Mississippi
Mississippi Book Festival unveils marker on Writers Trail. See what it says
The 2024 Mississippi Book Festival kicked off festivities with an unveiling on the Mississippi State Capitol Building steps Saturday morning. A new marker dedicated to the beloved Jackson festival will be added to the Mississippi Writers Trail.
At 9 a.m. Saturday, dozens of festival attendees were already strolling in front of the capitol building perusing the tents lining Mississippi Street. Behind them, a group of guests watched as Holly Lange and Jere Nash unveiled the new marker. Lange and Nash founded the Mississippi Book Festival in 2014 as a way to bring book lovers and authors together to celebrate literature in the heart of Jackson.
The festival, referred to as “the South’s literary lawn party,” celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
Unhoused in Mississippi series: How does Jackson’s unhoused population cope with extreme weather?
The plaque is the newest marker on the Mississippi Writers Trail, a path designed to turn Mississippi’s literary history into visible markers throughout the state. First opened in 2018, the trail features markers placed in several Mississippi cities from the bottom of the state to the top. Existing markers honor past and present writers, including William Faulkner, Ida B. Wells, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, Willie Morris and Richard Wright among others.
After the festival, the marker will find a permanent home on the capitol building lawn.
David Lewis, executive director of the Mississippi Arts Commission, said the marker is a great way to celebrate 10 years of the book festival.
“What a fitting way to honor the 10th anniversary by cementing it into history and putting a marker here on the grounds,” Lewis said. “What’s so great about the book festival is that it is on the capitol grounds, and that’s a great partnership with the state of Mississippi.”
The marker not only honors Mississippi writers but also the founders of the book festival and the state lawmakers who work with the festival each year.
All of the trail markers are chosen through the Mississippi Arts Commission. Ellen Daniels, executive director of the Mississippi Book Festival, said the new marker, which has been in the works for a year, is an honor.
“It really means (the book festival) has contributed something to the literary culture of the state,” Daniels said.
More in recent Jackson events: Jackson and Memphis mayors discuss fostering change in majority Black cities. See what was said
Jane Alexander, CEO and president of the Community Foundation for Mississippi, said the new marker is an important reflection of Mississippi’s unique literary history.
“I think it’s really important that people know that Mississippi values our wordsmiths, our writers and the people who bring us ideas and share our ideas,” Alexander said. “It’s something all of us brag about, and so this is sort of the public way to brag about this to anyone who comes to the capitol. We own our history, but we also look forward to the future.”
The Mississippi Book Festival was held Saturday at the Mississippi State Capitol Building with seminars and featured guests, including LaVar Burton and Jesmyn Ward.
Got a news tip? Contact Mary Boyte at mboyte@jackson.gannett.com
Mississippi
Mississippi State basketball vs Southeastern Louisiana score today: Live updates, how to watch
Mississippi State basketball coach Chris Jans recaps West Georgia win
Watch part of coach Chris Jans’ press conference following Mississippi State basketball’s win against West Georgia.
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State basketball concludes its three-game homestand today.
The Bulldogs (2-0) are hosting Southeastern Louisiana (1-1) at Humphrey Coliseum on Tuesday (6:30 p.m., SEC Network). It’s the Bulldogs’ last home game until Dec. 4.
The Lions beat NAIA school William Carey 91-53 in their season opener before losing at UAB 82-72 on Sunday. Guard Jakevion Buckley, a Lamar transfer, is their leading scorer averaging 17.0 points per game.
Follow along here for live updates.
Watch Mississippi State vs Southeastern Louisiana live on ESPN+ (subscribe today)
Mississippi State vs Southeastern Louisiana score updates
This section will be updated when the game begins.
What time does Mississippi State vs Southeastern Louisiana play today?
- Date: Tuesday, Nov. 12
- Time: 6:30 p.m.
- Location: Humphrey Coliseum
What channel is Mississippi State vs Southeastern Louisiana on today?
