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Special to The Bolton News Older adults, caregivers and family members are invited to attend a free community resource event on Tuesday, Aug. 25, designed to provide information about programs and services that support healthy aging and overall well-being. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at Brownsville Volunteer Fire Department Station No. 1, located at 8057 Bolton Brownsville Road. The informational session will connect attendees with organizations and resources available to help older adults maintain their independence, improve their quality of life and access services within the community. Representatives will be available to share information on programs that support healthy aging, caregiving, wellness and other community services. The event is intended for older adults, family caregivers and anyone interested in learning more about the local resources available to support aging adults. Organizers encourage community members to attend, ask questions and take advantage of the opportunity to learn about services that can help individuals and families navigate the challenges and opportunities associated with aging. The event is free and open to the public. No admission fee has been announced.

By Kara Kimbrough It’s hard to believe, but a little more than half of 2026 has already slipped away. The halfway point (give or take a few weeks) is a good time to reflect on new supermarket, restaurant and food items on my favorites list. So, without further ado…here’s what I’m loving in 2026…so far, anyway… 1. Publix Pub Sub –This summer, I succumbed to the TikTok trend of sampling a “Pub Sub” – in normal terms, a submarine sandwich sold in the deli of Publix Supermarkets. I’ve long been a fan of the upscale supermarkets operated solely in the southeastern U.S., primarily in Florida, Alabama and Georgia. Since I visit the first two states at least once a year – sometimes more often – stopping by Publix is part of my trip itinerary. There are six Publix locations across/near coastal Alabama; two in Gulf Shores, one in Orange Beach, and three in Foley. On a recent trip to coastal Alabama, I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I stopped by Publix on a least three occasions…and yes, each time, my primary mission was to order a different Pub Sub, including one for the cooler on my way out of town. Here’s my take on the “viral” subs - they’re made to order in a dedicated area of the store’s deli…ingredients (there is a dizzying array of meats, cheeses, vegetables and toppings from which to choose) are fresh and tasty… the po’ boy-style bread rivals anything I’ve sampled in New Orleans…and yes, Publix’ Pub Sub truly lives up to the hype. It surpasses any regular sub or sandwich I’ve tasted at any similar takeout restaurant. The roast beef and turkey subs were delicious, but Philly Cheesesteak was the clear winner. If you haven’t visited Publix OR tried a Pub Sub…put it on the itinerary for your next beach trip. 2. Popeye’s Homestyle Biscuit Mix – I’ve long been a fan of the chain’s fluffy biscuits; luckily there’s a Popeye’s pretty close to my home. But sometimes a craving for a Popeye’s biscuit hits after hours. That’s where this new product comes in. The simple process of adding water and butter to the baking mix, then dropping three tablespoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet before baking 18 minutes, is relatively foolproof. Even better, the end result is a batch of biscuits with a golden, crispy crust, fluffy inside and buttery flavor. I may never wait in the Popeye’s drive-through line again! 3. Bigelow Green Tea with Elderberry and Vitamin C – In an effort to reduce the number of daily Diet Cokes, I decided to switch to green tea in the afternoon/evening. It took a while to adjust to the change, but now the flavorful tea with a hint of berry flavor is something to which I look forward. I can’t prove it, but I really believe the nutritional benefits of the brewed green tea combined with the Vitamin C have - if lab numbers are an indication - improved my health. Check with your doctor before drinking it, though, as it may interfere with some medications. 4. Elite Gourmet Electric Tea Kettle – When I learned that green tea bags must be brewed at a lower temperature than regular tea to maintain their health benefits, I began looking for a temperature-controlled kettle to replace my regular one. I found the perfect model on QVC –besides a regular boiling temperature, the kettle is equipped with additional heat levels for green tea, black team, coffee and other beverages. I try to shop locally as often as possible, but I couldn’t pass up QVC’s model offering everything I needed for the perfect daily pitcher of green tea. 5. Pepperidge Farm Maggie’s Apple Pie Cookies – I've always loved Pepperidge Farm cookies, but this version takes things to a new level. Created to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, the cookies are inspired by the pioneering spirit of Pepperidge Farm’s founder, Margaret Rudkin. The all-American apple pie dessert was reimagined into a new cookie with delicious apple flavor and cinnamon in a buttery, lattice-topped cookie crust. Maggie’s Apple Pie Cookies are a limited-edition version, so get yours now while they’re still on shelves. A close second to Maggie’s Apple Pie? Try Pepperidge Farm’s Brown Butter Pecan Flavored Cookies…you’ll thank me later! 