By Kara Kimbrough This isn’t an essay on rising food prices. For one thing, it’s not fair to pick on one area when costs are skyrocketing in almost every segment of the economy. However, it's a fact that food prices are climbing. The rising cost of bread is part of the equation. I’ve found a way to counteract this disturbing trend: make your own. With my simple recipe (or a bread machine) it’s easier than you might think. First, there’s one exception to my new plan. I refuse to give up store-bought Ezekiel 4:9 Bread. It’s my bread of choice for morning toast (covered in my homemade jelly, of course) and a quick snack throughout the day. Found in the freezer case, this amazingly healthy and tasty bread is crafted in the likeness of the Scripture verse Ezekiel 4:9 - "Take also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils and millet, and spelt and put them in one vessel…" Made with six grains and legumes, each slice is also packed with amino acids, fiber and other vitamins. And it still manages to taste good without flour, GMOs, sugar or other artificial additives or preservatives. Yes, it’s a little pricey, but I consider the splurge on something this healthy (and good) to be well worth the extra cost. However, I draw the line at paying $3 (or more) for a simple loaf of bread often lacking in taste and any nutritional value. When prices began rising a few weeks ago, my search for a bread machine in stores and online began. Unfortunately, I gave mine away years ago in a purging spree I’ve since regretted. I quickly realized that thousands of other Americans are also looking for bread machines, creating ridiculous prices even on models that appeared to be past their prime. As a result, finding an easy-to-make bread recipe was vital. One of the prevailing comments from many of the cooking and frugal living sites I follow is that homemade bread is too time-consuming and in the case of those with arthritis and other ailments, difficult due to the kneading process. Luckily, I found a recipe for a quick homemade bread with a kneading time that should be doable for most. Cooked in an enclosed Dutch oven, the bread emerges with a delicious, crispy crust and soft interior due to the steaming process that occurs inside the heavy pan. The recipe results in a flavorful bread that should please even the pickiest eater. But, word of caution: it won’t resemble smooth bread maker-bread or store-bought. Bottom line, it may not be Instagram-worthy. The good news is, it’s filling, healthy and when topped with butter and toasted or covered with homemade jelly, results in a delicious breakfast treat or covering for your favorite sandwich ingredients. Inflation 2022 Homemade Bread 3 cups bread flour (can substitute all-purpose, but use bread flour if you can find it) 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt 2 teaspoons dry active yeast 1-1/2 cups warm water (use thermometer to make sure it reads 104 degrees (or very close to this before adding) Lightly grease a glass bowl and mix all ingredients together. Place dough on a floured surface and lightly knead for a few minutes (preferably at least 10) then gather sides to the center to form a ball. Place back in the glass bowl, cover with a clean cloth and let rise for three hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees; 30 minutes prior to cooking, place Dutch oven in oven to get warm. Place dough on a large piece of parchment paper (not wax paper) and place both paper and bread in the Dutch oven. Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 additional minutes. Remove, cool and slice! Tips: 1. To test if bread dough has been kneaded enough, tear a piece off and stretch it out. It should be strong, soft, elastic and smooth. It should not rip at the first instance of stretching. If it is not ready, knead again for another 3 minutes and try again. 2. After letting dough rise, poke the dough with a wet finger. If it springs back immediately, give it longer to rise. The dough is ready when the poke leaves an imprint that stays for 3 seconds before it bounces back. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

● Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet (MMB) presents a new production of Charles Maple’s “Wizard of Oz” on April 2 and 3 at Jackson Academy Performing Arts Center in Jackson. Featuring Maple’s inventive choreography, exquisite costumes and dynamic sets, this presentation of the classic story is sure to please audience members of all ages. Maple is a former soloist with American Ballet Theater and principal dancer with Basel Ballet in Switzerland. During his performing career he worked with such choreographers as George Balanchine, Antony Tudor and Jerome Robbins. He has danced with and been coached by such greats as Baryshnikov, Fernando Bujones and Rudolf Nureyev among others. Students of Maple have competed as finalists in prestigious competitions including the Prix de Lausanne, The Jackson International Ballet Competition and Youth America Grand Prix. In 1992 Maple began creating his own works and has created over 75 ballets, including “Alice in Wonderland,” which MMB produced in 2019. MMB artistic director Jennifer Beasley is pleased to be working with Maple again. “Charles’s choreography represents a diversity of dance styles, yet it is rooted in the traditions of classical ballet,” says Beasley. “It is an excellent fit for our company. There are strong roles that challenge our principal dancers and soloists. The roles created for younger dancers offer significant stage time and provide them with the opportunity to hone their performance skills. It has taken a tremendous amount of hard work as well as lot of brains, heart and courage to bring this ballet to the stage. We cannot wait to present it to our community.” Over 80 members of Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet will perform in the production that follows Dorothy from Kansas to Munchkinland and along the Yellow Brick Road to Oz, where she meets the Wizard. Accompanied by her smart, loyal and brave companions, and assisted by Glinda the Good Witch, Dorothy defeats the Wicked Witch and learns there is no place like home. The role of Dorothy will be danced by MMB soloist Hallie Young of Brandon. MMB principal dancers Madeline Page of Madison and Brelyn Binkley of Brandon will appear as Glinda and the Wicked Witch, respectively. Eleanora Ellis of Brandon will fill the role of the Tin Man. Rebecca Trowbridge of Ridgeland will dance the role of the Lion, and Hart Maley of Jackson will appear as the Scarecrow. Ellis, Trowbridge and Maley are all soloists in the company. “It’s been wonderful working with Mr. Maple again,” says Trowbridge, who performed the role of Tweedle Dum in 2018. “He’s been involved in every aspect from auditions to zooming with us during rehearsals. The choreography is fresh and challenging. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to strengthen my technique, and we are working hard to bring his vision to life.” Trowbridge is excited about dancing the role of the Lion in part because her character’s development through the ballet is analogous to dancing with MMB. “The Lion starts out being timid and worried about making mistakes. As the ballet progresses he gets more confident; he relies on his friends to give him courage. We all start off unsure when we are first learning a dance, but through hard work and support from fellow dancers, we persevere and create a performance for everyone to enjoy.” Maley comments that MMB real-life friendships strengthen the on-stage friendships between Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion. “This cast is very tightly knit. We are all very good friends. So, it makes it easy to act and to really engage the audience in the performance.” Following the performance, young audience members may step into Dorothy’s red shoes and travel to the Land of Oz. Young visitors to Oz will meet Dorothy, Glinda and other ballet characters for on-stage photo ops. Each young visitor will also receive a souvenir and light refreshments. Land of Oz tickets are sold separately from performance tickets. Accompanying adults receive complimentary admission to the Land of Oz. Tickets for the ballet “The Wizard of Oz” are $30-35. Land of Oz event tickets are $15. On Saturday, April 2, the ballet performance will begin at 3 p.m. followed by the Land of Oz at 5 p.m. On Sunday, April 3, the ballet performance will begin at 2 p.m. with the Land of Oz following at 4 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit msmetroballet.com. MMB is a pre-professional ballet company based in Madison, Mississippi. Members of the company are selected through audition from the over 500 students of Mississippi Metropolitan Dance Academy, the official school of MMB. Season sponsors for 2021-2022 include the Mississippi Arts Commission; Jackson Optimist Club; Gertrude C. Ford Foundation; Ergon; Eventful; Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi; Larry and Michael Johnson Family Foundation; Harper, Rains, Knight, and Company; The Pig & Pint; and Hilton Garden Inn Madison/Jackson.

By Bob Garver Back in January, when COVID numbers were raging and another lockdown seemed imminent, Disney made the decision to make Pixar’s “Turning Red” a Disney+ exclusive. But soon after holiday tourism died down, so did the COVID numbers, and theaters are fully capable of showing this movie. In fact, restrictions here in New York have eased so much this was the first weekend where I wouldn’t have needed so much as a mask to go see a movie. But I guess the decision to move the film to Disney+ was an irreversible one, or maybe the studio just didn’t want to compete with the second weekend of “The Batman.” I usually reserve this column for theatrical releases, but I’ll make an exception because there were no other major releases this weekend, no carryovers are begging to be covered, and this first-class movie “should” have gone to theaters. The story follows 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian Mei (Rosalie Chiang) as she undergoes bodily changes tied to strong emotions. Specifically, her human body changes into that of a 10-foot-tall red panda. Based on the film’s advertising, I thought that the panda stuff would be a cutesy workaround for actual biological changes, but surprisingly the symptoms, manifestations, and treatments of biological changes are addressed within the film and very much in play. This movie, though deservedly PG, plays to a more mature audience than the usual Pixar fare. Mei is horrified to be changing into a wild animal. She had a good thing going with her school and friends and a job as a temple caretaker. Sure, her mother Ming (Sandra Oh) could be a bit overbearing, and it was becoming harder and harder to hide how stupidly boy-crazy she was, but literally transforming into a giant beast was not in her carefully-planned schedule. My only real problem with the film comes in Mei’s reaction to becoming a panda. She’s freaked out, which is understandable, but her instinct is to try and hide it. Even in a world where magic and transfiguration are possible, it still comes off as unnatural. To her knowledge, she’s the first person in all of human history to undergo a change in species, and she’s still concerned with her social status? At the very least, this calls for an immediate talk with her family. Or a scientist. Or a doctor, either a pediatrician or veterinarian. But no, apparently the movie just wants to give us a sequence of shenanigans and comical misunderstandings. Fortunately this is Pixar, so they’re funny shenanigans and misunderstandings, but the motivation behind them is questionable at best, distracting at worst. At first Mei can only see the downside in sporadically turning into a panda (in that it’s not normal), but she soon sees an upside: people love pandas. Her friends want to hug her at every opportunity and classmates are willing to pay money to take pictures with her and have her appear at parties. If she really plays her cards right, she and her friends might even be able to parlay her panda powers into going to a concert to see their favorite boy band. Ming forbids it, with or without the dangerous panda element, but what’s a little thing like parental permission when a teenage girl is in love? At the center of “Turning Red” is the increasingly-unstable relationship between Mei and Ming. Mother-daughter relationships aren’t often explored in Disney movies, especially given the studio’s track record of letting parents see the second act of their stories. The only other one that did it on this level was 2012’s “Brave,” another movie where a character turned into a bear, come to think of it. Sandra Oh absolutely steals the movie as the mother trying to reel in her out-of-control daughter as she’s closer than anyone realizes to losing control herself. I have never seen a Pixar movie I didn’t like, and the “Red”-hot streak continues here. Grade: A- “Turning Red” is available for streaming exclusively on Disney+. The film is rated PG for thematic material, suggestive content, and language. Its running time is 100 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

New high-dosage tutoring services in math and English Language Arts will be available to students in grades 3-12, educators and families at 121 school districts, which includes four charter schools, that recently opted in to receive the services at no cost. In February, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) announced plans to use $10.7 million of its American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III funds to purchase tutoring services from PAPER, a company that provides on-demand educational support. PAPER was selected through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process. To see a complete list of Mississippi school districts and charter schools that opted in as of March 9, visit Districts with High-Dosage Tutoring. The tutoring services will be live, online and available 24/7 with a live person. Teachers and administrators will have access to real-time data through a data dashboard to assign activities, monitor student progress and schedule one-on-one or small group tutoring sessions during the school day. Parents may also schedule tutorial services for their child(ren) after school hours and on the weekend. These services will also be available for English learners and students with special needs. MDE sought high-dosage tutoring services, which is a strategy to close achievement gaps, to mitigate any impact COVID-19 and school closures had on learning and instruction and as a way to accelerate student learning. “Besides giving educators more tools to manage instruction and gauge students’ needs and progress, these tutoring services allow parents and students to get help with homework from a tutor any time of the day,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education. “Whether it’s writing an essay or solving math problems, students can get immediate assistance to complete and better understand assignments.” Online training and support sessions for teachers, administrators, parents and students in participating districts will start in the coming weeks. All districts will begin receiving personalized training by the end of the month. ESSER III funds cover costs of the tutoring services until Sept. 30, 2024. Find all MDE news releases at mdek12.org/news.

A new health and school safety platform will be available at no cost to 135 Mississippi school districts that recently opted to receive the service to create a safer and better learning environment for students, teachers and staff. In February, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) announced plans to use $14 million of its American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III funds to purchase the web-based nSide health and school safety platform. ESSER III funds will cover the costs of the platform and cameras until Sept. 30, 2024. School districts had to opt in by Feb. 28 to receive nSide. To see a complete list of the districts go to List of Districts with Health and Safety Platform. The platform boasts several features to aid districts, including the following: One surveillance camera for the district central office and up to five school-based surveillance cameras with the ability to detect and notify of crowd congestion Access to a 360-degree live, virtual walkthrough of a school to provide situational awareness in emergencies A system to create detailed campus maps and building floor plans with georeferenced images that give first responders precise locations of individuals A portal to upload emergency operation plans Mobile app for notification of emergencies and to notify staff and emergency responders Assistance with creating and managing emergency operations plans that meet state and federal requirements Among the 135 districts, 10 opted to receive the platform without new surveillance cameras. However, the platform may be compatible with those districts’ existing cameras. Two school districts – Lee County School District and Rankin County School District – were using nSide prior to MDE purchasing the platform. Districts will begin receiving welcome packets to nSide next week. In the coming weeks, the 135 districts will be onboarded to the nSide platform with drills, trainings and a review of best safety practices. The School Safety Act of 2019 requires school boards of each district, with assistance from MDE’s Office of Safe and Orderly Schools, to adopt a comprehensive local school district school safety plan and to annually provide a plan update. By offering the nSide platform to districts, a more consistent development and implementation of safety plans is anticipated. “With nearly every school district in the state choosing to use this innovative health and school safety platform, Mississippi schools will now have a more uniform approach to keeping students, teachers and staff safe,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education. “MDE is confident this platform will be beneficial to districts by helping them prevent and mitigate crises.” Find all MDE news releases at mdek12.org/news.

Opera Mississippi presents “La voce d’angelo” at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 14, 2022 and an Opera Happy Hour beginning at 6:00pm at Duling Hall, 622 Duling Ave. The fifth installment of the Duling Hall Cabaret Series sponsored by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi stars Betsy Uschkrat, soprano, and Michael Bunchman, piano. Tickets may be ordered online at operams.org for $30. Remaining tickets will be on sale at the door for $35. “La voce d'angelo”' celebrates the centennial birthday of one of the greatest operatic voices of all time, Renata Tebaldi, who performed with Opera Mississippi during its 28th season in 1973! “We are so excited to honor this legendary singer. I hope that our current and new patrons will join us for Opera Happy Hour, enjoy a special cocktail in honor of Ms. Tebaldi, and then experience some of the most powerful music they’ve ever heard!” “Renata Tebaldi was deemed ‘the voice of an angel’ by the great Italian conductor Toscanini and her career spanned over 30 years,” says New Orleans based guest soprano, Dr. Betsy Uskrat. “In our concert, you’ll experience the music and stories of her life: Beginning with her difficult childhood to her infamous rivalry with another operatic legend Maria Callas, Tebaldi is a life celebrated both in her time and still today, one hundred years later!” Known for her impressive vocal range and artistic versatility, soprano Betsy Uschkrat continues to enthrall audiences across the United States with companies such as New Orleans Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Shreveport Opera, Opera Idaho, Pensacola Opera, and Opéra Louisian. Audiences have adored her performances of classical, musical theatre, and the great American Songbook repertoire. The New Orleans Times-Picayune describes her as a “vocal powerhouse,” and her roles include Pamina in Die Zauberflüte, Sharon in Masterclass, Julie Jordan in Carousel, Blanche in Dialogues of the Carmelites, and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, and title roles in Manon, Susannah, Romeo et Juliette, and L’elisir d'amore. Dr. Ushkrat currently serves at Musical Theatre Voice Instructor at Loyola University in New Orleans. Dr. Ushkrat will be joined by collaborative pianist Dr. Michael Bunchman who maintains an active performance schedule with numerous singers, musicians, and chamber ensembles across the United States. As the Director of the Collaborative Piano Program at the University of Southern Mississippi, Dr. Bunchman mentors the next generation of collaborative pianists and regularly conducts collaborative masterclasses around the US. He has spent five seasons as a principal coach and pianist for Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater and has held appointments with the Natchez Festival of Music and Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra. Bunchman regularly collaborates and performs with companies such as Opera Mississippi, Santa Barbara Opera, Opera Saratoga, the Princeton Festival and El Paso Opera, Ridgefield Symphony, Breckenridge Music Festival, Antara Ensemble in New York City, the Utah Festival Opera Orchestra, and the National Repertory Orchestra. And he had the honor of performing with “A Prairie Home Companion,” hosted by Garrison Keillor, on their multi-city European cruise. For more information on tickets to this and the entire Opera Mississippi season, visit operams.org or call 601.960.2300. DULING HALL COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOL: Effective August 30, 2021, for the health and safety of our patrons, staff, and artists, entry to Duling Hall will require either proof of a full course COVID-19 vaccination, with their final dose at least fourteen days prior to the event or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken in the prior 72 hours. Accommodating this temporary policy will allow artists to earn a living, our staff to be employed, and live music to have a place in society again. We will keep everyone posted on any changes moving forward. PURCHASE TICKETS

Congratulations to this year's new inductees into the National Honor Society and the Science National Honor Society! #clevercougars

Alyssa G. Cornelius from Bolton was recently selected to become a member of the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). The Society recognizes top scholars who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, scholarship and community commitment. "On behalf of NSHSS and our co-founder Claes Nobel, a member of the family that established the Nobel Prizes, I am honored to recognize the hard work, passion, and commitment that Alyssa has demonstrated to achieve this exceptional level of academic excellence," said NSHSS Co-founder and President James W. Lewis. "Alyssa is now a member of a unique community of scholars — a community that represents our very best hope for the future." "We are proud to provide lifetime membership to young scholars to support their growth and development," said Lewis. "We help students like Alyssa build on their academic success by connecting them with learning experiences and resources to help prepare them for college and meaningful careers." NSHSS members automatically become lifetime members at the time of their initial membership. At each step along the way — from high school to college to career — NSHSS connects outstanding young scholars with the resources they need to develop their strengths and pursue their passions. Cornelius is a senior at Clinton Christian Academy. She is involved in the National Honor Society. In her free time, she enjoys reading, baking, playing the keyboard, and participating in the We Care We Share Food Pantry Ministry at her church. Cornelius plans to pursue a degree in astronautical engineering in the fall of 2022 from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Mississippi State University, Purdue University or Clarkson University. As of press time, she has accumulated over $100,000 in scholarship offers.

Daylight Saving Time happens Sunday morning and is a good reminder to test smoke alarms and talk to your family about what to do if there is a fire. “Even though most clocks will update automatically this Sunday, use the time change as a reminder to test smoke alarms and replace batteries,” said State Fire Marshal Mike Chaney. “Create an escape plan and make sure everyone knows where to meet outside of the home, in case of fire.” At last check, there have been 23 fire deaths in 2022. In 12 of those fires, there were no working smoke alarms in the home. If you cannot afford smoke alarms, check with your local fire department. They may be able to install alarms for free. The Mississippi State Fire Marshal’s Office recommends the following safety tips: Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button. Make sure everyone in the home understands the sound of the smoke alarm and knows how to respond. Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old. Replace the smoke alarm immediately if it doesn’t respond properly when tested. Smoke alarms should be placed in every sleeping area and common hallways and on every level of the home. o Large homes may need extra smoke alarms. o A smoke alarm should be on the ceiling or high on a wall. o Keep smoke alarms away from the kitchen to reduce false alarms. They should be at least 10 feet from the stove. Create an escape plan and make sure all family members know where to meet once out of the home.

Tyler & Sherry Kemp

By Kara Kimbrough Recent columns about dishes that many are scared to make reminded me of my one-time apple strudel obsession. It was quite harmless, at least in my opinion, and yielded quite a few strudels for the enjoyment of family and friends. I had to give it up when I began obsessing about my inability to create the “perfect” crust or to smoothly roll a heavy mass of filling inside a tender, butter-laden crust. And to be honest, recipients of my strudels probably got a little tired of them. It’s been a while since I made one, so it may be time for another. If you’d like to learn how, here are a few easy steps. Here’s how my strudel obsession began. An assignment from my food editor to interview the organizers of Germanfest, an annual festival hosted by St. Joseph Catholic Church, provided an opportunity to interview the church’s expert bakers. As part of the interview, I was allowed to watch as they made hundreds of strudels prior to the festival. I quickly learned that as simple as the process appeared to be, there are some hard and fast rules that must be followed for the strudel to come together. First, it’s important to work with firm, chilled dough. Dough must be made the day before, covered and chilled in the refrigerator overnight. As a result, there’s a firm dough to work with when the rolling process begins. Tip: I use a marble rolling pin and place it in the freezer a few hours before rolling dough. This helps keep the dough cool as it warms up in the kitchen. Another technique used by the church’s bakers is using a pastry cloth to assist in rolling the dough. The thin cloth is made of a utility fabric called unbleached drill, similar to light canvas. It can be found in the kitchen gadgets aisle next to rolling pins. If you’re a crafty person, you can make your own by purchasing the fabric in the craft section and hemming the edges. To begin the process, sprinkle flour directly onto the cloth and spread it over the surface with your fingers. Then, place the dough on the floured cloth and grab your rolling pin. The floured cloth creates a smooth, non-stick surface for rolling dough for strudels, pie crusts, cobblers and anything else that needs straightening before baking. Now, to the somewhat tricky rolling process. Spread the filling, leaving a border of dough around the edges. Starting at the far end, grab the cloth by the edges and flip the top edge of the dough over the filling. Repeat lifting and folding once, leaving sides open. Then, tuck in sides of the dough to enclose the filling. Continue lifting and folding until the dough is completely rolled into a flat log. Just like that, you have a perfect strudel! Learning the secret to strudel rolling from the church ladies, including the importance of a pastry cloth, helped alleviate any trepidation I had about the process. Reliving past strudel-making sessions has revived my longing for one, so I’m adding it to the list of this weekend’s activities. It’s a little time-confusing, so I don’t recommend starting the project on a busy night when other things demand your attention. After an initial learning curve, you’ll soon be turning out delicious, flaky cherry, cream cheese, apricot or my favorite, apple, strudels as good as any found at Germanfest. Germanfest Apple Strudel Pastry: ¼ pound margarine, softened ¼ pound butter, softened 8 ounces sour cream 2-1/2 cups flour Dash of salt *Filling: 1 cup applesauce 3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced ½ cup dark brown sugar ½ cup white sugar 1 teaspoon apple pie spice 4 tablespoons flour ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup chopped pecans To make pastry: Mix the margarine and butter in a bowl and add sour cream. Mix the flour and salt. Add to sour cream mixture and mix well. Wrap in Saran wrap and then foil. Refrigerate overnight. To make filling: Mix ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until thick, about 5 minutes. Cool. To create the strudel: Divide chilled dough into four parts and roll each part out on a floured pastry cloth to make a 12 x 15 -inch rectangle. Spread each rectangle with ¼ of the filling. Roll as for jelly rolls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Slice while warm. *If you’d like the recipe for other fruit fillings, drop me an email and I’ll send them to you. Recipe adapted slightly from Recipes & Remembrances II by St. Joseph Catholic Church. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

Today, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) announces that State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs, MD, MPH, will resign from his position at the end of July 2022. Dobbs began his career at MSDH in 2008, and has held numerous roles including District Health Officer, State Epidemiologist, and Deputy State Health Officer. His passion has always been infectious disease treatment, and he has served in various roles related to that field, such as medical director for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, clinical consultant for the Southeastern National TB Center, and infectious disease consultant for several hospitals throughout Mississippi. “I feel like the time is right for me to return to the clinical side of medicine, particularly the communicable disease treatment of patients,” said Dobbs. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at MSDH, particularly working with this dedicated health staff and advancing the field of health equity in Mississippi.” Dobbs said he also would like to step back into the academic world. He has held numerous faculty positions at colleges and universities throughout the Southeast, including at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and he would love to teach and train healthcare professionals about public health and infectious disease. State Board of Health Chairman Thad Waites, MD, MACC, says the Board has always fully supported Dr. Dobbs in his role as Mississippi’s State Health Officer but understands his desire to return to the clinical side of medicine. “I speak for all of us when I say that we have truly appreciated his professionalism, sterling personality, and stellar leadership throughout his tenure, but especially during COVID. He has been a wonderful asset to Mississippi,” said Waites. Daniel P. Edney, MD, FACP, has been named Deputy State Health Officer. Edney is a long-time resident of Vicksburg, and a graduate of the University of Mississippi Medical School where he graduated summa cum laude and with other honors. Edney is also a member of the American Medical Association and the Mississippi State Medical Association where he serves as Past President. He has served as Chief Medical Officer at MSDH for the past year and worked closely with Dobbs during COVID providing outreach and guidance to other physicians. The Board will take up the issue of interim State Health Officer in one of its upcoming meetings. Follow MSDH by e-mail and social media at HealthyMS.com/connect.