Updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines are available now, and locations currently offering the updated COVID-19 vaccine can be found on vaccines.gov. The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) recommends the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines for all individuals 6 months of age and older. Dosing recommendations vary by age, but healthy individuals 12 and older are recommended to get a single dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine regardless of previous vaccination status. According to MSDH Interim State Epidemiologist Dr. Kathryn Taylor, getting the flu vaccine is also important this time of year. “Vaccines provide the best protection against infection, hospitalization, or death from respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and influenza,” said Dr. Taylor. “It’s best to get vaccinated before transmission increases to make sure you are protected.” MSDH will begin offering the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine for the uninsured and underinsured through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Bridge access program for adults and the Vaccines for Children program on October 3, 2023. Underinsured individuals are those who have types of insurance which do not cover the cost of the vaccine. These individuals can call 855-767-0170 to schedule an appointment. Individuals with health insurance should locate COVID-19 vaccine providers using vaccines.gov. For more information on county health department locations and services, visit HealthyMS.com/locations. Follow MSDH by email and social media at HealthyMS.com/connect.

Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson and the Mississippi State Fairgrounds invite the public to experience new attractions at the 164th Mississippi State Fair and remind fairgoers of several items to “Know Before You Go.” The 2023 Mississippi State Fair takes place October 5-15 at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds. “The Mississippi State Fair is a time-honored tradition that showcases all the best livestock exhibitions, local artists and attractions, exciting shows and southern-style foods that our state has to offer,” said Commissioner Gipson. “Under the leadership of Mississippi State Fairgrounds Director Michael Lasseter, our fairgrounds staff has worked tirelessly to ensure the 164th State Fair will be bigger, better and safer than ever.” Fairgoers can continue to expect the best of North American Midway Entertainment’s carnival rides and games, fair foods, pig races, the Zerbini Family Circus, live entertainment, livestock shows, an antique car show and much more. The Ag Expo, featuring the Genuine MS® Store and FARMtastic learning center, will be located inside the Trade Mart. The Mississippi State Fair Beauty Pageant will take place Friday, October 6, at 4:00 p.m., and the Mississippi State Fair Talent Show will be Saturday, October 7, at 2:00 p.m., both inside the Coliseum. The Tri-State Rodeo will be held inside the Kirk Fordice Equine Center October 7-8. Senior American Day, which features live entertainment, muffins, coffee, door prizes, vendors and a health fair, will be held on Wednesday, October 11, at 9:00 a.m. Returning to the Kirk Fordice Equine Center will be the Horse, Mule and Pony Pull on Friday, October 13, and Saturday, October 14 Four nationally recognized artists will perform inside the Mississippi Coliseum: Josh Turner, ERNEST, the Commodores and Christian artist Jeremy Camp. Opening acts for these headliners include up-and-coming artists, and Mississippi natives, Todd Tilghman, Walker Wilson, Four Washington and Kayla Berry. A special ‘Cupid’s Line Dance Xperience’ will be held on Sunday, October 8. The comedy show, ‘Funny Friday at the Fair,’ featuring Mississippi native Rita Brent, JJ Williamson, Kerwin Claiborne, Marvin Hunter and DJ Koolaid, will take place on Friday, October 13. Local artists and bands will perform on the Main Stage, near the Midway, throughout the duration of the fair. All major concert and entertainment tickets purchased in advance include same-day general admission to the fairgrounds. In addition to all the usual fan-favorite attractions, this year’s State Fair will feature an all-new ‘Taste of the Dixie National Rodeo’ exhibition and American Idol® Auditions. Several Taste of Dixie National Rodeo shows will run throughout the duration of the State Fair and will include bull riding, calf scrambles, bucking broncs, live entertainment and rodeo clowns. Taste of Dixie National Rodeo shows will start at 6:30 p.m. every weekday and at 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Special guest, Forrie J. Smith, will also make an appearance at the Taste of Dixie National Rodeo to meet and greet fans October 7-8, at 2:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. For the first time ever, the Mississippi State Fair