Mississippi
Confederate symbols removal pushed by Mississippi Democrats in State Capitol, Washington DC
Republican committee chairs give little response on moving bills forward
Ever since Lexington’s District 47 Rep. Bryant Clark had been coming to the Mississippi State Capitol as a child and later as a lawmaker, symbols of the old Confederacy had loomed on flag poles, hallway corners and the very ceiling of the building.
Clark, whose father Robert was the first Black state legislator elected in the 20th century, told the Clarion Ledger some of those symbols went unnoticed to him and several others until this year.
Other vestiges were also placed by the state nearly 100 years ago in Washington, D.C.’s Statuary Hall, displaying Confederate figures Jefferson Davis and James Z. George. The Kentucky-born Davis, a former U.S. Senator representing Mississippi, was most famous as the President of the Confederate States of America. George was a Confederate politician and military officer and the namesake of Mississippi’s George County.
Now, Clark and several other legislators have filed bills to either replace a painting of two generals raising a Confederate battle flag with the state’s current flag of a magnolia flower or remove it entirely. Other bills filed by State Senators Derrick Simmons and David Blount, both Democrats serving Greenville and Jackson respectively, would aim to replace the two statues in Washington, D.C.
“I’ve been here 21 years and quite honestly, I had never seen that until Sen. Bradford Blackmon had brought it to my attention,” Clark said. “All citizens have embraced the (new) flag, and I think it would be the ideal symbol to replace the Confederate picture with the Mississippi flag.”
Another legacy lawmaker, Blackmon, D-Lexington, who replaced his father Edward Blackmon this year in the Senate, said he filed a bill to replace the painting in the Capitol’s rotunda ceiling, which also displays other religious and historical images. He too had never noticed the painting.That bill, SB 2217, would direct the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to remove the painting and create a commission consisting of governor appointments, the director of the MDAH, a member of the Mississippi Arts Commission and several lawmakers, to decide what should replace it.“Coming off a few years removed from taking down the state flag with the battle emblem inside of it, there’s a lot more representations of Mississippi that can go up there, and that’s what led me to draft a bill,” said Blackmon.
Blount and Simmons both said they would vote for Blackmon’s bill, but they are heavily focused on lobbying to create a commission of their own to replace Davis and George with more modern representations of Mississippi.
See Shad White and Lynn Fitch feud Mississippi AG Lynn Fitch sues Auditor Shad White related to Brett Favre, welfare scandal
“There are a number of changes that need to be made in Mississippi,” Blount said. “It’s a problem.”
Senate President Pro Tem. Dean Kirby, R- Pearl, who chairs the Rules Committee where both Senate bills were sent, told the Clarion Ledger he has spoken with Blackmon, and he will consider bringing his bill forward.
“It’s definitely something I will discuss with my committee,” Kirby said.
Since Kirby took over the Rules Committee in 2020, no bills regarding the removal of Confederate paintings or statues or the establishing of commissions to discuss them have made it out of his committee.
According to MDAH records, when the current State Capitol was built in the early 1900s, the original ceiling did not include depictions of the confederate battle flag. The building was later renovated and restored in the 1980s, a project that cost the state $19 million, according to MDAH records.
In 2021, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, signed legislation to replace the state’s former flag, which also depicted the stars and bars of the Army of Northern Virginia battle flag flown during the Civil War, with one showing a magnolia flower.
The traditional Confederate battle flag never flew over Mississippi as a state flag during the Civil War. Mississippi’s flag in that era featured a magnolia tree as its dominant symbol.
Over in the in the Mississippi House of Representatives, Rep. Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, told the Clarion Ledger he is sponsoring a bill to replace the two statues as well, but instead of creating a commission to oversee the replacement, he is asking the legislature to approve placing famous civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer and Hiram Revels, the first Black man in the United States Senate.
“Those two Confederate leaders, I don’t think are appropriate representations of the state of Mississippi, and I think we ought to have some statues of people who represent how we move forward,” Johnson said.
