A Rosy Wolfsnail is hard to miss when one crosses your path. They are one of the larger air-breathing terrestrial snails in the southeastern U.S. Slugs also belong to this informal group of invertebrates, known as pulmonates, that use lungs to breathe. Besides their size, the light pink color of their elongated shell makes them stand out, reflected in their species name “rosea”.  

November holds a special meaning across our state. It’s a month dedicated not only to Alzheimer’s Awareness, but also to the countless families who quietly shoulder the privilege and the weight of caregiving. And this weekend, the Mississippi Delta is opening its doors—and its heart—for an afternoon built around connection, resources, and hope.

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families and the Gulf Park Health Center are teaming up with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve to collect toys for local children through the annual Toys for Tots campaign on the Hattiesburg and Long Beach campuses.

There is something special about ringing a Salvation Army Bell during the holidays. As a volunteer Bell-Ringer, I am always inspired by the thoughtfulness of those that make their way to the kettle to deposit whatever they have to give. Whether it is a folded bill or a handful of change, the spirit of giving is apparent in her or his own way.

The University of Southern Mississippi’s Art and Design Program will host the 2025 Iron Pour on Saturday, Nov. 22, at the 3D Arts Building on the Hattiesburg campus, located at 2905 W. Fourth St. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a hot metal pour scheduled for 2 p.m.

When I first moved to Summit in December of 2024, one of the very first places people told me about was The Happy Easel. As a mom, I was immediately intrigued — my kids have always loved art. And as an artist myself, I thought, how perfect! But here’s the funny thing: my kids don’t really want to learn from me. They’d much rather go somewhere fun, get their hands messy, and hear instructions from someone new — someone like Beth Shepard, the owner of The Happy Easel.

Every now and then, a story from Mississippi’s past reminds us just how deeply courage and kindness are woven into our state’s roots. One of those stories belongs to Mrs. Mamie Thomas — a trailblazer from Vicksburg who quite literally carried her community forward.

Selected as one of the Top 10 Best Zoo Lights by USA Today Readers’ Choice in 2024, Hattiesburg Zoo’s “Lights of the Wild” is a holiday MUST DO for friends and families.  Dazzling lighted displays feature super-sized animals, larger than life flowers and plants as well as holiday themed décor.  There is no better way to ring in the holiday season than with the splendor of “Lights of the Wild” at the Hattiesburg Zoo! 

Each fall, Research Associate Scott Langlois and his crew harvest a small sugarcane crop growing at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station’s South Mississippi Branch, honoring a 40-year-old agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to sell seed cane to new or current growers, and it always sells out.

MOSS POINT—Mississippi will join other states across the country on December 13 to as part of Wreaths Across America to honor veterans who are interned in cemeteries across the state.

Throughout our nation’s history, countless Mississippians have served in the military, both at home and abroad. Even before attaining official statehood in 1817, many Mississippians joined the militia during the War of 1812

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) is proud to announce that Col. Bruce R. Pulver (’88), retiring commander of The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” will return to his alma mater as artist-in-residence in the School of Music beginning July 1, 2026.

PASCAGOULA—From the armed services to the civilian world, Veteran Richard Jeffery Barnes has spent his entire career leading a life of service to the Country and others, something that he inherited from his father.

Every Veterans Day I have one particular vet that I think a lot about. He was a man I admired in so many ways and still am amazed at is achievements. He grew up in a profoundly poor family in the Mississippi Delta in a shack with no running water, no electricity and no inside toilet. They were often hungry. I am fond of saying poverty either makes you or breaks you. and this country boy hated the Delta so bad as soon as he got a chance to get out, he did. The quickest way out was to join the army. For the first time in his life, he had new, clean clothes, a comfortable bed to sleep in and all the food he wanted to eat.

Each year in November, U.S. Marines gather to celebrate their founding. Whether in formal dress or in the uniform of the day, from ballrooms to field tents to hangars, these celebrations include long-standing traditions such as cake-cutting, toasting absent comrades, and the reading of the Commandant’s birthday message. 

The Alcorn State University Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite was selected to perform in the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, representing the state of Mississippi. This monumental opportunity will provide unparalleled national exposure to the historically Black, land-grant University and is a life-changing moment for the student musicians. It all started with Dr. Everson Martin, the director of bands at Alcorn State University, who had a vision to put Alcorn on the national stage.