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Gov. Tate Reeves announced Wednesday new pilot programs aimed to combat obesity, eliminate obstetric care deserts and expand mental health services in rural Mississippi. 

The programs will be funded with federal Rural Health Transformation Program dollars. The Mississippi State Department of Health will oversee the projects designed to reduce obesity through Make America Healthy Again movement principles, track chronic conditions through remote patient-care monitoring and deploy mobile clinics to areas lacking access to prenatal or obstetric care. 

The Department of Mental Health will launch a new telehealth program for veterans and first responders, expand crisis diversion centers to provide an alternative to emergency departments and jails for people experiencing mental health crises and expand access to evidence-based training programs for behavioral healthcare staff. 

“This is not a collection of individual or separate projects,” said Reeves, who spearheaded the state’s application for the federal dollars last fall and is overseeing their distribution. “It’s one, coordinated project.”

In December, Mississippi was awarded nearly $206 million as a part of the Rural Health Transformation Program. States will receive payments over five years as a part of the national $50 billion program, which was designed to support rural health care and offset the disproportionate impact rural hospitals are expected to face as a result of federal spending cuts Congress passed into law last summer. 

Mississippi’s plan included a statewide rural health assessment and other initiatives focused on coordinating care, strengthening the workforce, creating a statewide health information exchange, expanding telehealth opportunities and improving infrastructure. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved Mississippi’s program budget in April. Mississippi must obligate the funds by October and spend them by Sept. 30, 2027. 

Reeves said the state received 726 applications from 236 organizations for the initial three grant opportunities offered as a part of the program. Applications for the initiatives, which focus on facility improvements, upgrading technology systems and increasing telehealth capacity, were due by July 15. Reeves said applicants requested more than $676 million in funding for $81.7 million in available funds.

“The need is greater than the funding available in the first round,” Reeves said during a Wednesday press conference that was broadcast on social media.

Richard Grimes, program director for Mississippi’s Rural Health Transformation Program Office, said state agencies will be responsible for the scoring and evaluation of the grant applications, keeping a firewall between program administration and scorekeeping. 

Decisions about funding will be made using a scoring rubric designed to identify the projects that will make the greatest difference for rural Mississippians. The first three grant programs’ applications have begun being evaluated by independent reviewers, whose recommendations will be vetted by the Mississippi State Department of Health.

The program’s office currently seeks applications for workforce development and psychiatric emergency services grant opportunities. Applications are due by Aug.17 and will be reviewed by the state Department of Mental Health and Accelerate Mississippi, the state’s workforce development agency.

The state has also released requests for proposals for an assessment of the emergency medical system’s capacity and expertise to begin designing a health information exchange, Reeves said. 

Grant recipients will be required to pay for most projects upfront and then be reimbursed, though there may be some exceptions. Reeves said his office will work with awardees to ensure the process is not burdensome.

“The reimbursement’s going to happen as soon as humanly possible,” he said.

Attorney General Lynn Fitch kicked off her statewide tour promoting her 2027 campaign for governor by promising to speed up the income tax elimination, improve the state’s healthcare outcomes and work to make Mississippi more affordable.

Speaking at the Mississippi Republican Party headquarters in downtown Jackson on Wednesday, Fitch described herself as aligned with President Donald Trump and said she wants to make Mississippi the “leader in conservative governance.”

“Together, we will make a bold and sustaining change for Mississippi,” Fitch said. “That is how we make the most of this moment in time. That is how we make Mississippi the nation’s leader. That is how we give you and your family the best future.” 

In 2025, the Legislature passed a bill to phase out Mississippi’s income tax, which Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed into law. 

Mississippi is currently reducing its income tax rate to 4% from a previously passed tax cut being phased in. Beginning next year, the new law will reduce that rate by .25% over four years until it reaches 3%. In 2031, the tax will be reduced incrementally each year as certain revenue “growth triggers” are met. 

Lawmakers have predicted that the income tax could be eliminated in roughly 13 years if the revenue growth triggers are met.

