By: Rachel VanderfordPhotos Photos By: Joe Ellis/ UMMC Communications UMMC Colony Park South will house several ambulatory clinics, beginning in 2025. UMMC will lease about 65,000 square feet in the three-story building across the street from UMMC Colony Park North, currently under construction. The University of Mississippi Medical Center is leasing brand-new medical office space directly across from the future ambulatory surgical center on Colony Park Boulevard in Ridgeland. The surgical center will make up UMMC Colony Park North, while this installment will establish UMMC Colony Park South. This move aims to enhance the patient experience by providing a more accessible and convenient location for many of its ambulatory clinics. "Patients expect to see their primary care physicians in free-standing, community-based clinics like this," said Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for health affairs. "Our main campus, while comprehensive, can be challenging to navigate. This new clinic space is designed to streamline the patient experience, offering easier access and more accessible parking. Our goal is for patients to enjoy a seamless visit, with minimal disruption to their daily schedules." UMMC will occupy approximately 65,000 square feet of the medical office space, sharing the three-story building with Jackson Heart. The new facility will house several UMMC ambulatory clinics, including orthopaedics, internal medicine, neurology, and physical and occupational therapies. Additionally, it will cater to specialty surgeries such as plastic surgery and urology. The site will also feature a comprehensive medical laboratory and advanced radiological services, including MRI, CT scans, mammography and ultrasound. “We are excited about this new location,” said Dr. Michael Hall, professor and chair of the Department of Medicine. “This multispecialty clinic should make it easier for our patients to access different providers and specialties without some of the complexities that our large main hospital campus brings. This should facilitate comprehensive, high-quality care in a new facility that also provides unique training opportunities for our students, residents and fellows.” While many services are transitioning to the new location, certain specialty clinics will remain at the UMMC Pavilion. These include transplant services, neurosurgery, wound care, and medicine specialties like gastroenterology, rheumatology and infectious disease. The relocation of the Medical Center’s clinics to this new site is scheduled for January 2025, when they will begin welcoming patients.

Oh yeah, Brenna was furious! No doubt about that. Absolutely amazing how the very air around her sizzled, and at the same time, made everyone nearby feel like they had just stepped into a sub-Arctic meat freezer. The words blazing from her firepit-mouth could strip a rhino down to his thin underskin. Had it been able to speak, the desk that she pounded on with both fists would have pleaded to be burned for firewood to escape the abuse. What on earth was wrong with the woman? What disastrous disaster had just happened? Nobody knew the answer, they just knew they needed to escape…now. Coworkers melted into the woodwork to run from the hot lava. Computers and printers shut down, ducked their cowardly heads, and tried to act like they were just pebbles. Hearing the ruckus, the office supervisor stepped out of his office to investigate the problem – whatever it was. But within five quick seconds he retreated back into his sanctuary and double bolted the door. Didn’t know the problem, and didn’t care. Nothing was worth facing that screaming hyena who was by now heaving her office chair across the room to land on lamps and pictures that already lay in shards on the floor. Police officers were called, and firmly but politely gave her an escort to the local cooler to ice down a bit. Much later, a brave soul from the office dared to inquire what kicked off such a fire in the woman. Her answer? “Oh, uh, nuthin’ really. I’m just fed up with my kids not doin’ their chores at home, and that no good husband of mine spendin’ his paycheck every @#$^& week at a bar. Sumthin’ just exploded inside me when I heard those other girls in the office laughin’ about meetin’ men at some bar tonight.” Really?!  Dropping verbal bombs and throwing furniture was the best she could do about her bad home situation? Taking her anger out on clueless people in her office? Because her home life was a mess? Not smart. Not cool. Extremely self-destructive. Instead of aiming long pent-up anger directly at her lazy, rebellious teenagers and her bar-hopping Harry, she exploded in the office, raining hellfire and brimstone on everyone there. She destroyed her job, her coworker relationships and her professional reputation – all accomplished in three minutes of scatter-gunning her anger at the world. Folks, please. Don’t let yourself fall into Bombing Brenna’s trap. She held her resentment and hurt in for way too long, and unexpectedly let a group of giggling ladies light her fuse. Then unable to control herself, she scatter-gunned everyone there with verbal bombs. And followed that up with turning her own office into a jigsaw puzzle. If this reminds you of you, don’t impulsively destroy the good part of your world. Instead of making her mistake, go aim for the real target and fire away. Maybe you’ll actually see results - instead of consequences.

