In observance of National Library Week, there will be a blood drive held at the Annie T. Jeffers Library, 111 W. Madison Street, Bolton MS. The event will be held on Monday, April 4, 2022, from 9 AM until 2 PM. Please be sure to bring your ID. Each person who donates will be given a $15 VISA gift card. website: www.JHLibrary.org Please wear a mask and observe social distancing for safety. Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. until 6 p.m.; Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The library is closed on Fridays and Sundays.

The Town of Bolton is going to have a special election on May 3, 2022, for the position of Alderman at Large. To qualify you can pick up your papers at city hall or online at the Secretary of State website. The deadline to submit qualifying papers is 5 pm on April 14, 2022. Bolton Town Hall will be closed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, March 23, 24 and 25. It will reopen on Monday March 28.

By: Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson On March 22, we celebrate National Ag Day and recognize the contributions of agriculture that provide food, fuel, fiber, and shelter to our communities. In Mississippi, agriculture - the state’s largest industry - makes an enormous impact on our economy. In 2021, the farm-gate value of agricultural commodities produced in Mississippi was $8.3 billion, which set an all-time high record. With 34,700 farms in the state covering 10.4 million acres, the agriculture industry employs nearly one-fifth of our workforce. Farmers and ranchers work tirelessly year-round to provide a safe, abundant and affordable food supply along with countless other products that we use in our daily lives. We see and consume the fruits of their labor (sometimes literally fruits) at the grocery store, farmers markets, and restaurants. Sometimes we take for granted the abundant, affordable food; but, in a crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic, we are reminded of farmers’ invaluable contribution to society. When society shut down, our farmers kept working so we could keep eating. As stewards of the land, farmers and ranchers are true conservationists. Our connection to and respect of the land, often passed down over generations, is not only sentimental and moral, but also essential to making a living. For many in agriculture, the land represents the biggest capital investment of the business. By adopting new agricultural technologies such as precision agriculture and seed technologies, farmers better safeguard their land, make better profits, and increase yields while using with fewer inputs, including water. With fewer acres available for food production, increasing yields has led to each American farmer feeding 165 people rather than just 25 people in the 1960s. Successfully producing the food supply is more than just planting seeds and harvesting a crop. Farmers battle uncertain weather, fluctuating market prices, inflation and rising input costs, and many other challenges. We’re blessed in the United States to be net exporters of food. We will have plenty of food in Mississippi. But even so, Mississippians and all Americans will experience cost increases as agricultural inputs including fuel and fertilizer increase in price due to inflation, greater demand, and port closures. We all need Washington to pursue policies to make America energy independent again, address inflation, and retreat from environmental regulations and decisions that only increase costs to farmers while lowering food productivity during this global crisis. As we recognize National Ag Day, and Ag Day in Mississippi with the proclamation by Governor Tate Reeves, we remember that food security is national security. American agriculture fuels the economy and feeds our families, and I encourage all our government officials in Washington and Mississippi to join with me to pursue policies that facilitate agriculture and reject laws and restrictions that hurt the freedom to farm.

Everyone is in

Rachel Shumaker reflects on the many successes of the past nine months since being crowned the state’s inaugural Miss Mississippi Volunteer in July 2021. Serving as the official spokesperson for the Mississippi Highway Patrol’s safe driving campaign titled D.R.I.V.E., Rachel has reached more than 5,000 Mississippians in 35 presentations, traveling over 18,000 miles – a feat which she considers a success for the state as a whole. “I set to work in July with the hope that my work could help bring down Mississippi’s historically-high teen driving fatality statistics,” Shumaker said. “My job is to help young people make the connection between their goals and dreams and how dangerous, yet preventable driving behaviors could be the very things that stop them from getting what they desire out of life.” Her presentations focus on the “Fatal Four” of driving – distracted driving, impaired driving, seatbelt usage, and speeding. She provides both information and instruction to help teens break bad driving habits and build good ones. “Rachel’s energy, enthusiasm, and genuine concern for the safety of Mississippi teen drivers are evident in her presentations,” said Colonel Randy Ginn, Director of the Mississippi Highway Patrol. “In partnering with our Public Affairs Officers, Rachel has done far more than we could have anticipated to educate and encourage our youth to drive safely and responsibly.” In addition to her work, Shumaker has spent time preparing to compete at the nation’s first-ever Miss Volunteer America Scholarship Pageant May 4-7 in Jackson, Tenn., where 47 states will be represented. Among a range of opportunities for personal and career development, winning scholarship dollars, and collaborating with corporate and non-profit partners, Miss Volunteer America will travel the country promoting the organization's five main pillars – Scholarships, Education, Responsibility, Volunteerism, and Empowerment (SERVE). Her talent presentation will be a fiery piano performance of Ernesto Lecuona’s classic, “Malagueña,” and she will also compete in the phases of private interview, talent, fitness and wellness, and evening gown. “There’s something to be said for preparing for so many different phases of competition and working to be my best at each one,” Shumaker said. “It has certainly instilled in me the values of self-motivation, discipline, and consistency.” Tickets to view the national pageant can be purchased at www.etix.com. Shumaker is a 2021 Summa Cum Laude graduate of Mississippi State University, where she earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Communication/Public Relations with a minor in Pre-Law and will begin pursuing her Juris Doctorate this fall. Her individual platform, I Am Titanium, was inspired by her personal struggles with scoliosis and spinal fusion surgery. Its mission is empowering people to overcome their limitations by providing them with the financial, physical, and emotional tools to become stronger. It places a special focus on fundraising for children’s hospitals and providing comfort to those facing medical challenges. To date, she has raised over $12,000 and dedicated more than 1,050 hours. The Miss Mississippi Volunteer Pageant is the official state franchise of the Miss Volunteer America Pageant, a nationwide, non-profit, service-oriented scholarship program based in Tennessee that seeks to empower young women across the country through educational scholarships and extraordinary opportunities. The next Miss Mississippi Volunteer will be crowned on July 9, 2022, in Tupelo. For more information about Miss Mississippi Volunteer, please contact Executive Director Steve Stockton at missmississippivolunteer@gmail.com or visit missmississippivolunteer.com.

