Culture

By: Sid Salter American voters occupied themselves during the 2020 presidential and congressional campaign cycle, talking about COVID-19, the Amy Coney Barrett nomination to the Supreme Court, national social justice strife, and an uncertain economy. What didn’t get much attention or discussion is the looming national crisis facing the Social Security system or the Old…

Mississippi made history by becoming the 35th state to establish a medical marijuana program through Initiative 65. Voters overwhelmingly chose Initiative 65 over Alternative 65A. “I speak on behalf of my entire team when I say we want to give God the glory and praise for this victory,” said Jamie Grantham, Mississippians for Compassionate Care…

In an effort to rid Mississippi prisons of gang-related financial control, a search team of prison staff and investigators raided Unit 26 at Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman last week.  A horde of illegal contraband from cellphones to power tools was confiscated.  The illegal cache ranged from X-Box controllers to several pounds of tobacco and…

Recent mismatches of medical data between state agencies regarding COVID-19 cases at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County caused erroneous reports this week of an “outbreak” among state prisoners at CMCF. State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers describes a COVID-19 outbreak as three or more positive tests in a 14-day period among people in a…

The Mississippi Economic Council hosted their annual Hobnob event for 2020 at the Mississippi Braves Trustmark Stadium in Pearl. Due to COVID-19 the typically packed event was changed to virtual with limited in person contact. Today is @MECStateChamber annual Hob Nob. This year things look a little different due to COVID-19 and the speeches are…

The Mississippi State Department of Health’s (MSDH) Office of Tobacco Control placed first in two main categories presented by the American Nonsmoker’s Rights (ANR) Foundation at its annual Smokefree Indoor Air Challenge and Voices for Smokefree Air Awards Ceremony: the Smokefree Air Challenge award and the Smokefree Air Challenge E-Cigarettes award. The virtual awards ceremony was established by ANR to acknowledge and recognize states that excel in passing 100 percent smokefree provisions in workplaces, restaurants, and bars.  Currently, Mississippi has 171 smokefree cities with the passage of comprehensive smokefree air ordinances, 137 of which…

State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs with the State Department of Health offered his opinion on Initiative 65, the medical marijuana program on the November 3 ballot. “There are a lot of misconceptions, a lot of things that people don’t understand about these initiatives.  I wanted to go through them and hopefully dispel some of…

By: Sid Salter When the electioneering bandwagons roll back into the barn and our new leaders assume their duties – regardless of the party in power – health care remains as the immense force on the nation’s political horizon.   With a growing, aging U.S. population living longer and a health care system struggling under…

Ahead of Hurricane Zeta, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) advises residents to prepare now for dangerous storm conditions including heavy rain, possible flash flooding, high winds, and possible tornadoes. Preparing a Disaster Kit  Stock your home with supplies that may be needed during an emergency. At a minimum, these supplies should include: Several…

The Mississippi capitol city’s crime rates have soared during 2020. Just this week, Jackson saw their 105th homicide since the beginning of the year. At the center of the conversation, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba and U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst seem to be at odds. In recent months, Hurst offered a possible solution in Operation Legend, which…