Mrs. Johnson took her little boy with her when she stopped by her neighbor’s home to deliver a casserole for the grieving widow. Mr. Cline had died suddenly and the community was rallying to aid and comfort his grieving wife. Getting ready to leave after a short visit with all the neighbors gathered there, Mrs. Johnson couldn’t locate her five-year-old, Davey. She quietly began to search through all the rooms of the large home. But to no avail, that boy had completely disappeared. Mystified and a little anxious, she finally noticed a short hallway leading off the large foyer. Knowing this might be the answer to the missing Davey, she walked down the hall towards a closed double door. But as she drew closer, she heard the unmistakable sounds of quiet, desperate, feminine sobbing. Realizing this must be the private bedroom of the lonely widow, she turned to quietly retreat back to the kitchen. But then a very familiar small voice coming faintly from behind that door stopped her in her tracks. With horror she realized that her rambunctious friendly little son had disturbed the privacy of the widow, tucked away in her bedroom to grieve alone. Embarrassed at his intrusion, she turned back and eased the door open, intending to apologize profusely, grab her wayward child, and beat a quick retreat. But as she looked into the room, she saw her son sitting motionless on the edge of the bed where Mrs. Cline lay, eyes closed, sobbing her heart out. Davey was holding the limp hand of the widow as silent tears slid down his own cheeks. Her son finally looked up and spied Mom frantically motioning him to come away from the bed and out into the hallway. She walked him rapidly back to the living room, said all her goodbyes, and left. When she finally had Davey in the car, mom turned and asked what in the world possessed him to disturb Mrs. Cline in her bedroom. Davey turned sad innocent eyes up to his mom’s, and said in a very subdued voice, “I was just looking around the house to have sumpin’ to do. But when I found that door and I opened it, there was Mrs. Cline, just layin’ there crying. Everybody needs somebody to cry with when they hurt, Mom. I was just helpin’ her cry.” Out of the mouth of babes. Everyone needs someone to care when they hurt. Words aren’t always necessary, and sometimes truly unneeded. But to share their pain and grieve with them? To just be there, share a warm hug, do a chore that you know you can do for them…those acts of thoughtfulness are always welcome to a person who has lost a part of their world. Don’t be afraid to give love and care. And many times, it is best done - not just said.

By Kara Kimbrough Finishing up my list of some – note the keyword some – of the state’s best dishes served at my (and friends’) favorite restaurants, a trip to the northern region of the state is in order. Filled with miles of scenic countryside highlighted by stunning Delta sunrises and sunsets, quaint downtown areas and bustling cities, historic homes and active college towns, the area is one everyone needs to explore at some point in life. Besides all the aforementioned qualities, there are wonderful restaurants found in almost every city and town. Here are a few to check out: A trip to Greenwood is never complete without a stop by the famed Crystal Grill, one of the state’s oldest restaurants. Since 1933, the family-owned eatery has been drawing locals as well as celebrities and national journalists. Everything on the menu is worth a try, but two of the most requested items are stuffed shrimp and for dessert, a slice of lemon pie with mile-high meringue. If you’re near Greenwood, you may as well drive a little further west and stop by Doe’s Eat Place in Greenville. Besides a storied past dating back several decades, Doe’s serves, quite simply, one of the best (and largest) steaks you’ll ever taste in your life. My cut of choice is the ribeye, which covers the entire plate and is large enough for 2-3 meals. With a side of Doe’s famous salad and tamales served in a rustic wood-frame building, it’s an experience unlike any other. Other locations can be found inside Biloxi’s Margaritaville and in Ridgeland. Travel east and drop by Starkville, filled with popular restaurants like The Little Dooey. Another can’t-miss spot is Harvey’s, a staple in the college town’s culinary scene. Harvey’s is known as a great place to enjoy a steak and according to friends, the prime rib is simply the best they’ve ever tasted. Other locations are found in Tupelo and Columbus. A little further north is Batesville, where one of the most creatively named restaurants ever, The Kennel Club Steakhouse awaits. Peruse the menu of the restaurant and you’ll find equally interesting categories like The Temptations (appetizers), Beach Boy salads and Rat Pack entrees. Favorite dishes of area chamber executives include the chargrilled oysters, French onion soup and grilled steaks with peppercorn sauce. In nearby Oxford, a plethora of restaurants ranging from breakfast and comfort food spots to fine dining establishments await. One that stands out, probably due to my love of all things Italian, is Tarasque Cucina. It’s hard to choose just one dish, so I’ll mention two: pappardelle bolognese and linguini with shrimp in cream. With a side Caesar salad fit for the gods, you won’t go wrong with either entree. Last, but certainly not least in taste are the steaks at The Como Steakhouse. It's been discovered by national food writers and others from outside the state, so it’s only right Mississippi residents see what all the fuss is about. If you’ve never visited the small town just north of Sardis, it’s time to stop in and visit its namesake steakhouse. If I missed one of your favorites in this or preceding lists, drop me an email and tell me all about it. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

