Lost+Found Coffee Company @ 248 South Green Street, Tupelo,MS. inside Relics in Downtown Tupelo. Open Monday through Saturday from 10:00am till 6:00pm.
With most any restaurant or coffee house, it’s a balance between atmosphere, menu, and know how. For a coffee shop, Lost & Found has it going on!
You could spend the better part of a day just strolling through both floors of the antique building looking at all the treasures. When your ready for a coffee break, the knowledgeable baristas can help you choose the perfect pick me up!
They have everything from a classic cup of joe to the creamiest creation you could imagine! From pour overs to cold brews. From lattes, mochas, to cappuccino’s, Lost & Found Coffee Company has got ya covered!
So the next time you want to hunt for lost treasures, or find the perfect cup of coffee, Lost & Found Coffee Company has got ya covered! See y’all there!
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Do you thrive on the unexpected? Are you waiting for the next fire to crop up?
Have you ever noticed that you can plan something so intricately and you are still going to catch the glitches when life throws you a curve ball? It is one of the beauties of life that we can never prepare for. The unexpected. The only difference is our response to the unexpected. Do we have a knee jerk reaction that finds us swerving to gain back control of our life? Or do we instead just go with the flow and decide to embrace the scenic route life decided to take us on? Our response to life can cause us more stress or we can just enjoy it for what it is in that moment of time. I used to thrive on the unexpected. It was part of my career for many years. The never knowing what “fire” was going to sprout up that day and how I was going to need to put it out. Even this week as we launched our newest book in my publishing company. I thought I had it all planned out only to run into major “hiccups” within 72 hours of the launch. I could either stress out or take it in stride.
Slow and Steady
As my dad retired I watched him take a different approach to life than I had ever seen him take before. I mean, all you have to do is climb up in the cab of his king ranch Ford pick-up and see he is a changed man. He drives slower than anyone should even be allowed to drive out on the roads these days. He knows how to drive, so don’t go yelling at him next time you are stuck behind him. Trust me, my mom does enough yelling for all of us at him about that! He just takes life these days. His sentiments are that he lived in the fast lane his whole life. Rushing to be on time to work, rushing to come home to his family, the constant busy we get entangled with as adults…now, he doesn’t have to be busy and he is going to enjoy that. Truth is, I can’t even be mad at him for that. Now that I am an adult out here rushing from one thing to the next, I totally could use some driving twenty miles per hour in my life some days. Took me getting to nearly forty to even be able to say that though.
The lesson in his wisdom can be heard by all. Some things we lose it over won’t even amount to anything five years from now, yet we gave them so much energy in the moment. All the things we think are so important that we must do and do now. Most will not really matter years from now, yet we poured our soul into them. What would change if we took the time to just enjoy life? To just flow with things as they happened? When hit with something we didn’t expect, we embraced it instead of fighting it? What would happen? I dare say we might have more peace? I probably would be a lot calmer. I probably wouldn’t lose my temper near as much. I probably wouldn’t have anxiety or stress on the daily. I would probably take time to enjoy life more. I certainly wouldn’t yell at the slow driver in front of me.
What about you? Next time you get behind someone driving slowly…take back the name calling and curse words. Maybe take back all of the assumptions that they don’t know how to drive. Maybe use it as a reminder to take a moment, roll down your window, soak in the sunshine. I can promise you that wherever the heck you are going, you will still get there. Maybe that person figured out life and you can use their wisdom too. If they are driving a blue king ranch Ford truck, I can assure you that he is just enjoying his day and he would want you to enjoy yours too. Matter of fact, I wish I had listened to his wisdom a lot more in my earlier days instead of waiting until now.
Here is a plain, searchable text version (most other versions we found were Images or PDF files) of City Of Tupelo Executive Order 20-018. Effective Monday June 29th at 6:00 PM
The following Local Executive Order further amends and supplements all previous Local Executive Orders and its Emergency Proclamation and Resolution adopted by the City of Tupelo, Mississippi, pertaining to COVID-19. All provisions of previous local orders and proclamations shall remain in full force and effect.
LOCAL EXECUTIVE ORDER 20-018
The White House and CDC guidelines state the criteria for reopening up America should be based on data driven conditions within each region or state before proceeding to the next phased opening. Data should be based on symptoms, cases, and hospitals. Based on cases alone, there must be a downward trajectory of documented cases within a 14-day period or a downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests within a 14-day period. There has been no such downward trajectory in the documented cases in Lee County since May 18, 2020.
Hospital numbers are not always readily available to policymakers; however, from information that has been maintained and communicated to the City of Tupelo, the Northeast Mississippi Medical Center is near or at their capacity for treating COVID-19 inpatients over the past two weeks without reopening additional areas for treating COVID-19 patients. The City of Tupelo is experiencing an increase in the number of cases of COVID-19. The case count 45 days prior to the date of this executive order was 77 cases. That number increased within 15 days to 107, and today, the number is 429 cases. The City of Tupelo is experiencing increases of 11.7 cases a day. This is not in conformity with the guidelines provided of a downward trajectory of positive tests. By any metric available, the City of Tupelo may not continue to the next phase of reopening.
Governor Tate Reeves in his Executive Order No. 1492(1)(i)(1) authorizes the City of Tupelo to implement more restrictive measures than currently in place for other Mississippians to facilitate preventative measures against COVID-19 thereby creating the downward trajectory necessary for reopening.
That the Tupelo Economic Recovery Task Force and North Mississippi Medical Center have formally requested that the City of Tupelo adopt a face covering policy.
In an effort to support the Northeast Mississippi Health System in their response to COVID-19 and to strive to keep the City of Tupelo’s economy remaining open for business, effective at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, June 29, 2020, all persons who are present within the jurisdiction of the City of Tupelo shall wear a clean face covering any time they are, or will be, in contact with other people in indoor public or business spaces where it is not possible to maintain social distance. While wearing the face covering, it is essential to still maintain social distance being the best defense against the spread of COVID-19. The intent of this executive order is to encourage voluntary compliance with the requirements established herein by the businesses and persons within the jurisdiction of the City of Tupelo.
