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Articles by Jackson Vella
Years without answers: Rural Mississippi veterans struggle to access benefits
GREENE COUNTY — Veterans in rural communities across Mississippi are facing challenges when trying to access benefits they may qualify for, including a lack of information, limited local assistance and difficulty navigating the application process. For some, that can mean years of searching for answers. Greene County Veterans Service Officer Shonna Pierce said a lack of awareness is one of the biggest issues she sees among veterans seeking assistance. “It is an everyday occurrence,” Pierce said.
Years without answers: Rural Mississippi veterans struggle to access benefits
Categories: Veterans in rural Mississippi face challenges accessing benefits due to lack of information, limited local assistance, and difficulties navigating the application process. Greene County Veterans Service Officer Shonna Pierce uses social media, community events, and nursing home visits to reach the county’s more than 600 veterans. Esau Singleton Jr. spent about 12 or 13 years trying to obtain benefits and cites communication barriers and confusing processes as major obstacles.
Categories: GEORGE COUNTY — George County High School could host its first home tennis tournament this spring as plans for a new on-campus facility move closer to construction. Allred Architectural Group, the firm hired to design the facility and oversee bidding, is working through the construction bidding process. Tennis coach Murray Cowart hopes at least four courts will be ready by early February 2027, with six courts included in the master plan.
Witches will trade brooms for bikes and more in whimsical South MS holiday event
The Witches Ride down Government Street in Ocean Springs is an annual Halloween event. AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom. Read our AI Policy. Ocean Springs' Witches Ride has raised more than $114,000 for animal groups. The ninth annual Witches Ride returns to downtown Ocean Springs on Oct. 24. The event won the Mississippi Main Street Association's 2026 holiday award.
Witches will trade brooms for bikes and more in whimsical South MS holiday event
Jackson Vella Fri, October 23, 2026 at 6:00 AM EDT 2 min read Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Add Yahoo on Google Since starting with about 30 people on bicycles in 2018, the Witches Ride of Ocean Springs has grown from a community Halloween tradition into a fundraiser that has generated more than $114,000 for local animal welfare organizations.
Witches Ride returns for ninth year to benefit Ocean Springs animals
Categories: OCEAN SPRINGS — Since starting with about 30 people on bicycles in 2018, the Witches Ride of Ocean Springs has grown from a community Halloween tradition into a fundraiser that has generated more than $114,000 for local animal welfare organizations. Through ride registrations, donations and other fundraisers, the nonprofit organization supports groups caring for animals in the Ocean Springs area. Its ninth annual ride returns downtown Oct.
Lucedale playground temporarily closes for improvements
LUCEDALE — The playground at Lucedale Municipal Park is temporarily closed through Oct. 20 while crews install shade structures and musical play equipment and repair a seesaw, according to a city announcement. “Everything is open except the playground itself,” Mayor Al Jones said. New shade structures will cover the two main play structures on separate levels of the playground. Jones said the additions became necessary after trees that previously provided natural shade did not survive construction.
George County rodeo brings families a night out, supports local firefighters
GEORGE COUNTY — Volunteer fire departments across George County are waiting to learn how much money they will receive from September’s George County Firefighters Rodeo, an event that has helped departments buy equipment and connect with the communities they serve. Organizers are still calculating proceeds from the Sept. 18-19 rodeo at the George County Fairgrounds in Lucedale. The entrance to the George County Fairgrounds in Lucedale.
George County rodeo brings families a night out, supports local firefighters
Categories: The George County Firefighters Rodeo took place at the George County Fairgrounds in Lucedale on September 18-19, with organizers still calculating proceeds. The event is held twice a year, and proceeds from sponsorships, ticket sales, parking, and concessions support participating volunteer fire departments. According to organizer Debbie Gilbert, the rodeo usually raises $15,000 to $20,000 each year, which is used for equipment upgrades for fire departments.
Second Saturday draws thousands to downtown Lucedale
Categories: LUCEDALE — What started as an effort to bring more shoppers to downtown Lucedale has grown into a community gathering that draws an estimated 2,000 people to Main Street for music, food and family activities. Second Saturday began in 2017 and closes Main Street to traffic for an evening of vendors, entertainment and shopping. Nan Jemison, vice president of the Downtown Merchants of Lucedale, became involved after opening her children’s boutique on Main Street in 2015.
Fulmer family carries on founders’ vision at Mississippi Pecan Festival
Categories: The 38th Mississippi Pecan Festival concluded Sunday at Fulmer’s Farmstead in Perry County, drawing thousands for a weekend of traditional farm demonstrations, crafts, and family activities. The festival has grown from a small local event to one attracting visitors from across the region, with the Fulmer family continuing to preserve its founding traditions.
Zonta festival set for Oct. 3, supports year-round community outreach
Categories: PASCAGOULA — The Zonta Club of the Pascagoula Area may be best known for the arts and crafts festival that fills downtown each fall, but its work extends to scholarships, volunteer service and support for local organizations. The 49th annual Zonta Arts and Crafts Festival will return Oct. 3 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., bringing nearly 200 vendors and free activities to downtown Pascagoula. Sandy LeBatard, the club’s president and festival chair, said the event is its only fundraiser.