6. Kroger Sour Cream with Chives – Kroger Supermarkets have long been known for their quality store brand products – and this one is no exception. I actually discovered this delicious product by accident. Hurriedly reaching for a carton of sour cream, it wasn’t until I got home that I realized I’d picked up one containing chives. Since I was using it as a baked potato topping, I wasn’t concerned about the mix-up. And, after tasting it, I was truly glad I’d picked up the wrong item. Not only did the store brand sour cream taste as good – or better – than more expensive brands, but the subtle addition of chives enhanced the flavor. I now use this in a variety of way, including topping for tacos and fajitas and a chip dip. The crème brulee at Beau Rivage’s BR Prime is an unbelievably delicious dessert that is the perfect light touch after a multi-course steak dinner. 7. BR Prime’s Crème Brulee – Beau Rivage in Biloxi’s premier steakhouse, BR Prime, is nationally-known for its steaks…and while they’re on the same level as ones I’ve sampled in New York City – an item on the dessert menu has continued to reemerge in my memories since my June visit. I’m referring to the restaurant’s signature dish of crème brulee. A light but decadent vanilla custard made with high-quality Madagascar vanilla beans is topped with a thin, brittle layer of torched caramelized sugar and fresh strawberries and blackberries. I’m still dreaming about cracking the sugary topping with my spoon, then dipping into the flavorful custard for a bite of the most delectable burst of flavor imaginable. Recreating this scenario before the end of 2026 is on my to-do list. 8. P. F. Chang’s General Tso’s Sauce – You may have tasted this flavorful sauce while dining at P.F. Chang’s or sampling one of the restaurant’s frozen entrees in your supermarket’s freezer case. Now, they’ve expanded their offerings in the most useful way by offering a full-size bottle of General Tso’s Sauce. The tangy sauce can be used as a marinade, for creating stir-fry dishes or as a dipping sauce. Finding the sauce on the shelf inspired me to create a quick and easy Crockpot meal that turned out to be “almost” as delicious as anything I’d sampled in their restaurant. These are just a few of the things that have made the first half of 2026 a little sweeter, more interesting and most of all, worth sharing with you. Stay tuned for even more favorites at the end of the year. In the meantime, try a few of these ideas, including the recipe for Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki using the “find” mentioned in #8. Chicken Teriyaki, made in the Crockpot with a new find, P. J. Chang’s General Tso’s Sauce, is a delicious hearty meal that freezes well - if there are any leftovers. Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki 2 cups chicken broth 1 bottle P. F. Chang’s General Tso’s Sauce 8 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3-4 chicken breasts, diced 1 bag frozen broccoli cuts 1 bag fresh carrot sticks ½ onion, cut into rings or diced Spaghetti noodles or rice, cooked separately and set aside. Whisk chicken broth, General Tso’s Sauce, brown sugar, and garlic together in a large bowl. Add chicken and onions and toss until well coated. Transfer mixture to a Crock-pot. Cover and cook on low until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 4- 6 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees. During last 30-45 minutes, add frozen broccoli and carrot sticks. If using spaghetti noodles, stir into mixture during last 10 minutes of cooking and mix well with mixture. If using rice, spoon individual servings of teriyaki mixture over plated hot rice. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com

The Bolton Mayor and Board of Aldermen will hold their regular monthly meeting Tuesday, Aug. 4, beginning at 6 p.m. at Bolton Town Hall, 202 Raymond Bolton Road. The meeting is open to the public, and residents are encouraged to attend to stay informed about town business and local government decisions. During the meeting, the mayor and board are expected to consider a variety of municipal matters, including routine business, department reports, financial items and any new business brought before the board. An agenda is typically available through Town Hall before the meeting. The monthly meetings provide an opportunity for residents to hear updates on town projects, learn about issues affecting the community and observe the decision-making process of local government. Public attendance also allows citizens to stay engaged with initiatives that impact Bolton's future. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, at Bolton Town Hall, located at 202 Raymond Bolton Road.