Lenten blessings filled our beloved holy space with St Mary’s annual rendering of The Way of the Cross (eight stations). Ellen Bourdeaux and Charlie Carlisle brought the living word to life and their splendid readings were embellished elegantly by Tyler and Shellie’s musical offerings. By the grace of God we are now in our 11th year as a revived church. And we are grateful for the love and support of countless friends who have made our journey a blessing every step of the way.

Come out and join the fun at the Bolton Library. There will be different games to play and prizes for the winners. For more information, call 601- 866-4247 or stop by the Annie T. Jeffers Library, 111 W. Madison Street, Bolton MS. website: www.JHLibrary.org Please wear a mask and observe social distancing for safety. Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. until 6 p.m.; Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The library is closed on Fridays and Sundays.

By Delbert Hosemann Let me be very clear: failing to appropriate the one-time $1.8 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for infrastructure and recovery projects is not a rational option for our state. Yet, last week members of the state House of Representatives made public comments hinging the allocation of these one-time dollars on the passage of unrelated legislation. Meanwhile, the citizens and communities who elected us are in limbo, waiting for this critical funding to increase the number of available hospital ICU beds, extend broadband service to rural areas, support child protective services, and boost our economy through workforce development and tourism. As importantly, our cities, counties, and rural water associations are depending on millions of dollars in ARPA funds to rehabilitate our aged water and sewer systems across the state—a healthcare, economic development, and quality of life issue. A water catastrophe which must be addressed looms over Jackson, but serious problems stretch much further than the Capital City. DeSoto County is at risk of being cut off from the Memphis sewer system. A dozen water systems in Mississippi have been citied for maximum contaminant levels, the highest-level EPA violation. Four of the state’s larger cities, including Jackson, are under federal consent decrees related to the pollution levels in their sewer and wastewater systems. While December 31, 2024, the date the funds must be obligated, seems far into the future, economic and political uncertainties require us to act now. For example, leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives recently included a measure to claw back unallocated ARPA funds in an initial version of the appropriations bill. The language was taken out in a later draft but should serve as a cautionary tale not to drag our feet. Record-level inflation may be an even bigger problem. Every day we fail to spend these funds, the cost of construction goes up and the value of our ARPA funds go down. Finally, our state is one of four which have not begun obligating their funds. If we wait another year to appropriate ARPA, we have less time to complete the jobs and we have fewer available contractors, subcontractors, and civil engineers. All states will all be competing for the same labor pool and we will be the last to start. The Senate hit the ground running in January, having already met with stakeholders, held public hearings, and developed an initial ARPA plan before the Session started. This is because the clock is ticking. Mississippi does not have time to wait.

