Special to The Bolton News The Town of Bolton is receiving new support for community improvement efforts after being selected as a recipient in the latest round of the Soul City Solar Community Grant Program funded by Apex Clean Energy. Bolton was awarded $2,500 for its “Clean & Green Community Clean-up” initiative, a project aimed at improving the appearance of the town while encouraging community pride and beautification efforts. The grant is part of more than $30,000 distributed by Apex Clean Energy to eight organizations across Hinds County. This round of funding focused heavily on STEM education, workforce development and projects designed to strengthen local communities. Town leaders said the funding will help support ongoing efforts to keep Bolton clean, attractive and welcoming for residents and visitors alike. “We are so excited about the work that these grant recipients are doing throughout Hinds County,” said Brian O'Shea, director of public engagement at Apex Clean Energy. “They are taking the initiative to seize workforce development opportunities, support Hinds County students, and make meaningful improvements to their communities.” The Bolton project was one of several selected for funding through the Soul City Solar Community Grant Program, which was created to invest in local initiatives that improve quality of life and create long-term opportunities for area residents. In addition to community improvement projects, the program also supports educational and workforce development initiatives throughout Hinds County. “We are grateful for the continued support of Soul City Solar and Apex Clean Energy,” said Matthew Jones, vice president of advancement and executive director of the Hinds Community College Foundation. “Their financial commitment ensures that students studying STEM-related fields have access to scholarships throughout their academic journeys.” Bolton’s Clean & Green initiative is expected to help enhance public spaces and encourage residents to take an active role in keeping the community clean and beautiful.

Special to The Bolton News The Bolton Mayor and Board of Aldermen convened for their regular monthly meeting Tuesday, May 5, at Town Hall, addressing community concerns, infrastructure updates and municipal business. During the meeting, town officials presented a proclamation to the Jackson Association of Black Social Workers in recognition of Social Workers Month. The proclamation was accepted by Ms. Cindy Henry. Several residents addressed the board during the public appearances portion of the meeting. Robert Brister spoke regarding residential development within the town, outlining a proposal to construct homes ranging from approximately 1,500 to 1,600 square feet, as well as options near 2,000 square feet with carports. Ms. Antionette Kimple raised concerns about traffic safety on Church Street. She cited issues with speeding vehicles in areas where children are frequently at play, as well as vehicles parking on both sides of the street, creating difficulties for navigation. Braylon Williams of the Bolton Volunteer Fire Department also addressed the Board. Williams expressed concern about vehicles parking in front of the fire station bay, which can delay emergency response by obstructing the exit of fire equipment. He also discussed the department’s need for Wi-Fi service to assist with timely entry of call reports. Additionally, Williams proposed the purchase of a brush truck to improve response capabilities in situations where the use of a full-sized fire engine may not be practical. Mayor Butler-Kidd reported that installation of new fire hydrants in Bolton is expected to begin soon. In other business, the board approved updates to several municipal ordinances, including those governing use of the town pavilion, regulations concerning junk and inoperable vehicles without current tags, and animal control measures. The board also approved travel and training requests, including authorization for Town Attorney Shundra Baldwin to attend the 2026 Mississippi Municipal Attorneys Conference in Gulfport in June. The town’s court clerk was also approved to attend training at BBI related to the implementation of a new court system. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

Willie Cornelia Johnson Harvey February 3, 1942 - April 28, 2026 84 Years of age Willie Cornelia Johnson Harvey was born on February 3, 1942, to the late Lacey Allen Johnson and Willie Mae Marshall Johnson. She was the eleventh and youngest child born to this union. She answered the Master’s call and entered into eternal rest on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Funeral Arrangements: Visitation: May 6, 2026, 4:00-6:00 PM Bolton Funeral Home, 205 Bolton Brownsville Road, Bolton Cards may be sent to: Bolton Funeral Home, Attn: Family of Willie Cornelia Johnson Harvey, P.O. Box 67, Bolton, MS 39041 Funeral Service: May 7, 2026, 11:00 AM Mt. Center Missionary Baptist Church, 3789 Sam Herring Road, Bolton Additional viewing will take place one hour prior to the start of the funeral service Interment: Orange Hill Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery 4080 Cox's Ferry Road, Bolton To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Willie Cornelia Johnson Harvey, please visit our flower store.