will host a competition to recruit talent for the hit singing show, American Idol®, inside the Mississippi Coliseum. The semi-finals competition between the top 40 auditions will be held on Monday, October 9, at 6:00 p.m. and the top 20 contestants will then advance to the finals on Tuesday, October 10, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The final five artists chosen through this process will win a VIP Executive Producer Audition. Both singing competitions will be open to the public with fair admission and a ticket, which will be available for purchase at the Coliseum Box Office. “For 11 days, the Mississippi State Fairgrounds will become a hub for all kinds of shows, concerts, food, rides, games and of course, our famous buttermilk biscuits, provided by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce,” continued Commissioner Gipson. “The fairgrounds’ safe and family-friendly environment will offer an array of activities that everyone will enjoy, and I hope to see you and your family there.” KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: The 2023 Mississippi State Fair opens at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 5. The ribbon cutting will be held at Gate 1 at the corner of Jefferson Street and Amite Street. The Biscuit Booth will be open early for those who attend the ribbon cutting. Gate admission is $5.00 per person, and parking is $5.00 per car. Children ages 5 and under will be admitted free of charge. The public can purchase advance admission tickets at the Coliseum Box Office until 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 5. All concert tickets purchased in advance include same-day general admission to the fairgrounds. Concert and entertainment tickets can be purchased in advance at www.ticketmaster.com and the Coliseum Box Office. Fair admission is free every weekday from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., except on Monday, October 9, Columbus Day. Beginning at 9:00 p.m., any guest under the age of eighteen (18) seeking admission to the Fairgrounds must be accompanied by a legal adult (21 or older). Any guest may be asked to show official proof of age to be admitted after 9:00 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring identification. When entering the Midway, all guests will proceed through one of several entry security points utilizing a metal detector. All bags are subject to search. The maximum bag size that will be accepted into the Fair is 12”x12”x6”. No outside food or beverage allowed. No marketing, soliciting, political, or vending items allowed unless and as authorized under Fairground regulations. Pursuant to state law, the legal carry of firearms by all lawful adults is recognized on the Mississippi Fairgrounds. No animals (other than service animals or as authorized by Fair management for Fair activities), banners, fireworks/explosives, or laser pointers allowed. Find the complete schedule of fair events at www.msstatefair.com. For additional information, visit www.mississippifairgrounds.com, call the Coliseum Box Office at 601-961-4000 and follow the Mississippi State Fair on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

By Mika Hartman Happy October! To all our extra amazing friends, Happy Down Syndrome Awareness Month! This month has all the feels to mommas like me. We celebrate this month with hope, we take this time to teach others who are not on this journey, we count our blessings and we pray that this month opens the eyes of our peers, somehow. May this be the month that someone new accepts my son and his extra chromosome; awareness is good, acceptance is great. This month is the one month of the year that we, families on this journey, all come together to raise our voices and shout the worth of our friends and family born with Down syndrome. In a sea of October pink or orange and black, the yellow and the blue can also be found, if you look for it. If you’re reading this, you will likely see more out there than you expected to. This is my 5th year to celebrate this Down Syndrome Awareness Month with Hudson. I have taken my role as his mom very seriously and I have been committed to providing everything he needs, with very little help. I would love to say that I have felt a change in the way the world sees my son and that my advocacy has brought much needed change for his future. The reality is that some changes have been seen, but mostly, our needs fall on deaf ears. Unless you love someone with Down syndrome, these challenges we face are very lonely. My son’s extra chromosome make some people feel uncomfortable or he gets used as a cutdown or the butt of a joke. Not any of this is deserved or provoked. On this journey, I have met both mommas who are strong and not easily affected by the cruel world and mommas that have huge chips on their shoulders from the weight they carry. I always said I would rise above