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The Rundown May 9th

Joshua Ballard
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Good Thursday Morning, and welcome to the Rundown! Today is Thursday, May 9th, 2019. Would you or your company like to sponsor The Rundown? Continue reading to learn how! Today is the 129th day of the year and there are 236 days left in this year. Mother’s Day is in 3 days, Memorial Day will be in 18 days, and Summer arrives in 43 days.

A wet may brings a big load of hay!

Weather Outlook

It rained last night. Looks like this will be an all day thing. Stay informed with us as we check our local WTVA – The Weather Authority forecast for the day:

Strong storms Thursday followed by more weekend rainfall.

THURSDAY SEVERE THREAT

Storms moving through the area early this morning could be strong to severe. The risk will be greatest in North Mississippi. But by midday, these storms begin to weaken some as they move into Northwest Alabama. Main threats will be torrential rainfall and damaging wind, perhaps during the morning commute. Areas of hail and even an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out. The threat levels include Level 2 for North Mississippi; Level 1 for Northwest Alabama. Rainfall totals will likely range from a half inch to 2.5 inches.

The afternoon will be drier, but mostly cloudy with a few isolated showers. Temperatures will be able to warm a bit more, thanks to the drier conditions. Still, it will be cooler than average with highs into the mid and upper 70s. Spotty showers are still possible into Friday morning. 

Food Trucks

Taqueria Ferrus is beside Computer Universe on W. Main St. 10:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Goku Japanese Express is behind Dollar General Pontotoc, MS on West Reynolds St. 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Big Bad Wolf Truck TBA

Gypsy Roadside Mobile TBA

Jo’s Cafe TBA

local MOBILE is at MidTown Pointe on Industrial Road across from the Tupelo High School Baseball Field with Philly Cheesesteaks & Classic Cheeseburgers as specials! 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 615-337-2660

Indulge Mobile TBA

Brunch Box TBA

MS Edible Bliss TBA

Polly Wangos, Pontotoc/Houston TBA

Today & Tonight

Preservation Toolkit Workshop-New Albany at Union County Heritage Museum 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Story Play for Babies & Toddlers at Lee County Library @ 9:30 a.m.

Splish Splash at Tupelo Aquatic Center 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Fairpark Plaza Grand Opening Presented by Century Construction Group Inc. on East Troy Street 3:00-5:00 p.m.

McAlister’s Fundraiser to Benefit MS Critterz at McAlister’s Deli Oxford 5:00-8:00 p.m.

Ring of Fire Opening Night at Claude Gentry Theatre Baldwyn 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Trivia at Smith in Corinth @ 8:00 p.m.

Live Music

Karaoke at Woody’s Tupelo 8:30-11:45 p.m.

Matt & Shaun at Steele’s Dive 7:00-10:00 p.m.

Local Licks Songwriter Sessions LIVE at Blue Canoe @ 7:30 p.m.

Hunter Covington & Band at Lep’s BBQ Pontotoc @ 7:30 p.m.

Treadles with Placeholder at Proud Larry’s Oxford @ 9:00 p.m.

Wes Sheffield at Huck’s Place Columbus 7:00-10:00 p.m.

DJ-E Karaoke at Old Venice Pizza Co. – Tupelo 7:00-11:00 p.m.

Justin Richardson at the Coffee Pot Amory @ 7:00 p.m.

Tim Floyd & Eric Stogner at Driskill’s Fish & Steakhouse Plantersville 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Kevin Thornton at Legends Fulton @ 7:00 p.m.

Follow our Calendar of Events at https://ourtupelo.com/events/ for future events.

Be Kind/Give Back/Pay It Forward

One of our local charities is Cami Jo Cares. Cami Jo is a small girl doing big things from the goodness of her heart. With the help of her father and stepmother, she gathers clothes and other items for those in need in North Mississippi. Although it is mainly for children in need, they will help the whole family. They are needing donations and volunteers. To the right is items they accept. Below is how to contact them. You can also follow them on Facebook, and see how you can help and where your help is going.

On This Day

National Bike to School Day! This first took place on May 9, 2012. It was with the League of American Bicyclists’s National Bike Month. Even though today is not a great day to do this, it encourages people to exercise and build and join together off the energy.

National Lost Sock Memorial Day! We honor the millions of socks that have no mate and have gone MIA. Today, you can throw them away or find another use for them as they may never return.

National Moscato Day! Moscato is a sweet Italian dessert wine. It is also considered the lady’s wine or romantic wine. Today as you relax, sip on some moscato.

National Butterscotch Brownie Day! This sounds o so delicious! Butterscotch is a type of confectionery whose primary ingredients are brown sugar and butter. This is mixed with brownies or topped on the brownies to make a scrumptious duo.

OurTupelo’s Daily Rundown is read by over 1,000 people. If you would like your name in front of all those eyes, contact OurTupelo: via email- joshua.ballard@ourtupelo.com, by phone- Joshua Ballard- 662-260-1499, or Facebook message- Our Tupelo. We also offer a few other unique advertising opportunities. Contact us today!

That is what I can find today. Follow ourtupelo.com for more events, news, food, sports, and more! Where we keep you updated, informed, and in the know!

Thanks everyone, and thriving Thursday and fanatical Friday’s Eve!

Be Actively Good, Share Love, and Make Mr. Rogers Happy!

Person of the Week, Jamar Howard

Joshua Ballard
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I nominate my husband Jamar Howard for the person of the week.  Our story is a little different than most. I not only nominate him because of his courageousness ,but his strong will to live.  My husband and I have been together three years and married two years. The past three years he had to deal with kidney disease.  It was a long road ahead of us, and neither one of us knew what to expect. Jamar was a type one diabetic since he had turned eighteen years old. Due to not having the means to get his insulin as needed, he went into kidney failure. His kidneys were operating at less than ten percent.

By the time we caught it he was already at stage five kidney disease. He was hurting in his lower back. We thought it was just him having back issues.  So we went to the chiropractor to see if that would help with the pain. After several chiropractic treatments he was still having the back pain.  We then went to the kidney specialist and did all the necessary tests to determine if it was indeed his kidneys. The test results were shocking. It was his kidneys and it didn’t look too good.  That was the day we learned Jamar had stage five kidney disease.

We were to go back to the doctor to talk about the next steps when suddenly Jamar coughed up blood.  We rushed to the emergency room, and that is when he got the tube inserted into his abdomen to start peritoneal dialysis . We found out he had a rare blood disorder as well called TTP.  He had to get his blooded filtered out through a machine called plasmapheresis in order to get rid of it. They placed a port in his neck so he could do dialysis while in the hospital. We stayed in the hospital for a whole month..

