Special to Wesson News The Wesson Cobras continued their strong start to the 2026 football season Friday night, defeating North Pike 29-14 at Stone Stadium at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. The victory moved Wesson to 2-0 on the season after the Cobras opened the year with a 41-0 shutout of Bogue Chitto. Wesson also extended its recent success against North Pike after defeating the Jaguars 44-15 last season. Senior quarterback Wesley Loy led the Wesson offense, completing a productive night through the air with 297 passing yards and three touchdowns. Senior receiver Damarion Smith was the primary beneficiary, recording 221 receiving yards and two touchdowns, including a 76-yard scoring reception. Laiken Thomas also contributed 61 receiving yards and a touchdown as Wesson's passing attack helped the Cobras pull away for the 15-point victory. The Wesson defense also made its presence felt, recording four sacks during the game. The Cobras now turn their attention to another road test. Wesson will travel to Franklin County on Friday, Sept. 11, for a 7 p.m. kickoff. Wesson defeated Franklin County 34-19 last season and enters this year's matchup with momentum after opening the season with consecutive victories. The Cobras will look to make it three straight wins to begin the season when they take the field Friday night.

By Clay Mansell The Wesson News welcomes Louise Vaughn, PhD, MBA, MPA as its new City Beat reporter. Vaughn, who has a master’s degree in Accounting, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a doctorate in educational leadership, is not only a writer, but is also heavily involved in agriculture and community development. Professionally, her experience crosses several areas, including accounting and financial consulting, tax preparation, business development, human resources, administration, project coordination and entrepreneurship. She has worked with individuals, small businesses, nonprofits, schools and community organizations. Vaughn operates A-Dawg Ranch and Farm-a-Sis, and her work includes farming, herbal wellness products, farmers’ markets, vendor events and agricultural education. She has developed and coordinated youth agricultural programs and worked on grant-funded community projects. Vaughn says she is “one of those people who can wear several hats.” “I enjoy identifying problems, organizing the moving pieces, developing solutions and then actually getting the work done,” she continues. “I’m equally comfortable behind a desk working with numbers and reports or out in the community working directly with businesses and people.” Vaughn will cover Wesson’s monthly Board of Aldermen meeting, as well as other civic topics and community news.

By Misty Strieff Prine But by the grace of God. “People who wonder if the glass is half empty or half full miss the point. The glass is refillable.” – Unknown. I know my cup has been full, overflowing even, felt half empty and felt as though as though it’s been on the verge of feeling completely empty I’ve been so worn down. But by the grace of God, He’s never let that happen. I may have “felt” that way but praise the Lord that He constantly stands ready to fill our cups when we don’t even have the strength to ask Him to do so. I can promise you, when you get that low, you’re usually not thinking as you should be. He knows our needs before we even realize there is one to be had. He loves us so much that He provides us with His own strength when ours becomes weakened by the weight of the world. I’m reminded of these lyrics today from the song “Fill My Cup, Lord.” They simply say, “Like the woman at the well, I was seeking for things that could not satisfy. And then I heard my Savior speaking, “Draw from My well that never shall run dry.” Fill my cup, Lord; I lift it up Lord; Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more. Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole. There are millions in this world who are seeking, for pleasures earthly goods afford. But none can match the wondrous treasure that I find in Jesus Christ my Lord. So, my brother if the things that this world gives you, leave hungers that won’t pass away. My blessed Lord will come and save you, if you kneel to Him and humbly pray. Fill my cup, Lord; I lift it up Lord; Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more. Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.” Let Him fill your cup with His strength today. Quit trying to handle the weight of this world on your own.

Special to Wesson News The Wesson Cobras will look to build on a dominant season-opening performance when they welcome North Pike to town Friday night. Wesson and North Pike enter the Sept. 4 matchup with 1-0 records, giving both teams an opportunity to remain unbeaten early in the 2026 season. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Stone Stadium on the Copiah-Lincoln Community College campus in Wesson. The Cobras opened their season Aug. 28 with an impressive 41-0 road victory over Bogue Chitto. Wesson controlled the game on both sides of the ball, with the defense keeping the Bobcats off the scoreboard throughout the night. North Pike also enters Friday's contest following a victory. The Jaguars defeated Franklin County 17-12 in their season opener. Friday's game will be Wesson's first home contest of the season and a rematch of a matchup the Cobras controlled a year ago. Wesson defeated North Pike 44-15 during the 2025 season. For Wesson, the matchup provides an opportunity to show that its convincing opening-week victory can carry over against a North Pike team that also arrives with early-season momentum. The Cobras will also have the benefit of playing in front of their home crowd for the first time this season. Kickoff between Wesson and North Pike is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Stone Stadium in Wesson.