the nasty noise and and remain a steel pillar for my son. I am committed to this; you can’t break me. However, I think the better question is why would anyone want to break a mom who is constantly adjusting to her new normal? Shouldn’t we be offering a hand of help? If the world was more accepting, then maybe, just maybe, you’d see more beautiful babies being born with Down syndrome. It’s the lack of acceptance that places fear on those getting this diagnosis. A couple of months ago, I was having coffee with two of my favorite go-getters, Caitlin Kelly and Susan Putnam. Caitlin has been all over the news lately for bringing Mississippi our first Safe Haven Baby Box to Long Beach. What a wonderful thing she fought for. This is bipartisan legislation at its finest, a win for all. If a baby is born, we must protect this human life, period! This applies to every life; we must protect and cherish it. I want to be clear, ALL HUMAN LIFE. Inside the door, where a mom safely places a child, she will have a bag of information she can take. In this orange bag is resources and needed information to provide her with answers. This decision wasn’t one she took lightly, so Mississippi extended the time of her parental rights to 45 days for our state. I raised the question about babies born with Down syndrome and this being a reason for her decision, and while I don’t have an answer on how often this is the case, it did bring up a missing piece to the orange bag. Caitlin immediately asked if I would create an educational piece about Down syndrome for the baby box. YES! At first, the amount of information I wanted to share was overwhelming. If it was overwhelming to me, then it would be to someone who is scared. It was a task that had challenges, but just as I promised to be a steel pillar for Hudson, this was a task I was proud to do. Offering help and support was needed, should she decide to raise this child; also, her knowing that her baby would need extra support and that we do have families that would love the opportunity to adopt a baby with Down syndrome was an important part. My favorite line in my letter to mom: “Your baby is just as adoptable as any other baby.” It is sad that this needs to be said, but only because not every family out there would adopt a baby with challenges, no judgement; I, myself, never thought of raising a child with special needs until I was chosen. No special place for me in Heaven, I am being the best parent I can be to the gifts I was given. Actually, I am already receiving the benefits of the laughter and love shared today and every day. It’s my mission to share this. Through birth or adoption, gifts find us. This brochure started with a letter, as mentioned above, to let this mom know the words I wish I had been told. I knew my son was a gift because of my age and my need for in vitro 10 years earlier, I knew because of the fun way we discovered we were pregnant again, I knew we were lucky all along, but not everyone has or feels that. The words she needs to hear, should she find herself at this box, is that she and her baby are loved. She unselfishly chose life. She did nothing wrong, the extra chromosome was present at conception. And she is not alone no matter her choice; if she wants to keep her baby, there are amazing resources. On the other hand, if she surrenders her baby, she needs to be assured that her baby is wanted and will be loved. Here is the brochure I created: Recently, I was talking to a new mom on this journey. Her experience was hard to hear and absolutely hard to understand. In 2023, she was so belittled by a genetics doctor that she said, “she felt smaller than a grain of rice”. It was because of the questions thrown her way that she felt like her baby being born with Down syndrome was her fault. Did she smoke during pregnancy? Did she do drugs? Did she get second-hand smoke? Seriously, this is garbage. Anyone, especially a doctor, should know that this miracle life was created at conception. The guilt that was blanketed on this new mom is unforgivable; she lost precious time because of reliving her every move to think whether she did anything wrong. Her answers were “no” to all the questions, but she still started overthinking her every move. This is why a brochure in the baby box is a must, if this line of questioning still exists. Then, it is plausible that mom has been met with some misguided questions. The details of this scenario shared took place in a different state, not here in Mississippi. This article is definitely heavier than what I intended to write, but it is to share that we still face many struggles on this journey. Down Syndrome Awareness Month is a month to celebrate, but also should be a time to teach. Just last month, my daughters Instagram begot a troll, who then used the platform to be cruel. This troll made the deliberate remarks with a “knife and twist” approach. However, the