Mississippi

Going on vacation? Southern Living says this Mississippi city has best white sand beaches

Published

8 months ago

March 15, 2025

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Going on vacation? Southern Living says this Mississippi city has best white sand beaches

Southern Living highlights Biloxi, Mississippi for having some of the state’s best beaches.
Biloxi’s white sand beaches stretch for 26 miles and are considered the largest manmade beaches in the world.
Mississippi has six barrier islands, some of which are accessible by ferry.

Southern Living has highlighted one Mississippi beach town as having the whitest sand in the state.

Biloxi, on the coast, is a top tourism spot.

“Considered one of the state’s best beach towns, Biloxi is known for its picturesque sand and calm waters that are protected by barrier islands just south of the beach in the Gulf of Mexico. With warm temperatures in the summer that remain temperate through the winter, there’s never a bad time to visit Biloxi,” Southern Living wrote.

The white sand beaches in Harrison County include a 26-mile stretch that World Record Academy identifies as the largest manmade beach in the world. Parts of it were designed to protect the seawall and the area from Biloxi to Pass Christian is maintained to prevent erosion.

Check out islands on Mississippi coast

There are six barrier islands for outdoors adventures and family fun in Mississippi, and parts are in the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Cat Island requires a private boat to access. There are some homes, and the beaches are popular for fishing. The name reportedly comes from French explorers confusing the resident racoons with felines.

If you’re looking for a beach with the clearest water, Getmyboat recommends checking out Ship Island for “powdery white sand and turquoise waters that rival those of the Caribbean.” You an also check out Fort Massachusetts, which dates back to the Civil War. The island has a swimming area, bathrooms, pavilions and a concession store. A public ferry runs from March to October out of Gulfport.

Deer Island is a coastal preserve. It’s currently uninhabited, but people lived there until Hurricane Camille hit in August 1969, destroying all the homes.

Horn Island and Petit Bois Island were designated as wilderness areas by Congress in 1978. They can only be accessed via private boat, according to the National Park Service.

Round Island is also home to migratory birds.

Contributing: Brian Broom

Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.

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Mississippi

Mississippi woman fatally shoots monkey escaped from overturned truck

Published

1 day ago

November 2, 2025

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Mississippi woman fatally shoots monkey escaped from overturned truck

One of the monkeys that escaped after a truck overturned on a Mississippi roadway on 28 October was shot and killed early Sunday by a homeowner who said she feared for the safety of her children.

Jessica Bond Ferguson said she was alerted early Sunday by her 16-year-old son who said he thought he had seen a monkey running in the yard outside their home near Heidelberg, Mississippi. She got out of bed, grabbed her firearm and her cellphone, and stepped outside where she saw the monkey about 60 ft (18 meters) away.

Bond said she and other residents had been warned that the escaped monkeys were potentially diseased, so she fired her gun.

“I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” Bond, who has five children ranging in age from four to 16, told the Associated Press. “I shot at it and it just stood there, and I shot again, and he backed up and that’s when he fell.”

The Jasper county sheriff’s office confirmed in a social media post that a homeowner had found one of the monkeys on their property Sunday morning but said the office didn’t have any details. The Mississippi department of wildlife, Fisheries, and parks took possession of the monkey, the sheriff’s office said.

The Rhesus monkeys had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, which routinely provides primates to scientific research organizations, according to the school. In a statement, Tulane University said the monkeys do not belong to the university, and they were not being transported by the university.

The Jasper sheriff’s office initially said the monkeys were carrying diseases including herpes, but Tulane said in a statement that the monkeys “have not been exposed to any infectious agent”.

After also initially reporting that all but one monkey had been killed, the sheriff’s office said that three monkeys remained at large and were being searched for.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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Mississippi

How Mississippi State football finally ended 16-game, two-year SEC losing streak

Published

2 days ago

November 2, 2025

Press Room

How Mississippi State football finally ended 16-game, two-year SEC losing streak

FAYETTEVILLE, AR — Mississippi State football found itself in a familiar position.

The Bulldogs were in another tight game in the fourth quarter, like three of their previous four SEC games. All of those ended in losses, with MSU seemingly finding different ways to lose each time.

But this time, Mississippi State came out on top. The Bulldogs overcame a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Arkansas 38-35 on Nov. 1 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

The MSU (5-4, 1-4 SEC) win was thrilling, with quarterback Blake Shapen throwing the game-winning touchdown to Anthony Evans III with 48 seconds remaining on a fourth down. Players were yelling and screaming in celebration as they entered the locker room afterward.

The win was more than an achievement on its own. It also snapped Mississippi State’s 16-game SEC losing streak that dated back to 2023 and was approaching the program record of 19. It was also second-year coach Jeff Lebby’s first SEC win.

The Bulldogs are one win away from their first bowl game since 2022 and can clinch it with one win in the next three games starting with No. 5 Georgia (7-1, 5-1) at Davis Wade Stadium on Nov. 8 (11 a.m., ESPN).

“It feels good to get a win,” Lebby said. “It absolutely does. I’ve continued to focus on this football team, this season and who we are in the moment. Not comparing ourselves to any teams in the past. Who are we today and what gives us the best opportunity to win every single Saturday. That’s been our focus. I guess the streak will not be talked about anymore, which I do love because we have a happy locker room and the guys played their butt off to go win.”

Kamario Taylor gets an assist after Blake Shapen injury

The Mississippi State offense struggled in the first half and the Bulldogs trailed 13-7 at halftime. Then on the first play of the second half, Shapen was removed from the game after taking a hard hit that drew a roughing the passer penalty. He was evaluated for a concussion.

In came freshman Kamario Taylor, who made numerous big plays that lit a spark for MSU. Four plays after Shapen’s injury, Taylor threw a 45-yard touchdown to Evans for a 14-13 lead. Taylor also scored a 20-yard rushing touchdown that cut Arkansas’ lead to 28-21 with 4:49 remaining in the third quarter.

Despite Taylor scoring touchdowns on two of his three drives, Lebby put Shapen back in the game once he was cleared in the third quarter.

“I just wanted to know what was going on with Blake and making sure he was OK,” Lebby said. “In that situation, I wanted to have the opportunity to have Blake, who’s done it and lived it and been around. I thought that was very important.

“What Kamario did was huge. It was big for us. We needed it in a big way, but I wanted to get back to Blake and it was able to work out.”

Shapen’s first play when he returned was an interception that deflected off the hands of his receiver. Arkansas (2-7, 0-5) turned that possession into a touchdown for a 35-21 lead with 13:43 remaining. However, the Razorbacks committed 15 penalties for 158 yards in the second half and that kept Mississippi State in the game.

Mississippi State scored 17 points on its next three drives led by Shapen — a Davon Booth rushing touchdown, a Kyle Ferrie field goal and Evans’ game-winner — to complete the comeback. Shapen also threw a 32-yard pass to a sliding Brennen Thompson on fourth down during the game-winning drive.

“It means everything because of the way the guy plays the game …” Lebby said of Shapen. “He puts it on the line every time he steps in between the white lines. That’s what leaders are made of. I just talked about it, tough people win. Blake’s a winner. He’s going to win in life because he has great toughness. He puts it on the line.”

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

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Mississippi

Mississippi’s Pork Producers Association Grills Pork

Published

3 days ago

October 31, 2025

Press Room

Mississippi’s Pork Producers Association Grills Pork

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The Mississippi Pork Producers Association demonstrated several different ways to grill pork on the grill! Local Farmer Sean Boe also shared different facts about our state’s pork industry and how much it helps the economy and to feed people.

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