By Bob Garver Poster credit IMDB The big drawback to getting in an advance review of “Coyote vs. Acme” last week is that “Insidious: Out of the Further” is even less relevant this week. The horror film toppled from second place to fourth at the domestic box office, behind even the seventh weekend of “The Odyssey,” while “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” continues to dominate at #1. Fortunately, that drawback is offset by the knowledge that the film was never worth much attention anyway. If there’s one horror franchise that loves its jump scares, it’s “Insidious.” The 2010 original sold itself with a trailer that included a jump scare after it had supposedly concluded - not “at” the last moment, like a lot of horror trailers, but “after” the last moment, when the audience thinks they have a beat to rest. The film itself had a gnarly jump scare too, with its infamous red demon appearing in a drably-colored, but well-lighted scene with multiple characters in the daytime, also a setting where viewers think they can lower their guard. But that film also boasted performances by Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne and an originality to its world. “Insidious: Out of the Further” is the sixth installment in the franchise, it doesn’t boast greats like Wilson and Byrne, and fans very much know what to expect from these films at this point. We open with a sequence where nine-year-old Gemma (Charli Penton) comes home to a mother (Laura Gordon) who manages a few loving platitudes, but is clearly out of sorts. The mother attacks the child before locking herself in a bathroom, which doesn’t end well. In the present day, adult Gemma (Amelia Eve) is a single mother determined to be better to her own daughter, Maya (Island Austin). She’s present for her at the beginning and end of every school day and talks to her as much as possible about every subject except her late, presumedly-mentally-ill grandmother. This being an “Insidious” film, it’s not long before strange things start happening: old toys reappear after being missing for decades, suspicious people are seen around the neighborhood, and Gemma starts having scary dreams that may or may not be dreams. Things ramp up. Dentist Gemma has an unsettling appointment with one of the new neighbors (disappointing scares in the rest of the movie aside, people uncomfortable with dentistry “will” be freaked out by this sequence). She gets unreasonably lost in a coffee-table-sized blanket fort and barely escapes with her life. Her cop boyfriend Nick (Brendon Parea) doesn’t believe her when she says she’s in danger. Franchise mainstay Dr. Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) does, but she can only be so much help considering she’s been dead for over ten years. Eventually Gemma learns that all the scares are because her bloodline has ties to the purgatory-like realm known as The Further and that she and Maya are being targeted by cult leader Cyrus Lam (Sam Spruell), who is supposed to give off main-villain energy, but is somehow less scary-looking than any of his followers. Like many horror movies, “Insidious: Out of the Further” is at its scariest in its early stages when we don’t know what’s going to pop out. We know that “something” is going to pop out, which itself depletes the scare, but we don’t know what and how. Once the veil has been pulled back on the villains and their motives, the film can’t be scary or exciting to save its life. Even a returning familiar face (other than Lin Shaye’s) couldn’t get a reaction out of my theater. And the non-horror action wasn’t pulling me in. I’m sure the actors are doing their best, but there’s not much interesting about the umpteenth horror setup with a parent, a kid, and generational trauma. After this film, I ask that the “Insidious” franchise go away and stay even Further away than before. Grade: C- “Insidious: Out of the Further” is rated PG-13 for strong violent content, bloody images, terror and some strong language. Its running time is 106 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Special to Wesson News A 78-year-old truck driver was found dead outside his tractor-trailer near the Interstate 55 rest area in Wesson on Thursday, authorities said. The man was discovered just south of the northbound rest area, located near mile marker 54 in Copiah County. Copiah County Emergency Operations Center Director Darryl Hilliard said the driver was found lying on the ground near the passenger side of the 18-wheeler. A passerby spotted the man and alerted authorities. Investigators believe he had been dead for several hours before he was discovered. The man was driving an 18-wheeler for JC Transport at the time of his death. Authorities have not publicly identified him and are withholding his name until his family can be fully notified. Hilliard said a preliminary investigation indicates the driver died of natural causes. No additional details about the circumstances surrounding the man's death or his hometown had been released as of Thursday afternoon. The Wesson rest area is located along Interstate 55, the major north-south interstate corridor running through Copiah County and connecting communities including Wesson, Hazlehurst and Crystal Springs. Additional information could be released after the driver's family has been notified.