When we got home Jamar started doing dialysis at home.  It was going fine, until his body started absorbing the dialysis solution.  Which is like pure sugar water that fills his abdomen ,and collects the waste his kidneys weren’t able to filtrate.  We did that for a year and a half, and let me tell you, I hated it! It not only was time consuming setting up the machine,the late night alarms saying the line was clogged,him getting tangled, the tube getting pulled off from his abdomen waking up with solution everywhere.  It also came with all the supplies needed for 30 days supplies which filled up half our bedroom.
He gained fluid weight bad, and his sugars were through the roof!  Even battling Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) and ending up in ICU a few times.  Not only did they go tremendously high, but he would also have severe lows due to changes in his insulin.  I remember being at lunch at Bonanza we just got there, and he had a very bad one. The crew there were great help.  There was a time I was at work, thank God his Mom was visiting to call the ambulance because he had a low and wouldn’t wake up out of his sleep.  He would tend to do that quite often, but most the time I was home to to help fix his blood sugar. Such scary moments not knowing if your husband is ever going to wake up.

It was a rough journey.  We had over 400 doctor visits.It was hard as a wife to work when I had to be home to take care of my husband.  We tried getting on four different transplant lists. The lists were Memphis, Jackson, Nashville, and Birmingham.  Jackson denied us because they told him not to take his insulin before coming for the full day of testing, and his sugar was well over 1800. They advised us to goto the emergency room as we were leaving. He took his insulin and it slowly came down over a days time.  We couldn’t get his protein level high enough for Nashville until the very end. Our first transplant list we were accepted to was Memphis, but we did make it onto Birmingham’s list too.

We had to watch what he ate. With kidney disease your protein level has to stay at a specific range. For the first time Jamar had started eating yogurt, greek yogurt at that. Not my first choice,but I guess being told eat more eggs constantly would get old. Some of his lab work always had to be adjusted. His phosphorus was either too high or too low. It being too high caused muscle deterioration,intestinal problems,and he started to become weak. I remember him always saying, “Slow down you just left me.” as we would be walking into the store , and I caught myself walking a little faster than him. He became so weak he had to use a cane. I began to catch myself and walk by his side more often.

After the second failed attempt at a fistula in Tupelo, we had his third fistula surgery with Dr. Lucas in Greenwood, Ms. The best if you ask me. By this time his doctor had made the suggestion for hemodialysis since home dialysis at home wasn’t working too well . To be honest it scared us. You know how you hear horror stories? Yeah, well Jamar had to do dialysis through his neck with a port while at the hospital, and he remembers older individuals screaming. We also heard that diabetics on hemodialysis have a better chance at losing their legs, but we had to try it, there was no other option. Dialysis or die, there was no other choice. So we chose to live. Wouldn’t you?

His protein levels rose, his fluid retention was reduced, and his sugars weren’t too bad. All we had to do was watch his blood pressure levels close. There were times he would have to sit down, or he couldn’t get out of bed because his blood pressure would be too low . we missed out on doing quite a bit during these few years, but we got through it. It was definitely stressful at times.Jamar was always in pain the whole journey. Some days better than others. We prayed, cried, and feared death. My husband would always say, “ I just want to be normal. Even though my husband was getting weaker my motto was “It could always be worse.” , and “In God’s timing NOT ours!” To be honest those were the words that got me through this journey, and i had to continuously tell my husband this because I had faith everything was going to work out, even if it wasn’t the way or time frame we had hoped for.

We got about three calls with the words “Stay by the phone. You might need to come in for transplant surgery.” Only to be told later he wasn’t the best recipient match. The one time we got the call to “COME NOW.” is when we found out Jamar had ascites which was infected fluid build up in his abdomen which we couldn’t get to go away. UAB denied him surgery. All while calling him a “mystery” and couldn’t figure out what was causing it ,or just how to fix the problem. Our next visit we hydroplaned in the middle of a 6 lane highway and spun in the middle. Thankful to be alive only to make it there and find out we were off the list. They couldn’t help Jamar figure out how to fix the problem. Good news though, we did! There were two of his medications we thought caused the issue.  One for his blood pressure and one for his neuropathy. We had to get his abdomen drained every 2 weeks, for a couple months with paracentesis .Basically a tube stuck in his side and the fluid drains out either by suction or gravity. By stopping the medications and getting drained more frequently it eventually stopped building up. Mind you we never called UAB back because Jamar felt they just gave up on him.

Fast forward a little while later we had just picked up a pizza. Jamar picked me up from work, and right when we got in the door his phone rang. It was Memphis, they said, “How long will it take for you to get here? “ All i remember was i was so excited, but nervous at the same time. It was raining horribly, and well I was still not ready to drive in the rai , so Jamar drove.His mom and our daughter were with us. We got there , but it wasn’t until the next day he actually went for surgery. It was the longest wait I had ever endured. We were so anxious The time came and I kissed my husband and said, “ I love you, see you in a little bit.” As he went down for surgery I was able to go see him right before he went again, and well as i was going down on the elevator I prayed for him. That everything would go alright and most of all the kidney would work great as well as the pancreas.  Please God let the kidney work, but please let the pancreas work as well is what I prayed for.

Hours went by, but they would let me know every so often that everything was going great. I barely slept i was waiting for their calls. Next thing i knew he was out of surgery, and in recovery.When I got down there he was out of it,and sleeping off and on. By the time he came out of it. He had thought he had been in the hospital for 3 more days.  He was able to make urine again at an astonishing amount, and his sugar levels were stable. We were so happy. All we know is our donor was a deceased twenty to thirty yr old, and the donor’s organs came from Knoxville, TN . Another thing I know is we are so grateful. His surgery was January 3rd, 2019, and he is doing fantastic. Even gained some muscle, and has more energy than a kid. His exact words were, “I feel like a teenager.”

We have been home for a few months, and we went from going to the dr for lab work once a week, to two weeks, now to once a month.  He will have to take anti rejection pills for the rest of his life. Now he gets to watch his little girl grow up, and now he can stream twitch.tv/phaytalis, without having fluid build up in the lower part of his body.  I am very proud of him. H went through multiple procedures. Two heart catheters, three fistula surgeries, and a kidney biopsy, just to name a few. He has a new outlook on life. Now we live in the moment, because for so long we weren’t sure about the outcome of this journey..

