Location: Weezie’s Deli
See y’all there!!!
Debris and Drop Veils
My youngest son, (we affectionately refer to him online as Spawn, though that’s not his given name, so calm down, Sharon) was helping me pick up the living room the other day. We had rearranged the furniture slightly, and uncovered some things left over from the holidays that hadn’t been put away properly yet, and we were sorting through all that when we found this odd roll of black netting.
I had bought it a few weeks prior because I stupidly thought I was going to use it as some kind of pet door blocker (it was not a decorative or hosiery type of netting, but think tennis or badminton netting). I’m not sure what was going through my head that made me think that would work, but we’d tried it, and it was a huge fail, for both our little dog and our tiny little murder goblin of a cat. So I guess we’d just rolled it back up and tossed it in a box to collect dust.
I looked at it in resignation laying there, and Spawn picked it up.
Spawn: What should I do with this?
Me: (huge sigh) That was just a really dumb impulse buy on my part. You may as well throw it in the trash. We’re not ever going to use it.
Spawn: (looks at it intently) What if we … used it for, like … maybe, a mourning veil…
Me: … Well …
Spawn: (whips it over his shoulders like a pashmina and then arranges it over it his face like a widow’s veil) Like this.
Me: … Well…
Spawn: You know…
Me: I know, but—
Spawn: …Like somebody died.
Me: … We don’t really do funerals as extra as you see on TV, sweetie. I like where your head is at, though.
Spawn: I still think it’s a good idea.
Me: So you’re saying we should keep it. Maybe we could use it for a Halloween prop?
Spawn: That’ll work.
Me: Ok. You know where I store all the spooky things in here. Go shove it in there.
Spawn: YAY!!!
While I both applaud his “don’t waste things” attitude, and worry over his blossoming hoarding tendencies at the same time, he still KILLS me with the way he is SO dramatic and EXTRA at all times.
The world is not ready for this child.
I’m telling you.
The Rundown: Friday 1/10/20
Good morning Tupelo! Today is Friday, January 10, 2020. It is the 10th day of the year. There are 356 days left in the year (don’t forget this is Leap Year!) and 68 days left of winter! Valentine’s Day is in 35 days, and Spring starts in 69 days.
If you’d like to become a sponsor of our daily Rundown, please contact joshua.ballard@ourtupelo.com or call 662-260-1498
HAPPENING TODAY
Today in Tupelo, here are the things going on around town:
Don’t forget that the drawing is TODAY for the free tickets to the Miranda Lambert concert! There will be two drawings held today for the January 16th concert, meaning that there will be two lucky winners who will receive a free pair of tickets EACH. We’ll be live on Facebook some time later today for updates on those lucky winners!
If you have little ones, don’t miss Storytime at Reed’s Gumtree Bookstore at 10:30 a.m.
We still have a free family four-pack of tickets to see the Harlem Globetrotters at the Bancorpsouth Arena on January 13 to give away to our followers here at OurTupelo! As a bonus, these four tickets also come with Magic Passes! We’ll be running this promotion though January 11 — that’s tomorrow, people! — and announcing the winner at noon-ish on that day. Make sure to check out the pinned post on our Facebook page for details on how to win!
The Tupelo Flea Market is this weekend! It’ll be in Building 1 of the Tupelo Furniture Market. As always, the Tupelo Flea Market has free parking, and handicapped accessible spaces are available. Admission to the Flea Market is $1.00 per person. Children 5 and under are admitted free. Flea Market hours this weekend are as follows: Friday, from 8am until 9pm; Saturday, from 9am until 7pm; and Sunday, from 10am until 5pm.
Wear It Well, a local charity owned and operated by Katina Davis Holland, has been mobile, making it difficult for them to hold meetings, conduct classes, or transform cancer patients with makeover sessions, until now. The former home of Charles and Ruth Morris at 826 West Jefferson Street will now become a partner with Wear It Well allowing them to use the home as their permanent location. The grand opening for the charity will be at today at 1:00 pm. The public is invited to attend.
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
In Tupelo:
The Tupelo DAV will have Southbound at 8 p.m.
Steele’s Dive will have Wes Sheffield & The Slowburners at 9 p.m.
Blue Canoe will have the Royal Horses at 9 p.m.
