A night fit for a Mississippi Delta teen queen In the last decade, Thomas E. Edwards Sr. High School started celebrating academic achievement as well as congeniality for homecoming-specific titles to motivate students to excel in their academic coursework as well as extracurriculars.

Herrington pleads guilty to murder and tampering in Jay Lee case The son of a prominent family in Grenada, Herrington was facing capital murder – and a potential sentence of life in prison – for killing Jimmie “Jay” Lee in the summer of 2022 and hiding his body.

Wicker and other lawmakers want congressional review of Trump’s military strikes on boats Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi says in a joint statement with Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island that the Armed Services Committee is looking into U.S. strikes on suspected narcotics boats…

Marshall Ramsey: Whose choice?

Mississippi Today CEO and Executive Director Mary Margaret White, Jackson Editor Anna Wolfe and Editor-in-Chief Emily Wagster Pettus discuss Mississippi Today's mission as a nonprofit newsroom and how donors' support helps pay for expenses such as public records that journalists use in their work.

For Rebels’ new boss Pete Golding, the coaching bug first bit at Delta State The new head football coach at Ole Miss, Pete Golding, is known as a strong recruiter who builds bonds with high school coaches and prospective players.

Ole Miss promotes defensive coordinator Pete Golding to head coach, succeeding Lane Kiffin Ole Miss promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to head coach on Sunday, announcing the move shortly after Lane Kiffin's departure for the top job at LSU when Kiffin's wish to coach the Rebels in the…

Could demise of special projects bill make it harder for Speaker White to pass school choice? Legislative leaders often hold the hammer of special projects to get votes for their key proposals like school choice. But what happens if there is no hammer?

Kiffin’s contemplation of his own future scrambles the narrative as Ole Miss wins the Egg Bowl Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State 38-19 in the Egg Bowl, but the rivalry game was largely overshadowed by Lane Kiffin's indecision about whether he would remain as the Rebels' coach.

Oxford superintendent proposes ‘better kind’ of school choice from cradle to career Superintendent writes, "Mississippi doesn’t need more schools to choose from, but instead it needs more opportunities within the schools it already has."

Voters will elect a new Hinds County coroner in Dec. 2 runoff Voters will choose betewen acting Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard and challenger Stephanie Meachum in a Dec. 2 runoff.

The duck hunters in the ‘poor line’ pay into wetland conservation The Mississippi River is one of the major rrivers that flow along a key route for migratory birds., known as the Mississippi Flyway,.

Mississippi teachers say it’s time for a pay raise. Some might leave the state to get one Raising Mississippi teachers' pay will likely be a hot topic during the 2026 legislative session.

A high-stakes Egg Bowl could be overshadowed by Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s future The Ole Miss Rebels could secure a spot in the College Football Playoff with a win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Friday's Egg Bowl.

‘Goon Squad’ victim files new lawsuit against Rankin County and former deputies Alan Schmidt filed a federal llawsuit, Tuesday against the Rankin County Sheriff's Department, saiying deputies beat and sexually assaulted him in late 2022.

Family’s gift creates health reporting fellowship in memory of young journalist Mississippi Today announces the Sarah Yelena Haselhorst Fund for Health Journalism, a gift honoring the life of the young journalist for which it is named. The fund is provided by her parents, Melissa Stanza and Alan…

We’re thankful for this Egg Bowl The Cleveland boys discuss scenarios for the game and the future of Ole Miss football should Lane Kiffin leave for Baton Rouge.

A mail-in ballot case in front of the Supreme Court Is making Democrats nervous The future of Mississippi’s mail-in ballots is in the U.S. Supreme Court’s hands. Democrats in the state and across the South, who have spent decades fighting the strictest voting laws in the country, are watching very…

Domestic violence tracking tools could avert deadly outcomes Two domestic violence tools the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office unveiled three years ago could save the lives of victims and law enforcement but need officers' buy-in.

That ‘whoosh’ is school choice sucking all the oxygen from the Mississippi Capitol Mississippi legislators have a pattern: House Speaker Jason White chooses a big issue that's important to him, and that dominates everything that happens at the Capitol.

IHL taps members for Jackson State president search advisory group The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning board of trustees has selected a group of Jackson State University faculty and alumni to serve on a group to support its search team for a new president. The five-member search…

DNA evidence tied to rape, killing of 6-year-old Greenville girl is missing, attorneys allege in court filing More than 100 pieces of DNA evidence integral to a rape and manslaughter appeal in Washington County are likely missing, attorneys allege in a recent court filing. The evidence, ranging…

Egg Bowl week begins as Kiffin’s run at Ole Miss appears to be at end I have no clue what will happen Friday in Starkville and then Saturday in Oxford when Lane Kiffin’s decision is supposed to come, but clearly Kiffin already has worn out his welcome with a huge segment of Ole Miss faithful.

Early education advocate Cathy Grace outlines dire issues facing child care in Mississippi Cathy Grace discusses the link between good, affordable child care and economic development.