remark against me, in a photo on her page, was about an extra chromosome. It read this, “Looks like you got some extra chromosomes too ”…. Funny, I didn’t see this as a cut or a knock, this is a truth I already know. When you see me, you should see Down syndrome or I am not advocating enough. You should see me in Hudson and Hudson in me. What you intended to hurt me with, actually, shows your ignorance. I am not hurt, I am delighted that my extra can be seen. If this troll would spend time with Hudson, they would learn that his extra chromosome is a gift, one we should all experience in our lives in some way. If this person did, they couldn’t write something like this as an intended jab. Let’s wrap this one up with something extra beautiful. I was honored to attend Gabrielle’s Trendsetters Fashion Show, last March. The Trendsetters rocked the runway with beautiful couture fashions and for a good cause. The Trendsetters had 20 models and even featured one model, Bailee, with Down syndrome. She captivated the audience; Bailee is a star and she brought fun to all with her contagious smile and laughter. Each year, Gabrielle’s Trendsetters have the opportunity to choose the charity they wish to raise awareness and money for; this year they selected Gulf Coast Down Syndrome Society. Why? Because many of the Trendsetters have a friendship with Bailee and wanted to show just how much they love her. One of the models said that she and Bailee have been best friends since second grade. Choosing GCDSS brought them a sense of loyalty and pride to the lifelong friendships they’d created. Last month I had the privilege to join the Trendsetters to see just how much they raised for our buddies. Drumroll………… OVER $5000! I was invited to be there for the check presentation. When Ms. Wendy turned around with that check, all the girls completely lit up with love for this accomplishment. I flooded the room with tears. Since the fashion show in March, new recruits have joined the Trendsetters and they have almost 30 girls now… that is 30 young ladies in high school who are learning and will one day be teachers; not by being parents to a person with Down syndrome, but being a best friend to a person with Down syndrome. The dollar amount is so impressive, but the love to achieve that is what overwhelmingly grabbed my attention. So I seized this moment, I shared with the girls my heart and my life journey. What they see, today, as a huge accomplishment, I see as a future memory of how they became who they are in their future selves. I can see God all throughout my life and the things I did when I was younger were all doors to a greater path that only He knew. These are huge steps for the young girls, for us as a community, and for the future of how we move “awareness” to “acceptance". “Acceptable” is not acceptance, we are there, at the word “acceptable”. Life has made concessions for “awareness” to become “acceptable”… I want full acceptance for my son. I want to feel as if we don’t always have to include his diagnosis in every conversation, that I don’t have to prove why he can or can’t do something. I once had to show his sweet face on video to prove he has an extra chromosome. We all have limits and some achieve greater things than others; not one person is demanded to give the reasons why, unless a disability is present. Then, we spend our days filling out papers that talk about everything our child can’t do, instead of sharing all the things they CAN do. When anyone writes a resume, they get the opportunity to point out all the good they have to offer and their accomplishments. When you are a parent to a child with a disability, you get bombarded with paperwork that reminds you of just how disabled your child is. Can’t we be better than that? Can’t we try and be like the Trendsetters and step up with love, not be a troll that wants to hurt without reason. For the mom on this journey or for the mom who finds herself at the baby box: the life you created is beautiful and has value and purpose. Wherever you find yourself on this journey, may people offer you EXTRA hope and EXTRA healing. EXTRA EXTRA Please join us in celebrating Down Syndrome Awareness Month. You can wear blue and yellow, rock some crazy socks, find a local Buddy Walk, support a fundraiser, sign up for a NDSS newsletter, join your local Down syndrome groups, learn about people with Down syndrome AND celebrate WITH them. You’ll never find a better dance partner than a buddy with Down syndrome.

⚽Make plans to come support your Lady Cougars next Tuesday, October 3rd!⚽ The Lady Cougars finished the season unbeaten with a 12-0-1 record and have earned the 1 Seed in the D3 Playoffs! They host Indianola Academy on Tuesday, Oct. 3rd at 5 P.M. The ROAD TO THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP goes through Raymond! Come support the Lady Cougars, and if you can't, live stream will be available!