By Bob Garver Last year, the Japanese anime “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train” racked up an impressive $49.5 million at the domestic box office. It even accomplished the rare feat of climbing to the #1 spot in its second weekend after opening at #2 (because “Mortal Kombat” was terrible and fell like a rock). Similarly, the anime “Jujutsu Kaisen 0” opened at #2 this past weekend behind the third weekend of “The Batman” and I would love to see it climb to #1 next weekend. That overstuffed cash cow could stand to be taken down a peg and this movie deserves whatever success it can find. The story follows teenager Yuta (Megumi Ogata, and I’m going by the Japanese version with English subtitles, rather than the English-dubbed version that is alternately available) as he struggles with a powerful curse he accidentally put upon himself as a child. The curse takes the form of a powerful monster named Rika (Kana Hanazawa) that pops up and attacks enemies whenever he gets too upset. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone, and even contemplates submitting to an execution to rid the world of his curse, but blindfolded teacher Gojo (Yuichi Nakamura) tells him there is another way. Yuta can come study under him at a special secluded school and learn how to control the curse so that it benefits the world and even help rid it of evil curses. Comparisons to “Harry Potter” and “X-Men” are unavoidable, but the template is used to its full potential. Yuta has a hard time fitting in the school, but then again none of the other students fit in anywhere either. Maki (Mikako Komatsu) knows everything about curses and how to handle them with various objects, but is secretly inept on a very basic level. Toge (Koki Uchiyama) is an already-established warrior skilled in curse-speak, but limits his standard conversation strictly to ingredients in rice balls (“Tuna Mayo” is the new “I am Groot”). Panda (Tomokazu Seki) is… a panda… with the ability to turn into a bigger panda. He picks up on some attraction between Yuta and Maki. Because in 2022, where there are hormonal teenagers, there has to be a panda. Yuta and the school soon find themselves pitted against evil former student Geto (Takahiro Sakurai), now a powerful sorcerer with the creepiest smile you’ll ever want to see. He wants to rid the world of non-sorcerers, which would seemingly leave it with a population of about a few hundred people, but whatever. Geto rightly deduces that Rika is the most powerful curse in the world, and all he has to do is kill Yuta to absorb the curse and make him unstoppable. He unleashes a thousand curses in Tokyo and Kyoto to keep Gojo and the other students and faculty busy so he can attack an unattended Yuta back at the school. These urban battle scenes are filled with characters that barely appear elsewhere in the film, and I assume they are cameos from other arms of this franchise. The “0” in the film’s title indicates that it is a prequel to a supposedly-familiar, properly-numbered series, but outside of a few scenes where maybe the world-building was a little too ambitious, I thought this worked perfectly fine as an introduction. I found myself really getting invested in the culture of “Jujutsu Kaisen.” It doesn’t hurt that the creative curse/creature designs are incredible. They’re nightmarish, but I can’t get enough of them. This movie does have the same problem as “Demon Slayer” when it comes to battle sequences, where there’s a huge explosion every few minutes that should wipe out the entire setting, but often all participants will be okay, so it makes the action and stakes hard to understand. Still, I was eager to see what happens next with these characters. If “Jujustu Kaisen 0” is this engaging, I can only imagine what it’s like when the installments actually have value. Grade: B “Jujutsu Kaisen 0” is rated PG-13 for violent content, bloody images, language, thematic material and some suggestive references. Its running time is 105 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson announced the Mississippi State Fairgrounds will host the second annual Mississippi Mudbug Festival on Wednesday, April 27, through Sunday, May 1. “We are excited to host the Mississippi Mudbug Festival again right here in Jackson,” said Commissioner Gipson. “Last year’s inaugural event was a huge success, and our Fairgrounds staff has worked hard to bring this popular festival back again and make it better than ever. We will have musical performances, fair rides and a crawfish boil like no other. I invite the public to come out with their families and friends to enjoy this new statewide tradition with southern-style crawfish and first-rate entertainment.” The Festival will include live entertainment featuring Blue Oyster Cult, Laine Hardy, Bobby Rush, Tip Tops, Shake the Bucket, Hannah Everhart and Sullivan’s Hollow; crawfish cooking and eating contests; amusement rides provided by North American Midway Entertainment with daily ride specials; and crawfish plates provided by The Back Porch restaurant. Admission at the gate is free and parking is $10 per car. Rides will begin when gates open each day and over 20 great fair rides will be offered. Coupon ride prices will be $1.50 per coupon, $25 for 22 coupons and $60 for 50 coupons, or the public can enjoy all rides for one low wristband price of $25. Advanced ride wristbands can be purchased online for $20 at https://tickets.authentigate.ca/store/#/NAME/658. The Tails and Ales area will be open daily with crawfish and beverages available for purchase. Crawfish will be provided by The Back Porch and sold for $15 per plate. Entry to the Mudbug Music Area will be $10 on Saturday, April 30. Entry to the Mudbug Music Area will be $5 on Friday, April 29, and Sunday, May 1. The Schedule for the 2022 Mississippi Mudbug Festival is as follows: Activities & Events for Wednesday, April 27, 2022 5:00 p.m. – Gates and Rides open 5:00 p.m. – Crawfish and beverages will be available for purchase inside the Tails and Ales Courtyard. Free admission. 10:00 p.m. – Gates close Ride Specials: Ride-A-Thon – Attendees can enjoy over 20 great rides for one low wristband price of $25 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Activities & Events for Thursday, April 28, 2022 2:00 p.m. – Gates and Rides open 5:00 p.m. – Crawfish and beverages will be available for purchase inside the Tails and Ales Courtyard. Free admission. 5:00 p.m. – Mudbug Music Area opens. Free admission. 7:00 p.m. – Tip Tops performance 10:00 p.m. – Gates close Ride Specials: Ride-A-Thon – Attendees can enjoy over 20 great rides for one low wristband price of $25 from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Activities & Events for Friday, April 29, 2022 2:00 p.m. – Gates and Rides open 4:00 p.m. – Crawfish and beverages will be available for purchase inside the Tails and Ales Courtyard. Free admission. 4:00 p.m. – Mudbug Music Area opens. Entry will be $5. 6:00 p.m. – Shake the Bucket performance featuring Hannah Everhart 8:00 p.m. – Laine Hardy performance 11:00 p.m. – Gates close Ride Specials: Ride-A-Thon – Attendees can enjoy over 20 great rides for one low wristband price of $25 from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Activities & Events for Saturday, April 30, 2022 12:00 p.m. – Gates and Rides open 12:00 p.m. – Crawfish and beverages will be available for purchase inside the Tails and Ales Courtyard. Free admission. 2:00 p.m. – Mudbug Music Area opens. Entry will be $10. 4:00 p.m. – Crawfish Eating Contest will begin 5:30 p.m. – Sullivan’s Hollow performance 8:00 p.m. – Blue Oyster Cult performance 11:00 p.m. – Gates and Mudbug Music Area close Ride Specials: Ride-A-Thon – Attendees can enjoy over 20 great rides for one low wristband price of $25 from 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Activities & Events for Sunday, May 1, 2022 12:00 p.m. – Gates and Rides open 12:00 p.m. – Mudbug Music Area opens. Entry will be $5. 1:00 p.m. – Battle of the Crawfish begins 3:00 p.m. – Bobby Rush performance 7:00 p.m. – Mudbug Music Area closes 8:00 p.m. – Gates close Ride Specials: Ride-A-Thon – Attendees can enjoy over 20 great rides for one low wristband price of $25 from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. For more information about the Mississippi Mudbug Festival, visit www.msmudbugfestival.com online and follow the Mississippi State Fairgrounds page on Facebook.