However, these pieces of legislation may be falling on deaf ears.
Johnson said he had spoken with first year House Speaker Jason White, R-West, about his bill and that White responded positively toward the idea.
Friday morning, White’s Communications Officer Taylor Spillman said he had no such meeting. White declined to comment on whether he would support removing the painting in the rotunda or replacing Davis and George in Washington D.C.
“We are focusing on education and Medicaid right now,” Spillman said.
Johnson’ bill, House Concurrent Resolution 12, was sent to the Rules Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Fred Shanks, R-Brandon.
When asked to speak on the bills introduced by Johnson and Clark, who also serves as his vice chair, Shanks declined to comment.
Sen. Walter Michel, R-Ridgeland, who vice chairs the Senate Rules Committee, said he would not vote to replace the paintings in the Capitol building.
“I’m not interested in moving that,” Michel said. “I like it, it looks good. It’s a beautiful painting up on top of the ceiling of the rotunda so I’m not interested in moving that bill.”
Read other legislative pushes Senate, House GOP leadership pushing Medicaid bills that could help 210,000 in MS
Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.
Wicker: Mississippi powered Artemis II
Published 4:00 pm Monday, April 20, 2026
For nine days this month, space travel captivated the world. Families gathered around their screens as four astronauts strapped into the Integrity spacecraft docked at the Kennedy Space Center. As the launch countdown ended, four Mississippi-tested RS-45 engines ignited, and the ground shook. Seven seconds later, the Integrity had liftoff. For six intense minutes, the RS-45 engines rocketed the crew into high Earth orbit, sending them on their historic lunar flyby mission.
Mississippi should take a bow. The four RS-45 engines were tested at our very own Stennis Space Center, where Mississippians have been ensuring the quality of rocket engines since the Apollo program. For eight years, engineers, safety managers, and logistics specialists from the state have tested the engines that powered the Integrity and will power future Artemis launches. Their work paid off, and the launch was a marvel of engineering. NASA leadership made special mention of the rocket engine burn, calling it “flawless.”
One Mississippian in particular helped make the mission a success. Hernando native Matthew Ramsey handled a great deal of responsibility as the mission manager for Artemis II. The Mississippi State University graduate helped set the focus for the mission and equip the astronauts and staff for the job. Matthew also served as the deputy of the Mission Management Team, the group of NASA staff that comes together just days before a launch. The team assumes the risks of the mission ahead, and they make tough calls during flight if challenges arise.
As the Artemis II journey progressed, the world could not stop watching. Our social media feeds were full of photos and videos beamed down from the heavens. They captured humorous situations, such as the astronauts adjusting to life without gravity or testing their plumbing skills.
We also witnessed moments of majesty. On the fifth day, the Integrity began using the Moon’s gravity to slingshot our astronauts back home. That trajectory led the crew around the Moon, farther from Earth than any humans have ever gone. As the explorers looked upon outer space, they captured stunning images. Among the most remarkable is Earthset, in which Commander Reid Wiseman photographed Earth as it appeared to fall below the horizon of the moon.
When their spacecraft returned to Earth’s atmosphere, the crew was traveling nearly 35 times faster than the speed of sound. Ten minutes later, a series of parachutes began opening. Eventually, the spacecraft’s speed fell to 20 miles per hour, and the crew splashed down into the Pacific Ocean.
Mississippi was once again there to assist. The astronauts were greeted by the USS John P. Murtha, a U.S. military vessel built in the Huntington Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula. The ship’s amphibious design was suited to welcome the space travelers home—equipped with a helicopter pad, medical facilities, and the communications system needed to locate and recover the astronauts safely. Crucially, the USS Murtha was built with a well deck, a sea-based garage that stored the Integrity on the journey to shore.
Artemis II was a resounding success, paving the way for planned future flights. When the Artemis program returns humans to the moon, Mississippi will be there every step of the way.
