Mississippi

Grammy Winner Gives A Bluesy Tour Through The Hill Country

Published

2 years ago

April 20, 2024

Grammy Winner Gives A Bluesy Tour Through The Hill Country

The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area is a unique region that was designated by Congress in 2009 and has played a major role in America’s history and culture.

The Northeast Mississippi region, bounded by Interstate 55 to the west and Highway 14 to the south, intermingles Appalachian and Delta cultures, was instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement and was the home of Elvis Presley, William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams. It also is the home to the Mississippi Blues Trail, where travelers can follow markers to learn about an underpublicized form of music known as Hill Country blues.

Bluesman Cedric Burnside, who released a new album, Hill Country Love, this month, lives in Ashland, about 18 miles east of Holly Springs, which is about an hour drive southeast of Memphis, Tennessee. Most of Burnside’s life was spent in Tullahoma, a little Mississippi Hill Country town outside Holly Springs, so he is well-suited to lead visitors to the region’s treasures.

Burnside’s 2022 album I Be Trying won a Grammy, and his grandfather R.L. Burnside was a renowned Hill Country blues slide guitarist and singer who learned to play from his neighbor, country blues legend Mississippi Fred McDowell.

Cedric Burnside says visitors should go to the place in Chulahoma (about 15 miles southwest of Holly Springs) where Junior Kimbrough’s juke joint once stood. Kimbrough, a member of the Blues Hall of Fame, ran the juke joint in the 1990s to keep alive the dirty blues of McDowell, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson and others. The shack burned down in 2000.

“Go by there just to feel the energy of that place,” says the 42-year-old Burnside. “And anyone who knew of or met my (grand) daddy should go by his gravesite and feel his energy as well. His gravesite is close by Junior’s gravesite.”

Visitors interested in experiencing “authentic Hill Country blues and good home-cooked food” should go to the Foxfire Ranch in Waterford, Burnside says. The 80-acre ranch includes a 5,000 square-foot open-air pavilion, an indoor banquet hall, multiple stages and four cabins.

The ranch’s website describes the vibe: “Musicians love to play here with blue skies as their backdrop. Families joyfully gather here for reunions, quinceañeras and to publicly declare their commitments of love to each other. Children run freely, finding wonder nestled in the arms of whispering pines and restful oak trees. This is a place where cell phones slow down, the internet is a little finicky, the food feeds your soul and your body remembers.”

Burnside says the blues trail markers in various towns explain the significance of local blues artists and their contributions to their communities. A few more markers for R.L. Burnside and Kimbrough were recently placed in Holly Springs. In Ashland, Burnside recommends visiting the marker “in the square by the courthouse” for Royal Studio owner Boo Mitchell. His dad, Willie Mitchell, produced Al Green’s hits and was instrumental in redefining Memphis rhythm and blues.

According to the Mississippi Blues Commission, the markers “tell stories through words and images of bluesmen and women and how the places where they lived and the times in which they existed — and continue to exist — influenced their music. The sites run the gamut from city streets to cotton fields, train depots to cemeteries and clubs to churches.”

The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area includes 19 counties and portions of 11 others.

“The Hill Country is just what it says — the hills of Mississippi,” Cedric Burnside explains. “The Delta is the flatland lower down, and Hill Country is more in the north. Holly Springs is really hilly, and Ashland is almost mountains. Senatobia is part of the Hill Country, where Mississippi Fred McDowell and (blues musicians) Othar Turner and Jessie Mae Hemphill are from. Another great Hill Country blues legend, R.L. Boyce, is from Como.”

The Mississippi Blues Commission says “Delta blues often claims the spotlight,” but “other styles of the blues were produced in other regions of Mississippi. In the greater Holly Springs area, musicians developed a Hill Country blues style characterized by few chord changes, unconventional song structures and an emphasis on the groove or a steady, driving rhythm.”

Hill Country blues is so meaningful to the region, “because it’s unique,” Burnside says. “It’s just different from any other blues you hear. For a long time, Hill Country blues wasn’t on the scene and didn’t get recognition until the 1990s through my big daddy R.L. and Junior Kimbrough. The unorthodox rhythms of this music is something people had to get used to.”

The Hill Country blues rhythms undoubtedly won over the judges when Burnside’s I Be Trying album won a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album. The 13-track album included 11 songs written by Burnside and songs written by his grandfather and Kimbrough.

“To be the first from the Hill Country area to bring a Grammy home fills me with gratitude,” Burnside says. “All the Hill Country legends, including those I played with, should’ve won a Grammy — should’ve won several – but they didn’t. So, I won that Grammy not just for myself but for them and this region.”

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Mississippi

These restaurants, schools, in, near, Jackson fail December health inspections

Published

10 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

These restaurants, schools, in, near, Jackson fail December health inspections

Four food service facilities in the Jackson area received failing health inspection grades in December 2025.
Common violations cited were inadequate hand-washing facilities and unclean food-contact surfaces.
As of early January, three of the four locations had corrected their violations and passed follow-up inspections.

In the Jackson area, four restaurants and food service facilities received failing health inspection grades in December 2025, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health.

As of Jan. 5, three of the four facilities have conducted follow-up inspections and rectified the failing grade.

Below are the restaurants and food-service facilities in District V, which includes Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties, that received a failing grade of “C.”

Hinds County

Powell Middle School, temporarily housed in the former Brinkley Middle School located at 3535 Albemarle Road in Jackson, received a failing grade during a scheduled inspection on Dec. 10. In 2023, Brinkley Middle School was consolidated into Lanier High School. Powell Middle School then moved into the former Brinkley building while the school is being renovated. The inspection notes a lack of a certified manager and inadequate hand-washing facilities. The grade was rectified in a follow-up inspection on Dec. 17. Brinkley Middle School previously received one other failing grade in 2021, which was rectified in a follow-up inspection.
Oak Forest Elementary School, located at 1831 Smallwood St. in Jackson, received a failing grade during a scheduled inspection on Dec. 8. The inspection notes inadequate hand-washing facilities and improperly washed hands. As of Jan. 5, Oak Forest Elementary has not conducted a follow-up inspection. The school previously received one other failing grade in 2024, which was rectified during a follow-up inspection.

Madison County

Penn’s Fish House, located at 1859 Main St. in Madison, received a failing grade during an inspection following a complaint on Nov. 18. The restaurant then failed the corrective follow-up on Dec. 1. Penn’s rectified the grade during a second follow-up inspection on Dec. 15. The Nov. 18 inspection notes several violations, including a lack of a certified manager and inadequate hand-washing facilities. The notes also cite violations in food storage and preparation, including unclean food-contact surfaces and improper holding temperatures. By Dec. 1, the restaurant had corrected most of the violations, but still had unclean food contact surfaces, according to the inspection notes. This Penn’s location previously received two failing grades in 2013 and 2021, both of which were rectified during follow-up inspections.

Rankin County

Golden Corral, located at 988 Top St. in Flowood, received a failing grade during an inspection following a complaint on Dec. 12. The inspection notes several violations, including inadequate hand-washing facilities, unclean food contact surfaces and improper food-holding temperatures, date marking and disposition. The restaurant rectified the grade during a follow-up inspection on Dec. 17. In November 2025, this Golden Corral location received a failing grade for several of the same violations listed in the Dec. 12 inspection. The restaurant rectified the November failing grade during a follow-up inspection on Nov. 14. This Golden Corral location previously received a failing grade in 2023, which was then corrected in a follow-up inspection.

Health inspection grading system

The MSDH grades health inspections on an A, B and C scale, with C considered a failing grade.

The MSDH website states the following regarding the grading scale:

A rating: “The facility inspection found no critical violations. Critical violations of the state Food Code are those more likely to lead to food contamination, illness, or other health risk.”
B rating: “Critical violations were found, but corrected under the supervision of the inspecting environmentalist. No further corrective actions are required.”
C rating: “Critical violations were found, but some or all were not corrected during the inspection. The facility will be re-inspected, and all violations must be corrected in a time period not to exceed 10 days. The re-inspection date is posted on the graded report. If violations are not corrected in the specified time, steps are taken to suspend the facility’s permit to operate. A grade of C is also given if critical violations are repeated from the last inspection, even if they were corrected at that time.”

Got a news tip? Contact Mary Boyte at mboyte@jackson.gannett.com

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Mississippi

Mississippi lawmakers to tackle school choice, PERS reform as session begins

Published

23 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) – Mississippi lawmakers will address school choice legislation, PERS reform, and Gulf Coast Restoration Fund distribution when the legislative session begins Tuesday, according to political analyst Frank Corder with the Magnolia Tribune.

School choice

Corder said school choice will likely be the first major issue addressed, with House Speaker Jason White making it one of his main agenda items this session.

School choice policies would let families use public funds to enroll their children in schools outside their assigned local option, including private schools.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if the first week or two, we don’t see a bill dropped and by the end of January, there’s some kind of action on that bill,” said Corder.

The Senate will likely take a more measured approach to school choice legislation, Corder said. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann has said he supports opening up public-to-public transfers but not necessarily allowing money to follow students from public to private schools.

ALSO READ: Lt. Gov. targets chronic absenteeism, supports limited school choice options

Corder expects Mississippi will pass some form of public-to-public transfer system that allows parents to choose schools outside their assigned district, though he is uncertain whether universal school choice will advance this session.

Gulf Coast Restoration Fund

This session, lawmakers will look at how Gulf Coast Restoration Funds are distributed, Corder said. The fund operates as an advisory body that makes recommendations to the Mississippi Development Authority, which then sends proposals to lawmakers for funding decisions.

Corder said Coast lawmakers have typically been unified in their requests, but when they are not, funding has lagged.

“I do expect them to maybe revamp how things are done this time. If it doesn’t happen, I’ll be surprised,” he said.

ALSO READ: 16 projects recommended for Gulf Coast Restoration Funds

Corder believes focus will shift toward larger, coastwide projects spanning from Jackson County to Hancock County, including infrastructure improvements and coastal restoration projects.

PERS reform

The Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) will also likely receive attention this session.

Corder said lawmakers could consider changes to Tier 5 that would reduce the 35-year work requirement for law enforcement officers and firefighters before retirement.

In March 2025, the state legislature passed House Bill 1, which changed PERS to require 35 years of service for full retirement benefits, regardless of age, starting March 1, 2026.

ALSO READ: Mississippi first responders unite to propose separate state retirement tier

Corder believes lawmakers will also consider injecting resources into PERS to improve its financial stability.

Vote 2026

Corder also weighed in on the midterm elections happening this year. Last week, candidates filed paperwork to qualify.

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith will face a Republican primary challenge from Sarah Adlakha of the Gulf Coast. Corder said Hyde-Smith has advantages as the incumbent with an established “campaign war chest,” while Adlakha appears to be self-financing her campaign.

ALSO READ: MS candidates file for federal election qualification

In the 4th Congressional District, Rep. Mike Ezell faces challenges from Republican Sawyer Walters. On the Democratic side, State Rep. Jeffery Hulum and two others are running along with one Independent.

“That could be an interesting race to watch,” said Corder.

Rep. Bennie Thompson also has a Democratic challenger, Evan Turnage, who previously served as chief counsel for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Congressional primaries are scheduled for Tuesday, March 10.

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Mississippi

Dallas fugitive arrested in Mississippi

Published

1 day ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

PORT GIBSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Port Gibson police announced a fugitive wanted out of Dallas, Texas, was arrested in Mississippi. Police said they received credible information that Latavien Manning was in Port Gibson on January 3, 2026. He was wanted for aggravated assault with a firearm and had been on the run for six months. […]

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