By Bob Garver NOTE: This movie is available in both an English-dubbed version and a Japanese version with English subtitles. This review is based on The English-dubbed version. Here we are with another anime movie based on a property that is entirely unfamiliar to me. Actually, that’s not true – I’ve at least heard of “Dragon Ball” (though this is the first time I haven’t seen a “Z” attached) and I know its main character is named Goku. That’s more than I can say for recent big-screen versions of “Demon Slayer” and “Jujutsu Kaisen,” but I know it isn’t much help. Just remember that everything that follows is from the perspective of someone who is very late to the “Dragon Ball” party. The film largely follows characters that are descended from supposedly familiar players. Evil tycoon Magenta, the son of previous villain Commander Red, teams up with Dr. Hedo, the brilliant-but-arrogant grandson of evil scientist Dr. Gero, to reform the defunct Red Ribbon Army and create androids that can take over the world. Hedo creates formidable fighters Gamma 1 and Gamma 2 as a sort of warm-up. The two think they’re superheroes working for the good guys, hence the film’s title. But Hedo’s real assignment is to perfect Cell Max, a massive being capable of unimaginable destruction. I hate it when villains seek to cause irreparable damage to the planet in the name of ruling it – do they really want to take over a massive crater? – but clearly Magenta is set on going in this direction. Opposing the new evil alliance is Piccolo, a humanoid alien and former adversary of Goku, now an honorable fighter that previously trained Goku’s son Gohan and is currently training Gohan’s daughter Pan. Piccolo wants Gohan to join the fight against the new Red Ribbon Army, but Gohan may have gone soft since settling down with his family. Perhaps Piccolo can reach out to some old friends for help. Or maybe he can use wishes from a Dragon Ball to make himself more powerful. Wait, that’s what the Dragon Balls do, grant wishes three at a time? Quick, somebody use a Dragon Ball to make the bad guys evaporate or something. Someone comments that Piccolo has too much pride to use a Dragon Ball wish like that, but what’s everyone else’s excuse? Actually, the wasting of two Dragon Ball wishes is probably the funniest scene in the movie. By the way, there’s a subplot about Goku and friends Vegeta and Broly on a planet controlled by Beerus, the God of Destruction. All Goku and company do is spar with one another and all Beerus does is feast and nap. There’s a tease that they’ll get involved in the battle on Earth, but nothing ever comes of it. The sequence only serves as a poor excuse to get Goku in the movie and it’s a huge waste of time. Unnecessary cameos aside, a lot of character-driven scenes in this movie work. I found it easy to get wrapped up in Piccolo and his frustration in trying to find assistance, Dr. Hedo and his drive to continue his research by any means necessary, and Gohan and his reluctant return to heroism. Even the Gamma androids have more personality and a stricter moral code than it would seem at first glance. As with many animes, “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” can’t stick the landing with the climactic battle. Cell Max is a big, dumb, hollow character, and Magenta before him was an unremarkable megalomaniac, save for how remarkably hard it was to take him seriously. Death blows are dealt about four times and usually turn out to be fake-outs, forcing the already-overlong battle to continue. Still, there’s a lot to like about “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero,” even if you’re new to the series, though I’m sure fans will find even more of value. Grade: B- “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” is rated PG-13 for some action/violence and smoking. Its running time is 100 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Mississippi’s statewide assessments measure students’ academic aptitude from pre-K through high school. Pre-K students and kindergarteners are evaluated at the beginning and end of the school year. The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) recently released the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Update for the 2021-22 school year, which showed the majority of pre-K and kindergarten students made gains over the course of the school year but fell short of pre-pandemic achievement levels. Pre-K and kindergarteners take a Kindergarten Readiness Assessment in the fall and spring of each school year. At Bolton-Edwards Elementary/Middle School, in fall 2021, the scaled score average on the test was 515. When the students were retested in the spring of 2022, the scaled score average was 680. A score of 681 is considered kindergarten-ready, and 63.33% of the students who were tested at BEEMS in the spring met or exceeded that score. “Despite the learning disruptions caused by COVID-19, Mississippi kindergarteners still showed significant growth during the 2021-22 school year, thanks to the hard work and dedication of their teachers to accelerate learning,” said Dr. Kim Benton, interim state superintendent of education. “Teachers will be able to use these results to inform instruction in the early grades. Schools may also implement tutorial services and extended learning services this fall.” The MDE has outlined specific guidance for school districts on ways to improve outcomes. At the agency level, the MDE will implement various strategies, such as Science of Reading and Regional Literacy Trainings statewide for paraprofessionals and K-5 teachers, offer intervention coaching to kindergarten and first-grade teachers, and provide professional development on Kindergarten Readiness reports to inform targeted small group instruction. The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment provides parents, teachers, and early childhood providers with a common understanding of what children know and are able to do upon entering school. Teachers use the results as an instructional baseline to tailor classroom instruction and other services for pre-K and kindergarten students.​ The assessment also measures how well pre-K programs prepare 4-year-old children to be ready for kindergarten. To view the full assessment results, visit www.MDEK12.org/OPR/Reporting/Assessment/2021-22.

