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Funeral service for Lusia “Lucy” Harris set for Feb. 5

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4 years ago

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Funeral service for Lusia “Lucy” Harris set for Feb. 5

by Molly Minta, Mississippi Today
February 1, 2022

Delta State University has announced funeral arrangements for Lusia “Lucy” Harris Stewart, the basketball legend who led the university to three consecutive national championships and became the first Black woman inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. 

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 11 a.m. in the Walter Sillers Coliseum at Delta State University. Visitation will be held the day prior from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Bethesda Five Points Center in Greenwood. 

Harris, a native of Minter City, Miss., was the only Black woman on Delta State’s Lady Statesmen when she led the team to its first national title in 1975. A year later, the 6-foot-3 center scored the first basket in Olympic womens’ basketball history at the Montreal Games. 

“Now that’s a record that’ll never be broken,” Harris said in “The Queen of Basketball,” a 2021 documentary about her life. 

There was no WNBA league when Harris graduated from Delta State in 1977, so she married her high school sweetheart, George Stewart. She turned down an offer to play with the New Orleans Jazz and took a job coaching basketball at Amanda Elzy High School in Greenwood, where she had learned to play the game. 

“Lucy was truly the first superstar of the women’s game,” Langston Rogers, the Delta State sports information director in the 1970s, told Mississippi Today’s Rick Cleveland. “She just dominated. Nobody could dominate a game like Lucy could.”

Harris passed away at age 66 on Wednesday, Jan. 18, in a therapy facility in Mound Bayou.

READ MORE: Why did an NBA team draft Lucy Harris? A Mississippi guy was involved.

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

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Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: August 1-3

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2 days ago

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August 1, 2025

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-08-01 07:06:00

SUMMARY: This weekend (August 1-3) in Mississippi offers diverse activities across the state. In Central Mississippi, enjoy Latin music and salsa at Fondren Fiesta in Jackson, family fun at 042 Nights in Brandon, food trucks in Byram, art exhibitions in Natchez and Jackson, and farmers markets in Jackson, Natchez, and Vicksburg. Special events include hurricane remembrance, back-to-school drives, and community wellness fairs. In the Pine Belt, Hattiesburg hosts Denim & Diamonds Casino Night, live music, themed balls, 5K fundraisers, and movie screenings. Laurel offers karaoke, art workshops, and a family farmers market. Activities cater to all ages, promoting culture, health, and community engagement.

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Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: July 25-27

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1 week ago

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July 25, 2025

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-07-25 06:41:00

SUMMARY: Mississippi is packed with events this weekend (July 25–27), including the JXN Film Festival, interactive exhibits, and art showcases in Jackson. Clinton screens *Train to Busan*, and Vicksburg features live events, a catfish tournament, and farmers markets. Natchez hosts its Food & Wine Festival and community celebrations, while Ridgeland offers art parks and dinner theater. In the Pine Belt, Hattiesburg offers comedy, musical theater, a Jane Austen tea, and a murder mystery dinner at Ross Mansion. Toy, gun, and farmers markets span multiple cities, while special events like the Little Miss Black Mississippi Pageant round out a diverse, festive weekend.

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Bryan Kohberger sentenced for murdering four University of Idaho students

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2 weeks ago

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July 23, 2025

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www.wjtv.com – The Associated Press – 2025-07-23 12:37:00

SUMMARY: Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without parole for the brutal 2022 stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students. He pleaded guilty in July 2025 to avoid the death penalty. During sentencing, families shared emotional testimonies of loss and anguish. Kohberger, a criminology graduate student, broke into the victims’ home and killed them without known motive, remaining silent at the hearing. Police used DNA and genetic genealogy to identify him. The case deeply affected the community, with misinformation spreading online. Kohberger waived his right to appeal. Some victims’ relatives offered forgiveness and sought answers.

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