By Bob Garver Quite understandably, major studios didn’t want to schedule any new releases for the weekend between “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” I had to go down past fifth place at the domestic box office to find some also-rans that I hadn’t reviewed yet. “Evil Dead Burn” Poster credit IMDB “Evil Dead” is a horror franchise that started out low-budget and shlocky in the 80’s, and has grown to be trusted with more resources as its films take themselves more seriously. It sounds like a welcome form of maturity, but it isn’t. The films aren’t fun anymore, and “Evil Dead Burn,” which insists on wedging a domestic violence storyline into its gross-out horror narrative, is the least fun yet. Alice (Souheila Yacoub) was married to the abusive William Price (George Pullar) until he was killed by a Deadite, an evil entity that sometimes kills people, and sometimes turns them into zombies. Now she has to survive William’s funeral and a dinner with the dysfunctional Price family at their dilapidated lake house. The definition of “survive” goes from figurative to literal when the Deadite starts infecting various family members, forcing Alice to turn violent against the people that arguably made William violent long before the Deadite. “Evil Dead Burn” is just ugly, with washed-out browns and grays everywhere. The special effects are shoddy, but not in an endearing practical way like the “Evil Dead” of the 80’s. The violence is occasionally inventive, but more often just pointlessly excessive. And the domestic violence angle just comes off as an attempt to give the film substance as a requirement, as opposed to a necessary part of the creative vision. At this point, I’m ready to just let “Evil Dead” as a franchise burn. Grade: C- “Evil Dead Burn” is rated R for strong bloody horror violence and gore, and language. Its running time is 110 minutes. “The Invite” Poster credit IMDB “The Invite” is one of those movies that is basically just a filmed stage play. An unnecessary prologue aside, the whole thing takes place in a single apartment with four actors doing things that don’t require movie magic. For a movie like this to work, it needs to be really funny or powerful. It… comes close. Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde, also the film’s director) are an unhappily-married couple. Their interactions with one another range from “snippy” to “hostile.” They don’t get a divorce ostensibly for the sake of their daughter, but it’s really more about complacency and laziness. And their sex life has been nonexistant for years. They invite their upstairs neighbors, Piña (Penelope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton) over for dinner to thank them for putting up with some recent renovations, and to maybe have a word with them about the noise from their very active sex life. The new friends are willing to keep the noise down, but also willing to let Joe and Angela get in on the fun. The titular invite is to swing. Shenanigans, arguments, and all manner of awkwardness ensue. Almost all of the pieces are in place for “The Invite” to work as a viewing experience. The cast is certainly funny, talented, and most of all, game. But there’s one hurdle that the movie can never quite overcome, and that’s that it isn’t very cinematic. It’s not that I’m incapable of recommending a movie like this, but I need everything verbal to practically set my soul on fire. Sadly, like Joe and Angela, this movie is missing a certain spark. Grade: C “The Invite” is rated R for sexual material, language throughout, and drug use. Its running time is 107 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Send responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com Little Judy was full to the brim with questions for her daddy. She was watching the city’s annual July 4th parade for the very first time, and the marching bands, the prancing horses, the enormous floats and the gaily decorated convertibles carrying the town dignitaries were absolutely fascinating. She wanted to know everything. Not content to just watch the colorful and noisy displays that passed endlessly before her seat on the sidewalk, she wanted to know, “Where are the clowns? Who are those people waving from the back seat of those cars? Where’s the float dwivers, I can’t see them? And how can they see to dwive? And Daddy, who owns all those horses? Hey, Daddy, what’s coming after this big float, I can’t see behind it. Daddy, I’m getting awfully tired, is the pawade about over? Daddy, I’m getting kinda hungwy, can we go now and get sumpin’ to eat?” Judy was about to drive her daddy to distraction, He was trying to watch the parade, and at the same time attempting to answer her running list of questions of “whys, whens, and hows.” Plus keeping a close watch on eight-year-old Wade, who had a tendency to squirm away. So Daddy finally started to run low on tolerance, energy and enthusiasm. His patient and gentle answers were taking on a definite negative slope, leaning more to “No, Judy, I don’t know and don’t really care how the float drivers see where they’re going. Those men riding in the cars? Don’t know who they are, and also don’t care.” Huge sigh, “The horses, Judy? Oh, I’m sure they were flown in here from Mars just for this parade. No, I don’t have any idea what is coming behind that big ugly float. I guess you’ll find out in a little bit. Oh, honey, I know you’re tired and hungry, me too. But I don’t have a clue how long this will last. Just please, be a little more patient.” And then under his breath, “And less talkative, you are driving me bananas.” This ‘family day enjoyment’ went on for another twenty minutes, before the parade finally wound down to the end. Daddy, Wade and a cranky and tired little Judy trudged wearily to their car parked blocks away, and drove home. Sometimes the parade goes on endlessly and the average daddy on the sidewalk has no clue when it will end. Or what is coming next after the band. After the horses. After the cars, and the ugly floats. And the average little Judys of this world have unanswerable questions. Leaving Dad to wish he knew more than he knew. Folks, Dads can’t see parades from beginning to the end all at the same time. And sometimes they don’t have real answers to hard questions. But the Almighty Father up in heaven does. He sees our lives from beginning to the end, all at once. He was the one who created the very beginning of your parade here on earth, and He knows the exact millisecond when your parade will end. Trust Him.