The Mississippi Secretary of State's Office is seeking high school seniors with a passion for leadership and state government to apply for the agency's newly-created Student Ambassador Program. The program aims to increase voter education and registration among youth and encourages students to engage in Mississippi civics. Components of the program include: A fall summit in Jackson focused on the state's elections process. A spring summit in Jackson focused on the state's legislative process. Virtual trainings and educational sessions with Secretary of State (SOS) representatives and various government officials. Participation as a poll worker on Election Day. “The SOS Student Ambassador Program is a great opportunity for young leaders to cultivate their affinity for public service and expand leadership skills," said Secretary Michael Watson. "We are excited to take part in the development and growth of the next generation of Mississippians and look forward to providing a greater understanding of one of our greatest liberties, the right to vote.” To be considered for the SOS Student Ambassador Program, students must meet the following criteria: High school senior during the 2022-2023 academic year Grade Point Average of 3.0 or above Proven satisfactory behavioral conduct Strong interest in state government and service The deadline to submit an application is May 15, 2022. Applications may be submitted via email to ExternalAffairs@sos.ms.gov, hand-delivered, or mailed to the Secretary of State’s Office at 401 Mississippi Street, Jackson, MS 39201 to the attention of the External Affairs Division. Click here to download the application.

Representatives of the Community Outreach Ministry of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Bolton recently paid a visit to the Annie Thompson Jeffers Library. They came bearing gifts. The Community Outreach Committee had recently raised funds which were used to purchase books, games, puzzles and bean bag chairs for Bolton’s library. Visitors to the Library are enjoying the new items! James Anderson had this to say, "A little bit of trivia: back in the day, the library for Bolton was located in St. Mary's church, in the room adjacent to our church kitchen. When I was a child, that's where I checked out books. In fact, once, when someone from the library system was traveling to a meeting in Bolton, they Googled it, and they landed at St. Mary's!" And he added, "We love our library. It is very important to our community." For more information, call 601- 866-4247 or stop by the Annie T. Jeffers Library, 111 W. Madison Street, Bolton MS. website: www.JHLibrary.org Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. until 6 p.m.; Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The library is closed on Fridays and Sundays.