Clarion Ledger
City starts enforcing council chamber occupancy limits
Jackson City Council meetings suddenly have a velvet rope. Getting inside now feels a little like trying to get into a crowded bar on a Saturday night: once the room hits capacity, you’ll have to wait outside until someone leaves. For years, Jackson...
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Jackson City Council takes first step toward regulation
Data centers are on pause in Jackson for the next six months. The Jackson City Council voted Tuesday, July 14, to enact an ordinance that would place a 183-day hold on new data center proposals. During that time, the city plans to develop rules...
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‘Same old Fenian’s, just with a facelift’
Nearly two years after Fenian’s Pub poured its last drink, the lights are almost ready to come back on. Owner William Lake said renovations on the iconic Belhaven bar have entered the final stretch, with crews now aiming for an August reopening. It...
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LAID TO REST
FuneralDeMarco Bailey was finally learning how to breathe again. The mourning process is rarely a straight line, but for the 41-year-old man, the path toward healing was beginning to level out. After the passing of his wife two years ago, Bailey had...
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Healing Jackson
The guilty pleas that ended the federal public corruption case against former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, former Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and former Jackson City Councilman Aaron Banks also closed one of the most tumultuous...
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MS’s most dangerous city isn’t Jackson
Jackson may get more attention, but a new crime analysis found another Mississippi city poses the greatest overall risk for residents and visitors. A home safety and security company analyzed crime data to determine the most dangerous cities in...
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Dave & Buster’s approved in Ridgeland
In December 2024, Gabriel Prado helped bring Topgolf to life, 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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Mississippi family sells Cowboy Maloney’s stores
Cowboy Maloney’s, the iconic Mississippi-based appliance, electronics and furniture retailer, has been acquired by O’Shaughnessy Holding Company, marking a new chapter for the longtime regional brand. The sale marks the conclusion of an era for the...
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DOWN AND OUT
Frustrated fans react to action in the closing minutes of the FIFA World Cup Round-of-16 match between the United States and Belgium, during a watch party at Fertile Ground Beer Co. in Jackson on July 6. Belgium defeated the United States, 4-1,...
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Ex-mayor’s scandal has haunted city for nearly 2 years
A week after Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens pleaded guilty, former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba followed suit, as he admitted guilt in federal court in a bribery case that has hung over Jackson for nearly two years. During the...
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Gulf Coast, Jackson suburbs among fastest-growing Mississippi cities
Mississippi’s population isn’t shrinking. It’s shifting. A handful of cities are pulling in new residents while rural areas lose people. World Atlas analyzed U.S. Census estimates and made a list of where people are moving to in Mississippi and...
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Standing the test of time
There is a difference between surviving and standing the test of time. As the United States celebrates its semi quincentennial with USA 250 celebrations, a select group of Mississippi institutions are marking a level of endurance that rivals the...
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1776’s Black troops often overlooked
There’s something about a soldier – the crisp uniform, the erect posture, the disciplined movements, the upturned eyes – that says: I am a man, not a slave. h Service members are “looked at with a lot of respect in our society,” said historical...
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2025-26 may be Ole Miss’ best athletics season ever
OXFORD — The season Ole Miss athletics just completed makes a strong case for being the best in program history. It’s tough to perfectly quantify success because values are subjective.Anexcellentseasoninsomesportsmeansmorethanothers, and the hierarchy...
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Closing arguments made in Jackson airport trial
The tug-of-war between Jackson and the state of Mississippi over control of the Jackson airport wrapped up on July 1 with closing arguments from each side. The airport trial is set to be concluded with a ruling from Judge Carlton Reeves, but the...
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Owens pleads guilty
In a surprise move after maintaining his innocence for months, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens pleaded guilty to corruption charges in federal court on Monday, June 29. The plea came at a 2 p.m. change-of-plea hearing, with details unfolding...
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TRIPLE HOMICIDE
The Jackson Police Department is investigating a triple homicide after a two-year-old toddler and two women were found fatally shot multiple times Saturday, June 27, inside a home on Queen Alexandria Lane. Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said...
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Attorney for accused Beth Israel arsonist seeks another trial delay
The attorney representing Stephen Spencer Pittman, who is accused of setting fire to Mississippi’s largest synagogue because of its “Jewish ties,” is seeking another trial delay. Defense attorney Michael Scott filed on Wednesday, June 24, a motion to...
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Lowdown on the law
Months of debate whittled thousands of proposals into the Mississippi Legislature down to a few hundred bills that were signed into law. The majority of those bills will take effect on July 1, outlining new ways that Mississippians will work and live...
