Clarion Ledger
DOUBLE DOUBLE
In a matter of seconds, Michael Smith found his calling. Smith was a guard on the Northeast Mississippi College basketball team, and the program held a youth basketball camp. He and others spent hours helping kids with drills and fundamentals. But one...
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Marching to the king of pop
Jackson State’s Sonic Boom of the South marching band is once again being recognized on a national stage. In honor of February’s Black History Month and in anticipation of release of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group movie “MICHAEL” about the life of...
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3 U.S. service members killed as Iran retaliates
Rebecca Morin, Kim Hjelmgaard, Eve Chen, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Jonathan Limehouse, Kathryn Palmer, Terry Collins, Francesca Chambers and Fernando Cervantes Jr. Three American service members were killed in action amid the ongoing conflict with...
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What’s the beef ?
Atrip to a grocery store is a bigger financial commitment than it was a few years ago as prices have climbed steeply, but the product that seems to get more attention than others is beef. Even at advertised sale prices, you’ll pay more than you paid...
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Q Burdette a ‘hero’ on ‘Survivor 50’
“Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” kicked off Feb. 25 with a three-hour episode full of intense challenges, cutthroat plotting and heartbreak for two contestants. Germantown real estate agent Quintavius “Q” Burdette, a fan favorite during Season...
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Prosecutors, Hinds DA swap motions in bribery case
Federal prosecutors responded to Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens motion to dismiss the federal bribery charges against him, filing their opposition under seal along with 25 exhibits that are not currently available to the public. In the...
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Jackson City Council votes 6-1 to approve
Jackson Mayor John Horhn’s nominee to lead the Jackson Police Department, RaShall Brackney, was officially confirmed by the Jackson City Council. Brackney was confirmed as Chief of Police by the council in a 6-1 vote in a special council meeting...
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Fallen officer honored
The City of Jackson unveiled on Feb. 23 a street that was renamed in honor of fallen Hinds County Deputy Martin Shields Jr. to commemorate the oneyear anniversary of his death. The city, in partnership with the Deputy Martin L. Shields Jr. Memorial...
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State is in charge of tax-forfeited properties
Mississippi currently holds 6,960 tax-forfeited properties statewide, according to the latest data from the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office. Under Mississippi law, property with unpaid taxes is first sold at a county tax sale. If the owner...
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Fate of Trump’s $2K tariff checks up in air
The Supreme Court issued its first major ruling against President Donald Trump on Friday, Feb. 20, saying he can’t impose sweeping tariffs. How could this affect the $2,000 tariff dividend check Trump said is coming this year? Trump declared a...
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Following the smoke
Around 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 4, 2025, flames from an abandoned house were “so tall it was up in the trees,” recalled Tracy Cooper, who lives two houses down from the now entirely burneddown house. Today, only one corner of that house — located at 4221...
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‘An open wound’
Filmmaker Suzannah Herbert was raised in Memphis. But her new movie focuses on what Herbert calls “the beauty and tension and sorrow” of a different riverbluff town. h Like the pilgrimage organizers and tour operators in its diverse cast of real-life...
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Hummingbirds make epic 600-mile flight
Ruby-throated hummingbirds will soon be arriving in Mississippi as they make their way to breeding grounds in North America and for many, the first leg is an incredible feat as they fly nonstop over the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a flight some don’t...
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Fossil hunter’s find is ‘quite significant’
A Mississippi woman was a part of a team hunting for fossils along the Chickasawhay River in Southeast Mississippi, and she would have been happy to find anything. What she discovered was a rare, fossilized jawbone from a dugong, an ancient sea cow,...
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Civil rights icon ‘kept the dream alive’
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering civil rights icon who battled alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., negotiated global hostage releases and shamed corporations for their lack of diversity and failure to support voting rights, died on Feb. 17. He...
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What HCC’s $20M expansion along I-55 means for Ridgeland
A $20 million expansion of a building along I-55 in Ridgeland could change the look of the Jackson suburb and take Holmes Community College to the next level both educationally and from an economic development perspective. Holmes broke ground in...
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MS House passes bill for school prayer time
A bill requiring public schools to provide students with time and accommodations for prayer passed the Mississippi House on Feb. 11, sending another controversial education bill to the Senate. The bill, authored by Rep. Chuck Blackwell, R-Ellisville,...
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Pet adoptions soar
The Mississippi Animal Rescue League first opened in Jackson in 1969 as a private nonprofit. In the nearly 60 years since, the shelter adapted to countless cultural changes. The latest adaptation, an increased social media presence, has led to more...
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Jackson jury finds ex-officer guilty
A Hinds County jury found Marcus Johnson, a former Jackson Police Department officer, guilty of firstdegree murder in the 2024 death of Carlos Collins, a registered nurse. The jury also found Johnson guilty of shooting into a dwelling. The jury took...
