For the last few weeks, the United States, Canada, and Mexico have hosted the 2026 Men’s World Cup, the crown jewel of competition for soccer, or, as it’s called pretty much everywhere outside the USA and Canada, football. It has been a compelling tournament, with exciting games, colorful fans, and impressive star players. I’ve watched many of the matches, and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

DIAMONDHEAD — Bela’s Coffee & Creamery has opened in Diamondhead, adding a locally owned coffee shop and ice cream parlor as the city continues to see new investment and growth. 

Summer is rapidly coming to an end for students across the state of Mississippi. Surprisingly, many of our public and private schools are starting the last week of July.

The Magnolia Monarchs Alumni Association is expanding its efforts to preserve the history of Magnolia High School through a new website and an upcoming state historical marker recognizing the school’s legacy in Moss Point. 

The University of Southern Mississippi School of Music and Southern Miss Bands are preparing to welcome student musicians from across the country for another year of All-South activities. Spanning the full academic year, the series connects middle school and high school musicians with Southern Miss faculty, staff and student leaders through honor ensembles, clinics, workshops, camps and performance opportunities.

There may be six months before Christmas, but if Nee Dough is on the most-wanted list, it is time now to make that purchase.

Nestled in the historic Cotton Row in Cleveland, MS, is an award-winning wood-fired restaurant, Leña Pizza + Bagels. Founded in 2023 by world-renowned chef Marisol Doyle and her husband, Rory, Leña is widely recognized for its exceptional wood-fired pizzas and was named one of the Top 22 Pizzerias in the United States by the New York Times and has been listed as a top pizzeria in the South and the U.S. by 50 Top Pizza and Southern Living. But Marisol began her culinary journey in Cleveland with fresh bagels.

Finding a click beetle, and watching it flip itself over, is as exciting as it gets with nature, especially for children. The dramatic flip and audible sound that they make when they do is almost always followed by a scream or giggle. And sadly, for the poor beetle, repeat performances are required, at least until it stops on its own. But what are these critters and why do they flip out.

One of the first times I met Calvin was at a local event. He had a table covered with watercolors, colored pencils, paper, and every kind of art supply imaginable, all there for children to use. He wasn’t selling anything. He simply wanted kids to sit down, create, and discover the joy of making art. Looking back, I realize that little table perfectly represented who Calvin was. He believed creativity should never be limited by someone’s age, background, or ability to pay.

Once a teacher, always a teacher, but the subject matter and students can change after retirement. Moving from elementary students to floral designing and working with adult floral designers has been a rewarding change for Wanda Norton.

There are days when it feels like Mississippi can’t catch a break.

Turn on the television, scroll through social media, or skim the headlines and you might think our state is little more than statistics, rankings, and stereotypes carefully dusted off and recycled for another news cycle.

From late spring through summer, turtles begin migrating in preparation for mating season. This annual trek can put the reptiles in great danger when they cross roads. However, there are steps you can take to protect turtles during this time of year. Learn more in the full fact-check below: 

Back-to-school season has a way of sneaking up on Mississippi families.

One minute it’s pool days, popsicles, and late sunsets. The next, parents are digging through supply lists, trying on last year’s shoes, and realizing someone suddenly needs an entirely new wardrobe after a summer growth spurt.

A Starkville couple is making their way across Mississippi one county seat at a time with a single goal: to pray over each community and encourage others to see the state in a more positive light. 

The calls kept coming as floodwaters spread across Stone County. Tim Davenport and Michael Graham had never responded to a natural disaster before, but they had something many stranded residents needed: a boat. 

The Mississippi Board of Nursing (MSBON) today announced a major new outreach initiative through its Office of Nursing Workforce to strengthen the state’s nursing pipeline.