So the reason I nominate my husband Jamar Howard is because I could never have dealt with the things he had to.  You would walk right by him in the store, and he would always have a smile on his face. You would never have known he was sick unless you knew, saw him with his cane, followed our story on Facebook (Jamar’s Kidney), or seen him when he got real bad sick toward the end before his transplant.  He very rarely complained. He’s a survivor, and we plan to live our life making memories we once thought we wouldn’t have the chance to make. Even while he was sick we still liked to help others. See we are real big hearted people. We held a toy drive two years in a row for children for Christmas.  Jamar is a streamer so he even had people from different states send toys for the drive as well. We also did a blanket and pillow drive for the homeless of Lee County. It was a big turn out as well. We plan to do more in the future since he is healthier.

If you know Jamar he is the best friend you could ever ask for.  He keeps people close to him whether it’s from him working with you, meeting him,or growing up with him.  People always say just how great he is. They are right. He can be blunt at times,, or give you an eye roll a time or two. He is an amazing father there is no denying that.  They’re two peas and a pod. So yes, I Leticia Howard nominate my husband for his courageousness, strength, and selflessness. Also for him being an amazing person, who can get through anything that is thrown at him in life. We got this honey.

The Rundown May 8th

Joshua Ballard
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Good Wednesday Morning, and welcome to the Rundown! Today is Wednesday, May 8th, 2019. Would you or your company like to sponsor The Rundown? Continue reading to learn how! Today is the 128th day of the year and there are 237 days left in this year. Mother’s Day is in 4 days, Memorial Day will be in 19 days, and Summer arrives in 44 days.

National School Nurse Day!

Weather Outlook

Stay up to date as we look at WTVA – The Weather Authority forecast for the day:

We start out your Wednesday as almost a repeat, mostly clear with temperatures in the lower to mid-60s. But clouds gradually increase into Wednesday afternoon ahead of showers, which should return after sunset that night. Those showers and storms will become more widespread into midday Thursday. 

Food Trucks

Ta quería Ferrus is beside Computer Universe on W. Main St. 10:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Goku Japanese Express is behind Dollar General Pontotoc, MS on West Reynolds St. 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Big Bad Wolf Truck is at Save-a-Lot in Pontotoc 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Jo’s Cafe will be at Ballard from 11:00 a.m.-1:30’ish p.m.

local MOBILE is at banks at Spring and Troy St. Downtown 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Gypsy Roadside Mobile will be at Best Buy on North Gloster Street 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Indulge Mobile will be at Frisco Park beside The Coffee Pot on Main Street in Amory 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Today & Tonight

Bingo Breakfast at Chick-Fil-A Thompson Square @ 9:30 a.m.

Mad About Relationships at Grace Oasis Church 10:00-11:00 a.m.

New Albany Job Fair at Hillcrest Baptist Church 10:00 a.m.-Noon

Homeschooler Art Class presented by Party in the Art Room at Link Centre 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Lee County Caring Connection at Steele’s Dive @ Noon

Preservation Toolkit Workshop New Albany at Union County Heritage Museum 2:00-5:00 p.m.

Dores Day-Spring Football Game at William L. Buford Stadium Oxford @ 4:00 p.m.

Splish Splash at Tupelo Aquatic Center 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Tupelo Young Professionals Millennial Mixer at Garder Watson Ice House 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Revival at South Nettleton Baptist Church 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Live Music

at Blue Canoe 7:30-9:30 p.m.

at Stables Tupelo 7:00-10:00 p.m.

Karaoke at Woody’s Tupelo 8:00-11:00 p.m.

at Proud Larry’s Oxford @ 9:00 p.m. 

Honeyboy at the Tavern! at Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern Starkville @ 9:45 p.m.

Follow our Calendar of Events at https://ourtupelo.com/events/ for future events.

Be Kind/Give Back/Pay It Forward

The Arc of Northeast Mississippi now has their website up. You can visit them at arcnems.org. They are in need of volunteers. You can check them out on their Facebook page or at their website for more information. They now have a new office at Church Street School. The Arc in the Park is May 25th. Follow them for more information.

On This Day

National Have a Coke Day! The first Coca-Cola was sold on this day in 1886. Coke is my favorite dark cola. Cocaine was an original ingredient giving the “coke” name to it.

National Coconut Cream Pie Day! A cream pie filled with rich cream, milk, flour, eggs, and coconut. It is also topped with coconut and sometimes whipped cream.

World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day! Today we celebrate the principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. In 1928, Henry Dunant was born on this day. She was the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross and recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize.

National Third Shift Workers Day! The third shift, also referred as the midnight or graveyard shift, usually starts before midnight into mid-morning.

National Receptionists Day! This Day was first celebrated in 1991, to celebrate the role of professional receptionists. Today we recognize and appreciate all that they do for jobs, organizations, and businesses and to promote pride and professionalism among them.

Word of the Day: Sun Dog is a bright spot in the sky often associated with a solar halo.

Quote of the Day: In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary. -Aaron Rose

OurTupelo’s Daily Rundown is read by over 1,000 people. If you would like your name in front of all those eyes, contact OurTupelo: via email- joshua.ballard@ourtupelo.com, by phone- Joshua Ballard- 662-260-1499, or Facebook message- Our Tupelo. We also offer a few other unique advertising opportunities. Contact us today!

That is what I can find today. Follow ourtupelo.com for more events, news, food, sports, and more! Where we keep you updated, informed, and in the know!

Thanks, everyone, and have a wind-down Wednesday as you make it over the hump!

Be Actively Good, Share Love, and Make Mr. Rogers Happy! -joshua ballard

The Rundown May 7th

Joshua Ballard
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Good Tuesday Morning, and welcome to the Rundown! Today is Tuesday, May 7th, 2019. Would you or your company like to sponsor The Rundown? Continue reading to learn how! Today is the 127th day of the year and there are 238 days left in this year. Mother’s Day is in 5 days, Memorial Day will be in 20 days, and Summer arrives in 45 days.

National Teacher Appreciation Day!

Weather Outlook

It sure was chilly this morning. I unfortunately had to use a little heat this morning. Here’s a look at the WTVA – The Weather Authority forecast for the day:

WARMING UP INTO MID-WEEKExpect mostly clear skies to start out our Tuesday with temperatures in the upper 50s to lower 60s. Throughout the day, we’ll see more sunshine with highs reaching the mid and upper 80s. We start out your Wednesday as almost a repeat, mostly clear with temperatures in the lower to mid-60s. But clouds gradually increase into Wednesday afternoon ahead of showers, which should return after sunset that night. 

Food Trucks

Taquería Ferrus is beside Computer Universe on W. Main St. 10:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Goku Japanese Express is behind Dollar General Pontotoc, MS on West Reynolds St. 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

local MOBILE is at CED on Westmoreland Drive across from Dwayne Blackmon Chevorlet on South Gloster Street 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The special is Chicken Tacos!

