| Magee Courier-Simpson County News

State subpoena targets Gov. Bryant’s communication with USM Athletic Foundation

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Wed, 07/13/2022 - 03:50 PM

Attorneys are wrangling Mississippi’s former governor into the welfare department’s massive civil lawsuit, which one attorney called a “no-holds-barred death match.”

The attorney for the state agency is subpoenaing the University of Southern Mississippi Athletic Foundation for any of its communication with former Gov. Phil Bryant and his wife Deborah Bryant.

John Adam Nowlin of Ecru believes chemicals from a nearby fertilizer plant caused the contamination of water on his property that sickened and killed his livestock. Nowlin, near a pond on his land where he has posted a warning sign, Friday, May 20, 2022. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

Avenging his cattle’s death, Mississippi farmer discovers a pollution loophole

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Wed, 07/13/2022 - 03:46 PM

John Adam Nowlin wants the world to know what killed his cows.

Nowlin, a farmer who has spent the last four years trying to connect the dots between his dead livestock and a neighboring farm supplies store, is tired. The 39-year-old Ecru native believes the store allowed chemicals from its fertilizer to escape into a stream of water that his animals drank from. He is suing the business over the deaths of five cows and two buffalo.

Gov. Phil Bryant directed $1.1 million welfare payment to Brett Favre, defendant says

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Wed, 07/13/2022 - 03:34 PM

Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant instructed his wife’s friend — whose nonprofit was receiving millions in subgrants from the welfare department he oversaw — to pay NFL legend Brett Favre $1.1 million, according to a new court filing.

Nancy New alleges Bryant directed this and other spending, resulting in a massive scandal and what officials have called the largest public embezzlement scheme in state history.

Schools prep students for future

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Tue, 07/12/2022 - 10:59 AM

Simpson County School District (SCSD) is preparing students for life after high school with a new college and career-readiness platform known as MajorClarity.
MajorClarity is an online platform that offers students academic and course planning, career exploration, online tools to build resumes, scholarship opportunities, and work-based learning opportunities.
SCSD implemented MajorClarity in February and set a goal for all students in grades 6th through 12th to take a personality assessment.

Susan Jenkins, DON, and Shana Lane, Director of Quality, Infection Control, Risk Management Simpson General Hospital accept the Spero Award.

SGH honored by MORA

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Tue, 07/12/2022 - 09:52 AM

The Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA) recently held their Spero Awards Ceremony for their Hospitals of Hope to recognize excellence in the donation process.
Nominees are chosen by the hard work and dedication they exhibit to MORA and donation efforts. The name “Spero” is the Latin word for “hope.” Hope signifies what donation is all about for both transplant recipients and donor families.

Millis earns municipal clerk certification

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Tue, 07/12/2022 - 09:51 AM

Latasha Millis, deputy municipal clerk of Mendenhall, graduated from the Certified Municipal Clerk program June 28 in Biloxi during the annual Mississippi Municipal League conference.
Developed and conducted by the Mississippi State University Extension Service, the program provides municipal clerks, tax collectors and their deputies additional education and expertise.

Pleasant Valley - 113 and counting

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Tue, 07/12/2022 - 09:49 AM

There is an overriding theme to the rural churches of Simpson County – they were born out of necessity as people traveled by foot, horseback or in wagons during the early 1900’s.
Pleasant Valley Baptist Church found in the Merit Falls community is no exception. According to its published history compilation, it was organized on June 13, 1909, at the Merit School House. Services then were held monthly rather than weekly.
It initially began with eight members but grew quickly to 34 by 1910. The first pastor, Reverend Farmer, was paid an annual salary of a $100!

Lion James Smith, right, presents a plaque to out-going president Lion Ian Cowart for serving two consecutive years as president of the Magee Lions Club.

Magee Lions Club celebrates new year of leadership

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Tue, 07/12/2022 - 09:43 AM

Chef Nick Wallace at the Corner Market in Fondren, where he cooked up culinary samples for shoppers using "Nick's 26," his brand of seasoning, Friday, July 1, 2022. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

‘Top Chef’ finalist Nick Wallace shares the bounty

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Mon, 07/11/2022 - 12:24 PM

With his latest reality TV stint behind him, the renowned chef aims to aid his community—and change some perceptions

Beginning to question first impressions: Q&A with author Matt de la Peña

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Wed, 07/06/2022 - 02:12 PM

Gazing across a subway car full of enticing, strange faces, young Milo thrusts his imagination into action.

The wondrous train ride is the setting of “Milo Imagines the World,” a children’s picture book written by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson.