The Thirsty Devil will have Johnny Lawhorn and the Pentagram String Band at 9 p.m.
Old Venice will have Blacktop Ridge at 8 p.m.
The Stables will have John West at 9 p.m.
Nautical Whimsey will have Andurson at 6:30 p.m.
The Shade Tree Lounge will have Big Daddy Karaoke at 8 p.m.
Romie’s Grocery will have Karly & The Brotherhood
Legends Sports Grille in Fulton will have Karaoke with Shona at 7 p.m.
Muddy Waters Sports Bar in Columbus will have Tim Sheffield at 9 p.m.
Sydnei’s Grill & Catering in Pontotoc will have Blake Dixon at 7:30 p.m.
FOOD TRUCKS
Tupelo’s Food Trucks can be found today at the following locations:
Taquería Ferrus is on West Main beside Computer Universe.
Gypsy Roadside Mobile will be at Fairpark from 11 to 2 p.m.
Local Mobile will be at Fairpark from 11 – 1:30 p.m.
Jo’s Cafe will be set up at Longtown Medical Plaza, right at the end of their awning when you enter
from Eason Boulevard, from 11–1:30.
If we missed a listing you know of, please let us know!
Want us to know about something coming up? Just tag our Facebook page, or you can even mark us co-host on an event you are having on your Facebook event listing. You can also send us a message on our Facebook page, or shoot us an email at submit@ourtupelo.com and we will help you share it.
Be sure to check out our extended calendar of events as well, for upcoming happenings in the area!
Have a great day and get out there and enjoy Our Tupelo!
* We update all listings periodically as new information becomes available.
MLK Annual Celebration
Seeking love, compassion, respect, and racial harmony for all people.
The Committee for King was formed in 1986. Its purpose is to fulfill the dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Since the Committee for King started, it has made significant contributions to Tupelo and the North Mississippi area. Each year, the Committee for King and the City of Tupelo, in a cooperative effort, along with other organizations, host a 4-day, community-wide celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
As a result of these events, CFK offers scholarships to deserving high school seniors, provides educational and cultural enrichment to our community, as well as bringing citizens of all races together to appreciate our likeness and understand our differences. As a result of these four days of events, the average overall attendance is about 2500 people, which makes it the largest MLK celebration in Mississippi.1
APOLLO NIGHT
FRI, JAN 17, 6:00 PM
Tupelo Civic Auditorium
MCs Stan Allen, Cee Cee Jackson, Candace Knowles & Bridgett Shelly
BLACK-TIE BANQUET
SAT, JAN 18, 7:00 PM
BancorpSouth Arena
Speaker: Dr. Robert Solomon
COMMEMORATIVE SERVICE PROGRAM
SUN, JAN 19, 2:30 PM
Tupelo Civic Auditorium
Doniphan Dance Project, Hattilou Theatre, Phi Beta Sigma Steppers,
TPSD Elementary Students
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
MON, JAN 20, 11:00 AM
VF Mall Motorcade to St Paul Christian Life Center
Speaker: Dr. Richard Price
The Rundown: Thursday 1/9/20
Good morning Tupelo! Today is Thursday, January 9, 2020. It is the 9th day of the year. There are 357 days left in the year (don’t forget this is Leap Year!) and 69 days left of winter! Valentine’s Day is in 36 days, and Spring starts in 70 days.
If you’d like to become a sponsor of our daily Rundown, please contact joshua.ballard@ourtupelo.com or call 662-260-1498
HAPPENING TODAY
Today in Tupelo, here are the things going on around town:
Miranda Lambert’s Little Red Wagon Tour is partnering with the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society to help them get what they need to take care of all those sweet animals! From now until January 10, 2020, you can bring donations to Steele’s Dive to be entered into a drawing for two free tickets. There will be two drawings held on January 10 for the January 16th concert, meaning that there will be two lucky winners who will receive a free pair of tickets EACH.
We have a free family four-pack of tickets to see the Harlem Globetrotters at the Bancorpsouth Arena on January 13 to give away to our followers here at OurTupelo! As a bonus, these four tickets also come with Magic Passes! We’ll be running this promotion though January 11, and announcing the winner at noon-ish on that day. Make sure to check out the pinned post on our Facebook page for details on how to win!
