Mississippi
Magnolia Mornings: October 10, 2024
- Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
In Mississippi
1. PSC to host Nuclear Summit
The Mississippi Public Service Commission will host a Nuclear Summit, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss the future of nuclear energy in Mississippi and its role in the state’s energy landscape.
The Nuclear Summit is scheduled for Tuesday, October 22, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the MPSC Courtroom in the Woolfolk Building in Jackson.
This free event will feature speakers including: Scott Hunnewell (Vice President of the New Nuclear Program at Tennessee Valley Authority); Jeff Merrifield (US Nuclear Industry Council Chairman, and former NRC Commissioner); Jim Smiley (Senior Manager Advanced Nuclear Development Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Port Gibson, Mississippi); Mike King (US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Special Assistant for ADVANCE ACT Implementation); and CEO James Walker Chairman Jay Yu (Nano Nuclear Energy Corporation).
The Commissioners are inviting all interested parties to the educational summit for a more comprehensive understanding of the current state of nuclear in Mississippi, including the innovative technologies, and the benefits and challenges the state faces.
2. Mississippi Governor approves National Guard deployment to aid Florida
Governor Tate Reeves announced Wednesday that he approved the deployment of 22 Soldiers of the Mississippi National Guard (MSNG) to Tallahassee, Florida. The 22 Soldiers will support emergency response missions in Florida in the anticipated aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
“Mississippi stands ready to assist Florida as they brace for Hurricane Milton,” said Governor Reeves in a statement. “Our state is no stranger to hurricanes, and we’ll always be grateful for the assistance we’ve received in the past from people across the country. It’s only right that we now help our fellow Americans in their time of need. I know the Mississippi National Guard will do an excellent job assisting Floridians.”
Twenty-two members of the Mississippi Army National Guard’s 185th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, headquartered in Jackson, Miss. deployed to Tallahassee International Airport, Florida today, October 9, 2024, in preparation for recovery operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. The Mississippi National Guard aviation response team consisted of 22 soldiers, aviators, and crewmen, flying two HH-60M Blackhawks from Jackson and one CH-47 Chinook helicopter from Meridian to aid in hurricane response missions.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Milton makes landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane
Hurricane Milton made landfall on the west Gulf Coast of Florida on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm. As the Associated Press reported, Milton pounded cities with ferocious winds and rain, whipping up a barrage of tornadoes and causing an unknown numbers of deaths.
“As dawn broke Thursday, officials repeated that the danger had not passed: Storm surge remained a concern in many parts of Florida and tropical storm warnings were in place for much of the east-central coast. Officials in the hard-hit counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota and Lee urged people to stay home, warning of downed power lines, trees in roads, blocked bridges and flooding,” the AP reported.
According to poweroutage.us, more than 3 million homes and businesses were without power as of Thursday morning.
2. Harris bobs and weaves in interviews
The New York Times reports that when sitting for interviews, Vice President Kamala Harris “continues to bob and weave.”
“Running an abbreviated campaign in the final sprint before Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris blitzed the media this week in a series of interviews to speak to voters who say they still don’t know enough about her,” wrote Michael Bender with NYT. “One thing they learned: how she keeps answering the question she wants, not the one that was asked.”
Bender continued, writing, “Her media swing provided a glimpse into how she often responds to unpleasant questions without answering them, questions the very premise of questions she finds unfair and can take it upon herself to reword a query she considers unhelpful. Ms. Harris, 59, can turn the typically defensive crouch of a non-answer into a bit of verbal jujitsu, as she did in declining the opportunity to identify Mr. Netanyahu as an ally.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. Full slate of JUCO action on tap for Thursday night
Here’s a rundown of the full schedule of community college games set for Thursday night in Mississippi.