It is recommended that all indoor public or business spaces require persons to wear a face covering for entry. Upon entry, social distancing and activities shall follow guidelines of the City of Tupelo and the Governor’s executive orders pertaining to particular businesses and business activity.
Persons shall properly wear face coverings ensuring the face covering covers the mouth and nose,
1. Signage should be posted by entrances to businesses stating the face covering requirement for entry. (Available for download at www.tupeloms.gov).
2. A patron located inside an indoor public or business space without a face covering will be asked to leave by the business owners if the patron is unwilling to come into compliance with wearing a face covering
3. Face coverings are not required for:
a. People whose religious beliefs prevent them from wearing a face covering. b. Those who cannot wear a face covering due to a medical or behavioral condition. c. Restaurant patrons while dining. d. Private, individual offices or offices with fewer than ten (10) employees. e. Other settings where it is not practical or feasible to wear a face covering, including when obtaining or rendering goods or services, such as receipt of dental services or swimming. f. Banks, gyms, or spaces with physical barrier partitions which prohibit contact between the customer(s) and employee. g. Small offices where the public does not interact with the employer. h. Children under twelve (12). i. That upon the formulation of an articulable safety plan which meets the goals of this
Executive Order businesses may seek an exemption by email at covid@tupeloms.gov
FACE COVERINGS DO NOT HAVE TO BE MEDICAL MASKS OR N95 MASKS. A BANDANA, SCARF, T–SHIRT, HOME–MADE MASKS, ETC. MAY BE USED. THEY MUST PROPERLY COVER BOTH A PERSON‘S MOUTH AND NOSE.
Those businesses that are subject to regulatory oversight of a separate state or federal agency shall follow the guidelines of said agency or regulating body if there is a conflict with this Executive Order.
Additional information can be found at www.tupeloms.gov COVID-19 information landing page.
Pursuant to Miss. Code Anno. 833-15-17(d)(1972 as amended), this Local Executive Order shall remain in full effect under these terms until reviewed, approved or disapproved at the first regular meeting following such Local Executive Order or at a special meeting legally called for such a review.
The City of Tupelo reserves its authority to respond to local conditions as necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens.
Honeyboy and Boots are a husband and wife, guitar and cello, duo with a unique style that is all their own. Their sound embodies Americana, traditional folk, alt country, and blues with harmonies and a hint of classical notes.
Drew Blackwell, a true Southerner raised in the heart of the black prairie in Mississippi. First picked up the guitar at fourteen, he was greatly influenced by his Uncle Doug who taught him old country standards and folk classics. Later on in high school, he was mentored and inspired to write (and feel) the blues by Alabama blues artist Willie King. (Willie King is credited for bringing together the band The Old Memphis Kings.)
Drew has placed 3rd in the 2019 Mississippi Songwriter of the Year contest with his song “Waiting on A Friend” and made it to the semi finalist round on the 2019 International Songwriting Competition with his song “Accidental Hipster.”
Honeyboy (Drew) can also be found belting out those blues notes as the lead vocalist for the Old Memphis Kings and begins everyday with a hot cup of black coffee!
Courtney Blackwell (Kinzer) grew up in Washington State and comes from a talented musical family. She began playing cello at the age of three taking lessons from the cello bass professor Bill Wharton at the University of Idaho. Her mother was most influential in her progression of technique, tone quality, and ear training. Since traveling around much of the South, she has enjoyed focusing on the variety of ways the cello is used in ensembles. When she plays, you will feel those groovy bass lines making way to soaring leads create an emotional and magical connection between you and her music.
Courtney enjoys working in the studio, collaborating with artists and continuing to challenge the way cello is expressed.
They have opened for such acts as Verlon Thompson, The Josh Abbott Band, Cary Hudson (of Blue Mountain), and Rising Appalachia.
Honeyboy And Boots have performed at a variety of venues and festivals throughout the southeast, including the 2015 Pilgrimage Fest in Franklin, TN; Musicians Corner in Nashville; the Mississippi Songwriters Festival (2015-2018); and the Black Warrior Songwriting Fest in Tuscaloosa, AL (2018-2019). They also came in 2nd place at the 2015 Gulf Coast Songwriters Shootout in Orange Beach, FL.
They have two albums, Mississippi Duo and Waiting On a Song, which are available on their website, iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby.
The duo also just released their fourth recording: a seven-song EP called Picture On The Wall, which was recorded with Anthony Crawford (Williesugar Capps, Sugarcane Jane, Neil Young). It is now available on Spotify, Itunes, Google Music, and CD Baby.
Who or what would you say has been the greatest influence on your music?
My Uncle Doug, because he began to teach me guitar and introduced me to a lot of great older country music.
Favorite song you’ve composed or performed and why?
“We Played On” because it’s about our family reunions, where we would sit around and play guitar and share songs.
If you could meet any artist, living or dead, which would you choose and why?
Probably Willie Nelson. He’s my all time favorite.
Most embarrassing thing ever to happen at a gig?
A guy fell on top of me while I was performing. I was sitting down. He busted a big hole in my guitar.
What was the most significant thing to happen to you in the course of your music?
Getting to perform at Musicians Corner in downtown Nashville. Probably the biggest crowd we’ve ever been in front of.
If music were not part of your life, what else would you prefer to be doing?
I don’t know, maybe fishing or golf.
Is there another band or artist(s) you’d like to recommend to our readers who you feel deserves attention?
Our friends, Sugarcane Jane. They are a husband/wife duo from the Gulf Shores area. Great people and great artist.
Mississippi universities and nonprofits could lose tens of millions of dollars in federal funding for health research if a Trump administration policy withstands legal challenges.
A federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked the National Institutes of Health’s Feb. 7 plan to slash “indirect cost” rates – the portion of grant funding used for facilities and administration – to 15% after 22 attorneys general sued the Trump administration. Mississippi did not join the lawsuit.
Mississippi universities and other institutions have active grants worth over $97 million, according to publicly available data from National Institutes of Health. Grant funding from the agency directly supported over 1,200 jobs and $220 million in economic activity in Mississippi during the 2024 fiscal year, according to United for Medical Research, a group that advocates for National Institutes of Health funding.
“This agency action will result in layoffs, suspension of clinical trials, disruption of ongoing research programs, and laboratory closures,” wrote the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
The National Institutes of Health represented lower indirect cost rates as a way to carefully steward taxpayer money in its notice of the change, noting that it is difficult to track how indirect costs are used and that private foundations generally offer grant recipients indirect cost rates below 15%.
It pointed to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest funders of health research, which has a maximum indirect cost rate of 15%.
In 2023, the National Institutes of Health spent $35 billion on 50,000 competitive grants that supported 2,500 institutions. A fourth of the funding – $9 billion – went to support indirect research costs.
University of Mississippi Medical Center, the state’s only academic medical institution and the recipient of half of Mississippi’s National Institutes of Health grant funding, has a negotiated indirect cost rate of 55%, meaning the institution receives an additional 55 cents for overhead for each dollar granted for research funding. Slashing this rate to 15% overnight would have drastic implications for the institution.
The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s 64 active National Institutes of Health grants total $49 million and support cancer, maternal and infant health and health disparities research. The funding also supports the Jackson Heart Study, the largest-ever study of cardiovascular disease in Black Americans.
A spokesperson for the University of Mississippi Medical Center said the institution is monitoring the situation but declined to comment further.
A press release published by the medical center in 2023 indicated that National Institutes of Health grants account for over half of all research funding at UMMC.
“Without NIH funding, we would never have been able to make substantial advances in understanding the pathophysiology of major diseases such as hypertension, heart failure, obesity, diabetes and chronic kidney disease,” Dr. John Hall, the chair of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, said in the 2023 press release.
Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi each currently have active National Institutes of Health grants worth over $8 million. Grants at the universities support studies of opioid addiction, infertility and viral infections.
The University of Mississippi said it is operating normally in light of the judge’s temporary order barring the new policy, but did not respond to questions about its indirect cost rates or how the cuts could impact its research faculties. Mississippi State University did not respond to a request for comment.
Other recipients of National Institutes of Health grant funding in Mississippi include universities, My Brother’s Keeper, a nonprofit with a focus on health disparities in Mississippi, and Delta Health Alliance, a nonprofit that works to improve access to health services in the Delta.
Leaders of research institutions in other nearby states have been vocal about the impact the cuts could have on their states.
Louisiana State University’s vice president of research and economic development said the impact of the proposed cuts would be “devastating,” reported Louisiana Illuminator.
The cuts will “mean fewer new treatments will get to children and therefore that fewer children will be saved,” said Dr. Charles Roberts, the director of the St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center, in a post on the hospital’s X account.
A Mississippian watching state leaders’ social media posts these days might wonder whether they’ve mistakenly logged into a chat between some petulant third graders as they call each other names and bicker.
Their high-brow discourse over policy has recently included state politicians calling people: “a fraud, a loser, swamp creatures, dorks, a chubby Teletubby, a charlatan and pathetic” as well as more personal plays on their names, such as “Lying Lynn.”
In today’s hyper-divided partisan political landscape, one might figure this name calling is mostly between Republicans and Democrats. But in Mississippi right now, most of the vitriol is Republican-on-Republican.
This is perhaps because Mississippi Republicans have such control of state government, they don’t have any powerful Democrats to harangue. They’ve run out of targets. They’ve long forgotten Ronald Reagan’s 11th commandment. They’re starting to eat their young.
The latest red-on-red dustup was last week, and led by Gov. Tate Reeves, ostensibly the head of the state GOP.
The supermajority Republican Senate, as it did last year, has passed an early voting bill — which would allow “no-excuse” in person early voting for 15 days before election day.
Senate Elections Chairman Jeremy England, R-Vancleave, authored SB 2654 and told his colleagues 47 other states provide voters the convenience of early voting. A similar measure passed the Senate last year but died in the House.
Never mind that the Republican National Committee — and at times President Donald Trump — publicly embraced early voting last year: Gov. Reeves promptly took shots at England on social media after the state Senate voted 40-11 to pass the bill on to the House.
“Unfortunately Senator Jeremy England joined every Senate Democrat today … with his no-excuse Early Voting bill — one of the top priorities of the Mississippi Democrat Party,” Reeves wrote. “Keep in mind — every Mississippi Republican Party Senate Elections Chair before him has killed that terrible idea! Congrats to Senator England — he has earned his MVP award for the Mississippi Democratic Party!”
England responded to Reeves on social media: “I don’t care if you’re Governor. You won’t bully me. And you’re just plain wrong on this one.”
Former Republican state senator and perennial failed U.S. Senate candidate Chris McDaniel tried to pile on to England after Reeves’ mean tweet.
“RINO ALERT,” McDaniel posted. “Jeremy England is a fraud. A loser. He has lied to the people of Jackson County for years. He’s little more than a chubby Teletubby who pretends to be a Republican.”
England responded with a long, rather polite — given the slings and arrows he suffered — explanation of his bill. Many of his constituents following him on social media took up for him in the dustup.
One wrote: “I applaud your leadership. 47 other states have early voting and President Trump encouraged his supporters to vote early. My daughter is a nurse and lives in TN and voted early. There are lots of occupations who appreciate and support early voting. Learn the facts and don’t fall for false rhetoric. Thank you Jeremy !!!”