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Ole Miss QB has eligibility hearing in lawsuit vs NCAA
PITTSBORO – The eligibility hearing for Ole Miss football quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was in progress on Feb. 12. Judge Robert Whitwell was overseeing Chambliss’ lawsuit against the NCAA at the Calhoun County Courthouse to determine whether...
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‘Wear your red, white and blue’
Every year, the Dixie National Rodeo takes over the fairgrounds in Jackson, bringing rodeo shows, livestock competitions, a marketplace, an outdoor expo and more. This year, the rodeo, dubbed the “Greatest Show on Dirt,” is participating in...
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Former Jackson officer’s murder trial begins
Prosecutors delivered the first opening statements Feb. 10 by detailing the brutal attack they say former Jackson Police Department officer Marcus Johnson committed in the murder of Carlos Collins. The defense countered the prosecution’s claims by...
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ONE LAST MEAL
Crechale’s Cafe Seafood and Steaks, a fixture of Jackson’s dining scene for 70 years, will welcome diners for the final time on Feb. 14, just over a month after the passing of long-time owner Bob Crechale. In the six weeks since its closure was...
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Chambliss loses appeal
OXFORD — Ole Miss football quarterback Trinidad Chambliss will need to continue his fight for college eligibility in 2026. The NCAA appeals committee denied Chambliss’ appeal on Feb. 4. Chambliss was seeking a medical hardship waiver for his 2022...
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The learning bug
Medical entomologist isn’t a title people hear about every day, but a Mississippi State University professor may change that. Jerome Goddard, who owns that rare title, has been making videos about bugs and his adventures in the field, and huge numbers...
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‘I’ve never been more disappointed’
Emotions are still high on both sides of the school choice debate in the wake of the Senate Education Committee killing Speaker Jason White’s signature school choice legislation on Feb. 3. The committee shot down the bill in less than 90 seconds, a...
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New hotel opens in Ridgeland, part of $28M investment
The newest hotel in Ridgeland has officially opened. Located next to the Holiday Inn Express near the north I-55 Frontage Road in Ridgeland, is the Tru by Hilton Hotel. The 98-room hotel, just completed, was built by Wealth Hospitality of...
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School choice bill dies
Speaker Jason White’s ardent campaigning wasn’t enough to save his signature school choice bill from an unfriendly Senate committee. The Senate education committee heard White’s bill, which covered education topics spanning from private school...
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More than just a taco shop
Uber-successful chef and businessman Derek Emerson’s newest project is almost ready to open. Emerson, 57, who owns and operates the new Sacred Ground Barbeque in Pocohontas, Caet Seafood in Ridgeland, Local 463 in Ridgeland and Little Effie’s in the...
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PRADO VISTA
In December 2024, Gabriel Prado helped bring to life Topgolf as the sports entertainment venue opened in Ridgeland with much fanfare as part of the Prado Vista development just off of I-55. And while Topgolf is the drawing card for the development...
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Major law firm chooses to locate in Downtown
Cosmich Simmons & Brown partner Clif Jefferis said he wants to be a part of the process of helping to revitalize Downtown Jackson. He has put his money where his mouth is as his law firm is moving back to Jackson’s central business district...
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THE THAW BEGINS
OXFORD — Brindin Chandler was walking across a road to his home just outside Oxford city limits when he heard cracking above him. He froze and watched a tree, heavy with ice, tear a hole in his bedroom roof. “If I’d been there sleeping,” Chandler, 20,...
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‘VERY DISAPPOINTING’
CHICAGO – In Chicago’s workingclass Pilsen neighborhood, a 1960s-era oil-fired power plant rises up from an industrial lot behind Dvorak Park, which in warmer weather is packed with children climbing on its colorful playground and zooming down...
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Ole Miss to remain closed through Feb. 8
The University of Mississippi campus will remain closed through Sunday, Feb. 8, as Oxford works to recover from damage left by Winter Storm Fern. Oxford was hit hard by the storm starting on Jan. 23, and by the early morning hours of Jan. 25, the city...
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New project brings Jackson, Madison, Hinds and Ridgeland together
Every so often, regional politics are uncomplicated. At least for now. The Jackson City Council voted unanimously Tuesday, Jan. 27 to approve a resolution forming “a regional alliance” with neighboring counties and cities to pursue improvements along...
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MS electrical grid hit
More than 140,000 Mississippians were still without power as of Tuesday morning, Jan. 27, after an ice storm worked its way through the South this weekend. Lafayette County, which is home to Oxford and the University of Mississippi has the most total...