- No. 7 Northwest travels to Southwest
- Hinds hosts No. 12 Jones
- MS Delta heads to No. 8 Holmes
- East Central hosts No. 3 MGCCC
- Itawamba visits Coahoma
- Pearl River hosts Co-Lin
- East MS travels to Northeast
2. LSU-Samford to play baseball exhibition in Biloxi
The Biloxi Shuckers announced that the LSU Tigers and Samford Bulldogs will play a fall exhibition game as part of the Hancock Whitney Classic at Keesler Federal Park on Sunday, November 3. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and gates open at 10:00 a.m. The two teams will play three seven-inning games for a total of 21 innings.
Tickets for the game can be purchased here or the Shuckers Box Office at Keesler Federal Park. All tickets will be general admission and are available for $15.
Markets & Business
1. Stock futures down ahead of inflation report
CNBC reports that stock futures slipped Thursday as investors looked ahead to the release of September’s consumer price index report.
“Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 50 points, or 0.1%. S&P 500 futures were 0.1% lower, and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.2%,” CNBC reported. “September’s CPI report is due at 8:30 a.m. ET, with investors looking for further signs that inflation is on a cooling trend. Economists polled by Dow Jones anticipate a 0.1% increase on a monthly basis, and a 2.3% advance over the prior 12 months.”
2. Home Depot dropping warehouses
The Wall Street Journal reports that Home Depot “is shedding some of the sprawling warehouse space it had added in the midst of the pandemic as the home-improvement goods retailer grapples with falling sales in an uncertain consumer market.”
“The Atlanta-based company is looking to sublease four buildings of around 1 million square feet or more across the U.S. that it had been using to store products imported from Asia that it had rushed into the country to get ahead of supply-chain bottlenecks,” WSJ reported. “The changes come as Home Depot is targeting about $500 million in cost savings this fiscal year, including by getting rid of space leased during the Covid-19 pandemic amid feverish consumer demand to complete home-improvement projects.”
One series remains in the regular season and Ole Miss and Mississippi State baseball are in similar situations.
Both are locks for the NCAA Tournament but are on the bubble for hosting a regional.
The Tennessean’s latest bracket projections have both the Rebels and Bulldogs as two of the 16 national seeds, but that is not solidified yet.
Finding wins in the final series, and possibly the SEC Tournament too, are necessary. Both teams close the regular season on the road against ranked teams that are also projected to host regionals.
The No. 12 Bulldogs (38-14, 15-12 SEC) play at No. 10 Texas A&M (37-12, 16-10). The No. 19 Rebels (35-18, 14-13) play at No. 16 Alabama (35-17, 16-11). Both series begin May 14 (6 p.m., SEC Network+).
Here’s a look at the different scenarios for Ole Miss and Mississippi State to host NCAA Tournament regionals.
Mississippi State, Ole Miss hosting scenarios for NCAA Tournament
Ole Miss and Mississippi State getting swept could knock them completely out of the hosting conversation, barring a deep run in the SEC Tournament. However, SEC Tournament wins are not always viewed the same as SEC regular-season wins by the selection committee.
Mississippi State is in a slightly better spot than Ole Miss. The Bulldogs’ RPI is at No. 12, one spot ahead of Ole Miss. They are tied for sixth in the SEC standings, while Ole Miss is ninth.
The Bulldogs also went 4-0 against Ole Miss, which could give them the edge if the final hosting seed came down to those two teams.
The Tennessean projects MSU as the No. 12 national seed and the Rebels as the No. 13 seed. D1Baseball and Baseball America also project MSU to host, however they both have Ole Miss as a No. 2 seed.
That could mean Ole Miss needs two wins against Alabama, while MSU may be fine with just one win at Texas A&M. If Ole Miss wins one game at Alabama, it probably would need multiple wins in the SEC Tournament.
Mississippi State winning two games at Texas A&M could keep it in contention for a top eight seed. Ole Miss and Mississippi State sweeping their series obviously would, too.
Getting a top eight seed is advantageous because that means you are guaranteed to host a super regional.
Who Ole Miss, Mississippi State fans should root against
It will help Ole Miss and Mississippi State if teams near them in the projections lose, too. That would be teams like Oregon, West Virginia, Wake Forest, Nebraska, Oregon State and Kansas.
