Mississippi
Ezell reacts to California fires, new committe assignments for 119th Congress
ELLISVILLE, Miss. (WDAM) – Mississippi Congressman Mike Ezell is reacting to the devastating fires in California.
Those fires, which began earlier this week, have destroyed about 10,000 structures and killed at least 10 people.
Ezell (R-4th District) said he’d like the government to take a more proactive stance on controlled burns in that state.
“We know how effective a controlled burn can be in Mississippi in preventing wildfires like this, so we need to take an overall look at this,” Ezell said.
“It’s a tragedy, our hearts go out to those folks who’ve lost everything, our prayers go out for them, and as the government, we need to do what we can do to help, but we also need to get a handle on how these things start.”
Meanwhile, Ezell will have some new responsibilities during the upcoming 119th Congress.
He’s been selected to serve on the Natural Resources Committee, where he will be vice-chair of the subcommittee on water, wildlife and fisheries and the subcommittee on energy and mineral resources.
“I’ll be working hard now on natural resources and working hard on transportation infrastructure,” Ezell said. “We’ve got so much oversight on some of these things going on and I’ll be jumping in, feet first, to try to do everything I can to make life better for folks.”
Ezell was in Ellisville Friday afternoon to attend a ceremony honoring Mississippi National Guard counter-drug coordinator Col. Robert R. “Bart” Bartran III, who’s retiring after 36 years of military and law enforcement service.
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Mississippi
Mississippi lawmakers face pressure to counter looming federal cuts to health care after punting this session
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.
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