By Bob Garver Poster credit IMDB Few film adaptations require more ambition than Homer’s “The Odyssey,” the quintessential epic. And perhaps no filmmaker has been more ambitious this millennium than Christopher Nolan, the man who told an entire story backward with “Memento,” conquered the superhero genre with his “Dark Knight” trilogy, and dominated the Oscars three years ago with “Oppenheimer.” If anyone can handle a challenge as vast as “The Odyssey,” it’s Nolan. I can report that he indeed succeeds in the challenge… to a degree. This being a Nolan movie, it should come as no surprise that the movie plays around a lot with chronology and time progression (see also: the competing one-hour/one-day/one-week/one-month storylines in “Dunkirk”). Basically, the movie splits its time between King Odysseus (Matt Damon) of Ithica taking 20 years to fight and then return from the Trojan War, and his family toward the end of that 20 years needing to do something about vacant throne and the glut of scheming suitors squatting in the castle hoping to wed the possibly-widowed Queen Penelope (Anne Hathaway) so they can become king as the expense of rightful heir Prince Telemachus (Tom Holland), Odysseus’s son. Odysseus wins the war with the help of some underhanded tactics that displease the gods. His trip home is then cursed with a series of winds and storms that blow his ships off course, plus deadly detours involving a Cyclops, giant Laestrygonian warriors, soul-piercing Siren songs, a witch (Samantha Morton) that turns his crew into pigs, and other nasty surprises. Less nasty is the several amnesia-ridden years he spends marooned on an island with the nymph Calisto (Charlize Theron), but a delay is a delay. Back on Ithica, suitors are overrunning the palace, and Penelope and Telemachus are at their wits’ end. They can’t just order them to leave, because their royal duties require them to be accommodating to strangers, but those rules were designed to help humble paupers, not these well-off freeloaders. Telemachus could assume the throne, but he’d become a target for assassination, and Holland doesn’t exactly have spider powers in this movie. Penelope could remarry, and suitor Antinous (Robert Pattinson) is at the front of the line if she makes that choice, but she really wants Odysseus to return and set things right. But how long can she be expected to wait? Technically, Nolan is at the top of his game here. The threats are scary, the soundtrack is pulse-pounding (from what I’ve gleamed, this is many viewers’ favorite aspect of the movie), and the scenes on boats do a really good job of putting the viewer right in the middle of the action, which is a nice way of saying they made me seasick. He even provides some insight into Odysseus’s internal struggle that I’ve been told most versions of the story do not. So I’m recommending the movie, there are no worries there. But while I am recommending “The Odyssey,” I can’t help but also relay some disappointment. Granted, there was an enormous amount of pressure on this film given the prominence of both the director and the source material, and any product assembled by a mere mortal – even Christopher Nolan – was bound to be disappointing on some level, but it’s not just that. Namely, did the movie have to be so long and meandering? Some will be quick to jump in and say yes, those qualities are synonymous with “The Odyssey” and it would be weird if Nolan’s version wasn’t like that. But I felt there were stretches – mostly toward the end when a plan by Odysseus needs to be put into action – that could have used some tightening. It’s as if Nolan couldn’t stand to have his film labeled as “efficient.” The result is a film that I can’t label as anything but inefficient. I knew going into “The Odyssey” that a certain inefficiency was to be expected, but I thought Nolan would be able to make me feel that the inefficiency was necessary. Grade: B- “The Odyssey” is rated R for violence and some language. Its running time is 172 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Send responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com The elderly president had been with the company for so many years that no employee there could remember a time he wasn’t slumped over his desk, muttering about the ineptness of the younger generation. It was true, he was extremely knowledgeable of the company and all it provided for the business world, but it was also true that he was very disliked. Detested