Mississippi
Federal relief available for Mississippi farmers impacted by ongoing drought
PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) – More than 40 counties in Mississippi are now considered disaster areas amid the ongoing drought across the nation.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the following counties are considered primary drought-struck:
- Adams
- Amite
- Bolivar
- Calhoun
- Claiborne
- Coahoma
- Copiah
- Franklin
- Greene
- Grenada
- Jefferson
- Lafayette
- Leflore
- Lincoln
- Panola
- Perry
- Quitman
- Sunflower
- Tallahatchie
- Wilkinson
- Yalobusha
The USDA is considering these counties contiguous to the drought-struck:
- Carroll
- Chickasaw
- Forrest
- George
- Hinds
- Holmes
- Humphreys
- Jones
- Lawrence
- Marshall
- Montgomery
- Pike
- Pontotoc
- Rankin
- Simpson
- Stone
- Tate
- Tunic
- Union
- Walthal
- Warren
- Washington
- Wayne
- Webster
The department is now offering relief for impacted farmers through low-interest loans to cover production and physical losses.
Farmers have until Dec. 10 to apply for the loans at their local farm service agency.
“Not a lot of farmers are lining up to get another loan, I can tell you that, especially in these days and times,” Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson said. “However, it’s something that could help in a critical situation.”
The loans are intended to help pay for essential family living expenses, reorganize farming operations and refinance specific debts, according to the USDA.
Gipson said he’s predicting, based on trends from the U.S. Drought Monitor, that current conditions will eventually trigger other forms of relief, like the Livestock Forage Disaster Program.
“It’s going to help farmers be able to purchase hay to keep feeding the cows and keep the herd going,” Gipson said.
The state has already gotten around half of its regular rainfall so far in 2026, making it the 10th-driest year on record to date.
That’s according to the Mississippi State University Extension Service.
Industry leaders are hoping for more rainfall, but at this point, they expect the disaster list to keep growing.
“We can only pray that the rain will fall before too long,” Gipson said. “We don’t need this dry pattern to continue throughout the entire summer.”
More information on the emergency farm loans is available on the USDA website.
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Copyright 2026 WDAM. All rights reserved.
Inside the new Lego retailer, Bricks & Minifigs
Customers can buy or sell Legos and get individual bricks at the new store in Montrose.
Shoppers visiting Renaissance at Colony Park later this month will notice a big change.
Apple is moving to a new and larger store within the Ridgeland shopping center, while LEGO plans to take over Apple’s current location once the move is complete, according to Apple and other industry sources.
Apple has announced that its new store will open July 24 near the development’s Show Fountain. The company is not leaving Ridgeland. Instead, it is moving to a new location a short distance away inside Renaissance at Colony Park.
The company has operated a store at Renaissance for more than a decade. Once Apple moves into its new store, LEGO plans to open in the company’s former space. The addition will bring another well-known international brand to central Mississippi and give LEGO fans a dedicated store in the Jackson metro area.
It is another win for Ridgeland with last week’s announcement that a Dave & Buster’s that will be located at the PradoVista development near Topgolf. A site plan and architectural review for Dave & Buster’s was approved at the Ridgeland Board of Aldermen meeting on Tuesday, July 7.
Renaissance at Colony Park continues to thrive
Over the years, the center has attracted a mix of national retailers, restaurants and specialty stores. Previous developments at Renaissance have included luxury retailers, popular restaurant chains and entertainment options that draw shoppers from across Mississippi and neighboring states.
Apple’s new location will continue offering product sales, technical support and repair services. Customers will also be able to attend the company’s “Today at Apple” classes and workshops, which provide free lessons on photography, video, music and other topics.
Apple has not released details about the size of the new store. The Ridgeland project is one of several store moves announced this summer.
Renaissance keeps storefront
For Renaissance, the deal works in several ways.
Apple stays at the shopping center and receives a newer storefront. At the same time, the center fills Apple’s former location with another high-profile retailer instead of leaving the space vacant.
LEGO stores are often considered destination retailers because customers will drive long distances to visit them. Families, collectors and hobbyists frequently seek out official LEGO stores for exclusive products and special events.
For shoppers, the most immediate change will be Apple’s July 24 opening. Customers who need repairs, technical help or product purchases will be directed to the new store after the move.
LEGO has not yet announced an opening date.
Ross Reily is a writer for the Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter @GreenOkra1.
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Mississippi leaders across the board are reflecting on the legacy of service Sen. Lindsey Graham had in Washington, D.C.
3 On Your Side spoke on the phone with Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith who shared that Graham treated her like a little sister when she arrived to the Senate.
Their friendship grew outside of work, but one thing she’ll really cherish is the teamwork they developed to get things done with President Donald Trump.
“There were times he would come to me and say, OK sister, you’re going to have to break this news to Trump. If it was a difficult situation, he would say you got to soften him up, you call him and then I’ll call him after you but you’re the one that’s going to have to take care of this. Or you’ve got to go to Mar-a-Lago and handle this, but we were a pretty good team together because we were both close to the President,” said Sen. Hyde-Smith.
Sen. Hyde-Smith added, since coming to Washington, D.C., she looked up to Sen. Graham like an older brother in the chamber.
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Copyright 2026 WLBT. All rights reserved.
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball signee Landon Brown will play for the Bulldogs instead of signing a pro contract, he told the Clarion Ledger on July 12 during the 2026 MLB Draft.
Brown, a right-handed pitcher from Rosharon, Texas, was ranked as the No. 77 prospect by MLB.com. He pitched and played corner infield for Iowa Colony while winning Brazoria County Player of the Year.
He won’t be eligible again for the MLB draft until 2029.
Brown is 6-foot-4, 210 pounds. He has a fastball that reaches 98 mph as part of a four-pitch mix. He also throws a slider, cutter and splitter.
Brown committed to Mississippi State in 2024 under previous coach Chris Lemonis.
He is the third high school draft prospect to reveal he will play for MSU instead of signing a pro contract. Shortstop Noah Danza withdrew from the MLB draft before it began, and pitcher Denton Lord announced after the fifth round that he was heading to Mississippi State.
Three Mississippi State signees were drafted in the first 10 rounds: shortstop Rocco Maniscalco, catcher Will Brick and outfielder Martin Shelar.
Landon Brown stats
- 66⅔ innings
- 0.63 ERA
- 110 strikeouts
- 13 walks
- .424 batting average
- 13 home runs
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
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