| Magee Courier-Simpson County News

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Mon, 04/18/2022 - 10:28 AM

On this episode of Mississippi Stories, Mississippi Today Editor-at-Large Marshall Ramsey sits down with magician, entertainer and speaker Joe M. Turner. Turner is an American corporate magician, mentalist, and a frequent keynote speaker at conferences and other meetings.

Meridian Community College instructor Brandi Pickett and students during the Fitness Aid and CPR class she teaches at the college, Wednesday, Apr. 13, 2022. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

‘We’re teachers too’: Community college faculty feel shortchanged by legislative raises

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Mon, 04/18/2022 - 10:02 AM

The Legislature appropriated $11 million dollars for faculty pay raises at Mississippi’s community college system but some say it is not enough to ensure their salaries stay competitive with K-12 after the historic teacher pay raise.

Mississippi First: Final Research Brief in State of Pre-K Series

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Thu, 04/14/2022 - 03:24 PM

Below is a press release from Mississippi First:

Mississippi First recently released the fourth and final brief of the State of Pre-K series. The fourth brief provides pre-K access data on the state, county, and district levels. The 2021 pre-K briefs provide strong evidence that the collaborative program is the path to expanding quality pre-K statewide.

When this Mississippian sensed corruption at the welfare agency, she took matters into her own hands

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Thu, 04/14/2022 - 01:12 PM

Within an administration where “delusions of grandeur, bullying, inefficiency and state issued psychobabble rule the day,” this outspoken child care provider took a page out of the state’s own playbook to force Mississippi’s welfare agency to reverse a devastating trend.

Debbie Ellis knew something wasn’t right.

It was the spring of 2018 and day care providers like herself, who run centers that serve children in poverty, were in turmoil.

Community colleges get $1.4 million grant to train more lineworkers from Accelerate Mississippi

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Thu, 04/14/2022 - 01:06 PM

Mississippi’s year-old workforce office, Accelerate Mississippi, has given an $1.4 million grant to a pair of community colleges grow their utility lineworker program.

The grant will fund Meridian Community College and East Central Community College’s efforts to double the number of lineworkers they train and help fill jobs needed by Mississippi Power and the East Mississippi Electric Power Association. The colleges, which are about 30 miles apart, serve six rural counties: Lauderdale, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Scott and Winston.

Phil Bryant’s star-powered selfies and slick brochures didn’t Save the Children

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Thu, 04/14/2022 - 09:24 AM

Then-Gov. Phil Bryant boasted of bold plans and picked up awards and accolades even as his early childhood initiative failed to launch. Meanwhile, the welfare agency was misusing millions of federal funds that could have served the families that needed it most.

As Jennifer Garner spoke about growing up and her family’s narrow escape from poverty in West Virginia, a C-SPAN camera panned over to then-Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant.

Dr. John Mitchell gives a tutorial on intubation during the Department of Family Medicine procedure workshop, as a part of the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program Medical Encounter at William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Miss., Monday, April 11, 2022. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi Today

Mississippi needs hundreds of doctors. This scholarship program is ‘growing our own physicians.’

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Wed, 04/13/2022 - 02:34 PM

When Dr. Jonathan Buchanan moved home to practice family medicine in Carthage in 2017, he was the first physician to come back to Leake County in 26 years.

Many residents had avoided going to the doctor unless it was “dire straits,” Buchanan said. They drove to Jackson or Meridian if they had to. Elderly patients would pay for someone else to take them.

The community was glad to see him.

State Auditor Shad White discusses welfare investigation, former Gov. Phil Bryant

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Tue, 04/12/2022 - 05:12 PM

Since Auditor Shad White arrested Gov. Phil Bryant’s appointed welfare director in 2020 within a sprawling fraud scheme, state and federal investigators and prosecutors have failed to publicly scrutinize the governor’s role — which is palpable in written communication they’ve possessed for more than two years.

Much of that communication has been published for the first time in Mississippi Today’s “The Backchannel” investigation, which uncovers the depth of the former governor’s involvement within the scandal that plagued his administration.

Magee High School News

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Tue, 04/12/2022 - 02:25 PM

Thank you, Co-Lin, for allowing Magee High students to visit and learn about soldering and robotic arms. The hands-on experience was cool, and we love Co-Lin.

