members of the boys and girls soccer teams, who were recognized for their achievements, leadership, dedication and contributions throughout the season. Girls Soccer Awards Pictured (l to r) are, front row: Emory Britt, All-Region; Maria Hall, All-Region and Senior Award; Macy Loy, Senior Award, All-Region, and Most Valuable Player; Jaide Shoop, Coaches Award; and Mikelyn Douglas, Rookie of the Year; and back row: Jaycee Heard, Defensive Player of the Year and All-Region; Madelynn Brooks, Most Improved; and Ady Rose Dowd, Offensive Player of the Year and All-Region. Boys Soccer Awards Pictured (l to r) are Boys Soccer Award winners Aiden Wallace, Senior Award, All-Region, and Most Valuable Player; Isaac Stovall, Senior Award and Most Improved; Grady Smith, Coaches Award; and BP Robbins, All-Region and Best Defensive Player of the Year Award. Not pictured are award recipients Melvin Hernandez, Cade Duplantis and JT Shumaker.

By Jessica Breazeale Nobody told the sailcat catfish what it was supposed to look like. It didn't get a memo. It didn't have a choice. It just is what it is — a common, unremarkable fish pulled from the Gulf of Mexico and the coastal waters of Central and South America. Fishermen have been catching them for centuries without thinking twice. The topsail catfish, also known as the sea catfish or sailcat has carried a quiet reputation along Gulf Coast communities for a long time. Somewhere along the way, people stopped calling it just a catfish. They started calling it the Crucifix Fish. It wasn't marketing. It wasn't a gimmick. It was fishermen and coastal families noticing something they couldn't unsee. By the mid-20th century, the dried skull of the sailcat had become a folk relic — sold in small boxes at coastal gift shops alongside a poem. The poem, attributed to Conrad S. Lantz, read: "Of all the fishes in the sea, our Lord chose the lowly sailcat to remind us of his misery. His body on the cross is outlined, the hilt of the sword which was plunged into his side is clearly defined." People weren't buying these as curiosities. They were buying them as keepsakes of faith. Something about holding that small bone felt like holding a whisper from God. Here's where this gets layered in a way that's hard to dismiss. The top fin of the sailcat rises tall and curved — like the sail on a sailboat, which is exactly how it earned its name. Beautiful on its own. But now imagine the fish dies. Its body drifts to the seafloor. The flesh fades away. And what's left — the endoskeleton, fully intact — looks like the crucifix. Jesus, hanging on the cross. Turn the dried skull over and look at the back. There's a marking that resembles a Roman shield. And if you pick up the bone and shake it, you'll hear a faint rattling from inside the skull — a sound that, according to the legend documented by the State Library and Archives of Florida, represents the dice being tossed for Christ's garments at the foot of the cross. It was documented on a postcard from the Gulfport Marine Museum in 1961 and is archived in the Florida Memory collection. The shield of the soldiers. The casting of lots. Hidden inside a fish bone. You can call it a coincidence. You can call it apophenia — the human tendency to find patterns. That's a fair conversation to have. But Paul didn't think creation was accidental. He wrote this to the Colossians: "For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see… everything was created through him and for him." — Colossians 1:16 (NLT) Everything. Through Jesus. For Jesus. If that's true — and Paul staked his life on it being true — then creation isn't just scenery. It's not just beautiful. It's intentional. It's been communicating something since the first day anything existed. The stars. The sea. The bones of a fish nobody was paying attention to. All of it points somewhere. All of it pointing to Him. Creation has been running the same advertisement since day one. And tucked into the skeleton of a common Gulf Coast catfish — one that fishermen have been throwing back for generations — is a sermon that no human being wrote. What has creation been trying to show you lately that you might have overlooked? Downloadable version