By Bob Garver Outside of what you see on the posters, the “Expendables” movies have never been particularly ambitious. Sure, it was great that the action stars of previous decades like Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jet Li, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Harrison Ford could come together for a series of action movies in the 2010’s, but the films were never more than just an excuse to sell tickets based on the actors’ names. The reviews were rarely good, and the good ones were usually of the apologetic “it’s dumb, but it’s fun” variety. Now it’s a new decade, it’s been nine whole years since we’ve had one of these movies, and whatever fun there was to be had in the first three entries is sorely missing from “Expend4bles.” That groan-inducing “4” in the title (reminiscent of the awful “Fant4stic”) may as well refer to the number of actors that are back. Stallone and Statham are leading the team as Barney Ross and Lee Christmas, respectively, while Dolph Lundgren serves as aptly-named sniper Gunner and Randy Couture is among the ranks as demolitions guy Toll Road. New to the crew are audience surrogate Easy Day (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson), CIA operative and Christmas’s girlfriend Gina (Megan Fox), former Expendable brought out of retirement Decha (Tony Jaa), son of Banderas’s character Galan (Jacob Scipio), martial artist Lash (Levy Tran), and ally of Ross’s since the 1980’s Marsh (Andy Garcia). Opposing the Expendables’ ability to waste another night at the bar is a team led by Rahmat (Iko Uwais). They’re trying to steal a nuke and start World War III and somehow make a lot of money in the process. Actually, Rahmat is just the temporary leader, he’s really working for a mysterious boss called Ocelot whose identity Ross was very close to uncovering in the 80’s, but just barely slipped away. No, the obvious suspect isn’t a red herring, the movie really thinks you’ll consider Ocelot’s identity a shocking twist. A mission to stop Rahmat and Ocelot in Libya goes sideways thanks to Christmas disobeying an order, and the team is forced to press on without he and Ross. The failure supposedly has a devastating consequence, but the movie isn’t stupid enough to make it stick. It’s stupid enough to think the audience will think that it will stick, but it isn’t stupid enough to actually make it stick. The rest of the movie mostly takes place on a cargo ship whose deck looks like a second-rate laser tag arena. There the Expendables do battle with an army of bad guys, most of whom inexplicably cover their faces. Well, I think I can explain why the movie has them cover their faces, I just don’t know why the characters would. I wouldn’t have thought about the likelihood of the movie reusing stunt performers during these sequences, except that the conspicuous face coverings drew my mind to the matter. I had to think about something more stimulating than the many interchangeable fights and shootouts. There’s no shortage of things to dislike about “Expend4bles.” The action is cheap and tedious, the script is a joke, the jokes aren’t funny, and a twist toward the end means that a team member committed a completely unnecessary murder. On top of all that, the franchise’s greatest asset – its sheer star-power – is greatly depleted. Did the studio really think that 50 Cent and Andy Garcia would make up for a lack of Schwarzenegger? “Expend4bles” lost in its opening weekend to the third weekend of “The Nun II,” and its $8.3 million domestic take still feels like audiences were too generous. You want an exciting ensemble movie? Go see “A Haunting in Venice,” it could use a boost in ticket sales. Grade: D- “Expend4bles” is rated R for strong/bloody violence throughout, language and sexual material. Its running time is 103 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Don’t kid yourself. It’s not just criminals attempting to escape punishment. It’s not just a teenager who missed curfew and is coming up with excuses. Not just the employee who walks in the door an hour late, full of ‘reasons.’ Or the employer who takes advantage of employees and creates ‘plausible explanations.’ They all will lie, but so do people who look perfect on the outside. People who attend their church every Sunday they can. People who truly love their God with all their heart. Lies pour out of all our mouths for a lot of different reasons. With fear being the main reason why folks will shade the truth a little, or just downright create a whole ‘nuther truth out of thin air. But what about my statement that ‘god-fearing people can lie perfectly?’ I am talking about people who would absolutely NEVER even consider cheating, lying, stealing, or any of the other ‘…ings’ they have been taught are wrong. Yep, they can lie with the best of ‘em, and it all starts with lies to themselves. Here’s some real scenarios to illustrate my point. “I do not use my tongue to hurt others, I would never do such a thing!” Or this one. “I will not lose my temper ever again, ‘cause I made a promise to myself.” But the Bible says in James 3:8, “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” Hmmmm….caught in our own lie right there. How about this one: “I have decided to always honor God by keeping my thoughts totally pure, like He wants.” But Scripture says in Isaiah 64:6, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Ouch. No matter how much we try to monitor and protect our thought life, our thinking betrays us. Doesn’t matter who we are. Make no mistake, we can, and do lie to ourselves, and we dislike having to admit that. We like to see ourselves as honorable, caring, trustworthy… or at the very least that’s the person we try to present to the world. But according to our Creator, we have uncontrollable tongues and thoughts, and our brains and tongues a good cleanup every day of our lives. So, He provided the bristle brush to do just that. But no bristle brush just automatically does the work without someone picking it up and using it. We have to apply it to ourself. Check out what He wrote for us in 1 John 1:8-9, “. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Great stuff.

