Mississippi
Analysis: Work begins on Mississippi highway project — 20 years after being made priority
Tippah County, population about 20,500 in northeast Mississippi, was the state’s center of political power for one day this past week.
State Rep. Jody Steverson, a Republican who represents Tippah County, posted on social media, “I would like to personally invite every Tippah County citizen to this historic event… Never in our county’s history have the governor, lieutenant governor, and House speaker of Mississippi ever assembled in Tippah County simultaneously.”
Gov. Tate Reeves, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, House Speaker Jason White, as well as former Speaker Philip Gunn, were on hand for the ground-breaking of a project to four-lane about a 10-mile section of U.S. Highway 15 from the Tippah and Union counties line to about a mile north of Ripley, the county seat and largest city in Tippah County.
The ground-breaking was a big deal in Tippah County. The project has been on the drawing board since 2002 when the Legislature passed a bill called Vison 21 that established a method to four-lane highways in Mississippi based on needs and available money.
The section of U.S. 15 was on the initial Vison 21 map as an “immediate need.” More than two decades later, the state’s political leadership traveled to near the Tennessee state line to celebrate the ground-breaking.
Progress, finally.
Highway 15 has been in need of four-laning for decades, especially the section between New Albany in Union County and Ripley. Traffic on the two-lane road moves at a snail’s pace thanks in part to the big trucks at a furniture factory in the area and other businesses.
The ground-breaking more than two decades after U.S 15 was made a priority highlights the lack of funding the Department of Transportation has had for new highway construction projects. For more than a decade, the Department of Transportation has lacked enough money to maintain existing roads, much less construct new highways.
Thanks in large part to national economic conditions and federal funds, including the 2021 federal infrastructure bill, Mississippi currently has more money for roads and bridges. Mississippi has surplus funds that are being used, in part, on road and bridge needs. Work will begin soon on a few other highway projects.
But the surplus state money is not likely to last. The three Transportation commissioners and their executive director, Brad White, are still talking about the need for a source of new, sustained money to fund the state’s transportation needs on an ongoing basis. Central District Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons focused on the need of a new source of revenue recently during the political stumping at the Neshoba County Fair.
Many also would argue that the lack of funding has been exacerbated at times by the Legislature passing bills to place projects above those cited as priorities by the process spelled out in Vision 21.
Gov. Reeves, who was no doubt the star in Tippah County at the ground-breaking, was blamed by some for bypassing the Vison 21 projects as lieutenant governor.
In 2014, the House voted to kill the Department of Transportation budget because of what House leaders described as the Senate leadership’s insistence on placing “pet projects” in the bill.
Those projects included the six laning of Lakeland Drive in suburban Jackson near where then-Lt. Gov. Reeves, who presided over the Senate, lived.
The issue of Lakeland Drive was a major one during Reeves’ successful 2019 gubernatorial bid as it came to light that part of the Lakeland Project included building a $2 million frontage road to make it easier for people in the gated neighborhood where Reeves lived to gain access to Lakeland Drive.
The access road was scrapped by the Transportation Commission after it made news. The addition of the extra lanes on Lakeland Drive was completed.
Reeves took credit for the six-laning of Lakeland, but said he had no input on the frontage road. But emails at the time indicated that members of his staff were in discussions with MDOT officials about the project.
Then-MDOT Executive Director Melinda McGrath said in correspondence with Reeves that the Legislature in budgeting money for projects such as Lakeland Drive was ignoring the Vison 21 priorities.
Work is finally beginning on Highway 15 in Tippah County and the governor said he is happy about it.
On social media he posted, “Stopped in Tippah County to break ground on a nearly $200 million Highway 15 expansion project. This massive investment will help further solidify Mississippi as a transportation hub for the country. Together, we’re making our infrastructure bigger and better than ever before.”
Slowly, that might be finally happening.
This analysis was produced by Mississippi Today, a nonprofit news organization that covers state government, public policy, politics and culture. Bobby Harrison is Mississippi Today’s senior Capitol reporter.
Mississippi State baseball is facing Lipscomb in the first game of the Starkville Regional in the NCAA Tournament on May 29 (1 p.m., ESPN+).
The Bulldogs (40-17) are the host and No. 14 national seed, and Lipscomb (29-24) is the No. 4 seed in the regional. It is the fourth time they’ve played each other this season, with MSU sweeping a March series at Dudy Noble Field.
Here is what to know about Lipscomb University.
Where is Lipscomb University?
Lipscomb is a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee. It is about a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Starkville.
Lipscomb University mascot
Lipscomb’s mascot is the Bisons.
What conference is Lipscomb in?
Lipscomb is in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Lipscomb University enrollment
According to US News, Lipscomb has an undergraduate enrollment of 3,006 students and a 68% acceptance rate.