Mississippi Stories: W. Ralph Eubanks

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Tue, 07/05/2022 - 09:24 AM

Longtime administrator Joe Paul to serve as Southern Miss interim president

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Fri, 07/01/2022 - 10:34 AM

Joe Paul, the former vice president for Student Affairs at the University of Southern Mississippi, will come out of retirement to serve as interim president of the state’s third-largest public university.

The Institutions of Higher Learning board of trustees announced Thursday that Paul, who served in student affairs for more than 40 years, would serve as interim president of the University of Southern Mississippi, replacing former President Rodney Bennett.

Andrew Johnson, a farmer of Indianola, heading out to plow a field in preparation for soy bean planting, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

Exploited: White Delta farm owners are underpaying and pushing out Black workers

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Wed, 06/29/2022 - 01:56 PM

A Mississippi Today investigation found at least five Delta farms paid their primarily Black local workforce less money per hour than temporary workers from other countries – most often, white men from South Africa.

The new crop of workers arrived with clipped accents and small khaki shorts.

Richard Strong remembers the young men – farmers back home – had never seen a massive 28,000-pound tractor until traveling some 8,000 miles to Mississippi.

The Sip's Bark & Bath ribbon cutting

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Wed, 06/29/2022 - 08:47 AM

The Mendenhall Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for their new chamber member The Sip's Bark & Bath, located at 122 Main St N. Attending the event were Chamber members, city officials, family and friends—Glenda Hollingsworth, Curtis Boyte, Zae Thompson, Bri Kelly, Shannon Welch, Kellea Barrett, Jacob Blakeney, Leslie Franklin, new owners Sky Warren and Michele Warren, Marny Walker, Dixie Everett, Kathy Brien, Natalie Flanagan, Leslie Welch, Amber Case, Janna Stringer, Michelle Adcock, Judy Lee, Bella Thompson, Latoya Williams and Latasha Millis.

Terry to lead Mendenhall High School as principal

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Wed, 06/29/2022 - 08:43 AM

Frank Terry, a native of Terry, Mississippi, is the new principal of Mendenhall High School.
Terry has a B.A. degree in speech and dramatic art communications, with a concentration in theater, from Jackson State University. His educational career began at Chastain Middle School as a teacher of the performing arts, and he also began coaching football and sponsoring the school's drama club.

Author of Mississippi’s 15-week ban says state leaders must pass reforms to help women or ‘get out of the way’

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Mon, 06/27/2022 - 09:24 AM

Becky Currie wrote the Mississippi law that changed the nation.

Currie, a lawmaker, nurse, mom and devout Christian from Brookhaven, said she was “as happy as I can be” Friday, nearly five years after she began writing legislation to outlaw abortion after 15 weeks.

Now, a 50-year-old U.S. Supreme Court precedent giving women the right to abortion is dead. The procedure will be illegal in Mississippi. As for Currie, she said the work has only begun.

Teachers monitor students as they walk to their classrooms during the first day of school at Neshoba County Central Middle School on Wednesday, August 5, 2020. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today

‘It was an easy choice for me’: 17% of teachers left their district in the 2020-21 school year

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Thu, 06/23/2022 - 10:46 AM

Jasmine Cleark-Gibson left teaching last month after seven and a half years in the classroom. It was time for a change. The lack of autonomy in her job made her feel like “she couldn’t fix things anymore,” and the myriad of responsibilities placed on her as an educator also left her with no bandwidth to care for her own children.

‘I am very disappointed’: Bill LaForge abruptly out as Delta State president

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Thu, 06/23/2022 - 10:12 AM

The Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees has decided that Delta State University president William LaForge’s last day will be at the end of this month, marking a sudden end to a nine-year tenure that oversaw budget instability, some progressive initiatives at the university, and sharp declines in enrollment due to the pandemic.

2022 MSU Graduates list

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Wed, 06/22/2022 - 08:56 AM

Mississippi State University honor graduates include all bachelor-degree candidates with exceptional scholastic averages and at least half the total required course hours earned at MSU. Their specific levels of recognition and the minimum required averages for each, based on a 4.0 scale, include: summa cum laude, 3.80; magna cum laude, 3.60; and cum laude, 3.40.
The academic honors are recorded on the graduates’ diplomas and permanent records, as well as in the commencement program.
Kadin M. Adcox
Mendenhall, MS
College of Business
BBA
Magna Cum Laude

Magee High School News

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Wed, 06/22/2022 - 08:53 AM

Mylah Davis and Kymiah McCann received awards during Girl’s State at USM. Mylah was City Clerk for her city, and Kymiah was City Council for her city. Both girls are students at Magee High School.

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