Congratulations to our 2023 Homecoming Queen, Alli Beth Scott (left) and our 2023 Football Maid, Maylynn Goulette (right)

I felt a pang of envy last week as I watched news coverage of the picturesque town of Pomfret, Vermont. Attracting thousands of tourists from around the world is an abundance of fall foliage in vibrant colors of orange, yellow and green. One of the most sought-after spots is a private residence located in a valley called Sleepy Hollow Farm. As I watched the footage of tourists lining up in search of the perfect selfie (before being chased away by law enforcement), I felt a little sad that I wouldn't witness anything as beautiful without a trip up north. Then it hit me that while Mississippi is not on the self-proclaimed "leaf peepers" must-see list, we do have plenty of natural beauty in our state, include several waterfalls in picturesque spots. You read that right - there are close to 10 waterfalls in Mississippi. Most are in obscure areas, but worth the drive and a whole lot closer than Vermont. Two of the largest and most beautiful areas in which to experience a Mississippi waterfall Clark Creek State Park in Woodville and Dunn's Fall's Water Park in Lauderdale County. The Clark Creek Natural Area in southwestern Mississippi is one of Mississippi's most beautiful outdoor treasures - and well-kept secrets. Comprising more than 700 acres, the scenic oasis in the middle of the forest is highlighted by 50 waterfalls ranging from 10 feet to more than 30 feet in height. Bird-watching, hiking and viewing hundreds of native trees, flowering plants and rocks can be enjoyed on the established trails. And while it's a rare sighting during daylight hours, the area serves as a habitat for Mississippi black bears. Travel to east Mississippi in search of the Chunky River in Lauderdale County and you’ll find the Dunn's Falls Water Park. The bluffs of the eastern bank of the river extend to amazing heights from which a natural majestic waterfall flows. The powerful flowing water serves as the source for the working water wheel before splashing 65 feet into the shallow river. Visitors can climb down winding steps on the steep embankment next to the falls and view the majestic water from below. The park also features an 1857 grist mill, historic Carroll-Richardson Gristmill that was moved from Cave Springs, Georgia in 1987 and reconstructed on the site of Dunn's original mill. Other sites are a rustic homestead and mill pond home to catfish and ducks. Nearby nature trails wind through the woods and are home to wild turkey, deer, squirrels and other wildlife on display for hikers. There are a few more waterfalls spread throughout the state, but these two areas are considered to contain the most majestic. For a complete list, drop me an email and I'll share it with you. Speaking of fall, a friend shared her family's favorite chili recipe with me last week. Despite its simplicity, it's a thick, hearty version of one of my favorite fall dishes. So what if it's still 90 degrees...just lower the air conditioning and dig in! First Chili of Fall '23 2 pounds lean ground chuck 2 medium onions diced, ½-inch 4 cloves garlic minced 28 ounces whole tomatoes with juice 14 ounces diced tomatoes with juice 1 medium green bell pepper, 1/4-inch 14 ounces tomato sauce 2 cups beef broth 15 ounces kidney beans drained and rinsed (optional) Seasoning: 4 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon cumin 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper 1 teaspoon oregano Combine half the seasoning mixture with ground beef and mix until well combined. Brown ground chuck, onions, and garlic until no pink remains; drain. Combine beef mixture with all remaining ingredients, including remaining seasoning, in a slow cooker. Slightly mash the whole tomatoes. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. If You Go Looking for Waterfalls: Clark Creek State Park Where: 366 Fort Adams Pond Road, Woodville Hours: Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday; open Thursday - Monday Contact: For more information, call 601-888-6040 Dunn's Falls Water Park Where: 6890 Dunn's Falls Rd., Enterprise Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; closed Sunday-Tuesday Contact: Admission fees are charged; call 601-655-8550 for more information

