The U.S. Small Business Administration approved Governor Tate Reeves' request for assistance for businesses affected by the Jackson Water Crisis. Many businesses within Hinds County, including the City of Jackson, have experienced economic losses due to total or near total loss of water pressure following the Pearl River flooding in late August 2022. With little to no running water throughout the city, businesses could not serve, clean, cool, or sanitize, forcing them to either suffer losses or temporarily shut down. "These low interest loans will go a long way to support our Jackson businesses and help them make it through the ongoing water crisis," said Governor Tate Reeves. "I'm committed to ensuring that we both restore clean water to the city and relieve the burdens of this crisis for Jacksonians." Businesses in Hinds County and the following contiguous counties are eligible to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): Claiborne, Copiah, Madison, Rankin, Simpson, Warren, and Yazoo. These loans help small businesses and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period. The application filing deadline is June 14, 2023. Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information, and download applications at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela. Applicants may also call SBA's Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

Hinds Community College is offering ACT basics test preparation online beginning on Sept. 19 and going through Dec. 17. The self-paced noncredit courses cost $50 for the basic course, $95 for English prep and $95 for the math prep. To register and pay for the courses go to https://hindscc.catalog.instructure.com/browse/workforce The ACT Basics course is designed to help students improve their ACT scores by becoming familiar with the ACT test, test prep resources and strategies to begin mastering ACT questions. The English prep course is designed to help strengthen the core grammatical and semantic skills that are central to doing well on the English section of the ACT. Just as importantly, it helps with strategy, including insight on how the exam is structured and tips to use that structural knowledge to improve scores. The Math prep course offers opportunity to take a practice test, see which topic areas need the most assistance and practice lessons to help improve knowledge in those particular areas of mathematics through videos, explanations and practice problems. For more information, contact Jennifer Rodgers at 601-857-3789 or email Jennifer.rodgers@hindscc.edu.

Renie wanted a gorgeous new flower garden. So she spent some time picking the brain of a college educated agriculturalist. A man who had spent years as a high school teacher in that field. Plus, for the last ten years after retirement, he and his wife had a “hobby” - working their own small truck farm. He had qualifications galore for knowing when, what, where, and how to plant just about anything. So now she was ready. She knew exactly what plants she wanted to have in her flower garden, and where, And how to care for them. The expert had briefed her on the best environment for her plants. Fertilizing, watering, and amounts of sunshine were included in the tutorial. So far, so good. The morning came when they both began the process of digging holes and planting. (Well, in the interest of full disclosure - Renie mostly directing, Andy digging and planting.) Renie, sweetly: “Honey, these have to be right here, ‘cause they need morning sun, but they can’t take the scorching heat of the afternoon. And don’t forget to sprinkle the fertilizer in the bottom of the hole each time!” Andy, cheerfully: “Okay, sweetie, you were the one who talked to the expert, so whatever ya say!” This process went on for quite a while, her directing with him patiently digging, fertilizing and planting. But as the hours went by, and the day’s heat increased, so did the conversation. Renie, exasperated: “Andy, I thought I specifically said this plant had to be placed in full sun! Look at it! Here it is only 1:00 P.M., and it’s already in the shade!” Andy, muttering: “I can specifically tell you where I’d like to place that plant, and it would be in full shade!” But finally, all was done, and it looked great. Every one of those babies were in the perfect location, fertilizer in the holes under them, watered well, and lookin’ good! Weeks went by, and they flourished, with deep green leaves and beautiful blooms beginning to show. Then it began. A wilted leaf here, a drooping bloom there, Then those pretty blooms started hitting the ground, and those wilting leaves began yellowing. And finally, everything was acting as if autumn had hit a couple of months early, the garden looking like the end of October. What in the world? Yep, you’ve probably guessed it by now. Too much of a good thing…fertilizer. Folks, anything can be carried to excess and cause the exact opposite of its intended outcome. Dessert gives a great touch to meals, but too much leads to bad endings. Working extra hours is admirable, except when you take on so much that the kids begin to ask Mom what Dad looks like. Building up your credit score is a great idea – but without monitoring your spending, it’s gonna backfire on you. Plan, execute, and enjoy. Important stuff. But correct dosing is pretty important too.