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ICY AFTERMATH
Winter Storm Fern is blamed for deaths and injuries in Mississippi along with more than 150,000 power outages on Monday, some possibly lasting for weeks, all this while federal agents have arrived to assist in the state’s recovery. The depth of the...
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FRIGID FERN
Winter Storm Fern moved through Mississippi over the weekend leaving a covering of frozen rain and sleet over much of the state which downed trees and power lines and left thousands in the dark. Temperatures dropped across the state and are expected...
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GUN DEATHS
The past three years have been a blur for Denise Johnson. She hasn’t felt in tune with the world, she said, since her 13-year-old nephew accidentally shot himself in 2022. Johnson’s nephew, Carter, was home alone with two friends after his middle...
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Winter weather is on the way again
In February 1994, an ice storm froze the Mississippi Delta. Widespread damage to powerlines, paired with lingering, dangerous cold left about 750,000 people in the dark, some for up to a month. Forecasts are comparing the coming winter storm to that...
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Downtown Jackson to get a new bookstore
Former Mayor Kane Ditto has always had an affinity for bookstores and improving Downtown Jackson. His latest venture will scratch an itch on both fronts. A bookstore is coming soon. Ditto, the founder of State Street Group, a commercial real estate...
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Historic football season raises profile for Ole Miss
Even though the Ole Miss Rebels didn’t go all the way to the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship, the effects of the team’s historic season can be seen in countless ways throughout the university, including interest from prospective...
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ARCTIC ARRIVAL
The polar vortex is set to bring a blast of Arctic air to Mississippi this weekend and early next week. Current forecasts show lows in the teens over the weekend, paired with freezing rain, sleet and possibly some snow. “This is two weeks in the...
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RIP to ‘mother of all potholes’
It arrived quietly and refused to leave. To residents on the block, it was a recurring villain. A living, breathing metaphor for Jackson’s infrastructure woes. It blossomed, it collapsed, then blossomed again. It was “the mother of all potholes.” Now...
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Mississippi College celebrates 200 years
Mississippi College, the oldest institution of higher learning in the state and the second oldest Baptist university in the nation, will celebrate its 200th anniversary on Jan. 21, 2026. The institution has endured through 47 presidencies with 44...
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Kamala Harris makes stop in Jackson for book tour
Former Vice President Kamala Harris took the stage inside newly reopened Thalia Mara Hall, not as a political candidate but as a best-selling author, as she spoke Jan. 14 at her book tour event in Jackson. By 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, the lights began to...
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Thalia Mara Hall reopens after delays
After 17 months of repairs, delays and false starts, Thalia Mara Hall is finally open again. The venue welcomed guests for the first time in months Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 13. Approximately 100 city officials and community members stepped through...
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WAIVER DENIED
OXFORD — Ole Miss football quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was denied a waiver to play in 2026 by the NCAA on Jan. 9. Chambliss had agreed to return to the Rebels in 2026 if his waiver was approved. Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter said the...
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HONORING THE KING
Prince had purple rain; Elvis had purple suede. With its wide lapels and flared trousers, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s outré mauve outfit was a 1971 Christmas gift from his wife, Priscilla. Now, it’s available to all — to eyeball if not to wear — as...
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A surprising winner in building auction
After initially bidding in an online auction last month to buy the former Marriott building in Downtown Jackson, one developer finalized a deal to buy the building on Jan. 2. In the original auction Dec. 8-10, it was believed there were approximately...
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‘ALWAYS SMILING’
OXFORD − As Ole Miss football prepares for the CFP semifinals vs Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, the Rebels are refocused on what matters. How could they not be, considering the location of their most recent game? Ole Miss players have mentioned last...
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‘Super’ lineup
Every year, fans of all different media types — film, television, comics, anime and more — come together in the Mississippi Trade Mart for Mississippi Comic Con. Many cosplay as their favorite characters to attend panels, compete in costume contests...
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Students struggle with homelessness
For thousands of Mississippi students, back-toschool season involves more than shopping for clothes and supplies — it means grappling to meet basic needs like a nutritious meal, clean shower and stable housing, all while striving for academic...
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MS healthcare gets boost from feds
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced on Monday, Dec. 29, that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has awarded the state more than $200 million through the Rural Health Transformation Program for healthcare in rural communities. The...
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Surveillance underway in Nigeria
A Mississippi-based contractor is operating aircraft used for the surveillance operations over Nigeria, Reuters news service reported. The aircraft used for the surveillance operations typically takes off from Ghana and flies over Nigeria before...
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Water rate decision could arrive soon
Jackson residents may learn early next year if they will face a water bill rate increase, as a federal court ruling on a proposed hike still looms. The City of Jackson and JXN Water have been locked in a months-long dispute about a proposal to raise...
