SUMMARY: Mississippi's legislative session concluded with key decisions including a new $7.9 billion budget and the passage of the Mississippi Student Funding Formula, revamping public education funding. Controversial topics like Medicaid expansion, ballot initiative restoration, and mobile sports betting fell through. Other notable legislation includes sign language recognition in schools, mandatory driver's education, adjustments to public employees' retirement system contributions, and digital search warrant procedures. The legislature also tackled issues related to gender identity in public facilities, expedited medical care authorization, road and bridge funding, death benefits for first responders, a Purple Alert system for missing persons with cognitive disabilities, and the designation of new state symbols.

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SUMMARY: State lawmakers have approved $175 million to expand Highway 7 to four lanes in Mississippi's fastest-growing region. Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill announced the funding, which aims to widen the highway from Belk Boulevard to the Highway 7/9 roundabout, following a unanimous vote on House Bill 1826. The move responds to decades of lobbying by Lafayette County officials amid increasing traffic and reported accidents. The area has seen dramatic growth, with Oxford's population booming by 102% since 2000 and an anticipated 24% by 2030. Efforts intensified after inviting state lawmakers to witness rush-hour congestion, underscoring the infrastructure's necessity.

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SUMMARY: Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi, is set to join the AWS Academy program, providing a cloud computing curriculum in anticipation of Amazon Web Services constructing two hyper-scale data centers in Madison County. Slated to create 1,000 jobs, 800 being permanent with average salaries of $70,000, this move by Amazon marks the state's largest economic development. Starting fall 2024, Belhaven students can take cloud computing courses, preparing them for AWS certification with no prior tech background needed. The initiative includes professional development for faculty and practical skill-building for students aiming for entry-level roles in the industry.

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