Gypsy Roadside Mobile is at Fairpark On Main St. 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Gypsy Burger is the special!

Indulge Mobile TBA

Big Bad Wolf Truck CLOSED TODAY

Jo’s Cafe CLOSED TODAY

Today & Tonight

D-V Open Interviews at Hampton Inn & Suites 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Preschool Story Time at Lee County Library @ 10:00 a.m.

Mad About Relationships at Grace Oasis Church 10:00-11:00 a.m.

HB&RA PWB Kickoff Meeting at Tupelo Country Club 11:00 a.m.-Noon

Splish Splash at Tupelo Aquatic Center 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

NEWMS Networking Together May 2019 at Popsy 5:00-6:30 p.m.

Weekly Chess Meeting at Strange Brew Coffeehouse Tupelo, MS 5:00-8:00 p.m.

May 7th Monthly Meeting at Link Center 5:30-7:00 p.m.

Tuesday Scramble at Bel-Air Golf Course @ 5:30 p.m.

City Council Meeting at Council Chambers, City Hall @ 6:00 p.m.

Mindful Moments Group at Conscious Healing Thereapies 6:00-7:30 p.m.

GROW Women’s Night with Angie Camp at Green Valley Baptist Church Pontotoc @ 6:30 p.m.

Trivia Night at Mugshots Grill & Bar – Tupelo, MS 7:00-9:00 p.m.

TRIVIA at Old Venice @ 7:00 p.m.

Liberty UMC (Booneville) Homecoming & Revival at Liberty United Methodist Church @ 7:00 p.m.

Live Music

Year of October Live at Blue Canoe 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Billy & Zap at Forklift 7:00-10:00 p.m.

Eric Stogner at Steele’s Dive 7:00-10:00 p.m.

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio at Proud Larry’s Oxford @ 9:00 p.m.

Follow our Calendar of Events at https://ourtupelo.com/events/ for future events.

Be Kind/Give Back/Pay It Forward

On This Day

National Packaging Design Day! Today we celebrate the art of packaging design. We also celebrate and honor the designers.

National Paste Up Day! Today honors people who paste up newspapers, magazines, books, and other printed materials. The paste up artists cut the type of article or photo into sections and arrange it carefully across columns.

National Barrier Awareness Day! Today we encourage Americans to work toward eliminating all barriers. Barriers are a form of discrimination or confrontation of individuals with disabilities or cultural, employment, legal, racial, etc.

National Roast Leg of Lamb Day! This is also a cultural and/or religious dinner. Lamb is usually the main meat entree of Passover meals.

Word of the Day: Avenaceous is an adjective describing Botany of or like oats.

Quote of the Day: Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery. -Malcolm X Malcolm X Speaks, 1965

OurTupelo’s Daily Rundown is read by over 1,000 people. If you would like your name in front of all those eyes, contact OurTupelo: via email- joshua.ballard@ourtupelo.com, by phone- Joshua Ballard- 662-260-1499, or Facebook message- Our Tupelo. We also offer a few other unique advertising opportunities. Contact us today!

That is what I can find today. Follow ourtupelo.com for more events, news, food, sports, and more! Where we keep you updated, informed, and in the know!

Thanks, everyone, and have a triumphant Tuesday!

Be Actively Good, Share Love, and Make Mr. Rogers Happy! -Joshua Ballard

The Rundown May 6th

Joshua Ballard
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Good Monday Morning, and welcome to the Rundown! Today is Monday, May 6th, 2019. Would you or your company like to sponsor The Rundown? Continue reading to learn how! Today is the 126th day of the year and there are 239 days left in this year. Mother’s Day is in 6 days, Memorial Day will be in 21 days, and Summer arrives in 46 days.

National Nurses Day!

Weather Outlook

It sure did do some raining this weekend. Here’s a look at the WTVA – The Weather Authority forecast for the day:

Sunny, with a high near 85.  Calm wind becoming east southeast around 5 mph.Monday Night  Mostly clear, with a low around 62.  Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Food Trucks

Taquería Ferrus is beside Computer Universe on W. Main 10:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Goku Japanese Express is behind Dollar General Pontotoc, MS on West Reynolds St. 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

local MOBILE TBA

Gypsy Roadside Mobile TBA

Indulge Mobile TBA

Jo’s Cafe CLOSED TODAY

Big Bad Wolf Truck TBA

Brunch Box TBA

Today & Tonight

Story Time at All Saints’ Episcopal Church 9:00-10:00 a.m.

Maker Monday: Pom Pom Blaster Challenge at Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Baptist Memorial Oxford Blood Drive at Baptist Memorial Hospital Oxford 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Fire Department Fundraiser at Fish Place Belmont 3:00-9:00 p.m.

Kids Craft Night at Chick-fil-A Barnes Crossing Mall 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Arc of Northeast Mississippi Family Bowling at Rebelanes. 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Tupelo Main Street Association Invites You to Celebrate the Alleys and the Tupelo High School Art Students 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Yoga with kittens at Tupelo-Lee Humane Society 6:00-6:30 p.m.

Citizen Police Academy with Mounted Patrol & K-9 Units at Oxford Police Department 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Oxford Open Mic at Chancellor’s House 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Liberty UMC Homecoming & Revival Booneville @ 7:00 p.m.

Live Music

Tyler Hollingsworth at Blue Canoe 7:30–9:30 p.m

Follow our Calendar of Events at https://ourtupelo.com/events/ for future events.

On This Day

National Infertility Survival Day! Celebrated annually before Mother’s Day, to raise awareness of infertility raised issues. Beverly Barna, author of Infertility Sucks! Keeping it All Together When Sperm and Egg Stubbornly Remain Apart, created this in 2004.

National Melanoma Day! Today is celebrated to raise awareness about melanoma. Melanoma is a type of skin cancer, in which cells inside of moles become malignant and aggressively spread rapidly to other areas of the body.

National Beverage Day! Beverages have so many varieties. From cold to hot, iced to blended and shaken, with or without alcohol, so today enjoy a mixture of beverages!

National Crepe Suzette Day! Crepe Suzette is a thin French dessert pancake with a brandy and citrus sauce. It is usually set aflame when served.

Word of the Day: Decennium is a period of ten years; decade.

Quote of the Day: Ever notice that anyone going slower than you is an idiot, but anyone going faster than you is a maniac? -George Carlin

OurTupelo’s Daily Rundown is read by over 1,000 people. If you would like your name in front of all those eyes, contact OurTupelo: via email- joshua.ballard@ourtupelo.com, by phone- Joshua Ballard- 662-260-1499, or Facebook message- Our Tupelo. We also offer a few other unique advertising opportunities. Contact us today!

