Mississippi
Miss Mississippi delegates prepare for first night of preliminary competition
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The Miss Mississippi delegates have been in Vicksburg since Sunday.
Monday night, all 39 rolled through downtown Vicksburg along with Miss Mississippi Vivian O’Neal for the annual parade. Beginning Wednesday night they will take the stage for the first night of preliminary competition.
We talked with three more delegates about Service Initiatives and why they participate in Miss Mississippi.
This is the sixth year Miss Hattiesburg, Katelyn Perry, will compete at Miss Mississippi. Perry says she has grown personally, and each year, she comes back to give it another try.
“I have a very successful 501c3 that I wouldn’t have started if it wasn’t for the confidence that I gained through this organization,” Perry said. “I am getting a Masters’s Degree right now, completely debt-free. I started accumulating scholarship dollars when I was just 12 years old because of this organization.”
Perry has formed a non-profit, Crowns for a Cause, to help raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals her Service Initiative.
“We have 150 ambassadors from more than 20 states, and I’m able to teach them about why service is so important, and while we do that we advocate for CMN hospitals”, Perry said.
Miss Key to the South Karsyn Ulmer was a semi-finalist in 2023. This is her third year at Miss Mississippi.
Ulmer said, “I almost didn’t come back. I actually waited and competed in the very last prelim.”
Her Service Initiative is Joyce’s Journey named in honor of her aunt.
“My Aunt Joyce, she had Cerebral Palsy, among other disabilities, and I remember being a young girl and going into places with her in public and just seeing people kind of look at her differently, and I hated it because at the end of the day, she was my best friend,” said Ulmer.
Miss Mississippi State University Morgan Nelson is back for a second time. She was also a semi-finalist in 2023.
Nelson said, “It’s truly an opportunity that I want to promote to all girls, young women who look like me and who don’t look like me to be a representative of the state.”
Miss MSU says she wants to help eliminate health disparities and chronic conditions through her Service Initiative.
“Don’t Sugarcoat It encourages Mississippians to just try to eat healthy just for a day,” Nelson said.
Miss Hattiesburg and Miss Key to the South compete in Talent Thursday night. They will be singing. Miss Mississippi State competes in Talent Friday night. She will be dancing.
Each of the six semi-finalists from 2023 received $2,000 scholarships from the Miss Mississippi Corporation. That includes four of the delegates who are back this year, Miss Hattiesburg Katelyn Perry, Miss USM Kat Adcox, Miss Key to the South Karsyn Ulmer, and Miss MSU Morgan Nelson.
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Inside the new Lego retailer, Bricks & Minifigs
Customers can buy or sell Legos and get individual bricks at the new store in Montrose.
Shoppers visiting Renaissance at Colony Park later this month will notice a big change.
Apple is moving to a new and larger store within the Ridgeland shopping center, while LEGO plans to take over Apple’s current location once the move is complete, according to Apple and other industry sources.
Apple has announced that its new store will open July 24 near the development’s Show Fountain. The company is not leaving Ridgeland. Instead, it is moving to a new location a short distance away inside Renaissance at Colony Park.
The company has operated a store at Renaissance for more than a decade. Once Apple moves into its new store, LEGO plans to open in the company’s former space. The addition will bring another well-known international brand to central Mississippi and give LEGO fans a dedicated store in the Jackson metro area.
It is another win for Ridgeland with last week’s announcement that a Dave & Buster’s that will be located at the PradoVista development near Topgolf. A site plan and architectural review for Dave & Buster’s was approved at the Ridgeland Board of Aldermen meeting on Tuesday, July 7.
Renaissance at Colony Park continues to thrive
Over the years, the center has attracted a mix of national retailers, restaurants and specialty stores. Previous developments at Renaissance have included luxury retailers, popular restaurant chains and entertainment options that draw shoppers from across Mississippi and neighboring states.
Apple’s new location will continue offering product sales, technical support and repair services. Customers will also be able to attend the company’s “Today at Apple” classes and workshops, which provide free lessons on photography, video, music and other topics.
Apple has not released details about the size of the new store. The Ridgeland project is one of several store moves announced this summer.
Renaissance keeps storefront
For Renaissance, the deal works in several ways.
Apple stays at the shopping center and receives a newer storefront. At the same time, the center fills Apple’s former location with another high-profile retailer instead of leaving the space vacant.
LEGO stores are often considered destination retailers because customers will drive long distances to visit them. Families, collectors and hobbyists frequently seek out official LEGO stores for exclusive products and special events.
For shoppers, the most immediate change will be Apple’s July 24 opening. Customers who need repairs, technical help or product purchases will be directed to the new store after the move.
LEGO has not yet announced an opening date.
Ross Reily is a writer for the Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter @GreenOkra1.
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Mississippi leaders across the board are reflecting on the legacy of service Sen. Lindsey Graham had in Washington, D.C.
3 On Your Side spoke on the phone with Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith who shared that Graham treated her like a little sister when she arrived to the Senate.
Their friendship grew outside of work, but one thing she’ll really cherish is the teamwork they developed to get things done with President Donald Trump.
“There were times he would come to me and say, OK sister, you’re going to have to break this news to Trump. If it was a difficult situation, he would say you got to soften him up, you call him and then I’ll call him after you but you’re the one that’s going to have to take care of this. Or you’ve got to go to Mar-a-Lago and handle this, but we were a pretty good team together because we were both close to the President,” said Sen. Hyde-Smith.
Sen. Hyde-Smith added, since coming to Washington, D.C., she looked up to Sen. Graham like an older brother in the chamber.
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Copyright 2026 WLBT. All rights reserved.
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball signee Landon Brown will play for the Bulldogs instead of signing a pro contract, he told the Clarion Ledger on July 12 during the 2026 MLB Draft.
Brown, a right-handed pitcher from Rosharon, Texas, was ranked as the No. 77 prospect by MLB.com. He pitched and played corner infield for Iowa Colony while winning Brazoria County Player of the Year.
He won’t be eligible again for the MLB draft until 2029.
Brown is 6-foot-4, 210 pounds. He has a fastball that reaches 98 mph as part of a four-pitch mix. He also throws a slider, cutter and splitter.
Brown committed to Mississippi State in 2024 under previous coach Chris Lemonis.
He is the third high school draft prospect to reveal he will play for MSU instead of signing a pro contract. Shortstop Noah Danza withdrew from the MLB draft before it began, and pitcher Denton Lord announced after the fifth round that he was heading to Mississippi State.
Three Mississippi State signees were drafted in the first 10 rounds: shortstop Rocco Maniscalco, catcher Will Brick and outfielder Martin Shelar.
Landon Brown stats
- 66⅔ innings
- 0.63 ERA
- 110 strikeouts
- 13 walks
- .424 batting average
- 13 home runs
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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