Mississippi Today

Gov. Tate Reeves wants to fix your road this election year

Published

2 years ago

February 24, 2023

Gov. Tate Reeves wants to fix your road this election year

by Geoff Pender, Mississippi Today
February 24, 2023

After more than three years as governor, Gov. Tate Reeves now has a major road building plan, just in time for his reelection campaign.

Of course Reeves, during his previous eight years as lieutenant governor, offered some road plans. But mostly these were to usurp MDOT’s plans and priorities and widen, pave or build ones around where he or his family lived.

But now he wants to go statewide, announcing with a press conference and social media campaign last week: “We will build the great roads and bridges that our state deserves!”

All he needs is the Legislature to give him $1.3 billion — he magnanimously said he doesn’t care where they they pull it from — and he’ll take it from there. He presented a jumbo map on an easel, with projects color-dotted across the state. The dots oddly coincide with areas one running for governor might concentrate campaign efforts, but never mind that.

Reeves said it’s now time to give “Mississippi the competitive advantage it needs to land more economic development projects and deliver more high-quality, high-paying jobs for Mississippians.”

Reeves admitted he cribbed his road list. It’s major thoroughfare projects, which are nearest “shovel ready,” from the three-year plan of MDOT — the agency that is supposed to plan, prioritize and build roads in Mississippi. Many of these are projects MDOT had long ago prioritized but has not been able to do because for many years it was starved of funding and had to focus its spending on maintenance instead of new projects or expansions.

Reeves made his big announcement as lawmakers, with an historic state budget surplus, were already discussing pumping hundreds of millions more dollars into roadbuilding. Senate lawmakers this week approved a bill to spend an extra $620 million, much of it on projects on Reeves’ list.

Now, while it might appear lawmakers are being stingy with $620 million when Reeves wants to spend $1.3 billion, Senate Transportation Chairwoman Jennifer Branning explained to colleagues the plan is to come back next year with similar funding. She noted, “MDOT can only do so much work in one year,” and dumping too much money at once would drastically drive up the cost of construction. When asked about this issue at his presser, Reeves suggested lawmakers could just put the $1.3 billion in an account earmarked for his road plan.

Someone politically cynical might surmise Reeves, who as governor controls neither state purse strings nor the building of roads, was trying to get out in front of the Legislature and take credit for a boom in roadbuilding he really has nothing to do with as reelection time nears.

If that was the plan, it appeared to work, at least from a public relations standpoint. Reeves’ road building announcement in the eleventh hour of his first term drew favorable if not fawning press from across the state, with headlines including: “Gov. Reeves announces $1.38B infrastructure plan; $206M for Pine Belt”; “Reeves’ plan includes $65M for I-55”; “Reeves’ plan would complete 19 four-lane”; “Reeves’ infrastructure plan could mean $25 million for Franklin County”; “Gov. Tate Reeves proposes $1.3 billion on development projects. See where money is going”; and “Gov. Reeves Requests $1.3 Billion For Road Projects to ‘Make Mississippi More Competitive.’”

Reeves could use this same formula for any number of issues to great effect. For instance, he could call a press conference, announce he’s solved the state’s health care crisis, and provide a list of $4 billion in hospital projects and spending statewide. If lawmakers don’t give him $4 billion, well, that’s on them. He had a plan.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Mississippi Today

UMMC holds free cancer screenings

Published

1 day ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @EricJShelton – 2025-04-30 12:00:00

by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Resident physician Claire Babin, right, performs an oral cancer screening on Ella Holmes during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Physicians prepare for oral, head and neck cancer screenings during a free screening event at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, screens Diane Carter for oral cancer as medical students Mason Nodurft, left, and Eva Kiparizoska observe during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Educational giveaways advocating against smoking are available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Sharon Terry, senior tobacco treatment specialist, waits for patients during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Skylar Robinson, medical office assistant, left, and Kiandria Bruce, registered nurse, review materials at the patient sign-in table during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Head and neck cancer literature is available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Dr. Alex Brooks and registered nurse Angela Noble talk during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Nina Brown, clinical manager, helps Ned Bostic with paperwork during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin performs an oral cancer screening on Ned Bostic at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Ned Bostic receives a neck cancer screening during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, and medical student Hanna Watson examine Ned Bostic during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery hosted a free oral, head, and neck cancer screening Wednesday at the Jackson Medical Mall as part of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.

The event featured quick, noninvasive screenings aimed at catching cancer early — when treatment is most effective. Onyx Care provided free HPV vaccinations, while the ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education, and Research offered resources on smoking cessation and free services.

“These screenings take about 10 minutes and can save lives,” said Dr. Gina Jefferson, head and neck surgical oncologist at UMMC. “The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the better chance we have of curing it.”

Tobacco and alcohol use remain major risk factors for these cancers. However, physicians say an increasing number of cases are linked to HPV, especially among younger adults with no history of smoking or drinking. Dentists are often the first to spot early signs, which can include persistent sores, lumps in the neck, or difficulty swallowing.

Oral, head and neck cancers are among the most common globally. When found early, survival rates can exceed 80 percent.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post UMMC holds free cancer screenings appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article presents factual information about a free cancer screening event without showing a clear ideological stance. It primarily focuses on the health benefits of early cancer detection and the availability of free resources, such as HPV vaccinations and smoking cessation support. The language used is neutral and the content is centered around public health education rather than promoting a political viewpoint. The inclusion of factual statistics, such as survival rates and risk factors, adds to its informative and objective tone. There are no signs of bias or advocacy for a particular political agenda, making this a centrist piece.

Crooked Letter Sports Podcast

Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball?

Published

1 day ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @rick_cleveland – 2025-04-30 10:46:00

by Rick Cleveland and Tyler Cleveland, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi State didn’t even wait until the end of the season to fire Chris Lemonis, who brought the national championship to Starkville not quite four years ago. Where do the Bulldogs go from here. Robbie Faulk who covers the Bulldogs more closely than anyone else joins the podcast to discuss the situation.

Stream all episodes here.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball? appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Mississippi Today

Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you

Published

1 day ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-30 10:21:00

by Mississippi Today, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi Today is looking to speak with current and former mobile sports betting users. We’d like to speak with people who spend considerable amounts of time and money betting on sports through online gambling sites.

We’re interested in hearing the experience of people who have suffered from gambling addiction or problems, or friends and family members of people who have. We also would like to talk with people who believe legalizing mobile sports betting would benefit Mississippi and its residents.

We want to hear from you. Please take the survey below or contact Political Reporter Michael Goldberg by email at mgoldberg@mississippitoday.org

TAKE THE SURVEY:

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This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article from Mississippi Today appears to present a neutral stance, focusing on gathering input from various groups of mobile sports betting users, including those who may have experienced addiction issues. The content does not advocate for or against the legalization of mobile sports betting but instead seeks to gather diverse perspectives, including those of individuals who may support or oppose it. The language used is objective and does not suggest a particular ideological perspective, allowing for a balanced exploration of the issue at hand.