By Bob Garver With “Barbarian,” writer/director Zach Cregger of “The Whitest Kids U Know” becomes the latest performer primarily known for comedy to take a stab at the horror genre. The gold standard is of course Jordan Peele, whose “Get Out” in 2017 was an out-of-nowhere success both at the box office and awards podiums. Then there’s John Krasinski, who led “A Quiet Place” to critical and commercial success in 2018, and perhaps even more impressively, “A Quiet Place Part II” to becoming arguably the first post-pandemic blockbuster last year. “Barbarian” isn’t a creative game-changer or a box office powerhouse, but it gets Cregger’s foot in the door for what might be a rewarding career in horror. The film (at first) follows Tess (Georgina Campbell), a woman traveling under unenviable circumstances. It’s dark, it’s rainy, she’s not familiar with the area, and she’s in a bad part of Detroit. All she wants to do is check into her rental home, and wouldn’t you know it, there’s no key in the drop box. But there is a light on inside. It’s a skittish man named Keith (Bill Skarsgard), who claims that he’s the one renting the house this weekend. He offers to share the house, and the out-of-options Tess agrees. But something is off about Keith. He suffers from night terrors, he insists way too hard that he’s not a threat, and he’s played by Pennywise from “It.” Tess finds her way into the basement, and clearly someone has been doing more than laundry down there. She finds an unlit passage and enlists the moderately-suspicious Keith to go ahead of her to investigate. Something horrific happens. The story then follows A.J. (Justin Long), an actor plagued by scandal. He’s the owner of the house, but it might just be on paper. He arrives a few weeks later to sell the property, and it very well may be the first time he’s ever set foot in it. He too is driven to the basement, and after a detour upstairs (the comedian in Cregger rearing its head), he goes exploring the darkened, seemingly endless passage. No good comes of it. Then again, A.J. is a huge slimeball and maybe “no good” is too good for him. We had a faint idea from earlier what was hiding in the passage, but A.J.’s exploration fleshes it out more, as does a flashback to the house’s previous owner, Frank (Richard Brake), a sicko from the 1980’s. Exposition from other characters, including local squatter Andre (Jaymes Butler) fills in the rest. The film revolves around the twist of what’s in the passage, but it’s not anything suggested by the setup. I’ll give you a hint like I did last week with “The Invitation”: the entity is dead-set on treating the characters like something that can be found by changing the I in “Barbarian” to a Y and then dropping five letters from the title, including both R’s. I’ve seen a lot of critical praise for “Barbarian,” and I’m sorry to say that I just don’t get it. I think critics just wanted something to recommend amid the traditional August-September dry spell. Yes, it’s a better film than I’d expect from Cregger (whose only other theatrically-released directorial effort earned a dismal 5% on Rotten Tomatoes), but the last act sabotages a lot of what came before it. I can picture Cregger giggling as he was writing the ending, which isn’t as clever or funny as he thinks it is. The good thing about the success of “Barbarian” is that it will afford Cregger the chance to make another horror movie, and hopefully that one can stick the landing. The best thing I can say about this movie is the admittedly-backhanded compliment that Cregger shows a lot of promise and I can’t wait to see what he does next. Grade: C “Barbarian” is rated R for some strong violence and gore, disturbing material, language throughout and nudity. Its running time is 102 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Starting today, appointments for the new bivalent COVID-19 booster shot are available at all Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) county health department clinics. Appointments can be made through https://covidvaccine.umc.edu or by calling the COVID-19 hotline at 877-978-6453. The FDA has authorized an updated COVID-19 booster that offers improved protection against recent variants. The new booster is bivalent, providing better protection against both the original strain of COVID-19 and the Omicron variants that are currently causing most infections (BA.4 and BA.5). The updated vaccines are recommended for use as a booster shot for those 12 and older at least two months after completion of the primary vaccination series (Pfizer, Moderna or Noravax two-shot regimen, or Johnson & Johnson/Jannsen’s one-shot regimen) or two months after the last booster shot. “We strongly recommend that anyone eligible should go ahead and receive the updated booster now to provide the best protection against COVID-19 infection and severe complications from COVID-19,” said MSDH State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers. “There is always the possibility of increased cases as we move into the fall and winter months. Don’t wait to protect yourself.” MSDH recommends vaccination against COVID-19 for anyone 6 months and older. Vaccination is especially important for adults 65 and older, children, and adults who have weakened immune systems, and anyone with underlying health problems. COVID-19 vaccinations are available at no cost from county health departments. Vaccinations are also available at numerous pharmacies and private providers throughout the state. For information about eligibility and to make an appointment for COVID-19 vaccinations or boosters, visit https://covidvaccine.umc.edu. Please remember to bring your COVID-19 vaccination card to your appointment, if available.

