Mississippi
Madison native, Mississippi State commit preparing to play in All-American Game
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – On Saturday in San Antonio, the best high school football seniors in the country will be in San Antonio playing in the 2024 All-American Bowl. Included in that list is offensive lineman Jimothy Lewis Jr.
Lewis Jr., a Madison native and Mississippi State commit, played his high school football at the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, and is excited to play on the same field as the most talented high school players in the country.
“Guys just come from all around the country to play in that game. It just lets you know there’s talent everywhere, lets you see there’s better people better than you. It’s crazy,” Lewis Jr. said.
Montra Edwards, the defensive coordinator at Hazlehurst High School, has been working with Lewis Jr. on and off for a few years. He was not surprised to learn of his invite to the All-American Bowl.
“He’s been working hard ever since I’ve known him,” Edwards said. “He comes in, he busts his butt; great kid, smart kid, loves to work, and embraces the grind.”
Lewis Jr. is one of three Mississippi players who will be playing in the game, being joined by Meridian’s Daniel Hill and Houston’s William Echoles. Lewis Jr. is proud to represent the Magnolia State on the national stage.
“It puts Mississippi on the spot,” he said. “There’s good players here, kids come in here, train, doing stuff like that; it helps them.”
“He’s laying the legacy down, showing them that, ‘I’m a guy from Mississippi, I deserve to be in big time all-star games. When I get there, I’m going to compete just like everybody else,’” Edwards said.
Lewis Jr. said his only goal for this weekend is to get on the field and make an impact, but Edwards knows he will make his mark.
“I expect him to dominate,” he said.
The All-American Bowl will be played in San Antonio’s Alamodome on Saturday. The game will kick off at noon central time, and it will air on NBC.
Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.
Copyright 2024 WLBT. All rights reserved.
GREENVILLE, Miss. (WLBT) – Ten people were taken to the hospital after a canopy collapsed at a gas station in Greenville, Mississippi.
According to the Greenville Fire Department, the incident occurred at the Rick’s Express, and was seemingly caused by excessive water and ice.
The structure, the fire department said, fell onto several vehicles, and ten people were taken to the hospital for both minor and major injuries.
Fire crews remained on the scene to secure the area and assess the stability of the structure. Crews also blocked off the area.
The fire department later said that another canopy had collapsed at a separate gas station in the city, this one occurring at the B-Quick.
One person was injured, and several vehicles were damaged.
Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.
Copyright 2026 WLBT. All rights reserved.
Subscribe to Clarion Ledger: Local journalists covering local stories
Clarion Ledger journalists cover the important moments in Mississippi. Support local journalism by subscribing.
Staff
Will Mississippi be the first state to expand educational freedom in 2026? It’s too early to know, but it’s notable that the state House recently passed HB2, the Mississippi Education Freedom Act, a step in that direction. The centerpiece of the massive bill is an education savings account program called Magnolia Student Accounts, or MSA for short.
By creating these Magnolia Student Accounts, Mississippi would join a growing number of states that recognize parents know their kids better than bureaucrats do, and education funding should follow students to the learning environments where they’ll thrive.
This isn’t a radical concept. We don’t mandate where families shop for groceries or what doctor they visit. Education is too important to be the one service where choice doesn’t matter.
The mechanics of MSAs are straightforward. Instead of locking all education dollars into assigned district schools, the state would deposit funds into accounts that families control. Those funds could pay for private school tuition, tutoring, educational technology, curriculum materials, specialized courses and more.
If HB2 is passed, every student would be eligible to apply for an MSA, but the number of available accounts would be limited. In the first year, there would be a maximum of 12,500 accounts for private school tuition, with half of those reserved for students transferring out of public schools. The cap would automatically increase by 2,500 each year for the first four years. After that, it would automatically increase by 2,500 whenever all accounts are claimed the previous year. If applications exceed available funds, students from lower-income households would receive priority and a lottery would be conducted if needed.
For students using the accounts at participating schools, funding would be based on the state’s base student funding for the applicable school year, currently around $6,800. Students at non-participating schools would receive $2,000 with a family maximum of $4,000. Up to 5,000 homeschoolers could receive $1,000 per family. The program also allows families to carry over unused funds for future educational expenses, which discourages wasteful spending.
As currently drafted, the program respects participating schools’ autonomy. Schools aren’t forced to participate, and those that do aren’t subjected to state curriculum mandates. They can still set their own admissions standards, hire teachers who share their mission and maintain the distinctive programs that make them effective. Religious schools can maintain their faith-based instruction. These protections are critical in encouraging diverse educational options rather than cookie-cutter schools that all look alike.