As state lawmakers cut taxes, they are facing tough funding choices. During the 2026 session, the Legislature adopted a $7.4 billion state budget in which the Division of Medicaid was funded through excess cash reserves. Legislative leaders said they did not give public teachers a large pay raise because of the Division of Medicaid’s funding needs. 

Fitch told reporters that she would be “very diligent” and look for the “correct revenue stream” to responsibly speed up the elimination of the income tax. 

“If you’re not paying your personal income tax, that is a huge benefit for you,” Fitch said. “That’s a huge benefit for the workforce as we attract businesses.” 

Fitch is the first woman to serve as attorney general in Mississippi. If elected, she would be the first female governor in the state’s history. 

With Fitch as the state’s top legal officer, attorneys from her office argued the landmark  Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that overturned national abortion rights, and now abortion is almost entirely banned in Mississippi and in multiple other states. 

Fitch’s role in that case has made her a lightning rod for supporters of abortion rights, as well as a champion of the anti-abortion movement. Mississippi has some of the worst maternal health and infant mortality outcomes in the nation. 

She told supporters at the Jackson event that she wants to promote policies that improve Mississippi’s health outcomes. When asked how she would do that, she pointed to her record on suing pharmacy benefit managers on behalf of the state. PBMs oversee prescription drug plans for employer and have been accused of driving up drug prices.

“I don’t mind going after these big companies like the pharmacy benefit managers who are not doing the right thing,” Fitch said. 

Wednesday’s event in Jackson was the first of a multiple appearances across the state over three days where Fitch will tout her plans and qualifications to succeed Reeves, who is constitutionally prohibited from seeking a third term in 2027.

Fitch, a Holly Springs native, was elected to two terms as state treasurer before being elected attorney general in 2019. She began her legal career in the attorney general’s office as a special assistant attorney general. 

She has also served as executive director of the Mississippi State Personnel Board, worked in private practice and was deputy executive director of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.

Fitch joins what’s expected to be a crowded Republican primary for governor. So far, Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson and former House Speaker Philip Gunn have announced they’re running for governor. 

Other possible contenders for governor are state Auditor Shad White, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, former U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper, businessman and radio talk show host Gerard Gibert and billionaire businessman Tommy Duff. 

Here is a list of candidates who have announced they are running for statewide office in 2027: 

Governor: 

Lynn Fitch (R)

Andy Gipson (R)

Philip Gunn (R)

Lieutenant Governor: 

Michael Watson (R)

Secretary of State: 

Shuwaski Young (R)

State Auditor: 

Nick Bain (R)

Daniel Sparks (R)

A federal agency has approved a set of proposals to build a new natural gas pipeline system that will span the width of Mississippi.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission announced the approval Friday, reasoning that the new infrastructure would serve a need for additional gas transportation in the southeastern United States. The decision came despite protests from environmental groups and landowners in the impacted states, which also include Alabama and Georgia.

The new pipeline, a joint project between Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. and Southern Natural Gas Co., will take gas from an existing network and send it from Greenville across Mississippi to Butler, Alabama. The line will go through Washington, Humphreys, Holmes, Attala, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Lauderdale and Clarke counties. New compressor stations will also be built in Humphreys, Attala and Lauderdale counties.

The 206 miles of new pipeline will provide up to 1.5 billion cubic feet a day of added transportation capacity, according to FERC. The $1.7-billion project is set to create 750 temporary jobs and 15 permanent positions, according to Kinder Morgan, the applicants’ parent company.

Environmental groups, including in Mississippi, expressed concern over the more than 2,000 water bodies the pipeline’s route crosses, as well as surrounding wildlife habitat and air quality. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, whose reservation in Neshoba County is adjacent to the pipeline’s route, said it received limited consultation over the proposal and told Mississippi Today it didn’t think there was enough consideration of impacts to historical artifacts.

“The pipeline would split my property, and I do not believe the company has offered fair options for landowners other than a one-time payment,” Trevor Langston, a Leake County property owner, wrote in a recent comment submitted to FERC. “That payment does not adequately account for the long-term loss of use, value, and impact to the property over the years.

“This land has been passed down through my family, and we do not wish to lose it to a gas line.”