Wesson residents now have access to faster internet options following an expansion of Sparklight’s Multi-Gig network in Southwest Mississippi. Sparklight announced Wednesday, Sept. 2, that residential customers in Wesson can access internet speeds of up to 2 Gig as part of the company’s latest regional network expansion. The expansion follows nearly $10 million in network investments in McComb and surrounding communities. According to Sparklight, the improvements have increased network capacity and redundancy while preparing its system for future technology demands. “Bandwidth needs continue to grow as technology becomes an even bigger part of everyday life,” Charlie Oakes, Sparklight senior regional director for the Gulf Coast, said in announcing the expansion. For Wesson residents, increased internet speeds can help accommodate households with multiple connected devices and growing demand for streaming, remote work, online education, gaming and other internet-based services. Reliable high-speed internet has also become increasingly important for small businesses and people who work from home, particularly in smaller communities where broadband options can be more limited than in larger metropolitan areas. The Wesson expansion is part of a larger Sparklight project that also includes Brookhaven, McComb, Bogue Chitto, Fernwood, Magnolia and Summit. Sparklight said it has invested nearly $1 billion in network upgrades across the communities it serves during the past three years. Availability may vary by address, and Wesson residents interested in the Multi-Gig service should verify whether the upgraded service is available at their location.

Send responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com So. You are a parent of a five-foot five-inch, sixteen-year-old son. A son whose dream is to be a professional basketball player. Who lives and breathes the game of basketball. He eats his breakfast with his ball tucked under one arm. And sleeps with it nestled on the pillow next to him at night. Except for the game of roundball, there’s not much else that commands him time and attention. Not even the pretty girls at school, who endlessly flirt and coax him to spend time with them. Your lovable, dedicated, basketball-consumed child is either practicing his dribbling, working on his outside shot, or engrossed in the latest news of his favorite NBA team. There is not a statistic on any of the team’s players that he doesn’t have committed to memory. They’ve not played a game this year that he hasn’t watched, eyes sparkling, muscles twitching, and mouth almost drooling. This kid is eaten alive with basketball. The promise of the daily practice times under the watchful eyes of his high school basketball coach drives him to endure those dull teachers in his classes. Until he finally gets to escape the drudgery and head to his home – the gym. You realized it a few years ago. Your house is really not his home – it’s only the place where he can eat, sleep and tune into the latest basketball news. Home to him is a smelly, drafty, echoing cavern - otherwise known as his school’s basketball gymnasium. But to listen to him talk, it should be called Heaven. His team mates should be addressed as almost angels. And according to him, bowing your head reverently when you speak of his coach, the awesome Coach Cameron, should be a given. Your son is driven and extremely determined to live his goal in life. To play in the NBA. At five foot five inches tall in his basketball shoes. And absolutely nothing can dissuade the boy. No amount of reasoning from his not-extremely-tall dad and mom. Nor the endless kidding and almost cruel mockery from his brother. His mind is set in concrete. He believes he can make this happen. That if he eats enough healthy food, exercises, and prays to God for growth, that his body will eventually be tall enough to play in the NBA. What do you say? What do you do to make him realize the truth of his situation, and move on to a more attainable goal? Listen to me closely. NOT A THING. Don’t discourage, don’t ridicule, don’t logically rationalize. Instead, encourage him to aim high in life. Give him all the support and love a teenager needs from his parents. Show him that you believe in him. That is your job as his mom and dad. Believe me, if his long-held vision doesn’t pan out, the world is very eager and capable of dousing every flicker and flame of hope he holds. He certainly doesn’t need his loved ones doing the same thing to him.

