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OMAHA, Neb. — Jabe Boroff hit the tiebreaking double in a four-run seventh inning and Troy and its potent offense kept the program’s first College World Series appearance going with a 12-8 win over Mississippi in an elimination game Sunday.

The Trojans (39-31) erased a four-run deficit to post their 18th come-from-behind win of the season and advance to a game Tuesday against the loser of the West Virginia-North Carolina game Sunday night.

“I know the city of Troy is absolutely loving this,” said Boroff, among seven Alabama natives on the team. “What really means the most is everybody’s got our back and everybody wants to see us win.”

Mississippi (41-23) went two-games-and-out in its first trip to Charles Schwab Field since winning the national championship in 2022. Southeastern Conference teams had won 13 straight against non-SEC opponents in the CWS before the Rebels lost to North Carolina and Troy.

Troy, which lost 7-5 to West Virginia on Friday, ramped up an offense that arrived in Omaha averaging 10.6 runs per game in the NCAA Tournament.

The conditions were perfect for the 3-hour, 54-minute offensive free-for-all — sunny, 70 degrees at first pitch and a 15-mph wind blowing out. The teams combined for 26 hits and six homers, second-most in a game at the 15-year-old stadium. It was the first time since 2001 at Rosenblatt Stadium that each team went deep three times.

“Credit Troy for getting the big hit time and time again,” Rebels coach Mike Bianco said. “You look at the back half of the game, we scored runs but we just couldn’t stop them.”

Noah Thigpen (1-5) pitched five innings of relief for the win and JP Robertson (5-2) took the loss.

The Trojans gave up two runs in the first inning and were down 6-2 in the fourth after Brayden Randle and Collin Reuters launched two-run homers to almost the same spot in the right-field seats.

“I can say it jokingly now that we had to get on the guys after the first inning,” Troy coach Skylar Meade said. “I didn’t think we were ready to go. I hope there weren’t any hot mics. Might get in trouble on that. But you have to do what you have to do to produce results.”

Troy’s Sean Darnell, who homered in the second inning, came up in the fifth with two outs and bases loaded. Hunter Elliott balked to bring in a run and Darnell singled in two more to cut it to 6-5.

Jimmy Janicki’s team-leading 21st homer tied it at 6 in the seventh and Boroff, after his two-run double, scored on Houston Markham’s base hit to put the Trojans up 9-6.

“Losers stop when it gets tough, and that’s not what our guys do,” Meade said. “And that’s why they’re getting everything they deserve right now and hopefully a lot more.”

Correction, 6/14/2026: This story has been corrected to show SEC teams had previously won 13 straight against non-SEC teams.

– Peter Allen

The recent Louisiana v. Callais redistricting decision that gutted the Voting Rights Act proves that “everything old is new again” – at least in Mississippi and many other states, mostly in the South.

But let’s focus on Mississippi.

For much of the history of Mississippi, the state’s leadership has sought to prevent the election of Black people to political office.

The 1890 Mississippi Constitution famously included schemes and ploys designed to prevent Black Mississippians from holding elective office or from even participating in the democratic process by voting.

The federal courts, buoyed by the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965 at the behest of President Lyndon B. Johnson, began in the late 1960s and ’70s to curb those schemes and ploys that were designed to deny African Americans’ civil rights. White Mississippi politicians kicked and screamed in opposition to Black people being allowed to participate in the state’s representative democracy. But federal judges depended on the Voting Rights Act to force their inclusion. 

The recent Supreme Court decision gives politicians permission to ignore the Voting Rights Act and to again draw political districts that dilute or even ignore Black voter strength.

Based on the interpretation of many, political districts no longer will have to be drawn to give Black voters a majority even when the districts could be created that are relatively compact and do not split communities of interest, such as cities and counties.

Hardly was the ink dry from the pen of Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the majority opinion, before Gov. Tate Reeves and other Mississippi politicians began to conspire to eliminate the majority-Black congressional district that has elected a Black Mississippian, Bennie Thompson, since 1993. Before Thompson, Mike Espy was elected from the 2nd District in 1986 to become the first Black Mississippian elected to Congress since the 1800s.

In addition to scheming to dilute Black voter strength in the 2nd Congressional District, Mississippi legislative leaders are studying the boundaries of the 52 state Senate seats and 122 state House seats with the presumed intent of eliminating many of those majority-Black districts. There are currently 17 such districts in the Senate and 43 in the House.

Because of Louisiana v. Callais, politicians are again looking to prevent majority-Black districts.

Indeed, everything old is new again.

It was not even olden times, though, when the federal courts found that Mississippi politicians were discriminating and diluting Black voting power and ordered three new majority-Black state legislative districts – one in the House and two in the Senate. Those new majority-Black districts were created in 2025 to prevent the dilution of minority voters.

At the very least, look for legislators to eliminate those three new court-ordered districts before the 2027 state elections and go back to the old maps that had fewer majority-Black districts.

After all, everything old is new again.

On June 10, partners across the public and private sectors came together to celebrate the opening of our new, 70,000 square-foot fabrication shop in Greenwood, Mississippi at an industrial site with a rich history. The event was a powerful moment that validates what is possible when organizations come together to power growth and provide real opportunity through direct investment. It was a proud day for all involved.

For NPL, a Centuri company, the new facility is an opportunity to further serve our utility and energy customers across the Southeast with a range of comprehensive fabrication solutions. The state-of-the-art shop is strategically equipped to support the natural gas, liquids, power generation, steam, and industrial sectors with advanced fabrication, welding, cutting, and machining capabilities. Features like automated and robotic welding systems and ASME-certified processes will enable us to deliver complex projects safely, efficiently, and to rigorous industry standards.

At Centuri, we believe energy infrastructure development is also a regional economic engine. That is why we commit to local hiring and workforce development wherever we operate. The Greenwood facility is an example of this commitment in action, generating more than 40 well-paying, stable jobs. Together with our partners, we will provide high-quality training to ensure the workforce is equipped to meet the safety and quality practices that both Centuri and our customers demand.

We could not have realized this facility’s potential without our state, local, and county partners. NPL Vice President of Pipeline Services Van “Rabbit” Ladnier said it best: “We are grateful for the partnership and support of the economic development agencies, area leaders, and community stakeholders who have helped make our expansion into Greenwood, Mississippi, possible. Greenwood offers a strong workforce, a strategic location, and a business environment that supports long-term success.”

We are particularly grateful to the Greenwood-Leflore-Carroll Economic Development Foundation and the Mississippi Development Authority. With equal parts conviction and passion, they showed why Greenwood is an attractive place to do business and invest.

At Centuri, we believe private sector success and community well-being are not mutually exclusive —when approached intentionally they are reinforcements of one another. When communities like Greenwood grow, everyone benefits. Local businesses prosper, supply chains expand, and workforces are homegrown. For our enterprise, expansion into Greenwood supports our long-term strategy to grow our portfolio by deepening and expanding customer relationships and bringing our comprehensive infrastructure services to new geographies and markets

Since 2020, our North American fabrication services have provided comprehensive fabrication solutions that improve quality, reduce costs, and support project schedules. Services include alterations, pressure piping, pressure vessel fabrication, repair work, steam systems, and data center modules and skids. Capabilities include automated pipe handling, specialty alloy fabrication, hydrostatic and pressure testing, precision laser cutting, and fabrication of large-diameter piping. In Greenwood, this work is further supported by a 10-acre laydown yard and certified industry partnerships.

For more than 115 years Centuri has been providing infrastructure solutions through our people and our assets. Today, we serve the entire energy value chain with core offerings that include the replacement, maintenance, upgrading, and installation of electric and natural gas distribution and transmission systems. We prioritize quality, safety, and integrity in every decision. Through an integrated operating model that combines local delivery with enterprise scale, our workforce of more than 9,600 employees provides the expertise and capacity to meet evolving customer needs.

Though much has changed across our industry since our founding, our mission remains unchanged: to be the leader in safe, sustainable, high quality utility infrastructure services while meeting our commitments to our various stakeholders, including employees, customers, investors, and the communities where we live and work.

