Today, United States Representative Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) announced the Second Congressional District’s “Virtual Artistic Discovery” Art Competition. The competition is open to high school students in the Second District. WHO: Congressman Bennie G. Thompson WHAT: Second Congressional District’s “Virtual Artistic Discovery” Art Competition WHEN: 10:00 a.m., CST, Friday, April 22, 2022 WHERE: WebEx https://ushr.webex.com/ushr/j.php?MTID=m9b5354ea7f2dae6ea87b5bb82e7312aa For more information, please contact Ashley Beale, at 662-335-9003.

The Mississippi Egg Marketing Board is hosting its annual Easter at the Ag Museum event in Small Town at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum on Saturday, April 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. “I am looking forward to seeing hundreds of families head out to the Ag Museum to celebrate at our annual Easter event,” said Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson. “I invite everyone from across the state to come enjoy a wonderful day.” Experience the family fun as children ages 0-17 follow the tracks through the museum’s “Bunny Trail” to collect candy and toy filled eggs in their baskets. Families will have the opportunity to dye and paint eggs; take a wagon, train or carousel ride; have their faces painted; visit with Mississippi Miss Hospitality Jane Granberry; and get their picture with the Easter Bunny throughout the day. The Mississippi Beef Council will serve complimentary hotdogs to visitors. Additional sponsors include Cal-Maine Foods. Admission is $8 per person for ages 3 and up and includes carousel rides and train rides. For your family Easter Celebration, enjoy the “Tasty Side of Agriculture” with smoked meats and holiday treats, including smoked hams and a variety of casseroles from the General Store. Those items, as well as pulled pork sandwiches and snacks, will be available for purchase the day of the event, and holiday meals can be pre-ordered for pick up. The Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum is a division of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. It is located at 1150 Lakeland Drive in Jackson and open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information about the museum, call 601-432-4500 or 1-800-844-8687, visit www.msagmuseum.org, or “like” the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum on Facebook.

TORN ----Hinds county pastors returned to the pre-resurrection weekly celebration after the pandemic. For six nights each pastor and his church conducted service at his neighbor’s church. This celebration called Passion Week started in 2016 and is the highlight of the community at this season. The service consisted of praying, singing, preaching and issuing of the Lord’s Supper. The celebration was spirit filled each night even as they observed social distancing and wore their masks. It gave members a gathering to look forward for Sunday morning worship.

Sister Shirley Burns was honored by St. Thomas MB Church for her passion, unconditional commitment and enduring dedicated service as Christian Educator Director. The members thanked her for her dedicated service to their church and community! They also let her know how much they appreciated all she does for them as well!

Starting Monday, appointments for second COVID-19 booster shots will be available through county health departments. Appointments can be made after 5 p.m. today through https://covidvaccine.umc.edu or by calling the COVID-19 hotline at 877-978-6453. Individuals are eligible for a second booster shot of Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine at MSDH county health department clinics if they are: 50 years of age or older and it has been at least four months since their first booster shot of any COVID-19 vaccine, Age 12-17 years with a weakened immune system and it has been at least four months since their first booster shot (Pfizer only for this age group), Age 18 years or older with a weakened immune system, and it has been at least four months since their first booster shot, or Age 18 years or older and they received Johnson and Johnson vaccine as both a first shot and a booster shot, and it has been at least four months since their first booster shot. First, second, third or additional shots (for people with weakened immune systems), and first booster shots for adults and children are also available at county health department clinics. For information about eligibility and to make an appointment for COVID-19 vaccinations or boosters, visit https://covidvaccine.umc.edu. Please note: COVID-19 vaccinations are available at numerous other providers statewide, including pharmacies and clinics. Visit https://www.vaccines.gov/search/ to find locations near you where you can receive first and second COVID-19 vaccinations as well as boosters and additional COVID-19 doses for weakened immune systems and boosters. Please remember to bring your COVID-19 vaccination card to your appointment, if available, if you have received prior shots of COVID-19 vaccine.

On Wednesday, April 6, the Hunter Engineering plants in Durant and Raymond, MS will welcome for the first time an international group of distributors representing more than 40 nations. Hunter equipment, built in Mississippi, is exported to more than 120 countries across the globe. During their visit, the distributors will tour Hunter’s three plants, meet with members of Hunter’s engineering and manufacturing teams, and be treated to some Mississippi hospitality at a welcome dinner in Jackson. “We couldn’t be prouder or more delighted to welcome our valued global distributors to America and to our Raymond and Durant factories,” said Darcy Tallon, Hunter vice president of international sales. “They’ll have a chance to see first-hand the dedication and commitment that characterizes all our Hunter employees, and the quality and innovation they instill in all our Hunter products.” The visit, shortly before the distributors will travel on to Hunter headquarters in St. Louis for annual meetings, commemorates the company’s recent 75th anniversary, including nearly 50 years in Mississippi. St. Louis-based Hunter Engineering Company® is the global leader in state-of-the-art wheel alignment systems, wheel balancers, brake lathes, tire changers, lift racks, autonomous inspection equipment, diagnostic scan tools and ADAS recalibration equipment. Hunter equipment is approved and used by vehicle manufacturers, automobile and truck dealers, tire dealers and service facilities in more than 120 countries around the world. Hunter Engineering holds more U.S. and global patents than any other organization in the industry, employing more than 120 engineers and support staff on its innovation team. Hunter is also a Top 100 Mississippi employer. For more information, visit www.hunter.com or contact Tommy Maitz, director of marketing, Hunter Engineering Company®, at contact.hunter@hunter.com. Follow Hunter Engineering Company® on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