Lipscomb baseball coach
Jeff Forehand is Lipscomb’s baseball coach. He’s in his 20th season and has led Lipscomb to all four of its NCAA Tournament appearances in program history.
Starkville Regional schedule in 2026 NCAA baseball tournament
All games at Dudy Noble Field; double elimination format; game times in Central
Friday, May 29
- Game 1: Mississippi State vs. Lipscomb, 1 p.m. on ESPN+
- Game 2: Cincinnati vs. Louisiana, 6 p.m. on ESPN+
Saturday, May 30
- Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 3 p.m., TBA
- Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 8 p.m., TBA
Sunday, May 31
- Game 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 2 p.m., TBA
- Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7 p.m., TBA
Monday, June 1
- Game 7 (if necessary): TBA
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Hoping to extend its season, Mississippi State softball will play No. 2 seed Texas in its second game at the Women’s College World Series.
The Bulldogs (43-20) will take on the reigning NCAA champion Longhorns (47-12) on May 29 (6 p.m. CT, ESPN) at Devon Park. The loser of the game will be eliminated from the tournament.
Mississippi State made it WCWS debut by falling 8-0 to No. 11 seed Texas Tech in five innings. Texas lost its opener 6-3 to No. 7 seed Tennessee.
Here’s what to know about the matchup.
Texas’ Katie Stewart was SEC’s Player of the Year
Texas’ Katie Stewart was selected as the best player in the SEC during 2026 and helped the Longhorns to a conference title. Stewart, catcher Reese Atwood and pitcher Teagan Kavan were named a second-team NFCA All-American.
Stewart ranks third in the SEC in batting average (.428), fourth in RBIs (72) and second in home runs (27) and on base percentage (.551).
Stewart was ineffective in the Longhorns’ WCWS loss to Tennessee. She went 0-for-3, striking out once and grounding out twice.
Atwood, who’s hitting .337 with 18 home runs and 59 RBIs, fared better against the Lady Vols, finishing 1-for-3 and scoring a run.
Texas’ Teagan Kavan has struggled in recent outings
Teagan Kavan (24-6, 2.54 ERA) has been one of the top pitchers in the nation in each of her three seasons at Texas, but she hasn’t quite looked like herself in some recent appearances.
Kavan started Games 1 and 2 of the super regionals against Arizona State and allowed 11 hits and six runs with four walks and five strikeouts in seven innings. She recovered to shut the Sun Devils out despite allowing five hits in Game 3.
Kavan again started for the Longhorns against Tennessee. Her outing lasted three innings and she gave up three hits and three runs.
Citlaly Gutierrez (9-3, 2.38 ERA) is Texas’ primary reliever and has appeared in four of the Longhorns’ seven NCAA Tournament games. She threw four innings vs. Tennessee, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
Does Mississippi State have an ace up its sleeve?
Mississippi State elected to start Alyssa Faircloth (16-8, 2.61 ERA) in its WCWS opener and use Peja Goold (15-11, 2.45) in relief. Faircloth threw just 1⅓ innings, while Goold pitched for three.
Both could be options for the game against Texas, or Mississippi State could turn to breakout star Delainey Everett (3-1, 0.69 ERA).
Everett’s lone start this season was against Oklahoma in Game 3 of the super regionals. She gave the Sooners their first shutout since 2019 and held them to three hits.
Everett pitched four innings in Game 2 of last year’s regular season series against Texas. She gave up one run on two hits with four strikeouts in four innings as the Bulldogs’ starter in the 7-3 loss.
Mississippi State softball vs Texas WCWS prediction
Texas 3, Mississippi State 2: Even if the Bulldogs’ pitching staff can limit Texas, MSU’s offense seems to have cooled down considerably from its showing against Oklahoma in the super regionals.
2026 Women’s College World Series schedule
All times CT
- May 28
- Game 1: Texas Tech 8, Mississippi State 0
- Game 2: Tennessee 6, Texas 3
- Game 3: UCLA vs Alabama (6 p.m., ESPN2)
- Game 4: Arkansas vs Nebraska (8:30 p.m., ESPN2)
- May 29
- Game 5: Mississippi State vs Texas (6 p.m., ESPN2)
- Game 6: Game 3 loser vs Game 4 loser (8:30 p.m., ESPN2)
- May 30
- Game 7: Texas Tech vs Tennessee (2 p.m., ABC)
- Game 8: Game 3 winner vs Game 4 winner (6 p.m., ESPN)
- May 31
- Game 9: Game 5 winner vs Game 8 loser (2 p.m., ABC)
- Game 10: Game 6 winner vs Game 7 loser (6 p.m., ESPN2)
- June 1
- Game 11: Game 7 winner vs Game 9 winner (11 a.m., ESPN)
- Game 12 (if necessary): Game 7 winner vs Game 9 winner (1:30 p.m., ESPN)
- Game 13: Game 8 winner vs Game 10 winner (6 p.m., ESPN2)
- Game 14 (if necessary): Game 8 winner vs Game 10 winner (8:30 p.m., ESPN2)
- June 3
- Finals Game 1 (7 p.m., ESPN)
- June 4
- Finals Game 2 (7 p.m., ESPN)
- June 5
- If necessary, finals Game 3 (7 p.m., ESPN)
Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at treid@usatodayco.com and follow her on X @tiareid65.