Mississippi
D1Baseball rankings: Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Southern Miss surge after big weekends – SuperTalk Mississippi
Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Southern Miss have surged in the rankings after a big weekend on the diamond.
The Bulldogs (30-10, 10-8 SEC) jumped two spots to No. 15 in the latest poll from D1Baseball following a strong bounce back. Brian O’ Connor’s club, after having been on the wrong side of SEC sweeps in back-to-back series, earned a 10-rule win over Samford on Tuesday, then took care of business with a sweep at South Carolina.
Next up for Mississippi State is a midweek home matchup versus Memphis on Tuesday before LSU heads to Dudy Noble Field for Super Bulldog Weekend.
The Rebels (29-12, 10-8 SEC) took the biggest leap in the rankings, making an eight-spot jump to No. 17 despite not budging in the top 25 a week ago after sweeping LSU. Once Mike Bianco’s club took the first two games at Tennessee in the most recent series, D1Baseball co-owner Kendall Rogers made note that Ole Miss fans could expect to see their team catapult in his outlet’s poll. Come Monday, though the red and blue lost the series finale, D1Baseball stuck to its word.
“What a weekend so far for [Ole Miss baseball]. Cade Townsend carried a no hitter into the sixth in an 8-1 win over Tennessee to take the series,” Rogers wrote on X. “Rebs are on a heater. Safe to say they’ll be much higher than 25 on Monday.”
Next up for the red-hot Rebels is a home midweek outing versus Murray State, the team that knocked the Rebels out of the postseason last year, before No. 5 Georgia travels to Swayze Field for Double Decker weekend.
The Golden Eagles (28-12, 11-7 Sun Belt) made a four-spot jump to No. 18 after securing a much needed conference sweep to keep hopes of hosting an NCAA Tournament regional alive. Christian Ostrander’s club defended home turf over the weekend, taking all three games from a solid Texas State club.
Next up for the black and gold is a Tuesday midweek battle versus former conference foe Tulane, before making an hour and a half drive to South Alabama for the weekend.
The full top 25 can be found below:
- UCLA
- North Carolina
- Georgia Tech
- Texas
- Georgia
- Oregon State
- Texas A&M
- Florida State
- Coastal Carolina
- Virginia
- Auburn
- West Virginia
- Alabama
- Oklahoma
- Mississippi State
- Kansas
- Ole Miss
- Southern Miss
- Oregon
- Nebraska
- Florida
- Boston College
- USC
- Arkansas
- Arizona State
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 19, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from April 19 drawing
01-07-11-30-34
Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
Midday: 7-4-6, FB: 5
Evening: 3-3-0, FB: 8
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from April 19 drawing
Midday: 3-4-8-9, FB: 5
Evening: 6-2-0-4, FB: 8
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 19 drawing
Midday: 10
Evening: 08
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Story continues below gallery.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.
Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:
Mississippi Lottery Corporation
P.O. Box 321462
Flowood, MS
39232
If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.
Mississippi Lottery Headquarters
1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100
Flowood, MS
39232
Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.
When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?
- Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
- Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.
-
Atlanta, GA6 minutes agoHavana in Atlanta: 6 Cuban restaurants we keep craving
-
Minneapolis, MN12 minutes ago10 years later, our Prince superfan shares his Prince Pilgrimage
-
Indianapolis, IN18 minutes agoIndianapolis Democrat Andrea Hunley to seek bid for mayor’s job in 2027
-
Pittsburg, PA24 minutes agoKozora: Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 Mock Draft (Final Version)
-
Augusta, GA30 minutes agoGeoff Duncan visits Augusta to campaign on Monday
-
Washington, D.C36 minutes agoUS industry leaders take sport fishing issues to Washington DC – Angling International
-
Cleveland, OH42 minutes agoRabbi Leibel Alevsky, Chabad of Northeast Ohio founder and director, dies at 86
-
Austin, TX48 minutes agoMan charged after driving 100 mph in East Austin, crashing into bus station: affidavit