Mississippi
Amid national talk of US flags, Jackson flags at City Hall, Thalia Mara are tattered, battered
Replacements on way, City official says
Stars & Stripes: Basic etiquette for the American flag
There are tons of rules and regulations for properly displaying The Flag of the United States of America. Here are just a few.
USA TODAY
Flags have been a hot-topic issue around the country and in Mississippi over the last the week, but the real question is this: have you noticed the flags waving — or attempting to — at Jackson City Hall?
The American and Jackson flags at the top of City Hall’s flagpole have surely seen better days. The tattered American flag is partially ripped, looking as if it was raised after a long battle.
Below the American flag, the City of Jackson’s flag, or what’s left of it, is shredded so much you wouldn’t be able to tell what kind of flag it is. The city’s flag — which is supposed to show a gold star, a blue center, a white cross and a green field — looks as if someone stuffed it through a paper shredder.
Then take a walk just down Pascagoula Street to Thalia Mara Hall. While the American flag appears to be in good condition, the state of Mississippi flag is ripped in half, showing only the red end. The state flag’s white magnolia on a navy background is nowhere to be found. The Jackson flag located at Thalia Mara is slightly frayed.
On Friday, after the Clarion Ledger asked if the city was aware of the conditions of the flags, Jackson Spokesperson Melissa Payne said replacements should take place this year. She attributed the flags’ current beat-up conditions to the weather and couldn’t recall the last time they were replaced.
“We are in the process of replacing those flags,” Payne said, adding that Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba personally brought up the issue “at the end of last year.”
According to Annin Flagmakers, which bills itself as “the largest and oldest flag manufacturer in the United States,” a nylon American flag can cost between $23 to $10,270, depending on the size. The smallest American flag available is 3-feet in length and 5-feet in width; the biggest American flag available are 50-feet in length and 80-feet in width. A polyester American flag is a bit more expensive, costing between $42 and $13,160.
The old Mississippi flag, which showed a confederate emblem in the left-hand corner, was replaced in 2020, after years of public debate. Gov. Tate Reeves, who refused to take a position on the flag for years, signed a law that mandates the removal of the old state flag and bans future use of the Confederate emblem.
Flags are flying at half-staff this month in honor of former President Jimmy Carter, who at 100 was the nation’s oldest president. The state flag had been flying at half-staff in recent days to honor the two from Mississippi who died in the New Orleans terror attack. Reeves ordered the flags to fly at full height on Monday to honor the second inauguration of President Donald Trump.
Mississippi State’s hope of reaching six wins and going to a bowl game this season are on life support.
The Bulldogs have lost their last four games, all SEC games, and in heart-breaking fashion, too. Two of those losses were overtime games and another was lost on last minute interception.
Mississippi State needs a win, not just for its bowl game aspirations, but also to give the fanbase something to cheer about instead of calling for a coaching change.
“One, thank you for the support, the atmosphere and the energy. And Saturday was as good as it gets,” Bulldogs’ coach Jeff Lebby said Monday when asked about what his message to the upset fans. “You’ve all heard me talk about how much I appreciate our community and our connection and the passion, the love that people have for Mississippi State. I love that. That’s one of the greatest things about our university.
“I hate that (the fans are) not getting to enjoy (wins). My hope is that we have the ability to go take care of business and go get a tough, hard win on the road on Saturday. And then come back home to another great crowd.”
Fortunately, Mississippi State’s opponent this week represents the most winnable SEC game left on its schedule, even if Lebby won’t admit that’s what Arkansas is.
“No, not in the least bit,” Lebby said. “We’re playing the best two and six football team in the country this week. They’ve got a quarterback that is elite at everything that he does. They have played really well offensively. Auburn did a really good job defensively the other day, creating some turnovers. Arkansas struggled in the red zone a little bit.
“But their ability to score and play great offensively is very well documented. And then defensively, they’ve played better. They haven’t been great against the run, but they were better this past week.”
But that doesn’t change the fact the odds for the Bulldogs this week are the best they’ll be the rest of the season.
