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. Pictured (L to R) are Baylor Fleming, Ellen McLean, Chase and Baylor Fleming Yvonne Rogers, Dorean Harris, Andrew Smith, Jr., James Anderson and Chase Fleming

The annual observation of the National Day of Prayer is Thursday, May 5, 2022. This event is for inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. This observance will be held at 202 Raymond-Bolton Road, Bolton, MS 39041 at 12:20 PM. In case of rain, this event will be moved inside of the City Hall. EXALT THE LORD WHO HAS ESTABLISHED US COLOSSIANS 2:6-7 Donations ARE Welcome. If you would like to donate to National Day of Prayer, you may do so by following this link: https://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/donate Social Distancing and Face Masks Are Encouraged.

Mississippi Public Service Commissioner Brent Bailey encourages Mississippians to utilize Mississippi 811’s free call system before digging jobs of any size at a home or business. Each April, we recognize National Safe Digging Month, an initiative that urges excavators and homeowners to call 811 before beginning a digging project to avoid any damages, injuries or fatalities that could result from striking a utility line. Though spring home improvement projects, such as mailbox installations, fence building or tree planting, may seem harmless, they can have severely dangerous outcomes if utility lines are compromised while digging. In 2021, Mississippi 811 agents received 480,871 calls (an 8.2% increase over 2020) which resulted in nearly 2.4 million utility locates. Mississippi 811 membership is still at nearly 1,100 utility members. “I’m proud to report that more Mississippians are making more calls to 811 before they dig,” Commissioner Bailey said. “We just hope the number of callers continues to grow each year, as we all share the same goal of keeping our families, our neighbors and our communities safe.” As part of National Safe Digging Month, the Mississippi Public Service Commission encourages homeowners to take the following basic steps before conducting any digging or excavation: • Contact 811 at least two days before digging, regardless of the depth or familiarity with the property. • Make an 811 request on Monday or Tuesday for work planned for an upcoming weekend. • Confirm that all lines have been marked. • Consider moving the location of your project if it is near utility line markings. • If a contractor has been hired, confirm that the contractor has contacted 811. Don't allow work to begin if the lines aren't marked. Failure to notify 811 is the single largest individual cause contributing to damages of underground utilities. Damage prevention is a shared responsibility. Do your part to prevent damage to underground utilities. Call 811 before you plan to do any digging or excavation work on your property in Mississippi or visit https://www.ms811.org/. For any other consumer matters, please contact the Mississippi Public Service Commission Central District Office at 1-800-356-6430.

Kindergarten Registration for Bolton-Edwards Elementary/Middle School will be held April 18, 22, 25, and 29, 2022 from 9:00 AM until 12 noon. There will be a second registration on May 2, 2022 at 3 PM until 6 PM. The Hinds County School District requires new students to submit the following documentation: Long Birth Certificate, Parent/Guardian Driver's License, Child's Social Security Card, and Immunization Form 121. You will need to bring two (2) pieces of business of government mail addressed to you, the legal guardian, at your physical address; no P.O. Box mail will be accepted. This cannot be junk mail, must be within the last thirty (30) days, and must have your physical address. Examples may include utility bills, credit card bills, mortgage or lease, cell phone bills, insurance documentation, physicians' invoice, employment verification, state or governmental benefit documentation, mail forward request form, and car tag payment receipts. If you have any questions, please contact the office at 601-866-2522.

By Bob Garver Last week I reviewed “Morbius,” a film whose constant delays in release turned it into a punchline. Next week I’ll review the new “Fantastic Beasts,” part of a franchise whose behind-the-scenes scandals have turned it into a punchline. Sandwiched between the two is “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” an agreeable, lighthearted affair whose only crime is being a sequel to a film whose disastrous first trailer turned it into a punchline three years ago. One of the very few bright spots of the 2020 domestic box office was the success of “Sonic the Hedgehog.” The Sega video game adaptation made $148 million, making it one of only two movies to pass $100 million in that pandemic-tainted year. More importantly, it became the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time. Short of a pandemic-sized roadblock, “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” is on track to break that record thanks to a $71 million opening weekend and Easter right around the corner. Not bad for a franchise that gave the world one of its most hated CGI monstrosities when the first trailer was released in 2019. The overwhelmingly negative reaction to the gangly, human-toothed Sonic from that trailer caused a months-long delay while the character was redesigned. But the rework paid off, as it led to both critical and commercial success for the film, not to mention interest in the sequel. The new chapter starts with the villainous Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) escaping exile on a mushroom planet thanks to his trademark ingenuity and a hand from new ally Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elba). Back on Earth, Sonic (Ben Schwartz) makes a mess of foiling a bank robbery. His parent-like human ally Tom (James Marsden) tells him he needs to be more responsible, so he puts him in charge of the house while he and his wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter) go to a wedding in Hawaii. Sonic isn’t punished or made to fix the damage he’s done, he just gets the house to himself for the weekend, and immediately gets to partying. The party is short-lived, however, as trouble soon finds Sonic in the form of Robotnik and Knuckles. Fortunately, new fox ally Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessy) emerges to help fend the villains off. From there the movie becomes a two-on-two race to see who can find an all-powerful emerald first. Adventure and gags ensue. It’s been less than two months since “Uncharted” and two weeks since “The Lost City,” so the movie is striking a very familiar tone with its treasure hunters, but at least here it's with more likeable characters. To be honest, I didn’t care about the emerald stuff at all (Tails is noticeably flat in his exposition). I found much more enjoyment in Sonic/Tails/Robotnik/Knuckles relationship, as the characters learn lessons about courage, compassion, trust, and yes, responsibility. If any storyline in this movie is particularly “engaging,” it’s the wedding between Maddie’s sister Rachel (Natasha Rothwell) and fiancé Randall (Shemar Moore, who could very easily replace John Stamos as the poster boy for never aging). I know people don’t go to see a Sonic the Hedgehog movie for wedding hijinks, but the jokes in these scenes just land at a better rate than in non-wedding scenes. The bad news is that I’m not ready to say that “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” breaks my streak of having never seen a “good” video game movie. The story picks some bad times to not take itself seriously, the blurry action did nothing for me, and I was really feeling the runtime toward the end. The good news is that there’s nothing painfully unfunny or disagreeable here. Jim Carrey is in tip-top comedic form (I hope he’s not serious about retiring from acting) and all the characters are likeable in one way or another. I wouldn’t say this movie should be a priority for adults, but’s it’s fine as a choice for families with kids. Grade: C “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” is rated PG for action, some violence, rude humor, and mild language. Its running time is 122 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