Ben Albert Flowers October 22, 1964 - April 26, 2026 61 Years of age Ben Albert Flowers was born on October 22, 1964, in Bolton, Mississippi, to Albert Flowers and Fannie Thomas, both of whom preceded him in death. Ben departed this earthly life on Sunday, April 26, 2026. Funeral Arrangements: Visitation: May 8, 2026 from 4:00-6:00 PM Bolton Funeral Home, 205 Bolton Brownsville Road, Bolton, MS Cards may be sent to: Bolton Funeral Home, Attn: Family of Ben Albert Flowers, P.O. Box 67, Bolton, MS 39041 Funeral Service: May 9, 2026 at 11:00 AM Chapel Hill Missionary Baptist Church, 5131 N. Chapel Hill Road, Edwards, MS Additional viewing will take place one hour prior to the start of the funeral service. Interment: Chapel Hill Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Ben Albert Flowers, please visit our flower store.

By Bob Garver Poster Credit IMDB The big problem with “Michael,” the new Michael Jackson biopic, is that it has the approval of the Jackson family. As such, we are going to get a very flattering portrait of possibly the single most controversial personality in the history of the music industry. The scandals that plagued his later years are an unignorable part of his legacy, no matter how much this movie tries to ignore them. Simply put: a movie with this much love for Michael Jackson, made by people who unconditionally love and want to protect Michael Jackson, is not going to be an interesting portrait of Michael Jackson. The film follows Michael from his youth until 1988 – basically the first 30 years of his life. Growing up in Gary, Indiana, young Michael (Juliano Valdi) was essentially robbed of his childhood by his father Joe (Colman Domingo), who demanded that his musician children pursue fame at the expense of their happiness, and some would argue, sanity. The real Jackson family – so protective of Michael’s image - apparently has no problem with Joe being portrayed as a monster. Valdi does an excellent job singing, dancing, emoting, and overall playing a young Michael. Maybe if the whole movie was built around Michael when he was this young, it wouldn’t need to bother giving us a shortchanged version of his adult years. Of course, Michael does grow up to be played by Jaafar Jackson, son of Jermaine Jackson and Michael’s real-life nephew. Well, you can’t say the resemblance isn’t there, even if Michael stopped resembling himself after a certain point. Seriously though, Jaafar is fine. He’s obviously putting every effort into what he surely knows is the role of a lifetime. Is he as talented a musician as his uncle? No, but then Michael wouldn’t be the one-of-a-kind performer he was if he could be easily emulated – even by members of his own family. The movie knows it can’t get a musical performance to match Michael’s stage presence, so it keeps the musical sequences… not exactly “to a minimum,” but they’re never as thorough as fans probably want them to be. I’ll put it this way: I never thought that Michael could take the pop world by storm based on the songs and dances we get in this movie. Nor do I see audiences demanding “cult” screenings of this movie that emphasize the music in the years to come. Come to think of it, the dull musical sequences are as big a problem with “Michael” as the toothless storytelling. I’m just less mad about them because I can see that people – namely Jaafar – are really trying. They just fall short because of their choppiness. But the musical numbers are the selling point of this movie, since I think audiences know in advance that the biography stuff is hardly hard-hitting. Maybe this movie should have taken the “jukebox musical” route of just being a glorified concert of epic performances to celebrate Michael’s style. Jaafar probably couldn’t have carried the whole thing himself, but taking on a few numbers could have lent authenticity to compliment a necessary cast of career professionals. But no, “Michael” had to take the dialogue-heavy biopic route and it falls flat on its face. Not only does the movie cut out Michael’s crazy, scandalous later years, but it doesn’t handle the years we do see particularly well. Surely Michael had more going on than just being a man-child who liked toys and animals and whose worst deed was failing to stand up to his tyrannical father. I’d have a hard time believing that anybody is this wholesome, let alone the obviously-disturbed Michael Jackson. This movie would have you believe that Michael lived like an angel to match having the voice of one. It’s bad, but ironically not the cool Michael Jackson brand of “Bad.” Grade: C- “Michael” is rated PG-13 for some thematic material, language, and smoking. Its running time is 127 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Send responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com If we are talking about your teeth, yep, that’s true. Just totally ignore them, and you have a pretty quick way to rid yourself of a tiresome repetitive responsibility. “She don’t care about us, and always wishin’ that we weren’t so needy all the time? Oh, yeah, we’re outta here! We may leave one by one, but we’re all leavin,’ sooner or later.” But emotional trauma? No way. There are way too many families that seem to believe that if they ignore the painful “it,” the trauma will go away. But usually the opposite happens. Granted, conversation about “it” may stop, but “it” is still there. It simply goes underground, like ugly unwanted plants that over a period of time begin putting out tiny roots. Roots that sooner or later, will grow and likely produce offspring that can make the original “it” seem like a walk in springtime. When an unfortunate incident happens, too often the ones who are most affected refuse to ever consider talking about it. Because talking means reliving that painful memory, and that is the last thing they want to do. Hoping it will just disappear from their lives, they try to just turn their back and walk away. Mentally and emotionally. But emotional trauma and pain that are left to go underground have a way of reappearing later in life. Often reappearing in the form of rebellion, misunderstood anger, isolation from loved ones, crime, or questionable sexual behavior. Like I said, a walk in the springtime a few years before. Unaddressed trauma changes lives, period. And never for the better. And I am not speaking of just the person who experienced the original pain. Here’s why. Every life touches other lives. And if a life has been lived saturated in emotional pain, then that person can’t help but have their relationships affected by their trauma. And this is especially true for the parent-child relationship. Emotional input into the life of a child creates a permanent impression on that child’s life. And if that input is stained by second-hand trauma that has never been resolved, then the effect is very real and very unfortunate. And if that child’s trauma stays unresolved, then it can easily be passed down to the next generation. In an ongoing generational chain of pain. Until someone has the guts to decide that “It” stops with me, and seeks the help that the family has been needing for so long. Then the chain of pain can be broken. Have the courage to speak up and stop the hurt. Like my husband says, “It’s bad enough to fall headfirst into a mudhole, but it’s a whole lot worse to just lay there.”