The new fabrication and manufacturing facility in Greenwood is an opportunity for us to unlock value: for our customers, our communities, and those that invest in us. Infrastructure has a critical role to play in meeting future energy demand, and we are proud to play our part. We invite you to learn more about us at centuri.com/npl-construction.

The Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering is accepting public comments through June 22 on temporary rules that could shape health, safety and business standards across the industry. 

For Hattiesburg barber Bonnie Holloway, the process marks a sign of progress after two years of uncertainty following the state’s merger of its cosmetology and barbering boards. 

Holloway, who co-owns The Dapper Man Studio in Hattiesburg with Crystal McCormick, opened her barbershop just before Mississippi merged the boards in 2024. She said she has seen signs of progress since the board began operating again.

“So far, so good,” Holloway said. “We’ve actually had one of the board members come by to introduce himself, which has never happened. Because it’s kind of like they’re just there and we’re here, but he came by and introduced himself, so that was good.”

What took so long to start?

The board was created after Mississippi combined its separate cosmetology and barbering boards in 2024. But in the following legislative session, the Mississippi Senate didn’t confirm Gov. Tate Reeves’ appointees. Without that approval, the board lost its quorum and couldn’t complete its regular work or finalize temporary rules written earlier in the year. 

Catherine Bell, executive director of the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering, said the current board members were approved by the Senate early in the 2026 legislative session. 

“That enabled the board to get up and running and start to do all of the things that need to get done for a new state agency to get created,” Bell said. 

For Holloway, the board’s return has been a good sign for the future. 

“When we decided to (start our own shop), that’s when they started doing everything,” Holloway said. “For a minute we were without a board altogether, but like (Crystal) was saying, it’s starting to line up. It’s starting to come together slowly, but it looks like it’s really going to happen.” 

What has the board done so far? 

Bell said the board began meeting in late January and first addressed issues that had held up licenses, such as setting a passing score for the licensing exam. That allowed applicants to learn whether they passed and what steps remained in the process. 

The board also decided to remove the practical exam from the licensing process, which some educators have said allows them focus more closely on individual learning needs rather than preparing students for a second state test. 

Since the temporary rules written in 2025 expired, the board also began developing a new set of rules chapter by chapter.

The first rules released, Chapter 11, addressed health and safety standards for shops and licensees. Bell said the board received public comments on those regulations and made changes before releasing a revised version. 

“The board received some comments on that and went back to the drawing board and made some very substantial revisions to those rules,” Bell said. 

Bell said the current rules differ from those developed in 2025. She said the board is attempting to protect customers while avoiding requirements that unnecessarily burden professionals and businesses. 

“We want to make sure the rules accomplish that goal without being overly burdensome on the licensees,” Bell said.

Bell said the board is encouraging licensees to review the temporary rules and submit written feedback before the comment period ends. 

“If you want to have an opportunity to craft the future of this agency, now’s the chance. Send in a comment,” Bell said. 

What can the public do?

Bell said written comments can be emailed to executivedirector@msbcb.ms.gov, mailed to the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering at P.O. Box 55689, Jackson, MS 39296-5689, or delivered to the board office. 

Comments must be received by June 22. 

Bell said she will gather the comments for the board, which will review them at a meeting after the deadline and decide whether additional changes are needed. 

“They’ll review all of the comments at that time and, based on the comments received, determine if they need to make any changes to make the rules even better,” Bell said. 

For Holloway, who opened her business as the state began reorganizing oversight of her industry, seeing work get started is a good sign after a period of uncertainty. 

“I think it’s headed in the right direction,” Holloway said. 

As the Obama Presidential Center prepares to open Thursday in Chicago, a broader vision of presenting the story of America’s first Black president and first lady emerges – a series of spaces honoring the civil rights and democracy leaders who inspired the Obamas’ own leadership journeys.

These include Mississippi sharecropper and voting rights advocate Fannie Lou Hamer.

Center officials said people like Hamer represent those “on whose shoulders we stand” as people across the country and around the world seek to advance progress, dignity and inclusion.

More than five years after construction began, the opening of the center honoring former President Barack and Michelle Obama will coincide with Juneteenth, the federal holiday on June 19 that commemorates the 1865 emancipation of enslaved Black Americans.