While adopting MSAs would be a significant step toward more educational freedom for Mississippi families, there are areas for improvement in the proposal. The participation caps mean only around 3% of Mississippi students would be able to participate in the beginning, and the cap increases at a very slow pace. Providing lower funding amounts based on what type of education children receive limits families’ flexibility and complicates program administration, as well.
As is often the case, the teachers union, superintendents’ association and other opponents of school choice are campaigning against the Education Freedom Act, claiming that MSAs will harm public schools. Yet public school funding would only be affected if parents choose other options — which, critically, would not happen if the school is meeting their needs. Keeping kids trapped in schools that aren’t working for them helps no one.
Mississippi’s public schools may be a great fit for many students, but they can’t work for every child. Some students need more personalized environments, different instructional approaches or specialized support that their assigned school can’t provide. When we pretend one-size-fits-all in education, the students who suffer are typically those with the fewest alternatives.
The education landscape is changing. Enrollment in Mississippi district schools has fallen. Many families want options that better fit their children’s needs. Magnolia Student Accounts acknowledge this reality and enable education funding to reflect family choices.
No education system is perfect, and choice programs require careful drafting and implementation. But the old way of doing things — a system where kids are limited by their addresses, struggling students can’t escape schools that aren’t meeting their needs, and innovative approaches can’t get funding — is no longer good enough.
Education works best when families have options and schools have the freedom to meet students where they are. Mississippi is moving decisively in that direction.
— Colleen Hroncich is a policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Educational Freedom.
Here’s the nominees for Clarion Ledger girls Athlete of the Week for Jan. 19-24
Here’s the five nominees for the Clarion Ledger girls Mississippi high school Athlete of the Week for Jan. 19-24.
There were several top performers across the state in girls high school sports, but only one can be voted as the Clarion Ledger athlete of the week for Jan. 19-24.
Fans may vote in the poll BELOW one time per hour per device. The poll closes at noon on Friday.
To nominate a future athlete of the week, email mchavez@gannett.com or message him on X, formerly Twitter, @MikeSChavez.
To submit high school scores, statistics, records, leaders and other items at any time, email mchavez@gannett.com.
Nominations
Mariyah Farrell, Heidelberg: Farrell had 31 points and seven assists in Heidelberg’s 74-45 win against Enterprise-Clarke.
Presley Hughes, Madison-Ridgeland Academy: Hughes recorded 14 points and five rebounds in MRA’s 67-17 win against Jackson Prep.
Leah Laporte, Our Lady Academy: Laporte recorded a team-high 24 points in OLA’s 68-49 win against Tylertown.
Lauren Norwood, South Panola: Norwood had a double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds in South Panola’s 56-43 win against Lake Cormorant.
Jayda Smith, Simpson Academy: Smith had 21 points and eight assists in Simpson Academy’s 71-40 win against Brookhaven Academy.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.
Deadly crash shuts down H-1 eastbound in Aiea
Bryan Kohberger Reportedly Posed Idaho Four Victims’ Bodies After Brutal Murders
Illinois Racing Board suspends Hawthorne Race Course’s license, putting future in jeopardy
Watch: IU football honored before IU-Purdue basketball game
Trump launches midterm push in Iowa, warns losses would derail agenda: ‘We gotta win’
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Video: F.A.A. Ignored Safety Concerns Prior to Collision Over Potomac, N.T.S.B. Says
Democrats demand Kristi Noem be fired or warn impeachment will follow
EU Commissioner Virkkunen urges US to respect EU digital rules
Families of killed men file first U.S. federal lawsuit over drug boat strikes
Video: New Video Analysis Reveals Flawed and Fatal Decisions in Shooting of Pretti
-
Sports1 week agoMiami’s Carson Beck turns heads with stunning admission about attending classes as college athlete
-
Illinois6 days agoIllinois school closings tomorrow: How to check if your school is closed due to extreme cold
-
Pittsburg, PA1 week agoSean McDermott Should Be Steelers Next Head Coach
-
Lifestyle1 week agoNick Fuentes & Andrew Tate Party to Kanye’s Banned ‘Heil Hitler’
-
Pennsylvania2 days agoRare ‘avalanche’ blocks Pennsylvania road during major snowstorm
-
Sports1 week agoMiami star throws punch at Indiana player after national championship loss
-
Cleveland, OH1 week agoNortheast Ohio cities dealing with rock salt shortage during peak of winter season
-
Science1 week ago‘It is scary’: Oak-killing beetle reaches Ventura County, significantly expanding range