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Dolly’s truck stop
Dolly Parton’s new truck stop is about two hours and 45 minutes from Tupelo, Miss., for any dedicated fans who want to make a pilgrimage to the southern icon’s latest business venture. Parton cut the ribbon to the new Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop...
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Future of historic Jackson Hilton takes step with building sale
There is likely a new owner of the historic Hilton Hotel in Jackson. That is the case after a winning bid of $6.3 million was placed Wednesday, June 24 during an auction at Rimarketplace.com that began on June 22. No winner has been officially...
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Senate hopefuls challenge Cindy Hyde-Smith record
PHILADELPHIA – At the Neshoba County Fair, surrounded by Republican voters and baseball caps emblazoned with Trump administration slogans, even the Democratic candidates distanced themselves from the Democratic Party. The fair has earned itself a...
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‘Not interested’
At least 80 members of the public packed Jackson City Hall on Monday, June 22, as the Jackson City Council heard comments regarding the potential footprint of a data center moving into the capital city. From the chamber floor to overflow rooms, 26...
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Trial begins with claims of racial discrimination
After nearly a decade of litigation and multiple trips to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, opening arguments began Monday, June 22, in the trial over who controls Jackson’s airport. Standing before U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves, attorney...
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Long, winding road to trial explained
For nearly 10 years, a legal battle over who controls Jackson’s airport has wound its way through federal court, survived four trips to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and outlasted multiple governors, mayors and airport board members. Now,...
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Talking frogs, giant lions and a drink with bite
Mississippi is known for a lot of things and is significant in many ways. At different times, it was claimed by Spain, France and England before it became a part of the United States. The city of Vicksburg was the site of a battle that was key to...
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Cream of the coast
Looking for a laid-back Mississippi beach trip? Southern Living says Ocean Springs and Bay St. Louis should be on your list. The lifestyle magazine highlighted 20 coastal cities with friendly people, great restaurants and natural beauty. The list also...
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Massive Ice Age fossil found in Mississippi
The African lion is sometimes called “The King of the Jungle.” Why they’re called that is a bit puzzling because they don’t live in jungles. Nonetheless, their agility, power and size make them one of the most respected and feared predators on the...
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LOWER CRIME RATES AT RISK
The United States is experiencing one of the steepest declines in violent crime in modern history, including a murder rate at its lowest point in more than a century. Homicides across 35 major American cities fell 21% in 2025, amounting to 922 fewer...
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The case for data centers
Amid near-constant discussions at Jackson City Council meetings about data centers, including citizen-led protests, a group of experts and local officials came together to present a different side of the debate. Experts from Mississippi and nearby...
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Ready to reign
People don’t say that the third time is the charm for no reason. After taking second place twice at the state’s premier pageant, 2026 proved to be the right year for Jane Granberry, who was crowned Miss Mississippi on June 13. Granberry, 24, earned...
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Granberry crowned Miss Mississippi
After months of preparation and days of competition, a new Miss Mississippi was crowned in Vicksburg. Miss Capital City Jane Granberry won the 2026 Miss Mississippi pageant on June 13. Despite bright lights shining on each competitor on the stage,...
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Tech crossroads
The Jackson Police Department is sitting at a technological crossroads: shifting from fragmented systems to a streamlined, integrated tech future. h The department has blue light cameras, a Real Time Command Center and facial recognition software....
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GREAT GREENS
Two Mississippi golf courses have made a Golfweek list of the Top 200 best modern courses in the U.S. The Mississippi Gulf Coast was named No. 4 in the “10 best destinations in the US for a golf getaway” in the USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice...
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‘It makes you appreciate life differently’
OXFORD — When Ole Miss baseball second baseman Dom Decker was 8, he sobbed when his mom instructed him to take his sister Reese, 5, and run for shelter. By telling him to leave their destroyed house on March 2, 2012, Stephanie Decker knew she might...
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Bo Brown, MS representative and former Jackson council member, dies
Rep. Bo Brown, who represented the northeast Jackson area in the Mississippi House of Representatives and who had previously served on the Jackson City Council, died on June 8 after a long illness. The official Mississippi House of Representatives...
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New vehicles may be coming to Nissan plant
Reports that many types of vehicles could be built at the Canton Nissan Assembly Plant persist, and officials at the Madison County facility said Nissan continues to explore those options. In 2025, it was reported that Nissan is in talks to supply...
