Mississippi

John, Paul, Ringo and George are coming to Hattiesburg. No, not The Beatles. What to know

Published

2 years ago

June 27, 2024

John, Paul, Ringo and George are coming to Hattiesburg. No, not The Beatles. What to know

Ed Inman
| Special to the Hattiesburg American

Electric vehicle enthusiasts from throughout south Mississippi will gather Sunday, June 30, at Hattiesburg’s Mahogany Bar and Crescent City Grill to celebrate the installation of four new on-site chargers for patrons to use while enjoying their food and beverages.

Called “Charge Together,” the event is being promoted as a “charge and chat” and is co-sponsored by EV Mississippi, a non-profit group that seeks to promote the use of electric vehicles through education and outreach.

The event will kick off at 2 p.m. and continue until 5 p.m. Sunday.

On display will be several new Tesla Cybertrucks as well as other recently unveiled electric vehicles. There will also be food and themed cocktail and mocktails available for purchase.

Crescent City owner Robert St. John said the installation will mark the first time a full-service restaurant and bar in the Hattiesburg area has offered an electric vehicle charging service.

“It is said that businesses can’t be all things to all people, and I guess that’s true. But we can be as many things to as many people as makes sense within our concept and dynamic,” St. John said.

As electric vehicles have increased in popularity, he said he believes it makes “perfect sense” to have EV charging stations at restaurants in 2024.

Simeon Williford, who serves as St. John’s executive assistant, said the units are “Level 2” chargers, which will allow motorists to travel between 30 and 40 miles following a one-hour charge. The decision to install them followed discussions with EV Mississippi co-founder Josh Hazel who noted that there was an increasing need for such a station in that area of town.

Mary-Frances Garner, a publicist for New South Restaurant Group, said the event will be set up like an outdoor block party.

“It is free to attend and there will be lots of EV enthusiasts on hand from throughout the area to share their knowledge and answer questions,” she said.

In a region where there are currently only a limited number of chargers available, the installation is expected to bring potential growth to the Hattiesburg community and economy, Garner said.

As a side note, the four chargers are being named after the four Beatles: John, Paul, Ringo and George, and there will be recorded music on hand by the Beatles and other classic rock artists at the event.

“Robert is a huge Beatles fan,” Williford said.

In addition to promoting knowledge about electric vehicles, EV Mississippi seeks to advance initiatives that positively affect the environment and works to assist in the development of infrastructure and resources by addressing public policy issues, which impact the future of the EV community.

The fast-growing group currently has 549 members on their Facebook page and is currently offering $50 raffle tickets to win a new electric vehicle of your choice.

“We will have a limited number of 1,500 tickets sold and the winner will be announced at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, at the EV Mississippi fall event,” Hazel said.

That drawing will be held in front of the PetSmart at 6143 U.S. 98.

A Hattiesburg staple since 1990, Crescent City Grill is a Creole-inspired eatery serving fresh gulf fish, oysters and shrimp with other New Orleans-inspired fare including seafood gumbo, shrimp po-boys, and crawfish etouffee. The Mahogany Bar is an elevated cocktail spot offering an extensive whiskey list with over 200 bourbons and over 100 beers, including those from all nine Mississippi breweries.

The establishments are conveniently located between U.S. 49 and Interstate 59 at 3810 Hardy St., Hattiesburg.

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Mississippi

How Mississippi State’s Tomas Valincius dominated third straight SEC team vs Ole Miss

Published

21 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

How Mississippi State’s Tomas Valincius dominated third straight SEC team vs Ole Miss

OXFORD — Tomas Valincius struck out top Ole Miss baseball batter Tristan Bissetta looking on his last pitch of the game.

There was no emotion from the Mississippi State starting pitcher as he walked back to the dugout after Bissetta was the fourth straight Ole Miss batter to strike out.

It was another instance of Valincius, the left-handed Virginia transfer, showing a trait that’s made him such a dominant pitcher for the No. 4 Bulldogs. The longer Valincius pitches, the better he gets.

The sophomore pitched another five shutout innings as MSU (23-4, 5-2 SEC) took down No. 18 Ole Miss, 6-1, at Swayze Field on March 28 to win the series.

“It’s all mental,” Valincius said. “Just going out there and just kind of trusting yourself and all the work you put in throughout the week. And even when you don’t have your stuff, it’s still a war between every battle in every inning. It’s kind of like finding a way to do what you can do with what you got.”

The win clinched the Bulldogs’ ninth series against the Rebels (19-9, 3-5) in the last 10 meetings. Another win March 29 (3 p.m., SEC Network) would make Brian O’Connor the third straight first-year MSU coach to sweep Ole Miss.

Valincius (6-0) hasn’t allowed an earned run in 19 SEC innings and his season ERA dropped to 0.91.

Against the Rebels, one game after striking out a career-high 14 batters against Vanderbilt, Valincius recorded nine strikeouts with three hits, two walks and one hit by pitch in 90 pitches.

