Dr. James Watson, State Veterinarian, issues a certificate of veterinary inspection to Santa Claus, permitting his reindeer to enter and exit the state of Mississippi on Christmas Eve, December 24. T he Mississippi Board of Animal Health (MBAH) has approved a certificate of veterinary inspection for Santa Claus of the North Pole, authorizing his famous reindeer to enter Mississippi on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025, for a holiday delivery run.   “I am happy to announce that

By: Kelley Williams, Chair Bigger Pie Forum Cliff Notes began as short plot summaries of classic novels and stories. Now they are cribs about complex topics and spin. Corps Speak is the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) clever spin that evades responsibility for higher and longer Mississippi River floods (a complex topic). This story began when Congress put the Corps in charge of flood control (1928 Flood Control Act) to prevent another 1927 flood disaster. The Corps develop

By: Kelley Williams, Chair Bigger Pie Forum   Hans Einstein   Not Albert, his son Hans. As far as we know, Albert was right about his General Theory of Relativity and other natural laws. Hans was not as famous as his father. But he was the world expert on river sediments. He advised the Corps of Engineers (Corps) on the design of the Old River Control Complex (ORCC) in the 1950s. He thought the Corps would take his advice. He was wrong. The Corps built the ORCC to keep the Mi

Ray Heard April 7, 1929 - December 2, 2025 96 Years of Age Mr. Ray Heard, age 96, went to heaven on December 2. 2025.  He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Frankie Ruth Aldridge Heard.  Together they spent most of their lives serving their community, family, and even strangers who became friends. Mr. Heard was born in Phoenix, MS, later moving to Oil City and graduating from Anding High School in Bentonia.  He attended Mississippi College where he was a pitcher o