Mississippi Pecan Festival returns to Perry County for 38th year
Categories: PERRY COUNTY — Thousands of people are expected to visit Fulmer’s Farmstead in Perry County from Sept. 25-27 for the 38th Mississippi Pecan Festival. The three-day festival features hundreds of vendors, food, demonstrations and activities across the farmstead. Annual events include the mule pull, talent show and rooster contest. Lacy Westbrook, a staff member at Fulmer’s Farmstead, said the property changes during the festival.
New pathway traces nine eras of Pascagoula’s history
Categories: PASCAGOULA — A new historical pathway at Lighthouse Park is taking visitors through nine eras of Pascagoula’s history as the city works to preserve its past amid continued growth. The Story of Pascagoula replaces an older historical pathway whose signs had deteriorated over the years. Many of those signs directed visitors to historic homes and buildings that were either privately owned or no longer there.
Population growth drives demand for community space in George County
Categories: GEORGE COUNTY — As George County adds residents, county leaders say population growth is increasing demand for places to gather, vote and hold local events. U.S. Census Bureau estimates put George County’s population at 26,331 in 2025, up 8.1% from 24,347 in 2020, even as Mississippi’s overall population declined slightly during the same period. In Agricola, county leaders say new neighborhoods have added to the demand for community space.
Perry County begins $3.3 million Buck Creek Road project
Categories: PERRY COUNTY — Work will soon start on a $3.3 million renovation of Buck Creek Road, a nearly 10-mile route that has deteriorated for years. The project will include resurfacing, base repairs, drainage and shoulder work and new signage, improving a route used by school buses, emergency vehicles, log trucks and residents. The Perry County Board of Supervisors awarded the project to Dunn Roadbuilders LLC on Sept. 8.
Sportsman Lake sees new upgrades, more improvements planned
Categories: PERRY COUNTY — As Perry County officials work to make improvements that Sportsman Lake lacks, they aim to also bring new life to a place that has served local families since the 1940s. Perry County District 2 Supervisor Kevin Shows has been working to improve the county-owned lake near Runnelstown. Recent additions include a boat ramp and fishing dock, while the current focus is on erosion near the dam caused by years of moving water.
Free concerts at ‘amazing venue’ aim to energize Moss Point’s Riverfront Park
A free concert series at Riverfront Park is bringing residents together while supporting downtown businesses and encouraging community activity through live music. The seven-concert series runs through Oct. 31 and is free and open to all ages. The series is a partnership among the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Moss Point Main Street and the Levitt AMP Music Series.
Free concerts at ‘amazing venue’ aim to energize Moss Point’s Riverfront Park
A free concert series at Riverfront Park is bringing residents together while supporting downtown businesses and encouraging community activity through live music. The seven-concert series runs through Oct. 31 and is free and open to all ages. The series is a partnership among the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Moss Point Main Street and the Levitt AMP Music Series.
Free concerts at ‘amazing venue’ aim to energize Moss Point’s Riverfront Park
Follow Free concerts at ‘amazing venue’ aim to energize Moss Point’s Riverfront Park Mon, September 7, 2026 at 6:00 AM EDT Residents gather at Riverfront Park in Moss Point for a free live music concert. A free concert series at Riverfront Park is bringing residents together while supporting downtown businesses and encouraging community activity through live music. The seven-concert series runs through Oct. 31 and is free and open to all ages.
SMP George Soccer_Image_Groundbreaking
Categories: GEORGE COUNTY — About a year after opening a 14-field soccer complex, Lucedale officials are looking toward the facility’s next phase: attracting tournaments and expanding opportunities for other youth sports. More than 400 children played soccer at the complex this summer, and another group has signed up for the fall season, Mayor Al Jones said. “The main purpose is to provide recreation for youth,” Jones said.
Historic Gautier schoolhouse enters second phase of restoration
Categories: JACKSON COUNTY — A former one-room schoolhouse that served African American children in Gautier from the 1920s through the 1940s is entering another phase of restoration, with plans for the building to eventually become a museum, meeting space and welcome center. The city of Gautier is preparing for the second phase of renovations to the historic schoolhouse.
Free concerts aim to energize Moss Point’s Riverfront Park
Categories: MOSS POINT — A free concert series at Riverfront Park is bringing residents together while supporting downtown businesses and encouraging community activity through live music. The seven-concert series runs through Oct. 31 and is free and open to all ages. The series is a partnership among the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Moss Point Main Street and the Levitt AMP Music Series.
George County adds 15-passenger bus for teams and student groups
Categories: GEORGE COUNTY — Smaller athletic teams and student groups in the George County School District have a new transportation option this school year after the district added a 15-passenger activity bus. James Ray, the district’s director of athletics and operations, said officials began considering an activity bus after seeing other Gulf Coast school districts use similar vehicles. “It didn’t make sense to send a full-size bus to a team of eight or 10 kids,” Ray said.
Unpaid Perry County property taxes headed to tax sale
Categories: PERRY COUNTY — Perry County property owners with unpaid 2025 land taxes have until 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, to pay their taxes before the county’s annual land tax sale. The sale will take place online Aug.31 and will include properties with 2025 taxes that remain unpaid after Friday’s deadline. Perry County Tax Assessor/Collector Amy Cochran will oversee the sale. “It will start at 8:30 on Monday morning, and it will go alphabetically,” Cochran said.
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