Special to The Bolton News Bolton-Edwards Elementary/Middle School parents and guardians have a special opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of their children’s teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 4th–May 8th. This dedicated week is a time to pause, reflect, and intentionally show gratitude for the educators who work tirelessly to support, guide, and inspire students every day. Teachers play a vital role in shaping not only academic success but also confidence, character, and future goals. A simple act of appreciation can go a long way in lifting their spirits and reminding them that their efforts truly matter. To make participation easy and engaging, B.E. is encouraging families to join in themed days throughout the week: Monday – Words Matter Day Start the week with heartfelt appreciation. A handwritten note, card, or letter from a student or parent can leave a lasting impression. Genuine words of thanks often mean more than anything else. Tuesday – Treat Them Day Brighten a teacher’s day with a favorite snack or drink. Whether it’s a morning coffee, a sweet treat, or a refreshing beverage, this small gesture shows thoughtful recognition. Wednesday – Wellness Day Help teachers take a moment for themselves. Consider items that promote relaxation and self-care, such as candles, lotions, or even a simple encouragement to rest and recharge. Thursday – Throwback Day Celebrate the memories that make teaching so meaningful. Share a favorite classroom moment, a photo, or a note reflecting on a special experience from the school year. Friday – Favorite Things Day Wrap up the week with a thoughtful gift card or an item you know your teacher loves. It’s a simple way to show appreciation while giving them something they can truly enjoy. When families come together to celebrate teachers, it strengthens the entire school community. These small, intentional acts send a powerful message: our teachers are valued, respected, and appreciated. Let’s work together to make this Teacher Appreciation Week one to remember for the incredible educators at B.E.E.M.S.

