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Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) Executive Director, Wendy Bailey, says each death by suicide Is one too many. Now more than ever, it is important that Mississippians be there for one another. Having thoughts of suicide is a secret no one should keep, but you can’t always tell what someone is thinking just by looking at them. That’s why it is vital to break down barriers and have open, honest and serious conversations about suicide. This month, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, provides us the perfect opportunity to do just that. Today, we are seeing more Mississippians calling to simply talk to someone or seek help and resources: the Mississippi Call Center for National Suicide Prevention Lifeline experienced a 33 percent increase in calls from last year, and the Department of Mental Health Helpline experienced a 30 percent increase in calls. In Mississippi, the latest figures from the Mississippi State Department of Health show an increase in the number of deaths by suicide from 422 in 2018 to 436 to 2019. Each death by suicide is one too many. These numbers send a very strong message, and one we cannot afford to ignore: people want and need to talk to someone who can offer them hope and help. Hope is a powerful thing. It is a strength and a protective factor we all need. As a famous philosopher once said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.” What if someone close to you is thinking about suicide? Something as simple as a conversation to encourage them to get help could be the very reason they chose to live. I encourage all Mississippians to check in on your loved ones and have that conversation. You just may save a life. When speaking with someone who is having thoughts of suicide, it is easy to jump to immediately wanting to protect the person, but by failing to understand the why, we have only temporarily prevented a suicide attempt. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, don’t take it lightly or dismiss it. Thinking it will go away, keeping it a secret, thinking nothing can be done, or thinking you can fix it all by yourself – these are the things that should be avoided at all costs. Instead, be honest and express your concern, listen and offer support, take your loved one seriously, or offer to accompany them to seek help. By being a friend who is understanding, accepting and compassionate, you can make a difference. We can only effectively intervene when we truly understand a person’s reasons for wanting to end their life. That is how we can get them the necessary help, and to prevent death by suicide in the long term. We must not only hear someone’s story, but deeply understand what they are trying to say. Asking someone if they need help, and truly listening to them and their story can provide hope. It can move them from focusing on the past to engaging in the present moment. Some warning signs to look for include: talking about feeling worthless or hopeless, losing interest in activities, using or increasing use of drugs or alcohol, changes in eating and sleeping habits, and changes from typical behavior. Everyone can play a role in suicide prevention, not just mental health professionals or organizations. The Mississippi Department of Mental Health raises awareness of suicide prevention through our Shatter the Silence campaign to remember those affected by suicide, educate about warning signs and symptoms, and focus on efforts that direct treatment to those who need it most. Contact us today for more information and remember we should talk about this topic throughout the year, not just Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, there is help available 24 hours, seven days a week. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK), text “HOME” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741, or download the Shatter the Silence app on Google Play or Apple iTunes store. As always, you can also visit www.mentalhealthms.com to find resources close to you.

The annual September homecoming event at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Bolton has been postponed and rescheduled due to an outbreak of COVID-19. Originally scheduled for Sunday, September 12, 2021, the event has been rescheduled to October 17 at 4 p.m. The event is mentioned in the cover story, "Bolton native to return for homecoming performance," in the 9-7-21 issue of The Bolton News. For additional information, visit: stmarysbolton.org

Residents in the Bolton and Edwards area are invited to come receive a FREE Covid-19 vaccination between 9 a.m. and 12 noon on Thursday, September 16, 2021. Location: St. Thomas Baptist Church 4699 St. Thomas Road Bolton, MS 39041 The Mississippi Black Women's Roundtable, Jackson Hinds Comprehensive Health Center and St. Thomas Baptist Church have teamed up to help us #VaxUpMS to protect ourselves and loved ones from Covid-19. Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable (MS-BWR), is an intergenerational civic engagement statewide network and the women and girls empowerment arm of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) that champions equitable public policy on behalf of Black women and girls nationally and across the South. Phone: 601-487-1189 Address: P.O. Box 21499, Jackson, MS 39289 Physical Address: 200 N. Congress St., Jackson, MS 39201 Website: https://msbwr.org/

On the eve of the twentieth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves issued the following executive order: State of Mississippi, Office of the Governor, Executive Order 1559 ... NOW THEREFORE, I, Tate Reeves, by the authority vested in me as Governor by the Constitution and laws of the State of Mississippi, do hereby order all flags of the United States of America and the State of Mississippi be flown at half-staff on all buildings and grounds of the State of Mississippi and all areas under its jurisdiction beginning at sunrise until sunset Saturday, September 11, 2021. I further urge and call upon all citizens of the state of Mississippi to participate in a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time to honor the innocent victims who perished as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and do hereby proclaim September 11, 2021 the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 as PATRIOT DAY AND A DAY OF PRAYER AND REMEMBRANCE in the state of Mississippi in tribute to all of the victims of 9/11 and the many who rose in service in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. #september #neverforget #wtc #memorial #twintowers #nyc #worldtradecenter #wewillneverforget #usa #america #twintowersnyc #heroes #sept #southtower #tribute #remember

On August 16, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors appointed Marshand Crisler to serve as interim sheriff of Hinds County, following Sheriff Lee Vance’s death. Crisler will serve in the position until a special election is held on November 2, 2021. The winner of the special election will serve the two-and-one-half years remaining in Lee Vance’s term. The deadline for candidates to qualify to be included on the ballot for the special election was September 3. Following is a list of qualified candidates for Hinds County Sheriff, supplied by the office of the Hinds County Circuit Clerk: Reginald Thompson Brandon Caston Marshand Crisler Colendula Green Beverly Harris-Williams Tyree Jones Cheryl Matory Torrence D. Mayfield Leon Seals Richard Spooner Leslie Charles Tannehill, Jr. Eric T. Wall Ather West, Sr.

The September 7th issue of The Bolton News community newspaper is available in print, inside The Clinton Courier, and a special extended edition is available online! To read the 8-page extended online edition, click here. Print copies of The Bolton News inside The Clinton Courier will be available to pick up for free (while they last) in newsstands at these locations in Bolton: Bolton Chevron Gaddis & McLaurin Annie T. Jeffers Public Library L & K Grocery Bolton Town Hall It is also available at 8 locations in Raymond and more than 100 locations in Clinton. Due to the Labor Day holiday on Monday, it may take a little longer than usual for the printed newspapers to arrive in the newsstands. Home Delivery: You also have the option to get the paper delivered to your home or business mailing address for only $24 per year with a Hinds County address, or outside Hinds County: for just $30 per year. That is for 24 issues delivered to your mailing address. To order home delivery: Subscribe to Home Delivery For even more Bolton news and information, visit www.BoltonMS.com. Posts are made daily. To share press releases, photos and story ideas, or to advertise in The Bolton News, contact Susalyn Bennett, 601.594.2250, susalyn@theclintoncourier.net. Archives: Past issues of the paper are available online: www.boltonms.com/archives

By Guest Columnist Matt Geiger “Everything in this newspaper is important to someone.” It’s become something of a mantra for me, in recent years. Weekly community newspapers are eclectic, to say the least. We publish photos of ribbons being cut at bakeries, and donations being dropped off at local food pantries. We print the school honor roll, the court report, and in-depth stories on decisions made by planning commissions and town boards. Sometimes we cover murders, abuse, and horrific car crashes, and when we do our community journalists often experience these tragedies as both reporters and neighbors — as both professionals and human beings. We cover the referendum that will determine whether a new school is built and our readers’ taxes will rise. We publish birth announcements, obituaries, and the various things that, when wedged between those two bookends, make up the lives that make up our communities. I’ve learned more than I ever wanted to know about sewage, in order to cover the approval and construction of a new treatment plant. I interviewed a survivor of the Iran hostage crisis about what it’s like to be held prisoner in a foreign land while the world looks on. I’ve interviewed grandmothers about their favorite holiday recipes. Perhaps most importantly, I’ve interviewed little kids about what they want to be when they grow up, and what type of world they hope to inhabit. I’ve even eaten lutefisk — a type of gelatinous Scandinavian fish that is usually only consumed as part of a dare — in the warm hum of a local church’s kitchen. (I even liked it, which I think qualifies as a kind of small-town gonzo journalism.) People sometimes ask me why community newspapers are important. My reply is always the same. It’s because everything in those pages is important to someone. Maybe the ribbon cutting isn’t flashy enough to go viral, and the Thanksgiving turkey recipe is not going to change culinary trends across the nation. But these things, these small things in communities across the county and across the world, are what give meaning and purpose to all of our lives. The ribbon cutting is the culmination of a childhood dream. The donations at the food pantry will allow a family to gather around their table without worrying if there is enough to fill each plate. The honor roll goes on the fridge, of course, because it’s a reminder to a young student that she can flourish when she applies herself. The birth announcement marks the proudest, greatest moment of a mother and father’s life together. The face looking out from the obituary is one that a wife, and children, and grandchildren, will never kiss again. The new school being paid for with the referendum is where a young student might develop an interest in science, growing up and developing a treatment for cancer or Alzheimer’s, allowing millions of people to live a little longer, and have their faces kissed by those who love them a few more times. Journalism matters, now more than ever, because people matter. Community journalism matters, now more than ever, because roughly half the world’s population lives in small communities, and in the pages of their newspapers, they see themselves and the ones they love. EDITOR’S NOTE: Matt Geiger is the executive editor of News Publishing Co. in Black Earth, Wisconsin. His editorial was published in recognition of National Newspaper Week, October 7-13, 2018.

Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann’s efforts to increase access to voting for overseas servicemembers have earned national recognition by the National Guard Association of the United States. Hosemann recently received the Major General Charles Dick Medal of Merit in Las Vegas, Nevada, amid 4,000 active and retired soldiers from across the country. The prestigious award recognizes state and national elected officials who have demonstrated significant support which has a “lasting effect” on the National Guard. “In recent days, we have again been reminded of the significant sacrifices our soldiers make every day for our freedoms,” Hosemann said. “The Mississippi National Guard are our American heroes.” “Lt. Governor Hosemann has been a champion for the National Guard at home and abroad throughout his entire time in office,” Major General Janson “Durr” Boyles said. “We are thankful for his efforts to our brave men and women serving in the Mississippi National Guard.” During his terms as Mississippi Secretary of State from 2012 to 2020, Hosemann advocated for legislation to streamline absentee voting for deployed servicemembers and created an online clearinghouse of Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) information. He also traveled to numerous armories, hospitals, and bases—including active combat zones in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan—to provide information to and receive feedback from soldiers about UOCAVA voting. Since he became Lieutenant Governor in 2020, Hosemann has been on the ground after tornadoes and flooding disasters, and at bases and vaccination sites, to visit with soldiers, understand their missions, and determine whether the Legislature can further assist in operations. For more information about the Charles Dick Medal of Merit, visit www.ngaus.org/about-ngaus/awards/charles-dick-medal-merit.

The month of September is a great time to connect with your library to enjoy a variety of activities including Bolton Book Club, Candy Guessing Game, Bolton Friends of the Library, Virtual Story Time for Pre-schoolers and more! The Bolton Book Club resumes this month. To participate, stop by the library to get a copy of this month's book. Then, on Tuesday, September 14, at 10 a.m., the Bolton Book Club will meet under the pavillion at the Jimmie R. Lewis, Sr. Park Plaza on Bolton-Raymond Road (across from Town Hall). Wear a mask. The meeting will be socially-distanced. Learn More September is Library Card Sign-up Month. Visitors are encouraged to sign up for a free library card and participate in the candy guessing game! JHLS library cards are free to residents of Hinds County. Get your card today. Weds., September 15, 10 a.m. - 12 noon, "The Importance of Hydration": Mrs. Barbara Randalls with the Mississippi State University Extension Service will be on hand to answer questions about the importance of drinking water. Literature and free samples will be provided. Bolton Friends of the Library (FOL) is a group of citizens who love and support the library. A meeting will be held at the Library on Tuesday, September 28, at 10 a.m. Everyone who is interested is invited to attend. Virtual Story Time for preschoolers. Belinda Lane of Mississippi Public Broadcasting reads Bedtime for Sweet Creatures by Nikki Grimes. Available online, September 1 through September 17. For additional information, call 601- 866-4247 or stop by the Annie T. Jeffers Library, 111 W. Madison Street, Bolton MS. website: www.JHLibrary.org Visitors to the Library should wear a mask and observe social distancing.

Mississippi State Representative Stephanie Foster encourages everyone to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and she invites all Bolton residents to come get Adult and Children masks and hand sanitizer. 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Saturday, September 4th. First come, first served. Main Street Restart Center, 130 Champion Hill Road, Bolton MS 39041.

Jackson Hinds Library System invites you to join them from 12 to 1 p.m. on Thursday, September 30, for a free Grow with Google webinar. Learn how customers find your business online and how to promote your business using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Smart Campaigns in Google Ads. Discussions during the webinar will include best practices for: • Improving your website’s visibility in Google’s organic search results, on all devices • Creating a free Google My Business listing • Advertising your business on Google Register here: Register for Grow with Google webinar If you plan to attend via a mobile device, be sure to install the free GoToWebinar app: iOS - https://apps.apple.com/app/gotowebinar/id1244921300 or Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details? id=com.logmein.gotowebinar

UPDATE, 2 p.m., September 2, 2021: Power has been restored and Bolton's town offices are fully operational again in the Clifton "Buddy" Henderson Municipal Building, 202 Bolton Raymond Road, Bolton, MS 39041. September 2, 2021, 9 a.m.: According to Asst. Chief of Police Reginald Thompson, a power outage continues today at Bolton City Hall and two homes located behind that building. Bolton's Water Department operations have moved, temporarily to Bolton Police Department, 200 Madison Street. Should you need to pay your water bill (for locations in the town of Bolton, only), please come to the Police Department to pay. It is not yet known when power will be restored at Bolton City Hall. UPDATE: POWER HAS BEEN RESTORED.