The center marks a milestone for Chicago’s South Side – where the Obamas’ journey began – creating a new civic, cultural and educational destination rooted in community and public engagement.

Situated at the entrance to the campus, the Fannie Lou Hamer Walkway serves as a “park within a park” that blends lush plantings and stone hardscapes to provide a contemplative transition between the library and forum buildings. The space honors Hamer, co-founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and the National Women’s Political Caucus, who brought national attention to the indignities faced by Black Americans and demonstrated the power of determination in the fight for voting rights.

“President and Mrs. Obama have always been clear that their ability to make change was made possible through the example of leaders, who, through their commitment, sacrifice, and passion, fought for a world where everyone has a voice,” Valerie Jarrett, CEO of The Obama Foundation, said in a news release. “The honorees we are naming today are giants of democracy who showed us all that one voice can change a room and together we can change the world.”

Hamer’s niece, Monica Land, who produced the award-winning film “Fannie Lou Hamer’s America” and oversees its educational website, said the Obamas’ recognition of Hamer’s struggle is both humbling and telling.

“Deep down, Aunt Fannie Lou wondered if what she was doing really made a difference,” Land said in the news release. “She sacrificed so much and she missed so much time with her family because she was constantly traveling on behalf of others. She had regrets. But it’s moments like this that prove that she did make a difference, and she would be so proud to see these advancements.”

Additional signage honoring Hamer appears on the north-facing wall just inside the courtyard and features one of her quotes: “And it’s no easy way out. We just got to wake up and face it, folks. And if I can face the issue, you can too.”

The Fannie Lou Hamer Walkway was made possible through the support of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois.

A fearless organizer, Hamer became one of the most important grassroots voices of the 1960s freedom movement by helping thousands to register to vote despite intimidation and violence. After being viciously beaten in a Winona, Mississippi, jail at the hands of local law enforcement in June 1963, she recounted her experience a year later during the nationally televised Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City. Following that emotionally charged testimony, Hamer became one of the most sought-after speakers of her time. 

Hamer died of breast cancer, hypertension and the aftereffects of the jailhouse beating on March 14, 1977.

Other dedicated spaces at the $380 million, 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center include the Claudette Colvin Program Room, the Dorothy Height Sky Room Vista, the Thurgood Marshall Courtyard and the Rosa Parks Courtyard Lounge. Officials said, “these named spaces will serve as lasting tributes to the giants of history, reminding every visitor that they, too, have the power to leave a lasting mark on the world.”

A one-of-its kind museum, the center is the first fully digital museum and combines high-tech and hands-on exhibits spanning the campaigns, key moments of Obama’s presidency and life at the White House, art installations, a Chicago Public Library branch, athletic facilities and community gathering spaces.

A grand opening ceremony for family members of the dedicated spaces and select guests will be held on Thursday.

OMAHA, Neb. — Colin Hynek’s three-run homer broke open a close game in the eighth inning and sent North Carolina to a 6-2 win over Mississippi in the College World Series on Friday night.

The Tar Heels prevailed in what began as a pitcher’s duel between Jason DeCaro and the Rebels’ Taylor Rabe. They had just three hits through seven innings and led 3-2 when Hynek ripped Walker Hooks’ first-pitch changeup out to left with two outs.

“You have to do special things to win and get this far already, but you have to do even more special things to win out here,” Carolina coach Scott Forbes said. “It’s all about pitching and defending and being fundamentally sound and manufacturing a run. The ballpark is going to play bigger out here, so you have to have good outings. That sets the tone.”

Carolina (51-12-1), playing in the CWS for the second time in three years, will face West Virginia on Sunday with control of Bracket 1 at stake. Mississippi (41-22), in Omaha for the first time since winning the national title in 2022, will try to stave off elimination against Troy on Sunday.

North Carolina scored twice in the seventh inning to take a 3-2 lead, with Gavin Gallaher’s line drive up the middle driving in the go-ahead run.

Rebels leadoff man Dom Decker, hitless in two CWS games for Murray State last year, doubled twice off DeCaro. Decker’s first double put Mississippi up 1-0 in the third, and he scored the go-ahead run in the seventh on Judd Utermark’s single off Caden Glauber.

