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.
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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.
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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 Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for June 6, 2026
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 6, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from June 6 drawing
04-14-18-22-24
Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 6 drawing
Midday: 8-7-5, FB: 9
Evening: 3-2-2, FB: 3
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 6 drawing
Midday: 9-7-6-0, FB: 9
Evening: 0-7-1-7, FB: 3
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 6 drawing
Midday: 11
Evening: 13
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Story continues below gallery.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.
Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:
Mississippi Lottery Corporation
P.O. Box 321462
Flowood, MS
39232
If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.
Mississippi Lottery Headquarters
1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100
Flowood, MS
39232
Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.
When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?
- Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
- Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Mississippi
How Mississippi State baseball star Ace Reese got his name
Mississippi State baseball’s Ace Reese crushes opponent’s ace pitchers, but that’s not exactly why he got that first name.
Reese is the Bulldogs’ star third baseman and a top prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft.
He’s in his second season at MSU, which is facing Georgia in the Athens Super Regional starting on June 6 (10 a.m. CT, ESPN). The winner will go to the College World Series, where MSU hasn’t been since the 2021 national championship.
Here’s what to know about Reese, including the story of his first name.
Ace Reese name
Reese’s parents named him Ace because they thought he’d be a star pitcher. They were correct that Reese would be a star baseball player, but just at a different position.
“I didn’t know, right?” Aaron Reese told The Clarion Ledger last season. “We prayed about it a lot and you have confidence and faith and know that you’re going to get going in the right direction. At that moment, that was the direction we were being led.”
Ace Reese stats
Reese is batting .328 with 22 home runs, 72 RBIs and 69 runs. He leads the team in home runs, RBIs and runs.
Reese joined Mississippi State legends Rafael Palmeiro and Will Clark this season as the only players in program history with consecutive 20-home run seasons.
Reese is a two-time All-SEC first-team selection and the 2025 SEC Newcomer of the Year.
In his two Mississippi State seasons, Reese is batting .337 with 43 home runs, 136 RBIs and 125 runs. His .707 career slugging percentage at MSU is on pace to be the third-highest in program history behind only Clark and Palmeiro.
Ace Reese MLB draft projections
Reese is ranked as the No. 21 prospect by the MLB for the 2026 draft. Mississippi State hasn’t had a batter drafted in the first round since Justin Foscue in 2020.
Reese spent last summer playing for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team with players like Roch Cholowsky, UCLA’s star who’s projected to be the No. 1 pick.
Ace Reese transferred to Mississippi State
Reese played at Houston as a freshman in 2024 before transferring to Mississippi State.
Ace Reese hometown
Reese is from Canton, Texas, which is southeast of Dallas, and went to Canton High School.
Mississippi State vs Georgia super regional schedule
- Game 1: Saturday, June 6 (10 a.m. CT, ESPN)
- Game 2: Sunday, June 7 (11 a.m. CT, ESPN)
- Game 3: Monday, June 8 (TBD), if necessary
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
Mississippi
Mississippi lawmakers, educators target achievement gap as older students lag behind
JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi fourth graders have led the nation in gains in reading and math scores, but eighth graders and high schoolers sit near the bottom in certain categories. Lawmakers and educators have drawn up plans to prevent setbacks but need help from parents.
Since 2013, students completing fourth grade have taken Mississippi from 49th and 50th in reading and math scores to ninth and 16th.
“What we see is that students do really well in those earlier grades and then in those pre-teen years, we see some of those grades dip,” State Sen. Nicole Boyd said.
High school scores lag
The biggest drop is with the ACT.
According to ACT.org, in 2024, Mississippi ranked 49th in average scores out of all states and Washington D.C.
Students earned an average of 17.7. Only 17% of test takers met the math and science benchmark and 27% met the reading benchmark.
In total, only 1% of graduates in 2024 statewide took this test.
Eighth graders are also performing below the national average according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, sitting at 41st in reading and 35th in math scores nationally.
“One way that we can change that is provide students opportunities to learn and read things that they’re interested in and not make it punitive,” said Tiffany Cline, director of library services with Jackson Public Schools.
New screening requirements
This upcoming school year, children have more options.
Boyd, who sits on the Education Committee, helped pass a law requiring elementary and middle school students to undergo three math and reading check-ups each year.
The screenings from Senate Bill 2294 place students who fall behind on an individual plan to learn at their own pace with a coach.
“By doing these screeners and really finding out where children are, that will empower parents with more information,” Boyd said. “To really help and assess their kid when they need to have a little bit more support.”
“If we address those issues then, when they get into our upper grades, they are not learning to read; they are reading to learn,” Cline said. “So, now they’re able to comprehend and understand what they’re reading better.”
Summer learning
Summertime can allow children to slip in remembering what they learned last year. Some local students shared how they stay on track for fall.
“We have to read a book for 30 minutes and work on a summer packet for 30 minutes,” Major Marshall said.
“Studying my math problems and making sure I get a good education, get my reading skills up and stuff,” Baleigh Wollfolk said.
“Especially if I practice over the summer, it will be a lot easier to get the work done and understand it more,” Kailee Partee said.
The new tools from state lawmakers will also be available for students taking computer science and personal financial classes in the school years to come in 2027 through 2029.
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