and avoided like the plague, but yet, almost indispensable. Much like the air in the office, or the light coming from the florescent bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Always needed and always there. Wouldn’t lift a hand to help anyone else with their work – but always loyal and committed to the company. Another old man was in another office of a different company. He too had been employed there since Moses was floating in the river. And he too knew it all. Thru the years there was no position that he had not worked and mastered. But there was an enormous difference. He was admired and respected. That man was also in The Chair, governing that company with an iron fist in a velvet glove. Every policy change. Each major decision. Any variation in the direction the company would be heading – the old gentleman was vitally involved. Nothing happened within those four walls that he did not know about before it came down the pike. But this leader was respected, feared, revered, and beloved. The O.G. The Old Goat. A man who had been thru the price wars, the terrifying financial woes of the Great Depression, the fluctuations of inflation, and a fire that once had burned the office building to the ground. As the years passed, he moved slowly up the corporate ladder, until finally he attained the coveted status of O.G in The Chair. What a difference in the two men. Same age. Equal opportunities within their companies. And yet, such a different outcome at the end of their lives. One man put in his time, learned all there was to learn about the company, and allowed those years to make him become bitter and resentful. As a result, his physical presence was studiously avoided as much as possible by everyone. The other man also put in his time, learned all there was to learn, but respected his fellow workers. He finally ended up affectionally known by the employees as the O.G. In The Chair. The game-changer? Attitude. Life is difficult, we all know that. Everyone one of us face enormous problems as the years roll by. But if you allow yourself to become resentful without finding a way to deal with your feelings, then that anger can easily turn into depression. Which, if left to ferment, becomes bitterness. And there is a large chance that as time rolls on, you probably will be known unaffectionately as ‘that old goat’ rather than the G.O.A.T. Your choice.

Special to The Bolton News The Annie Thompson Jeffers Library concluded a successful Summer Reading Program with engaging educational activities that combined reading, environmental awareness and life skills for local children. The program kicked off with a visit from Ollie the Otter, who shared an important message about protecting the environment. Children learned about recycling, the importance of properly disposing of trash and the impact plastic waste has on oceans, lakes and other waterways. The presentation encouraged participants to help keep their communities clean by recycling, picking up litter and reducing plastic pollution. Later in the summer, Mrs. Ware with the Mississippi State University Extension Service visited the library to lead an interactive session on communication skills. Several students participated in activities that encouraged effective communication, teamwork and confidence while sharing ideas with others. Throughout the summer, children took part in reading activities and educational programs designed to keep them engaged while school was out. The combination of literacy, hands-on learning and community partnerships helped make this year's program a success. Library staff expressed appreciation to the families, volunteers and community partners who supported the Summer Reading Program and helped create a fun and educational experience for participants. The Annie Thompson Jeffers Library's Summer Reading Program provided children with opportunities to strengthen their reading skills while learning about recycling, the importance of properly disposing of trash and the impact plastic waste has on oceans, lakes and other waterways. The program encouraged participants to help keep the Earth clean by recycling, picking up litter and keeping plastic containers out of oceans, lakes and other natural areas, while also developing communication skills through interactive activities. Library officials said they look forward to welcoming families back for future programs and continuing to provide educational opportunities for the Bolton community.