DeCaro, who pitched a two-hitter against Southern California in the second game of their super regional last Saturday, struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings and appeared to get stronger as he went along until Decker’s hit in the seventh. Glauber (11-0) worked the last 2 1/3 innings.

Owen Hull, the hero of the Tar Heels’ super regional-clinching walk-off win last Sunday, homered off Rabe in the sixth to tie it at 1.

“The guy’s pitch count was pretty high, and that was our goal,” Hull said. “We knew we would get to him eventually, and we did just that.”

Rabe, who retired the next two batters before Hudson Calhoun relieved, had turned in strong starts in the regionals and super regionals but wasn’t as sharp against the Tar Heels. He allowed one hit over the first five innings, but he walked a season-high four.

The Rebels had broken through against DeCaro in the third after left fielder Tyler Howe lost Brayden Randle’s fly in the sun. The ball landed just inside the line, Randle ended up on second and he came home on Decker’s double.

“We had the lead and we couldn’t finish,” Rebels coach Mike Bianco said. “But I thought Taylor pitched his guts off today and, of course, Judd with the big hit. Just came up a little short. And it happens.

“North Carolina did more to win it than we did.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in unmarked vehicles have been conducting traffic stops and detaining people in Oxford, according to videos and accounts from local residents. 

Videos of the vehicles circulated on social media as community members warned one another of the federal agents’ presence early Tuesday and Wednesday. The rapid response network Vecindarios901 posted footage of the vehicles on Facebook in real time and continued to post warnings of further activity in the areas around Memphis.

An Oxford resident who witnessed and shot video of detentions near Mississippi Highway 6 described the behavior of ICE agents, who operated in civilian clothes under bulletproof vests, as “hostile.”

The resident requested to remain anonymous because he feared speaking publicly could harm his chances of finding a job. He described seeing the unmarked SUVs with Mississippi plates “swarm out of nowhere” and cut in front of drivers who slowed at roundabouts to yield to oncoming traffic, then immediately pull drivers and passengers out of the cars. He said they appeared to be targeting Latino drivers. 

The video shows several agents in plain clothes and bulletproof vests pulling two people from a truck and escorting them to one of the unmarked SUVs. One agent is seen throwing what appears to be the person’s cellphone back into the vehicle before closing the door and leaving, raising concerns about how detainees will be able to communicate with their families.

It is unclear where detainees have been taken. The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department did not respond to questions about the immigration enforcement or whether detainees were being held at the Lafayette County Detention Center. 

The nearest ICE detention center is 250 miles to the south in Adams County. ICE’s locator tool allows users to search for detainees nationwide, but users have reported that the tool is not always up to date.

Oxford Police Department spokesperson Breck Jones said federal immigration enforcement officers “don’t really communicate with us.”  A representative from Sheldon’s Towing said the business had towed five driverless vehicles from Highway 7 after the arrests.

Residents have not reported further apparent immigration enforcement activity on Friday. Efforts to reach ICE for comment have been unsuccessful.

The Jackson Planning and Development Department on Friday held a public forum about data centers amid a city debate over a proposed project.

“What we’re trying to do today is just have a conversation so that we can educate ourselves about what makes sense for us, said Jackson Mayor John Horhn at the start of the meeting. “Do we want this in our community? And if so, under what conditions?”

The meeting, billed as a public education forum, was announced just two days before it was held. It was unclear why there was such short notice. About 30 people attended. They were allowed to submit written questions, some of which were addressed during the meeting.

During the nearly hour-and-a-half long meeting, panelists covered topics including what artificial intelligence and data centers are, how many jobs data centers might bring, and what communities can do to get the most benefit from the projects.

“I always encourage the city, these companies have deep pockets. When they’re coming to the table, they know that you have something of value and you should demand the same in return,” said panel speaker Nashlie Sephus, founder of the Bean Path, a tech education nonprofit in Jackson.  

Other panelists included James Lott, Ward 6 Alderman in Clinton; and Natasha Parker with the Georgia Institute of Technology Real Estate and Development Office.