But Reeves couldn’t let it go. In between wishing people a “Happy Gulf of America Day,” and posting “Plastic straws are back, baby … And the sharks munching through the ocean are gonna be just fine!” the governor took another shot at England.
He posted a newspaper photo of England on the Senate floor laughing with Democratic Sen. Derrick Simmons and wrote: ” A picture is worth a thousand words!! Senator Jeremy England, you may think it is funny that you are working with the Senate Democrat Minority Leader to pass the Democrats’ priorities…. BUT I DO NOT!”
A constituent responded on Reeves’ post: “I’m confused. Is the Capitol supposed to function like kids in the lunchroom who are picking on the new kid? Or should our elected officials act as adults and be professional while working together to form a better functioning government? I see Jeremy England got the memo to be an adult. Maybe Tate missed it??”
Sen. Joel Carter, R-Gulfport, took the unusual step of addressing the Senate on Thursday to condemn Reeves for trying to “divide” lawmakers by lobbing insults instead of being a unifying leader.
Carter posted on social media: “I don’t know who is in control of (the governor’s) account, but they need to find something else to do. This is so petty and unbecoming of the Office of Governor. This divides us all. Republicans have all Statewide offices and supermajorities in both chambers. The fighting needs to stop. Where is the adult in the room?”
“There’s a lot of men in here that know a lot about birthing babies,” — Rep. Dana McLean, R-Columbus, after being questioned during floor debate on a midwifery bill by male colleagues.
In Brief
Senate approves ‘fifth tier’ in PERS for new employees
New hires by state and local governments would receive more austere retirement benefits than current and former employees under a plan approved after much debate by the state Senate.
SB 2439, authored by Sen. Daniel Sparks, R-Belmont, adopts recommendations from the Public Employee Retirement System board to create a “hybrid” retirement plan for employees hired after July 1, 2025. Mississippi, like many other states, is grappling with rising costs with its generous government retirement benefits plan and billions in unfunded outstanding future benefits.
Sparks
The Senate passed the bill 30-16 after a lengthy debate. It heads to the House, which has instead included providing more funds for PERS from state lottery collections as part of its tax overhaul plan in HB 1.
The new plan would not change benefits for current employees or retirees, but would mean new hires would have small part of their retirement going into a defined benefit plan, with the rest going into an investment account similar to a 401(K) . New hires would also not automatically get a cost of living adjustment — often referred to as the “13th check” — current retirees receive.
Opponents of the new play say PERS is not in as dire financial shape as some posit, and that drastically reducing retirement benefit would make it hard for the state to hire and retain employees, such as teachers, because government pay is relatively low. — Geoff Pender
Bill would expand scope for advanced nurses
The House has passed a measure on to the Senate to allow advanced practice nurses and certified registered nurse anesthetists with more than 8,000 hours of practice to operate without a collaborative contract with a physician.
HB 849, authored by House Public Health Chairman Sam Creekmore, R-New Albany, passed by a vote of 76-33 and now heads to the Senate. Proponents say the measure, similar to laws in 27 other states, would help the state with its shortage of doctors and health services. Opponents say allowing people with less training than a physician is dangerous for patients.
House Speaker Jason White praised lawmakers for working on the measure despite fierce lobbying pressure against it and trying to “break the mold … and try to meet our needs in the health care world.” — Geoff Pender
House votes to make entire state wet
The House last week voted to declare every county in the state as wet for alcohol sales.
Mississippi has a hodgepodge system in which counties and municipalities can sell alcohol. Most of Mississippi’s 82 counties, commonly called “wet” counties, allow liquor and wine sales.
However, around 30 counties in the state do not allow hard liquor sales and are typically called “dry” counties. But only three counties in the state are truly dry. Some large cities inside those dry counties, however, do allow spirit and wine sales, leading to the nickname of “moist” counties.
House Bill 91 would abolish this system and make every county wet, but it would allow counties to hold voter referendums to block the sale of alcohol. — Taylor Vance
Senate, House on same page with PBM transparency
The Senate passed a pharmacy benefit manager transparency bill Thursday that largely aligns with a bill the House passed two weeks ago. The bill, authored by Sen. Rita Parks, R-Corinth, prohibits the companies – which act as an intermediary between health insurers, pharmacies and drug manufacturers – from charging insurers more for drugs than pharmacies are paid to inflate their own profits and ensures that pharmacists are paid promptly for dispensing drugs.
It also requires pharmacy benefit managers and drug manufacturers to submit data to the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy, which will be tasked with creating a website to publicize the data, and gives the board additional audit authorities. The Senate added the data and transparency language to its bill after the House passed their bill with the same requirements.
The Board of Pharmacy and some pharmacists say the legislation doesn’t do enough to help pharmacies and patients. But Parks said the bill is a step towards better understanding pharmacy benefit managers’ business practices. “We have to start somewhere,” she said. “And I think the transparency portion of this bill begins to help (independent pharmacists).” — Gwen Dilworth
House approves Sunday liquor sales
The House last week voted to allow licensed package stores to sell liquor and wine seven days a week, including on Sundays.
Currently, Mississippi law prohibits package stores from selling liquor on Sunday, but House Bill 92 would allow local governments to pass an ordinance allowing liquor sales from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Proponents of the measure say it will allow Mississippi to collect more tax revenue from liquor sales. Mississippi is one of a handful of states that do not allow seven-day liquor sales. — Taylor Vance
Senate advances kratom extracts ban
The Mississippi Senate passed a bill Tuesday to ban synthetic kratom products, also known as kratom extracts, by making it a Schedule III controlled substance. The proposed legislation, introduced by Sen. Angela Turner-Ford, D-West Point, would institute criminal penalties for possession of synthetic kratoms and make it available only with a prescription from a licensed health care provider.