By Kara Kimbrough Describing the unique features and sights of charming Grapevine, Texas in a few hundred words is an impossible task. Visiting the city on the outskirts of Dallas was an enjoyable, eye-opening experience that left me wanting to return. I knew little about Grapevine before I arrived to spend a whirlwind 48 hours with writers and tourism officials from Travel Texas and Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau. Every stop on the tour yielded one memorable experience after another. It’s impossible to list them all, so I’ll share just a few of the many reasons Grapevine attracts 12 million visitors each year. Location, location, location – First, Grapevine is a mere 60-or-90-minute (depending on the plane) flight from Jackson, MS International Airport. And it gets even better upon landing at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport; Grapevine is less than 15 minutes away. After being picked up at DFW (more on transportation below), within 30 minutes I was seated at a table at Mac’s on Main, sipping an iced tea and awaiting lunch. Grapevine Main Station – The saying, “Everything old is new again” is an apt description of one of my favorite Grapevine buildings. The sprawling brick station located next to the railroad tracks was built to resemble a 19th Century steam railroad station. In fact, in a byone era, the old railroad tracks went right through the space on which the building is located. Today, within the station's stately brick walls is a spacious European-style food hall offering a variety of dining and beverage options and plenty of seating areas for people-watching. Twelve stories up, the Grapevine Observation Tower proved to be a breathtaking experience. Clear skies afforded 50-mile radius views in four directions of AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys; Dallas and Fort Worth and a birds-eye view of nearby DFW. Just below, the TEXRail, which transports travelers from the airport to Grapevine Main Station, was completing a run to the city. For $5, travelers can hop on the train at the airport, eliminating the need for an expensive Uber or car service. Gaylord Texan - Visiting one the nation’s largest resorts located on 150 acres next to Lake Grapevine has been on my bucket list for a while. Sadly, plans for our group to stay in some of the 1,814 guest rooms didn’t work out. However, a tour of the breathtaking 2-1/2-acre atrium during the nightly light show eased my disappointment. It’s hard to describe the experience of gazing up at the star-lit Texas sky through a massive glass skylight covering almost three acres of the resort's atrium. A replica of The Alamo; flowing river reminiscent of San Antonio's Riverwalk; hundreds of flowers and trees, including a life-size replica of a Live Oak, are interspersed throughout this breathtaking space. Visitors are welcome to visit the Gaylord to dine at one of resort's restaurants or simply enjoy the scenery. Grapevine Mills – In addition to numerous small boutiques, vintage and antique stores, Grapevine Mills is the largest shopping destination in North Texas. It’s filled with 180 stores, including national chains as well as SEA LIFE Aquarium, LEGOLAND; interactive museum Meow Wolf and an outdoor splash pad. Historic Main Street District - Grapevine has done an amazing job of transforming 18th and 19th century stores into modern buildings with elements of the past. All buildings along the picturesque Main Street are locally-owned, ranging from restaurants, boutiques, bakeries, wine bars and coffee shops. There’s even an old bank, now operating as a jewelry store, that was once robbed by a member of the infamous Bonnie and Clyde gang. Speaking of restaurants, over 200 eateries offering a variety of cuisines are located throughout the city. I’m still dreaming about lunch at Mister O1. Fresh burrata served with homemade focaccia bread, followed by made-from-scratch pizzas set a new standard for all pizzas to follow. That evening, dining at Teatro Bistro was the perfect ending to 48 hours in Grapevine. Owner and culinary director Carla Pellegrino has appeared on numerous TV shows, including Throwdown with Bobby Flay, which she won. After opening restaurants in New York City and Las Vegas, Pellegrino brought Teatro to Grapevine to rave reviews. Sampling Pellegrino's famous meatballs, delicious Rigatoni Bolognese and a few bites of the some of the best desserts I’ve ever tasted was one of the highlights of the trip. Somehow, small servings of mixed berries and homemade gelato; chocolate lave cake; New York style cheesecake and the lightest, most delectable tiramisu on the planet melded together beautifully, a testament to Pellegrino's superior skills in the kitchen. Last, Grapevine is billed as the “Christmas Capital of Texas” for good reason. Over 1,400 holiday events are scheduled during the 40 days before Christmas, including ice-skating; rides on the Grapeview Vintage Railroad; a gigantic lighted Christmas parade; Christmas markets, festivals, movies and much more. Every business along Main Street is adorned with lights and decorations, each one more elaborate than the other. Learn more about Christmas in Grapevine and other aspects of the city at: www.grapevinetexasusa.com. Grapevine is the perfect quick weekend getaway from Mississippi, or anywhere, really. In short, everything you could possibly want – memorable dining, shopping, accommodations, historical sights and more in a unique, charming setting -  can be found in Grapevine. Classic Italian Meatballs by Carla Serve 8/10 1 pound ground beef ½ pound ground veal ½ pound ground pork 2 large eggs 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley 1 ½ garlic clove, peeled and minced (optional) 1 ½ cup bread crumbs ¾ cup lukewarm water ½ cup regular olive oil - not extra virgin (Bertolli or Felipo Berio) Salt and ground black pepper to taste Corn oil enough to fry (do not use fry mix oil to fry it) Procedure: Combine