- TV channel: SEC Network+
- Streaming: ESPN+ (subscribe here)
- Radio: Mississippi State radio network 96.1 FM
Mississippi State vs Southeastern Louisiana live stream options
Mississippi State basketball vs. Southeastern Louisiana will be broadcast on SEC Network+. Steaming is available via ESPN+.
Mississippi State vs Southeastern Louisiana predictions
Mississippi State 87, Southeastern Louisiana 49: The MSU offense seems legit so far, averaging 98 points in its first two games. Southeastern Louisiana returns only five players from last season and replaced four of its starters, so it’s still unclear exactly what kind of team the Lions are. A 10-point road loss to a good UAB team could mean something, but MSU should be able to coast to another decisive win.
Mississippi State vs Southeastern Louisiana betting odds
Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Tuesday:
- Spread: Mississippi State -25.5
- Over/under: 147.5
- Moneyline: Mississippi State -5000/Southeastern Louisiana +1500
Mississippi State vs Southeastern Louisiana injury updates
There are no reported injuries for both Mississippi State and Southeastern Louisiana.
Mississippi State basketball schedule
Record: 2-0
Next five games on the Mississippi State schedule:
- Nov. 12: vs. Southeastern Louisiana
- Nov. 17: vs. Utah (in Southaven)
- Nov. 22: at SMU
- Nov. 28: vs. UNLV (Arizona Tipoff)
- Nov. 29: vs. Butler or Northwestern (Arizona Tipoff)
Buy Mississippi State basketball tickets this season via StubHub
Southeastern Louisiana basketball schedule
Record: 1-1
Next five games on the Southeastern Louisiana schedule:
- Nov. 12: at Mississippi State
- Nov. 18: at Louisiana-Monroe
- Nov. 22: vs. Wyoming (Cancun Challenge)
- Nov. 26: vs. Gardner-Webb (Cancun Challenge)
- Nov. 27: vs. Bethune-Cookman or North Dakota (Cancun Challenge)
Mississippi State basketball news
- Mississippi State’s 98.0 points per game are third in the SEC and tied for 20th nationally. The 101 points scored against Georgia State are the second most in the Chris Jans era.
- Mississippi State’s 16.0 steals per game are the most in the SEC and tied for fourth nationally. The 17 steals against West Georgia are the most in the Jans era.
- The Bulldogs are 18-1 against Southeastern Louisiana, with the lone loss coming in 2005. This is the first game between the Bulldogs and Lions since 2013-14.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Mississippi
‘He was just a monster.’ Mississippi teen deer hunter harvests giant 167-inch buck
‘It was getting darker and I had four bucks fighting in front of me. When he walked up he was on a march.’
Can you believe this? Black bear raids porch for Halloween treats.
A stealthy bear visited a Connecticut home and stole all the Halloween sweet treats.
A Mississippi teen first got a particular buck on camera two years ago and although it was a 10-point, it didn’t really stand out. Since the buck appeared to be young, the teen’s father said they should let him grow and two years later that decision paid off with a huge buck that unofficially gross-scored 167 inches.
“He was nothing special,” said Walker Hilbun, 18, of Starkville. “He was 3 1/2 (years old) and my dad said we should let him go and it was a really good thing we did.
“The next year I passed on the deer four or five times. It was extremely hard to do. It was hard to let him go last year.”
When the buck showed up on camera this summer, it was a different story.
“He was just a monster with tons of mass and tons of points on him,” Hilbun said. “I was extremely happy I let him go last year and immediately wanted to kill him this year.”
Acorns make hunting the big buck difficult
Harvesting the buck was easier said than done. Hilbun said Patterning the buck was difficult because the cameras on the Oktibbeha County property where he was hunting were set up on food plots and at a feeder, but the buck wasn’t frequenting those spots.
Instead, the buck appeared to be feeding on the early crop of acorns in wooded areas, so that’s where Hilbun focused his efforts, but the plan wasn’t working. A month into the season, Hilbun had not had an encounter with the buck.
On Nov. 1, the buck decided to eat something other than acorns. While Hilbun was hunting in a wooded area, the buck showed up on camera at a nearby food plot.