By Bob Garver Unlike the 8-movie “Harry Potter” series, the “Fantastic Beasts” sector of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World has never been able to quite get off the ground. Maybe it’s because audiences find it hard to get behind skittish protagonist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) as a hero. Maybe it’s because of all the bad press surrounding actors Ezra Miller and Johnny Depp (here replaced by Mads Mikkelsen) and even Rowling herself. But I think the real reason is that audiences see “Fantastic Beasts” as a transparent cash-grab; Rowling was under pressure to add to the Wizarding World, so she came up with this 1920’s prequel series strictly for the sake of getting in more movies. There will always be viewers that want to see what happens next in the Wizarding World, but audiences both dedicated and casual can sense a lack of passion. The new movie sees evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mikkelsen) try to steal the election to become President of the International Confederation of Wizards so he can wage a war against non-magical Muggles. It’s up to former lover (now officially acknowledged as such) Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) to stop him. But Albus can’t act against Grindelwald personally, lest he break a magical pact he made when he was younger. He can, however, coach a team led by “magizoologist” (magic animal expert) Scamander, himself a valuable asset since a key part of Grindelwald’s plan is to exploit a Fantastic Beast called a Qilin that can see into people’s souls and greatly influence the election. The team also consists of Newt’s assistant Bunty Broadacre (Victoria Yeates), his Ministry-connected brother Theseus (Callum Turner), questionably loyal French wizard Yusef Kama (William Nadylam), American Charms professor Lally Hicks (Jessica Williams), Albus’s estranged brother Aberforth (Richard Coyle), and No-Maj (don’t call him a “Muggle”) baker Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler). Jacob is low-key probably the best character in the series, since he comes into the Wizarding World as a blank slate, yet he doesn’t lack personality like so many other audience-surrogate characters, including, arguably, Harry Potter himself. Grindelwald has his own team that consists of the powerful-but-manipulable Creedence Barebone (Miller), mind reader and former lover of Jacob’s Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol), and… a bunch of henchmen that don’t matter. Honestly, it’s a wonder I care about as many characters as much as I do, because these movies are overly-ambitious with their casts, and they keep introducing new characters without properly developing major ones like Newt. That said, I liked the new character of Professor Hicks, who nicely fills this movie’s need for a heroic female presence following Queenie’s heel turn in the last movie and sister Tina (Katherine Waterston)’s conspicuous absence from most of this one. People are sure to say that the patch-job of Mads Mikkelson is the shrewdest casting decision in the movie, but I say it's Jessica Williams. The best thing I can say for “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” is that it’s mostly a pleasant movie. The Qilin is adorable and Newt makes allies out of supposedly ugly creatures. Grindelwald spends much of the movie in the public eye, so after some grim early actions he can’t afford to be the violent psycho he was in the last installment. The climax takes place in daylight in a tranquil setting. The finale ends things on an upbeat note. It’s so nice, in fact, that I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe Warner Bros. is planning to scrap the rest of the series and end things here. Nah, evil has to be punished more in future installments. Still, it’s hard to shake the feeling that the magic is long gone from the Wizarding World. Grade: C “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” is rated PG-13 for some fantasy action/violence. Its running time is 142 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol announced today that due to demand, the deadline for growers to enroll and complete their data entry for the 2021/22 cotton crop is extended until April 30. Launched in 2020, the program was designed to set a new standard in more sustainably grown cotton, ensuring that it contributes to the protection and preservation of the planet, using the most sustainable and responsible techniques. The Trust Protocol is an industry-wide initiative to promote U.S. cotton to brands and retailers as a sustainable fiber produced by growers that strive for continuous improvement. “We’ve received a lot of interest in the program recently by U.S. cotton growers and wanted to provide additional time to complete enrollment during what we know is a busy time of year,” said Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “Additionally, producers who enroll in the program and complete their data entry before the extended deadline will have an opportunity to receive a potential redistribution of program revenue.” To aid with enrollment, the Trust Protocol has also rolled out two additional avenues to streamline the process. First, growers can authorize their crop consultant to help ensure that necessary information is entered and accurate. Second, if growers utilize the John Deere Operations Center, they can pre-populate up to 40% of the data needed to complete their Fieldprint analysis through the platform. “The Trust Protocol can be a valuable asset to a grower’s operation and the U.S. cotton industry can only succeed if there is participation,” said Barry Evans, a Trust Protocol grower member from Texas. “I would encourage all of my fellow cotton growers to join me in enrolling.” To complete online enrollment and data entry growers can visit TrustUSCotton.org before the extended April 30 deadline. If growers have questions or would like help with enrollment, reach out to the Grower Help Desk at growers@trustuscotton.org. The Trust Protocol has welcomed more than 560 brand, retailer, mill and manufacturer members since its launch in 2020. This includes J.Crew, Madewell, Levi Strauss & Co. and, Gap Inc. as well as global apparel manufacturer Gildan. The Trust Protocol has also welcomed UK retailers Tesco and Next Plc. The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, recognized by Textile Exchange and Forum for the Future, and part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cotton 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge, Cotton 2040 and Cotton Up initiatives. The program has also been recognized and published in the ITC Standards Map.