The Mississippi State Fairgrounds announced the entertainment lineup along with new attractions, including the Great American Wild West Show, for its largest annual event, the Mississippi State Fair. The 163rd Mississippi State Fair will take place October 6 – 16 at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds. This year, the Fair will kick off with a ribbon cutting ceremony open to the public at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 6, at Gate 1 on the corner of Jefferson Street and Amite Street. “I look forward to welcoming the public to the 163rd Mississippi State Fair on Thursday, October 6. The State Fair continues to grow each year incorporating new activities for 11 days of fun-filled, family entertainment,” said Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson. “I am excited to announce the newest addition to your State Fair - the Great American Wild West Show. The Great American Wild West Show is a high energy, exciting and entertaining western show. For more than 25 years, the Endsley Family has brought to life the pageantry and excitement of the American West. Just as Buffalo Bill took the ‘Wild West’ to the masses, the Endsley Family has brought the ‘Great American Wild West’ to life. This show travels around the country performing at numerous State Fairs, and we are excited to be a part of their journey.” The Great American Wild West Show will take place daily at 5:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m., with additional performances at 2:00 p.m. during the weekend. The Show will be located in the Mississippi Frontier Village with the pig races, petting zoo, pony rides, train depot, rattlesnake show and other activities. Four nationally recognized artists will perform on the Budweiser Main Stage: Scotty McCreery, B.o.B., Midnight Star and Bobby Rush. Admission to the concerts is free with regular fair admission. Local artists and bands will perform on the Main Stage throughout the duration of the Fair. The Mississippi State Fair Talent Show is making a comeback at the 2022 State Fair. The Talent Show takes place Friday, October 7, and Saturday, October 8, at 6:00 p.m. in the Coliseum. New this year is the 2022 Little Miss Mississippi State Fair beauty pageant taking place Sunday, October 9, at 9:00 a.m. Fairgoers can continue to expect the best of carnival rides and games, fair food, livestock shows and the Zerbini Family Circus. The Ag Expo with the Genuine MS® Store will be located inside of the Trade Mart. Returning to the Equine Center on the first weekend of the State Fair is the X-Treme Bull Riding Fall Nationals and the Tri State Rodeo. “Our staff works year-round to produce a great Mississippi State Fair,” said Michael Lasseter, Executive Director of the Mississippi Fairgrounds Complex. “This year, we have worked diligently to not only produce a great and safe State Fair, but to also present a new website to make keeping up with the Fairgrounds easier and more convenient. Also, we have created a new Instagram account that will keep everyone up to date with all the events happening on the Fairgrounds, including the upcoming 163rd Mississippi State Fair.” To keep the public informed on all the latest updates and information for events happening on the fairgrounds, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) has launched a new website at www.mississippifairgrounds.com and Instagram page at @MississippiFairgrounds for the Mississippi State Fairgrounds. The Mississippi State Fair runs Thursday, October 6, through Sunday, October 16, with a gate admission price of $5.00 per person and parking fee of $5.00 per car. Children aged 6 and under will be admitted free of charge. The public can purchase advance admission tickets at the Coliseum Box Office until 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 6. Enjoy free admission every weekday from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., except on Monday, October 10, Columbus Day. For additional information, please visit www.mississippifairgrounds.com, and follow the Mississippi State Fairgrounds on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Merit Health welcomes B. Judson Colley III, MD, MPH, cardiac electrophysiology (EP) specialist to our medical staff. An electrophysiologist specializes in the study of the heart’s electrical system or activity used to diagnose abnormal heartbeats or arrhythmia. Some arrhythmias may be harmless, while others are more serious and require lifestyle changes and intervention. Dr. Colley works with an experienced team of nurses and nurse practitioners to provide evaluation and treatment using advanced health care technology and techniques such as medication therapy, catheter based procedures and surgery for the treatment of heart rhythm disorders. “As our community grows, we are proud to add Dr. Colley