That is what I can find today. Follow ourtupelo.com for more events, news, food, sports, and more! Where we keep you updated, informed and in the know!

Thanks, everyone, and have a majestical Monday and a prosperous week!

Be Actively Good, Share Love, and Make Mr. Rodgers Happy! -JOSHUA bALLARD

And Now for Something Darker…

Joshua Ballard
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And Now for Something Darker…

We’ve told you we’ve got more features coming. Here’s some samples from the first of 4 podcasts planned to launch in the next few months.

Welcome to City Secrets, set in a darker version of Tupelo where things go bump in the day as well as the night, and there are more mysteries to solve than a sane person could follow. Thankfully we’ve got Sarah Locke (played by Samantha McLarty) to help us out.

Audio

Check out these audio samples:

City Secrets Teaser 1
City Secrets Old Church Teaser

The Rundown May 4th

Joshua Ballard
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Good Saturday Morning, and welcome to the Rundown! Today is Saturday, May 4th, 2019. Would you or your company like to sponsor The Rundown? Continue reading to learn how! Today is the 124th day of the year and there are 241 days left in this year. Mother’s Day is in 9 days, Memorial Day will be in 23 days, and Summer arrives in 48 days.

May the Fourth Be with You!

Weather Outlook

Here’s a look at the WTVA – The Weather Authority forecast for the day:

We’ll drop into the upper 60s by Saturday morning with scattered showers and storms. And this will likely stick around during much of the day Saturday. There could be a few waves of rainfall during the day, sticking around until the middle of the evening. A few strong storms are possible, perhaps even severe. Most of this will exist over the southeastern section of our area. The strongest storms will likely be in the afternoon, though a few morning storms could also be strong. The main risk with these storms will be torrential rainfall and gusty wind. But an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out along with some small hail. We’ll dry out into Sunday with sunshine and slightly cooler temperatures. 

Food Truck

Taquería Ferrus is beside Computer Universe on W. Main 10:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

Goku Japanese Express is behind Dollar General Pontotoc, MS on West Reynolds St. 12:00-8:00 p.m.

Polly Wangos, Pontotoc/Houston TBA

Southern Bugz on North Gloster Street across from @outback 12:00-7:00 p.m.

Today & Tonight

The 2019 Blue Suede Cruise at BancorpSouth Arena

Annual Youth Rodeo at Lake Lamar Bruce Rain or Shine 7:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

Comcast Cares Day Cleaning and Benefiting The Link Centre at the Link Centre 8:00 a.m.-Noon

Dulcimer Day at Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Tupelo Con 2019 at Tupelo Furniture Market Including Tupelo Game Days 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. & Free Comic Book Day @ 10:00 a.m. & Yu-Gi-Oh! Tournament $1000 9:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m. & Dragonball Super Tournament $1000 10:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m. &

Story Time at Barnes & Noble (Tupelo, MS) 11:00 a.m. & 3:00 p.m.

Family Recreation Swim at Tupelo Aquatic Center 12:00-5:00 p.m.

Goldfish Derby at Stables 2:00-4:00 p.m.

21st Annual Kentucky Derby Party Hosted by Mr. Tom Evans Benefiting Regional Rehabilitation Center at 419 Robins Street at 3:00 p.m.

North Mississippi Youth Orchestra at Civic Auditorium @ 4:00 p.m.

Dumbo is Flying In at the Elkin Theatre in Aberdeen @ 7:00 p.m.

Live Music

Tupelo/Lee County

Lost Dog Street Band at Blue Canoe @ 9:30-11:45 p.m.

Jason Childers & Co. at Steele’s Dive @ 9:00 p.m.

Wes Sheffield at Stables Tupelo @ 9:00-11:45 p.m.

Critical Hour at The Thirsty Devil @ 9 p.m.

Drew Chapman at Forklift 7:00-10:00 p.m.

Karaoke at Woody’s Tupelo 8:30 p.m.-12:00 a.m.

Pontotoc/Oxford

Joe Austin at Sydnei’s Grill & Catering 7:30-10:00 p.m.

Adia Victoria at Proud Larry’s @ 9:00 p.m.

Proximity Rule at DMBC Clubhouse @ 7:00 p.m.

Fulton

DJ Dayton Karaoke at Legends Sports Grille @ 8:30-11:30 p.m.

Rodney Little at Theo’s Feedmill Sippin’ Parlor 7:00-10:00 p.m.

Baldwyn/Booneville/Corinth

DJ E Karaoke at SMITH 8:30-11:45 p.m.

Starkville/Columbus

Bonfire Boys at Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern

Bryce Mitchell & the Soul Exchange at Rick’s Cafe

Hanna+Karly at Huck’s Place Noon-3:30 p.m.

Brad Armstrong at The Sunstroke House in Columbus @ 8:00 p.m.

Follow our Calendar of Events at https://ourtupelo.com/events/ for future events.

On This Day

National Star Wars Day! We cerebrate the Star Wars Series created by George Lucas. The day was decided by the Star Wars saying “May the Force Be with You” turning it into the pun “May the Fourth Be with You!”

National Weather Observers Day! Today is great way to watch the weather. I know some people enjoy this while keeping others informed.

National Renewal Day! Today is a day to start over or begin something new. Is there something you have been needing to do or start over? Do it today!

National Orange Juice Day! OJ is a great source of vitamin C. Enjoy a glass or two today!

National Candied Orange Peel Day! Orange peels are sliced, boiled, then cooked with sugar or syrup on top. I have never heard of it, have you?

National Bombshells’ Day! Victoria Secrets created Bombshells’ and Bombshells’ Day to recognize women to help celebrate themselves and their friends.

National Start Seeing Monarchs Day! I do not think the weather today will show many Monarch Butterflies in our area. The recent weather and sunshine has definitely brought them flying.

National Scrapbook Day! Scrapbooking is a method, or art, for preserving photos in a way of a book, box, or card. This is a great family tradition to start.

National Home Brew Day! In 1988, Congress announced this day. The American Homebrewers Association created Big Brew to celebrate this day.

Join Hands Day! This is a national volunteer day sponsored by America’s fraternal benefit societies. It generates awareness about volunteering in our communities and bettering our towns, cities, states. As we gather together, we create stronger friendships and lasting bonds.

International Firefighters Day! Today we recognize and honor the sacrifices and contributions firefighters make. We thank current and past firefighters for helping insure our safety in our communities and environments. Visit firefightersday.org for more information.