“He buckled down when runners were in scoring position,” O’Connor said. “He’s always best in his middle innings. You see him just rise his game up.”

Why Tomas Valincius could’ve done even better against Ole Miss

While the Ole Miss game was Valincius’ third SEC start without allowing an earned run, it was his shortest outing of the three. The other two against Arkansas and Vanderbilt both lasted seven innings.

Valincius stranded six Ole Miss batters on base in his five innings.

“Early on, I didn’t really feel like I had anything going,” Valincius said. “I was kind of just finding a way to win. That was kind of my whole approach throughout the whole game. I couldn’t really figure out the slider and fastball command. It wasn’t working a lot. I just found a way to win.”

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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Mississippi

Mother, her 2 daughters among 5 killed in collision between train and van

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Mother, her 2 daughters among 5 killed in collision between train and van

STONE COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX/Gray News) — Multiple people were killed in a crash between a train and a van on Friday afternoon in Mississippi.

Stone County Sheriff Todd Stewart said the crash happened around 1 p.m. on Pump Branch Road. First responders had to cut through the woods to get to the wreckage.

There were six people in the van at the time of the crash, Stewart said. Stone County Coroner Wayne Flurry confirmed five of them died in the crash.

Multiple people are dead after a crash between a train and a van in Mississippi. (WLOX)

The sixth person was airlifted to New Orleans.

The five victims were identified as 26-year-old Ryan C. Peterson, who was a corrections officer with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, 23-year-old Demarcus Perkins, 45-year-old Kristina Carver, and Carver’s two daughters, 22-year-old Emley Chamblee and 20-year-old Sarabeth Chamblee.

Nearby resident Pam Olson has been sounding the alarm on the Pump Branch Road railroad crossing for some time. She was tending to her garden with her husband when the sound of screeching brakes made them jolt.

“We heard it,” explained Olson. “My husband and I were in the yard working on our flowerbeds. I told my husband a train hit another vehicle. My husband ran up there and said, ‘Pam, it’s bad.’”

A recent report from the Stone County Enterprise outlines another wreck in the same spot, which resulted in the driver of a pickup truck being airlifted. Stewart also pointed out a fatal train accident in Stone County happened at the location in 2023, claiming the life of a Wiggins woman.

“This’d be the second incident in the last four to five weeks involving fatalities and the third incident in the last year, all involving fatalities,” explained Stewart. “To date, we’ve lost seven folks within the last year.”

The crossing does not have crossing arms or lights. Stone County District 1 Supervisor Jimmy Springs said he previously reached out to Mississippi Department of Transportation railroad engineers and was told crossing arms are on the way for two crossings, including the one at Pump Branch Road. However, it could take a year for them to be installed.

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CLASH Endurance triathlon begins on Mississippi Gulf Coast

Published

2 days ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

CLASH Endurance triathlon begins on Mississippi Gulf Coast

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) — The CLASH Endurance triathlon officially started along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Maya Reilly placed first in the collegiate female draft-legal division.

“I placed first, so I’m pretty stoked about that,” Reilly said.

Winning a triathlon means beating competitors from across the country and around the world in swimming, biking and running.

“Definitely a lot of hours goes into the sport, but the actual race was tough. It was like full gas, swim, bike, and run, so over an hour. And I’m excited to be able to be done and take home the win,” Reilly said.

Maya Reilly placed first in the collegiate female draft-legal division.(WLOX)

Athletes praise Gulf Coast hospitality

It’s CLASH Endurance’s first year on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and athletes say the experience is just as memorable as the competition.

“I have had such a great time down here in the south. It’s, like, the nicest people I’ve ever met. The culture is amazing. The music’s great. The food’s great. Honestly, nothing but positive for me. It’s awesome,” said Annette Zavala of the UC Davis Triathlon Team.

“I really like this course. It was really cool to see them swim in the marina. The course was very accessible to view, which I really appreciated,” said Sophia Najera of the UC Davis Triathlon Team.

It’s CLASH Endurance’s first year on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and athletes say the... — It’s CLASH Endurance’s first year on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and athletes say the experience is just as memorable as the competition.(WLOX)

More than 28 countries and all 50 states are represented, bringing a boost to the coastal economy.

“All of the athletes who are visiting coastal Mississippi, they’re staying in the hotels, they’re visiting the restaurants, they’re shopping, and they’re not just staying for a night or two. Some of them are staying and playing,” said Blair Lahaye, CLASH Endurance vice president of communications.

Athletes say it’s the support from the crowd and each other that pushes them across the finish line.

“You might have the worst mindset out there, but just hearing someone believe in you, like, that’s sometimes all you need to move forward,” Zavala said.

“I could not have gone through half the races I did, half the trainings I did, without the support of my teammates. We’re really excited to come race tomorrow, and we were super glad to get to be able to cheer on our teammates today,” Najera said.