The Gertrude C. Ford Student Union at University of Mississippi's campus in Oxford. Credit: Molly Minta/Mississippi Today

Ole Miss strikes $5 million research deal with company warned for claiming essential oils can cure COVID

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Tue, 04/12/2022 - 11:46 AM

In a $5 million agreement, the University of Mississippi is researching essential oils for doTerra, a multi-level marketing company the Federal Trade Commission warned in 2020 to stop claiming its products could cure or prevent COVID-19.

doTerra, a Utah-based company, calls this partnership “a natural fit.”

Mississippi Stories: Hagan Walker and Anna Barker

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Mon, 04/11/2022 - 09:12 AM

Legislature gives $20 million in pandemic relief funds to private schools, colleges

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Fri, 04/08/2022 - 09:24 AM

Legislators approved $20 million in federal pandemic relief funds to private K-12 schools and private colleges for infrastructure improvements this week, despite concerns from some that public dollars should stay with public schools.

The money comes from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which gave the Mississippi Legislature $1.8 billion to spend on pandemic response, government services, and infrastructure improvements to water, sewer, and broadband.

‘My Governor is counting on me’: Disgraced welfare director bowed to Phil Bryant’s wishes

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Thu, 04/07/2022 - 02:12 PM

Former welfare agency head John Davis faces years in prison for allegedly misspending millions of taxpayer dollars intended for the poor. But text messages obtained by Mississippi Today reveal the influence that his boss, former Gov. Phil Bryant, had over Davis and his department’s priorities and spending. The former governor has so far skirted accountability.

Phil Bryant had found his yes man.

Hall places 3rd at HOSA

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Thu, 04/07/2022 - 09:05 AM

Simpson County Technical Center (SCTC) student Mattyson Hall represented well at the 2022 Future Health Professionals (HOSA) State Conference in Jackson, placing third in her competitive event.
A health sciences student at SCTC, Hall won third place in the Clinical Specialty event for showcasing substantial skill and knowledge in a health career of her choosing: anesthesiology. Because of her win, Hall will advance to the International HOSA Conference in June, which will be held in Nashville, Tenn., at the Opryland Resort.

The Mississippi Department of Education, located in the former Central High School at 359 N. West Street in Jackson, Friday, Mar. 11, 2022. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

How much pandemic relief funds has your school district spent?

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Tue, 04/05/2022 - 01:12 PM

Over the past two years, the state of Mississippi has received $2.5 billion in pandemic relief funds to improve education and help reduce COVID-related learning loss.

The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund was created initially by the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and then subsequently replenished in two other pieces of federal legislation, creating three separate pots of money for the state and districts to spend.

Co-Lin Foundation Hall of Fame inducts six

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Tue, 04/05/2022 - 11:37 AM

The Co-Lin Foundation inducted six new members into its Hall of Fame at a banquet held March 31 at the Thames Center on the college’s Wesson Campus. Those inducted for the 2021 class were James Larry Greer of Ridgeland, Dr. Jane Hulon Sims of Wesson, Marion and Carolyn Vance Smith of Natchez, Drs. Robert and Dianne Watson of Brookhaven, Dr. Robert Williams of Hattiesburg, and Gwyn and Velesta Young of Wesson.

SCSD will be virtual Tuesday, April 5th

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Mon, 04/04/2022 - 08:37 PM

Mississippi Stories: William “Bill” Parker

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Mon, 04/04/2022 - 08:46 AM

MDE: 2022 Mississippi Administrator of the Year, Teacher of the Year Announced

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Fri, 04/01/2022 - 05:12 PM

Below is a press release from the Mississippi Department of Education:

The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) today announced the 2022 Mississippi Administrator of the Year (MAOY) is Kara Killough, principal of Northwest Rankin Elementary School in the Rankin County School District, and the 2022 Mississippi Teacher of the Year (MTOY) is Brittany Morgan of Petal High School in the Petal School District.

MDE: Mississippi Class of 2021 Improves Advanced Placement Achievement Rate

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Fri, 04/01/2022 - 03:56 PM

Below is a press release from the Mississippi Department of Education:

Mississippi’s graduating class of 2021 achieved a 39.1% qualifying score rate for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, an increase from the previous year's achievement rate of 38.2%.

AP courses are college-level courses offered by trained high school teachers. Students can earn three college credits for every AP exam they pass with a qualifying score of 3 or higher.

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