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Spread
Mississippi State: +4.5 (-112)
Arkansas: -4.5 (-108)
Moneyline
Mississippi State: +158
Arkansas: -192
Total
Over: 67.5 (-110)
Under: 67.5 (-110)
Another week of the 2025 Mississippi high school football season has come and gone, and High School On SI has all of the latest computer rankings for each classification as of October 27, 2025.
High School On SI’s formula was created using its own linear algebra-based ranking algorithm inspired by the Colley Bias-Free Ranking Method. Colley’s Method was created by Wes Colley, Ph.D., an astrophysicist at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. He devised his algorithm in order to help address the subjectivity and controversy regarding BCS college football selections in the 1990s and early 2000s, using a method that used no subjective variables.
Which teams took the top spot in each division? Here are High School On SI’s latest Mississippi high school football computer rankings, as of October 27, 2025:
1. Calhoun City (7-1)
2. Simmons (7-0)
3. Biggersville (7-2)
4. Stringer (7-2)
5. Nanih Waiya (6-2)
6. Leflore County (6-3)
7. South Delta (7-2)
8. Taylorsville (5-4)
9. Noxapater (5-4)
10. West Tallahatchie (6-2)
11. Bogue Chitto (6-3)
12. Salem (6-2)
13. Ethel (6-3)
14. West Lowndes (4-3)
15. Leake County (4-5)
16. Lumberton (4-4)
17. Byers (5-3)
18. Richton (4-5)
19. Tupelo Christian Prep (5-4)
20. Sebastopol (3-6)
21. Okolona (3-7)
22. Potts Camp (3-4)
23. Shaw (1-6)
24. Falkner (3-5)
25. Vardaman (2-7)
View full Class 1A rankings
1. Wesson (9-0)
2. Baldwyn (8-1)
3. East Webster (8-1)
4. Charleston (5-2)
5. Heidelberg (5-2)
6. Clarkdale (7-2)
7. Bay Springs (6-2)
8. Water Valley (7-2)
9. Loyd Star (8-1)
10. North Side (7-1)
11. Lake (6-3)
12. Myrtle (7-2)
13. Hamilton (6-3)
14. Eupora (6-3)
15. Amite County (6-2)
16. Hatley (6-2)
17. Kemper County (3-4)
18. Mize (3-6)
19. Bruce (6-3)
20. Velma Jackson (4-5)
21. East Marion (4-4)
22. North Forrest (4-5)
23. Enterprise Clarke (2-7)
24. Philadelphia (1-7)
25. Collins (3-5)
View full Class 2A rankings
1. Union (9-0)
2. Raleigh (8-1)
3. Noxubee County (6-3)
4. Kossuth (6-2)
5. West Marion (6-3)
6. Choctaw County (5-4)
7. Magee (6-2)
8. Hazlehurst (4-3)
9. Presbyterian Christian (6-3)
10. Tylertown (6-3)
11. Quitman (5-4)
12. Aberdeen (5-4)
13. Winona (4-4)
14. Belmont (6-3)
15. Seminary (4-5)
16. Yazoo County (5-3)
17. Humphreys County (5-4)
18. Booneville (4-5)
19. North Panola (4-4)
20. Jefferson Davis County (3-5)
21. O’Bannon (5-3)
22. Coahoma County (3-5)
23. Franklin County (4-5)
24. Independence (4-4)
25. Thomas E. Edwards (4-4)
View full Class 3A rankings
1. Columbia (9-0)
2. Senatobia (8-1)
3. Kosciusko (8-1)
4. Louisville (6-2)
5. Clarksdale (6-1)
6. McComb (7-1)
7. North Pontotoc (7-1)
8. Leake Central (7-2)
9. New Albany (7-2)
10. Rosa Fort (6-1)
11. Pass Christian (8-1)
12. Forest (7-2)
13. Corinth (6-2)
14. Itawamba Agricultural (6-2)
15. Poplarville (5-3)
16. Choctaw Central (6-2)
17. Morton (5-3)
18. Greenwood (6-3)
19. Shannon (6-3)
20. Newton County (5-4)
21. West Lauderdale (4-4)
22. Mendenhall (4-4)
23. Greene County (6-3)
24. Forrest County Agricultural (5-3)
25. Richland (5-4)
View full Class 4A rankings
1. West Point (8-0)
2. Brookhaven (6-2)
3. New Hope (6-2)
4. Lanier (9-0)
5. South Jones (7-2)
6. Sumrall (6-3)
7. Holmes County Central (6-3)
8. Cleveland Central (4-3)