Check out how to watch the Gulf Breeze alum, who is part of a history making Mississippi State squad.
Blue Angels Super Hornet simulator unveiled at Naval Aviation Museum
Climb inside a Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornet with us and take off in the new Fly with the Blues simulator at the National Naval Aviation Museum.
The Women’s College World Series begins May 28, and the Pensacola area will be represented on the biggest stage.
Gulf Breeze alumna Leila Ammon is part of a Mississippi State squad making its first WCWS appearance in school history and has played a role in getting the Bulldogs there.
Below is how to watch Ammon play if you aren’t in Oklahoma City, as well as how Ammon is part of history at Mississippi State.
How to watch Mississippi State in the WCWS
When: May 28-June 4/5
Where: OG & E Energy Field at Devon Park, Oklahoma City
Broadcast: ABC and ESPN
Streaming: ESPN Unlimited, Fubo
Mississippi State will open up against Texas Tech on May 28 at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN. With a win, the Bulldogs will play the winner of Tennessee/Texas on May 30 at 2 p.m. CT on ABC. With a loss, they’ll play the loser of Tennessee/Texas in an elimination game on May 29 at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.
The last two teams standing will advance to a best 2-out-of-3 championship series scheduled for June 3-5 at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN. Check this page for more information on the WCWS bracket and schedule.
Mississippi State lost to Texas Tech twice in the Lubbock regional a year ago.
How did Mississippi State make history?
The Bulldogs are the only unseeded team out of eight in the WCWS field, which means they’re the only team in the field to have to win on the road in a regional and super regional to advance to Oklahoma City.
Mississippi State was ranked No. 13 in the NFCA poll on March 29, putting them in good position to host a regional with a strong finish to the season. The Bulldogs did the exact opposite, losing four of their last five regular season series.
But they flipped a switch in the NCAA Tournament. First, Mississippi State rolled through the Eugene regional, winning all three games by a score of 12-2, to advance to just their second super regional in program history.
Up next was a trip to perennial powerhouse Oklahoma in the super regional. However. the Bulldogs weren’t fazed, winning Game 1 of the best two-out-of-three series 11-9. After the Sooners won Game 2 7-1, Mississippi State won Game 3 6-0 to clinch their first ever WCWS appearance.
What role did Leila Ammon play?
While Ammon didn’t pitch in the regional, she helped stop the bleeding in Game 1 of the Super Regional.
She entered in the bottom of the third after Oklahoma had scored five runs in the inning to take a 5-1 lead. Ammon got the final two outs in the inning, then allowed a run in the fourth and pitched a scoreless fifth before being relieved with runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the sixth.
Both runners scored later in the inning, meaning Ammon allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and struck out three in three innings pitched.
Ammon’s gone 8-0 this spring with a 1.85 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings pitched. She spent her freshman season at Middle Tennessee State, where she was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team.
Before her college career, Ammon was the 2023 PNJ Pitcher of the Year and a 2024 First Team All-Area selection.
-
Crypto4 minutes agoStablecoin Settlement Is Here, but Seamless Off-Chain Money Movement Is Not | PYMNTS.com
-
Finance10 minutes agoEvoke Entertainment Closes $35 Million Production Financing Facility Backed By Major Private Credit Fund
-
Fitness16 minutes agoHow busy women can realistically hit 10 hours of exercise a week – and unlock the biggest health benefits
-
Movie Reviews28 minutes agoThe Breadwinner (Christian Movie Review) – The Collision
-
-U43648517271Shc-1440x752@IlSole24Ore-Web.jpg?r=1170x507&w=400&resize=400,240&ssl=1 "War breaking news. Trump postpones decision: nothing after two hours in Situation Room")
-U43648517271Shc-1440x752@IlSole24Ore-Web.jpg?r=1170x507&w=80&resize=80,80&ssl=1 "War breaking news. Trump postpones decision: nothing after two hours in Situation Room")
World40 minutes agoWar breaking news. Trump postpones decision: nothing after two hours in Situation Room
-
News46 minutes agoJudge Tosses Citizenship Law Aimed at New Voters in New Hampshire
-
Politics52 minutes agoVideo: Trump’s Counterterror Strategy Focuses on the Left
-
Science1 hour agoVideo: Crowds Flood New York City Streets for First Day of Manhattanhenge