WHAT: Free oral, head and neck cancer screening hosted by University of Mississippi Medical Center Ear, Nose and Throat and the Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center. No appointment needed – screenings are open to all walk-up participants. WHEN: Screenings for the public are Wednesday, April 6, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Media members are welcome to cover the screenings and talk to physicians and providers from 8-10 a.m. WHERE: Jackson Hinds Comprehensive Health Center, 3502 W Northside Drive, Jackson WHY: April 3-9 is Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week. Screenings are simple and only take about 10 minutes, and they are non-invasive. Oral, head and neck cancers are the fifth most common cancers in the world. Early detection and diagnosis is crucial to successful treatment, and when detected early at stages 1 and 2, the survival rate is more than 80 percent. Risk factors include use of tobacco, excessive consumption of alcohol, and HPV infection. For more information, email ent@umc.edu.

Due to the potential for severe weather on Wednesday, Governor Tate Reeves will hold a ceremonial signing on Thursday, March 31, for House Bill 530 which will give Mississippi teachers the largest pay raise in state history. This major investment into Mississippi education will place average teacher salaries in our state ahead of the National and Southeastern averages. WHO: Governor Tate Reeves Dr. Carey Wright, State Superintendent of Education, Mississippi Department of Education Charlotte Seals, Superintendent, Madison County School District WHEN: March 31, 2022 1:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time WHERE: Madison Central High School Library 1417 Highland Colony Parkway Madison, MS 39110 Zoom video conferencing will be enabled to allow media to attend and ask questions virtually. If you plan to attend in-person or virtually, please RSVP here. A Zoom link will be provided to members of the media who RSVP. To ensure proper seating and set up, please RSVP by emailing shelby.wilcher@govreeves.ms.gov or calling 601-527-1044 by 10:00 a.m. CDT on Thursday, March 31.

New Music Awards has announced that Tommy Rice has won the 2022 New Music Award for Country New Group of the Year. “I am beyond happy, and so blessed to accept this award,” Rice exclaimed. “Every song I write, I pray over it and ask God for his direction. I want listeners to feel in my lyrics what real love is like. The best years of my life were the 21 years God blessed me with my wife, Deborah.” Tommy gives all the credit to God first! Through him Rice’s prayers were answered when he met Paul Loggins with Loggins Promotions. “One could not be more blessed! Paul and his staff work relentlessly night and day to help make my music a success. Paul and his staff are so kind and encouraging,” says Rice. Clay Mansell and Mansell Media have also partnered with Rice to help promote his music and book. “Clay and his staff have worked so hard for me, I couldn’t ask for more.” Tommy would also like to thank his ENT Attorney, Jay Long for being a dear friend and being right by his side. “But to my voters, YOU made this possible! I have no words strong enough to express how much I appreciate all your votes. Tears fill my eyes! I wish there was a way I could hug each and every one who voted to make this dream possible.” Tommy discovered his passion as a songwriter and author after losing his wife, Deborah, to an aggressive form of brain cancer. Throughout her battle, they kept God at the forefront, as they always did together. Three years later, God called her home. He joined a grief recovery class where he was asked to write a short story of their fight with cancer. His short story became his first song. Since beginning his song writing journey, Tommy has written a total of 172 songs, 54 of which have been recorded! He compliments his music and his knowledge by writing a book about the struggles of love and life all while continuing his path to mend a broken heart. With accolades for the 2022 NMA Award for Country New Group of the Year, he PROMISES to work day and night to make you proud. For more information: Website: www.tommyricemusic.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/tommyricemusic Instagram: www.instagram.com/tommyricemusic YouTube: Tommy Rice - YouTube For additional information, please contact: Tommy Rice 601-750-5511 TommyRice601@yahoo.com