to our team. We are very excited we will now be able to offer this critical and highly specialized care right here in our community,” said Sam Dean, CEO, Merit Health River Oaks. “Our patients will greatly benefit from Dr. Colley’s experience. He has honed his valuable skills through many years of training, practice and research and we are thrilled to have his expertise added to our heart program.” Dr. Colley serves the Southeast with medical practices in Birmingham, AL, and Flowood, MS. He completed medical school and an Internal Medicine residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine, followed by a cardiology and cardiac electrophysiology fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Colley is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine/Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology and has been in practice since 2007, serving roles as both a physician provider and administrative director in the cardiovascular service line. Dr. Colley’s expertise in cardiac rhythm disorders includes atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmias, supraventricular tachycardia, and cardiac rhythm devices. He has also participated in many groundbreaking research trials. Dr. Colley’s Mississippi clinic is located at 1040 River Oaks Drive, Suite 301, Flowood, MS 39232. For more information about heart rhythm disorders or to make an appointment, call 601-203-6202 or visit MyMeritDoctor.com. About Merit Health Merit Health offers a free e-newsletter with a monthly dose of health and wellness inspiration sent directly to your inbox from a trusted medical source. To sign up, visit https://bit.ly/3DVq3zt. Merit Health serves the healthcare needs of residents of Mississippi through its 9 affiliated hospitals. The healthcare system offers a wide array of services including orthopedics, cardiology, women’s health, emergency departments and broad diagnostic medical and surgical services. The network has more than 1,800 licensed beds, more than 2,500 physicians on the combined active medical staffs, more than 3,000 employees, and more than 40,000 admissions and more than 250,000 emergency department visits each year.

The boy sure had learned some choice words, no doubt about it. In the school room, on the playground, and at home, he kept getting into trouble on a regular basis for his rather colorful way of expressing his thoughts and feelings. Making it worse, his friends often pushed his buttons to make him angry enough to sound off in no uncertain terms. His parents and teachers at school had corrected, disciplined, and even punished him for using words that would make a sailor feel at home – seemingly to no avail. But gradually, consequences for his behavior began to really hurt. Finally realizing those punishments were only going to get worse, he knew he had to make the effort to hold his tongue. So the work began. Torn between obedience and habit sometimes he slipped up, but he was honestly trying to reform. All was going fairly well, until the day ‘SHE did it.’ A young tormentor in his classroom, who had gotten bored with his better behavior, decided that she needed to get him into trouble. So, she set about making fun of his appearance, his grades, and even his family. With every insult, his angry face turned red with the effort to hold his temper, and his hands clenched into little fists while he kicked at the wall nearby. But still, he held out and never said a word. Finally, exasperated at failing to get him to yell words that used to fall from his lips like fire, she got up in his face and laughed, “Aw, c’mon, aren’t you gonna say sumpin’ bad?!” To which he glared and replied through clenched teeth, “Nope, and you can’t make me. But if you could hear me thinkin’, I’d shore ‘nuff get a whuppin’!! Controlling your thinking and your tongue. Hard to do most of the time. In James 3:8, Scripture says, “But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” Ouch. But even worse, the tongue only obeys what the mind is thinking! No one’s tongue just decides to begin flapping on its own. Your thoughts control exactly what comes out of your mouth. Talk about being caught with your pants down! There are verses that encourage thought control, because thoughts are what truly shape our daily lives. “As a man thinks in his heart, so he can become.” Want a happier life? Focus on things that are good, true, and kind. But stinkin’ thinkin’ is a real problem for most people. And we don’t even realize that is what we are doing. Try this. Monitor your thoughts. Stop every once in a while, and look back on what has been occupying your mind. Then examine your emotions. If you are like most of us, you have been letting your mind replay heartache, criticism, negativity, or anger. And now you are battling a bad mood or depression. Stinkin’ thinkin’ does hurt.