Synthetic kratom extracts are products that contain high concentrations of 7-hydroxymitragynine, one of the chemical components in kratom that binds to the same receptors in the brain as opioids. These forms are more potent than the pure herbal substance and “more problematic and more addictive,” said Turner-Ford.
Critics of kratom argue that it is highly addictive and produces stimulant- and opioid-like effects. Advocates argue it can satisfy the cravings of people struggling with opioid use disorder and help people with depression and chronic pain.
The House passed a bill last week that would limit kratom purchases to people 21 and older and ban synthetic kratom products, also known as kratom extracts. Bills in the House and Senate now head to the opposite chamber for consideration. — Gwen Dilworth
House, Senate advance bills dealing with ‘squatters’
Both the House and Senate passed separate bills last week to make it easier for homeowners to get rid of “squatters.”
SB 2328, authored by Sen. Walter Michel, R-Ridgeland, and HB 1200, authored by Brent Powell, R-Brandon, were passed by their respective chambers.
Mississippi is one of at least 10 states to recently pass or consider bills making it easier for property owners to have law enforcement remove people illegally staying on their property. The anti-squatting measures are in part result of news stories nationwide and about people moving into homes, refusing to leave then trying to claim ownership, and from a viral TikTok video by a migrant influencer who encouraged people to squat in homes across the country. — Geoff Pender
House lets felony suffrage restoration die
House Constitution Chairman Price Wallace let two measures that would allow people convicted of nonviolent disenfranchising felony offenses die on Thursday’s legislative deadline.
Mississippi strips voting rights away for life from people who are convicted of one of 23 crimes, even if these people have completed the terms of their prison sentence.
The only way for someone to regain voting rights is to receive a pardon from the governor or convince two-thirds of the legislators in both chambers to restore it. Legislators do not restore suffrage to people convicted of violent felonies and only restore suffrage to a few dozen people yearly. — Taylor Vance
Senate kills bill to make insurance post appointed
Senate kills proposal to make Insurance Commissioner appointed office
Senate Insurance Committee Chairman Walter Michel killed a bill that would have made the Insurance Commissioner an appointed office instead of an elected one.
Mike Chaney, the current insurance commissioner, has called for the office to be appointed because it practically requires candidates to solicit campaign donations from insurance companies — the people the office regulates.
Opponents of the proposal argue that people should still retain the right to elect people to office instead of allowing a politician to appoint someone. — Taylor Vance
House advances hemp-testing bill
The House passed a bill this week that would beef up testing requirements for products made with hemp, a cannabis plants containing lower levels of THC than marijuana.
Republican Rep. Lee Yancey’s bill would require all hemp products sold in Mississippi to pass a test showing they have less than a 0.3% THC concentration. Congress made the sale of industrial hemp products possible in the 2018 Farm Bill. Mississippi approved hemp growing in 2020.
Yancey said his legislation is necessary because hemp products sold around the U.S. in places like gas stations and vape shops have been found to contain higher levels of THC than labels advertise, which Yancey blames on manufacturers. Products would be tested at an independent testing center, and sellers would have until July 1 to offload their stock of products containing too much THC. — Michael Goldberg
By the Numbers
$326 million
The net tax cuts for Mississippians under a long-awaited Senate plan unveiled Wednesday. The plan would cut the sales taxes on groceries from 7% to 5%, lower the individual income tax from 4% to 2.99% over four years and increase the excise on gasoline by 9 cents over three years, bringing the total per gallon to 27.4 cents.
Full Legislative Coverage
‘School choice’ bill sending taxpayer money to private schools stalls in Mississippi House
A bill that would allow some Mississippi parents to use taxpayer money to pay for private school does not have the support to pass this session, House leaders said Wednesday. . Read the story.
Speaker White frustrated by ‘crickets’ from Senate on tax plan
Last week, with the legislative session clock ticking towards midway, House Speaker Jason White was growing more frustrated with the “crickets” he’s heard from his Republican Senate counterpart Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann on the House’s sea-change tax overhaul plan. Read the story.
State Auditor criticizes bill he said would have ‘gutted’ his office
State Auditor Shad White on Monday continued to criticize legislation that attempted to alter the scope of powers his office has in auditing nonprofit companies, continuing the statewide officials’ clash with the Republican-majority Senate. Read the story.
Court-ordered redistricting will require do-over legislative elections this year
Five House seats will be re-decided in a November special election, pending court approval, under a resolution the House approved to comply with a federal court order. Read the story.
House passes ‘Tim Tebow Act’ to allow homeschoolers to play sports
The state House advanced a bill that would allow Mississippi children being home schooled to to play public school sports. Read the story.
Mississippi ballot initiative measure set to die for fourth straight year
House Constitution Chairman Price Wallace, a Republican from Mendenhall, told Mississippi Today that he would let the measure die by Thursday’s legislative deadline because he believed the Senate would not be receptive to any ballot initiative proposal. . Read the story.
‘Secure the bag’: Mississippi women want equal pay, paid leave and better health outcomes
Speakers asked lawmakers to act on a range of issues from midwifery care to child care, but all their priorities centered around making women more financially secure in the poorest state with the worst maternal health outcomes. Read the story.
Two versions of domestic violence fatality review board clear legislative hurdle
An effort to create a statewide board to study domestic violence deaths to uncover trends and guide opportunities for intervention, support and policy unanimously passed both legislative bodies. Read the story.
Lt. Gov. Hosemann unveils $326 million ‘sustainable, cautious’ tax cut plan
Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann on Wednesday unveiled a $326 million tax cut package that reduces the state income tax and the sales tax on groceries and raises the gasoline tax to fund road work. Read the story.
Lawmaker: There is no outside oversight of medical care at Mississippi prisons
The House passed a bill Thursday that would direct the state Department of Health to conduct a sweeping review of the medical care provided to inmates at Mississippi prisons.. Read the story.