By Douglas Carswell Mississippi’s fifty highest paid public officials now cost the taxpayer more than $10 million a year. After an average 5 percent pay rise, the state’s highest paid officials saw their salaries rise from $193,678 on average last year to $205,000 this year. The 2023 Mississippi Fat Cat report, published by the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, reveals that our state has some of the highest paid public officials in America. As well as having a State Superintendent for Public Education on $300,000 per year, Mississippi now has two local school superintendents each earning about a quarter of a million dollars a year. This new report compares the salaries of the highest paid public officials in Mississippi to the average salaries of a nurses, state trooper or a teacher. We also compare Fat Cat pay to median Mississippi income. You might imagine that any list of the highest paid officials in our state would include the most senior elected officials. You would imagine wrong. Mississippi’s Governor and Lieutenant Governor do not even make the list. Four in ten of the highest paid public officials in our state are in fact local school superintendents. The school superintendents on the Fat Cat list received an average 14% pay increase, taking them to over $200,000 a year. Mississippi’s Fat Cats do not just earn more than Mississippi’s governor. Mississippi’s highest paid public officials make on average more than America’s fifty state governors. Some local Mississippi superintendents, presiding over school districts with a few thousand students, are paid more than the governor of Texas, whose state has a population of 30 million. To be clear, some highly paid public officials are worth every dollar. Some have highly specialise skills that could command an even larger salary in the private sector. If only Jackson, for example, had managed to pay proper salaries to properly qualified personnel, the city might have managed to avoid some of the water problems that have afflicted the city. High public sector salaries are not necessarily a bad thing, but there does need to be more accountability when it comes to top public sector pay. Our report does not just shine a light on public sector pay, we suggest some reforms to give the legislature more oversight. We also float the idea of some kind of state-mandated formula to calculate the maximum allowable salary for school superintendents. Arkansas, interestingly, has just adopted a policy of establishing performance targets for school superintendents. Mississippi currently has a record budget surplus. We need to ensure that with all that money sloshing around in the system, we do not see surging pay increases for bureaucrats over and above tax breaks for the folk they are supposed to serve. You can read a copy of the 2023 Mississippi Fat Cat report on our website at www.mspolicy.org Douglas Carswell is the President & CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.

By Bob Garver “A Haunting in Venice” is director/star Kenneth Branagh’s third go-around as Agatha Christie-penned detective Hercule Poirot. The other two were 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and 2022’s “Death on the Nile.” “A Haunting in Venice” comes barely a year and a half after the latter film, though the turnaround is less impressive when one remembers that trailers for “Death on the Nile” were playing a year and a half before that film opened, with the release suffering numerous delays. Those delays may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because unlike the sequels I’ve reviewed the last two weeks, Branagh’s Poirot is relatively fresh in my mind, and I’m more eager to step back into his world. In fact, it’s Poirot himself that is uneager to step back into the world of mystery and danger. Ten years have passed since the events of “Death on the Nile,” and Poirot is retired, spending his days blowing off prospective clients with the help of his bodyguard Vitale (Riccardo Scamarcio) and only enjoying Venice for its pastries. For those keeping score, this version of Italy is slightly more appealing than the crime-ridden take of “Equalizer 3,” but far less than the glorified travel brochure that was “Book Club: The Next Chapter.” Poirot’s determination to not challenge himself is interrupted by Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey, a very of-her-era actress that feels out of place in this 1947-set movie), a mystery novelist from America. She’s about to do a book on psychic Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh), who has thus far evaded exposure as a fraud. Oliver wants Poirot to either figure Reynolds out or decide she’s the real deal so the project can continue. Poirot, skeptic that he is of anything beyond this world, agrees to what he’s sure will be a humiliating debunking for Reynolds. That night, Halloween Night, Reynolds holds a séance at the home of retired opera singer Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly). Rowena’s daughter Alicia was found drowned in a canal some time ago, and she thinks Reynolds can help her find closure. Poirot, Oliver, and Vitale attend the séance, as well as Rowena’s housekeeper Olga (Camille Cottin), doctor Ferrier (Jamie Dornan) and his creepily mature son Leopold (Jude Hill), Reynolds’ assistants Desdemona (Emma Laird) and Nicholas (Ali Khan), and in case things weren’t tense enough, Alicia’s ex-fiancé Maxime (Kyle Allen). During the séance, Reynolds, allegedly channeling Alicia, claims that she was murdered. A less ambiguous murder soon follows, and Poirot is on the case. Like all Poirot mysteries, the night is full of twists and turns, with secret after secret coming to light and everybody having a chance to play the prime suspect. Unique to this one is the possibility of something