Mississippians planning to travel this Labor Day should expect higher costs and heavier traffic.AAA released its Labor Day travel projections for 2026, showing that nearly every category has raised prices compared to this time last year. Despite the high traffic and travel costs AAA predicts, it sti
Jane Granberry entered this week’s Miss America competition confident that she can become the first Miss Mississippi in four decades to win the national title.That confidence was on display Wednesday night when Granberry was one of three contestants to win the Portia & Scarlett Preliminary Evening G
The second of two Mississippi natives to make it to the live quarterfinal rounds of “America’s Got Talent” season 21 has been eliminated.Elsie of Columbia was one of seven eliminated in the third round of the live quarterfinals. Typically, three of the 11 contestants per round move on to the semifin
The state of Mississippi has secured $3 million in funding for major infrastructure repairs at Neshoba County Lake.Officials with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks announced Thursday that the funding had been acquired for the upgrades. Neshoba County Lake is a popular, 138
Mississippians will once again have the chance to hear hit songs performed by the people who wrote them.The 17th Mississippi Songwriters Fest will take place at various venues in Ocean Springs and Gautier from Sept. 17-20. Organizers say the event will bring nationally recognized hit songwriters, Mi
Grammy-winning jazz singer Cassandra Wilson has passed away at age 70.Born in Jackson on Dec. 4, 1955, Wilson began her playing career at age 6, when she started playing piano. At 12, she learned guitar and later became a prominent vocalist by the mid-1970s. Wilson blended blues, country, and folk i
Gov. Tate Reeves has proclaimed September 2026 as “Substance Abuse Recovery Friendly Workplace Month” with the goal of highlighting the role employers can play in supporting people recovering from addiction while strengthening the state’s workforce.The proclamation recognizes the Mississippi Recover
During the third round of the live quarterfinals on “America’s Got Talent” season 21, another Mississippi native had a chance to perform. So, how’d they do?Elsie is a Columbia native who recently turned her attention back to country music after stepping away to become a mother and focus on her famil
Trustmark Park will once again transform into a winter wonderland this holiday season.The Mississippi Mud Monsters, the Frontier League club that plays home games in the Pearl venue, announced Wednesday that The Southern Lights will be back after a successful debut in 2025. This year, however, offic
A new Mississippi Writers Trail marker honoring internationally recognized literary scholar, editor, and professor Noel Polk has been unveiled at the University of Southern Mississippi.Polk, a Picayune native, is widely remembered as a preeminent William Faulkner scholar. Polk’s editing, essays, boo
Singing River Health System has expanded access to cardiology care along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.The Mississippi-based hospital system has opened a cardiology center in Hurley, with the overarching goal of providing patients in the community and surrounding areas with greater access to specialize
Maritime exploration and technology company Ocean Aero plans to create 45 new jobs in Mississippi with a $4 million investment.Ocean Aero moved its headquarters from California to Gulfport in 2021 and is looking to expand its footprint in the Magnolia State. As part of its latest announcement, the c
A new partnership between the state’s largest hospital system and a nonprofit aims to tackle one of Mississippi’s greatest healthcare challenges — maternal mortality rates.The University of Mississippi Medical Center and the Mississippi Public Health Institute announced they will work together to im
United Way of Northeast Mississippi is encouraging Mississippians to honor the legacy and impact of Dolly Parton by supporting Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.Operated locally through United Way of Northeast Mississippi’s Early Childhood Coalition, the program provides children from birth to age
The venue where Dolly Parton performed during her most recent Mississippi concert has released a statement following the country music icon’s death.The Congress of Country Music, home to the Ellis Theater, in Philadelphia offered its condolences while remembering Parton as the “brightest sparkle in
Scientists at Mississippi State University are on the lookout for a new invasive species of tick, and they want Mississippians to know their help is crucial in detecting the pest.The Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, has been confirmed in neighboring Arkansas, Alabama and Tennessee,
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has ordered flags to fly half-staff statewide in honor of the late Dolly Parton.Reeves’ order follows a request by President Donald Trump for flags across the country to be lowered to pay respects to one of the most memorable performers in U.S. entertainment history.“An
The Mississippi Department of Transportation will soon undergo one of the largest projects in its history to improve roads and bridges on two major interstates in the Jackson metro.Dubbed “The Big Fix” by transportation officials, the I-20/I-55 Freight Corridors Improvement Project is a $400 million
A Mississippi State geology professor and a Ph.D. student are joining three other universities to investigate methane emissions on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.Alongside experts from the University of Georgia, Texas A&M University, and the University of Delaware, MSU professor Adam Skarke and his
Gas prices are expected to remain high through at least the end of the calendar year.According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular fuel remains above $4 per gallon, and Mississippi is at $3.65 as of Monday after prices boomeranged back to July levels. Notably, in Mississippi, the av
Gun enthusiasts in Mississippi will have the chance to purchase discounted items this weekend during the state’s annual Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday.The tax holiday runs Friday, Aug. 28, through Sunday, Aug. 30. Eligible items include some firearms, ammunition, and certain hunting supplies, in
Mississippi has seen plenty of success on “American Idol” as of late, and now, it’s time for the next aspiring stars from the Magnolia State to step up and see if they have what it takes.The hit ABC singing competition was recently renewed for a 25th season. With the renewal, “Idol” announced an aud
Mississippi State University is permanently honoring its first Black student with an on-campus monument.University officials held a ceremonial ribbon cutting Aug. 21 to unveil the special landmark enshrining Dr. Richard Holmes’ name on the school’s grounds. The monument is in the school’s former YMC
The city of Oxford is going to be buzzing more than usual when Ole Miss and LSU play in football on Sept. 19.From country superstar Ella Langley opening things up with a Thursday night concert at the SJB Pavilion to ESPN’s College GameDay previewing the rivalry – and on a much larger scale, to Lane