By Bob Garver Poster credit IMDB Prior to what I will generously call his “new take” on “The Mummy,” director Lee Cronin was best known for 2023’s “Evil Dead Rise.” Original “Evil Dead” director Sam Raimi had a new movie out earlier this year with “Send Help,” and he didn’t put his name in that film’s title. And his name carries real weight, he directed the Tobey Maguire “Spider-Man” trilogy back in the 2000’s. But the guy who directed the fifth “Evil Dead” movie thinks his name belongs in the very title of his next project. At least this way I know who to blame for this movie, so points for “owning it,” I guess. The film follows the Cannon family: father Charlie (Jack Reynor), mother Larissa (Laia Costa), son Sebastian (initially Dean Allen Williams, later Shylo Molina), and daughter Katie (initially Emily Mitchell, later Natalie Grace). They’re an American family living in Cairo next door to a mean matriarch known as The Magician (Hayat Kamille), who we know from the film’s prologue is the protector and caregiver of a malevolent Egyptian entity. Katie goes missing, and the local police, including young detective Dalia (May Calamawy) are no help. Eight years pass. The family is still devastated by the loss of Katie, but they’ve had another daughter named Maud (Billie Roy). One day, thanks to a deadly plane crash, they get an unexpected call from Cairo that Katie has been found alive… though very corpse-like. She was found wrapped in bandages inside an ancient sarcophagus found in the wreckage, in very poor health thanks to malnutrition and other forms of negligence, but alive. The parents want to know what happened to Katie in those eight years, and they’ll look to Dalia for those answers, but the important thing at the moment is that they have their daughter back. The family takes Katie home from what has to be the most incompetent hospital in the world to release a patient in her condition. And as you can probably guess, it doesn’t take long for things to start going wrong at home. Katie can supposedly barely move, but she keeps jumping out of her bed and scuttling around the house, eating scorpions, and hurting anyone in her vicinity, especially her religious grandmother (Verónica Falcón). Oh, and she spits up blood a lot. This is a movie that never passes up an opportunity to have its characters spit up any number of fluids. That’s where most of the “style” and scares lie for this movie – gross-outs and gore. Initially some of it is mildly shocking, but Cronin’s overreliance on these elements makes them downright boring by the end. And there’s plenty of time to become bored because this movie is way too long at 134 minutes. Cronin just had to keep Dalia, the Magician, and Cairo in the movie, even though dropping them and rewriting the script to keep things within the family probably could have saved the production millions of dollars, and more importantly, about 44 minutes of my time. “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” is a lame knockoff of better possession thrillers, mostly “The Exorcist” and “Evil Dead.” This movie has more in common with those movies than any “Mummy” movie I know. In fact, my theory is that Cronin wrote this script as a follow-up to his “Evil Dead” movie, and when he got this job, he just removed all references to Deadites and added a sarcophagus and some bandages. If that is the case, then the “Evil Dead” franchise dodged a bullet not having this uncreative dreck as an installment. Grade: D “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” is rated R for strong disturbing violent content, gore, language, and brief drug use. Its running time is 134 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

Tommy Earl "T Dog" Kelly, Sr. May 30, 1962 - April 16, 2026 62 Years of age Mr. Tommy Earl Kelly, Sr., 62, was born on May 30, 1962 to Archie Kelly & Robbie Mae Jordan Kelly in Bolton, MS. Tommy passed April 16, 2026 in Learned, MS. Funeral Arrangements: Public Viewing: Friday, April 24, 2026, 1:00-7:00 PM, Westhaven Memorial Funeral Home (Jackson), 3580 Robinson Road, Jackson Funeral Service: Saturday, April 25, 2026, 11:00 AM, Chapel Hill M.B. Church, 5137 N. Chapel Hill Road, Bolton Interment: Chapel Hill M.B. Church Cemetery Send flowers to the service of Tommy Earl "T Dog" Kelly, Sr.

Send responses to: andybowman839@gmail.com We humans have personality traits, that is readily apparent. And because we all have our own individual and highly weird traits, each of us also have singularly different desires. Desires for things in our life that are driven by our God-given quirks. The athlete, bookworm, the flour-on-my-hands addicted, the outdoorsman, or maybe the dancer. We all seem to come equipped with an in-born love of something. Scripture says to rear a child according to who they are individually. So if you are given the responsibility of getting a child ready for adulthood, that years-long and difficult job of training, loving, and disciplining - you better know your little one well. Granted, every child has the same basic needs for getting ready to become elementary school age, then a teen, then a young adult – needs that involve love, security, education, and discipline. But face it – each kid is really different. Some are just instinctively more independent, with bossy tendencies that could probably make them a leader, if trained correctly. Others are naturally more compliant and ready to follow a leader. Think back to your experiences around little ones. Anyone who has been around a group of toddlers have witnessed that there are some who are simply more belligerent and self-centered than others. Then there are those who are much sweeter and quieter by nature, and less self-oriented. The assertive child can easily rip a toy from their tiny hands with not too much pushback. Can you ignore those apparent differences in personality, and just treat them all the same? And then expect Sweet Submissive Sally to enter into school life, ready to defend herself against the resident Larry The Leader? Of course not. Early in life, Larry and Sally need to be taught tailored  social skill lessons.  If you want your child to be mentally, emotionally, and socially ready to take their place in the world, then a smart parent will take that into consideration. But many adults do what is tempting and seems so normal; they copy what they experienced as children. “I didn’t turn out to be an ax murderer or nuthin’. So if it was good ‘nuff for mom and dad, I guess it’s good ‘nuff for me.” Or, if they believe their parent did a lousy job at raising them, they will turn to popular parenting advice books.  Good or bad. And there is a lot of bad they can choose. Then there are the parents who remember that when they were growing up with siblings, Mom and Dad had favorites. So they attempt to treat all their own kids exactly alike. Not recognizing the need for meeting differences in personality. I beg you, get to know your kids intimately.  Some need extra cuddling and facetime. Others need you to cultivate that spark of creativity and imagination they were given at birth. Some need extra attention given to that tendency of theirs to be a bully, so that it can be later channeled into natural leadership. Don’t just copy, or react, or ignore. Do your job well.

