Mississippi
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.”
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 3, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from Jan. 3 drawing
01-04-07-15-34
Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from Jan. 3 drawing
Midday: 4-5-3, FB: 6
Evening: 3-9-1, FB: 0
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from Jan. 3 drawing
Midday: 5-3-4-4, FB: 6
Evening: 9-9-0-0, FB: 0
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from Jan. 3 drawing
Midday: 12
Evening: 09
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Story continues below gallery.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.
Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:
Mississippi Lottery Corporation
P.O. Box 321462
Flowood, MS
39232
If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.
Mississippi Lottery Headquarters
1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100
Flowood, MS
39232
Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.
When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?
- Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
- Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.
The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (1-12) head into a road matchup with Tae Davis and the Oklahoma Sooners (9-3) at Lloyd Noble Center on Monday, beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
We provide more details below, and that includes how to watch this game on SEC Network+.
Here is everything you need to prepare for Monday’s college hoops game.
Oklahoma vs. Mississippi Valley State: How to watch on TV or live stream
- Game day: Monday, December 29, 2025
- Game time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Norman, Oklahoma
- Arena: Lloyd Noble Center
- TV Channel: SEC Network+
- Live stream: Fubo – Watch NOW (Regional restrictions may apply)
Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Watch college basketball on Fubo!
Oklahoma vs. Mississippi Valley State stats and trends
- With 86.9 points per game on offense, Oklahoma is 46th in the nation. At the other end, it gives up 72.7 points per contest, which ranks 174th in college basketball.
- The Sooners are grabbing 34.8 boards per game (111th-ranked in college basketball) this season, while allowing 30.5 rebounds per contest (156th-ranked).
- Oklahoma is averaging 16.7 dimes per game, which ranks them 76th in college basketball in 2025-26.
- The Sooners are forcing 11.6 turnovers per game this season (214th-ranked in college basketball), but they’ve averaged just 9.3 turnovers per contest (20th-best).
- This season, Oklahoma is making 10.2 three-pointers per game (45th-ranked in college basketball) and is shooting 34.6% (143rd-ranked) from three-point land.
- The Sooners are giving up 8.6 treys per game (281st-ranked in college basketball) this season, while allowing a 35.2% three-point percentage (285th-ranked).
- Of the shots attempted by Oklahoma in 2025-26, 53.7% of them have been two-pointers (66.6% of the team’s made baskets) and 46.3% have been threes (33.4%).
Oklahoma vs. Mississippi Valley State Odds and Spread
- Spread Favorite: Sooners (-44.5)
- Total: 152.5 points
NCAA Basketball odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Monday at 2:47 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
Watch college basketball on Fubo!
Follow the latest college sports coverage at College Sports Wire.
The powers-that-be have put college football coaches and players in very awkward spots with the transfer portal.
For roughly 68-70 FBS teams, there’s a stretch of time between its regular season finale and bowl game where important decisions have to be made.
Coaches have to be fired and hired. Coaching staffs have to be adjusted or changed entirely. Players have to make decisions about staying or going, whether via the portal or NFL Draft.
It leads to awkward moments with players announcing plans to enter the transfer portal and opting out of their team’s bowl game. There are good arguments to be made for all sides, too.
For example, fans may hate it, but if a player knows they’re entering the transfer portal then it’s a smart business decision to not play in a bowl game. (Playoff games are different.)
But not all players planning to enter the transfer portal are opting out of their team’s bowl game. Just like not all coaches are keeping transferring players at home for bowl games.
In those instances, it’s a good display of coaches and players having good relationships.
That brings us to today’s news that Mississippi State quarterback Luke Kromenhoek is going to be with the Bulldogs for their Duke’s Mayo Bowl game against Wake Forest on Friday.
“He is with us and will be available,” Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby announced Sunday morning. “So, appreciative of him staying with us, going through this, being a great teammate, and excited for what he’s going to be able to go do next.”
Kromenhoek has already announced his intention to enter the transfer portal after one season in Starkville. He played in two games (earning a redshirt) and threw only four passes, but his availability is important.
Blake Shapen started 11 of 12 games for Mississippi State this season before true freshman Kamario Taylor was handed the starting job in the Egg Bowl. Shapen is no longer with the team, as Lebby confirmed earlier this month.
That left some question as to who the No. 2 quarterback in the bowl game would be. With Kromenhoek planning to enter the transfer portal, the only other quarterbacks were Taylor and fellow true freshman Parker Puckett.
Taking just Taylor and Puckett to Charlotte would be a big gamble that Taylor doesn’t miss any plays. But Kromenhoek will be available, easing those concerns.
More than 20 Mississippi State players have announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal when it opens January 2. But Kromenhoek is the only one that’ll be available for the bowl game.
“The situation is exactly what it is, and I totally understand where (Kromenhoek’s) coming from, and that’s college football these days,” Lebby said. “Luke’s got a chance to be a great player, really talented and really intelligent.
“I think for us, that’s really the only one that has said he’s going to go in that is going to be with us.”
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