By Bob Garver Poster credit IMDB I am well aware of the case against Disney’s live-action remake of its 2016 animated hit “Moana,” namely that the original film is less than ten years old and doesn’t need a remake, and also that Disney live-action remakes are lazy cash-grabs in general. And I agree with a lot about that argument. I’d rather see Disney put its resources into developing new ideas instead of rehashing old ones, especially when it means trading the magic of Disney animation for the limitations of live-action. At the same time, no amount of discouragement – of which I offer a lot – can stop Disney from making and releasing this movie, and the movie they’ve made and released isn’t terrible. The story remains the same. Moana (Catherine Laga’aia), teenage daughter of Chief Tui (John Tui) and his wife Sina (Frankie Adams), is destined to one day take over her island home, but is told she must never go out on open water. Her wise grandmother Tala (Rena Owen) encourages her to take her duties seriously, but also to think for herself if strict adherence to tradition isn’t working. The island comes to be in trouble, and only returning the heart of petrified goddess Te Fiti will save it. Fortunately Moana has had the heart since childhood (she earned it as a reward for compassion toward the ocean and its creatures), so she sets out on an unprecedented seafaring expedition to return it. Moana’s mission requires her to team up with exiled demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson, reprising his role from the original, but now in live-action), who isn’t keen on crossing paths with old enemy Te Fiti. Together they have to keep other parties from stealing the powerful heart for themselves, such as coconut-like pirates the Kakamora and greedy crab Tamatoa (Jemaine Clement, also reprising his role in voice only). Then there’s Te Fiti herself, who is so mistrustful of humans and demigods that she fights our heroes even when they’re trying to do something as helpful as returning her own heart. It’s when the action kicks into gear that the movie doesn’t fare well. For most movies I’d say the opposite, that I prefer it when the first act stops plodding along and we get to the action. But the second and third acts in this film differ so little from the original that it’s just a matter of waiting for the same beats from 2016. I know “I’ve seen this all before” is a cliché for critics, but in this case it’s especially accurate and appropriate. While I’m talking about the movie’s lesser points, I need to bring up Dwayne Johnson. In 2016, I was thrilled that the pro wrestler known as The Rock had a juicy part (and even a song!) in the Disney canon. But he’s really lost a step since then. His jokes sound forced (not helped by, again, being carbon copies of jokes from ten years ago) and his body is unnaturally puffy, a result of the effects team going overboard in giving him sentient tattoos. Speaking of unnatural special effects, animal sidekicks Pua the pig and Heihei the chicken also look terrible, and even the water isn’t as… fluid as it should be. With all of these problems that I can completely understand being deal-breakers for other critics, why am I recommending this version of “Moana”? The answer is simple: Moana. Or, less simply, Moana and her family dynamic back on the island. The first act of the movie gives us four good characters with passion and motivation. The remake really steps up its game in fleshing out these characters now that they have actual flesh. Of course, the standout is Laga’aia, matching the charm of original Moana Auli’i Cravalho every step of the way. Laga’aia and Cravalho combine their spirited voices for a song that plays over the credits, which is just enough to earn this film a recommendation by the hair of a coconut. Grade: B- “Moana” is rated PG for action/peril, some scary images, rude humor and brief thematic elements. Its running time is 115 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Special to The Bolton News (Photo by Grace Cockrell) Three students from Bolton were among more than 3,500 students recognized on Mississippi State University’s Spring 2026 Graduation List. MSU President Mark E. Keenum congratulated graduates during the university’s May commencement ceremonies, highlighting the education, experiences and values students gained during their time at Mississippi State. “Integrity, strong work ethic and respect for others — that’s who we are, and that’s what we’re known for,” Keenum said. “Embrace and live your life with these values.” Bolton graduates recognized include: Chaydsia Horton, who received a Bachelor of Science cum laude from MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences. Jacob Houston, who received a Bachelor of Science from MSU’s College of Education. Myla Toaster, who received a Bachelor of Accountancy from MSU’s Adkerson School of Accountancy. MSU’s Spring 2026 graduates join a growing network of alumni across Mississippi and around the world. The university celebrated their accomplishments and encouraged them to carry forward the Bulldog values of integrity, hard work and respect as they begin the next chapter of their lives.