Storyplay at the Lee County Library in Tupelo is today at 9:30am. Storyplay is a storytime program featuring songs, rhymes, activities, and books more suitable for the baby to toddler set. Play will be highlighted and embraced during this program and modifications will be presented to accommodate different abilities and age groups.
Be sure and hit up the Lyric Theatre at 2 p.m. for the unveiling of the Elvis monument as part of the driving tour of Tupelo.
The Columbus Arts Council invites you to their Worlds Collide exhibit as the amazing pottery of Stephen Phillips meets the action figure photography of Erik Studdard! This main gallery exhibit will be a display of super hero might and super villain force! You’ll also not want to miss checking out the art from the Columbus Air Force Base Youth Group in Artist Alley. A reception for the artists will be held from 5:30-7pm and is free and open to the public.
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
- Steele’s Dive will have Michael Thomas at 7 p.m.
- Blue Canoe will be hosting Local Licks Songwriters in the Round, featuring Andurson, John Spears, Brian Harrison at 7:30 p.m.
- Woody’s will have DJ E Karaoke at 8 p.m.
- Old Venice will have Karaoke with DJ Dayton at 7 p.m.
- The Tallahatchie Gourmet in New Albany will have Misbehavin’ at 7 p.m.
FOOD TRUCKS
Tupelo’s Food Trucks can be found today at the following locations:
- Taquería Ferrus is on West Main beside Computer Universe.
- Gypsy Roadside Mobile will be TBA
- Local Mobile will be at Midtown Point on Industrial Road 11 – 1:30 p.m.
- Jo’s Cafe will be at Midtown Point on Industrial Road 11 – 1:30 p.m.
If we missed listing an event you know of, let us know!
Want us to know about something coming up? Just tag our Facebook page, or you can even mark us co-host on an event you are having on your Facebook event listing. You can also send us a message on our Facebook page, or shoot us an email at submit@ourtupelo.com and we will help you share it.
Be sure to check out our extended calendar of events as well, for upcoming happenings in the area!
Have a great day and get out there and enjoy Our Tupelo!
* We update all listings periodically as new information becomes available.
A More African American & Female Legislature Convenes for 2020
by Kayleigh Skinner, Mississippi Today, January 6, 2020
On January 7, new and familiar faces will convene at the Mississippi Capitol for the start of the 2020 legislative session.
As a whole, the incoming lawmakers comprise a Legislature still whiter and maler than the Mississippi they represent.
Although the Legislature’s makeup does not mirror the state itself, the November 2019 statewide elections ushered in new representation for many districts. Now, those legislators serving in the 2020-2024 term comprise a slightly more African American and female group of lawmakers than the previous term.
Census data breaks down the demographics of Mississippi’s roughly 2.9 million person population. The state is 52 percent female (compared to 16 percent in the Legislature), 58 percent white (in the Legislature, that total is roughly 68 percent), and 38 percent black (31 percent in the Legislature).
In the House, men replaced three seats previously held by women — in districts 14, 70, and 95 — but the chamber also gained seven new female representatives. Five of those women replaced men, and two replaced women who previously held the seat. Most of these changes were within their respective parties, except for Shanda Yates from District 64 and Hester Jackson McCray from District 40, who each flipped seats formerly held by Republicans. McCray will be the first African American to represent DeSoto County in the Legislature in the modern era, and the third African American to represent a majority-white legislative district since Reconstruction.
In the Senate, Democrats saw a 21 percentage point increase in black membership. This is not because more African Americans were voted into the Senate. White Republicans actually flipped four seats previously held by white Democrats in districts 5 (J.P. Wilemon), 8 (Russell Jolly), 37 (Bob Dearing), and 48 (Deborah Dawkins), so the number of white Democrats decreased. As a whole, the Senate saw a slight increase it its percentage of female members because three Republican women — Kathy Chism, Nicole Akins Boyd, and Melanie Sojourner — each won districts previously held by men, and Democrat Sarita Simmons took over her father Willie Simmons’ seat in district 13.