FERC, the federal body in charge of regulating interstate transport of energy sources, such as natural gas, said the pipeline’s route largely overlaps with or is near existing rights-of-way. The commission, in the July 31 order, wrote that the companies “have taken appropriate steps to minimize adverse economic impacts on landowners and surrounding communities affected by the” pipeline project.

“The Commission finds that there is no basis to conclude that property sales, demand, and development decisions would be significantly impacted on land surrounding proposed project facilities,” FERC wrote. “As for use and enjoyment of property, we find that Applicants’ route design, co-location, as well as the mitigation measures prescribed in this order adequately address these impacts.”

The Trump administration cut the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s workforce without a plan, Congress’ watchdog found.

The disaster-response agency is at risk of being unprepared and without the necessary staff to respond to future emergencies, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released Tuesday.

As of May, FEMA has pushed out over 6,400 employees since President Donald Trump took office last year, according to data maintained by the Office of Personnel Management. FEMA is now trying to hire nearly 350 employees deemed a priority by the agency, according to the GAO, although the watchdog says that as of last month, FEMA still hasn’t done the analysis and planning related to its workforce necessary to make sure that it’s prepared for future disasters.

“FEMA did not base its workforce reduction decisions or proposed future workforce actions on an analysis of the current state of its workforce or a forecast of future requirements,” the report says. “As a result, FEMA does not know the impact of these changes on its capacity to meet mission needs now or in the future.”

After scrapping its strategic plan in May of last year, the agency waited to develop a new one until a FEMA Review Council established by Trump issued its report, which didn’t happen for another year due to several delays in its release. Typically, FEMA’s strategic plan would be used to guide workforce planning. The panel ultimately recommended in May of this year that much of the responsibility for disaster response be shifted to state and local government.

In the meantime, FEMA is still without goalposts to guide its actions. Because of this, FEMA hasn’t conducted workforce planning for future incidents — including the 2026 hurricane season, the GAO says.

The office said that it found “no evidence” that DHS or FEMA leadership assessed the impact of the agency’s move earlier this year to reduce the number of on-call employees who help with disaster recovery. In May, the agency began offering employees new appointments after previously not renewing their contracts.

Since Trump took office, FEMA did submit a staffing plan to DHS late last year that proposed cutting FEMA’s workforce in half. But there isn’t any evidence that that was based on a workforce analysis, either, the GAO says. That proposed reduction to 11,383 employees was made despite staffing analysis from program and regional offices that recommended the agency have 23,000 employees.

“With the start of the 2026 hurricane season and the increasing cost and complexity of federal support as natural disasters become more frequent and intense, FEMA is facing similar or greater risk of disaster workforce capacity and competency limitations than the agency faced in 2024 following Hurricanes Helene and Milton,” the watchdog agency said in the report.

Long-standing workforce challenges hampered FEMA’s response to those back-to-back disasters in 2024, the GAO has previously reported.

As part of its latest report, the GAO recommended that lawmakers consider providing “additional accountability” by mandating that future workforce changes at FEMA are informed by workforce planning at the agency and requiring that FEMA report to Congress on its workforce planning process before every hurricane season.

The report comes after a tumultuous year and a half for the agency, which has had four acting administrators since January 2025. This is both the longest it hasn’t had a confirmed administrator and the highest turnover in at least 15 years, according to the GAO.

Trump nominated one of those previous acting administrators, Cameron Hamilton, to lead the agency in May after ousting him just a year prior over Hamilton publicly breaking with the administration’s efforts to dismantle the agency. He’s yet to be confirmed by the Senate.

FEMA is also in the midst of an ongoing lawsuit arguing that separating the agency’s on-call response and recovery employees by refusing to renew their terms was unlawful.

DHS said in a response included in the GAO report that it “remains committed to continuing to help people before, during, and after disasters, as we seek to bring real reform to FEMA to meet the challenges of mission delivery and enhance how we assist survivors.”

In Tyler Cleveland’s absence, 51-year Mississippi sports writing veteran Billy Watkins joins the podcast to co-host with Rick Cleveland, who has been covering Mississippi sports for 60 years. They have a few memories.

Monday nights at Hal & Mal’s are usually crowded with karaoke, live blues and Capital City Pride trivia. But even the Jackson staple could feel the effects of the typically slow season. 

“August can sometimes not be the busiest month as people are transitioning out of summer break back into their routines,” said Damien Cavicchi, the restaurant’s owner.

Visit Jackson, the city’s marketing agency, is hoping to help bridge that gap across the city through JXN Restaurant Week, a weeklong campaign that runs through Saturday aimed at boosting restaurant sales during a notably slow time. 

“JXN Restaurant Week is an opportunity to celebrate the chefs, restaurateurs and hospitality professionals who help define Jackson while encouraging residents and visitors to discover new favorites and support local businesses,” Visit Jackson CEO Ricky L. Thigpen said in a statement.

Urban Foxes is just one of 12 restaurants running a special this week — offering a 15% student discount. The coffeehouse’s co-owner Cody Cox said the weeklong event has helped put a focus back on local restaurants. 

“Everyone’s getting back to school and getting back to a work schedule,” Cox said. “So it’s good to be like, ‘Hey, here’s some favorites that you might have not been visiting this summer.’” 

Patrons browsing Visit Jackson’s website can find localized dining itineraries alongside special discounts and menus. 

Visit Jackson will also host a daily scavenger hunt alongside a spend-to-win  giveaway during the week. It’s a new tactic Destination Development Manager Kim Lewis said is meant to boost participation among diners. 

Patrons who spend $25 or more can message their receipt to 601-509-5674 for a chance to win two VIP tickets to the 2027 Jackson Food and Wine Festival. Runner-up prizes include a gift card basket valued at $150.

Clues for the scavenger hunt are posted to Instagram and Facebook every day at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., leading scavengers to restaurant gift cards ranging from $10 to $50.

“We’re really trying to engage with the community. Not just saying, ‘Hey, these restaurants are here. Go see them.’ But to really engage and get people involved,” Lewis said. 

In previous years, restaurant week coincided with the state fair or National Travel and Tourism Week. Conversations with restaurant owners led Visit Jackson to move the event to the end of the summer. 

Those conversations also led to many of the changes implemented this year. The adjustments include meal times beyond lunch. Neighborhood-based itineraries changed to reflect new restaurants in the area.

Despite Visit Jackson’s efforts, some restaurant owners told Mississippi Today that they weren’t informed about the event – and aren’t participating.

Lewis urged restaurant owners who want to participate to reach out.

With the newly updated schedule and implemented changes, Visit Jackson hopes to continue growing restaurant week to draw more tourists to the city. 

“There’s Michelin-recognized restaurants and James Beard award-winning restaurants,” Lewis said of the capital city’s culinary scene. “There’s some great stuff here in Jackson, and sometimes we just have to remind people of that.”eople of that.”

Federal investigators have charged at least two more out-of-state people with allegedly threatening a witness and state court employees authorities believe are connected to the Nolan Xavier Wells’ death investigation. 

Ohio resident Michelle Edwards and Illinois resident Edward Porter each face a federal charge of transmitting threatening communication to kill or injure. Court records do not state what the maximum penalty would be if convicted, but the portions of federal law under which they are both charged carry sentences between five and 20 years. 

The court unsealed their charges Friday, the same day a California man was arrested for allegedly sending a bomb and death threat to a Mississippi Gulf Coast chancery judge who is the stepmother of a friend who went to Horn Island with Wells and others on July 4. A park ranger discovered Wells’ body on the island on July 6, after his friends had already returned home. 

Investigators from an FBI task force said Edwards called in bomb threats to the George County Chancery Clerk’s Office and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department the afternoon of July 23. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department is leading the death investigation, and George and Jackson counties are both in the chancery judge’s district.

Edwards allegedly used a blocked phone number when she called the clerk’s office 21 times between 1:34 and 1:42 p.m., according to the criminal complaint. During the calls, she said, “Do not go outside,” “the clock is ticking,” and “die.” 

She also allegedly called the sheriff’s office twice using the *67 function, which makes the caller ID appear as private, unknown or blocked. Those calls led law enforcement to place the building on lockdown and use a bomb detection dog to sweep the area. 

Investigators submitted disclosure requests to telephone companies, which identified an Ohio number. A Cash App account and law enforcement records listed the phone number under Edwards’ name. Cell site information from July 23 included an area in Cincinnati where Edwards had two listed addresses. 

The complaint accuses Porter of threatening to kill a witness in the Wells death investigation and another person in Mississippi on Friday morning; in both cases, Porter threatened to kill the person’s family members.

He allegedly told the witness, who is identified in court records as “W-1,” that he knew where they live and provided proof by texting the witness their address. Porter told the other person, identified as “W-2,” that he would cut them up and put them into a suitcase. Then, investigators say Porter called the witness back to say he was outside their home to kill them. 

The threats came from a Gulfport-area text free number, which allows people to make calls and send texts over the internet. Agents requested information from a company called Pinger about the number, and the company provided two IP addresses tied to Porter, which included a Chicago-area number and a Maywood, Illinois, address.

Agents found that the Pinger account used to make the threats was created the same day the threats were sent. Cell site information placed an iPhone under Porter’s name at his residence in Berwyn, Illinois. 

Wells’ disappearance and death have captured national attention, which has included the spread of theories and misinformation on social media and threats made against people believed to be involved. 

The FBI is investigating threats received by friends of Wells, their families, Wells’ parents and local and state public officials working on the case. So far, none of the threats against Wells’ family has resulted in an arrest. 

Wells, 18, traveled by boat with a group of friends to Horn Island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast to celebrate the Fourth of July. He did not return to Ocean Springs and was reported missing. 

His death remains under investigation and a cause of death has not been released. The case is expected to be presented to a grand jury once the investigation is complete. 

Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here..   

Since 1999, the MARVET, Marine Veterinary Medicine Team, has introduced veterinarians and students to aquatic medicine with an emphasis on the ecosystem and the inclusive One Health model, typically hosting two international workshops per year.

Our session this summer, which for the second consecutive year was hosted by the Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport, was among our most remarkable experiences yet.

Mississippi Aquarium’s critical watershed connection to Gulf waters and its proximity to other regional marine facilities make it a perfect and dynamic venue for teaching the One Health model, highlighting the bonds between human, animal and environmental health.

This summer, the beautiful, world-class facility brought together students and expert instructors from diverse backgrounds and institutions from across the globe, including institutions from Alabama, Cornell, Iowa, Disney, Florida, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (The University of Southern Mississippi), Mississippi State University, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, with students coming from Alabama, Arizona, Indiana, Minnesota, Texas, Wisconsin, Brazil, Grenada and the United Kingdom.

The success of the workshop was driven by Alexa Delaune, the vice president of Veterinary Care, and her outstanding team. Delaune volunteered her time to lead high-energy clinical lectures and critical hands-on labs for experiential learning – including an extraordinary opportunity for our group to observe the release of two sea turtles back to the wild, following their successful rehabilitation by the Mississippi Aquarium veterinary care team.

The entire staff inspired us with their genuine enthusiasm, warmth and willingness to share their knowledge on marine species and the marine environment.

Gulfport and the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast should be incredibly proud of the Mississippi Aquarium. It is a vital asset to both the local community and the global scientific field. Because of this exceptional partnership, we are already planning to bring MARVET back to the Mississippi Aquarium in 2027.

Christine A. Curry is a passionate advocate for environmental stewardship, combining science, creativity and community engagement to drive change. An experienced project and product developer, she has spearheaded initiatives in marine conservation and sustainable agriculture and now collaborates across Iowa and the Mississippi River watershed to protect clean water, restore ecosystems, improve soil health and strengthen climate resilience. She is co-founder of MARVET, the Marine Veterinary Medicine Team, and a trustee of the nonprofit “Institute for Global Health and Health Policy”, which sponsors MARVET as an educational outreach. 

Just over halfway through 2026, Mississippi received its third federal disaster declaration of the year.

President Donald Trump approved the declaration on Tuesday to help the state recover from Tropical Storm Arthur.

From June 18-20, Arthur brought dangerous flooding, tornadoes, straight-line winds and severe weather to south Mississippi, damaging 532 homes and killing one person in Franklin County.