Legislation to license midwifery clears another hurdle
A bill that would establish a clear pathway for Mississippians seeking to become professional midwives passed the House after dying in committee several years in a row. Read the story.
Podcast: Lawmaker says paid parental leave crucial in ‘post Roe v. Wade’ Mississippi
Kevin Felsher of Biloxi discusses the bill he authored, and the House passed unanimously, to provide eight weeks of paid maternity or adoption leave, two weeks for fathers/secondary caregivers for state employees. Listen to the podcast.
The Mississippi Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would place a permanent, full-time youth court judge in every area of the state, potentially creating a more consistent system of justice for vulnerable children.
“This is about protection and looking out for our state’s most vulnerable citizens, which are the children,” Senate Judiciary A Chairman Brice Wiggins said. “And there is inconsistent justice throughout the state, and that’s just a function of the system we’ve had for all these decades.”
Mississippi has a disjointed youth court system that differs from county to county. Youth court deals with most instances where children commit crimes and where adults are accused of abusing and neglecting minors.
A full-time county court judge presides over youth court matters in counties with a county court. But despite its name, not every Mississippi county has a county court.
For a county to have a county court, it must have a population larger than 50,000 people or, if smaller, it must convince the Legislature to pass a law to establish a county court in the area. Only 24 of the state’s 82 counties have one.
In the remaining counties, youth court is the responsibility of chancery courts. However, only two counties, Sunflower and Humphreys, have a chancellor who directly deals with youth matters. In the remaining 56 counties, the chancery court appoints a part-time youth court referee to handle those cases.
Referees are typically attorneys who agree to hear youth court cases part-time. Critics of this system argue that part-time referees cannot devote their full time and resources to youth court.
Senate Bill 2769 creates a “hybrid” system that allows counties with a county court to retain jurisdiction of youth court matters. In the remaining counties, the legislation places a full-time chancellor solely dedicated to youth court matters within the chancery districts.
“It’s imperative that we do something about youth court around the state,” Republican Sen. Nicole Boyd of Oxford told reporters. “This gives families the help they need.”
If lawmakers substantially reform the state’s youth court system to create a more uniform structure, the state could finally resolve the long-running Oliva Y lawsuit, which has cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
The Olivia Y lawsuit, filed in 2004 during Gov. Haley Barbour’s administration, alleged the state’s foster care system was not effectively protecting children who had been placed in Child Protection Services custody. The namesake of the suit was 3 years old at the time and showed various signs of abuse and neglect after being in the care of a foster family.
The state settled with the plaintiffs and agreed to meet several performance metrics to improve the foster care system. Twenty years later, the state has still not resolved the litigation.
The youth court bill coincides with lawmakers attempting to redraw circuit and chancery court districts, so lawmakers will likely work until the end of the 2025 session to agree on a final youth court reform bill.
OXFORD — In basketball, urgency matters. Mississippi State played with a clear sense of urgency here Saturday evening. Ole Miss did not.
That stark difference translated to a badly needed 80-70 victory for the Bulldogs, who completed a sweep their two-game series with the Rebels. This one didn’t seem nearly as close as the final score would indicate.
Ole Miss (now 19-7 overall and 8-5 in the SEC) came in with a three-game winning streak, including two straight on the road. The last time the Rebels had played at home, they blew away blue-blood Kentucky with an almost perfect performance. In contrast, State (18-7, 6-6) came in having lost six of nine (three of their last four) and desperately needing a victory on their arch-rival’s home floor. The Bulldogs snatched that victory with the same ferocity they snatched rebounds and loose balls. They seemed to get every rebound that mattered.
Surely, Ole Miss players wanted to win. Everybody wants to win. But State needed to win. The Bulldogs desperately needed to win. They played like it. As Sean Pedulla, the Rebels’ normally sharp-shooting guard put it, “They played like they had a chip on their shoulder.” He said the Rebels played as if they were “complacent.” His word, not mine.
Someone asked Pedulla if the Rebels were tired after two straight difficult, down-to-the-wire road wins Pedulla answered, “We weren’t tired; we just weren’t aggressive.”
Pedulla said more. “When you play a team that’s playing for a lot right now and as competitive as they are, it’s going to show like it did today,” he said. “They were definitely the most aggressive team today in pretty much every category.”
State was. It seemed as if every time a shot was missed, two or three Bulldogs crashed the boards, compared to a single Rebel. In two meetings now, State has out-rebounded Ole Miss 99-65. That’s dominance with a capital D.
It’s no great secret Ole Miss has achieved its 19-7 record and No. 19 national ranking despite severe rebounding deficiencies. Thing is, the Rebels usually make up for that rebounding deficit with Grade A defense and by forcing far more turnovers than they commit. That wasn’t the case Saturday night. State committed just one more turnover than Ole Miss (15-14).
When State defeated Ole Miss 84-81 in overtime four weeks before at Starkville, the Bulldogs out-rebounded the Rebels 51-29. The Rebels kept it closer that time by out-shooting the Bulldogs and by out-scoring State 14-3 on points off turnovers. Ole Miss had no such advantages this time. The Bulldogs not only out-rebounded the Rebels, they out-shot them and thoroughly out-hustled them.
Ole Miss started well. The Rebels led 22-15 with eight minutes to play in the first half. Then, it was as if both teams switched gears with State going into overdrive and Ole Miss seemingly into reverse. Over the next 19 minutes of playing time, State out-scored the Rebels by 26 points. With 8:55 to play in the game, State led by 19. From seven points down, to 19 up in just 19 minutes – that’s getting it done.
Beard tried everything he could to change the momentum: timeouts, substitutions, encouragement, butt-chewings, benchings. Nothing worked.
Because of severe impending weather, State did not make players available post-game and State coach Chris Jans was brief in his postgame comments. Beard, on the other hand, had all five of his starters appear at the postgame conference. It was as if he wanted all to face the music, as the saying goes. When asked why he had chosen to break postgame precedent, Beard replied, “Hopefully some of you guys asked questions that need to be asked.”