9. Lafayette (4-4)
10. Purvis (5-3)
11. Vicksburg (5-3)
12. Stone (5-3)
13. Pontotoc (4-4)
14. Northeast Jones (4-4)
15. Laurel (2-6)
16. Florence (3-5)
17. Natchez (3-5)
18. Vancleave (3-5)
19. Wayne County (2-6)
20. North Pike (1-7)
21. Provine (2-7)
22. East Central (1-7)
23. Caledonia (1-7)
24. Columbus (1-7)
View full Class 5A rankings
1. Picayune (7-1)
2. Warren Central (6-2)
3. Ridgeland (7-1)
4. South Panola (5-3)
5. Grenada (6-2)
6. West Jones (7-2)
7. Lake Cormorant (6-2)
8. Terry (7-1)
9. Hattiesburg (6-2)
10. Callaway (5-4)
11. Center Hill (4-4)
12. Neshoba Central (4-4)
13. Pearl River Central (4-3)
14. Greenville (4-4)
15. Pascagoula (3-5)
16. Saltillo (3-6)
17. Canton (3-5)
18. Hancock (3-5)
19. George County (3-5)
20. Gautier (3-5)
21. Olive Branch (1-7)
22. Forest Hill (1-8)
23. Long Beach (1-7)
24. Jim Hill (1-8)
View full Class 6A rankings
1. Ocean Springs (7-1)
2. Tupelo (8-1)
3. Oxford (7-1)
4. Starkville (6-2)
5. D’Iberville (7-1)
6. Gulfport (6-2)
7. Petal (6-3)
8. Oak Grove (6-3)
9. Germantown (5-3)
10. West Harrison (6-3)
11. Hernando (6-2)
12. Horn Lake (5-3)
13. Northwest Rankin (5-3)
14. DeSoto Central (6-3)
15. St. Martin (6-3)
16. Clinton (4-4)
17. Madison Central (4-4)
18. Brandon (3-5)
19. Pearl (3-5)
20. Southaven (3-5)
21. Biloxi (2-6)
22. Meridian (2-6)
23. Lewisburg (2-6)
24. Harrison Central (1-7)
25. Murrah (1-8)
View full Class 7A rankings
Mississippi
Tornadoes rip through Mississippi Coast cities, damaging homes and popular Mexican restaurant
Two tornadoes touched down in Mississippi Coast cities Sunday morning as a system of strong thunderstorms moved over the Deep South.
The twisters were confirmed by 10:45 a.m. and caused minor damage in Pascagoula and Gautier, Jackson County Emergency Manager Earl Etheridge told the Sun Herald. The cities are east of Biloxi, both less than an hour from Mobile, Alabama.
No injuries were reported, but at least one home in Pascagoula was damaged and a popular Mexican restaurant in Gautier felt a tornado’s wrath while workers were inside preparing for the Sunday lunch crowd.
Video from resident John Adams, submitted to WLOX-TV, shows the storm touching down at Aztecas on Highway 90 near Gautier-Vancleave Road. Cars stopped on the busy thoroughfare as the twister spun up debris. Many turned around and began driving away from storm, the video shows.
The tornado tore apart some of the concrete patio at Aztecas and pushed cinder blocks from the large building onto cars in the parking lot. Nobody was injured and the workers inside are all safe, the restaurant confirmed.
Aerial footage shows the restaurant’s roof was damaged, and shingles were ripped from their places on awnings.
Rubble and dirt piled up in the outdoor dining areas, with many tables and chairs scattered and pushed over in the wreckage, video from WLOX-TV shows. An apartment complex in Gautier also suffered damage from one of the tornadoes.
The major storms were over by noon, and all weather warnings had expired. The National Weather Service in New Orleans warned that some strong storms and possible watersports east of the Mississippi River were possible through 1:30 p.m.
In New Orleans, the system brought strong thunderstorms earlier Sunday morning. There was a brief power outage in the Mid-City area, but Entergy has not said if it was related to weather.
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