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HISTORY’S FRONT LINE
Mississippi’s African American civil rights legacy marked a profound shift from the nation’s resistance to racial equality to Black political representation. h Pivotal events such as the 1955 murder of Emmett Till, the 1932 killing of Medgar Evers and...
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Mississippi College changes its name
Mississippi College has a new name. The oldest college or university in the Magnolia State is highlighting its religious mission as part of bicentennial celebrations. Now, it’s called Mississippi Christian University. “We have been rooted deeply in...
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House votes to end war with Iran
The pro-Iran Hezbollah movement rejected a new ceasefire in Lebanon on June 4 and Israel said it would not withdraw troops from the country, undermining Trump’s efforts to halt fighting there to forge peace with Tehran. Iran has made a ceasefire in...
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LEGACY LEAGUE DEBUT
A double rainbow is seen over Smith-Wills Stadium before the first-ever Legacy League game in Jackson on June 2. The start was delayed about an hour due to bad weather. The game was later called at the end of the sixth inning due to weather, with the...
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OPEN SKIES
TOP: Philip Groce laughs while giving a tour of the McNair–Davis Planetarium in Downtown Jackson on May 29. LOWER RIGHT: A display of the planets is seen inside the planetarium, which will open in the fall. For most of the tour, Philip Groce pointed...
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NCAA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
Find scores, photos and more in our subscriber-exclusive, eNewspaper section.
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Magical rides end
It was a short stay for a pair of the state’s prominent teams in the NCAA postseason. Southern Miss was swept in two games in the Hattiesburg Regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament, falling to Arkansas-Little Rock after leading in the 9th inning and...
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REVIVING LANGUAGE
Choctaw was likely the most widely spoken language in Mississippi before European explorers and settlers came to the state, but time has a way of changing things. English became the spoken word of the state, and Choctaw began to fade away. Now, the...
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FROGGY FUN
Looking for a unique roadside attraction? Hop on down to this Mississippi farm. The Magnolia State offers lots of options, like museums, national parks, beaches and landmarks. And there are plenty of roadside stops for short visits or photo ops if...
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Excitement in Hattiesburg grows ahead of NCAA baseball regional
For the second year in a row, the city of Hattiesburg is hosting an NCAA baseball regional. Southern Miss baseball won 44 games this season, earning the No. 9 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament bracket and the opportunity to host a regional from May...
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‘This team was adamant we were going to fix this’
With about a month left in the regular season, Mississippi State softball was a solid contender to host a regional in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs checked in at No. 13 in the NFCA poll on March 29 after picking up a series win over then-No. 23...
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Kiffin defends interview as SEC weighs penalty
Louisiana State University head football coach, and former head coach for Ole Miss MIRAMAR BEACH, FL – Officials at Ole Miss and the SEC have spoken about a potential reprimand for new LSU coach Lane Kiffin over comments he made in a recent Vanity...
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Century-long effort aims to keep nations White
Whiteness appears to be an official immigration credential in the eyes of the United States government. The Trump administration in late 2025 slashed the annual cap on refugee admissions to 7,500 for budget year 2026, down from the 125,000 cap set in...
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Fondren’s ‘The Block’ gets new food management
The Pearl, The Capri Theater, Highball Lanes and Fondren Yard in the Fondren Business District of Jackson is closed from May 24-28. However, patrons of the entertainment venues and restaurants can rest assured that all is good. When the three reopen,...
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RARE FOSSIL FOUND
Bison are the largest land mammals in North America, but there was a time when something much, much larger roamed the land. h The recent discovery of a fossil from one of the giants in Mississippi, a tooth from a Columbian mammoth, is causing a stir...
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Rare cast iron casket found at Asylum Hill
Archaeologists excavating remains from the site of the Asylum Hill Cemetery on the University of Mississippi Medical Center campus have unearthed a rare, fully preserved cast iron casket dating back to the late 1800s. The rusted casket, which weighed...
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ANALYSIS U.S. charges target Castro legacy
leader who for decades labored in Fidel’s shadow, the organizer and administrator behind the showy orator. Though many were skeptical he could take the reins when Fidel Castro stepped down, Raúl Castro turned out to be a more skilled political chess...
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Thompson rebuts Reeves’ ‘reign of terror’ claims
In his first appearance in his home state since Mississippi’s top politicians began calling for his district to be redrawn, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson told pews of Jackson residents that Black voters have always made their way through attacks from...
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WAIT! CAN YOU KILL IT?