Oregon hosts Southern Cal, Nebraska plays at Minnesota, Kansas plays at BYU, Wake Forest plays at Duke, Oregon State hosts Air Force and West Virgina hosts TCU.
How NCAA Tournament history could be made in Mississippi
If everything falls the right way, there’s a chance Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Southern Miss all host NCAA Tournament regionals. That’s never happened.
The No. 9 Golden Eagles (37-14, 19-8 Sun Belt) are projected by The Tennessean as the No. 10 national seed, just ahead of MSU and Ole Miss.
Southern Miss plays a home series against Georgia Southern (15-37, 7-20) at Pete Taylor Park beginning May 14 (7 p.m., ESPN+).
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
MUNCIE, IN — A Muncie man accused of shooting two local residents was arrested by U.S. marshals on the early morning of Wednesday, May 13, in Jackson, Mississippi.
De Vonte Marquise Williams, 32, is charged with two counts of attempted murder, a Level 1 felony carrying up to 40 years in prison, in the April 26 shootings at a home in the 1600 block of East Second Street.
One victim, a man, was shot in the “shoulder/back area,” according to an affidavit.
The other victim, a woman, had a gunshot wound in her buttocks, the document said.
According to Melissa Criswell, deputy chief for the Muncie Police Department, Williams on Wednesday afternoon was being held in Mississippi, awaiting extradition proceedings.
Criswell said the arrest was the result of a joint effort involving the MPD and other agencies, including the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Indiana State Police and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department.
According to court records, Williams has been convicted of crimes including possession of cocaine, carrying a handgun without a license and leaving the scene of an accident.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
STARKVILLE — Vaida Valincius estimates she used to drive about 60,000 miles per year to watch her two sons, Tomas and Vytas, play baseball.
The Valinicius family is from Lockport, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, but the brothers have played all over the United States.
Vytas and Tomas are three years apart, so they very rarely played on the same team. Vaida did her best to be there, whether it was in California, Arizona, Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia or greater Illinois.
“I put down like three cars I think,” Vaida told The Clarion Ledger.
But finally, after years of countless hours in the car to watch her sons play baseball, it all came full circle at Mississippi State.
Vytas, an outfielder and the older brother, and Tomas, a starting pitcher, both transferred to Mississippi State for the 2026 season but from different schools. It was a perfect reunion for Vytas’ final year of eligibility.
The brothers live together in a house and got a dog named Sergei. They get along well but, like typical competitive brothers, still banter over small things. Like who wins in a wrestling battle, or if Vytas batted closer to .500 or .100 against Tomas in fall scrimmages.
And making it even more special is that Vaida has been living with her sons in Starkville this season. She said there was “no question” she would be doing it, and the boys were welcoming.
The No. 12 Bulldogs (38-14, 15-12 SEC) begin a three-game series at No. 10 Texas A&M (37-12, 16-10) starting May 14 (6 p.m., SEC Network+) to conclude the regular season.
Vaida’s drive for home games at Dudy Noble Field has been just a few miles.
“It’s been great,” Vytas said in a joint interview with Tomas. “She cooks, cleans and does stuff for us. It makes our life easier.”
Valincius brothers had unusual path to baseball through immigrant parents
Vaida grew up in Lithuania, which at the time was controlled by the Soviet Union. At 7 years old, she was taken from her parents to train to be an Olympic cyclist until the Soviet Union fell in 1991.
In 1999, she immigrated to the United States.
“I had no English, no money and no friends,” Vaida said.
Vaida eventually settled in Chicago where she met her husband, Jozef Wolyniec, also a Lithuanian immigrant who was a speed skater growing up.
So, they each had athletic backgrounds, but knew nothing about baseball. They mostly spoke Lithuanian at home and learned baseball through the kids. Their introduction to baseball came in strange ways.
One day, 5-year-old Vytas was playing Wiffle ball with the neighbors. Vytas hit a home run, and the neighbor told him to go home.
Vytas didn’t understand what that meant. So instead of running the bases, Vytas ran to his house.