*Editor’s note: After this story published, Rep. Kevin Horan and Rep. Michael Ted Evans switched from the Democrat to Independent party. The information in this story has been updated to reflect that.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Gypsy Roadside Mobile Cafe
Location: Gypsy Roadside Mobile Cafe
Address: Gypsy Roadside Mobile Cafe is a mobile food truck whose location varies! You may call in orders at (662) 820-9940.
Gypsy Roadside Mobile Cafe specializes in serving quality and unique food daily. Each day, two very passionate chefs cook, prepare, set-up and serve you to ensure quality products each visit. We want to take your taste buds on a “truckin” journey, so to speak, just like how our food truck journeys the city.
What I ordered: The Bohemian Burger!
This is a classic cheeseburger that starts with a 6 ounce beef patty with your choice of cheddar or Gouda cheese and crisp veggies to top off this mouthwatering handheld masterpiece!
You can find The Gypsy Roadside Mobile Cafe’s location daily by checking out their Facebook page or by checking our local listings of food truck locations in the Our Tupelo Rundown!
See y’all there!!!
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House Committee Passes Fix For 10,000 Public School Teachers Omitted From 2019 Pay Raise
by Kayleigh Skinner, Mississippi Today, January 8, 2020
The House took steps Wednesday to correct a bureaucratic error to ensure there is enough money available to give all Mississippi teachers their $1,500 pay raise that was signed into law last year.
In the 2019 legislative session, lawmakers passed a $1,500 pay raise for public school teachers and assistant teachers and set aside $58 million to cover the expense. Before the bill was passed, the Legislature asked the Mississippi Department of Education for a count of teachers to be included in the raise and how much that would cost. Department officials used an incorrect code in an information system used to track teachers, and as a result only included state-funded teaching positions.
Because some teachers are paid with federal funds instead of state funds, some special education, career technical education, gifted classes and teacher assistants were accidentally omitted from the count. The error was discovered when local superintendents discovered there were not enough funds for them to give raises to all of their teachers. In all, nearly 10,000 teachers were omitted from the raise.
Lawmakers took the first step to correct this Wednesday, when the House appropriations committee passed House Bill 1 — the first bill considered by lawmakers in the House or Senate during the 2020 legislative session.
The bill authorizes $18.4 million from the state’s general fund to ensure there is enough to pay for the raises of all 40,991 certified teachers and assistant teachers. The bill now moves on to the full House for consideration.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi Moving Inmates To Privately Owned Tallahatchie County Prison
by Michelle Liu, Mississippi Today, January 8, 2020
The Mississippi Department of Corrections is moving state inmates to a privately operated prison in Tallahatchie County following recent outbursts of deadly violence in multiple Mississippi prisons.
Sources in the law enforcement community confirmed the transfers to the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility to Mississippi Today.
The number of prisoners who have been moved and when the transfers began are unclear.
Officials with the corrections department and Gov. Phil Bryant’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday morning.
Nashville-based CoreCivic currently owns and operates the prison, located in the town of Tutwiler. A spokeswoman for CoreCivic referred questions about the matter to the state department of corrections.
(Editor’s note: Mississippi Today board member and donor Charles Overby has served on the CoreCivic board of directors since December 2001.)
Mississippi’s beleaguered corrections system has garnered increased scrutiny in the new year as reports surfaced of deadly fights among prisoners at several facilities, including Parchman and South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville. Several civil rights groups and U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson have requested a U.S. Justice Department investigation into the prison system.
CoreCivic, formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America, has owned the facility since 2000. The company is one of the country’s two largest correctional firms and the company has prospered in recent years as President Donald Trump has promised a tough-on-crime agenda, including immigration and immigrant detention.
The facility began housing federal immigration detainees in the summer of 2018.
In 2013, CoreCivic (then CCA) lost its contract with the state of Mississippi to operate the 1,000-bed Wilkinson County Correctional Facility. The contract was awarded to Utah-based private operator MTC instead, then the only prison contractor for state-owned facilities.
CoreCivic has donated to the campaigns of both Bryant and his incoming successor Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves in recent elections. In 2015, company donated $1,000 to each campaign. Last year, CoreCivic contributed $1,000 to Reeves’s gubernatorial campaign; the company did not contribute to the campaign of Reeves’s Democratic opponent, Jim Hood, per records from the National Institute on Money in Politics.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.