Special to Wesson News Copiah County’s burn ban is scheduled to expire at midnight Tuesday, Sept. 1, pending any official extension by local authorities or the Mississippi Forestry Commission . At the time of this writing, no update or extension to the burn ban has been announced. The county has been under the burn ban since Aug. 17 amid hot, dry conditions and an increased risk of wildfires. The restriction was implemented as Mississippi experienced a significant increase in wildfire activity. According to the Mississippi Forestry Commission, firefighters responded to 60 wildfires statewide in July before that number climbed to 154 in August when burn bans were announced in several counties. Burn bans are used during periods of elevated fire danger to reduce the risk of outdoor fires spreading and threatening homes, property and wooded areas. Unless local officials extend the restriction, Copiah County’s current burn ban will end at midnight Sept. 1. Residents planning outdoor burning after the ban expires should continue to use caution and monitor weather conditions. Dry vegetation, wind and high temperatures can allow fires to spread quickly even when a burn ban is no longer in effect. Residents are encouraged to check for updated restrictions before conducting outdoor burning, as burn bans can be extended or reinstated when conditions warrant. The Mississippi Forestry Commission maintains an updated list of active burn bans and wildfire information on its website.

By Charlie Rook After a 10-win season in 2025, the Wesson Cobras picked up right where they left off Friday night with a dominant 41-0 victory over Bogue Chitto. Wesson controlled the game from start to finish and had built a 35-point advantage by the end of the third quarter. The Cobras' defense kept Bogue Chitto off the scoreboard for the entire game to start the season 1-0. Damarion Smith helped lead the defensive effort for Wesson, returning two fumbles for touchdowns. His second defensive touchdown came at the beginning of the second half and helped put the game out of reach. The victory comes after Wesson finished 10-1 last season and won the Class 2A Region 7 championship. The Cobras' only loss came by two points in the postseason. Wesson will now turn its attention to North Pike, which defeated Franklin County 17-12 in its opener. The Cobras host North Pike Friday night as they look to improve to 2-0.

Special to Wesson News The Wesson Cobras opened the 2026 football season in commanding fashion Friday night, shutting out Bogue Chitto 41-0 on the road. Wesson controlled the Aug. 28 matchup on both sides of the ball, building a comfortable advantage before putting the game away in the second half. The Cobra defense played a major role in the victory. Senior Damarion Smith returned two fumbles for touchdowns, including his second defensive score to open the second half. Offensively, Wesson finished with 293 total yards, including 151 rushing and 142 passing. Junior running back Traden Barlow led the ground attack with 71 yards and a touchdown on six carries. Sophomore Tre Ellis recorded 85 receiving yards, while senior B.P. Robbins finished the night with two total touchdowns. Wesson's defense kept the Bobcats off the scoreboard throughout the game, giving the Cobras their first shutout since the 2025 season. The victory also continued Wesson's recent success against Bogue Chitto. The Cobras defeated the Bobcats 46-8 when the teams met in 2025. Historical records show Wesson holds a 28-4 advantage in the series. With the victory, Wesson begins the season 1-0 while Bogue Chitto falls to 0-1. The Cobras will now turn their attention to their home opener against North Pike. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, in Wesson. Wesson defeated North Pike 44-15 last season. The longtime series between the programs is tied at 10 victories apiece, giving Friday's matchup an opportunity to break the deadlock. Bogue Chitto will travel to Pisgah on Friday.

By Misty Strieff Prine “God understands the cries of our hearts, even when they’re too deep for words.” There are so many people grieving the loss of loved ones in our local community today and over the past few weeks and I’m sure many others that you may know as well. There are also things that may be on your heart that are honestly just hard to put into words in a prayer. God’s word tells us in Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” God knows our hearts and He knows the reason for every tear. Even if we just be still and say His name, He will meet us where we are and comfort us in ways that are beyond words. Trust me. In the stillness, God calms you just like He can calm a raging sea. Get in the habit of doing that when you can’t find the words to say. Just be still and say His name and either talk to Him like you’re talking to a friend or just simply be still and listen in the quiet and surrender your worries and heart to Him.