That prompted a change. Hilbun said his dad said he should hunt out of a shooting house at the food plot in case the buck came back. The following afternoon, that’s what Hilbun did.
A food plot filled with deer
“I got in the stand at 3:15,” Hilbun said. “I saw lots of deer. I ended up seeing about 30 deer in the food plot.”
And soon enough, the big buck decided to join them.
“He did pop out at 5:30, 5:35 and I watched him,” Hilbun said. “He’d feed to me and then feed back.”
The buck continued grazing in the food plot for about an hour, but stayed out of range of Hilbun’s bow. Then something happened the buck couldn’t resist.
“It was getting darker, and I had four bucks fighting in front of me,” Hilbun said. “When he walked up he was on a march.”
Hilbun said he was nervous, but he managed to stay calm until he got a shot.
“It was right before dark,” Hilbun said. “I slowly drew back and when I shot he was at 27 yards, I think. I was really confident in my shot.”
Even though Hilbun was confident in his shot, his nerves finally got the best of him.
“I was really shaken up,” Hilbun said. “I was super nervous.”
Long, sleepless night ends with buck of Mississippi hunter’s dreams
Hilbun said he didn’t track the deer that evening because he didn’t want to risk jumping the buck before it expired. He didn’t have to worry about the meat spoiling because the temperatures went down into the low 60s that night.
Even so, it was a long night. Hilbun said he didn’t sleep as he replayed the shot in his mind over and over. The following morning, a handler came with a tracking dog to help with the recovery and it wasn’t long before Hilbun put his hands on the buck.
“It was the best moment in my life, probably,” Hilbun said. “He was just as big as I thought he was. I was really shaken up and excited.”
And there was a lot to be excited about. The buck had 11 points plus a kicker on one of his brow tines. The inside spread was 17 3/4 inches. The G3s measured over 7 inches and the other nine points racked up inches as well.
And the mass was, well, massive. Hilbun said the total circumference measurements came to roughly 40 inches with a total rough score of 167.
The buck is the biggest he’s ever taken and he realizes he may never harvest another of that size. However, that doesn’t mean Hilbun won’t try.
“It’s probably not super likely, but I can’t kill one if I don’t hunt,” Hilbun said.
Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.
Mississippi
Mississippi State Earns No. 1 Seed In NCAA Tournament: Morning Bell, November 12
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State soccer’s run at the SEC tournament ended prematurely, but it wasn’t enough to change the impact Bulldogs’ dominant regular season in the eyes of the NCAA tournament selection committee.
Mississippi State received its first-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament, meaning the path to the College Cup will run through Starkville. The Bulldogs will open tournament play against Southern at 5 p.m. Saturday.
“We’re incredibly honored to receive the No. 1 seed,” coach James Armstrong, now the winningest coach in program history, said. “This group has worked tirelessly to get here, and it’s such a special moment to know that we’ll be hosting in Starkville with our amazing fans behind us. We’re focused and ready to put all our energy into Saturday’s game
No games played.
Men’s Basketball: Southeastern Louisiana at Mississippi State, 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, SEC Network+
“I know that in Ames, Iowa, they fancy themselves being experts on the wind, but in Lubbock, Texas, we’ll put our wind up against your wind in Iowa.”
-
Culture1 week ago
Yankees’ Gerrit Cole opts out of contract, per source: How New York could prevent him from testing free agency
-
Culture1 week ago
Try This Quiz on Books That Were Made Into Great Space Movies
-
Health5 days ago
Lose Weight Without the Gym? Try These Easy Lifestyle Hacks
-
Culture4 days ago
The NFL is heading to Germany – and the country has fallen for American football
-
Business3 days ago
Ref needs glasses? Not anymore. Lasik company offers free procedures for referees
-
Technology1 week ago
Amazon’s Echo Spot alarm clock is on sale with a free color smart bulb
-
Sports4 days ago
All-Free-Agent Team: Closers and corner outfielders aplenty, harder to fill up the middle
-
News1 day ago
Herbert Smith Freehills to merge with US-based law firm Kramer Levin