Bill payment help, energy-efficiency tools and more on tap Entergy Mississippi has announced a $3.2-million pledge, funded by its shareholders, to help customers with high bills brought on primarily by high natural gas prices. While the effort will apply to all residential customers, it will focus mainly on helping those with low to moderate incomes. More than half of the power Entergy Mississippi generates comes from natural gas, and the cost to buy this fuel has more than doubled in the last year. These fuel costs are passed through to customers with no profit to the company. However, these persistent high natural gas prices are expected to affect customer bills later this year and into the next. “We not only want to alert our customers ahead of time when we see factors that can affect their bills, we also want to give them the help and tools they need to prepare for those bills,” said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO. Entergy announced four initiatives designed to help customers: • $150 bill credit for moderate-income customers. Nearly $1.1 million will fund a temporary bill payment assistance program for Mississippi customers. The focus will be on moderate-income customers who struggle to pay utility bills, but do not qualify for federal bill assistance programs. These customers would receive a one-time $150 bill credit. • Up to $1,000 for disabled and older customers in need. More than $540,000 will provide emergency utility bill payments for one or more months to older adults and customers with disabilities facing financial hardship. These funds will also provide agencies with administrative fees to cover added expenses associated with an increased volume of requests for help. • Free $35 energy efficiency kits. Nearly $1.1 million will pay for money-saving energy efficiency kits. Customers can get these kits at community events in Entergy’s service area this fall or can request them online at https://msentergysolutions-marketplace.com/. Available to all customers, the kits can potentially save customers $5 per month or $60 annually, and combined with Entergy’s available online tools, can save customers as much as $300 annually. • $460,000 for customer education. This money will fund a campaign to make Entergy customers aware of additional energy-efficiency and bill help available to them. This will include outreach and assistance to low-income households on how they can apply for federal bill assistance in their area, including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program known as LIHEAP. “As part of a settlement, we worked with the Mississippi Public Service commissioners to get bill payment relief in the form of an $80 rebate to all customers in September and a $15 per 1,000-kilowatt benefit toward their bill through next year,” said Fisackerly. “Now we’re working with them again, and with our community partners, to expand on that effort and help Mississippians get additional relief.” Fisackerly said the company is also addressing the natural gas crisis by taking steps to limit its use of natural gas. “We are investing in Grand Gulf Nuclear Station’s low-cost power and incorporating more renewable energy into our generation portfolio,” he said. “An example of that is the recently-completed Sunflower Solar Station in the Mississippi delta.” All Entergy charitable contributions come from shareholder profit, not from customers. No costs associated with Entergy charitable contributions are passed through to customers. The company will share more details about the initiatives as it rolls each one out in the coming weeks. Learn more at entergy.com/answers and entergy.com/billhelp. QUOTES: “During a time of rising costs from every direction, the Mississippi Public Service Commission and our regulated utilities are working closely to keep energy bills as low as possible,” Chairman Dane Maxwell said. “I appreciate the efforts of stakeholders at Entergy Mississippi for making this type of investment and commitment to help customers with high bills.” “The Mississippi Public Service Commission remains committed to ensuring our regulated utilities provide affordable power to Mississippi consumers,” said Commissioner Brent Bailey, Central District. “We appreciate Entergy Mississippi’s efforts to provide the help and tools needed for their customers to lower their energy bills and put more money back in their pockets.”