By Kara Kimbrough Mississippi doesn’t always get a lot of love from other parts of the country – in fact, we sometimes get overlooked altogether by those looking for scenic places to visit in the spring. And that’s a shame, as our state is filled with natural beauty, ranging from delicate dogwood trees to breathtaking azaleas and hundreds of other flowering trees and shrubs. Even better, a lot of Mississippi’s most beautiful foliage is growing wild in rural or off-the-beaten path settings. The only way to experience everything our state has to offer is to set out on a road trip or at the very least, plan to stop and enjoy scenic spots when enroute to other places. Here is a list of a few areas filled with some of the best of nature’s beauty right now. Feel free to email me if you’d like me to share one of your favorite spots. 1. Pick up any travel magazine or browse the internet and you’ll likely read about and see photos of the breathtakingly-beautiful cherry blossoms in bloom in Washington, D.C. and New York City’s Central Park. As a result, I wondered if Mississippi, known for its ability to grow almost anything in our rich soil, contained any of the vivid pink blooms. I was surprised to learn that the elusive blooms do grow in north Mississippi. In fact, I just missed Tupelo’s Cherry Blossom Festival. Even though the trees are difficult to grow here, Tupelo's Parks and Recreation experts have done an amazing job of cultivating the rare blooms, so much so that an entire festival is staged to allow visitors form around the country to enjoy them. It’s something I’ll definitely plan to attend next year. Trees are still blooming in the city, but call before you go to make sure our tricky weather hasn’t decimated the delicate blooms. 2. If you’re traveling the Natchez Trace this spring, make time to slow down and look for flowering dogwood and redbud trees. You'll also be treated to miles and miles of wildflowers, azaleas and other spring foliage growing in natural settings. 3. On the western side of the state, the Vicksburg National Military Park is abounding in beauty this time of year. Put aside your feelings about the infamous war and drive through the rolling hills to view over 60 varieties of flowering trees and shrubs. Expect to see delicate dogwood and Japanese magnolia trees, along with multi-hued blooms and vibrant green foliage throughout the spacious park. 4. Over in Natchez, azaleas are in full bloom throughout the city, along with a multitude of vivid flowers and shrubs. Take a tour of one of the antebellum homes to view stunning gardens or simply drive around the city to see spring abounding on almost every street. 5. The eastern part of the state is also filled with scenic spots. Just two that come to mind are Dunn’s Falls and historic Rose Hill Cemetery in Lauderdale County. Both are filled with dogwoods, azaleas and other spring blooms. 6. A little further south, the Crosby Arboretum in Picayune also boasts cherry trees, albeit ones with slightly different blooms than the ones in Tupelo. Beautiful black cherry and choke cherry trees bloom alongside dogwoods, azaleas, star anise and other nature plants and flowers spread throughout the 104-acre native plant center. All the discussion about cherry blossoms caused me to search for an old recipe for cherry blossom cookies. It’s one of the simplest cookie recipes you’ll ever try, but that doesn’t diminish the taste of these sweet, Hershey’s Kiss-topped treats. Like the cherry blossoms in Tupelo, once they’re out, they won’t last long. Spring Cherry Blossom Cookies 1 cup butter, room temperature 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste) 3 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice ½ teaspoon almond flavoring 2-1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries 50+ Hershey’s kisses, unwrapped Few drops of red or pink food coloring, optional Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat butter, confectioners' sugar and salt until well blended. Stir in cherry juice, extract and food coloring, if desired, and mix well. Gradually beat in flour, then stir in cherries. Shape dough into one-inch balls. Place one inch apart on greased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are slightly browned. As soon as pans are removed from oven, press a chocolate kiss into center of each cookie (edges will crack). Let cookies remain on pan and cool for a couple of minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

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.