Word of the day: Credencive is disposed to give credence; ready to believe.

Quote of the Day: Virtue does not always demand a heavy sacrifice, only the willingness to make it when necessary. -Frederick Sherwood Dunn

OurTupelo’s Daily Rundown is read by over 1,000 people. If you would like your name in front of all those eyes, contact OurTupelo: via email- joshua.ballard@ourtupelo.com, by phone- Joshua Ballard- 662-260-1499, or Facebook message- Our Tupelo. We also offer a few other unique advertising opportunities. Contact us today!

That is what I can find today. Follow ourtupelo.com for more events, news, food, sports, and more! Where we keep you updated, informed, and in the know!

Have a satisfactory Saturday and relaxing weekend!

Be Actively Good, Share Love, and Make Mr. Rogers Happy!

The Rundown May 2nd

Joshua Ballard
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Good Thursday Morning, and welcome to the Rundown! Today is Thursday, May 2nd, 2019. Would you or your company like to sponsor The Rundown? Continue reading to learn how! Today is the 122nd day of the year and there are 243 days left in this year. Mother’s Day is in 10 days, Memorial Day will be in 25 days, and Summer arrives in 50 days.

National Barbecue Month!

Weather Outlook

It was a nice day yesterday. Looked a little stormy at times, but I never saw a raindrop. Let us check our local WTVA – The Weather Authority forecast for the day:

Partly sunny today with a pop-up storm possible.We begin our Thursday with partly to mostly cloudy skies and very warm, humid conditions. During the morning commute, most will be dry. But a pop-up shower or thunderstorm cannot be ruled out in the morning. And into the afternoon, as we expect partly sunny skies and more warm, humid air to collect; a few more of these are possible. Highs reach the lower to mid-80s again. 

TONIGHT A few of these storms that develop into the late afternoon and early evening could be on the stronger side, mostly north of US 278 and west of US 45. Skies remain partly cloudy with perhaps an isolated shower through the night. We drop to the mid-60s by Friday morning.

Food Trucks

Taqueria Ferrus is beside Computer Universe on W. Main St. 10:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Goku Japanese Express is behind Dollar General Pontotoc, MS on West Reynolds St. 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Big Bad Wolf Truck will be at Pappi’s Garage Cruise In 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Gypsy Roadside Mobile is at Ballard Park 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Specials today are the Chicken Fiesta Grillers and Homemade Pimento Cheese! 662-820-9940

Jo’s Cafe will be at CDF for their Annual Meeting/Open House 4:00-6:00 p.m.

local MOBILE is at MidTown Pointe on Industrial Road across from the Tupelo High School Baseball Field with Shrimp & Grits as specials! 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 615-337-2660

Indulge Mobile will be at NauticaStar Amory 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Brunch Boxis at Ballard Park with Philly ChzSteak Biscuits

MS Edible BlissTBA

Polly Wangos, Pontotoc/HoustonTBA

Today & Tonight

Fulton’s May Market Weekend at Downtown Fulton 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Mantachie May Market & Ladies Night at Owl Bee Boutique 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Story Play for Babies & Toddlers at Lee County Library @ 9:30 a.m.

Goodwill-Tupelo Hiring Event at Goodwill 10:00 a.m.-Noon

National Day of Prayer Service at Fair Park Tupelo @ Noon

2019 National Day of Prayer: Love One Another at Ecru Town Hall Flagpole @ Noon

National Day of Prayer Service at Nettleton Town Hall @ Noon

National Day of Prayer Program at First Baptist Church Amory Concert @ 11:00 a.m. Prayer begins @ Noon

Splish Splash at Tupelo Aquatic Center 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Invasilign Night at Main Street Family Dentistry at Noon-7:00 p.m.

National Day of Prayer Tishomingo County Festivities at Jaybird Park Gazebo @ Noon

Happy 17th Birthday Celebration at Keep It Casual 4:00-7:00 p.m.

Ribbon Cutting & Open House at Chiropractic Health Care in Columbus 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Open House/Annual Meeting at CDF Sponsored by Renasant Bank 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Pappi’s Garage Blue Suede Cruise Kick Off at Pappi’s Garage 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Game Night at Queen’s Reward Meadery @ 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Monthly Ladies Potluck & Speaker at Talbot House @ 6:00 p.m.

Floral in Vase at Farmhouse Tupelo @ 6:00 p.m.

Women’s Self-Defense Class at Oxford Police Department @ 6:00 p.m.

Holy Ghost Revival at Sherman Pentecostal Church @ 7:00 p.m.

Shakey Graves at The Lyric Oxford @ 8:00 p.m.

Trivia Night at Smith in Corinth @ 8:00 p.m.

Code Pink: Oxford Pride at Proud Larry’s @ 9:00 p.m.

Live Music

Karaoke at Woody’s Tupelo 8:30-11:45 p.m.

Jason Childers & Matt Nolan at Steele’s Dive 7:00-10:00 p.m.

Pistol Hill at Blue Canoe @ 8:00 p.m.

Blues Doctor at Lep’s BBQ Pontotoc @ 7:30 p.m.

Rust Bucket Roadies at Pappi’s Garage @ 7:00 p.m.

DJ-E Karaoke at Old Venice Pizza Co. – Tupelo 7:00-11:00 p.m.

Tim Floyd & Eric Stogner at Driskill’s Fish & Steakhouse Plantersville 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Follow our Calendar of Events at https://ourtupelo.com/events/ for future events.

On This Day

In 2011, Osama Bin Laden was killed by the U.S. Special Forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan. He is the suspected mastermind behind the September 11 attacks.

National Life Insurance Day! This day is observed annually, marking the first day life insurance became available in the United States.

National Day of Prayer! An annual observance, held on the first Thursday in May, was designated by the United States Congress. Americans are invited to give thanks for our many freedoms and blessings.

National Day of Reason! This day is a secular celebration among humanists, atheists, and other free thinkers in response to National Day of Prayer.

National Truffle Day! A truffle is a strong-smelling underground fungus. It resembles and irregular, rough skinned potato and grows in broadleaved woodland, on calcareous soils.

Word of the Day: Bonification is the action or an instance of making something good or better; amelioration, improvement; or the reclamation of land for the purpose of cultivation, construction, etc.

Quote of the Day: If you want to change your life, you have to raise your standards. -Tony Robbins

OurTupelo’s Daily Rundown is read by over 1,000 people. If you would like your name in front of all those eyes, contact OurTupelo: via email- joshua.ballard@ourtupelo.com, by phone- Joshua Ballard- 662-260-1499, or Facebook message- Our Tupelo. We also offer a few other unique advertising opportunities. Contact us today!