Special to The Bolton News The Town of Bolton is pleased to announce continued improvements aimed at enhancing both infrastructure and quality of life for residents. A major upgrade is currently underway with the installation of new LED street lighting throughout the community. Crews are actively working to convert all existing streetlights to energy-efficient LED fixtures. Once completed, this upgrade will provide brighter and more consistent lighting across neighborhoods, improving nighttime visibility and overall public safety while also reducing energy costs for the town. Residents who notice any issues with newly installed lighting are encouraged to contact City Hall so concerns can be addressed as quickly as possible. The town also extends its appreciation to Entergy for its partnership and support in making this project possible. In addition to the lighting improvements, the Town of Bolton would like to update residents on recent water system maintenance. A water and sewer contractor was on site to address concerns involving cloudy water and an unusual odor reported in the Texas Street and Sharon Street areas. Crews flushed the affected lines, and the issue has since been resolved. Residents who may still notice temporary changes in water clarity are advised that it may take a short period for the system to fully clear. Running taps for a few minutes can also help restore normal flow. The town reminds residents that any future concerns related to water quality, pressure, or odor should be reported directly to City Hall so they can be handled promptly. Town officials appreciate the patience and cooperation of residents as these essential improvements and maintenance efforts continue.

By Bob Garver Poster credit IMDB Good news, grown-ups, even though most of the screens at your local theater are probably still devoted to “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” there’s a decent option for adults in one of the other houses. I’m convinced that “The Drama” has stayed in the top three at the domestic box office for the past two weekends by reeling in parents who don’t want to watch Mario with their kids, but don’t want to leave the theater. Or it could be good advertising, good word-of-mouth, good reviews, or other non-cynical reasons. The film follows Charlie (Robert Pattinson) and Emma (Zendaya), a nauseatingly-cute Boston-area couple a week away from their wedding. He’s a bit of a creep and she doesn’t talk much about her military-family upbringing, but they’re sure they can learn to live with each other’s foibles, after all, they’re in love. Hopefully it’s not much of a spoiler to say that their love will be tested over the course of the film as they deal with, well, drama. That drama first rears its head at a couples’ dinner with friends Mike (Mamoudou Athie) and Rachel (Alana Haim). Rachel has the bright idea to have everyone at the table reveal the worst thing they’ve ever done. I’m not sure what the “best” case scenario is for a game like this, but it certainly ends in one of the worst. Emma makes the grave miscalculation of thinking that she has the forum to be honest, and reveals a secret that ruins everybody’s night. I joked about spoilers earlier, but when it comes to Emma’s secret, things are more difficult. Unlike traditional spoilers, this one comes early in the movie, when she and Charlie are still in their “honeymoon phase,” so to speak. Not revealing the secret makes it hard to look at the rest of the movie, but it’s in the movie’s best interest that the audience is taken off-guard so they don’t have time to form opinions about the controversial subject matter in advance. What I can say is that once Emma’s secret is revealed, Charlie can’t look at her the same way again. He tries to put it out of his mind, but… if you’re told not to think of a red umbrella, you think of a red umbrella, and Emma’s secret might have involved some red umbrellas if people were carrying umbrellas. It is worth noting that Emma’s secret does not involve tangible victims or require tangible consequences. All it can do is affect how people think of her, which is invariably some form of “worse.” Emma’s secret drives Charlie to madness in his relationship with his friends, his assistant (Hailey Gates), and especially Emma. Eventually his insecurities drive her crazy, and by the time of the wedding, they’re quite the dysfunctional couple. They’re talking about spending the rest of their lives together, but can the relationship even survive the reception? Let’s just say that there will probably be a lot fewer fantasies about getting married to Robert Pattinson after this movie. “The Drama” really clicked with me, even though its appeal lies in a dark, awkward, cringey comedy that I don’t normally like. Probably the highlight of the film for me was a scene from the trailers, where Charlie and Emma try to pose for wedding photos like everything is okay when it definitely isn’t. It’s not hard to tell from the trailers that “something” is off, but the added context made it funnier than it ever was when being cryptic (though being cryptic was the right tone for the trailers). I recommend this film, but try to wear a beat-up shirt that you won’t mind stretching out from tugging at your collar. Grade: B “The Drama” is rated R for sexual content, some violent/bloody images, language throughout, and brief drug use. Its running time is 105 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu .