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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By JACK BEZANTS

Published: 13:15 GMT, 10 January 2025 | Updated: 14:06 GMT, 10 January 2025

The Southern Mississippi women’s soccer team is about to gain a few more followers after a new signing that has sent fans wild on social media.

Kiana Dufour has landed a scholarship at the school after reportedly playing at a semi-professional level in Canada. 

Her move was announced by the school in November but she is now going viral after fans discovered her stunning Instagram account – where she appears to have some high-profile admirers.

USMNT and Juventus star Weston McKennie has liked some of her posts in the past, as well as New York Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami teammate David Ruiz.

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She has also caught the eye of former Kansas City Chiefs player Louis Rees-Zammit, now on the Jacksonville Jaguars roster. 

And they aren’t the only admirers Dufour has. As news of her Southern Miss move began to circulate online, she immediately won over plenty of new fans.

The Southern Mississippi women’s soccer team has got some new fans through Kiana Dufour

It was announced last year that soccer player Dufour was heading to Mississippi

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Her Instagram posts have caught the attention of sporting stars such as Weston McKennie

Louis Rees-Zammit, who was once on the Chiefs roster, has also liked her social media posts

‘Wow this is huge for Southern Miss,’ one online follower wrote. ‘Kiana Dufour is going to bring a lot of attention to the team!’

Another said: ‘Moving forward I like whatever team Kiana Dufour plays for.’

‘Southern Miss just went from soccer to samba overnight Kiana Dufour is a game-changer,’ another fan posted.

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And one of her bigger social media admirers wrote: ‘This girl is like the hottest chick in the world. Holy hell.’ 

Dufour herself has pinned pictures on her Instagram posing in a Southern Miss jersey with the caption: ‘Blessed & committed. Southern Miss to the top.’

Dufour plays as a striker and while being based in Quebec, Canada, has also represented Haiti at youth level.

According to Quebec news site Courrier Laval, Dufour had two operations as a teenager to reattach the bones of her pelvis due to hip dysplasia.

She needed physiotherapy to start walking, running and jumping again. 

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But Dufour’s new fans have a wait on their hands until they get to see her play. The 2025 soccer season starts in August. 

STARKVILLE — The start to SEC play did not go well for Mississippi State women’s basketball. 

First, it was crushed by 22 points at Kentucky. Then, MSU suffered a 27-point loss to South Carolina on Sunday. 

Afterward, coach Sam Purcell was blunt with Jerkaila Jordan, his star player. 

“I talked about, ‘There’s moments there in that South Carolina game you didn’t trust your teammates,’” he said. “‘The moments are going to arrive again that you don’t have to hit a home run ball. If you go into a collapse, I need you to make a pass.’”

It unfolded just like he imagined. 

Midway through the fourth quarter, as Mississippi State led No. 11 Oklahoma by two points, Jordan drove to the right and was stopped by a defender at the block. She immediately spun around and located a wide open Debreasha Powe standing at the 3-point line. The pass was made. 

Splash. 

It was one of many brilliant plays by Jordan as she scored 12 of her team-leading 24 points in the fourth quarter and willed MSU (14-3, 1-2 SEC) to an 81-77 upset win Thursday night at Humphrey Coliseum. 

Purcell and Jordan both credited the win to one thing: focus.

“SEC is one of the toughest conferences,” Jordan said. “It could be anybody’s night. Literally, there’s any team that can knock you off. So just like I said, not dwelling on the last one, because you can lose two, but you can win two just as fast in the SEC.”

Mississippi State weathered Oklahoma’s storm

The start of Thursday’s game was similar to Sunday’s loss to South Carolina.

Mississippi State again had a hot start and jumped ahead by 14 points. MSU unraveled four days ago in the same situation. Turnovers and defensive lapses were aplenty. The shot choices were head-scratching. The energy was sucked out of Humphrey Coliseum. 

This time, the Bulldogs were prepared for Oklahoma’s punch. 

The Sooners (13-3, 1-2) closed the first half on a 15-2 run. MSU’s lead was cut to 33-32. The bleeding stopped there. 

MORE: Leading rusher Davon Booth announces return to Mississippi State football for 2025 season

Mississippi State and Oklahoma traded the lead back and forth in the third quarter. A 7-0 run by the Bulldogs in the final two minutes gave them a 53-49 lead into the fourth quarter. And perhaps most importantly, MSU committed just two turnovers in the quarter. It’s been an issue all season, but MSU had only 11 against the Sooners, tied for its second fewest of the season.

“Everybody loses focus when bad things happen,” Purcell said. “Basketball is a game of mistakes. So if you can stay focused and stay the course, you’ll overcome whatever is thrown at you, whether it’s not a call, a turnover, an off night.” 

How Mississippi State stayed focused to seal the win

Mississippi State and Oklahoma were tied at 72 with one minute to play. MSU won the game at the free throw line. 

It attempted 12 free throws in the final minute. Eniya Russell, Madina Okot, Destiney McPhaul and Denim DeShields drilled nine of them. 

One final stop was needed, though, as Russell missed one free throw with 14 seconds remaining. The Bulldogs led 79-77 when an off-target Oklahoma pass ricocheted off two hands. The ball bounced once on the floor near the elbow, up for anyone’s grab. DeShields came away with it, one of her five steals in the game. 

“To keep that focus and own the moment, especially when we ran out of timeouts and the game was long, and we just were like, ‘What’s going on?’ again, it says a lot about who they are and the big-game gene that they have in them,” Purcell said.

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.