That is what I can find today. Follow ourtupelo.com for more events, news, food, sports, and more! Where we keep you updated, informed, and in the know!

Thanks everyone, and thriving Thursday and fanatical Friday’s Eve!

Be Actively Good, Share Love, and Make Mr. Rogers Happy!

The Rundown May 3rd

Joshua Ballard
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Good Friday Morning, and welcome to the Rundown! Today is Friday, May 3rd, 2019. Would you or your company like to sponsor The Rundown? Continue reading to learn how! Today is the 123rd day of the year and there are 242 days left in this year. Mother’s Day is in 9 days, Memorial Day will be in 24 days, and Summer arrives in 49 days.

National Photography Month!

Weather Outlook

This pretty weather was nice while it lasted. I think it is time for some rain. As hot and dry as it gets during the summer, we need not take it for granted. Follow us as we take a look at WTVA – The Weather Authority forecast for the day:

Showers and storms increase into the weekend.We begin our Friday with partly to mostly cloudy skies and areas of fog. An isolated shower cannot be ruled out at times, perhaps even a thunderstorm. Temperatures begin in the mid-60s. 

By the afternoon, we’ll see partly to mostly cloudy skies with periods of sunshine here or there. Temperatures will climb into the lower 80s. An isolated shower or storm is possible, but much more likely as we head into the late evening and overnight. 

We’ll drop into the upper 60s by Saturday morning with scattered showers and storms. And this will likely stick around during much of the day Saturday. There could be a few waves of rainfall during the day, sticking around until the middle of the evening. A few strong storms are possible, perhaps even severe. Most of this will exist over the southeastern section of our area. 

Food Truck

Taquería Ferrus is beside Computer Universe on W. Main 10:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Goku Japanese Express is behind Dollar General Pontotoc, MS on West Reynolds St. 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Food Truck Friday at Tupelo Fair Park starring Big Bad Wolf Truck 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. & local MOBILE 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. with BLT Po-Boys as the specials! 615-337-2660 & Indulge Mobile 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. & MS Edible Bliss 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. & Gypsy Roadside Mobile 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. & Brunch Box

Jos Cafe TBA

Southern Bugz on North Gloster Street across from Outback Steakhouse (Tupelo, MS) 12:00-7:00 p.m.

Polly Wangos, Pontotoc/Houston TBA

Today & Tonight

Blue Suede Cruise at BancorpSouth Arena

Fulton’s May Market Weekend Downtown Square Fulton

Mantachie May Market & Ladies Night

Oxford’s Pride Weekend

Storage Auction at Tupelo Mini Storage & Fred’s Sheds 9:00-10:00 a.m.

The Splash Pads Open at Theron Nichols, Rob Leake City and Veterans Park 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Friday-Sunday Until Memorial Day Weekend

Story Time at Reed’s (Reed’s Downtown Tupelo) @ 10:30 a.m.

Kid’s Night Out at Journey Church 6:15-10:00 p.m.

Free Concert for Oxford Dental Patients at Proud Larry’s Oxford 7:00-10:00 p.m.

Knight Time Trivia at The Sippin’ Parlor at Theo’s Feedmill in Fulton at 7:00 p.m.

Dumbo is flying into The Elkin Theatre in Aberdeen at 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Rockin’ Country Style at the Riverwalk Stage~Lounging with the Locals at 7:00 p.m.

Live Music

Tupelo/Lee County

The Head at Blue Canoe @ 9:30-11:45 p.m.

Spunk Monkees at Steele’s Dive @ 9:00 p.m.

Vinnie C at Stables Tupelo @ 9:00-11:45 p.m.

Full Tilt at Romie’s Grocery @ 8:30 p.m.

Joe Austin & The Tallahatchies at Forklift 7:00-10:00 p.m.

DJ-E Karaoke at Old Venice Pizza Co. – Tupelo @ 8:00 p.m.

Chance Stanley at Nautical Whimsey @ 8:00 p.m.

South of Memphis Acoustic at Mike’s Bar & Grill at 7:00 p.m.

Pontotoc/Oxford

Smoke Top at Lep’s BBQ @ 7:00 p.m.

Brandon Burnside & Alvis Hatch of For Appeal at Montgomery’s On Main @ 8:00 p.m.

Wes Sheffield at Sydnei’s Grill & Catering 7:30-10:00 p.m.

The Band at Proud Larry’s @ 7:00-10:00 p.m.

Ashley G. Tutor at DMBC Clubhouse @ 8:00 p.m.

Fulton

Mojo at Legends Sports Grille @ 8:30-11:30 p.m.

Baldwyn/Booneville/Corinth

Cole Decker at The Shed @ 8:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Hannah+Karly at SMITH 8:30-11:45 p.m.

Starkville/Columbus

Dan Arnold Acoustic Show at Muddy Waters Sports Bar at 8:00 p.m.

State of Shade at Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern @ 10:00 p.m.

Tatum L. Shappley at Hobie’s on Main Starkville

Karaoke at Rick’s Cafe at 9:00 p.m. -Doors Open @ 8:00 p.m.

Deacon Jones & the Late Nite at Thai by Thai @ 8:30 p.m.

The Cleverlys 7:00-8:30 p.m. & James LeBlanc & the Winchesters 9:00-10:30 p.m. at The Riverwalk Stage Columbus

Follow our Calendar of Events at https://ourtupelo.com/events/ for future events.

Be Kind/Give Back/Pay It Forward

Remember, The Arc of North Mississippi Family Bowling Night at Rebelanes. Everything you need for $6.00 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on the 1st & 3rd Mondays of each month. Take the family and have fun. You can also volunteer for the event or donate!

On This Day

National Paranormal Day! If you believe in paranormal activities, you are encouraged to get together with other believers and share your experiences. Do you have a great story to share? Please share with us on your Facebook page.

National Raspberry Pop Over Day! A popover is a light but hollow roll made from egg batter and typically baked with dedicated popover pans. It is then filled with your favorite filling and toppings or icing.

National Chocolate Custard Day! Custard is an egg-based mixture with milk or cream, baked to perfection. Usually, it is topped with cream of some sort and flavored.

National Two Different Colored Shoes Day! You are encouraged to wear two different shoes today and proclaim your individuality. Many already wear different colored socks. In school, we used to switch shoes with friends.

National Specially-Abled Pets Day! Today brings awareness to caring for disabled pets. It was founded in 2006 by Colleen Paige. Today, we celebrate these heroic and amazing pets.