beef, veal and pork in a large bowl. Add eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands or a mixer with a paddle on low speed, blend the ingredients together. Then during mixing process, add the bread crumbs into the bowl and slowly add the lukewarm water and olive oil, mix it together until the mixture becomes homogeneous. Make a small (2 ounces) pad, place an 8 inches sauté pan over a medium hi flame for about 2 minutes, add a spoon of vegetable oil and sear the meat pad, both sides. Taste it to make sure meatball is moist and seasoned enough before rolling it. Shape the meat mixture into balls (about 5 ounces) and with your hands roll it well until the core feels bonded (to make sure it won’t lose its shape or open up at frying time) Place a large sauté (14 inches) pan over medium high flame and add the oil (corn, canola or vegetable oil, enough oil to immerse half of the meatballs). Once oil gets to 425 degrees, place in one layer of meatballs (do not deep fry or overlap them), make sure the oil just reaches half of meatballs; discard the excess if needed. When bottom half of the meatball is very brown and slightly crisp. turn it and cook the top half. Remove it from heat and let drain in a perforated pan or on paper towels. Lower cooked the meatballs into simmering Marinara sauce or Sunday gravy for about 10-15 minutes or until them reach 135-140 degrees inside. Serve it over pasta or on their own in marinara sauce. Recipe from Chef Carla Pellgrino Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

By Douglas Carswell America faces an axis of aggression.  China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are not only actively undermining US interests.  They increasingly seem to be working together. How should America respond? According to a new report published by Mississippi Senator, Roger Wicker, America needs a new national defense strategy capable of responding to this “emerging axis of aggressors”. “21 st  Century Peace Through Strength: a generational investment in the US military” offers a serious analysis of US military capabilities and makes some important recommendations. Wicker calls for an immediate $55 billion increase in military spending in 2025, on top of the almost $900 billion existing budget.  The aim, he suggests, should be for the United States to spend around 5 percent of GDP on defense. To put that in context, America today spends 3.4 GDP percent on defense, and has not spent more than 5 percent since Ronald Reagan was in the White House.  Reagan famously won the Cold War, facing down the Soviet threat by beefing up American strength.  Wicker envisions a similar approach in “Peace through Strength”. What is really interesting about Wicker’s proposal is not the call for more money for the military, but his suggestion that there should be a “dramatic increase in competition in the defense industrial base”.  Senator Wicker is right.  Often, we think of applying free market principles to education or healthcare.  There is a very powerful argument for applying free market discipline to defense spending, too. With the national debt growing, it is vital that America gets the maximum bang for every defense buck.  Wicker puts forward ideas as to how to make this happen through far reaching “acquisition reform”. Allowing more market competition in the defense sector would help ensure that America avoided the sorry fate of my own native Britain. The UK spends about $70 billion a year on defense.  That might be less than a tenth of what America spends, but it still means that the UK has the sixth largest defense budget in the world, above Japan and roughly on a par with Russia. Unfortunately, Britain has not been effective at converting what she is able to spend on defense into military muscle.  Despite spending all that money, British aircraft carriers seldom seem to carry many aircraft.  Indeed, the expensive new carriers don’t always seem to be able to spend much time at sea.  The less said about British tanks the better. UK defense acquisition has been a series of costly disasters because the defense budget is often spent in the interests of various favored suppliers, rather than the military. I first became aware of quite how bad British defense acquisition was on a visit to Afghanistan as a Member of the British Parliament.  Troops in Helmand complained about a shortage of helicopters, yet I noticed rows of American Black Hawk helicopters on the runway back in Kandahar. Why, I wanted to know, didn’t we Brits just buy Black Hawks from the American company that made them?  I soon discovered that British defense acquisition is viewed by some as a giant job creation scheme.  Or else it is about filling the order books of well-connected companies, not giving the military what they need. America needs acquisition reform to avoid defense dollars being spent by various vested interests, rather than on the best interests of the US military. Some will say that America cannot afford to increase defense spending.  I worry that America cannot afford not to. Years of federal deficits mean than the US national debt is soaring.  There will be enormous pressures on federal spending.  All the more reason to ensure that the US gets maximum value for every defense dollar. Let’s hope Wicker’s reforms are acted upon whoever is in the White House. So often politics focuses on trivia. What Wicker has done is produce a serious study to address important geo political questions that the United States is going to have to deal with. Putting America first does not mean ignoring what is happening on the other side of the world. Merely wishing away anything outside the Western hemisphere does not make the United States more secure. It ultimately means that the world’s problems will show up at the US border. Putting America first means investing in defense. Wicker shows how we might do that. Douglas Carswell is the President and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.