Can you kill a snake in your yard in Mississippi? As the weather heats up and people spend time outdoors, run-ins with snakes are increasingly likely. It is legal to kill most snakes found in Mississippi. But there are rules about when you need a...
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LAST RIDE FOR BOOTS & MORE
A Jackson business that’s outfitted generations of customers is nearing its final day after 43 years. Boots & More announced it will close in a May 12 Facebook post. The western wear and work clothes store opened in 1983. It’s at 1060 High St.,...
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Judge denies bids to toss bribery case before trial
A federal judge denied attempts by Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and former Jackson City Councilman Aaron Banks to get the public corruption case against them thrown out before trial. In plain...
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Moving to the music
When most wrestlers step onto the mat, they think about the technical components of the match — the quickest way to grab a leg, get a turn or pin their opponent’s shoulder blades to the ground. For Alvin “AJ” Buckley Jr., he’s thinking about one thing:...
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‘IT’S SHOCKING’
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, has nearly doubled its total number of unpermitted turbines at its Southaven power plant since December 2025. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) staff confirmed to The...
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Lee Michaels expansion in Ridgeland nears completion with Rolex environment
Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry has announced the grand reopening of its newly expanded and redesigned store at Renaissance at Colony Park, marking 30 years in the Ridgeland market. Most of the space was first unveiled in fall 2025. However, the new...
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Woman arrested in huge fire at storage facility in Jackson
Authorities arrested a woman in connection to a massive fire Jackson firefighters battled Tuesday, May 12, at a storage facility on U.S. Highway 80 near Lynch Street. Chief Fire Investigator Charles Felton confirmed to the Clarion Ledger that units...
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Department of Public Safety honors fallen officers at memorial
On a crisp May morning in Pearl, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety paused to honor those who gave their lives protecting their communities. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety held its annual fallen officer memorial ceremony Tuesday,...
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TALKING TURKEY
If a proposal made in the April meeting of the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is finalized, nonresident turkey hunters will see big changes in the 2027 spring turkey season. “We’re doing this in a way to impact how hunting...
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Jim Henson biographer examines artist behind the Muppets empire
About five years before he published “Jim Henson: The Biography,” author Brian Jay Jones found himself going down a rabbit hole online. Jones, who describes himself as part of the “Muppet Generation,” is also known for biographies on figures,...
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Jim Henson
When you think of famous Mississippians, names such as Elvis Presley, B.B. King and Morgan Freeman may come to mind before the name Jim Henson does. After all, Presley was the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, King is sometimes called the King of the Blues and...
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Hundreds of homes damaged in storm
Hundreds of homes are damaged, multiple injuries have been reported and thousands of people are without power in Mississippi as severe weather and tornadoes swept through the state on Wednesday, April 6, into Thursday morning with the heaviest damage...
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Demographer says Downtown Jackson is ‘jarring’ to visit
In the 2021 census, Jackson’s population dropped below 150,000 for the first time since before 1970. The shrinking continued with the release of data from the 2022 census estimates, which revealed a 2.5% drop for the state’s capital city. Jackson’s...
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‘We’ve got to go out and sell ourselves’
Most Mississippi residents are probably familiar with Mississippi Valley State, but they may not have heard of Southeastern Baptist College, which beat MVSU in baseball in March. Southeastern Baptist, founded in 1949, is a small Bible college in...
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Jackson city water authority board vote stuck in limbo
The Jackson City Council is holding off on voting on Mayor John Hohrn’s nominations to the Metro Jackson Water Authority Board, which could potentially take control of the city’s water and wastewater systems. Ward 4 Councilman and Council President...
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POSTPONED
Republican Gov. Tate Reeves postponed naming his three appointments to the Metro Jackson Water Authority Board on Friday, May 1, a day after a federal judge temporarily blocked the new Mississippi law from taking effect. Reeves made an announcement in...
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ALL SMILES
Jackson State graduates received their diplomas on on May 2 at the Lee Williams Athletics and Assembly Center on the JSU campus. Among the new graduates was Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones, who was presented his diploma by newly minted president Denis...
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US Sen. Hyde-Smith proposes bill for MS cotton industry
Mississippi farmers saw little relief from the state Legislature this session, with relatively few agriculture bills proposed and even fewer passed into law. They may have to turn to their federal delegation for help, where U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith...
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Legacy League reveals teams and logos
This is big business. This is the American way. It’s a Wesley Snipes line from the movie New Jack City, but it could easily apply to baseball and the launch of Jackson’s Legacy League. The new summer baseball league is set to take the field in...
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