Send responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com Absolutely nobody I’ve ever known loves to go to see the doctor. In fact, we usually put up with pain until it becomes pretty unbearable, and only then do we begrudgingly drag ourself to visit that dreaded human being. And whether it is only a forty-eight-hour recovery by using an antibiotic the doc prescribes, or it turns into a long haul, it simply doesn’t matter. The next time we again feel ourself getting sick, we will put off that phone call as long as we can. I know, I know, no one wants to just give up and acknowledge their body has decided to leave the beaten path of pure health, that it has taken a sharp left turn and is now broken and spiraling downward. But look at it this way. Because we are the stubborn creatures that we are, it just may take everything falling apart in your life to make you actually get help you need. So, from that point of view, things falling apart can be a good thing. Because that’s when everything can begin falling back into place. You finally go to Urgent Care, or call for an appointment with the ‘dreaded human being.’ You submit yourself to an exam, take some tests, and voila, you find out why you have been feeling like your train has run off the tracks and is wallowing around in the desert somewhere. But are you like so many of us? That when it happens to you, your reaction is always, “This stinks! Why is this happening to me?” C’mon, honestly, do you really think that you are The Chosen One? That your gorgeous body is so wonderful that no disease or accident should be allowed to touch it? That God has designated you as His poster child for absolute health until the day you breathe your last breath and He whisks you off to paradise? No, of course not. If you are breathing, you know that is not the way life treats you. Fact; in this broken world, things break. And people hurt. And everyone needs help from someone else when we get broken. So, the best thing you can do is to simply acknowledge a few things. Life hurts humans. You are not super-human, so you are going to get hurt by life. And when that happens, you need someone to help you. People do not have ESP. That means you are going to have to pick up the phone, or confide in a friend, or yell down the street. But you are going to need to let someone help you. To let someone in. And that can be a definite good thing in your life. Sickness and sadness. It's going to happen to you. So best thing you can do is to change your perspective. That when things break in your life, decide to keep your eyes open for the eventual good that can result.

The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) will make available state Education Enhancement Funds (EEF) to all public-school districts on July 15 for teachers to purchase instructional supplies for their classes throughout the school year. For the first time, EEF funds are being provided to teachers through a digital wallet platform. Each eligible teacher has been allocated $748 in EEF funds for the 2026-27 school year. Teachers will access these funds through ClassWallet, a digital wallet platform built for instructional supply funds. Teachers may purchase instructional items using their EEF accounts at any point during the school year until April 30, 2027. The digital platform will enable teachers to track their spending and automatically collect receipts, reducing the administrative burden on district staff. Mississippi law requires districts to give teachers access to their EEF teaching supply funds by August 1. The Legislature in 2022 passed a law to move the deadline from September 1 to August 1 in response to the increasing number of districts shifting to earlier school start dates. "The timeline from when MDE receives our state appropriation on July 1 to delivering these funds to teachers is very tight, especially for districts that start school in July," said Dr. Lance Evans, state superintendent of education. "MDE made the decision to move to a digital wallet system to give teachers access to their funds as early as possible. We based our decision on input from district business managers and EEF card administrators from across the state." After districts receive the EEF funds for teaching supplies, they are responsible for activating the accounts and ensuring all teachers are trained through a live or recorded webinar. Teachers are not required to attend a live training session to activate their accounts. Instead, they can review the recorded webinar that will be posted on the MDE website on July 14. Live training sessions will be held throughout July with expanded capacity for participation. MDE will regularly post additional information on the EEF card page of the MDE website. Teachers may use their ClassWallet accounts to purchase items online from more than 160 vendors, including big-box retailers and companies specializing in literacy, early childhood education, special education, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), among other subjects. Teachers may request the addition of local vendors by submitting their requests to their district card administrators and/or business managers. Local vendors have two options to participate. They may complete ClassWallet's onboarding process and, upon meeting all requirements, be added to the national online marketplace for shopping. Alternatively, local vendors may seek approval from MDE to allow teachers to use their personal funds to shop and submit their purchases to ClassWallet for reimbursement. The Mississippi Legislature has appropriated $25 million in EEF teaching supply funds for FY27. Many other states do not have programs like Mississippi's that give teachers money to buy supplemental instructional materials for their individual classrooms. "The MDE is grateful to the Legislature for continuing to provide Mississippi teachers with money to purchase materials that directly support student learning," Evans said. Find all MDE news releases at mdek12.org/news.