By: Bob Garver “A Quiet Place: Day One” made a grave miscalculation with its advertising. Scenes were filmed with the intention of putting them in the trailers, but not the movie. This way, when people saw the movie, they wouldn’t be able to properly anticipate the surprises and story progression. To that end, the advertising succeeded, I was indeed thrown off while watching the movie. But here’s where they didn’t succeed: the scenes shot just for the trailers were terrible, with clumsy dialogue and careless pacing. I was so mad at Hollywood for continuing this series without the creative vision of director John Krasinski, especially when the movie looked like garbage without his input. I only saw this movie out of obligation for the column, and I wouldn’t be surprised if fans of the series stayed away entirely because of those awful trailers. But it turns out that not only is this movie better than the trailers, it’s better than the two installments that Krasinski directed. "Day One” casts aside the familiar Abbott family in favor of new protagonist Sam (Lupita Nyong’o). Sam is a cancer patient taking a trip from her hospice to Manhattan along with her nurse Reuben (Alex Wolff) and service cat Frodo. Sam only agrees to the trip on the condition that the group stop for pizza at her favorite place in Harlem. The sudden invasion of echolocating aliens means a delay in pizza. Honestly, Sam is only interested in self-preservation to the end that it means eventual pizza. Sam shelters in place for a bit with Reuben, who has a great scene where he stares down an alien like he’s staring down death itself. Also in the shelter is familiar character Henri (Djimon Hounsou) from “Part II” of the series, here forced to make an unthinkable decision. She moves on to helping some children in Central Park before finding a companion in anxious wreck Eric (Joseph Quinn). Can the two survive in alien-infested New York long enough to get a slice of pizza? If so, what happens after that? “Day One” has the most suspense yet for a “Quiet Place” movie. It was scary enough that characters had to keep quiet to save their lives on a family farm or in small town. But in New York, the noises are as big as the pizzas. Speaking of food, I wonder if the characters’ best bet for survival would be to let the aliens fill up on noisy people and then hope they’re too stuffed to give chase. Maybe that’s why the film’s biggest flaw is that the main characters get away with making as much noise as they do. The film does an excellent job of wringing scares out of not only the slightest sounds, but loud-looking images. Even with everybody promising to be quiet, a crowd of people is going to make noise eventually, that’s just how crowds are. So if the characters find themselves as part of a crowd, the clock is already ticking. And that’s with a reasonable amount of effort being made. Some people just aren’t cut out for quiet, and associating with those people in this environment could prove fatal. “A Quiet Place: Day One” had me afraid to breathe loudly in the theater, a testament to the film’s immersiveness. And yet, the suspenseful atmosphere is only the second-best thing about the movie. The real star here is, well, the star: Lupita Nyong’o. This movie doesn’t have returning players John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, or even recent Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy, and Nyong’o makes up for all of them. One way or another, Sam doesn’t have much time left on this Earth, but you’ll want to be there for every moment. It took until nearly the exact halfway point of the year, but I think we have our first serious contender for an acting Oscar. Not bad for a movie whose advertising had me thinking it would be one of the worst films of the year. Grade: B “A Quiet Place: Day One” is rated PG-13 for terror and violent content/bloody images. Its running time is 100 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Ever been looked squarely in the eyes and bluntly told you are a bitter, angry person? Probably not. After all, who in their right mind wants to be within twelve feet of a bear and throw heavy stones at that huge, furious mass of muscle and bone? Nobody wants to face that. Facing that bear would be the equivalent of standing in the same room with you while telling you this truth; “You are hard to be around. You always find a way to be angry…always. It never seems to matter what the subject happens to be when we are talking, you are always upset.  Another thing. When anyone does something for you, it’s never quite enough. You are never satisfied. You are a bitter, resentful person, and everyone knows they take their emotional life in their own hands when they choose to be around you for very long at all. I love you, but I am so tired of your constant attitude that this world owes you something. In your painful and twisted thinking, you somehow hold every one of us accountable for your loss. And you will continue doing it until you get what you want, or until the day you die.” Of course you probably have never been told that. For two reasons. You are still loved by family and friends, in spite of your difficult personality. And no one who loves you wants to hurt you with such cruel, blatant words. And secondly, humans are basically a chicken-hearted race when it comes to poking an angry bear. But, Bitter Person, you need to hear some loving truths. And that truth is this; You do have to live this life. Unless you get so fed up and bitter that you decide to end it all. And because you have to live this life, you deserve to live it in peace. To have joy and forgiveness that will make all the difference in the years you have left. For your own sake, you need to face your loss, forgive God and anyone involved, and decide to embrace what you have left and enjoy it. Yes, you will probably always mourn what you don’t have anymore. That is understandable. But here’s the problem. Each and every day while you are walking forward, you have your head turned around backward as you gaze longingly at the past. Blind to your future. And that is causing you to stumble over every crevice and rock in your way, bringing even more pain. And the curves on that road you are on? There’s no way you can see ahead and prepare for maneuvering them successfully. Plus, you never get to see the beauty that is still ahead on your path. All of this is causing you to be bitter and angry. Hurting. Unlikeable. And lonely. Like the title of a song that was recorded years ago by a friend of mine, It's Time To Learn To Love Again. Please.