By Kara Kimbrough “Is it too early for soup?” I actually asked someone this question this week because technically: A. Fall is just around the corner, therefore, it’s time to start thinking about/making seasonal foods; and B. I will find any excuse to make my favorite comfort food. I didn’t get an answer in the affirmative, but that didn’t stop me from gathering the ingredients for one of my favorite soups. I tell readers and friends that ask for ideas on the perfect, easy meal that you can’t go wrong with soup. It’s easy to make, especially if you let it simmer in a Crockpot all day. Second, it's the full meal deal when paired with a simple salad, bread or savory crackers (in other words, you can fool others into thinking you prepared a real meal) and last, in these challenging economic times, it’s relatively inexpensive to make. I was inspired to start adding soup back to the menu after watching an online video series called Harper’s Bazaar Food Diaries. The magazine creates short videos of celebrities detailing everything they eat in a day. One of the most interesting was from plus-size model Ashley Graham, whose descriptive words and accompanying photos of her hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs on top of buttered bread and a slice of ham thrown on top for good measure caused me to rethink my own hurried breakfast. As expected, Martha Stewart’s daily food diary was over the top, but actress Catherine Zeta-Jones’ leisurely meals filled with hearty salads packed with everything under the sun and topped with dressings I actually wanted to recreate reminded me that meals don’t have to be sparse to be healthy. However, the simple diet of Yolanda Hadid, a “Real Housewives” reality star (don’t ask me which one) was the most inspirational. Each night, she ends her day with a simple soup filled with chicken broth and chopped vegetables. Without any specific recipe in mind, she boils together whatever she can find in the refrigerator into a hot, healthy and light soup. Her simple soup looked so good I immediately went to my refrigerator and retrieved leftover cabbage and carrots from Labor Day’s cole slaw and defrosted a chicken breast from last month’s chicken spaghetti. Defrosting time included, I had a flavorful soup ready for a light supper in about 30 minutes. I hate to play favorites among my soups, but one of the best – and it's relatively new to my soup repertoire – is Cheesy Vegetable Soup. I was introduced to it by a co-worker, who brought a Tupperware bowl of the hot soup to me during a difficult work week fraught with personal and professional challenges. Made with ground chuck, chopped vegetables and a light (depending upon your preference) cheese sauce, it was the perfect antidote to the problems I was facing at the time. I was surprised to learn the recipe for this cure-all soup had been under my nose all along. It's included in a cookbook I compiled in 2018 to commemorate a historical occasion. Her recipe was previously published in a collection of recipes from the past that I edited (obviously not very thoroughly, as I didn’t remember this particular one) and included with a new section of recipes, historic photos and more. I somehow overlooked a recipe that has turned out to be a favorite. And, knowing a friend brought it to me when I needed it the most makes it even more special. Cheesy Vegetable Soup 1 pound ground chuck 4 cups water 1/2 cup onions, chopped 1 cup whole kernel corn 1 cup potatoes, chopped (I use diced, not shredded, hash browns to save time) 1 cup celery, chopped 1 cup carrots, chopped 2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce, optional 1 16-ounce jar regular or jalapeno Cheese Whiz 4 beef bouillon cubes Brown meat and drain; add salt and pepper to taste. Add water, bouillon cubes and Tabasco, if using. Add vegetables and cook until potatoes and carrots are done. Add cheese. Best served with cornbread. Recipe from Cindy Womack Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

Fantastically Horrific Halloween Spooky Parade We cordially invite you to participate in the “Krewe of Boo” parade taking place on Saturday, October 1, 2022, in Downtown Bolton, MS – beginning at 5:00 P.M.! Inspired by New Orleans’ official Krewe of BOO! Parade, this is a community event for the kids and all of us that are still kids at heart. Proceeds from the parade will be utilized to improve our community in multiple ways. Goals include but are not limited to providing public benches, community trash cans, and a food pantry in-town. We are looking for interesting, exciting, and fun entrants for our parade. Our theme of “Krewe of Boo” gives us the opportunity to wear a costume from our favorite movie or character. Think of all the suitable costumes you could wear or characters you could be. Or, forget our theme and have your entry be about something important to your organization. Or, forget a theme and just come march with your group for the fun of it. We look forward to a great parade and having you with us! We hope each one of you will take the opportunity to participate in this event. We welcome: Bands, Clubs, Groups, Businesses, Organizations, Politicians and Candidates, Floats (General), Churches and Sports Teams. Enclosed is a flyer for the parade. Please complete and return the entry form portion at your earliest convenience. The deadline to submit the form is Friday, September 30, 2022. We will need the information to organize the parade and order of the march. After the form is submitted and fees are paid, more information will be disbursed to those participating. PLEASE NOTE: THE PARADE WILL STEP OFF AT 5:00 P.M. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR ENTRY IS AT THE LINEUP AREA ON TIME (4:30 P.M.). • The parade gathers at 4:30 P.M. at the “County Barn” in Bolton for non-marching bands. o Marching bands or groups with predominantly walkers can gather in the Industrial Park of Bolton. • Parade route is approximately 2 miles. • You can pass out information during the parade route. • We ask that you place candy inside small plastic bags and throw those. • More guidelines regarding costumes will be made available after entry forms are submitted. “Krewe of Boo” would like to thank you in advance for your consideration and look forward to your participation. If you have any questions, please call or email. 601-473-5113 highhorsebolton.com dyamone@highhorsebolton.com 250 Bolton-Raymond Road Bolton, Mississippi