The Southern Business Institute will host CollabSouth on Friday, August 26th at the Country Club of Jackson. Entrepreneurs and small business owners are invited to attend this one-day conference to hear from experts and collaborate with their community. Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson is the keynote speaker. Several other speakers and panelists will discuss topics such as business growth and development, marketing, accounting, human resources, and more. “These events are invaluable to our Mississippi business community,” said Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson. “As elected officials, it’s important for us to have opportunities like these to hear from business leaders and learn how we can better support them and/or get out of the way. More importantly, it fosters a collaborative environment to strengthen relationships and expand available resources.” The Southern Business Institute was founded in 2020 as a collaborative membership group for small businesses in the South to help align business interests, empower business owners, and share resources. CollabSouth will be the Institute’s first event in bringing this community together. Throughout the day, there will be breakout groups and panel discussions to help entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. It will be a wonderful event for people launching their own businesses. “We’re so excited to welcome this community to CollabSouth on August 26th,” said Susan Woods, Co-Founder of Southern Business Institute. “It’s going to be a great day for collaboration and growth for independent businesses.” CollabSouth is from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 26th, at the Country Club of Jackson. It includes a lunch and cocktail hour for attendees to network with other entrepreneurs. Learn more at southernbusinessinstitute.com/collabsouth. Follow Southern Business Institute on Instagram @southernbusinessinstitute and Facebook to get updates.

Due to a power outage, there will be no school today at BEEMS.

The Mississippi Book Festival is back in full-force this weekend with its first in-person event since 2019. The festival is free to everyone and as festival Executive Director Ellen Daniels observed, “Where else can you find 170 of the nation’s best authors in one location, plus have the opportunity to hear from them, visit with them, and have them sign your books? At the Mississippi Book Festival, of course!” The one-day festival draws book lovers from across the South and includes activities for all ages. Centered each August in the air-conditioned spaces of the Mississippi State Capitol Building and nearby Galloway Church, the festival also transforms the shaded lawn and surrounding streets into a bustling scene complete with food vendors, booksellers, and family fun. The signature feature of the event is its showcase of acclaimed and talented authors of every genre — bestselling novelists, honored historians, celebrated children’s book authors, prize-winning journalists, and so many more. Visitors can find these authors in dozens of discussion panels, one-on-one conversations, and book signing opportunities, throughout the day. Stellar Lineup on Saturday, August 20, 2022 Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Egan, as the guest of the Eudora Welty Foundation, will speak candidly on her latest novel The Candy House. National Book Award-winners Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell will be in conversation with Margaret McMullan about their collaboration with Congressman John Lewis on the graphic novel RUN: Book One. National Book Award-winner Ellen Gilchrist, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Jericho Brown, and Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie G. Bunch, III, will each have one-on-one conversations with noteworthy moderators. Jackson’s-own Kiese Laymon will join Pulitzer Prize-winner Alice Walker in conversation, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Color Purple. Star of HGTV’s Home Town Erin Napier, Newberry Medal-winner Matt de la Peña, and New York Times bestseller Candice Millard will each visit with readers about their latest books. Another Times bestseller, Angie Thomas, will join a star-studded group of her collaborators on the book Blackout. Four of the state’s best poets will headline a discussion of their new poetry collections, while authors on subjects ranging from political journalism to World War II to civil rights to American history will be on hand to explore these topics. Harrison Scott Key will moderate three talented and hilarious writers on the “Humor & Hope” panel while Steve Yarbrough will be back with his new novel. For young readers, the book festival has a compelling line-up of young adult, middle grade, and picture book authors to meet. "We are excited to have everyone back together to celebrate the love of reading, books, and authors," said Executive Director Ellen Daniels. “Staff and supporters have worked for a year to make this a wonderful experience for book lovers of all ages. We hope that everyone will come out and make new festival memories." The Mississippi Book Festival is free and open to the public. There’s plenty of free and secure parking. For more information on this year’s festival, visit msbookfestival.com. You can also connect with the Mississippi Book Festival on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