“I’m not throwing the players under the bus,” Beard said. “It’s my job to get them ready to play. . . . There was a lot of softness to us tonight.”
Beard went on to apologize to the packed house of mostly Ole Miss fans who drove to the game and “paid good money” to attend. He seized on one his star player’s use of the word “complacent.”
“If complacency is a part of this, then we have some guys that really need to do some soul-searching,” Beard said. “Complacent for what? What have we done that allows us to be complacent?”
Jans, who now holds a 5-1 record against Ole Miss, praised his team’s aggressiveness and togetherness. Yes, he said, the Bulldogs really needed a victory given their recent slump. But he stopped short of saying his team displayed a sense of urgency that State’s arch-rival did not.
Jans didn’t need to. It was clearly evident to anyone who watched. The Bulldogs just played harder. They wanted it more. That’s urgency.
State employees – including public school and community college teachers – would get six weeks of paid parental leave under a bill that passed the Senate Thursday. It now advances to the House, which passed its own version of the policy unanimously in January.
Sen. Jeremy England, R-Vancleave. Credit: Mississippi State Senate
It’s likely the two chambers will need to go into “conference” later in the legislative session – an opportunity for a smaller group of senators and representatives to talk at length about a bill’s details and reach a compromise.
The House version gives primary caregivers eight weeks of paid leave – two more than the Senate version. However, senators added an amendment to their bill during its floor debate to include public school and community college teachers, which was not included in the House bill.
Fourteen senators voted ‘No’ on the bill, authored by Sen. Jeremy England, R-Ocean Springs, after a long discussion.
Sen. John Polk, R-Hattiesburg, said he thinks paid parental leave is “a step too far” since the federal government mandates 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave for state employees.
“I don’t know why we’re even dealing with it,” he said on the floor.
Mississippi is one of only 12 states without dedicated paid family leave for state employees, according to A Better Balance, a national nonprofit advocating for better work-life balance.
Sen. Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, who was presenting the bill, responded by saying that it’s “the right thing to do” in the state that overturned the constitutional right to an abortion and claims to value families.
“We stand up here and put on our campaign commercials about families – ‘I’m a family man,’” said Wiggins. “Are we going to put on our campaign commercials into action or are we just going to talk about it?”
The policy has garnered wide support from leadership in both chambers. Speaker of the House Jason White and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann have championed it. Attorney General Lynn Fitch has also publicly spoken out in support of it.
Last week, the state Public Service Commission unanimously approved a special contract that will extend the life of a Mississippi Power coal unit in order to meet energy demands for a recently announced data center project in Meridian.
Mississippi Public Service Central District Commissioner De’Keither Stamps, discusses current agency operations across the state during an interview at district headquarters, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Jackson. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
Gov. Tate Reeves announced last month a $10 billion investment from Compass Datacenters. The Dallas-based company will build eight centers, and in exchange will receive multiple tax exemptions, Mississippi Today reported. The project will be located within the Mississippi Power service area. The utility, a subsidiary of Southern Company, serves 192,000 customers in the southern and eastern parts of the state.
Following a 2020 directive from the PSC to get rid of excess generation capacity, Mississippi Power initially planned to close the two coal-powered units at Plant Victor J. Daniel — in Jackson County, about 10 miles north of Moss Point — by 2027. In 2023, though, the utility pushed the retirement date back a year in order to support demand needs for its sibling company, Georgia Power, Grist reported.
Then on Jan. 9, Mississippi Power informed the PSC that, in order to power the Compass Datacenter facilities, it would have to delay closure of at least one of the coal units, as well as “potentially other fossil steam units,” until the mid-2030s.
Central District Public Service Commissioner De’Keither Stamps told Mississippi Today that the PSC’s job is to meet demand, and that until Mississippi Power has the option to include nuclear power in its arsenal, “we’re going to need all the power we can get in that service area.”
“We can’t stop economic development because we’ve got to wait, you know, 15 years for some nuclear power in the service area,” Stamps said.
Sen. Jeremy England, R-Vancleave. Credit: Mississippi State Senate
Throughout the last couple decades, the country has moved away from coal as an energy source because of its contribution to global warming but also because of air and water pollution associated with coal-burning facilities. A 2023 study from George Mason University, the University of Texas and Harvard University found that exposure to fine particulate pollutants known as PM2.5 from coal plants contributed to 460,000 deaths around the country between 1999 and 2020, twice the mortality rate of PM2.5 exposure from other sources.
Sen. Jeremy England, R-Vancleave, whose district includes Plant Daniel, called the facility a “fixture of our community” because of the jobs and tax revenue it provides. He said he wasn’t aware of any health concerns related to air emissions from the plant.
“I don’t hear from any constituents that say, ‘Hey, we don’t want this here,’” England said.
England added that Plant Daniel retiring units could potentially hurt its tax assessment, meaning less revenue for public needs like the local school district. He also pointed to emission “scrubbers” that Plant Daniel and other coal facilities have added in recent years. The same 2023 study found that scrubbers have dramatically decreased sulfur dioxide emissions as well as air pollution-related deaths.
In addition to Compass Datacenters, Mississippi Power also entered into a special contract to supply power for a plywood manufacturer, owned by Hood Industries, in Beaumont, Mississippi.
The two deals, a spokesperson for Mississippi Power said, necessitate keeping the coal and other units set for retirement alive.
“We are committed to keeping the Mississippi Public Service Commission and our customers up to date and will present additional details in our upcoming 2025 Mid-Point Supply-Side Update,” spokesperson Jeff Shepard said via email. “These incredible economic development projects will create a significant number of jobs and bring billions of dollars of investment to southeast Mississippi.”