Registration is now open for Hinds Community College’s new Electrical Line Worker program on the Raymond Campus in fall 2024. The 16-week electrical line worker program will be an intensive training course designed to prepare students for careers in the electrical utility industry. The classes will be offered Monday through Friday in the fall and spring with an enrollment capacity of 16 students per semester. “Hinds is offering this program in response to the electrical utility industry saying more line workers are needed to meet the demand in Mississippi,” said Jason Webb, Dean of Construction and Manufacturing. “The work they do is very demanding and satisfying.  They love a challenge and they respect hard work. We feel the same at Hinds.  We want to be part of providing that person the opportunity to begin a career in the electrical utility industry. We are excited to assist our local utility companies and contractors with trained, entry ready individuals,” Webb said. The classes for this program include: Safety for Line Worker National Electrical Code Fundamentals of Electricity for Line Workers Pole Climbing Interpersonal Skills for Line Workers Truck Driving for Line Workers For more information and to apply, go to https://www.hindscc.edu/workforce/training/electrical-line-worker

Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann is proposing several policy measures in the 2025 Legislative Session to tackle Mississippi’s high chronic absenteeism rate in public schools across the state. Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing more than 18 days of the school year, or 10 percent, for any reason including excused absences, unexcused absences, and suspensions. Mississippi’s chronic absenteeism rate for the 2022-23 school year was 23.9 percent. While the rate has begun to trend down since the pandemic, and is lower than some other states, it is still more than 10 percentage points above the state’s 13 percent rate during the 2018-2019 school year. “If students are not in the classroom, they are not learning. We need to drill down into this data and see where our biggest opportunities for driving up the rate are, particularly regarding unexcused absences,” Hosemann said. Among other solutions, Hosemann said he is interested in exploring: Restricting the use of cellphones in public schools, which has been shown in recent years to severely impact student mental health, particularly during classroom instruction. Some other states and school districts in Mississippi have already implemented policies banning or restricting the use of cellphones in schools; Moving school attendance officers from the Mississippi Department of Education to district-level supervision to encourage better personal relationships between the district, officers, students, and the wider community; Increasing school attendance officer salaries. School attendance officers start at $24,528.29 in Mississippi; and Encouraging low-performing schools, which often have high chronic absenteeism rates, to consider moving to a modified calendar. A modified calendar more evenly disperses school days throughout the year, provides more short breaks during the school year, and shortens the summer, when students often experience learning loss. Several bills were introduced in the 2024 Legislative Session addressing school attendance officers with the Mississippi Department of Education’s support, but they ultimately did not pass. In the early fall when school resumes, Hosemann plans to visit schools in different regions of the state which have lower and higher chronic absenteeism rates to hear about on-the-ground challenges and other possible solutions to the problem. Hosemann has also asked the K-12 and Postsecondary Mental Health Task Force, created by Senate Bill 2727, to examine this issue in the context of child and adolescent mental health and its impact on school attendance and academic performance. To learn more about Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann, visit www.ltgovhosemann.ms.gov.