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Napiers won’t host next ‘Home Town Takeover’
Fans of “Home Town” can get ready for a new spinoff of the HGTV show, but be warned: Erin and Ben Napier won’t be the hosts. “Home Town,” which started in 2016 and launched the couple to fame, has had several offshoots, including “Home Town Takeover,”...
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City seeks imput on grocery stores
The Jackson City Council will hold a public hearing next month focused on grocery store access and the health of the city’s grocery market. According to a council press release, the special meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, in the...
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A ROLLING STOP
More than two years after it was approved, the first phase of Jackson’s long-delayed Street Resurfacing Project is officially complete. At its Dec. 16 meeting, the Jackson City Council unanimously approved the final change order for Phase 1A,...
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Developer promises luxury living
The idea for a development off County Road 202 in Oxford is not new, but developer Todd Sandridge is making this version happen. As the last decade has seen exponential growth in the housing market and general economic development in and around...
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‘One of the most ambitious restaurants in the region’
Want to try the best restaurant in Mississippi? It’s not your standard steak, catfish, po’boys or tamales. And there’s certainly not a sports bar vibe. LoveFood has selected the best restaurants in all 50 states. “Competition is tough – and what...
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Christmas song 1st recorded by Mississippi-born singer
“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” is a holiday standard. The cheeky tune implies a child is watching their mom kiss the jolly old elf, who happens to bear a striking resemblance to his dad. The now-Christmas classic was an instant hit when the first...
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JACKSON RISING
Jackson Rising is the newest member of the Downtown Jackson community. While the organization is occupying a space in a building on Capital Street that needed a tenant, the organization’s goal is seeing a rebirth in the business development of the...
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American Airlines flight to Miami coming soon
Travelers in Mississippi will soon have a new nonstop option to the Sunshine State. The Jackson Municipal Airport Authority announced Dec. 18 that American Airlines will launch a weekly nonstop flight from Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International...
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Traveling taste
From mom and pop gas stations to giant travel centers such as Buc-ee’s, food is a big part of the gas station culture. In Mississippi, you can find local favorites such as hamburgers, fried chicken, fried catfish, shrimp po-boys, and even egg rolls. h...
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Ocean Springs: A city made for Hallmark
Travel site Exoticca surveyed people in November, asking them about America’s most festive Christmas towns. “When we asked more than 3,000 Americans which real-life towns most deserve to be the setting of a Hallmark Christmas movie, the results...
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AI spoof turns to Ole Miss anthem
OXFORD − Trinidad Chambliss was surprised to hear his signature song played at Ole Miss football’s VaughtHemingway Stadium on Nov. 8 for two reasons. First off, who expects a song about themselves to play at a football game? Second, it was after he...
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Hike, bike and much more on the new Nature Trail
The State of Mississippi has created the Great Mississippi Nature Trail, and it’s an open invitation to get outdoors and explore some of the most beautiful areas the state has to offer. “This trail is more than a collection of pins on a map,” said...
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‘Majesty, spectacle and drama’ is back
Broadway in Jackson has announced the return of touring Broadway productions to downtown Jackson, ending an 18month absence from the city’s main performing arts venue at Thalia Mara Hall. To mark the return, Broadway in Jackson is offering a...
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INVESTING IN MISSISSIPPI
In his annual press conference to tout Mississippi’s investment into economic development infrastructure, Gov. Tate Reeves said he and the Mississippi Development Authority are rewarding agencies and communities that have prepared and have been...
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The secret of Ole Miss coach Pete Golding
New Ole Miss football coach Pete Golding is taking over the Rebels at a critical juncture heading into the College Football Playoff after he replaced the previous hot yoga coach who left to work for a Louisiana school not in the playoff. As is well...
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Mississippi to warm briefly, then freeze
High temperatures in Mississippi are expected to reach into the 60s going into the weekend, but don’t put away that winter coat and scarf just yet. Cold, Arctic air will move into the area over the weekend and cause a deep freeze for the state Monday...
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Kamala Harris coming to Jackson for book signing
Former Vice President Kamala Harris will continue her book tour for her book “107 Days” into 2026, including a stop at Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson on Jan. 14, according to a press release by Visit Jackson. Following her 17-city international book...
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STAYING IN OXFORD? PREPARE TO PAY UP
If you are planning to stay in Oxford for the Ole Miss playoff weekend in what has been billed as one of, if not the biggest sporting events in Mississippi history, get ready to shell out some big dollars. As anticipation builds for the Ole Miss...
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Celebrate Christmas at these events, light displays
The holidays are here, and they wouldn't be the same without lights. Fortunately for people living in the greater Jackson metropolitan area, there are several places to see some of the best light displays around. No matter where you live in the...
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