In conjunction with the launch of their new website, Central Hinds Academy recently announced the debut of a new mobile app, “CHA Cougars.” The application includes information that existing and prospective parents and students might need regarding Central Hinds Academy. Users can learn more about the latest news and events, the teachers at the school, read about admissions, get information regarding athletics and campus life, support CHA, make tuition payments and more. The app can be found at the Apple App Store and at the Google Play Store. Additional information is also available on the school’s website at CentralHinds.org.

Gaddis & McLaurin will hold a hunting appreciation event September 8-10. The event will include live entertainment, free food and beverages, prize giveaways and special deals throughout the store. The event is family-friendly. Gaddis & McLaurin, located at 104 Madison Street, has been the feed, seed, hardware and mercantile business in Bolton since 1871. For more information, call 601-866-2279.

Ms. T’s Preschool Daycare is currently accepting applications for fall enrollment for ages six months to twelve years. Located in the Henderson Municipal Building at 202 Raymond Bolton Road, the school operates from 6:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. All-day students are taught to recognize letters, numbers, shapes and colors, as well as beginning writing and spelling, in preparation for pre-K and kindergarten. Breakfast, lunch and two snacks are provided for all-day students. After-school students, for whom transportation can be provided, complete homework, play educational games and enjoy a snack.

By Kara Kimbrough The Presidential Library of the 18th president, Ulysses Grant, is located at Mississippi State University in the Mitchell Memorial Library. Also included are artifacts from President Abraham Lincoln. Reading a national journalist’s recap of a visit to the Mississippi Delta, it dawned on me he didn’t stop by nearby Starkville, where Ulysses Grant’s Presidential Library is located in Mississippi State University’s Mitchell Memorial Library. There’s an intriguing story about how the 18th president’s library ended up in a state targeted during the Civil War. There's also a collection of Abraham Lincoln's artifacts. If you’d like to know more, drop me an email and I’ll send you a link to my previous column. The story and subsequent reminder of the presidential library caused me to wonder why Americans are intrigued with the food our presidents and their families eat. Politics aside, I’m proud to know former Pres. Donald Trump dined on, among other items, gulf shrimp, during his inauguration dinner. Let’s hope it originated from Mississippi Sound, since we know it’s the best. Not surprisingly, Chicago native Pres. Barack Obama was fond of deep dish pizza, a specialty of his hometown. These reports led to a little research on the favorite foods of some of other presidents. In addition to Tex-Mex, George W. Bush also enjoyed pizza. Bill Clinton regularly dined on chicken enchiladas, while George H.W. Bush couldn’t live without pork rinds. In previous decades, Ronald Reagan listed mac and cheese as a favorite side and Jimmy Carter enjoyed steak. The athletic Gerald Ford was a roast and red cabbage man. Lyndon Johnson liked tapioca and Fresca. Urbane presidents like Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy had simple tastes. FDR loved scrambled eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches, while JFK ordered tomato soup with sour cream or a Boston favorite, clam chowder. Keep in mind these men served a couple of centuries ago when supermarkets selling shrink-wrapped meat were nonexistent before you judge. Presidents William Harrison and James Garfield regularly requested squirrel soup at the White House dinner table. On a more palatable note, I discovered the favorite food of our first president was ice cream. I was disappointed to learn George Washington never chopped down a cherry tree, much less ate cherry pie. However, there’s nothing wrong with going along with a timeworn fable when it produces a recipe for a dessert that’s easy to make and delicious, especially when topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Here’s an easy recipe to honor the Father of our Country and keep cherry pie, or at least cobbler, alive and well. George’s Cherry Cobbler 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling 1 cup Bisquick 1/4 cup milk 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature More sugar for sprinkling on top Spread pie filling into bottom of buttered 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Place in a cold oven; turn oven to 400 degrees, heat until dish reaches 400 degrees; continue to bake for 10 minutes. Remove dish from oven. While filling is baking, combine remaining ingredients. With a tablespoon, drop dough onto hot pie filling (about 6 dumplings). Sprinkle each dumpling with a little sugar. Put casserole back into oven and continue to bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.