By: Kara Kimbrough I’m not sure how – or when – it happened, but 2024 is more than halfway done. Before more time elapses, here are the items that have made cooking, eating and traveling a little more memorable in the first six months. 1.      The first one is actually a combination food/travel find: A road trip of any length must include snacks. A new favorite is Ritz Toasted Chips in honey barbecue flavor (there’s also sweet habanero for those who prefer a hot bite). It’s taken a while for Ritz to embrace the toasted craze, but when they did, the results were delicious. 2.      Breyers CarbSmart Creamy Almond Vanilla Frozen Dairy Dessert Bars – Breyers has always “done ice cream right,” but they’ve surpassed themselves with this frozen treat. Thankfully, I don’t have to limit carbs for health reasons, but it never hurts to cut back when a product is, unlike most carb-free pastas, actually edible. After buying these for a friend with dietary restrictions, I tried them for myself. I discovered they’re not just edible, but good. After a “real” pasta dinner, enjoying one of these cool treats allowed me to have dessert, guilt-free. 3.      Traveling can be stressful, especially with the added worry of getting sick while away from home. Thankfully, I’m rarely sick on the road, but that didn’t stop me from taking preventative measures during a recent trip to Texas. Biovanta’s Immunity Defense Lozenges and Throat Spray are drug-free, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines that provide a safe and effective way to prevent illness and if needed, treat colds and a cough. I can’t positively say that’s why I survived two packed flights, continuous people exposure and non-circulating hotel room air without a sign of illness… but it definitely didn’t hurt. 4.      Selecting my next travel destination was made a little easier by a unique blanket that doubled as the perfect cozy throw this winter. A soft, 58”x 50 blanket made of fleece and microfiber fleece features the intricate art and history of mapmaking from Xplorer Maps, the travel destination for hand-drawn story maps and accessories. Blankets and other products feature a wide variety of colorful, realistic maps, including the National Parks, famous domestic and international travel destinations, many U.S. states and my favorite, a complete U.S. map depicting each state and the item for which it is most famous. Check out these amazing products at: www.xplorermaps.com. 5.      A not-so-fun aspect of traveling is having to downsize liquid items to three ounces. Even if you’re checking a bag in addition to carrying one or two onboard, who has space for full-size containers of favorite health and beauty products? OK, I DO make an exception for my full-size can of John Frieda Hairspray. However, Mychelle facial creams and a genius cleansing stick, all of which are sold in travel and full-size containers, elevated my beauty products carry-on game. Additionally, aluminum-free Crystal Sea Salt + Sage Deodorant became such a favorite due to its sturdy container and ability to do the job without leaving a streaky mess. I use it on a daily basis, not just when traveling. Many Biovanta products are sold at area drugstores; I found Mychelle products at Whole Foods in Jackson. Check out their respective websites for more details. 6.      Yoplait Protein Strawberry Yogurt – Consuming an adequate amount of protein has always been challenging, but this product has helped improve my daily intake. Besides the fact that it contains only three grams of sugar and leaves no bitter aftertaste, one small container is filled with 15 grams, or 30% of my recommended daily intake. Another game-changer in the daily aisle. 7.      Screamin' Sicilian Multi-Meat Pizza Bowl – As stated above, I’m not that concerned about cutting carbs…but that doesn’t necessarily mean I should throw ALL caution to the wind. When I first saw these flavorful bowls in the freezer case, I grabbed one solely due to the enticing package photo. After preparing it, I discovered the bowls contain “almost” everything you’d find on a pizza – meats, cheeses, vegetables and tomato sauce; the only thing missing is a carb-filled crust. With a 31gram serving count, I’ve never felt so good about enjoying my favorite pizza toppings. 8.      Packing cubes – I realize I’m late to the package cube game. I can now share they’ve been a game-changer in my packing organization. Being able to pack and grab each day’s outfit and accompanying items in one compact bag has greatly reduced the time I spend departing a hotel room every morning. After reading reviews and checking out several brands, I purchased Miami Carryon 12-piece from QVC due to its variety of sizes and shapes. 9.      And my favorite “new” travel destination of 2024? I say “new” because Mississippi’s natural, unspoiled beauty can never be surpassed and New York City, even in drizzly January, continues to hold my heart captive…but Grapevine, Texas is a recent addition to my “favorite places to visit" list. Located just outside Dallas and here’s the best part, only 10 minutes from DFW Airport, the “Christmas Capital of Texas” resembles a Hallmark movie town on steroids. There’s so much to love about this city with a small-town feel. I’ll share more details in next week’s column. 10.  