The meeting was facilitated by Butler Snow attorneys Tray Hairston and Charity Karanja. Hairston said that Butler Snow serves as the city’s outside counsel on public finance and other matters, and the company was asked to moderate the panel. 

Hairston said the city would summarize the questions and publish answers online. 

Hands across the room went up when Angela Brown, the director of the city’s Planning and Development Department, asked if anybody had learned something at the forum.

Some attendees said that they found the panel helpful. Others said they wished there was time to ask follow-up questions and some were skeptical.

“The meeting was informative, in terms of giving a profile of all the different forms of data centers,” said Sabir Abdul-Haqq, director of public engagement at Mississippi for a Just World. But he added that he would have liked to hear from the perspective of someone more opposed to data centers.

 “I think this was a missed opportunity for our community,” Abdul-Haqq said.

Data centers have rapidly been proposed across Mississippi and the country. At the beginning of 2025, Mississippi had announced two projects. It now has seven in the works. The projects have faced growing pushback from residents. 

The developer of the proposed Jackson project, New Jersey-based Saxum Investment Company, is asking the city to rezone 230 acres of land from mostly residential and commercial to heavy industrial use in northwest Jackson. Most of the land has never been developed and is still covered by trees and brush. However, there is a small, 2-acre farm in the middle of the land.

In May, Ward 4 Council Member Brian Grizzell proposed a six-month ban on any data-center construction or permitting to give the council time to understand the issue and put needed regulations in place. The proposal cited concerns over a data centers’ potential environmental pollution, noise pollution and impact on the city’s infrastructure.

The council debated the moratorium but ultimately voted to table the proposal to clarify the legal picture. The city attorney said that the moratorium could constitute a zoning change and would require a public hearing with a 15-day public notice.

A few days after the council vote, the developer postponed its zoning hearing before the city Planning Board. At the meeting, amid a crowd opposed to the project, the developer’s lawyer said that the company wanted time to talk with the city.

Fierce debate over the project has continued. 

The Planning Board is currently scheduled to take up the rezoning application again during its June 24 meeting. 

Editor’s note: Tray Hairston, an attorney with Butler Snow, serves on the Board of Directors of Deep South Today, the parent company of Mississippi Today.

The president of the union representing Jackson’s bus drivers said he thinks membership is “98 percent” likely to vote for a strike amid stalled contract negotiations with the company that runs JTRAN.

If members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1208 vote later on Friday to strike, Charles Tornes, the president, said the union will let the company know when the workers plan to stop working. 

The union has been negotiating with MV Transportation, the company contracted to run JTRAN since early 2024, about pay raises and other issues. Tornes said the last day of negotiations was Wednesday. 

“We’re at an impasse,” he told Mississippi Today on Friday. 

In an open letter to the city released Thursday, MV Transportation claimed the union had rejected a company proposal that would have raised wages for some employees. 

“Rather than recognize the realities of a difficult situation and seek to find common ground, local union leaders flatly refused every proposal presented, including proposals to get the help of a federal mediator in order to resolve our differences,” the letter said. 

Tornes said the company’s description of its proposal in the letter was inaccurate. 

“Well, absolutely all that is false,” he said. 

The potential strike comes as MV Transportation is proposing an overhaul to the city’s bus system that would shorten the work day by two hours, eliminate two routes, cease Saturday services and expand on-demand “microtransit” services, which involve on-demand, shared rides in smaller vehicles. 

The city’s Planning and Development Department brought the redesign before the Jackson City Council on June 2, but the council did not vote and referred the agenda item to a planning committee. 

The proposed changes alarmed a vocal contingent of bus riders in Jackson who rely on JTRAN to get around the city. 

“Nothing happens in my world without JTRAN,” Scott Crawford, a Jackson resident and disability rights advocate, said. 

It has also drawn union opposition. The union said it had asked the company for details of the redesign, but the company never provided it. 

“Of course, the public is against it and we’re against it,” Tornes said. “We think all the routes we have are essential.” 

MV Transportation and the union have been negotiating a contract since a previous collective-bargaining agreement expired in December 2025. 

The union and MV Transportation have sparred in the past, with members voting to strike for two weeks in 2024. 

Federal mediators ultimately assisted in resolving the dispute.