By Bob Garver I had to take a week off from the column three weeks ago when “Nope” opened at #1 at the domestic box office. While I’m not sorry that I gave all my attention to a wedding that weekend (shoutout to my Uncle John and new aunt Amy!), it is a shame that this movie didn’t get a review until now. The film follows O.J. (Daniel Kaluuya) and Em Haywood (Keke Palmer), sibling owners of a Hollywood horse ranch. The ranch has been in the Haywood family for generations, but has been going through some tough times ever since the death of patriarch Otis (Keith David). O.J. knows how to handle the horses, but isn’t socially graceful with the Hollywood people that hire the trained animals. Em is more fluent in the ways of Hollywood, but doesn’t know the first thing about horses. The pair’s skills are supposed to compliment each other, but right now they’re just failing on both fronts. There’s an offer on the table from Jupe (Steven Yeun), a former child star with a traumatic past and a tacky amusement park, to buy the ranch, but O.J. is not ready to sign away his birthright. As if the ranch didn’t have enough problems, something is scaring the horses at night and causing them to run off. It must be neighbor kids having a goof, right. No, it’s something from the sky. Commercial aircraft? No, that doesn’t check out. Rational explanations fall away one by one until the movie confirms that it’s a flying saucer. The Haywoods are bowled over by the sudden realization that mankind is not alone in the universe and immediately wonder how they can make money off of it. Their plan is to obtain exclusive footage of the flying saucer, difficult because the spacecraft knocks out all electronics in the area. Tech guy Angel (Brandon Perea) tries to be of assistance, but what they really need is the calmness and professionalism of cinematographer Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott). Antlers and the vessel quickly develop an Ahab/Moby Dick relationship, and his interest in self-preservation slowly dissipates as he becomes more reckless in trying to get the perfect shot. Additional obstacles include the saucer’s tendency to hide behind a cloud (the same cloud every time), opponents such as Jupe wanting to be the first to exploit the spectacle of the saucer, and the saucer’s ability to abduct and digest anything and anyone it wants. Luckily O.J. figures out that if the saucer can eat, it can be trained, which plays to his experience working with horses. Kaluuya gives the best performance in the movie during a sequence where all seems lost, yet he needs to keep his cool. There’s the charismatic actor that won an Oscar for “Judas and the Black Messiah” two years ago. But the other performances aren’t particularly memorable, and by the end of the movie, I was just thinking about how selfish and stupid everybody was for not seeking more help for this deadly situation where lives had already been lost. “Nope” is the third horror outing for writer/director Jordan Peele. It’s a solid effort, if maybe a step down from his previous two films. I daresay Peele’s career is paralleling that of another horror visionary from two decades ago. Back in 1999, M. Night Shyamalan released the monumental “Sixth Sense” to amazing box office numbers and a rare Best Picture Oscar nomination for a horror movie… just like Peele did with “Get Out” in 2017. In 2000, Shyamalan released a respectable-but-less-successful follow-up that started with the letter U in “Unbreakable”… just like Peele did with “Us” in 2019. And in 2002, Shyamalan released the alien-invasion thriller “Signs”… and “Nope” certainly has a lot in common with that movie. Peele had better be careful, Shyamalan’s fourth horror movie was “The Village,” the film where critics really started to say that the former wunderkind had lost his touch. Grade: B- “Nope” is rated R for language throughout and some violence/bloody images. Its running time is 130 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Today, Commissioner Andy Gipson announced that the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) is offering a cost-share program for Mississippi organic producers and handlers receiving certification or continuation of certification by a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) accredited certifying agent. Funding is available for those that received the certification between October 1, 2021, and September 30, 2022. Individual organic operators are eligible for reimbursement of 50 percent of their fiscal year 2022 certification costs up to a maximum of $500 per certification scope. The National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program currently recognizes the following certification scopes eligible for reimbursement: crops, wild crops, livestock and handling such as processing. The following must be provided to MDAC by applicants in order to be eligible for reimbursement: proof of valid certification issued by a USDA accredited certifying agent, a reimbursement application form, an itemized receipt that identifies allowable costs paid within the qualification period, and an IRS W-9 form. Applicants must be Mississippi organic producers and handlers located within the state. Funds are available on a first-come, first-serve basis until the funds are depleted. Operations may receive one reimbursement per year. The deadline to submit applications is Tuesday, November 1, 2022. For more information about this program or to obtain an application, visit www.mdac.ms.gov/market-development/national-organic-cost-share-program or contact Susan Lawrence at susan@mdac.ms.gov or 601-213-7542.