Speaking of New York City, I’m still hoping I’ll manage to squeeze in a trip this summer. Reading about the free and low-cost things to do right now on NYC Tourism & Conventions’ website kicked my interest into high gear. NYC is packed with activities that include festivals, bazaars, outdoor concerts and plays, sporting events and of course, Independence Day activities galore, ranging from Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest to Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks. If you’re a foodie, visiting during Restaurant Week, scheduled for July 22–August 18 is a great idea. Hundreds of restaurants citywide will be offering prix-fixe menus and other specials rarely offered in NYC. To learn more about Summer 2024 in NYC’s five boroughs, visit the website at: www.nyctourism.com. Last, my favorite recipe (thus far) in 2024 is this easy homemade granola. Just like almost every supermarket product, cereal prices have skyrocketed in recent months. A bowl of granola, chopped apples and nuts and almond milk is a favorite meal. However, I can’t justify paying $4 or more for a half-full bag of oats and grains. This recipe is so easy and economical to make for meals and snacks that I highly doubt I’ll go back to the commercially-made version. Enjoy the rest of 2024  - stay tuned for more favorites at the end of the year! Easy Homemade Granola 4 cups Old-Fashioned Oats (not Quick Cook variety) 1 cup slivered almonds or chopped pecans (whatever you prefer) 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/2 cup melted coconut oil 1/3 cup maple syrup 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (or shredded) 1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (cranberries or other favorite flavors) or semisweet chocolate chips (whatever you prefer) 1/2 cup chia seeds (optional) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, stir together oats, almonds, cinnamon and sea salt until evenly combined. In a separate measuring cup, stir together the melted coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract until combined. Pour the coconut oil mixture into the oats mixture, and stir until evenly combined. Spread the granola out evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Then remove from the oven, add the coconut, and give the mixture a good stir.  Bake for 5 more minutes, until the granola is lightly toasted and golden. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire baking rack.  Let cool until the granola reaches room temperature.  Then stir in the dried fruit, chocolate chips or any other optional add-ins you prefer. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

By: Mika Hartman Recently, CJ took us on a beautiful vacation. We love cruising for many reasons, so we boarded the newest ship The Icon of the Seas.  Traveling with Hudson presents many challenges, but we know his life needs to be more than doctors appointments and therapy. Huddy is six and he’s been on six cruises. This isn’t meant to brag or be boastful, but to say that we have found a way that our family travels well and we go. Cruising may not be for everyone; for us, we have all of Hudson’s needed medical equipment close by in our room and we can have fun in any time increments that he’s up to. Our room is definitely used and we approach the bigger stuff in a “divide and conquer” way. Something for all. Hudson always grows on our adventures. He comes back with a more confident stride in his step. He takes more bites of food. He tries new things. We may still have the routine of his needs to meet that can’t be missed, but he deserves to live and to be challenged. I won’t endorse this ship; many hits and misses for a family like mine. I look through different lenses than most and you’d likely go “coo coo for cocoa puffs” over this floating city. I really wish they’d hire a special needs parent when making final decisions. I am not saying that they need to make the entire ship ADA friendly, but more simple considerations would have made it better for all and wouldn’t negatively change the experience for anyone. The staff was amazing and very helpful and we made several new friends onboard, too. Oh, and the crepes! Unlimited crepes are always a great idea. This cruise was the most “divide and conquer” one we’ve taken. Our daughter, Henley, is only home for a couple more years; so, vacations like this and summer freedoms are winding down with her. The goal of “just right” was met; however, CJ and I didn’t really get to do a lot together. He instead surprised me with something I've never dreamed of, a rare diamond ring. As I walked through the jewelry store on the ship, I was instantly drawn to the yellow diamonds. I looked at all of the displays and kept eyeing the yellow ones. I assumed it was because of my love for Hudson and Down syndrome, in general. Both blue and yellow have become a regular part of my wardrobe; awareness to acceptance is the mission. “Let me try that one on, please”, I told the lady behind the counter. With this gorgeous bauble on my finger, she started sharing the reason it is so rare. Only 1 carat in 10,000 carats mined are this intense canary yellow diamond. Wait, what? That’s my Hudson. A beautiful diamond that is rare, and still a perfect diamond. Extra valuable. Extra unique. Creates extra happiness and joy. Different, but brilliant. “Diamonds need not explain how radiant they are, they just keep shining. Whoever shall admire their brilliance, will find their way to them.” ~Unknown So, CJ bought it for me. It was meant to be. If you think about a diamond, it’s a piece of coal that never gave up. Any person born with Down syndrome has been coal from the start. My favorite fact about Down syndrome is this: 20% of eggs with a 21st chromosome survives the first cell division. Of that 20%, only 20% survive to fertilization. Of that 20%, only 20% actually survive the first cell division following fertilization. These children are miracles who have fought to live every step of the way. And they each “shine bright like a diamond” and they are “EXTRA rare”.