Delta barn where Emmett Till was slain is bought as a ‘sacred site’ The Emmett Till Interpretive Center has purchased the barn where 14-year-old Till was tortured and killed, thanks to a $1.5 million gift from TV producer Shonda Rimes.

Marshall Ramsey: Dinner downer

Southaven residents fear pollution, complain of noise, from Elon Musk’s xAI data-center turbines Eighteen turbines are currently running, as the company awaits permit approval through the state for the remainder. Mississippi regulators, though, aren’t monitoring air emissions from those 18…

Supreme Court could strike down a rare Mississippi effort to improve voter access Republican groups are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that a law passed by a GOP-led Mississippi Legislature is unconstitutional. The law is a rare example of Mississippi improving voter access.

Judge grants bail to Louisiana death row prisoner Jimmie Duncan Louisiana death row inmate Jimmie Duncan is closer to freedom after a judge granted bail. Duncan was convicted in killing his ex-girlfriend’s toddler, but the conviction was based partly on bite mark evidence that is now considered…

Full SNAP benefits are distributed for November after software issue causes delays The nation’s largest food assistance program was paused beginning in November after the federal government said it would not use emergency funds to pay for the program, even though benefits have continued to flow to…

Ex Madison resident ran from Mississippi but is now pulling for Lane Kiffin and the state Despite a bad Mississippi childhood, writer says, "I find myself rooting for Lane Kiffin to stay, and in a strange way, rooting for the people of Mississippi."

Regulators say Jackson’s notorious Rebelwood is habitable despite mold, leaks, faulty electricity – and lots of bullet holes Bullet holes represent just a sliver of the grim housing conditions plaguing some of the more than 400 residents of this federally subsidized complex.

Roughly 16,000 families waitlisted for child care vouchers as Mississippi providers struggle to stay open Parents are losing their jobs, children are suffering inconsistent care, child care workers are being laid off and providers are going without pay or shuttering their facilities, according to…

Software glitch delays distribution of full SNAP benefits in Mississippi Beneficiaries in Mississippi receive $183 on average in food assistance per month, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Their loved one died far from home in a private Delta prison. Who’s accountable? At least five people who were from out of state or outside the county have died in the past 1 1/2 years inside the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility.

Amazon announces $3-billion data center planned for Warren County This is the fourth large data center planned for Mississippi, with a combined $29 billion in investments. There are already two Amazon data centers being built in Madison County.

Trump’s Mississippi nominations advance in Congress after political delay President Donald Trump's nominations for Mississippi had been held up over negotiations for federal recognition of the indigenous Lumbee people of North Carolina as a federal tribe.

Videos show Rankin County jail guards mocking intellectually disabled inmate Days after Rankin County jail guards used an electric vest to shock an intellectually disabled man in exchange for a Coke, they shared videos of him singing Happy Birthday and falling for pranks.

DHS plans to deploy 250 border agents to Louisiana and southwest Mississippi in immigration sweep, AP sources say Around 250 federal border agents are set to descend on New Orleans in the coming weeks for a two-month immigration crackdown dubbed “Swamp Sweep” that aims to arrest roughly 5,000…

ICE presence grips Forest community with fear For two weekends in a row in November, and the second time in seven years, the presence of immigration agents has shattered the calm in Forest, a quiet, rural area in central Mississippi.

The Clevelands discuss the Lane Kiffin situation, Southern Miss’s crash to earth and how an underappreciated kid from the southwest Mississippi community of Oma has entered the national college football spotlight with a 300-yard rushing performance against Mississippi State.

Court again pushes back Jackson water rate decision, allows city to review finances Jackson officials gained access to JXN Water's financial records amid another delay in a rate increase decision.

State’s appeals court reverses decision and sets wrongly sentenced man free Mississippi Court of Appeals freed a man who served five years longer than the maxi,um sentence for his crime.

Gov. Tate Reeves elected vice chair of Republican Governors Association Reeves' election to vice chairman makes him the likely choice for the RGA chairmanship in 2027.

Gov. Tate Reeves withholds details of anticipated $500 million rural health plan as other states go public The federal government has said states may post plans to their websites at their discretion.

Donations aid efforts to convert closed Welty Library to Two Mississippi Museums park The future Margaret Ann Crigler Park is part of effort to revitalize downtown Jackson and boost the Two Mississippi Museums.

Health care must foster compassion, provider says in response to Katina Rankin Health care provider says patients like Katina Rankin have the right to report bad experiences and those reports must be used to strengthen the system.

‘Grow and dream:’ Mississippi celebrates entrepreneurship with Accelerate conference Hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors and politicians attend Innovate Mississippi's annual conference.

Some Delta, Jackson-area voters will decide runoff elections on Dec. 2 Voters will choose two state senators and a Hinds County coroner in the special runoff elections.

‘Not how funding decisions are supposed to be made’: Mississippi opioid settlement council members favor own organizations for grants Of the roughly $142 million requested from applications scored in the top two tiers, over $94 million was sought by organizations with representatives who serve on…