A bill that would establish a clear pathway for Mississippians seeking to become professional midwives passed the House after dying in committee several years in a row.
“Midwives play an important role in our state, especially in areas where maternal health care is scarce,” said Rep. Dana McLean, R-Columbus and author of the bill. “I’m happy that House Bill 927 passed the House yesterday and urge our senators to join us in passing this much-needed legislation.”
Despite the legislation imposing regulations on the profession and mandating formalized training, many midwives have voiced their support of the bill. They say it will help them care more holistically for women and allow them new privileges like the ability to administer certain labor medications – and will open the door to insurance reimbursement in the future.
“We have so few midwives integrated in the system and so few midwives practicing in the state,” explained Amanda Smith, a midwife in Hattiesburg who went out of state to receive her professional midwifery license. “We believe that licensure really will help create a clear pathway so people know exactly how to become a midwife in Mississippi.”
It isn’t guaranteed that the bill would make midwifery more accessible to low-income women. But licensure makes it more likely.
Currently, neither Medicaid nor private insurance reimburse for unlicensed midwifery services. Licensing professional midwifery wouldn’t necessarily mean that insurance companies would immediately start reimbursing for the services, but it’s the only way they might.
A new federal program is seeking to make midwifery reimbursable by Medicaid.
Mississippi is one of 15 states chosen by the federal government to participate in a new grant program called the Transforming Maternal Health Model, which began in January 2025 and will work to expand access and reimbursement for services – including licensed midwifery.
The bill has historically faced opposition both from those who think it does too much, as well as those who think it does too little.
To those who think it overregulates the profession, McLean says her loyalty lies with her constituents and making sure they have the most transparency when seeking birth options. Currently, anyone can operate under the title midwife in the state of Mississippi – with no required standard of training.
“We are legitimizing (professional midwifery) … As a legislator, it’s my duty to try to protect the citizens of Mississippi,” McLean said. “And by putting this legislation forward, it helps to inform those clients that would want the services of a midwife but don’t know how to choose.”
As for those who think it does too little, McLean says the bill would leave the details up to a board – established by the bill and made up mostly of midwives – who would be able to decide requirements for professional midwifery better than a room full of lawmakers.
“There’s a lot of men in here that know a lot about birthing babies,” McLean said during a lively floor debate Thursday.
Editor’s note: This essay, offered through the American Forum, examines how Black Mississippi women are disproportionately harmed by instances of cervical cancer.
Mississippi, a state known for rich culture and strong heritage, also faces some of the nation’s most glaring health disparities. Among them is the inequity in cervical cancer prevention and treatment, which is often shaped by racism and systemic discrimination in healthcare.
Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer at later stages and have a lower five-year survival rate, meaning they are less likely to survive for five years after diagnosis. Mississippi, which has the highest cervical cancer death rate in the country, is a stark example of this disparity. In the state, Black women are nearly 1.5 times more likely to die from cervical cancer than their white counterparts, even though the incidence rates between Black and white women are nearly identical.
Barbara Brooks
I am a community-based researcher and health equity advocate with over 20 years of experience addressing healthcare disparities in the Mississippi Delta. My work has brought me face-to-face with the structural barriers that continue to disproportionately harm Black women in our state. These barriers, rooted in systemic racism, perpetuate cycles of mistrust and disengagement with the healthcare system, further exacerbating health inequities.
When Black women experience bias or dismissal, trust in healthcare providers erodes, leading to avoidance of care and worse outcomes. For many Black women I interviewed, generational mistreatment by medical providers and institutions has left a justified and chronic skepticism about the intentions and reliability of healthcare systems. This discourages them from pursuing needed gynecological services. This mistrust complicates efforts to promote preventive care, such as regular screenings and timely treatment for cervical cancer, leaving many women hesitant to seek care from a system that has marginalized them for generations.
One woman I spoke with shared her experience of severe cramping from an IUD, only to be dismissed by her gynecologist’s office. When she was finally seen, the care she received was rushed and aggressive, leaving her feeling unheard and mistreated. It wasn’t until she switched providers that her concerns were properly addressed.
Another interviewee recounted her decision to avoid local doctors altogether after enduring substandard care in Washington County. “When I left Washington County, I was provided with better health care, and my health increased tremendously,” she said. Her story reflects a painful truth for many Black women in Mississippi: equitable, compassionate care often feels out of reach.
These individual stories are part of a broader, well-documented pattern. Research consistently shows that healthcare providers are less likely to recommend preventive measures like HPV vaccinations to Black patients. Providers also frequently dismiss Black women’s health concerns, resulting in delayed diagnoses and subpar treatment. This pattern of medical racism is more than an injustice—it is a public health crisis.
Cervical cancer should not be a death sentence in Mississippi or anywhere else. The eradication of the entrenched racism and discrimination in our healthcare system will move us closer to a future where every woman has an equal chance at prevention, treatment and survival.
Addressing these disparities requires more than acknowledgment; it demands action. We need increased investment in community health clinics to bring quality care to underserved areas. Cultural competency training for healthcare providers is equally essential to combat implicit bias and foster better relationships with patients.
Mississippi has the opportunity to lead by example in dismantling the systemic inequities that have plagued its healthcare system for far too long. By prioritizing health equity and addressing these disparities head-on, we can ensure that every woman in our state—regardless of race or zip code—has access to the preventive care and treatment she deserves.
Barbara Rose Brooks is a community-based researcher and a lifelong resident of Leland. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Alcorn State University and has dedicated 20-plus years of service to eradicating health disparities. The first African American female mayor elected in Leland in 2005, she is currently Leland’s vice mayor and a community health advisor with the Deep South Network for Cancer Control. Formerly Brooks was Project Development Officer for Tougaloo College’s Delta Health Partners Healthy Start Initiative. In 2021 the Delta Health Center’s Leland clinic was renamed the Barbara Brooks Medical Center in her honor.