supernatural going on. Poirot can swear that there’s a little girl in the mansion that nobody else can see or hear. There has to be a logical/scientific explanation… unless there isn’t? Once “A Haunting in Venice” gets going, the excitement is consistent until the mystery is solved. All that’s left for the viewer at that point is to deduce how smart they were at figuring things out. Were they right or wrong? And if they were wrong, was it because they missed something, or did the movie keep an important clue hidden until the last minute? Were the clues that were there too easy or too hard? Could only a world-class detective like Poirot have solved this mystery? For me, I thought it was a mix of all of these, which gives me mixed feelings on the movie overall. But I won’t deny that the experience is a fun ride regardless of how you feel about the ending, or the mystery in retrospect. Grade: B- “A Haunting in Venice” is rated PG-13 for some strong violence, disturbing images and thematic elements. Its running time is 103 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Generation Z. Young adults that older generations have a difficult time understanding. And a generation that, in turn, holds a lot of contempt for the lifestyles of generations before them. Boomers, as a whole, see adulthood as something that should be lived from this perspective: Education > Work > Retire to do what you always wanted to do> Death. But Z’ers? From what I can understand, see it more like this: Work just enough to be able to live life doing the things that you find pleasurable at the beginning of adulthood, then settle down and work, after you have enjoyed the energy and adventures of your youth. Hmmmm. As a nonZ, I’ve never thought of life this way. Honestly I struggle to find the positive points of it. But then again – yours truly is not a Z-er. Probably need to spend some time listening to those young people who believe this to be a viable way of living life. Ask them some intelligent questions. Listen with an open heart. Not just listen enough to jump in and criticize what they are saying. Now, I am not advocating any certain lifestyle. On the contrary, I am advocating real communication. Boomers, LISTEN to them before TALKING at them. And if there are any Zers reading this, I beg the same of you. There has never been a generation that cannot learn from generations before, and the generations after them. Anything less than this is called arrogance, in my book. Families are being fractured by non-communication. The younger feels that the older is too stuffy, too focused on financial success, letting the true meaning and enjoyment of life escape them. The older folks are convinced that young people have become parasites, living off others and refusing to take financial responsibility for themselves. Let alone preparing themselves for being the leaders of our country when their parents retire. The result of this impasse is a country suffering from a growing split between the generations. People, we have enough problems in this country, with crime, immorality, greed, and enormous financial issues escalating at an unseen-before rate. We certainly do not need our greatest strength, the family unit – to be destroyed this way. If we lose our families by miscommunication, we lose more than we can possibly comprehend – until your family experiences it personally. And then that newly found wisdom comes way too late. Invite that person, old or young, to supper. Tell them that you realize that you need to listen to them. Tell them you want to simply ask questions – that you want to hear their point of view. If you find them open to this and willing to talk to you, then do exactly that. Listen. Try to glean what you can from listening to what they have to say. You are not deaf, nor are you too slow to learn. Then thank them for sharing their point of view. Work at communicating. Hopefully your turn to talk will come later.

The Institute for the Advancement of Minority Health’s Black Men’s Health Equity Council will host Choppin’ It Up—The Barbershop Series from 2 p.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, September 30, 2023. This installment focuses on prostate cancer awareness and will be held on the campus of Tougaloo College in the Berkshire A Men’s Residential Hall. The guest speaker for the event is Dr. Carl Reddix of the Reddix Medical Group. Reddix will discuss prostate cancer risk factors for Black men and the importance of early detection. The first seven individuals in attendance will receive a free haircut. Free lunch, health screenings, and access to a Madden video game tournament will be available for participants. Sponsored by the Institute for the Advancement of Minority Health’s Black Men’s Health Equity Council, Reddix Medical Group, Tougaloo College, Office of Residential Life, and Rho Epsilon Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., this event is free and open to the public. Contact Warren Jones at (769) 572- 5263 or at wjones@advancingminorityhealth.org for more information.