“I’m watching through the window, and my English was not good at the time,” Vaida said. “I go to the neighbor like, ‘What’s the problem? Why are you saying that?’”
Tomas is a left-handed pitcher, and one time Vaida bought him the wrong glove.
“Tomas was like, ‘Mom, I don’t feel right. I don’t feel right throwing the ball,’” Vaida said. “I was like ‘I don’t care. Throw the ball.’ I had no clue that they had gloves for the lefties too.”
Valincius brothers transfer to Mississippi State included missed flight
Tomas and Vytas both played high school baseball at the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but not at the same time.
Vytas is on his fourth college team, playing at South Carolina in 2022, John A. Logan Community College in 2023, then Illinois in 2024 and 2025. He was an All-Big Ten second-team selection last season, leading the Illini with a .348 batting average.
Tomas played at Virginia as a freshman in 2025, posting a 4.59 ERA and 6-1 record in 13 appearances and 12 starts to make the All-ACC Freshman Team.
The first domino to get the brothers to Mississippi State fell when MSU coach Chris Lemonis was fired on April 28, 2025.
The Bulldogs hired Virginia’s Brian O’Connor as the new coach on June 1, about one hour after the season ended in the Tallahassee Regional final.
“I think it was quick,” Tomas said. “I didn’t even know it was a possibility that this could happen just because of our age gap and I didn’t really know any of the rules or anything. It kind of all just worked out as it did with Coach O’Connor coming here.”
The transfer portal opened June 2. O’Connor had his public introduction on June 5 at Dudy Noble Field. The brothers and their mom were in attendance but arrived just minutes before it started. They missed a connecting flight in Atlanta because they didn’t realize they were sitting at the wrong gate.
The brothers, their mom, three other players and a parent rented a car and frantically drove from Atlanta to Starkville.
“We rented a car and were like who’s driving?” Vaida said. “Then Tomas goes, ‘Well, if we want to make it, let my mom drive.’ I’m like, ‘OK, boys, we’re not stopping.’”
Tomas and Vytas committed to MSU on June 6, with Vytas receiving an extra year of eligibility.
How Valincius brothers are impacting Mississippi State with their mom
Vaida moved in with the boys in February, not long before opening day.
She helps them around the house and takes care of the dog. She makes sure dinner is ready for them at home after every game. The dog even accompanies her in the car for road games.
“It’s fun to watch them going through this,” Vaida said. “It would be a different story if I was at home and just came for the games. That would be, not an outsider, but I wouldn’t be used to it because I’m always with them. It’s a blessing for sure.”
Tomas has been one of the top starting pitchers in the SEC. He has an 8-2 record and ranks third in the SEC with a 2.52 ERA and second with 105 strikeouts. Tomas didn’t allow an earned run in his first 19 innings of conference play.
“For me, it’s nerve-wracking,” Vytas said about watching Tomas pitch. “I enjoy when he does good, but when there’s like runners on (base) I really stress out a lot for him. I don’t know. It’s my little brother.”
Vytas is batting .371 with two home runs, 16 RBIs and 15 runs in 28 games and 19 starts.
He hit his first home run of the season against Georgia on April 4. Tomas was one of the first players out of the dugout waiting to celebrate with Vytas after he rounded the bases.
“That was the first home run I think I’ve seen him hit since, I don’t know, him playing in high school, which was like sophomore year,” Tomas said. “So that was fun. I was hyped up. I was screaming and yelling.”
Vaida said her favorite moments of the season are whenever Vytas and Tomas are in the lineup together. That’s only happened three times this season.
The most recent one, May 7 against Auburn, was the best though. Tomas pitched 6⅔ innings with three runs allowed on 13 strikeouts and 112 pitches. Vytas hit three singles and drove in a run in a 10-3 MSU win.
Tomas has one more season until he’s eligible for the 2027 MLB Draft, where Baseball America recently ranked him as the No. 3 college prospect.
Vaida said she hasn’t made any decisions yet if she’ll live with Tomas next season.
“As a mom, it’s just been a pleasure to be around them and watch how they grow in every way,” Vaida said.
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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