National Garden Meditation Day! Today may not be a great day to celebrate this considering the rain expected. However, you are encouraged to achieve inner peace while tending to plants and flowers or spending time near a garden.

National Lumpy Rug Day! Today we appreciate good, clean, soft and smooth rugs. No rug should ever become lumpy or ragged.

World Press Freedom Day! The United Nations Assembly created this in December of 1993. Today is the declaration of Windhoek, a statement of free press principles collaborated by African newspaper journalists in 1991. Today is an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principals of press freedom throughout the world.

National Space Day! The goal of today is to promote math, science, technology and engineering education in young people to inspire them to pursue a career in space related jobs. Today we honor and remember the achievements, benefits and opportunities in space exploration.

National Barbecue Month! This month marks the peak of barbecuing season. I have already did some barbecuing but I also am anticipating the smells.

Word of the Day: Anthomaniac is a person who is (excessively) passionate or enthusiastic about flowers.

Quote of the Day: Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck–but, most of all, endurance. -James Baldwin

OurTupelo’s Daily Rundown is read by over 1,000 people. If you would like your name in front of all those eyes, contact OurTupelo: via email- joshua.ballard@ourtupelo.com, by phone- Joshua Ballard- 662-260-1499, or Facebook message- Our Tupelo. We also offer a few other unique advertising opportunities. Contact us today!

That is what I can find today. Follow ourtupelo.com for more events, news, food, sports, and more! Where we keep you updated, informed, and in the know!

Thanks, everyone, and have a fantastical Friday!

Be Actively Good, Share Love, and Make Mr. Rogers Happy!

Hot Takes from the NFL Draft

josh.pitts
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Article by Josh Pitts – 5/1/2019

The dreams and desires of becoming an professional football player in the National Football League became a reality for many players of this past weekend. Let’s take a look at some hot takes involving our players right here in Mississippi.

  • Undrafted Free Agents

Just because your name isn’t called during the 7 rounds of the NFL Draft doesn’t mean it’s all over for you as a professional football player. There is other avenues to which you can garner a paycheck and play football. For some there alternative leagues such as Arena or Canadian (or next years revamped XFL). The vast majority of young men will experiment with the route of Undrafted Free Agents (UDFA). Players who are not drafted in a league’s annual draft of amateur players are considered to be unrestricted free agents and are free to sign contracts with any team. Some familiar names have found success this way such as: Mike Hilton (Ole Miss), Wes Welker, Kurt Warner, Priest Holmes, and Tony Romo.

As for this year’s class here is where Ole Miss and Mississippi State UDFAs ended up:

Ole Miss

DaMarkus Lodge – WR – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Zedrick Woods – S – Jacksonville Jaguars

Javien Hamilton – DB – Green Bay Packers

Jordan Ta’amu – QB – Oakland Raiders/Houston Texans (Mini Camp Invite)

Mississippi State

Nick Fitzgerald – QB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Aeris Williams – RB – Indianapolis Colts

Jamal Peters- DB – Indianapolis Colts

Deion Calhoun – OL – Miami Dolphins

Mark Mclaurin – S – New York Giants

Justin Johnson – TE – Seattle Seahawks

Cory Thomas – DT – Miami Dolphins

Chris Rayford – DB – Indianapolis Colts

Braxton Hoyett – DT – Tennessee Titans

  • The Bulldog 1st Round Hat Trick

On Thursday, Mississippi State was in good company as 1 of 3 teams to put three players into the NFL via the 1st round. The other two? Oh yeah Alabama and Clemson. Internally, that set the school record for most 1st round draft picks in the same year. All three players were from the top ranked defense. Jeffrey Simmons was the first player off the board to the Tennessee Titans. This came a little bit surprising considering his recent injury and all the humbug regarding a previous altercation before he came to Starkville. Regardless, the Titans picked up a defensive tackle that is a force to be reckoned with. Barring the injury/incident [Simmons] would have easily been a top 5 pick. The next man up was Montez Sweat. After a extremely impressive NFL Combine, Sweat was in the conversation to be a top 10 – top 15 player. Unfortunately a misdiagnosis of a heart condition prior to the draft cause Sweat to go down on draft boards. The Washington Redskins swooped in with the 26th pick and got an edge defender that will be a blessing to a team that needs nothing but good things going forward. Lastly, Coach John Gruden and GM Mike Mayock used their third 1st round pick to select defensive back Jonathan Abram. The Raiders, like the Redskins, need all the help they can get. Surprisingly, considered being an offensive demigod, Gruden and the gang took a good bit of defense in this draft. Abram will look to be a day one starter with the lack of talent in the Oakland secondary.

History made for Mississippi State


  • The Decline of DK

After a phenomenal NFL Combine and Social Media post of a Herculean-esque wide receiver from Oxford, DK Metcalf was all but guaranteed to be a 1st round draft pick and the 1st WR off the board. Wrong and wrong. Not only was Metcalf not a 1st round selection but there were eight other pass catchers taken in front of him (including team mate AJ Brown). With the 64th overall selection the Seattle Seahawks drafted Metcalf. With all that being said it’s a bit of a bummer for the big man. Right? Yes and no. Yes his fallout in the draft cost him a great deal of money and may have hurt the young man’s pride. But (here’s the no), with DK going to Seattle he finds himself in a very promising situation. Last year the Seahawks was ranked 27th in the NFL in passing offense. That’s not because of lack of a talented quarterback, it’s due to the lack of what surrounds Russell Wilson. Current top receiver, Doug Baldwyn, is contemplating retirement due to injuries. Tyler Lockett is the next top guy, but Lockett lacks dominating size and is more of a speed/burner type. In comes Metcalf, a physical big man to seize an opportunity. We’ll see what is to come with DK beginning with Rookie Mini Camps, practice, and preseason but the ingredients are in for Metcalf to make a splash quick, fast, and in a hurry.


  • Mucho Mississippi

Draft picks by state will seemingly be forever dominated by the big three: Florida, Texas, and California. Why? Population. Easy right? Yep. Okay let’s move along.

The Magnolia State came in tied for 6th place for draft picks per state (alongside Virginia and Louisiana) with ten. With Mississippi’s population roughly being 2.987 million, that means for every 300,000ish people there’s a young man going to the NFL. Now let’s take a look at top ranked Florida, who sent 33 players to the NFL. Florida’s population is around 21.3 million people, that means 1 in every 645,000ish will go to the NFL.

The heart of the matter is that amongst all states per million Mississippi ranked number 1. Yes you read that right, NUMBER ONE. And well, honestly, it’s good to not be at the bottom of a stats list for once.

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