Author: Randy Bell

 The Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) voted Thursday to allow school districts to use hybrid scheduling if needed to minimize the current spread of COVID-19.The hybrid scheduling option is available immediately and will extend through March 11, 2022. Hybrid scheduling enables districts to... Read More.

The Mississippi House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a bill to establish a medical marijuana program in the state.   But it made some changes in the legislation that had been approved by the Senate.   People who qualify for a medical marijuana card would be entitled... Read More.

After a weekend lull, Mississippi is back to some big COVID numbers.  The State Health Department reported 8,460 new cases Wednesday and 48 more deaths — one of them in Attala County.    It’s the county’s 91st death blamed on the virus.  The upswing... Read More.

In the State Health Department's first COVID update since last Friday, the number of new cases across Mississippi totaled 22,456.  But the average over the four days was 5,614-- nowhere near the record-breaking daily counts we saw last week.   Neshoba County had 314 new... Read More.

The body of a Lexington woman reported missing two weeks ago has been found in a creek near a truck stop in Durant where she was last seen after being involved in a traffic accident.  Foul play is not suspected.  Jacqueline Epps was 58. ... Read More.

Warmer temperatures are expected in Mississippi by the middle of the week-- along with another round of thunderstorms, some possibly severe.   The National Weather Service says the storms are expected to develop ahead of a strong cold front on Wednesday.  At this point, much... Read More.

With a band of heavy snow moving across central Mississippi Sunday morning, accumulations varied widely-- even in areas just a few miles apart.  The largest amounts reported to the National Weather Service in Jackson were both in Rankin County-- 9 inches in Leesburg north... Read More.

The cheapest gas prices in Mississippi are now in Attala County.  That’s what AAA's gas station survey shows this week.  The auto club says Attala’s average price countywide is $2.75, down about a penny and a half in the past week. And that’s lower--... Read More.

It's been one record after another for COVID-19 case counts in Mississippi this week.  For the third day in a row, the State Health Department is reporting a number the state hasn't seen before. Thursday's total was 9,300 new cases.   Neshoba County accounted for... Read More.

The State Health Department on Thursday reported the highest one-day COVID-19 totals since the pandemic began– twice.   A delayed report for Tuesday showed 8,204 new cases– but that record stood for only a few hours until Wednesday’s report was released with 8,356 cases.   During... Read More.

The Mississippi Senate voted Thursday to approve legislation setting up a medical marijuana program.  The vote followed a series of unsuccessful amendments from senators who wanted to tweak the bill.  Senator Kevin Blackwell, who handled the bill on the Senate floor,  said " a... Read More.

The Mississippi House voted 96-12 Thursday to approve the largest tax cut in state history, phasing out the income tax and reducing taxes on car tags and groceries.  But it would raise the sales tax on many items.   Ways and Means Committee chairman Trey... Read More.