By: Bob Garver Watching “The Bikeriders,” the word “inauthentic” kept driving through my mind. For example, I wasn’t buying pretty-boy Austin Butler as a tough biker. There is a planet where Butler can come off as intimidating and that planet is called Arrakis. Here on Earth, he looks like a clean-cut actor making a calculated decision to take on a grungy role to make people notice his range, but it’s backfiring because it is so transparent. And it’s even worse for the actors that I regarded as tough guys going into this movie. Based on other performances they’ve turned in, Michael Shannon, Damon Herriman, and Boyd Holbrook all seem like good choices for a rough-and-tumble biker pic. But here they’re buried under so much bad makeup and unconvincing acting choices that it will actually be harder for me to take them seriously the next time they try to look dangerous in a good movie. The movie follows a Chicago biker gang called The Vandals from the mid-60’s to the early 70’s. The main character is actually Kathy (Jodie Comer), the wife of longstanding member Benny (Butler), who is relaying stories about the gang to a reporter (the ever-frail-looking Mike Faist, fortunately not cast as a biker). Comer is a British actress doing a Midwestern accent that I think impressed friends in acting workshops with how different it was from her natural voice. I have no doubt that the accent took effort and caused strain and discomfort and I hate to say it was all in vain, but I’m sorry, it just comes off like she’s seen “Fargo” too many times. Speaking of laughable accents, Tom Hardy is in this movie as Johnny, the gang’s leader. His Chicago accent wasn’t too distracting at first, and it even looked for a while like he might get out of this movie with some dignity intact. But then I remembered that this was the same voice he used for Al Capone in that awful direct-to-VOD biopic back in 2020 that I only reviewed because it was gaining notoriety for being terrible. I think he leans more heavily into the accent as the character gets older, either that or I was unconsciously very forgiving in his early scenes because by the end the accent is grating. There’s not much of a through-line to the narrative, just stories about the gang being tough. When some bar patrons injure Benny, Johnny and the gang burn down the bar and treat getting revenge on the perpetrators as an afterthought. Benny and Kathy struggle with his decision to stay in the gang, with Benny heavily implying that he’ll choose the gang over her if he she makes him choose. The movie goes out of its way to establish an aspiring gang member (Toby Wallace) as a character without ever really tying him to The Vandals, a surefire sign that his role here is to kill somebody important. I can’t say that I went into “The Bikeriders” as a fan of biker culture. I can say that after seeing the movie, I’m even less of a fan. The unintentional message of the movie is that bikers are either every bit the stereotypical lowlifes they’re made out to be, or they think they’re above the lowlife stereotype, except they’re not. Real-life bikers that aren’t lowlifes should be unhappy with this movie, both because it’s a negative depiction of their lifestyle and because the ones doing the depicting are bad at their jobs. Grade: D “The Bikeriders” is rated R for language throughout, violence, some drug use and brief sexuality. Its running time is 116 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and FEMA are relocating a Mobile Disaster Recovery Center from Hinds Community College in Raymond, Miss to a new location in Bolton, Miss. This center will open at 8 a.m. on June 27, 2024, to help survivors affected by the April 8-11, 2024, severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding. Specialists from FEMA, the State of Mississippi, and the U.S. Small Business Administration will be at the center to help survivors apply for federal disaster assistance, check the status of their applications, answer questions, and provide referrals to resources. The mobile center will now be located at: Hinds County Public Works Department parking lot (look for the FEMA and MEMA signage) 10000 I-20 Frontage Road, Bolton, MS 39041. In addition, the following recovery centers are already open: • Hinds County: Smith-Wills Stadium parking lot (look for the FEMA and MEMA signage) 1200 Cool Bell Drive, Jackson, MS 39216 • Humphreys County: Humphreys County Multipurpose Building (look for the FEMA and MEMA signage across the street from Willard Jack Trucking) 417 Silver City Road, Belzoni, MS 39038 • Madison County: Karl M. Banks Emergency Services Complex (look for the FEMA and MEMA signage) 1633 West Peace St., Canton, MS 39046 • Neshoba County: Dixon Volunteer Fire Department (look for the FEMA and MEMA signage) 14800 Highway 21 South, Philadelphia, MS 39350 • Scott County: The Usry Voting Precinct, District 2 Building (look for the FEMA and MEMA signage) 5335 Old Highway 80, Forest, MS 39074 Centers are open: Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The center is closed on Sunday. To find the location of all open centers, visit fema.gov/drc To apply for assistance, you must bring the following: • Social Security Number • Insurance Information • Damage Information • Financial Information • Contact Information • Direct Deposit Information MEMA is working with federal and local partners to open more Disaster Recovery Centers in other disaster-declared counties across the state. It is not necessary to visit a center to apply for assistance. Survivors can apply for FEMA assistance by going online to DisasterAssistance.gov, downloading the FEMA mobile app or calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use video relay service, captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. For the latest information on recovery from the April tornadoes, visit msema.org and www.fema.gov/disaster/4790. On X/Twitter follow MEMA @MSEMA and FEMA Region 4 @femaregion4.