“I’m grateful to President Trump and his administration for assisting Mississippi as we recover from the storm,” said Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement Tuesday. “This declaration will further strengthen our recovery efforts and deliver additional support to Mississippians. We continue praying for every community impacted. The state of Mississippi will continue to assist for as long as it takes.”

The storm brought 30 inches of rain to the state over five days and forced several rivers into major flood stages, threatening multiple dams, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

Hancock, Harrison, Pearl River and Stone counties all are approved for individual assistance, which provides direct aid to affect residents. Approved for public assistance, which sends grants to support local governments, are Covington, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Pearl River, Stone and Wayne counties.

The declaration marks the third one Trump has approved for the state this year, following Winter Storm Fern in late January and seven tornadoes that struck south Mississippi in early May. It marks the most federal disaster declarations the state has received since 2020. Mississippi saw six declarations approved that year, including for Hurricane Zeta and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Impacted residents in counties approved for individual assistance can apply for support by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA app. They can also visit the MEMA website for more information.

STONE COUNTY — As Hood Industries prepares to permanently close its Wiggins plywood mill at the end of August, community organizations are working to help approximately 250 displaced employees find new jobs and connect them with financial, mental health and other support services. 

A two-day job fair for former Hood Industries employees will be held Aug. 14 from noon to 6 p.m. and Aug. 15 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Perkinston campus. The event is part of a coordinated rapid response effort following the company’s announcement that the mill would close after Tropical Storm Arthur caused significant damage to the facility. 

The mill has operated in Wiggins for 56 years. 

“We are part of the rapid response team,” said Rachael Kunz, associate vice president of workforce solutions at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. “Rapid response starts immediately after the announcement of the closing of an industry partner … as a community college, we want to serve our community.” 

Kunz said the job fair was organized within a week of Hood Industries announcing the closure July 7. 

The rapid response team includes Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, the Mississippi Department of Human Services and Stone County Economic Development. In collaboration with MGCCC, Stone County Economic Development has also launched a website connecting residents with job opportunities, school supply assistance, mental health resources, food assistance and other community services. 

Kunz said the effects of the closure will extend beyond the mill’s workforce. 

“It’s not just the employees,” she said. “Suppliers, restaurants and other small businesses throughout the community will also feel the impact.”

Hood Industries said approximately 250 employees are affected by the closure. Company President Jay Galloway called the decision difficult.  

“We are well aware of the impact this decision will have on the Wiggins employees, their families and community,” Galloway said in a statement. 

The company said affected employees will meet with Hood Industries representatives to discuss transition assistance and opportunities at other company facilities. Employees will continue receiving pay through Sept. 5 as part of the company’s transition plan. 

For longtime employees, the closure marks the end of decades of work. 

Joseph Fairley spent 25 years at the mill as a lift driver before being laid off July 24.

“It was sad because I just never thought that it would close,” Fairley said. “It’s been there so long. I didn’t see it coming. It didn’t hit me that day … but the next day it did.” 

Fairley said the facility needed repairs before Tropical Storm Arthur damaged the mill, including work on the roof, but he hoped the problems would eventually be addressed. 

Lew Douglas Schuit, who worked at the mill for 13 years as a machine and forklift operator before also being laid off July 24, described hearing the news as “a sinking feeling.” 

“I wasn’t necessarily expecting it,” Schuit said. “With what they had said was the cause, it’s something I knew would happen eventually. I figured it would be able to be reconciled.” 

Hood Industries is also expanding operations elsewhere in Mississippi, with a new sawmill in Wayne County and a new plywood mill in Perry County expected to be completed later this year. Fairley believes those investments influenced the company’s decision not to repair the Wiggins facility.

“I don’t think the owner wanted to put a lot of money in here because he put a lot of money into the new mills,” Fairley said. 

As the community prepares for the mill’s final weeks, Fairley said he is focused on taking time to recover before deciding what comes next. 

“Right now, I’m going to take some time off, just for my mental health,” he said. “I’ve been working so long. I’ve raised my kids through that mill, so I’m going to take a couple of months off.”