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Coast Life: Mississippi Shipbuilding & Maritime Center focusing on future of Coastal industries

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Coast Life: Mississippi Shipbuilding & Maritime Center focusing on future of Coastal industries


PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WLOX) – The Mississippi Shipbuilding and Maritime Center started as just a vision more than a decade ago.

“Opening this center for me has been one of the most passionate commitments of my entire career,” said Lorren West, Shipbuilding and Maritime Center president. “I absolutely love the state of Mississippi, Jackson County and the Gulf Coast.”

The Mississippi Shipbuilding and Maritime Center started as just a vision more than a decade ago.(WLOX)

It’s taken plenty of passion to transform the old Pascagoula High School from abandoned buildings into a source of pride.

“The community told us they wanted to have tremendous community pride and that’s through shipbuilding and maritime,” said West. “The fact that we can research, archive and keep the history alive with the maritime and shipbuilding here is phenomenal.”

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Initially opening in 2020 as the Mississippi Maritime Museum is now under the direction of Lorren West. It’s now called the Mississippi Shipbuilding and Maritime Center and debuted its current exhibits with artifacts and displays earlier this year.

With the new name comes a change in course and a focus not just on the history, but also what comes next for Coastal industries.

“We’re all about taking it innovatively into the future,” West said.

It's taken plenty of passion to transform the old Pascagoula High School from abandoned...
It’s taken plenty of passion to transform the old Pascagoula High School from abandoned buildings into a source of pride.(WLOX)

Taking maritime into the future, means introducing it to the next generations. This summer the Center has been filled with the sounds of children participating in camps.

“We’ve been making maps, building ships out of different household objects,” said 10-year-old Carson Hall.

Hall’s dad works at Ingalls and now he knows what goes into shipbuilding on a smaller scale.

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“I think that makes him proud that I’m learning what he has to do and maybe one day I’ll think about what he does,” said Hall.

Interactive maritime classes are offered for adults as well.

The center’s mission isn’t just confined to the walls of the old school. West hopes to bring attention to what’s under the water off our Coast and is working towards creating underwater archeology partnerships.

“Do you know that there are over 300 shipwrecks just off our coastline within three miles from here that have not yet been discovered?” said West.

Discovering and exploring those shipwrecks is just one of the many examples of the...
Discovering and exploring those shipwrecks is just one of the many examples of the possibilities the Mississippi Coast offers to expand its maritime footprint.(WLOX)

Discovering and exploring those shipwrecks is just one of the many examples of the possibilities the Mississippi Coast offers to expand its maritime footprint.

“It is our belief that this Maritime and Shipbuilding Center will help catapult the state of Mississippi into fabulous future innovative investments both economy-wise, long-term residency and fantastic jobs for everyone,” West said.

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Admission to the Shipbuilding and Maritime Center is free and open to the public.

Plans are also in place to turn one of the larger buildings of the old school into a science and math learning center for students.

For more information, visit https://msmaritimemuseum.org/.

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Mississippi

Clemson makes an impression on big Mississippi lineman

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Clemson makes an impression on big Mississippi lineman


One initial visit to Tiger Town made quite the impression.

2026 Louisville (MS) Nanih Waiya offensive lineman Grant Kitchens attended the Dabo Swinney Football Camp in early June and also had the opportunity to take in Clemson for the first time.

Kitchens has begun to receive interest from several schools, including Florida and Mississippi State, and the Bulldogs have offered. He has received interest from the Tigers and had the opportunity to put on a show.

“It was a great experience overall,” Kitchens said. “It was good to learn and work with the offensive line coaches. I like the campus and the coaches.”

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Kitchens had the opportunity to work with offensive line coach Matt Luke during the camp, and his most significant takeaway was how Luke’s coaching style matches Kitchens’ personality.

“He (Luke) pushed me to get better,” said Kitchens. “That’s what I like. I want to be pushed. I wanna be able to get better at the end of the day.”

Kitchens describes himself as a physical player on the field, and with the rising junior’s frame set at 6-foot-8, 308 pounds, he can certainly pack a punch.

Regarding a timeline for any potential decision, Kitchens wants to be committed by his senior year and hopes to have a list of preferred schools very soon.

The Tigers haven’t offered Kitchens yet and are working closely with him in the coming months, but an offer from Clemson would be significant to receive.

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“An offer from Clemson would be amazing,” said Kitchens. “To have a chance to play for Clemson, Coach Dabo (Swinney), and Coach (Matt) Luke would be amazing! It’s a great program that has had success and with one of the best O-line coaches in the nation.

”Man, I just can’t put it into words how I would feel.”





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Former Bulldog basketball star Victoria Vivians returns to Starkville to join Mississippi State’s coaching staff

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Former Bulldog basketball star Victoria Vivians returns to Starkville to join Mississippi State’s coaching staff


STARKVILLE, Miss. (WLBT) – WNBA player Victoria Vivians is making her way back home to Mississippi, and when she gets here she’ll make the transition from player to coach.

On Monday, Mississippi State announced that the former women’s basketball standout would join Sam Purcell and his staff as an assistant coach, and director of scouting. The current Seattle Storm guard will start her coaching career in October after the end of the WNBA season.

In 2018, Vivians was selected eighth overall by the Indians Fever. After spending five seasons with the Fever, she then signed with the Storm in March.

The Bulldog legend left her mark on the court while at Mississippi State. She was a three-time All-SEC First Team member, averaged 17.1 points, and helped lead the Lady Bulldogs to two national championship game appearances.

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Before the former Bulldog started her collegiate career, she shined in Jackson at Scott Central. In 2014 she became the state’s all-time leading girls’ basketball scorer.

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Former Oklahoma Defensive Lineman Commits to Mississippi State

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Former Oklahoma Defensive Lineman Commits to Mississippi State


STARKVILLE, Miss. —Kevonte Henry is the newest member of the 2025 class. Henry previously was at Oklahoma with MSU head coach Jeff Lebby before entering the transfer portal on December 7th, 2022.

During his time in Norman, he never appeared in a game and transferred to Cerritos College, a junior college in California. Last season, the Lawndale, Cali. native made 43 tackles, 7.5 for loss, and 3.5 sacks.

The 6-4 225 defensive lineman does not have a recruiting for his JUCO days but was a consensus 4-star coming out of Leuzinger High School. This is a solid pickup for the Bulldog coaching staff as they continue to put an emphasis on junior college recruiting.

However, Henry is not a typical JUCO prospect. Coming out of high school, he held impressive offers from Michigan, Florida, Oregon, and USC. The talent is there for Henry, and Lebby has seen the defensive lineman firsthand.

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The Bulldogs hosted a big group of official visitors for the first time, and the coaching staff took full advantage as they doubled their 2025 class in just one weekend.



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